East Bay
Vegan and Carnivores together
Oakland vegan restaurants and food trucks map.
Alameda
2014/05/03: Tetsu Ramen, 1245 Park St, 11am – 9:30pm. Recently opened. Divided Yelper opinions – in part due to differences over what makes good ramen and in part to folks’ odd ideas about prices and serving sizes of Japanese cuisine (in the US). Street parking was pretty reasonable, service was polite and attentive without being too effusive, and the decor was clean. In particular we noted that the rows of tables were nicely spaced – tighter spacing would have allowed for another row but would have made maneuvering between and conversation uncomfortable. SO had the Shoyu Ramen and I had Vegetarian and we shared Vegetarian Gyoza and Vegetarian Chicken Karaage. The gyoza were a little over-toasted but that didn’t deter our enjoyment of the generously sized dumplings accented by the gingery dipping sauce. The faux chicken in the Vegetarian Chicken Karaage and the Vegetarian Ramen was tender and chewy but without getting caught between my teeth; one of the other faux meats in the ramen was not my cuppa but my SO was happy to add it to his bowl.
My SO still prefers the (temporarily closed) Norikonoko in Berkeley but I greatly appreciated having a vegetarian option… no having to willfully ignore the broth ingredients. He said that the broth of his Shoyu Ramen had a distinct flavor profile from that of my Vegetarian Ramen – both were complex and tasty. We both enjoyed our dinner. The noodles were cooked just long enough – no mushiness – and all the fixings were a toasty temperature. If you eat the ramen Japanese-style – fixings and noodles first saving the bulk of the broth for last – then you should have no complaints about the ratio of noodles to broth.
Berkeley
Cafe Ohlone opening 2021 November at Hearst Museum at Cal.
San Francisco
KAKA UDON KITCHEN – I have to agree with tablehopper on this one: why would you include “Kaka” in your restaurant name in SF? To quote the Kaka Udon site: “Take your taste buds on an unforgettable journey at KAKA UDON KITCHEN”.
La Cocina’s Municipal Marketplace, 11am to 2:30pm, Monday through Friday, 101 Hyde Street.
Melting Spots – self-guided audio tours of SF history via its restaurant food. From the California Migration Museum.
Smitten Lafayette – Awkward interior – especially for a new place (ex-Coldstone Creamery). Very smooth ice cream – but the chocolate isn’t dark enough, the mint is a green mint rather than a peppermint oil, and the other flavors are too blandly sweet. The fresh cones are much tastier (and crispy crunchy) than the cakier, overly sweet Belgian style cones offered at the opening of the Oakland store.
Wahpepah’s Kitchen, Open Wed-Sat 11am to 6pm, Sunday 11am to 2pm; 3301 East 12th St. Suite #133, Oakland. 510.698.4067. wahpepahskitchen.com.
Cafe Ohlone, Berkeley.