Exploring the Bay Area

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...

Onigilly Available in San Francisco and Palo Alto, Onigilly Japanese Kitchen serves freshly prepared onigiri. Order and pay at a kiosk and wait for the staff to assemble your order. The service is fast. These triangular treats make perfect snacks on their own, or you can order enough for a meal. They are relatively inexpensive, yet surprisingly yummy and satisfying. There is an assortment of available fillings, including my favorites: salmon, spicy miso beef (pictured above), and unagi. The fillings are sandwiched between two triangles of fresh white rice and wrapped in crunchy nori. Onigilly also carries poke bowls and some interesting desserts and sides, including tempura shrimp, chicken karaage, miso soup, and cheesecake.