Exploring the Bay Area

Hong Kong East Ocean Seafood Restaurant  This restaurant, which was established in 1989, offers a very fine dining experience that is unlike any other in the area.  First of all, this large restaurant features large windows and is situated along the shore, offering exquisite views of the bay. You can see the Bay Bridge and the city of San Francisco beyond the sparkling waves of the bay that occupy the foreground. The view is mesmerizingly beautiful.  Not only that, but the whole dining room is gorgeous. The tables are clad with white tablecloths, and the padded chairs are draped in an attractive light blue that matches the trim on the walls and the cloth napkins. Colorful flowers dangle from elaborate chandeliers, and there are more flowers in vases on the carefully set tables. In the background, you can hear some soft but nice Chinese instrumental music. Everything is picture-perfect, and the ambiance is extremely appetizing! Beyond the delightful view and the beauty of...

iniBurger I enjoyed my trip to iniBurger, the Halal burger chain that has several locations around Northern California. It was my first time trying this place, and I was very impressed. It is a brightly colored restaurant where you can order and pay either at the counter or on one of their kiosks. They serve burgers, chicken sandwiches, wings, and fries. The prices are not displayed on the menus on display behind the counter, but they stay in a reasonable range, for the most part between $10 and $20.  There is room to sit in their brightly colored restaurant or outside. The music is relatively loud inside, and the atmosphere is lively and fun.   I ordered the Americano burger and had to admit it was a succulent and enticing creation. It was a juicy burger with a special sauce that tasted like pepper. I could taste the charred edges of the patty and the salty, savory seasonings on it. The cheese was gooey, salty, and sweet while the lettuce and pickles were slightly crunch...

  Bench Cafe Bench Cafe is a simple cafe that serves only coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and pastries in its very small shop. Upon entering, you will see a small spiral staircase leading upstairs and a brightly lit, small room with limited seating. When I came, two baristas were working diligently behind a counter. In the way of coffee, they serve a house drip, an au lait, a cappuccino, a latte, an espresso, a macchiato, and a cortado. In the way of tea, they serve Persian Rose, Persian Black, Berber, Dream, Azul, and iced tea. They also offer specialty beverages, including banana cream ice coffee, banana cream chai, matcha latte, mocha, chai latte, hot chocolate, cold brew, and golden milk latte. There was also an assortment of pastries like cookies, muffins, and scones along the counter.  The prices are not listed on the menu, but they are what you would expect from a coffee shop in this area. I decided I would like to try the banana cream iced coffee because it was an interes...

Espresso Roma Cafe Open daily from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm, this cafe is a great place to start your day or stop by and grab a bite. There is an impressive coffee menu and an impressive food menu. It is a cross between a coffee shop and a casual dining restaurant.   When you walk in, you might be overwhelmed by the number of options, which include eggs, sandwiches, soups, burgers, breakfast burritos, and salads as well as a variety of coffee and tea options. They also have a juice bar and an assortment of sodas.  When you finally choose, you can place your order at the counter, where they will ring you up and accept your payment. They will either prepare your order on the spot or give you a number to put on you table. After that, you can be seated. This cafe has lots of seating. The majority of the seating is outdoors, most of which is under a veranda. There is also a small lounge and eating area inside. The vanilla latte (pictured above) was fabulous. The coffee flavor was deep a...

Cafe Tibet Cafe Tibet specializes in Tibetan cuisine. Everything is both vegetarian and vegan, and it has many gluten free options.  It is a small hole-in-the-wall lovingly decorated with Tibetan artwork and souvenirs. I particularly admired the paintings on the wall that depict life in Tibet. I also liked the photo of the Dalai Lama and the flags on the wall. It is a family-owned restaurant, and the proprietor is a friendly man who waits the tables himself.  From the decorations and the attitude of the owners, I could tell that this small restaurant is a labor of love, born out of a pure desire to share their own delicious take on authentic Tibetan cuisine.  They have a selection of starters, salads, soups, gluten-free noodles, gluten-free entrees, noodles, momo (Tibetan dumplings), curries, and other entrees, as well as some interesting drink options. Nothing on the menu costs more than $20, making it one of the more affordable restaurants in the area.  We tried t...

Dessert N Spice This cute little bakery can be found along University Avenue in Berkeley. The bakery is not large, so there are only about three tables and a few more stools along the bar against the wall. It's a nice place to stop for or pick up a sweet treat. Entering the bakery, you will see sunlight streaming through the big windows and three big glass cases illuminated by bright lights. Inside these cases are premium pastries like specialty cakes, muffins, baklava, croissants, cookies, and macaroons. Each one looks like a work of art.  They also serve caffeinated beverages. They have an americano, a caramel macchiato, a latte, a caramel latte, a dark mocha, a white chocolate mocha, steamed milk, hot chocolate, and chai tea. They also have a selection of canned sodas.  When you have decided which of the pastries you want from behind the glass, you can order and pay at the counter, where they accept contactless payment. The service is very good; the people are polite, and ...

Mel's Express First established in San Francisco in 1947, Mel's Express now is a chain that has 22 locations in northern Nevada and northern California, including one 2014 Kala Bagai Way in Berkeley, California, which I recently visited. (The hours of the Berkeley location are 11:00 am to 9:00 pm daily.) I decided from the music on the radio, the items on the menu, and the decorations on the wall that it was a relatively authentic mid-twentieth-century fast-food diner.  I had fun studying the retro decorations on the walls. What really stood out to me was what a cool collection of classic rock memorabilia they had. They had Elvis, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, Chuck Berry, and other early classic rock superstar photos, posters, and even vinyl records. I noticed an old movie poster or two from films I was not familiar with, a nice Muhammed Ali poster, and a black and white photo of Bill Clinton. They had some old soda and ketchup logos, some nice antique vending ...

Way Station Brew Way Station Brew is a dark and mysterious restaurant, cafe, and beer garden. It is decorated in dark colors and dimly lit, with jazzy instrumentals playing in the background. Half the walls are dark red exposed brick; the other half are painted a dark teal that seems to absorb the light, leaving the room with a dark appearance. There are two black leather sofas, a black leather booth running along one wall, and several black leather bar stools, some at the high-top tables and some along the bar. Both of the long walls are adorned with bright, colorful, modern art displayed on them, adding some childish personality to this mysterious den.  The door opens to Dwight Avenue. The storefront has windows that overlook the street. Upon entry, you will see a piano pushed up against one of the walls, and beyond it, a lounge area, and even beyond that,  a small bar.  Behind the bar, you will see an espresso station that extends for the length of the restaurant on t...

  Gold Bean Cafe Gold Bean Cafe is a great environment to sit and work. The wifi is free, fast, and reliable. People tend to talk quietly or sit alone working on their own projects. The speakers play pleasant Latin pop at a medium volume that I found actually helped me focus on my own work on my computer.  The entire cafe has a clean and modern feel. The black and white design is simple yet elegant. It is not a large cafe, but it has an ample amount of seating indoors and outdoors. The outdoor seats have some nice umbrellas to guard them from the sun. When I came in, I studied the menu, which is displayed on the screens above the counter. This cafe serves some interesting breakfast options, like breakfast sandwiches, bagels, and avocado toast. For lunch, they serve a variety of sandwich and panini options. They even had some delicious-looking fruit smoothies, juice, and lemonade, as well as some pastries on display in the glass case on the counter.  But their specialty wa...

Original Pollo Original Pollo is a down-to-earth casual restaurant with a cozy, old-fashioned feel. Walking in from the suburban streets of Berkeley, you begin to feel as if you have traveled to a different time and place, one that is peaceful and old-fashioned in all the best of ways. The restaurant design exudes old-fashioned simplicity. The color scheme emphasizes red, maroon, and brown, giving off comforting vibes. Nothing looks new, but everything is comfortable. As you sit in the restaurant, you can hear the sounds of the other patrons talking, the kitchen utensils clinking, and sometimes the news playing on their one television. The first thing you’ll notice when you walk in is that they have an extensive menu mounted on the wall, chock-full of meals at prices you would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in the Bay Area. I almost did a double-take, wondering why the prices, like the attractive interior design, seemed to be from a different decade. Original Pollo serves a variety...

  Thrifty Cat True to Berkeley's lofty ideals of sharing with the community, Thrifty Cat is a thrift store committed to offering good clothes at very low prices. When you first approach the store, you will see bins of $1 items that sell for $5 for seven or $10 for 15. When you enter the store, you will that it is packed from wall to wall with usable, used clothing, including many nice shirts and a wall full devoted to $5 jeans. Thrifty Cat also has an outdoor area with stylishly dressed mannequins and a bin of $5 shoes. The store and its surrounding outdoor areas have many wonderful, inexpensive finds.  It is a sister store to the Curiosity Shop , which is right down the street. Like the Curiosity Shop , this store gives off hippie vibes and is the product of Berkeley's hippie past. Both are situated near Berkeley High School and are accessible to the public. Central to this store's operating philosophy is that we all need clothing, and that it shouldn't be so expensiv...

Penelope's Coffee and Tea Walking into Penelope's Coffee and Tea is like entering a serene oasis in the middle of the city. The coffee shop is pristine and immaculate with clean white marble tile along the wall, wood tables, black chairs, wood-like linoleum on the floors, and a pop of blue from the wall supports, the sofas, the cups, and the logo. A pleasant tune plays on the loudspeakers. You order and pay at the counter. Then you find your seat in this comfortable cafe. The service is friendly and fast, so they will have your order shortly. The prices are typical for a coffee shop in the Bay Area. The menu is on televisions mounted behind the cashier, and you can find a printed copy in front of the cashier. Penelope's Coffee and Tea has an extensive menu of typical and interesting coffee beverages and a variety of breakfast dishes.  They have hot and iced Greek coffee, available in standard, white mocha, or mocha. They also serve a Freddo cappuccino and Freddo espresso, ...

Endless Summer Sweets A trip to Endless Summer Sweets is like a trip back in time to childhood. This small shop specializes in all of our childhood favorites, with an emphasis on summer fair food. The shop is brightly lit and painted in pastel blue-green and light pink, colors that resemble classic cotton candy. When you walk in, you will be surrounded by these festive colors and will see a counter that displays caramel apples and several flavors of kettle corn; behind that counter, you will see the entire menu in bright colors on television screens.  The main course menu consists of hot dogs, corn dogs, chicken tenders, and chicken sandwiches. The side options include fries and nachos. For dessert, you can have cotton candy, popcorn, ice cream, churros, funnel cakes, milkshakes, and more. You can order and pay at a kiosk or in person with the help of a cashier.  The corn dogs taste like pure nostalgia--exactly what you remember the corn dogs tasting like in childhood. By this...

Imm Thai Street Food Imm Thai Street Food is located in the heart of Berkeley, where you can take a seat outside or inside their shop. The outdoor tables are nice on sunny days, but the indoor tables are nice as well. The inside of the restaurant is packed with tables. The restaurant's design is somewhat Spartan, featuring a simple black and gray color scheme with brown wood. The only adornments on the wall are a few black and white photos of Thailand. This signals that the restaurant's focus and claim to fame is the incredible food. Imm Thai is a no-frills sit-down restaurant. You will have to wait to be seated, and then you will be offered a chance to review the menu and decide what you would like. The menu has many options, all at a rather affordable price; the lack of frills and Spartan design give way to an exquisite meal at a decent price. Imm Thai is open from 11 am to 10 pm on weekends and from 11 am to 9:30 pm on weekdays. You know that its delicious food is no secret...

Helacio's Deli and Cafe Helacio's is a small cafe and deli located on Sacramento Street, serving a wide variety of options. This includes pastries, breakfast burritos, sandwiches, salads, paninis, soup, coffee, fresh juice, smoothies, and ice cream. The entire menu is displayed on the chalkboards on the wall behind the counter, on signs posted along the counter, or in the glass cases that form part of the barrier between the kitchen and the rest of the restaurant. It seems they have something for everyone. You can order and pay at the register behind the counter. They accept credit cards and contactless pay, and the prices won’t give you sticker shock. Almost as soon as you place your order, they will begin preparing your food or beverage. The service is relatively quick, even when it's crowded. The baristas are friendly and work very fast. It’s kind of fun to watch them hurrying around the small kitchen area. Somehow, the finished product turns out looking and tasting per...

The Coffee Hut This coffee shop is more like an outdoor coffee stand than a conventional coffee shop. Located along busy Shattuck Avenue in downtown Berkeley, this small "hut" is just big enough for one barista to prepare and sell drinks and snacks. This small building stands erect along the sidewalk. It has no indoor seating, but it is surrounded by some nice outdoor seating.  Outside in downtown Berkeley can be a very nice to stop and enjoy a caffeinated beverage. This so-called "hut" sits along Shattuck Avenue in front of a popular ice cream shop and a popular sandwich place, near the Bart station, and across the street from Target, making it a great place to people watch. Sometimes this place even attracts buskers.  It is also a good place to grab a beverage or snack and continue on your journey through downtown Berkeley. Everything is served in to-go cups and can be taken to go.  It may look like it is just a simple stand, but it sells a wide selection of coff...

Kui Shin Bo Kui Shin Bo, which translates roughly to "glutton," is a small sit-down restaurant in San Francisco. It is located in the corner of a small mall in Japantown. It seats only about seven parties at once in its small eating area, which is cutely decorated with Japanese art in frames and has dark blue Japanese flower wallpaper as trim; not only that, but the walls to the small eating area were sectioned off by wood paneling and lit by Japanese light fixtures. This gave the restaurant a very quaint and had a traditionally Japanese feel.  Despite its small size, it has one of the most extensive menus you will see. It is a great place to look for Japanese dishes that are hard to find elsewhere, like okonomiyaki, shabu shabu, or sukiyaki. They also serve a variety of noodle dishes (many types of ramen, soba, and udon dishes), sushi (traditional maki and nigiri, modern rolls, and sushi burritos), sashimi, teriyaki dishes, yakimono, and tempura, among other things. Everyth...

Olympus Caffe and Bakery Nestled in downtown Mountain View on Castro Street is one of the Bay Area's best kept secrets: Olympus Caffe and Bakery, the Turkish- and Greek-inspired Mediterranean cafe. This restaurant serves fascinating Mediterranean dishes alongside dishes that are more common in this culture, ensuring that there is something for everyone. This is a sit-down restaurant where you order and pay at the counter, and then they give you a number to take with you to your table. When the food is ready, they will bring it to you. There are some tables indoors and some outdoors; you can pick what you prefer. If you sit outdoors, you may witness some live music or other entertainment on Castro Street.  One of their main specialties is their espresso bar. They have a wonderfully extensive selection of coffee and tea beverages, including lattes, mochas, and americanos, some hot and some iced. Unique to this shop are the options of Turkish coffee and Turkish tea. Every time I drin...

Caffe Chiave Caffe Chiave is a cute and homey Italian cafe overlooking San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley. It’s the kind of place you go to when you’re hungry and leave feeling satisfied.  The interior design, like the menu, has clearly been influenced by Italian style and culture. Its design utilizes warm-colored wood and dark red trim, a color scheme that reminds the visitor that this is an Italian cafe. The speakers play instrumental music that goes with the Italian-inspired theme. The cafe is not particularly large, nor is it jam-packed. It holds about twenty small tables that are spaced apart enough to give each table some distance and privacy. This creates a cozy and comfortable feel. With the nice Italian music to help drown out conversations between other guests, it’s a very nice place to have an intimate conversation with friends or colleagues over food or coffee. Caffe Chiave serves the public as both a coffee shop and a restaurant. The baristas sell coffee (including house dri...

St. Stephen's Green St. Stephen's Green is an Irish restaurant and bar in downtown Mountain View that features many televisions for watching sports and a full-service bar. It resembles an old-style tavern and has all the sounds and smells of a traditional Irish pub. It has a very private and intimate feel because you have to wander back into its eating and drinking area that is away from the entrance and any windows. This feeling helps you feel safe as you kick back and enjoy a sports game and maybe a drink or two. Despite being lit only by electric light with no sunlight streaming in, it is a lively environment. You can hear the sounds of the popular music on the speakers, the televisions, and the cheering sports fans.  On local game days, the St. Stephen's Green is packed full of cheering fans. For those who are from out of town or follow teams from around the country, there are plenty of televisions to air your game as well. In fact, St. Stephen's Green subscribes to...

Oori Rice Triangles Oori is a very small restaurant. In fact, it is more like a stand. It has no seating at all. You come in, order and pay at a kiosk, and then wait as they prepare your order in their small kitchen. There is standing area where you can eat, or you can carry out your order.  The fact of the matter is that this adds to the appeal of Oori. It is fast, simple, and tasty. Nothing more. The simplicity of the restaurant helps it maintain low prices for the food. Customers rotate quickly through the business and often come back for more. Oori has cornered the market in Berkeley for freshly prepared rice triangles. They have grilled salmon (pictured above), short rib, spicy ahi tuna, chicken teriyaki, spicy pork, spicy shrimp, unagi, tofu teriyaki, tofu kimchi, spicy kimchi, pickled plum, spicy tofu, and rice only triangles. All are made with same basic method, which wraps a healthy amount of filling and a rice triangle in crunchy seaweed.  These toppings can also be...

Sushi Arashi  Sushi Arashi is one of downtown Mountain View's best restaurants. It serves a variety of Japanese dishes, including sushi and sashimi. I like to start my meal with some of their warm and savory miso soup. It's very inexpensive but very satisfying.   Ordering the sushi or sashimi is a safe bet here. You can trust this restaurant will have fresh and yummy fish every time. They also have quite a few vegetarian rolls. Whether you prefer nigiri, makimono, or sashimi, you will be delighted by the number of options offered. The sushi and sashimi are served with their slightly spicy wasabi, quality pickled ginger, and umami soy sauce.  I have also sampled their udon and found it more than satisfactory. The thick, doughy noodles went perfectly with the thin and salty soup they were swimming in. The meat and vegetables balanced each other out perfectly in the udon dish that I sampled. Not to be ignored are their teriyaki dishes. The teriyaki glaze/sauce they use...

Blue Bottle Coffee Walking into Blue Bottle Coffee, I was taken aback by it aesthetic appeal. I noticed that it was brightly lit by warm-toned electric lights and by daylight streaming through the storefront windows. Everything was immaculate, and on top of that, the entire cafe was sleek and modern. The gorgeously modern design featured clean white walls and counters, invitingly warm tones of wood paneling, and a pop of blue on the menu. Blue Bottle Coffee is an ideal place to sit and work. It's bright, comfortable, and beautiful. Free wifi is provided, and it is pretty quiet. Simple repetitive music plays just loudly enough to mask the noise of the baristas working in the kitchen and the sound of everyone else working. The seating is set up on stools along long white-surfaced tables, creating a great environment to focus on your laptop or whatever else you have to do. The menu isn't particularly extensive; this restaurant has a toned down menu to match their minimalist desig...

Royal Ground Coffee Royal Ground Coffee is a chain that operates in the San Francisco Bay Area. They sell a variety of pastries, coffee, tea, espresso, and hot chocolate drinks as well as a menu of twenty sandwiches, some that appear to be breakfast sandwiches (like #1, bacon, egg, cheese, and sausage or ham, which I tried), and some that you would think of more as lunch sandwiches (like the #16 the BLT or #19 turkey pastrami).  The inside of the shop has a spacious feel. The tables are spaced out and big enough to eat at. You order and pay at the counter, and then you sit and wait at your table for them to complete making your order. Meanwhile, you can talk with the people you came with (the spaciousness of the restaurant makes all the conversations feel very private), or you can log in to their free wifi.  There were lots of options when it came to coffee, but I eventually opted for an iced vanilla latte. They used a good amount of milk, and it was very sweet, but not overp...