Exploring the Bay Area

Saigon Express Open almost all day, Monday through Friday (from 9:30 am to 7:30 pm), Saigon Express is a great place to grab an affordable bite anytime you’re hungry. It’s a cute shop decorated with an attractive deep red and some Vietnamese art, where you order and pay at the counter, which has the entire menu posted above it. You can take your food to go or eat it in the cozy dining room, which people trickle through all day. People love the food here, and it’s yummy and hard to argue with the prices—especially when it comes to the banh mi. The banh mi sandwiches cost less than $10, but they’re far from being simple sandwiches. Instead, they come with perfectly seasoned and marinated meat, a healthy amount of pickled and fresh veggies, and a delightful French baguette that’s easy to chew and has a slightly crunchy crust. The flavor is very balanced between contrasting notes that are sweet, savory, herby, and spicy. It’s thick and substantial, but it doesn’t take long at all for the k...

  Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup Situated in Japantown, this Korean masterpiece of a restaurant is not a secret. People line up for a chance to dine in their small, dark, and mysterious dining room. It’s not just a meal; it’s an entire experience. You don’t come just to eat; you come to be treated to a beautiful and luxurious, entertaining and colorful, and complex and delicious culinary adventure. You won’t have second thoughts about waiting in line for this one. Made using only the best ingredients, including USDA Prime Beef/Certified Angus Beef and delicious rice, each dish is carefully created to both adhere to Korean culinary tradition, serving up well-loved Korean favorites, and to surpass your expectations in terms of the high quality of each element of the dish and the harmony between contrasting textures and flavors. There’s a certain depth and richness to each dish that is hard to replicate. Everything comes perfectly executed with a noticeably Korean flavor profile. The...

  Little Plearn Downtown Berkeley has another Thai restaurant you should take note of. It’s called Little Plearn, and it’s a beautifully decorated Thai spot with great food and low prices. Little Plearn is decorated with Thai artwork, dangling artificial flowers, large windows on the storefront, and a mirror along one wall that helps illuminate the long, narrow eating area. It has great service and a lovely ambience. It makes even an everyday meal feel like a festive occasion. Little Plearn is a fantastic place to get a lot of food for only a little money. The menu shows pictures of the different options next to their rather affordable prices. For example, the Pad Thai with chicken, tofu, or beef is only $16. They also have a fantastic lunch special available from 11-3. You can pick from seventeen stir-fries and noodle dishes and pair them with rolls and salad for $16.95. Rice and peanut sauce are an extra dollar each.  The huge portions come out from the kitchen hot and beaut...

  Souvla Soulva is a Greek restaurant in the Dogpatch neighborhood that draws a casual crowd for some good times. The vibe is chill, and the small dining room decorated with white tiles and neutral tones fills up quickly. The menu features sandwiches (wraps), salads, and lots of alcoholic drinks, among other things. It’s a place adults come with their friends for a relaxing, good time. The menu is short and simple, and the food is relatively inexpensive. You order and pay at the counter and receive a number to take to your table; they’ll bring your food to you shortly. This system is perfect for groups of adults who want to pay separately. The staff is very friendly; they know you’ve come here to have a good time, and they do nothing to interfere with or dampen the mood. My friend was disappointed he didn’t order any “Granch” dressing with his salad and sandwich, so they threw some in for free. And the cashier smiled at me and thanked me for my business and 15% tip. The food here i...

  Asaka Sushi and Bar Asaka Sushi and Bar is a cute little Japanese restaurant in North Berkeley that creates great food with good service. It's a wonderful place to bring family and friends to enjoy a truly amazing meal. Food  Proudly using only natural, organic, and local ingredients, Asaka Sushi and Bar distinguishes itself in terms of quality as it pursues providing North Berkeley with interesting, modern, and authentic spins on Japanese cuisine. With lots of gluten free items and menu items that don't utilize raw fish, this long menu has a large appeal. The food here is delicious and hard to dislike.  Menu Highlights  The menu includes hot and cold appetizers, like Hamachi Capriccio, Cajun Tataki, Edamame, Chicken Karaage, and Beef/Vegetable Gyoza. They also serve a variety of salads from the House Salad, to the Wakame Salad, the Sashimi Salad, and the Tempura Salad. If you want noodles, they have several types of udon....

Panda Express I’ve been known to enjoy the authentic Chinese food served in many proud Bay Area restaurants, but authentic Chinese food just met its trendy American cousin called Panda Express. Panda Express is a chain founded in California back in 1983, and its influence has spread like wildfire through the nation. It’s famous for being cheap, yummy, and filling. It’s a restaurant that proudly does things its own way; it puts its own spin on Chinese food, one that appeals to a broader audience in the United States, and it does not apologize for having a personality of its own.   When you enter the restaurant, you will see a wide variety of entrees and sides displayed under the glass. The work of preparing these satisfying options is already done. All you have to do is pick. The sizzling woks in the kitchen behind the counter keep working all day to make sure there’s plenty of each item in the buffet for the staff to serve when ordered. The food is kept under a glass case with labe...

  Yin Ji Chang Fen I am so glad I discovered this exciting Cantonese food chain with a small shop in Berkeley, California, on Shattuck Avenue! The food here is excitingly inexpensive, but it doesn’t taste cheap, and the portions are a very respectable size. Best of all, the food comes prepared with careful attention to taste and Cantonese tradition. It’s popular here, partially because it has not yet given up on a truly unique and lovely finished product and partially because it’s affordable. Environment   When I visited, I noticed the eating area was bright and clean, creating the optical illusion of being more spacious than it is. In reality, it’s a small business in Downtown Berkeley, California. But it doesn’t feel like a small business in Berkeley. It resembles someplace bigger and gives off very Chinese vibes. Everything about the dining room was appetizing and appealing, and made me really want to sit and eat. And judging by the number of tables filled, even at odd...

  Burma Spice Burma Spice is an attractive full-service sit-down restaurant in Redwood City that serves delightful, artistic, and tasty Burmese dishes at reasonable prices. The servers here know the menu and perform their duties with the type of natural ease that comes with experience, and the chefs work quickly and carefully to make aesthetically pleasing and tasty dishes without overcooking the meat, using too much sauce, or adding too much of any one flavor. The result is a dining experience that is completely satisfying. The food is—without fail—something you will enjoy eating, your water cup seems to fill itself automatically, and the eating area is quiet and clean. All this makes it the ideal place to eat with people you really want to spend time with—it’s a comfortable and enjoyable place to relax together, and the food, which is cooked perfectly, only adds to your enjoyment. Although Burma Spice serves a specific type of cuisine, Burmese cuisine, and it is decorated with so...

Pacific Catch Pacific Catch is a chain active in the San Francisco Bay Area that focuses on providing a semi-formal dining experience in an attractive, spacious setting. You can sit indoors in the modernly designed dining room or outdoors on the heated patio. You will find your table is sleek and modern and a good distance from the other tables either way. This allows for privacy and a peaceful atmosphere. Pacific Catch is an ideal place to bring a group of colleagues because it’s elegant and private. It has a menu full of a combination of comfortable American fare staples (like burgers) and Pacific Catch specialties (like the fish dishes). This restaurant has a respectably long menu full of unobjectionable items with varying prices, so there should be something for everyone in your group, even if you hardly know one another. Everything is plated beautifully and served politely; it’s a very professional type of service and presentation that places emphasis on being respectful and delib...

World Wrapps World Wrapps uses fresh ingredients to make the healthy and global equivalent of fast food. The great part is how many diverse options you can be offered here; the menu is long and even offers numerous customizable choices! This restaurant serves delicious wraps and bowls inspired by fresh and tasty ingredients from every corner of the earth. As I said, you can pick a set menu item (always a safe bet here) or customize a make your own bowl or wrap. Although they have meat, such as beef, I highly recommend you try their seafood because it tastes incredibly fresh. My ideal bowl has poke on rice; this combination is hard to beat here, as the fish is soft and fresh and the rice is a hearty and savory base. You can also get a nice shrimp bowl over greens that will satisfy your desire for a salad. You can pick a sauce or two for added flavor. You order and pay a reasonable price at the counter, take a seat, and wait for the staff to bring you your food. It does not take too long...

Stacks Stacks is a spacious and welcoming restaurant in Menlo Park with an incredible breakfast and lunch menu that draws crowds of people who want to spend quality time with friends and family. It’s a comfortable place for people of all ages, including senior citizens and young children. Everyone fits in and can find something good to eat on the extensive menu. With so many savory and sweet breakfasts and typical American lunch fare, the possibilities of this breakfast/lunch destination seem to be nearly endless. There are so many spin-offs on classic omelets, waffles, pancakes, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, and salads that it’s pretty crazy! It even has a complete gluten-free menu available on request.    The extensive menu means you can decide how healthily you want to eat that meal. You can choose between salads and egg white omelets or decadent pancakes, French toast, and waffles, and they have everything in between in terms of healthiness! That’s what makes it so appea...

  The Ramp The history of this simple, laid back restaurant/bar on the shore dates all the way back to the 1960’s, when the very first version of The Ramp was born out of a humble bait shop. For decades people have come to The Ramp for classic American fare, a uniquely appealing view of the waterfront, and perhaps an alcoholic drink or two. The Ramp offers a small shack-like interior and outdoor seating on a large patio along the water, which is a perfect place to enjoy a beautiful day in the Bay Area. This old-fashioned, stripped-down American restaurant tends to have a healthy flow of customers coming and going, and this makes for its signature lively environment to kick back with your pals. The experience isn’t just relaxing and fun; it engages all five senses. You can see boats on the choppy, glistening water. You can smell the salty waters and the good food. You can feel the air and the breeze on your face. You can hear the laughter and chatter of the other cu...

Caffe Central  This is one of Mission Bay’s most enticing cafes. With a nice breakfast/brunch/lunch menu plus an assortment of fancy pastries and an espresso bar, it’s a great place to grab a bite or a quick pick-me-up. It has great food and a welcoming atmosphere. The eating area is bright, spacious, and elegant, exuding modernity and cleanliness. You order and pay at the counter, where you can see an assortment of intricate pastries, models of the items on the food menu, and the coffee and tea menu mounted on the wall. Everything looks so good that it is tempting to order too much. The service here is very good; it’s as if the severs/baristas have great respect for the establishment. Famous for irresistible gourmet sandwiches, statement salads, and impressive breakfast menu, Caffe Central draws customers throughout the day. People come alone, in small groups, and in larger groups. The food is high quality and arrives quickly with a smile, but the prices of the main plates remain ...

Peasant Pies Peasant Pies keeps it simple, sticking to what they do best: specializing in savory pies, sweet pies, soup, salad and coffee. The food gives off those homey, traditional vibes that give way to nostalgia and fantasies about the distant past. Customers circulate through the earthy toned eating area that has lots of sunlight and seating, devouring this delightfully old-fashioned menu and enjoying the shop's quaint personality. It’s a very relaxed and tasty place to stop and eat. You will find yourself enchanted by the simplicity and humble elegance of this small, very specialized business.  The menu is short and posted on the wall, and the pies are on display under a glass case. After you read through it, you order and pay at the counter. The pies and the coffee/espresso/tea drinks cost about an affordable $6 each. The staff will choose from the cute pies under the glass case to fulfill your order. You take a seat, and they will bring you your food once it's been heat...

See's Candy When writing about the best places to grab a bite in the Bay Area, perhaps you should not neglect to consider See’s Candy, as their stores command a large and loyal following. See’s Candy is a luxury California chocolate brand that offers premium treats by the box or individually, sold by weight, which can be made into custom boxes according to your preference. Freshly made here in the Bay Area at a factory in South San Francisco, it’s perfect for gifts and for treating yourself. The chocolates here are rich and creamy, and they encase pretty much every type of filling you can think of. The store has white, milk, and dark chocolate, and they are all sweet and soft to the bite, even if they are stuffed with salty nuts or crispy pralines. The dark chocolate here is great; it’s not too bitter, and it pairs nicely with the fillings. The milk chocolate is even better, as it’s sweeter and milkier. But I have a real weakness for the white chocolate, which is as sweet and also ...

Dera Cafe There’s a new coffee shop in downtown Berkeley that has been winning hearts. It’s called Dera, and it is a place that many people are starting to discover. Dera is a new, aesthetically pleasing, and impeccably clean cafe that brings an unparalleled Pakistani flair to your classic local coffee shop. Offering chai, matcha, lattes, coffee, lassis, plus pastries, waffles, and cakes, as well as savory options, including fries,omelets, samosas, and chaat, this menu has something for everyone, whether you are a picky or adventuresome eater. The interior has clean white marble tiles with deep brown wooden and leather accents that exude simplicity, cleanliness, and elegance. Soft instrumental music offers a soothing touch, and the chairs are soft and comfortable. It’s a place you will want to stay for a while. The tables are spaced just far enough apart for privacy, making it a great place to come with friends, colleagues, or family. It’s an appetizing and inviting ambiance. The servi...

Sumo Roll I think I may have just stumbled on another great affordable sushi place that can accommodate my need for low prices without making me miss out on my Japanese favorites! Sumo Roll is a place that does it all, proudly serving Japanese and Japanese-inspired cuisine for prices you can afford in an environment that embraces a Japanese aesthetic. It embraces both coziness and curiosity, frugality and quality, and best of all, traditional recipes and modern tastes. The result is a uniquely enjoyable dining experience that reminds you of Japanese culture. The ambiance here alone makes it a great place to grab a bite alone or chill with friends.  The decor, complete with some tastefully chosen Japanese artwork, pairs nicely with the soft Japanese music to give off an old-fashioned Japanese vibe. The service is friendly and goes at a nice, leisurely pace. Consider your time here and abbreviated trip to Japan that will allow you to escape the daily grind back in California. And the...

Gather If you’re looking for a well-liked, full-service, sit-down restaurant in Berkeley that’s near the downtown and close to UC Berkeley’s campus and provides a consistently good product for a reasonable fee, Gather is a pretty safe bet. Because of its popularity, you might find it helpful to make a reservation in advance. Although it is not exactly inexpensive, it also is not particularly expensive; it’s more of a mid-range price in exchange for a top-notch business-casual meal you won’t regret. Gather has plenty of seating split between a large, spacious, and attractive eating area with lots of tables and a bar and a nice patio decorated with plants and colorful glass. It can accommodate large parties and even hosts events from time to time. True to its name, it is an excellent place to gather. It has just enough options on the menu that you can bring a large group and expect there will be something for everyone. The menu takes a unique spin on many classic, popular American dishes...

ID Cafe ID Cafe is a chain with a small, cute, inexpensive, and healthy Indian restaurant near the UC Berkeley Campus. The inside is sunny and clean, and you can order and pay at the counter, using a kiosk or with the help of a cashier. Don’t be fooled by the casual, laid-back demeanor; this cafe takes its recipes and customer experiences seriously. It’s the kind of place that will introduce you to new food without taking you out of your comfort zone. The specialty here is the dosa, which, for lack of a better word, resembles crepes or pancakes stuffed with delightfully savory fillings. Here, they have mastered the art of the healthy, delicious dosa, which it appears they prepare in their kitchen from fresh dough. The dosas have crispy edges but soft interiors, which makes some of the bites a little crunchy and others softer, adding to the interesting texture of the dish. They are served warm, and they have a savory but comfortingly homey feel. Whether you get the handheld cheese dosa,...

The Cheeseboard Pizzeria  The Cheeseboard Pizzeria is perhaps Berkeley’s most coveted pizza shop. With a loyal following and a sterling reputation, the line extends down the sidewalk, sometimes even winding around the corner, at almost every hour this famous pizzeria is open. It’s the kind of place that legend precedes, so you should try it if you’re ever even nearby. Having been a Berkeley staple for decades, it's my experience that it’s not an exaggeration to say it’s pretty much known to everyone who’s ever inhabited Berkeley for any long period of time. The Cheeseboard Pizzeria is not your typical pizza place. It has a large patio with lots of seating, where people of all ages love to gather. Unlike your typical restaurant, it’s a great place to enjoy some live jazz music performed by a selection of talented jazz artists with real instruments in real time; they almost always have a group of musicians performing their hearts out. This creates the fun ambiance that makes it such ...