Cafe Etoile

-
Chicken croffle


Cafe Etoile



Cafe Etoile is a charmingly small cafe that takes a fascinating spin on French and Korean cuisine. It is a hidden gem that you will find if you explore Berkeley carefully enough. 

It is both a coffee shop and a sit-down restaurant; they serve coffee and pastries but also full-on meals. You order and pay at the counter and then sit down and wait. You can watch them create your order in their small kitchen, or your can turn your attention to your laptop, the people you came with, or one of their televisions. 

The coffee at Cafe Etoile is very good. They have hot and iced brewed options, mochas, lattes, and even affogatos with a choice of different flavored syrups. In my opinion, their lattes and mochas have a very good amount of milk and sweetness, and the bitterness of the coffee cuts the sweetness of the flavoring perfectly. 

The pastries are fantastic! They make wonderful small snacks, side dishes, and/or desserts. They have lovely croissants, muffins, and scones, but their best pastry is their croffle-- a cross between a croissant and a waffle, which was invented as Korean street food. The croffle is a croissant that was stuck in a waffle iron; it has a sugary exterior and a buttery interior. 

If you are a fan of their croffles, you might also try one of their croffle meal options. They have a cream and berries croffle, if you are in the mood for something sweet. They also have a bacon and egg croffle, if you prefer something more savory. But my all-time favorite remains their chicken and croffle (pictured above). The crispy and salty fried chicken on top of the sweet and buttery croffle harmonizes wonderfully with the spicy sauce to make a perfect symphony of flavor.

Cafe Etoile also has a wide selection of sandwiches. There are some you would consider to be more breakfast sandwiches and others that would more typically be associated with a hearty lunchtime. The bugolgi sandwich tends to be a real hit with its delicious Korean marinated beef.

They also serve salads at Cafe Etoile. Their salads are complex and sophisticated (not just your typical bed of greens). Their goodness salad is a crowd-pleaser for those who prefer healthier options. 

Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant. Everything on their menu is made carefully with lots of forethought and pride in what they do. 

Despite being very high-quality, a meal at Cafe Etoile costs on average less than $20 a person.


Cafe Etoile
1930 Martin Luther King Jr Way
Berkeley, California 94704
(510) 898-1475 
taeuhk@gmail.com
8:00 am to 3:00 pm every day
Location: Berkeley, CA, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Noodle

-
Image
The Noodle The Noodle is one of Berkeley's hidden gems nestled into the downtown area serving lunch and dinner every day of the week except for Monday. A small, casual and down-to-earth Thai eatery that make flavor-packed food at a snappy pace, this is the place to go when you are hungry and craving an exotic yet still homey and comforting plate of Thai food. The lunch and dinner menu is extensive; you will find a variety of salads, soups, stir-fries, appetizers, and noodle dishes, all created in their signature authentic Thai style. You can customize the spiciness of the dishes to your own spice tolerance. The freshly prepared food will be served hot in an aesthetically pleasing style.  Because of the welcoming environment and quality of the food, it's a great place to branch out and try new dishes. I am always finding new favorites. For example, my long-time favorites at this restaurant were the larb and the Pad Thai, but then I tried the Pad See Ew and fell in love. My favor...
Read more

Moshi Moshi

-
Image
Moshi Moshi Lunch: Monday–Friday, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm. Dinner:  Monday – Saturday, 5:00 pm – 8:45 pm. 2092 3rd Street @18th Street San Francisco, CA 94107 415-861-8285 This Japanese restaurant has an extensive menu full of delicious items. I highly recommend trying it; I frequently come back for more!  When it comes to their sushi and sashimi, the fish is always extremely fresh. When this fish is paired with freshly prepared, crunchy nori and perfectly seasoned Japanese rice, the combination is incredible. The flavors and textures balance each other perfectly! Every detail is thought of, right down to the delicious soy sauce, ginger, and wasabi that comes free with the meal. I love the tekkamaki and the fire lizard the most, but be sure to come back to try the many different types of rolls on the menu--they are all worth trying! You also might enjoy the combo zuke don (pictured below), which features their fresh fish and good rice.  They also use their perfectly seasoned J...
Read more

Purple Onion Cafe

-
Image
Purple Onion Cafe If you are ever in Los Gatos and are looking to grab a quick but satisfying bite, this is a great place to stop! Open daily from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, this cute little cafe has something on its menu for almost everyone. This shop has an impressive coffee menu that includes espresso, americano, macchiatos, cappuccinos, lattes, cafe au laits, mochas, drip coffees, matcha lattes, chai lattes, and hot chocolates. You can add oat milk, almond milk, half and half, and a variety of simple syrups/flavors. Their coffee is masterfully handcrafted with lots of care and love.  I tried their mocha and was blown away by the superbness! The drink was warm with a thick, velvety texture. It was sweet, but not too sweet; it had a subtle but noticeable chocolate flavor. There also an enticing selection of sweets in their glass case. These baked goods include cookies, croissants, coffee cakes, muffins, and brownies. These sweets are not just your basic sweets; they have a sophisticate...
Read more