Take A Tour Of Berkeley's Finest Culinary Eats

Talk about small but mighty. Though the city may only comprise a modest 10 square miles of land or so, visitors that flock to the city of Berkeley can experience cuisines from across the entire globe – without ever having to leave. It’s all part of the joy that comes with visiting Berkeley, a true cultural melting pot unlike any other in the country.

Haven’t been to Berkeley yet? Don’t worry, friend. You can still get to experience the culinary joys the city has to offer. Allow me to take you on a tasty journey…

When East Meets West

You don’t need to buy a ticket to Asia to experience authentic Asian cuisine in Berkeley; in fact, you can chow down on the real deal for under $20. Restaurants like Funky Elephant, a Thai restaurant on Ninth Street in Berkeley’s Gilman District, are committed to preserving traditional recipes and practices—with a modern twist, of course.

Rather than opt for the commonly used sugar/vinegar combination found at many Thai eateries, Chef-Owner Supasi is one of few to use genuine tamarind in his Thai dishes. The owner doesn’t stop at Tamarind, either: Funky Elephant makes their own in-house KMG (Khao Mun Gai) sauce from fermented soybeans, Thai chilis, garlic, ginger, vinegar, and soy sauce.

Chow down on a selection of tangy, flavorful dishes including Party Wings tossed with house-made chili jam and Thai basil, crispy Papaya Salads, and a selection of curries. Wash it all away with a nice, cool Thai tea, or a lovely lavender freshly squeezed limeade made with Butterfly Pea.

Our next stop will take us far away from Thailand to the intersection of Indonesia and Taiwan at Third Culture, a bakery and official home of the Original Mochi Muffin. Third Culture is the lovechild of Chef Sam Butarbutar and Wenter Shyu, who sought to create and sell the kinds of pastries they had loved as children in Indonesia and Taiwan. Third Culture Bakery was born in 2016, with the owners offering the Mochi Muffin to a handful of wholesale coffee shops. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Today, Third Culture is home to some of the sweetest, most delightful confections you’ll find on this side of Taiwan. Tucked away behind the partition are rice-based Mochi Muffins, tantalizing the senses with their rich coconut, brown butter flavor. Each muffin is made from California-grown mochiko rice flour and a house-made blend of pandan and coconut milk before being topped with black and white Japanese sesame seeds. Indulge in a selection of other sweet treats like mochi donuts, brownies, and a rich, creamy matcha latte.

Speaking of Taiwan… no one is immune to the allure of Sheng Kee Bakery, a Taiwanese bakery mere steps away from the UC campus. Step inside the Telegraph Avenue location and you’ll be met with the scent of vanilla, sesame, and brown sugar faintly wafting through the air. Choose from a generous selection of sweet and savory offerings like red bean and matcha cakes, sponge rolls, custard tarts, Hong Kong-style egg and ham sandwiches, and more.

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Home of Cali Cuisine

Those whose hearts crave the classics can seek refuge at Chez Panisse, a modern California/French restaurant on Shattuck Ave. Helmed by the legendary Chef Alice Waters—one of the true pioneers in the farm-to-table movement—the menu at Chez Panisse is simple, yet elegant. Revel in the joy of the freshest seafood with an assortment of options ranging from wild Steelhead trout to caviar and bay scallops. Enjoy inspired dishes that celebrate vegetables in all their primal glory like wild mushrooms with chicory, roasted Red Kuri squash, and Savoy cabbage before indulging in a nice glass of wine for the evening.

Just a few steps away from Chez Panisse is another culinary treasure: Cheese Board Collective Pizzeria. A pizzeria, bakery, and cheese shop, Cheese Board celebrates all things cheese by serving Flavor of the Day vegetarian pizzas that rotate daily. The unique combinations whipped up here parallel Waters’ love of championing fresh, seasonal fare: a recent slice, for instance, featured a lineup of mushrooms including Chanterelle, baby Shiitake, Hon-shimeji, King Trumpet, Maitake, Cremini, Velvet Pioppini and Oyster mushrooms.

Inside at the cheese counter are cheeses of every kind peering out curiously from their wrappers. Here’s where you’ll find a carefully curated selection of rare cheeses from just about every corner of the globe. In addition to stocking beloved customer favorites, Cheese Board Collective also stocks cheeses that they rotate through and new, seasonal cheeses available for a limited time only.

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Curry Crazy

There are so, so very many types of cuisines that you can find in Berkeley from A to Z and faraway lands, one could hardly hope to capture them in a lone blog or article. That said, one other type of culinary joy found in the city of Berkeley is the grand, glorious fare that is Indian food.

There are so, so very many types of cuisines that you can find in Berkeley from A to Z and faraway lands, one could hardly hope to capture them in a lone blog or article. That said, one other type of culinary joy found in the city of Berkeley is the grand, glorious fare that is Indian food.

Noor Fusion Kitchen on University, for instance, boasts all the classics you’d expect to see—Butter Chicken, Chicken Korma, Vindaloos, and the like. But it also offers dishes like Methic (Fenugreek) Malai Chicken, a dish made with fenugreek leaves and a blend of spices.

Vik’s Chaat on Fourth Street serves up a happy array of street food like Dahi Papdi Chaat along with weekday lunch specials loaded up with rice, chapati, dal, choice of meat entree complete with raita and papad. You can also opt for a bite at the Jot Mahal Palace of Indian Cuisine in the North Shattuck District, or stop by Pochy’s for South Indian home-style cooking in the Gilman District.

It's All Here

Whatever culinary concoction you crave, know that you won’t have to roam too far in search of greatness. It’s all right here, nestled in the humble, deliciously perfumed streets of Berkeley, waiting for you.

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Janelle Lassalle is an author, artist and actress based in Los Angeles, CA. Much of her work is devoted to exploring the therapeutic properties of cannabis, hemp/CBD, entheogens and other psychedelics. Lassalle is also the author of The Ketamine Handbook: A Beginner's Guide to Ketamine-Assisted Therapy for Depression, Anxiety, Trauma, PTSD, and More, a non-fiction work. Learn more about her on Instagram @jenkhari.

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