Eat in San Francisco: Tea House at the Japanese Tea Garden

Udon made with a fish-based soy sauce broth, green onions, fish cake, and deep-fried flour batter


Chicken Karaage


Tea House Cookies: fortune cookies, sesame cookies, almond cookies, and chocolate Pocky sticks

Last July, my dining companion and I spent some time exploring the Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park. Located next to the de Young Museum on Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, this is the oldest public Japanese Garden in North America and features beautiful trees, sculptures, and a tea house, where you can stop by for a nice snack or meal.

After perusing their impressive menu, we started our early lunch with a pot of Sencha tea, a Japanese green tea. We then shared a warm bowl of Udon and Chicken Karaage, ending the meal with the Tea House Cookies. The Udon featured everything you want in its fish-based soy sauce broth, including thick udon noodles, green onions, fish cake, and deep-fried flour batter. The battered chicken had a nice crunch and provided more protein to our meal. The cookie tray included all of the classics: fortune cookies, sesame cookies, almond cookies, and chocolate Pocky sticks.

This was a delightful meal served in an incredibly beautiful space. (Seriously, take a look at their Instagram now!) I will definitely stop by again for a walk around the garden and a nice snack, potentially ordering the Hojicha tea, Organic Vegetarian Soup, or the Dango sticky rice balls.

Tea House at the Japanese Tea Garden

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75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., San Francisco, CA 94118

Open: Daily 9am - 4:45pm (winter) &  9am - 5:45pm (summer)

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Eat in San Francisco: Godzila Sushi

Bento Box with Chicken Teriyaki, California roll, miso soup, salad, and rice

Rock'N Roll sushi roll made with barbecued eel, avocado, cucumber, and tobiko

Udon soup


Tempura

My dining companion and I visited Godzila Sushi, a Japanese restaurant located on the corner of Divisadero and Bush in Lower Pacific Heights, for the first time for a weekday lunch in late August. They have an expansive menu featuring favorites like sushi, bento boxes, donburi, and udon.

We tried a few things. My dining companion got a Bento Box with Chicken Teriyaki, California roll, miso soup, salad, and rice, while I got the Tempura Udon and a Rock'N Roll sushi roll — made with barbecued eel, avocado, cucumber, and tobiko. Everything was quite good. The chicken had the sweet teriyaki flavor we like, while the rolls were perfectly made and the flavors well-balanced. The udon was the warm salve I love on an overcast day and the tempura pieces, including the classics like sweet potato and shrimp, were sizable.

Godzila Sushi is a great, casual restaurant if you're looking for delicious Japanese restaurant at affordable prices. I will be sure to return when I'm in the area.

 

Godzila Sushi

Website | Yelp

1800 Divisadero St., San Francisco, CA 94115

Open: Monday - Thursday 11:30am - 2:30pm & 5 - 9pm, Friday 11:30am - 2:30pm & 5 - 9:30pm, Saturday 5 - 9:30pm

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Eat in Berkeley: C U Sushi

Smoked salmon nigiri


Orgasm Salad with seared tuna and spring mix




Dynamite with scallop, mushroom, onion, and masago




Energy roll with fresh water eel, yellow tail, gobo, masago, green onion, and avocado




Lion King roll with crab, avocado, baked salmon, and masago on top

I've been visiting C U Sushi for about a year and it never ceases to impress me. Okay, I'll just come clean and say it: it's my favorite sushi spot in Berkeley, located on Center smack-dab between Oxford and Shattuck in the city's downtown.

The roll that won me over was the Lion King. Not only does its name blanket me with nostalgia for one of my favorite movies as a kid, it changed everything I thought sushi was and could be. As a sushi novice, I was under the impression that sushi is either raw or cooked. I didn't know that sushi could be, dare I say, baked. And not just baked, but rich and buttery. This is where the Lion King comes in. This roll is filled with crab and avocado, and then topped with pieces of freshly baked salmon that are sprinkled with masago and green onion. In short, it's a little piece of heaven. The first bite is so warm and filling that I often try to drag out the moment, wondering how something could be so darn good.

Of course, the Lion King is just the beginning. They have a great selection of fresh sushi and nirigi as well as more decadent rolls like the Energy roll with its fresh water eel and yellow tail. If you're looking for something warmer, they serve very tasty udon soups. In all, everything I've tried has been pretty good and quite affordable, which is a big plus.

C U Sushi
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 2152 Center St., Berkeley, CA 94704
Open: Monday - Thursday 11 - 10, Saturday 11:30 - 10:30, Sunday 11:30 - 10

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Eat in Berkeley: Crunch

Bulgogi (beef) rice plate


Bibimbap with bulgogi

Crunch is a casual Korean restaurant located on Center between Shattuck and Oxford, only half a block from UC Berkeley. I've been here a handful of times and it's always been pretty tasty. What I like most about this place is that they serve solid Korean food at good prices and in big portions. As a lazy cook, I'm always happy when I can get two meals out of one dish.

I've tried a few dishes here, notably the bibimbap with bulgogi beef and the udon noodle soup. (How adventurous.) Both satisfied my criteria for good Korean food so I'd definitely recommend them. On my last visit, I noticed that they also serve a kimchi burrito, which is essentially all the delicious fixins you'd expect to find in a Korean rice plate wrapped in a tortilla. I'll make it a point to try it and report back to you the next time I'm craving Korean food.

If you've tried Crunch before, which dishes do you recommend?

Crunch
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 2144 Center St., Berkeley, CA 94704
Open: Monday - Friday 11 - 9:30, Saturday 11:30 - 9:30, Sunday 4 - 9:30

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Eat in Berkeley: Manpuku

The California roll with added tobiko and the Spider roll

Manpuku, or what I like to childishly refer to as "Manpoopoo," is a staple for Berkeley sushi fiends. Nestled in between College Avenue's own restaurant row, Manpuku is known for having a pretty good selection of sushi, noodles, and other Japanese fixins at even better prices. I've eaten here several times and would highly recommend the spicy hotate (scallop) nigiri, the unagi (BBQ eel) nigiri, and any of the udon soups. As a sushi novice, I'd suggest bringing a sushi-head who can highlight which pieces to try. 

While the restaurant looks very narrow from the front entrance, there's actually a lot of seating space and I've always been able to get a table or a spot at the counter. I'd recommend ordering your favorite rolls and sipping on a cup of hot tea, while watching the sushi master work his magic.

Manpuku
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 2977 College Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705
Open: Monday - Saturday 11 - 10, Sunday 11 - 9

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