Tanzie's: An amazing Northern Thai hidden gem cafe in Berkeley

Tanzie's

As someone who loves to eat out and blog about it, I've been to a lot of restaurants in the area, but I'm not sure I have ever experienced a restaurant as enchanting and fascinating as Tanzie's; this one was truly unique and memorable. From the second I walked in until the second I walked out, I was captivated and enthralled by the ambiance of the dining room, which is painted a magical light green and decorated with real plants and flowers, and the exoticism yet wide appeal of the menu options, which stay true only to Northern Thai cuisine, all the while remaining beautiful and elaborate, proving themselves worthy of being served at such an exquisitely decorated restaurant.

 

Tanzie's is a beautiful but small restaurant with limited seating. It employs a staff so enthusiastic and polite that the entire small business gives off homey, welcoming vibes. The staff not only rotate efficiently between the tables in the dining room, but they also seem to know the menu by heart, are able to explain the specials, and even recognize regulars. They specialize in serving a delicious Thai brunch, which in itself sets it apart from both other cafes and other Thai restaurants in the area.

 

As a cafe, they serve many dishes with eggs, particularly their scrambled “lava eggs.” I'd never tried lava eggs before I first came to Tanzie's, so I was in for a treat! The fluffy scrambled eggs were subtly flavored with a hint of salt and formed a blanket over the delicious, savory rice. The lava eggs went well, in particular, with the fresh Hokkaido scallop, crispy, fatty pork jowl, and steak and shrimp. (Those were the three lava egg dishes we tried, and everything we got was carefully cooked and seasoned to perfection, but the other menu items looked good too.)

 

But some of the most interesting and unique things on the menu can be found under the “appetizer” section. In addition to a citrusy, herby salad with strawberries, which could be the most interesting salad I’ve had in a long time, they have a delightful yogurt and granola bowl, pillowy, irresistible, sweet but not overly sweet Thai beignets, and Khanom Krok, which are bite-sized, egg-shaped, sweet coconut snacks that double as fantastic desserts.  '

 

 

I had a great time immersing myself in this completely unique and enjoyable dining experience. Every bite was heavenly, fascinating, and fit well with the cozy but exotic character of this small but well-respected Thai cafe. Even after many months of running this blog, this particular restaurant took my breath away. There was literally nothing about my meal here that didn’t impress me. I hope to return for brunch soon, and I was excited to learn that they will be branching out and starting to serve dinner here as of October 2!