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"slug": "lake-merritt-food-vendors-oakland-police-crackdown-jerkn-it-oxtails",
"title": "Why Lake Merritt’s Street Food Scene Is Worth Saving",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">F\u003c/span>or more than a decade, I’ve had the same Sunday morning routine: wake up, slap on some sunscreen, and head down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/lake-merritt\">Lake Merritt\u003c/a> to do my 5K. The vibe is more laid-back than it is on Saturdays — dads pushing strollers, moms enjoying their lattes, the scent of meat grilling over open coals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When I get to the eastern stretch of the lake, I see dozens of vendors. One sets up a stand for barbecued oysters. Another has brought a special machine for Korean-style shaved ice. Dozens of others sell jewelry, clothing and visual art. One artist paints neighborhoods of corrugated tin roofs on actual corrugated tin — miniature landscapes familiar to the many immigrants who now call Oakland home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This informal gathering is one of Oakland’s largest regular street vendor markets. None of the tables are manned by fancy chefs or trendy boutiques. Most of the vendors are Black or brown — just regular working-class folks hustling to make a living. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But lately, the city has cracked down on these vendors, snuffing out some of Lake Merritt’s family barbecue feeling. After a 2024 Juneteenth shooting in which 15 people were wounded, officials moved to limit large gatherings. This past 4th of July, the city fenced off the main arteries around the lake to deter crowds. Then, later in July, a vendor was arrested for selling alcohol to minors during an undercover sting. The arrest caused the vendor to \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">lose her vehicle\u003c/a> and rendered her homeless. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Customers and passersby stand in front of a lakeside food tent.\" class=\"wp-image-13994232\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">On weekends, vendors selling food, jewelry and art set up all along the eastern shore of Lake Merritt. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The crackdown has gone beyond the street vendors by the lake. This past May, Oakland police officers were filmed destroying food vendors’ storage coolers in Fruitvale and downtown. One vendor, who asked not to be identified, told me she believed she was singled out because, in a separate incident, she’d testified against the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Vendors push back\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For its part, the City of Oakland maintains it’s simply making sure everyone follows the rules. In a July press release, the Oakland Police Department stated that “OPD will continue to partner with EWD [Economic and Workforce Development] and other agencies to address unpermitted and unlawful activities, to ensure Oakland remains safe for residents and visitors.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nearly every vendor I spoke to agreed that selling alcohol to minors is wrong. They also say they’ve felt disproportionately targeted all summer long, and that police \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DdFvsebG0OR/?img_index=1\">shouldn’t have the right to destroy vendor property\u003c/a>. Especially in light of 2018’s \u003ca href=\"https://alcl.assembly.ca.gov/sites/alcl.assembly.ca.gov/files/SB%20946%20analysis.pdf\">Safe Sidewalk Vending Act\u003c/a>, which is supposed to decriminalize street vending in the state of California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A woman seated inside her food tent. The sign behind her reads, "Lumpia Ladies."\" class=\"wp-image-13994236\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lumpia Ladies owner Anita Miralles, aka Needa Bee, watches people walk by her food stall at Lake Merritt. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, the vendors are \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">suing the city of Oakland\u003c/a>. Led by Anita Miralles (aka Needa Bee) of the Lumpia Ladies pop-up, nearly 90 vendors have come together to form what they’re calling the \u003ca href=\"https://510day.org/vendors-collective\">Oakland Street Vendor Collective\u003c/a>. During an August rally Miralles organized, the vendors protested police harassment and, as they argue in their \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TutOFE7JllzFsPsACkapA7NoA-JWYPTF/view?usp=sharing\">lawsuit\u003c/a>, the “summary destruction of property of street vendors in Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For regulars like me, Sundays at Lake Merritt don’t feel dangerous. They’re for friends around a fire pit and lazy stretches on strewn picnic blankets. At busy times, you’ll walk away with more samples than at your local Costco: a bit of banana pudding here, a little shaved ice there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you’re lucky, you’ll snag a “likkle” plastic sampler cup overflowing with jerk oxtail and corn on the cob — all on the house thanks to Brent Hunte, the Guyanese chef-owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">Jerk’n It\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Plastic takeout carton piled high with oxtails, corn on the cob, and mac and cheese.\" class=\"wp-image-13994522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A plate of oxtails, corn and macaroni and cheese from the Jerk’n It food stand. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Lake Merritt’s oxtail king\u003c/strong> \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Seven years ago, Hunte quit his job as a manager at Walmart. He started his own business the old-fashioned way: walking the entire lake and handing out free samples, driven by the love for his culture and passion for its cuisine.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I couldn’t find no Caribbean food,” he recalls of the years after he immigrated here from Guyana as a child. “If you go to New York, the culture there is big, but not in California.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunte is especially passionate about jerk. The Guyanese style has its own unique spices, Hunte explains. Unlike Jamaican jerk, it’s cooked over an open flame instead of inside a drum.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Hunte’s desire to share his culture carried him through the lengthy process of trying to obtain a legal permit to sell food in Oakland. The first time he applied for a permit for his food trailer, he says, no one from the city notified him to let him know he’d been approved. He’d paid $1,000 to apply. By the time he found out, the permit had already expired. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"A chef in an outdoor food tent plates up a dish of food.\" class=\"wp-image-13994239\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte serving customers on a sunny late-summer afternoon. His business, Jerk’n It, is one of Lake Merritt’s most popular food stands. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Some people got approved in a month, and others are still waiting,” he says of the bureaucratic process. “Can you quit on yourself just because of the runaround they’re giving you?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vending at Lake Merritt saved him. In 2020, at the peak of COVID shutdowns, the Lake was one of the only places where people could gather in large numbers. Those weekend markets allowed Hunte to thrive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These days, whenever Hunte has a large event, he wakes up at 4 a.m. and heads to his commissary kitchen in San Leandro to prep 100 pounds of oxtails, along with his other signature favorites: jerk chicken, jerk salmon, rice and peas, plantains, stewed cabbage, and mac and cheese. The most important thing, Hunte says, is the energy he pours into his food. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“”Be in a kitchen, music playing, good vibe, good energy, and then going to the food, going to the people,” he says. “So people feel it, I’ll feel it, and the customers see it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As for how the food tastes, suffice it to say that my family of four fought over our takeaway container, which was stuffed to the brim with meat and sides. Naturally, the oxtails were our favorite. (I made a mental note to come by myself next time so I could tuck into the saucy meat without being uninterrupted by prying kid hands.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Man scooping jerk oxtails into a takeout container.\" class=\"wp-image-13994231\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte prepares a plate. His Guyanese food stand, Jerk’n It, is known for its generous portions. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunte knows the other vendors at the lake, and has taken it upon himself to support them through each step of the permitting process. He’s even familiar with the police officers who come by to check his paperwork, though he points out that their standards of enforcement don’t seem consistent. ”We have some Caucasian vendors out there, and they go out there, they sell coffee…and they don’t ever get bothered by the police or the city,” he observes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In spite of the recent confrontations with law enforcement, Lake Merritt’s collaborative spirit has pushed Hunte to keep going. Often, he’ll send customers to other businesses that have menu items he doesn’t. He even occasionally gives his jerk salmon pan drippings to a neighboring business that pours it over the grilled oysters they sell. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When [vendors get] shut down, like now, it feels like they want to control where the people go or what the community do,” he says about the recent police interactions. “You know, we all come to the lake and we congregate. We chill, we drink, we party in a safe space. Like, you want us to go on the street and do it? I don’t get it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Man in a bright red T-shirt (the text reads, "Jerk'n It") poses for a portrait in front of a lakeside food stand.\" class=\"wp-image-13994553\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte poses for a portrait in front of his food tent, with Lake Merritt in the background. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunte and other members of the collective encourage new vendors who haven’t yet gotten their paperwork sorted to attend the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcwgPFcEvPr/\">Permit-palooza,\u003c/a>” hosted by the City of Oakland on Oct. 8 at Frank Ogawa Plaza. It’s a rare opportunity for them to receive permit fee waivers and steep discounts on vehicle inspections. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To Hunte, and others who continue to vend as they wait for their paperwork to be approved, Lake Merritt is one of the last places to sell their lumpia, lemonade and lunch plates to the community directly, hand over hand. It’s a freedom that’s rare these days in the Bay Area, where small businesses are already up against the region’s astronomically high real estate costs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But for now, Jerk’n It’s reputation as a community hub has kept Hunte in business, even as he’s once again waiting for his food trailer permit to come through. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I used to walk the lake looking for customers, and now they come looking for me,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Jerk’n It\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> tent typically sets up Thursday through Sunday, from around 1–7 p.m., on Lakeshore Drive in Oakland (near Cleveland Cascade). On weekends, Hunte often also posts up near Broadway and 17th Street in downtown Oakland, from 8 p.m. until late, and at the monthly First Friday event at 24th and Telegraph avenues. Follow the Jerk’n It \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>for the most up-to-date times and locations.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Rocky Rivera is a journalist, emcee, author and activist from San Francisco. She has released five projects through her label, Beatrock Music — her most recent, \u003c/em>The Craft\u003cem>, dropped in October 2026.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">F\u003c/span>or more than a decade, I’ve had the same Sunday morning routine: wake up, slap on some sunscreen, and head down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/lake-merritt\">Lake Merritt\u003c/a> to do my 5K. The vibe is more laid-back than it is on Saturdays — dads pushing strollers, moms enjoying their lattes, the scent of meat grilling over open coals. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">F\u003c/span>or more than a decade, I’ve had the same Sunday morning routine: wake up, slap on some sunscreen, and head down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/lake-merritt\">Lake Merritt\u003c/a> to do my 5K. The vibe is more laid-back than it is on Saturdays — dads pushing strollers, moms enjoying their lattes, the scent of meat grilling over open coals. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When I get to the eastern stretch of the lake, I see dozens of vendors. One sets up a stand for barbecued oysters. Another has brought a special machine for Korean-style shaved ice. Dozens of others sell jewelry, clothing and visual art. One artist paints neighborhoods of corrugated tin roofs on actual corrugated tin — miniature landscapes familiar to the many immigrants who now call Oakland home.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When I get to the eastern stretch of the lake, I see dozens of vendors. One sets up a stand for barbecued oysters. Another has brought a special machine for Korean-style shaved ice. Dozens of others sell jewelry, clothing and visual art. One artist paints neighborhoods of corrugated tin roofs on actual corrugated tin — miniature landscapes familiar to the many immigrants who now call Oakland home.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This informal gathering is one of Oakland’s largest regular street vendor markets. None of the tables are manned by fancy chefs or trendy boutiques. Most of the vendors are Black or brown — just regular working-class folks hustling to make a living. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This informal gathering is one of Oakland’s largest regular street vendor markets. None of the tables are manned by fancy chefs or trendy boutiques. Most of the vendors are Black or brown — just regular working-class folks hustling to make a living. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But lately, the city has cracked down on these vendors, snuffing out some of Lake Merritt’s family barbecue feeling. After a 2024 Juneteenth shooting in which 15 people were wounded, officials moved to limit large gatherings. This past 4th of July, the city fenced off the main arteries around the lake to deter crowds. Then, later in July, a vendor was arrested for selling alcohol to minors during an undercover sting. The arrest caused the vendor to \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">lose her vehicle\u003c/a> and rendered her homeless. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But lately, the city has cracked down on these vendors, snuffing out some of Lake Merritt’s family barbecue feeling. After a 2024 Juneteenth shooting in which 15 people were wounded, officials moved to limit large gatherings. This past 4th of July, the city fenced off the main arteries around the lake to deter crowds. Then, later in July, a vendor was arrested for selling alcohol to minors during an undercover sting. The arrest caused the vendor to \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">lose her vehicle\u003c/a> and rendered her homeless. \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Customers and passersby stand in front of a lakeside food tent.\" class=\"wp-image-13994232\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">On weekends, vendors selling food, jewelry and art set up all along the eastern shore of Lake Merritt.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Customers and passersby stand in front of a lakeside food tent.\" class=\"wp-image-13994232\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">On weekends, vendors selling food, jewelry and art set up all along the eastern shore of Lake Merritt.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The crackdown has gone beyond the street vendors by the lake. This past May, Oakland police officers were filmed destroying food vendors’ storage coolers in Fruitvale and downtown. One vendor, who asked not to be identified, told me she believed she was singled out because, in a separate incident, she’d testified against the city.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The crackdown has gone beyond the street vendors by the lake. This past May, Oakland police officers were filmed destroying food vendors’ storage coolers in Fruitvale and downtown. One vendor, who asked not to be identified, told me she believed she was singled out because, in a separate incident, she’d testified against the city.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Vendors push back",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Vendors push back\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Vendors push back\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For its part, the City of Oakland maintains it’s simply making sure everyone follows the rules. In a July press release, the Oakland Police Department stated that “OPD will continue to partner with EWD [Economic and Workforce Development] and other agencies to address unpermitted and unlawful activities, to ensure Oakland remains safe for residents and visitors.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For its part, the City of Oakland maintains it’s simply making sure everyone follows the rules. In a July press release, the Oakland Police Department stated that “OPD will continue to partner with EWD [Economic and Workforce Development] and other agencies to address unpermitted and unlawful activities, to ensure Oakland remains safe for residents and visitors.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nearly every vendor I spoke to agreed that selling alcohol to minors is wrong. They also say they’ve felt disproportionately targeted all summer long, and that police \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DdFvsebG0OR/?img_index=1\">shouldn’t have the right to destroy vendor property\u003c/a>. Especially in light of 2018’s \u003ca href=\"https://alcl.assembly.ca.gov/sites/alcl.assembly.ca.gov/files/SB%20946%20analysis.pdf\">Safe Sidewalk Vending Act\u003c/a>, which is supposed to decriminalize street vending in the state of California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nearly every vendor I spoke to agreed that selling alcohol to minors is wrong. They also say they’ve felt disproportionately targeted all summer long, and that police \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DdFvsebG0OR/?img_index=1\">shouldn’t have the right to destroy vendor property\u003c/a>. Especially in light of 2018’s \u003ca href=\"https://alcl.assembly.ca.gov/sites/alcl.assembly.ca.gov/files/SB%20946%20analysis.pdf\">Safe Sidewalk Vending Act\u003c/a>, which is supposed to decriminalize street vending in the state of California.\u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "A woman seated inside her food tent. The sign behind her reads, \"Lumpia Ladies.\"",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A woman seated inside her food tent. The sign behind her reads, "Lumpia Ladies."\" class=\"wp-image-13994236\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lumpia Ladies owner Anita Miralles, aka Needa Bee, watches people walk by her food stall at Lake Merritt.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A woman seated inside her food tent. The sign behind her reads, "Lumpia Ladies."\" class=\"wp-image-13994236\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lumpia Ladies owner Anita Miralles, aka Needa Bee, watches people walk by her food stall at Lake Merritt.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now, the vendors are \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">suing the city of Oakland\u003c/a>. Led by Anita Miralles (aka Needa Bee) of the Lumpia Ladies pop-up, nearly 90 vendors have come together to form what they’re calling the \u003ca href=\"https://510day.org/vendors-collective\">Oakland Street Vendor Collective\u003c/a>. During an August rally Miralles organized, the vendors protested police harassment and, as they argue in their \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TutOFE7JllzFsPsACkapA7NoA-JWYPTF/view?usp=sharing\">lawsuit\u003c/a>, the “summary destruction of property of street vendors in Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Now, the vendors are \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">suing the city of Oakland\u003c/a>. Led by Anita Miralles (aka Needa Bee) of the Lumpia Ladies pop-up, nearly 90 vendors have come together to form what they’re calling the \u003ca href=\"https://510day.org/vendors-collective\">Oakland Street Vendor Collective\u003c/a>. During an August rally Miralles organized, the vendors protested police harassment and, as they argue in their \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TutOFE7JllzFsPsACkapA7NoA-JWYPTF/view?usp=sharing\">lawsuit\u003c/a>, the “summary destruction of property of street vendors in Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For regulars like me, Sundays at Lake Merritt don’t feel dangerous. They’re for friends around a fire pit and lazy stretches on strewn picnic blankets. At busy times, you’ll walk away with more samples than at your local Costco: a bit of banana pudding here, a little shaved ice there.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For regulars like me, Sundays at Lake Merritt don’t feel dangerous. They’re for friends around a fire pit and lazy stretches on strewn picnic blankets. At busy times, you’ll walk away with more samples than at your local Costco: a bit of banana pudding here, a little shaved ice there.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if you’re lucky, you’ll snag a “likkle” plastic sampler cup overflowing with jerk oxtail and corn on the cob — all on the house thanks to Brent Hunte, the Guyanese chef-owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">Jerk’n It\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And if you’re lucky, you’ll snag a “likkle” plastic sampler cup overflowing with jerk oxtail and corn on the cob — all on the house thanks to Brent Hunte, the Guyanese chef-owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">Jerk’n It\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Plastic takeout carton piled high with oxtails, corn on the cob, and mac and cheese.\" class=\"wp-image-13994522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A plate of oxtails, corn and macaroni and cheese from the Jerk’n It food stand.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Plastic takeout carton piled high with oxtails, corn on the cob, and mac and cheese.\" class=\"wp-image-13994522\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A plate of oxtails, corn and macaroni and cheese from the Jerk’n It food stand.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Lake Merritt’s oxtail king ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Lake Merritt’s oxtail king\u003c/strong> \u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Lake Merritt’s oxtail king\u003c/strong> \u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Seven years ago, Hunte quit his job as a manager at Walmart. He started his own business the old-fashioned way: walking the entire lake and handing out free samples, driven by the love for his culture and passion for its cuisine.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Seven years ago, Hunte quit his job as a manager at Walmart. He started his own business the old-fashioned way: walking the entire lake and handing out free samples, driven by the love for his culture and passion for its cuisine.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I couldn’t find no Caribbean food,” he recalls of the years after he immigrated here from Guyana as a child. “If you go to New York, the culture there is big, but not in California.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I couldn’t find no Caribbean food,” he recalls of the years after he immigrated here from Guyana as a child. “If you go to New York, the culture there is big, but not in California.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hunte is especially passionate about jerk. The Guyanese style has its own unique spices, Hunte explains. Unlike Jamaican jerk, it’s cooked over an open flame instead of inside a drum.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hunte is especially passionate about jerk. The Guyanese style has its own unique spices, Hunte explains. Unlike Jamaican jerk, it’s cooked over an open flame instead of inside a drum.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Hunte’s desire to share his culture carried him through the lengthy process of trying to obtain a legal permit to sell food in Oakland. The first time he applied for a permit for his food trailer, he says, no one from the city notified him to let him know he’d been approved. He’d paid $1,000 to apply. By the time he found out, the permit had already expired. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Hunte’s desire to share his culture carried him through the lengthy process of trying to obtain a legal permit to sell food in Oakland. The first time he applied for a permit for his food trailer, he says, no one from the city notified him to let him know he’d been approved. He’d paid $1,000 to apply. By the time he found out, the permit had already expired. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"A chef in an outdoor food tent plates up a dish of food.\" class=\"wp-image-13994239\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte serving customers on a sunny late-summer afternoon. His business, Jerk’n It, is one of Lake Merritt’s most popular food stands.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"A chef in an outdoor food tent plates up a dish of food.\" class=\"wp-image-13994239\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte serving customers on a sunny late-summer afternoon. His business, Jerk’n It, is one of Lake Merritt’s most popular food stands.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Some people got approved in a month, and others are still waiting,” he says of the bureaucratic process. “Can you quit on yourself just because of the runaround they’re giving you?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Some people got approved in a month, and others are still waiting,” he says of the bureaucratic process. “Can you quit on yourself just because of the runaround they’re giving you?”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Vending at Lake Merritt saved him. In 2020, at the peak of COVID shutdowns, the Lake was one of the only places where people could gather in large numbers. Those weekend markets allowed Hunte to thrive.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Vending at Lake Merritt saved him. In 2020, at the peak of COVID shutdowns, the Lake was one of the only places where people could gather in large numbers. Those weekend markets allowed Hunte to thrive.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These days, whenever Hunte has a large event, he wakes up at 4 a.m. and heads to his commissary kitchen in San Leandro to prep 100 pounds of oxtails, along with his other signature favorites: jerk chicken, jerk salmon, rice and peas, plantains, stewed cabbage, and mac and cheese. The most important thing, Hunte says, is the energy he pours into his food. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>These days, whenever Hunte has a large event, he wakes up at 4 a.m. and heads to his commissary kitchen in San Leandro to prep 100 pounds of oxtails, along with his other signature favorites: jerk chicken, jerk salmon, rice and peas, plantains, stewed cabbage, and mac and cheese. The most important thing, Hunte says, is the energy he pours into his food. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“”Be in a kitchen, music playing, good vibe, good energy, and then going to the food, going to the people,” he says. “So people feel it, I’ll feel it, and the customers see it.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“”Be in a kitchen, music playing, good vibe, good energy, and then going to the food, going to the people,” he says. “So people feel it, I’ll feel it, and the customers see it.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As for how the food tastes, suffice it to say that my family of four fought over our takeaway container, which was stuffed to the brim with meat and sides. Naturally, the oxtails were our favorite. (I made a mental note to come by myself next time so I could tuck into the saucy meat without being uninterrupted by prying kid hands.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As for how the food tastes, suffice it to say that my family of four fought over our takeaway container, which was stuffed to the brim with meat and sides. Naturally, the oxtails were our favorite. (I made a mental note to come by myself next time so I could tuck into the saucy meat without being uninterrupted by prying kid hands.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Man scooping jerk oxtails into a takeout container.\" class=\"wp-image-13994231\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte prepares a plate. His Guyanese food stand, Jerk’n It, is known for its generous portions.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Man scooping jerk oxtails into a takeout container.\" class=\"wp-image-13994231\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte prepares a plate. His Guyanese food stand, Jerk’n It, is known for its generous portions.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hunte knows the other vendors at the lake, and has taken it upon himself to support them through each step of the permitting process. He’s even familiar with the police officers who come by to check his paperwork, though he points out that their standards of enforcement don’t seem consistent. ”We have some Caucasian vendors out there, and they go out there, they sell coffee…and they don’t ever get bothered by the police or the city,” he observes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hunte knows the other vendors at the lake, and has taken it upon himself to support them through each step of the permitting process. He’s even familiar with the police officers who come by to check his paperwork, though he points out that their standards of enforcement don’t seem consistent. ”We have some Caucasian vendors out there, and they go out there, they sell coffee…and they don’t ever get bothered by the police or the city,” he observes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In spite of the recent confrontations with law enforcement, Lake Merritt’s collaborative spirit has pushed Hunte to keep going. Often, he’ll send customers to other businesses that have menu items he doesn’t. He even occasionally gives his jerk salmon pan drippings to a neighboring business that pours it over the grilled oysters they sell. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In spite of the recent confrontations with law enforcement, Lake Merritt’s collaborative spirit has pushed Hunte to keep going. Often, he’ll send customers to other businesses that have menu items he doesn’t. He even occasionally gives his jerk salmon pan drippings to a neighboring business that pours it over the grilled oysters they sell. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When [vendors get] shut down, like now, it feels like they want to control where the people go or what the community do,” he says about the recent police interactions. “You know, we all come to the lake and we congregate. We chill, we drink, we party in a safe space. Like, you want us to go on the street and do it? I don’t get it.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“When [vendors get] shut down, like now, it feels like they want to control where the people go or what the community do,” he says about the recent police interactions. “You know, we all come to the lake and we congregate. We chill, we drink, we party in a safe space. Like, you want us to go on the street and do it? I don’t get it.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Man in a bright red T-shirt (the text reads, "Jerk'n It") poses for a portrait in front of a lakeside food stand.\" class=\"wp-image-13994553\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte poses for a portrait in front of his food tent, with Lake Merritt in the background.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Man in a bright red T-shirt (the text reads, "Jerk'n It") poses for a portrait in front of a lakeside food stand.\" class=\"wp-image-13994553\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte poses for a portrait in front of his food tent, with Lake Merritt in the background.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hunte and other members of the collective encourage new vendors who haven’t yet gotten their paperwork sorted to attend the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcwgPFcEvPr/\">Permit-palooza,\u003c/a>” hosted by the City of Oakland on Oct. 8 at Frank Ogawa Plaza. It’s a rare opportunity for them to receive permit fee waivers and steep discounts on vehicle inspections. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hunte and other members of the collective encourage new vendors who haven’t yet gotten their paperwork sorted to attend the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcwgPFcEvPr/\">Permit-palooza,\u003c/a>” hosted by the City of Oakland on Oct. 8 at Frank Ogawa Plaza. It’s a rare opportunity for them to receive permit fee waivers and steep discounts on vehicle inspections. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To Hunte, and others who continue to vend as they wait for their paperwork to be approved, Lake Merritt is one of the last places to sell their lumpia, lemonade and lunch plates to the community directly, hand over hand. It’s a freedom that’s rare these days in the Bay Area, where small businesses are already up against the region’s astronomically high real estate costs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>To Hunte, and others who continue to vend as they wait for their paperwork to be approved, Lake Merritt is one of the last places to sell their lumpia, lemonade and lunch plates to the community directly, hand over hand. It’s a freedom that’s rare these days in the Bay Area, where small businesses are already up against the region’s astronomically high real estate costs.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But for now, Jerk’n It’s reputation as a community hub has kept Hunte in business, even as he’s once again waiting for his food trailer permit to come through. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But for now, Jerk’n It’s reputation as a community hub has kept Hunte in business, even as he’s once again waiting for his food trailer permit to come through. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I used to walk the lake looking for customers, and now they come looking for me,” he says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Jerk’n It\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> tent typically sets up Thursday through Sunday, from around 1–7 p.m., on Lakeshore Drive in Oakland (near Cleveland Cascade). On weekends, Hunte often also posts up near Broadway and 17th Street in downtown Oakland, from 8 p.m. until late, and at the monthly First Friday event at 24th and Telegraph avenues. Follow the Jerk’n It \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>for the most up-to-date times and locations.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Jerk’n It\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> tent typically sets up Thursday through Sunday, from around 1–7 p.m., on Lakeshore Drive in Oakland (near Cleveland Cascade). On weekends, Hunte often also posts up near Broadway and 17th Street in downtown Oakland, from 8 p.m. until late, and at the monthly First Friday event at 24th and Telegraph avenues. Follow the Jerk’n It \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>for the most up-to-date times and locations.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Rocky Rivera is a journalist, emcee, author and activist from San Francisco. She has released five projects through her label, Beatrock Music — her most recent, \u003c/em>The Craft\u003cem>, dropped in October 2026.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Rocky Rivera is a journalist, emcee, author and activist from San Francisco. She has released five projects through her label, Beatrock Music — her most recent, \u003c/em>The Craft\u003cem>, dropped in October 2026.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Oakland's Jerk'n It, a Guyanese oxtail specialist, is one of the informal market's many success stories.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">F\u003c/span>or more than a decade, I’ve had the same Sunday morning routine: wake up, slap on some sunscreen, and head down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/lake-merritt\">Lake Merritt\u003c/a> to do my 5K. The vibe is more laid-back than it is on Saturdays — dads pushing strollers, moms enjoying their lattes, the scent of meat grilling over open coals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When I get to the eastern stretch of the lake, I see dozens of vendors. One sets up a stand for barbecued oysters. Another has brought a special machine for Korean-style shaved ice. Dozens of others sell jewelry, clothing and visual art. One artist paints neighborhoods of corrugated tin roofs on actual corrugated tin — miniature landscapes familiar to the many immigrants who now call Oakland home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This informal gathering is one of Oakland’s largest regular street vendor markets. None of the tables are manned by fancy chefs or trendy boutiques. Most of the vendors are Black or brown — just regular working-class folks hustling to make a living. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But lately, the city has cracked down on these vendors, snuffing out some of Lake Merritt’s family barbecue feeling. After a 2024 Juneteenth shooting in which 15 people were wounded, officials moved to limit large gatherings. This past 4th of July, the city fenced off the main arteries around the lake to deter crowds. Then, later in July, a vendor was arrested for selling alcohol to minors during an undercover sting. The arrest caused the vendor to \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">lose her vehicle\u003c/a> and rendered her homeless. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Customers and passersby stand in front of a lakeside food tent.\" class=\"wp-image-13994232\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">On weekends, vendors selling food, jewelry and art set up all along the eastern shore of Lake Merritt. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The crackdown has gone beyond the street vendors by the lake. This past May, Oakland police officers were filmed destroying food vendors’ storage coolers in Fruitvale and downtown. One vendor, who asked not to be identified, told me she believed she was singled out because, in a separate incident, she’d testified against the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Vendors push back\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For its part, the City of Oakland maintains it’s simply making sure everyone follows the rules. In a July press release, the Oakland Police Department stated that “OPD will continue to partner with EWD [Economic and Workforce Development] and other agencies to address unpermitted and unlawful activities, to ensure Oakland remains safe for residents and visitors.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nearly every vendor I spoke to agreed that selling alcohol to minors is wrong. They also say they’ve felt disproportionately targeted all summer long, and that police \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DdFvsebG0OR/?img_index=1\">shouldn’t have the right to destroy vendor property\u003c/a>. Especially in light of 2018’s \u003ca href=\"https://alcl.assembly.ca.gov/sites/alcl.assembly.ca.gov/files/SB%20946%20analysis.pdf\">Safe Sidewalk Vending Act\u003c/a>, which is supposed to decriminalize street vending in the state of California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A woman seated inside her food tent. The sign behind her reads, "Lumpia Ladies."\" class=\"wp-image-13994236\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lumpia Ladies owner Anita Miralles, aka Needa Bee, watches people walk by her food stall at Lake Merritt. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, the vendors are \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">suing the city of Oakland\u003c/a>. Led by Anita Miralles (aka Needa Bee) of the Lumpia Ladies pop-up, nearly 90 vendors have come together to form what they’re calling the \u003ca href=\"https://510day.org/vendors-collective\">Oakland Street Vendor Collective\u003c/a>. During an August rally Miralles organized, the vendors protested police harassment and, as they argue in their \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TutOFE7JllzFsPsACkapA7NoA-JWYPTF/view?usp=sharing\">lawsuit\u003c/a>, the “summary destruction of property of street vendors in Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For regulars like me, Sundays at Lake Merritt don’t feel dangerous. They’re for friends around a fire pit and lazy stretches on strewn picnic blankets. At busy times, you’ll walk away with more samples than at your local Costco: a bit of banana pudding here, a little shaved ice there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you’re lucky, you’ll snag a “likkle” plastic sampler cup overflowing with jerk oxtail and corn on the cob — all on the house thanks to Brent Hunte, the Guyanese chef-owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">Jerk’n It\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Plastic takeout carton piled high with oxtails, corn on the cob, and mac and cheese.\" class=\"wp-image-13994522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A plate of oxtails, corn and macaroni and cheese from the Jerk’n It food stand. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Lake Merritt’s oxtail king\u003c/strong> \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Seven years ago, Hunte quit his job as a manager at Walmart. He started his own business the old-fashioned way: walking the entire lake and handing out free samples, driven by the love for his culture and passion for its cuisine.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I couldn’t find no Caribbean food,” he recalls of the years after he immigrated here from Guyana as a child. “If you go to New York, the culture there is big, but not in California.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunte is especially passionate about jerk. The Guyanese style has its own unique spices, Hunte explains. Unlike Jamaican jerk, it’s cooked over an open flame instead of inside a drum.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Hunte’s desire to share his culture carried him through the lengthy process of trying to obtain a legal permit to sell food in Oakland. The first time he applied for a permit for his food trailer, he says, no one from the city notified him to let him know he’d been approved. He’d paid $1,000 to apply. By the time he found out, the permit had already expired. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"A chef in an outdoor food tent plates up a dish of food.\" class=\"wp-image-13994239\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte serving customers on a sunny late-summer afternoon. His business, Jerk’n It, is one of Lake Merritt’s most popular food stands. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Some people got approved in a month, and others are still waiting,” he says of the bureaucratic process. “Can you quit on yourself just because of the runaround they’re giving you?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vending at Lake Merritt saved him. In 2020, at the peak of COVID shutdowns, the Lake was one of the only places where people could gather in large numbers. Those weekend markets allowed Hunte to thrive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These days, whenever Hunte has a large event, he wakes up at 4 a.m. and heads to his commissary kitchen in San Leandro to prep 100 pounds of oxtails, along with his other signature favorites: jerk chicken, jerk salmon, rice and peas, plantains, stewed cabbage, and mac and cheese. The most important thing, Hunte says, is the energy he pours into his food. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“”Be in a kitchen, music playing, good vibe, good energy, and then going to the food, going to the people,” he says. “So people feel it, I’ll feel it, and the customers see it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As for how the food tastes, suffice it to say that my family of four fought over our takeaway container, which was stuffed to the brim with meat and sides. Naturally, the oxtails were our favorite. (I made a mental note to come by myself next time so I could tuck into the saucy meat without being uninterrupted by prying kid hands.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Man scooping jerk oxtails into a takeout container.\" class=\"wp-image-13994231\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte prepares a plate. His Guyanese food stand, Jerk’n It, is known for its generous portions. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunte knows the other vendors at the lake, and has taken it upon himself to support them through each step of the permitting process. He’s even familiar with the police officers who come by to check his paperwork, though he points out that their standards of enforcement don’t seem consistent. ”We have some Caucasian vendors out there, and they go out there, they sell coffee…and they don’t ever get bothered by the police or the city,” he observes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In spite of the recent confrontations with law enforcement, Lake Merritt’s collaborative spirit has pushed Hunte to keep going. Often, he’ll send customers to other businesses that have menu items he doesn’t. He even occasionally gives his jerk salmon pan drippings to a neighboring business that pours it over the grilled oysters they sell. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When [vendors get] shut down, like now, it feels like they want to control where the people go or what the community do,” he says about the recent police interactions. “You know, we all come to the lake and we congregate. We chill, we drink, we party in a safe space. Like, you want us to go on the street and do it? I don’t get it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Man in a bright red T-shirt (the text reads, "Jerk'n It") poses for a portrait in front of a lakeside food stand.\" class=\"wp-image-13994553\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte poses for a portrait in front of his food tent, with Lake Merritt in the background. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunte and other members of the collective encourage new vendors who haven’t yet gotten their paperwork sorted to attend the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcwgPFcEvPr/\">Permit-palooza,\u003c/a>” hosted by the City of Oakland on Oct. 8 at Frank Ogawa Plaza. It’s a rare opportunity for them to receive permit fee waivers and steep discounts on vehicle inspections. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To Hunte, and others who continue to vend as they wait for their paperwork to be approved, Lake Merritt is one of the last places to sell their lumpia, lemonade and lunch plates to the community directly, hand over hand. It’s a freedom that’s rare these days in the Bay Area, where small businesses are already up against the region’s astronomically high real estate costs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But for now, Jerk’n It’s reputation as a community hub has kept Hunte in business, even as he’s once again waiting for his food trailer permit to come through. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I used to walk the lake looking for customers, and now they come looking for me,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Jerk’n It\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> tent typically sets up Thursday through Sunday, from around 1–7 p.m., on Lakeshore Drive in Oakland (near Cleveland Cascade). On weekends, Hunte often also posts up near Broadway and 17th Street in downtown Oakland, from 8 p.m. until late, and at the monthly First Friday event at 24th and Telegraph avenues. Follow the Jerk’n It \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>for the most up-to-date times and locations.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Rocky Rivera is a journalist, emcee, author and activist from San Francisco. She has released five projects through her label, Beatrock Music — her most recent, \u003c/em>The Craft\u003cem>, dropped in October 2026.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "puerto-rican-restaurant-fire-oakland-reopening-two-star-market-dimond",
"title": "After a Devastating Fire, Oakland’s Only Puerto Rican Restaurant Returns to Its Roots",
"publishDate": 1790369132,
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"headTitle": "After a Devastating Fire, Oakland’s Only Puerto Rican Restaurant Returns to Its Roots | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Even the most suspenseful \u003ca href=\"https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/preparing-for-my-netflix-documentary\">Netflix docuseries\u003c/a> would be hard-pressed to match the tumultuous, up-and-down career of chef Eric Rivera. In the 2010s, Rivera co-founded Borinquen Soul, one of Oakland’s first and most beloved \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/puerto-rico\">Puerto Rican\u003c/a> food businesses — and then, at the peak of his success, wound up spending seven years in jail and state prison \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13977950/puerto-rican-restaurant-oakland-borinquen-soul-eric-rivera-comeback-santa-rita-jail\">for a crime he says he didn’t commit\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, a year after the chef’s triumphant return with a new restaurant, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/puertoricanstreetcuisine/\">Puerto Rican Street Cuisine\u003c/a>, disaster has struck again. A few weeks ago, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc4uUK3Ghpp/\">huge fire\u003c/a> broke out behind the East Oakland restaurant, destroying its back wall, its newly remodeled backyard (designed to look like a traditional Puerto Rican house, or “\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/realestate/bad-bunny-puerto-rico-residency-casita.html\">casita\u003c/a>”), its walk-in fridge and Rivera’s personal office. All told, it’ll be a minimum of six to eight months of repairs before Rivera can even think about reopening what is, for the time being, the only full-fledged Puerto Rican restaurant in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For fans of Puerto Rican Street Cuisine’s fragrant arroz con gandules and garlicky, slow-roasted pernil, there is a sliver of good news. It didn’t take Rivera long to find a new, temporary location for the restaurant — and there’s a bit of poetic symmetry to it as well. On Oct. 3, Puerto Rican Street Cuisine will reopen inside the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/2starmarket_oakland/\">Two Star Market\u003c/a> in Oakland’s Dimond District. That’s the exact same corner store where Rivera opened his first restaurant, \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/borinquen-soul-dishes-out-puerto-rican-grandma-food-inside-an-oakland-convenience-store-2-1/\">Borinquen Soul\u003c/a>, more than a decade ago. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13994222\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1.jpg\" alt=\"The charred remains of a burned building.\" class=\"wp-image-13994222\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The charred remains of part of the restaurant. (Courtesy of Eric Rivera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13994221\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2.jpg\" alt=\"Remains of a restaurant's back patio after a fire, with a banner and a Puerto Rican flag fallen to the ground.\" class=\"wp-image-13994221\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A view of the damage to the restaurant’s backyard after the fire. (Courtesy of Eric Rivera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As it turns out, the owner of Two Star Market had recently started looking for a new tenant for the small kitchen inside the convenience store. When he heard about the fire, he reached out to Rivera right away. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He was like, ‘Bro, this is your kitchen. This is where you started your first takeout. Come back,’” Rivera recalls.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, the new restaurant will be a homecoming of sorts. As Rivera puts it, “I know this neighborhood loves me.” And though he’ll be constrained by the limited kitchen setup, he still plans on offering more or less the full Puerto Rican Street Cuisine menu. He’ll offer all of his combo plates, including the fan favorite pollo encebollado (grilled chicken with caramelized onions), served on a bed of white rice or yellow rice flecked with pigeon peas. He’ll have alpacurrias (stuffed plantain fritters) and Puerto Rican–style empanadas, and pasteles for the holidays. He’ll sell pernil, Puerto Rico’s iconic crispy-skinned roast pork dish, every day the restaurant is open.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Chef in a red jacket ladles chicken stew into a large aluminum catering tray.\" class=\"wp-image-13977967\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rivera prepares a tray of pollo guisado, a stewed chicken dish for a catering order. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Importantly, securing a new kitchen so quickly means Rivera won’t have to cancel the dozens of catering gigs he’s already booked for the coming months. And because the convenience store is open late, he plans to keep his kitchen open for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">night owls\u003c/a> as well, selling food from noon to midnight six days a week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As for his flagship East Oakland location on 23rd Avenue, Rivera says he’s just thankful that no one was hurt: “Anything that was lost can be replaced.” The fire happened on a Friday afternoon, when the restaurant was open for lunch service. According to Rivera, the fire department’s preliminary assessment was that it started outside, behind the restaurant, due to a power cord that overheated and erupted in flames.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of a convenience store lit up at night.\" class=\"wp-image-13994223\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Two Star Market in March 2025, when a different restaurant operated the kitchen inside. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Perhaps the biggest setback, Rivera says, is that he’d only just opened up the restaurant’s backyard to customers on weekends. He’d put a cigar lounge back there and set the whole thing up to look like diners had been transported to Puerto Rico, including the facade of a little yellow house, which he’d dubbed “La Casita.” (Miraculously, he says, the casita is the only structure in the backyard that didn’t burn down.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We converted the space to look beautiful,” Rivera says. “On weekends, customers would come all the way from Watsonville and Redding. I had weddings booked.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita.jpg\" alt=\"Facade of a yellow traditional Puerto Rican style house, with two plastic patio chairs in front.\" class=\"wp-image-13994224\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">“La Casita,” in its pre-fire glory. (Courtesy of Eric Rivera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, while Rivera has signed a lease to stay in the Two Star Market for at least a year, his long-term goal is to reopen the East Oakland restaurant as a gathering place for the community. And he’s hopeful that he’ll be able to make it happen. After all, in the course of Rivera’s rise-and-fall-and-rise-again career, he says he’s always tried to look for the silver lining.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You could be positive or you could be negative,” he says. “I choose to get up every day and keep going, man.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/puertoricanstreetcuisine/\">\u003cem>Puerto Rican Street Cuisine\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> at Two Star Market will open on Saturday, Oct. 3, with a grand opening promotion of a free empanadilla with the purchase of a combo plate. The corner store location will be open from roughly noon to midnight six days a week — it will be closed on either Sundays or Mondays, exact hours TBD.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even the most suspenseful \u003ca href=\"https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/preparing-for-my-netflix-documentary\">Netflix docuseries\u003c/a> would be hard-pressed to match the tumultuous, up-and-down career of chef Eric Rivera. In the 2010s, Rivera co-founded Borinquen Soul, one of Oakland’s first and most beloved \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/puerto-rico\">Puerto Rican\u003c/a> food businesses — and then, at the peak of his success, wound up spending seven years in jail and state prison \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13977950/puerto-rican-restaurant-oakland-borinquen-soul-eric-rivera-comeback-santa-rita-jail\">for a crime he says he didn’t commit\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even the most suspenseful \u003ca href=\"https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/preparing-for-my-netflix-documentary\">Netflix docuseries\u003c/a> would be hard-pressed to match the tumultuous, up-and-down career of chef Eric Rivera. In the 2010s, Rivera co-founded Borinquen Soul, one of Oakland’s first and most beloved \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/puerto-rico\">Puerto Rican\u003c/a> food businesses — and then, at the peak of his success, wound up spending seven years in jail and state prison \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13977950/puerto-rican-restaurant-oakland-borinquen-soul-eric-rivera-comeback-santa-rita-jail\">for a crime he says he didn’t commit\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now, a year after the chef’s triumphant return with a new restaurant, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/puertoricanstreetcuisine/\">Puerto Rican Street Cuisine\u003c/a>, disaster has struck again. A few weeks ago, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc4uUK3Ghpp/\">huge fire\u003c/a> broke out behind the East Oakland restaurant, destroying its back wall, its newly remodeled backyard (designed to look like a traditional Puerto Rican house, or “\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/realestate/bad-bunny-puerto-rico-residency-casita.html\">casita\u003c/a>”), its walk-in fridge and Rivera’s personal office. All told, it’ll be a minimum of six to eight months of repairs before Rivera can even think about reopening what is, for the time being, the only full-fledged Puerto Rican restaurant in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Now, a year after the chef’s triumphant return with a new restaurant, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/puertoricanstreetcuisine/\">Puerto Rican Street Cuisine\u003c/a>, disaster has struck again. A few weeks ago, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc4uUK3Ghpp/\">huge fire\u003c/a> broke out behind the East Oakland restaurant, destroying its back wall, its newly remodeled backyard (designed to look like a traditional Puerto Rican house, or “\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/realestate/bad-bunny-puerto-rico-residency-casita.html\">casita\u003c/a>”), its walk-in fridge and Rivera’s personal office. All told, it’ll be a minimum of six to eight months of repairs before Rivera can even think about reopening what is, for the time being, the only full-fledged Puerto Rican restaurant in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For fans of Puerto Rican Street Cuisine’s fragrant arroz con gandules and garlicky, slow-roasted pernil, there is a sliver of good news. It didn’t take Rivera long to find a new, temporary location for the restaurant — and there’s a bit of poetic symmetry to it as well. On Oct. 3, Puerto Rican Street Cuisine will reopen inside the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/2starmarket_oakland/\">Two Star Market\u003c/a> in Oakland’s Dimond District. That’s the exact same corner store where Rivera opened his first restaurant, \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/borinquen-soul-dishes-out-puerto-rican-grandma-food-inside-an-oakland-convenience-store-2-1/\">Borinquen Soul\u003c/a>, more than a decade ago. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For fans of Puerto Rican Street Cuisine’s fragrant arroz con gandules and garlicky, slow-roasted pernil, there is a sliver of good news. It didn’t take Rivera long to find a new, temporary location for the restaurant — and there’s a bit of poetic symmetry to it as well. On Oct. 3, Puerto Rican Street Cuisine will reopen inside the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/2starmarket_oakland/\">Two Star Market\u003c/a> in Oakland’s Dimond District. That’s the exact same corner store where Rivera opened his first restaurant, \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/borinquen-soul-dishes-out-puerto-rican-grandma-food-inside-an-oakland-convenience-store-2-1/\">Borinquen Soul\u003c/a>, more than a decade ago. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As it turns out, the owner of Two Star Market had recently started looking for a new tenant for the small kitchen inside the convenience store. When he heard about the fire, he reached out to Rivera right away. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As it turns out, the owner of Two Star Market had recently started looking for a new tenant for the small kitchen inside the convenience store. When he heard about the fire, he reached out to Rivera right away. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He was like, ‘Bro, this is your kitchen. This is where you started your first takeout. Come back,’” Rivera recalls.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So, the new restaurant will be a homecoming of sorts. As Rivera puts it, “I know this neighborhood loves me.” And though he’ll be constrained by the limited kitchen setup, he still plans on offering more or less the full Puerto Rican Street Cuisine menu. He’ll offer all of his combo plates, including the fan favorite pollo encebollado (grilled chicken with caramelized onions), served on a bed of white rice or yellow rice flecked with pigeon peas. He’ll have alpacurrias (stuffed plantain fritters) and Puerto Rican–style empanadas, and pasteles for the holidays. He’ll sell pernil, Puerto Rico’s iconic crispy-skinned roast pork dish, every day the restaurant is open.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>So, the new restaurant will be a homecoming of sorts. As Rivera puts it, “I know this neighborhood loves me.” And though he’ll be constrained by the limited kitchen setup, he still plans on offering more or less the full Puerto Rican Street Cuisine menu. He’ll offer all of his combo plates, including the fan favorite pollo encebollado (grilled chicken with caramelized onions), served on a bed of white rice or yellow rice flecked with pigeon peas. He’ll have alpacurrias (stuffed plantain fritters) and Puerto Rican–style empanadas, and pasteles for the holidays. He’ll sell pernil, Puerto Rico’s iconic crispy-skinned roast pork dish, every day the restaurant is open.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Importantly, securing a new kitchen so quickly means Rivera won’t have to cancel the dozens of catering gigs he’s already booked for the coming months. And because the convenience store is open late, he plans to keep his kitchen open for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">night owls\u003c/a> as well, selling food from noon to midnight six days a week. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Importantly, securing a new kitchen so quickly means Rivera won’t have to cancel the dozens of catering gigs he’s already booked for the coming months. And because the convenience store is open late, he plans to keep his kitchen open for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">night owls\u003c/a> as well, selling food from noon to midnight six days a week. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As for his flagship East Oakland location on 23rd Avenue, Rivera says he’s just thankful that no one was hurt: “Anything that was lost can be replaced.” The fire happened on a Friday afternoon, when the restaurant was open for lunch service. According to Rivera, the fire department’s preliminary assessment was that it started outside, behind the restaurant, due to a power cord that overheated and erupted in flames.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As for his flagship East Oakland location on 23rd Avenue, Rivera says he’s just thankful that no one was hurt: “Anything that was lost can be replaced.” The fire happened on a Friday afternoon, when the restaurant was open for lunch service. According to Rivera, the fire department’s preliminary assessment was that it started outside, behind the restaurant, due to a power cord that overheated and erupted in flames.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Perhaps the biggest setback, Rivera says, is that he’d only just opened up the restaurant’s backyard to customers on weekends. He’d put a cigar lounge back there and set the whole thing up to look like diners had been transported to Puerto Rico, including the facade of a little yellow house, which he’d dubbed “La Casita.” (Miraculously, he says, the casita is the only structure in the backyard that didn’t burn down.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Perhaps the biggest setback, Rivera says, is that he’d only just opened up the restaurant’s backyard to customers on weekends. He’d put a cigar lounge back there and set the whole thing up to look like diners had been transported to Puerto Rico, including the facade of a little yellow house, which he’d dubbed “La Casita.” (Miraculously, he says, the casita is the only structure in the backyard that didn’t burn down.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We converted the space to look beautiful,” Rivera says. “On weekends, customers would come all the way from Watsonville and Redding. I had weddings booked.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We converted the space to look beautiful,” Rivera says. “On weekends, customers would come all the way from Watsonville and Redding. I had weddings booked.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita.jpg\" alt=\"Facade of a yellow traditional Puerto Rican style house, with two plastic patio chairs in front.\" class=\"wp-image-13994224\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">“La Casita,” in its pre-fire glory.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Eric Rivera)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So, while Rivera has signed a lease to stay in the Two Star Market for at least a year, his long-term goal is to reopen the East Oakland restaurant as a gathering place for the community. And he’s hopeful that he’ll be able to make it happen. After all, in the course of Rivera’s rise-and-fall-and-rise-again career, he says he’s always tried to look for the silver lining.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>So, while Rivera has signed a lease to stay in the Two Star Market for at least a year, his long-term goal is to reopen the East Oakland restaurant as a gathering place for the community. And he’s hopeful that he’ll be able to make it happen. After all, in the course of Rivera’s rise-and-fall-and-rise-again career, he says he’s always tried to look for the silver lining.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You could be positive or you could be negative,” he says. “I choose to get up every day and keep going, man.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/puertoricanstreetcuisine/\">\u003cem>Puerto Rican Street Cuisine\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> at Two Star Market will open on Saturday, Oct. 3, with a grand opening promotion of a free empanadilla with the purchase of a combo plate. The corner store location will be open from roughly noon to midnight six days a week — it will be closed on either Sundays or Mondays, exact hours TBD.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/puertoricanstreetcuisine/\">\u003cem>Puerto Rican Street Cuisine\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> at Two Star Market will open on Saturday, Oct. 3, with a grand opening promotion of a free empanadilla with the purchase of a combo plate. The corner store location will be open from roughly noon to midnight six days a week — it will be closed on either Sundays or Mondays, exact hours TBD.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Puerto Rican Street Cuisine will reopen at its original corner store location in the Dimond District.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Even the most suspenseful \u003ca href=\"https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/preparing-for-my-netflix-documentary\">Netflix docuseries\u003c/a> would be hard-pressed to match the tumultuous, up-and-down career of chef Eric Rivera. In the 2010s, Rivera co-founded Borinquen Soul, one of Oakland’s first and most beloved \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/puerto-rico\">Puerto Rican\u003c/a> food businesses — and then, at the peak of his success, wound up spending seven years in jail and state prison \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13977950/puerto-rican-restaurant-oakland-borinquen-soul-eric-rivera-comeback-santa-rita-jail\">for a crime he says he didn’t commit\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, a year after the chef’s triumphant return with a new restaurant, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/puertoricanstreetcuisine/\">Puerto Rican Street Cuisine\u003c/a>, disaster has struck again. A few weeks ago, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc4uUK3Ghpp/\">huge fire\u003c/a> broke out behind the East Oakland restaurant, destroying its back wall, its newly remodeled backyard (designed to look like a traditional Puerto Rican house, or “\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/realestate/bad-bunny-puerto-rico-residency-casita.html\">casita\u003c/a>”), its walk-in fridge and Rivera’s personal office. All told, it’ll be a minimum of six to eight months of repairs before Rivera can even think about reopening what is, for the time being, the only full-fledged Puerto Rican restaurant in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For fans of Puerto Rican Street Cuisine’s fragrant arroz con gandules and garlicky, slow-roasted pernil, there is a sliver of good news. It didn’t take Rivera long to find a new, temporary location for the restaurant — and there’s a bit of poetic symmetry to it as well. On Oct. 3, Puerto Rican Street Cuisine will reopen inside the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/2starmarket_oakland/\">Two Star Market\u003c/a> in Oakland’s Dimond District. That’s the exact same corner store where Rivera opened his first restaurant, \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/borinquen-soul-dishes-out-puerto-rican-grandma-food-inside-an-oakland-convenience-store-2-1/\">Borinquen Soul\u003c/a>, more than a decade ago. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13994222\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1.jpg\" alt=\"The charred remains of a burned building.\" class=\"wp-image-13994222\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The charred remains of part of the restaurant. (Courtesy of Eric Rivera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13994221\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2.jpg\" alt=\"Remains of a restaurant's back patio after a fire, with a banner and a Puerto Rican flag fallen to the ground.\" class=\"wp-image-13994221\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A view of the damage to the restaurant’s backyard after the fire. (Courtesy of Eric Rivera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As it turns out, the owner of Two Star Market had recently started looking for a new tenant for the small kitchen inside the convenience store. When he heard about the fire, he reached out to Rivera right away. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He was like, ‘Bro, this is your kitchen. This is where you started your first takeout. Come back,’” Rivera recalls.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, the new restaurant will be a homecoming of sorts. As Rivera puts it, “I know this neighborhood loves me.” And though he’ll be constrained by the limited kitchen setup, he still plans on offering more or less the full Puerto Rican Street Cuisine menu. He’ll offer all of his combo plates, including the fan favorite pollo encebollado (grilled chicken with caramelized onions), served on a bed of white rice or yellow rice flecked with pigeon peas. He’ll have alpacurrias (stuffed plantain fritters) and Puerto Rican–style empanadas, and pasteles for the holidays. He’ll sell pernil, Puerto Rico’s iconic crispy-skinned roast pork dish, every day the restaurant is open.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Chef in a red jacket ladles chicken stew into a large aluminum catering tray.\" class=\"wp-image-13977967\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rivera prepares a tray of pollo guisado, a stewed chicken dish for a catering order. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Importantly, securing a new kitchen so quickly means Rivera won’t have to cancel the dozens of catering gigs he’s already booked for the coming months. And because the convenience store is open late, he plans to keep his kitchen open for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">night owls\u003c/a> as well, selling food from noon to midnight six days a week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As for his flagship East Oakland location on 23rd Avenue, Rivera says he’s just thankful that no one was hurt: “Anything that was lost can be replaced.” The fire happened on a Friday afternoon, when the restaurant was open for lunch service. According to Rivera, the fire department’s preliminary assessment was that it started outside, behind the restaurant, due to a power cord that overheated and erupted in flames.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of a convenience store lit up at night.\" class=\"wp-image-13994223\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Two Star Market in March 2025, when a different restaurant operated the kitchen inside. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Perhaps the biggest setback, Rivera says, is that he’d only just opened up the restaurant’s backyard to customers on weekends. He’d put a cigar lounge back there and set the whole thing up to look like diners had been transported to Puerto Rico, including the facade of a little yellow house, which he’d dubbed “La Casita.” (Miraculously, he says, the casita is the only structure in the backyard that didn’t burn down.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We converted the space to look beautiful,” Rivera says. “On weekends, customers would come all the way from Watsonville and Redding. I had weddings booked.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita.jpg\" alt=\"Facade of a yellow traditional Puerto Rican style house, with two plastic patio chairs in front.\" class=\"wp-image-13994224\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">“La Casita,” in its pre-fire glory. (Courtesy of Eric Rivera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, while Rivera has signed a lease to stay in the Two Star Market for at least a year, his long-term goal is to reopen the East Oakland restaurant as a gathering place for the community. And he’s hopeful that he’ll be able to make it happen. After all, in the course of Rivera’s rise-and-fall-and-rise-again career, he says he’s always tried to look for the silver lining.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You could be positive or you could be negative,” he says. “I choose to get up every day and keep going, man.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/puertoricanstreetcuisine/\">\u003cem>Puerto Rican Street Cuisine\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> at Two Star Market will open on Saturday, Oct. 3, with a grand opening promotion of a free empanadilla with the purchase of a combo plate. The corner store location will be open from roughly noon to midnight six days a week — it will be closed on either Sundays or Mondays, exact hours TBD.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "african-restaurant-week-bay-area-oakland-2026-nigeria-cameroon",
"title": "This Year’s African Restaurant Week Shines a Spotlight On Lesser-Known Dishes",
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"headTitle": "This Year’s African Restaurant Week Shines a Spotlight On Lesser-Known Dishes | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Despite the Bay Area’s legendary culinary diversity, there are probably only a handful of African dishes that have made it into our region’s mainstream food lexicon. As Kemi Tijaniqudus, chef-owner of Nigerian food truck \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jollofkitchen/\">Jollof Kitchen\u003c/a>, tells it, most Bay Area foodies are familiar with a few classic Ethiopian dishes, and they may have at least tried jollof rice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Apart from that, though? There’s a wide array of African cuisines that don’t get nearly as much recognition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, the third annual \u003ca href=\"https://africanrestaurantweek.com/bayarea/\">Bay Area African Restaurant Week\u003c/a>, which kicked off last week, aims to offer diners a bit of a culinary education. The event will focus, in part, on promoting the less widely known cuisines of Tanzania, Cameroon and Gambia, for instance. Diaspora cuisines, from countries like Jamaica and Trinidad, will also be highlighted. The promotion runs through Sept. 27.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We want to give more people the spotlight,” says Tijaniqudus, who has co-organized the event for the past three years together with Akin Akinsanya, whose New York–based company promotes similar \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/africanrestaurantweek/\">African Restaurant Week\u003c/a> events all over the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/African-Resturant-Weekend-2025-21.jpg\" alt=\"Two smiling food vendors at a food festival.\" class=\"wp-image-13994071\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/African-Resturant-Weekend-2025-21.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/African-Resturant-Weekend-2025-21-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/African-Resturant-Weekend-2025-21-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/African-Resturant-Weekend-2025-21-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vendors enjoying a lighthearted moment at last year’s African Restaurant Week closing festival in Oakland. (Courtesy of African Restaurant Week)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The restaurant week celebration has two different components: one for restaurants and another for pop-ups and catering companies that don’t have a permanent brick-and-mortar space. Several \u003ca href=\"https://africanrestaurantweek.com/bayarea/\">participating restaurants\u003c/a>, including spots KQED readers will recognize like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13987415/late-night-nigerian-oakland-oxtails-jollof-9jagrills\">9jaGrills\u003c/a> (Nigerian) and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13954267/tanzanian-restaurant-swahili-spot-west-oakland-curry\">Swahili Spot\u003c/a> (Tanzanian/East African), are offering a 10% discount through the end of the week. African Restaurant Week is also running a promotion on Instagram where diners can win food vouchers for the closing festival at Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fortheculture701/\">For the Culture\u003c/a> on Sunday, Sept. 27, from noon–7 p.m..\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That festival is the showcase for pop-ups, caterers and food trucks — the non-brick-and-mortar component of the event, which is where you’ll encounter much of the Bay Area’s most dynamic and hard-to-find African cooking. Sunday’s lineup, in particular, embodies that spirit of highlighting lesser-known African dishes. It will include food vendors representing Gambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Trinidad and Jamaica, along with several Nigerian food businesses.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1340\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/grilled-fish.jpg\" alt=\"Grilled fish, fried plantains, hot sauce on a plate.\" class=\"wp-image-13994072\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/grilled-fish.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/grilled-fish-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/grilled-fish-768x515.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/grilled-fish-1536x1029.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cameroonian grilled fish and plantains, courtesy of Charcoal Smoke Barbecue. (Courtesy of African Restaurant Week)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of those, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/alake.cuisine/\">Alake Cuisine\u003c/a>, will serve \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DBxgMWhRGj8/\">amala\u003c/a>, a kind of black \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swallow_(food)\">swallow\u003c/a>, similar in texture to fufu, that’s made with yam skins. A local delicacy in Nigeria, the dish typically accompanies a stew made with jute leaves and salted meat. Another vendor, Charcoal Smoke Barbecue, will serve Cameroonian suya (grilled meat skewers), made with a slightly different spice mix than the Nigerian version. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bay Area actress and comedian \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/joyofodu/\">Joy Ofodu\u003c/a> will emcee the event, and a full lineup of DJs (\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dusky_rebel/\">Dusky Rebel\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/flygerianjeff/\">Flygerian Jeff\u003c/a> and DJ Leon) will be on hand to spin Afrobeats, reggae, dance hall and more.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://africanrestaurantweek.com/bayarea/\">\u003cem>African Restaurant Week\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> will run from Sept. 17–27. The closing festival will take place on Sunday, Sept. 27, noon–7 p.m., at For the Culture (701 Clay St., Oakland). The event is ages 21+ only. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bay-area-african-restaurant-week-2026-tickets-1988688087604?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true\">\u003cem>Admission\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is free; all food and beverages will be sold a la carte.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So, the third annual \u003ca href=\"https://africanrestaurantweek.com/bayarea/\">Bay Area African Restaurant Week\u003c/a>, which kicked off last week, aims to offer diners a bit of a culinary education. The event will focus, in part, on promoting the less widely known cuisines of Tanzania, Cameroon and Gambia, for instance. Diaspora cuisines, from countries like Jamaica and Trinidad, will also be highlighted. The promotion runs through Sept. 27.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We want to give more people the spotlight,” says Tijaniqudus, who has co-organized the event for the past three years together with Akin Akinsanya, whose New York–based company promotes similar \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/africanrestaurantweek/\">African Restaurant Week\u003c/a> events all over the U.S.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/African-Resturant-Weekend-2025-21.jpg\" alt=\"Two smiling food vendors at a food festival.\" class=\"wp-image-13994071\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/African-Resturant-Weekend-2025-21.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/African-Resturant-Weekend-2025-21-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/African-Resturant-Weekend-2025-21-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/African-Resturant-Weekend-2025-21-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vendors enjoying a lighthearted moment at last year’s African Restaurant Week closing festival in Oakland.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of African Restaurant Week)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The restaurant week celebration has two different components: one for restaurants and another for pop-ups and catering companies that don’t have a permanent brick-and-mortar space. Several \u003ca href=\"https://africanrestaurantweek.com/bayarea/\">participating restaurants\u003c/a>, including spots KQED readers will recognize like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13987415/late-night-nigerian-oakland-oxtails-jollof-9jagrills\">9jaGrills\u003c/a> (Nigerian) and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13954267/tanzanian-restaurant-swahili-spot-west-oakland-curry\">Swahili Spot\u003c/a> (Tanzanian/East African), are offering a 10% discount through the end of the week. African Restaurant Week is also running a promotion on Instagram where diners can win food vouchers for the closing festival at Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fortheculture701/\">For the Culture\u003c/a> on Sunday, Sept. 27, from noon–7 p.m..\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That festival is the showcase for pop-ups, caterers and food trucks — the non-brick-and-mortar component of the event, which is where you’ll encounter much of the Bay Area’s most dynamic and hard-to-find African cooking. Sunday’s lineup, in particular, embodies that spirit of highlighting lesser-known African dishes. It will include food vendors representing Gambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Trinidad and Jamaica, along with several Nigerian food businesses.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of those, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/alake.cuisine/\">Alake Cuisine\u003c/a>, will serve \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DBxgMWhRGj8/\">amala\u003c/a>, a kind of black \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swallow_(food)\">swallow\u003c/a>, similar in texture to fufu, that’s made with yam skins. A local delicacy in Nigeria, the dish typically accompanies a stew made with jute leaves and salted meat. Another vendor, Charcoal Smoke Barbecue, will serve Cameroonian suya (grilled meat skewers), made with a slightly different spice mix than the Nigerian version. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One of those, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/alake.cuisine/\">Alake Cuisine\u003c/a>, will serve \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DBxgMWhRGj8/\">amala\u003c/a>, a kind of black \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swallow_(food)\">swallow\u003c/a>, similar in texture to fufu, that’s made with yam skins. A local delicacy in Nigeria, the dish typically accompanies a stew made with jute leaves and salted meat. Another vendor, Charcoal Smoke Barbecue, will serve Cameroonian suya (grilled meat skewers), made with a slightly different spice mix than the Nigerian version. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bay Area actress and comedian \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/joyofodu/\">Joy Ofodu\u003c/a> will emcee the event, and a full lineup of DJs (\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dusky_rebel/\">Dusky Rebel\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/flygerianjeff/\">Flygerian Jeff\u003c/a> and DJ Leon) will be on hand to spin Afrobeats, reggae, dance hall and more.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Bay Area actress and comedian \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/joyofodu/\">Joy Ofodu\u003c/a> will emcee the event, and a full lineup of DJs (\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dusky_rebel/\">Dusky Rebel\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/flygerianjeff/\">Flygerian Jeff\u003c/a> and DJ Leon) will be on hand to spin Afrobeats, reggae, dance hall and more.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://africanrestaurantweek.com/bayarea/\">\u003cem>African Restaurant Week\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> will run from Sept. 17–27. The closing festival will take place on Sunday, Sept. 27, noon–7 p.m., at For the Culture (701 Clay St., Oakland). The event is ages 21+ only. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bay-area-african-restaurant-week-2026-tickets-1988688087604?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true\">\u003cem>Admission\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is free; all food and beverages will be sold a la carte.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://africanrestaurantweek.com/bayarea/\">\u003cem>African Restaurant Week\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> will run from Sept. 17–27. The closing festival will take place on Sunday, Sept. 27, noon–7 p.m., at For the Culture (701 Clay St., Oakland). The event is ages 21+ only. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bay-area-african-restaurant-week-2026-tickets-1988688087604?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true\">\u003cem>Admission\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is free; all food and beverages will be sold a la carte.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Despite the Bay Area’s legendary culinary diversity, there are probably only a handful of African dishes that have made it into our region’s mainstream food lexicon. As Kemi Tijaniqudus, chef-owner of Nigerian food truck \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jollofkitchen/\">Jollof Kitchen\u003c/a>, tells it, most Bay Area foodies are familiar with a few classic Ethiopian dishes, and they may have at least tried jollof rice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Apart from that, though? There’s a wide array of African cuisines that don’t get nearly as much recognition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, the third annual \u003ca href=\"https://africanrestaurantweek.com/bayarea/\">Bay Area African Restaurant Week\u003c/a>, which kicked off last week, aims to offer diners a bit of a culinary education. The event will focus, in part, on promoting the less widely known cuisines of Tanzania, Cameroon and Gambia, for instance. Diaspora cuisines, from countries like Jamaica and Trinidad, will also be highlighted. The promotion runs through Sept. 27.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We want to give more people the spotlight,” says Tijaniqudus, who has co-organized the event for the past three years together with Akin Akinsanya, whose New York–based company promotes similar \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/africanrestaurantweek/\">African Restaurant Week\u003c/a> events all over the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/African-Resturant-Weekend-2025-21.jpg\" alt=\"Two smiling food vendors at a food festival.\" class=\"wp-image-13994071\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/African-Resturant-Weekend-2025-21.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/African-Resturant-Weekend-2025-21-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/African-Resturant-Weekend-2025-21-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/African-Resturant-Weekend-2025-21-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vendors enjoying a lighthearted moment at last year’s African Restaurant Week closing festival in Oakland. (Courtesy of African Restaurant Week)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The restaurant week celebration has two different components: one for restaurants and another for pop-ups and catering companies that don’t have a permanent brick-and-mortar space. Several \u003ca href=\"https://africanrestaurantweek.com/bayarea/\">participating restaurants\u003c/a>, including spots KQED readers will recognize like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13987415/late-night-nigerian-oakland-oxtails-jollof-9jagrills\">9jaGrills\u003c/a> (Nigerian) and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13954267/tanzanian-restaurant-swahili-spot-west-oakland-curry\">Swahili Spot\u003c/a> (Tanzanian/East African), are offering a 10% discount through the end of the week. African Restaurant Week is also running a promotion on Instagram where diners can win food vouchers for the closing festival at Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fortheculture701/\">For the Culture\u003c/a> on Sunday, Sept. 27, from noon–7 p.m..\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That festival is the showcase for pop-ups, caterers and food trucks — the non-brick-and-mortar component of the event, which is where you’ll encounter much of the Bay Area’s most dynamic and hard-to-find African cooking. Sunday’s lineup, in particular, embodies that spirit of highlighting lesser-known African dishes. It will include food vendors representing Gambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Trinidad and Jamaica, along with several Nigerian food businesses.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1340\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/grilled-fish.jpg\" alt=\"Grilled fish, fried plantains, hot sauce on a plate.\" class=\"wp-image-13994072\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/grilled-fish.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/grilled-fish-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/grilled-fish-768x515.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/grilled-fish-1536x1029.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cameroonian grilled fish and plantains, courtesy of Charcoal Smoke Barbecue. (Courtesy of African Restaurant Week)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of those, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/alake.cuisine/\">Alake Cuisine\u003c/a>, will serve \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DBxgMWhRGj8/\">amala\u003c/a>, a kind of black \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swallow_(food)\">swallow\u003c/a>, similar in texture to fufu, that’s made with yam skins. A local delicacy in Nigeria, the dish typically accompanies a stew made with jute leaves and salted meat. Another vendor, Charcoal Smoke Barbecue, will serve Cameroonian suya (grilled meat skewers), made with a slightly different spice mix than the Nigerian version. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bay Area actress and comedian \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/joyofodu/\">Joy Ofodu\u003c/a> will emcee the event, and a full lineup of DJs (\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dusky_rebel/\">Dusky Rebel\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/flygerianjeff/\">Flygerian Jeff\u003c/a> and DJ Leon) will be on hand to spin Afrobeats, reggae, dance hall and more.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://africanrestaurantweek.com/bayarea/\">\u003cem>African Restaurant Week\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> will run from Sept. 17–27. The closing festival will take place on Sunday, Sept. 27, noon–7 p.m., at For the Culture (701 Clay St., Oakland). The event is ages 21+ only. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bay-area-african-restaurant-week-2026-tickets-1988688087604?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true\">\u003cem>Admission\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is free; all food and beverages will be sold a la carte.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "nobuya-late-night-sushi-boxes-izakaya-pleasant-hill",
"title": "Nobuya Brings Elegant Late-Night Sushi Boxes to the East Bay Suburbs",
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"headTitle": "Nobuya Brings Elegant Late-Night Sushi Boxes to the East Bay Suburbs | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men seated at a sushi bar devouring large quantities of sashimi served in elegant wooden boxes.\" class=\"wp-image-13994005\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nobuya, a newish izakaya and sushi restaurant in Pleasant Hill, is known for its elegant sushi boxes. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Everything about \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nobuya.sushi/\">Nobuya\u003c/a> is a bit of a surprise. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Start with the restaurant’s location on a quiet, semi-residential stretch of Pleasant Hill. We hadn’t previously found \u003cem>any\u003c/em> late-night dining in this particular swath of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/contra-costa-county\">Contra Costa County\u003c/a> suburbs, so when we heard about this newish sushi spot and izakaya, we were surprised to learn that it stays open until 11:30 p.m. on weekends. When we pulled up at a little before 10 on a recent Friday night, we were struck by the casual elegance of the dining room — all paper lanterns and light wood partitions, with quaint little nooks to sit in should you want some privacy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The crowd, at least at this hour, skewed toward older couples and groups of middle-aged businessmen, but the atmosphere — aided by an upbeat \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_pop\">city pop\u003c/a> soundtrack — felt lively and fun.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We made a beeline for the sushi counter, where our server immediately dropped off two bowls of piping hot miso soup. The main reason we’d made the trek out to Pleasant Hill is because Nobuya specializes in the kind of ornate wooden sushi boxes that are trendy now on social media — glistening, jewel-like slabs of sashimi, each one artfully arranged in its own little compartment. Here in the Bay Area, we’ve mostly only seen these boxes at higher-end Japanese restaurants in San Francisco or down on the Peninsula. To be able to snag one this far away from the big city at this hour of the night? We knew we had to try it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, our gregarious sushi chef, Carlos, turned out to be a one-man orchestrator of good vibes. He chatted amiably in Spanish with the middle-aged couple seated next to us, then slid enough free bites across the counter — a raw oyster topped with flying fish roe and citrusy soy, a baked scallop in a pool of lemon cream sauce — that we started to worry we’d been recognized. In the end, he really did just come across as an uncommonly friendly dude, eager to chat about his favorite East Bay sushi joints (\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/utzutzu/\">Utzutzu\u003c/a> in Alameda and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sushi-sho.com/\">Sushi Sho\u003c/a> in El Cerrito — both deep cuts that made it clear that he knew ball).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Exterior of a sushi restaurant lit up at night. The sign above reads, "Nobuya."\" class=\"wp-image-13994008\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The rare late-night restaurant in the Pleasant Hill area, Nobuya is open until 11:30 p.m. on weekends. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nobuya isn’t an overly precious sushi restaurant. It doesn’t offer traditional omakase service, and you can do well for yourself whether your raw fish indulgence of choice is simple nigiri or saucy, over-the-top Americanized rolls (the “Chuck Norris” seems to be a popular choice). We started with a Snow Cracker appetizer from the “Today’s Special” section of the menu, where the most interesting izakaya-style small plates are listed. This was the perfect little appetizer, proving that the kitchen doesn’t take itself too seriously: one big jalapeño stuffed with snow crab and cream cheese, coated in panko, deep-fried and cut into bite-size segments, like a tiki bar’s take on a jalapeño popper.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The main event was not one but two different, but equally excellent, sushi boxes. First came the Omakase Box, whose nine compartments each contained three generous slices of sashimi: hirame (fluke), sea bream, chutoro, maguro, hamachi, salmon, amaebi (sweet shrimp), uni-topped scallops and, in the center, a mound of roe-topped sushi rice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Every cut was delicious — the clean bite of the hirame, the heavy ocean umami of the sea bream, the delicate sweetness of the shrimp. We were given an unlimited supply of toasted seaweed to make little wraps with, and, since the box included the shrimp, the chef served their deep-fried heads on the side so we could enjoy their pungent crunch. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the end, my favorite item in the box was the one I normally find the most boring: the lean maguro, which came in thick slabs topped with a dab of yuzu kosho pepper paste, and had an impossibly smooth texture and clean, savory flavor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At $69, the box is a bit of a splurge, but I’ve definitely paid more for smaller portions of lower-quality sushi. The same was true of the kaisen box ($59), which embodied a different form of luxury. For this set, a layer of sushi rice was topped with a whole row of uni. Next to that, a row of ikura, a row of sweet scallops and, finally, a whole row of sliced toro, with little flowers scattered on top to make it pretty. You could stir everything together and eat it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986360/yaichi-kaisendon-japanese-seafood-bowls-udon-milpitas\">like a rice bowl\u003c/a>, but we opted to pile a bit of this ‘n’ that onto the sheets of nori, rolling the whole thing up and eating it in one bite.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Either of the sushi boxes would be easily shareable, just like the oden (fish cake soup) we ordered as a finishing dish. I loved sipping on the rich, peppery broth between bites of sushi to cleanse my palate.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Add it all up, and Nobuya really ought to be \u003cem>the\u003c/em> late-night hotspot for this corner of the East Bay suburbs. But the restaurant was nearly half empty for the duration of our visit, and more and more so as the hour crept past 10 p.m.. For now, it seems, the vast majority of Nobuya’s clientele are locals from Pleasant Hill and its immediate surroundings (who all tend to be in bed by 9 o’clock, Carlos confided with a chuckle). The place has yet to be discovered by the legion of twenty- and thirtysomething food influencers always on the lookout for a new spot to hype up. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As good as the food at Nobuya is, that almost certainly won’t be the case for much longer. In the meantime, I’m going to relish the opportunity to walk in at 10 o’clock, without a reservation or any prior planning, and luxuriate in one of the most satisfying late-night sashimi dinners in the Bay. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nobuya.sushi/\">Nobuya\u003c/a> is open Monday through Thursday 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5–10:15 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5–11:30 p.m. at 1428 Contra Costa Blvd. in Pleasant Hill.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men seated at a sushi bar devouring large quantities of sashimi served in elegant wooden boxes.\" class=\"wp-image-13994005\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nobuya, a newish izakaya and sushi restaurant in Pleasant Hill, is known for its elegant sushi boxes.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men seated at a sushi bar devouring large quantities of sashimi served in elegant wooden boxes.\" class=\"wp-image-13994005\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nobuya, a newish izakaya and sushi restaurant in Pleasant Hill, is known for its elegant sushi boxes.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cp>Everything about \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nobuya.sushi/\">Nobuya\u003c/a> is a bit of a surprise. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Start with the restaurant’s location on a quiet, semi-residential stretch of Pleasant Hill. We hadn’t previously found \u003cem>any\u003c/em> late-night dining in this particular swath of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/contra-costa-county\">Contra Costa County\u003c/a> suburbs, so when we heard about this newish sushi spot and izakaya, we were surprised to learn that it stays open until 11:30 p.m. on weekends. When we pulled up at a little before 10 on a recent Friday night, we were struck by the casual elegance of the dining room — all paper lanterns and light wood partitions, with quaint little nooks to sit in should you want some privacy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The crowd, at least at this hour, skewed toward older couples and groups of middle-aged businessmen, but the atmosphere — aided by an upbeat \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_pop\">city pop\u003c/a> soundtrack — felt lively and fun.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The crowd, at least at this hour, skewed toward older couples and groups of middle-aged businessmen, but the atmosphere — aided by an upbeat \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_pop\">city pop\u003c/a> soundtrack — felt lively and fun.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>We made a beeline for the sushi counter, where our server immediately dropped off two bowls of piping hot miso soup. The main reason we’d made the trek out to Pleasant Hill is because Nobuya specializes in the kind of ornate wooden sushi boxes that are trendy now on social media — glistening, jewel-like slabs of sashimi, each one artfully arranged in its own little compartment. Here in the Bay Area, we’ve mostly only seen these boxes at higher-end Japanese restaurants in San Francisco or down on the Peninsula. To be able to snag one this far away from the big city at this hour of the night? We knew we had to try it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>We made a beeline for the sushi counter, where our server immediately dropped off two bowls of piping hot miso soup. The main reason we’d made the trek out to Pleasant Hill is because Nobuya specializes in the kind of ornate wooden sushi boxes that are trendy now on social media — glistening, jewel-like slabs of sashimi, each one artfully arranged in its own little compartment. Here in the Bay Area, we’ve mostly only seen these boxes at higher-end Japanese restaurants in San Francisco or down on the Peninsula. To be able to snag one this far away from the big city at this hour of the night? We knew we had to try it.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, our gregarious sushi chef, Carlos, turned out to be a one-man orchestrator of good vibes. He chatted amiably in Spanish with the middle-aged couple seated next to us, then slid enough free bites across the counter — a raw oyster topped with flying fish roe and citrusy soy, a baked scallop in a pool of lemon cream sauce — that we started to worry we’d been recognized. In the end, he really did just come across as an uncommonly friendly dude, eager to chat about his favorite East Bay sushi joints (\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/utzutzu/\">Utzutzu\u003c/a> in Alameda and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sushi-sho.com/\">Sushi Sho\u003c/a> in El Cerrito — both deep cuts that made it clear that he knew ball).\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, our gregarious sushi chef, Carlos, turned out to be a one-man orchestrator of good vibes. He chatted amiably in Spanish with the middle-aged couple seated next to us, then slid enough free bites across the counter — a raw oyster topped with flying fish roe and citrusy soy, a baked scallop in a pool of lemon cream sauce — that we started to worry we’d been recognized. In the end, he really did just come across as an uncommonly friendly dude, eager to chat about his favorite East Bay sushi joints (\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/utzutzu/\">Utzutzu\u003c/a> in Alameda and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sushi-sho.com/\">Sushi Sho\u003c/a> in El Cerrito — both deep cuts that made it clear that he knew ball).\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Exterior of a sushi restaurant lit up at night. The sign above reads, "Nobuya."\" class=\"wp-image-13994008\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The rare late-night restaurant in the Pleasant Hill area, Nobuya is open until 11:30 p.m. on weekends.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Exterior of a sushi restaurant lit up at night. The sign above reads, "Nobuya."\" class=\"wp-image-13994008\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The rare late-night restaurant in the Pleasant Hill area, Nobuya is open until 11:30 p.m. on weekends.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nobuya isn’t an overly precious sushi restaurant. It doesn’t offer traditional omakase service, and you can do well for yourself whether your raw fish indulgence of choice is simple nigiri or saucy, over-the-top Americanized rolls (the “Chuck Norris” seems to be a popular choice). We started with a Snow Cracker appetizer from the “Today’s Special” section of the menu, where the most interesting izakaya-style small plates are listed. This was the perfect little appetizer, proving that the kitchen doesn’t take itself too seriously: one big jalapeño stuffed with snow crab and cream cheese, coated in panko, deep-fried and cut into bite-size segments, like a tiki bar’s take on a jalapeño popper.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nobuya isn’t an overly precious sushi restaurant. It doesn’t offer traditional omakase service, and you can do well for yourself whether your raw fish indulgence of choice is simple nigiri or saucy, over-the-top Americanized rolls (the “Chuck Norris” seems to be a popular choice). We started with a Snow Cracker appetizer from the “Today’s Special” section of the menu, where the most interesting izakaya-style small plates are listed. This was the perfect little appetizer, proving that the kitchen doesn’t take itself too seriously: one big jalapeño stuffed with snow crab and cream cheese, coated in panko, deep-fried and cut into bite-size segments, like a tiki bar’s take on a jalapeño popper.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The main event was not one but two different, but equally excellent, sushi boxes. First came the Omakase Box, whose nine compartments each contained three generous slices of sashimi: hirame (fluke), sea bream, chutoro, maguro, hamachi, salmon, amaebi (sweet shrimp), uni-topped scallops and, in the center, a mound of roe-topped sushi rice. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The main event was not one but two different, but equally excellent, sushi boxes. First came the Omakase Box, whose nine compartments each contained three generous slices of sashimi: hirame (fluke), sea bream, chutoro, maguro, hamachi, salmon, amaebi (sweet shrimp), uni-topped scallops and, in the center, a mound of roe-topped sushi rice. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Every cut was delicious — the clean bite of the hirame, the heavy ocean umami of the sea bream, the delicate sweetness of the shrimp. We were given an unlimited supply of toasted seaweed to make little wraps with, and, since the box included the shrimp, the chef served their deep-fried heads on the side so we could enjoy their pungent crunch. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Every cut was delicious — the clean bite of the hirame, the heavy ocean umami of the sea bream, the delicate sweetness of the shrimp. We were given an unlimited supply of toasted seaweed to make little wraps with, and, since the box included the shrimp, the chef served their deep-fried heads on the side so we could enjoy their pungent crunch. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the end, my favorite item in the box was the one I normally find the most boring: the lean maguro, which came in thick slabs topped with a dab of yuzu kosho pepper paste, and had an impossibly smooth texture and clean, savory flavor.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the end, my favorite item in the box was the one I normally find the most boring: the lean maguro, which came in thick slabs topped with a dab of yuzu kosho pepper paste, and had an impossibly smooth texture and clean, savory flavor.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At $69, the box is a bit of a splurge, but I’ve definitely paid more for smaller portions of lower-quality sushi. The same was true of the kaisen box ($59), which embodied a different form of luxury. For this set, a layer of sushi rice was topped with a whole row of uni. Next to that, a row of ikura, a row of sweet scallops and, finally, a whole row of sliced toro, with little flowers scattered on top to make it pretty. You could stir everything together and eat it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986360/yaichi-kaisendon-japanese-seafood-bowls-udon-milpitas\">like a rice bowl\u003c/a>, but we opted to pile a bit of this ‘n’ that onto the sheets of nori, rolling the whole thing up and eating it in one bite.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At $69, the box is a bit of a splurge, but I’ve definitely paid more for smaller portions of lower-quality sushi. The same was true of the kaisen box ($59), which embodied a different form of luxury. For this set, a layer of sushi rice was topped with a whole row of uni. Next to that, a row of ikura, a row of sweet scallops and, finally, a whole row of sliced toro, with little flowers scattered on top to make it pretty. You could stir everything together and eat it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986360/yaichi-kaisendon-japanese-seafood-bowls-udon-milpitas\">like a rice bowl\u003c/a>, but we opted to pile a bit of this ‘n’ that onto the sheets of nori, rolling the whole thing up and eating it in one bite.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Either of the sushi boxes would be easily shareable, just like the oden (fish cake soup) we ordered as a finishing dish. I loved sipping on the rich, peppery broth between bites of sushi to cleanse my palate.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Either of the sushi boxes would be easily shareable, just like the oden (fish cake soup) we ordered as a finishing dish. I loved sipping on the rich, peppery broth between bites of sushi to cleanse my palate.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Add it all up, and Nobuya really ought to be \u003cem>the\u003c/em> late-night hotspot for this corner of the East Bay suburbs. But the restaurant was nearly half empty for the duration of our visit, and more and more so as the hour crept past 10 p.m.. For now, it seems, the vast majority of Nobuya’s clientele are locals from Pleasant Hill and its immediate surroundings (who all tend to be in bed by 9 o’clock, Carlos confided with a chuckle). The place has yet to be discovered by the legion of twenty- and thirtysomething food influencers always on the lookout for a new spot to hype up. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Add it all up, and Nobuya really ought to be \u003cem>the\u003c/em> late-night hotspot for this corner of the East Bay suburbs. But the restaurant was nearly half empty for the duration of our visit, and more and more so as the hour crept past 10 p.m.. For now, it seems, the vast majority of Nobuya’s clientele are locals from Pleasant Hill and its immediate surroundings (who all tend to be in bed by 9 o’clock, Carlos confided with a chuckle). The place has yet to be discovered by the legion of twenty- and thirtysomething food influencers always on the lookout for a new spot to hype up. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As good as the food at Nobuya is, that almost certainly won’t be the case for much longer. In the meantime, I’m going to relish the opportunity to walk in at 10 o’clock, without a reservation or any prior planning, and luxuriate in one of the most satisfying late-night sashimi dinners in the Bay. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>As good as the food at Nobuya is, that almost certainly won’t be the case for much longer. In the meantime, I’m going to relish the opportunity to walk in at 10 o’clock, without a reservation or any prior planning, and luxuriate in one of the most satisfying late-night sashimi dinners in the Bay. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nobuya.sushi/\">Nobuya\u003c/a> is open Monday through Thursday 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5–10:15 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5–11:30 p.m. at 1428 Contra Costa Blvd. in Pleasant Hill.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nobuya.sushi/\">Nobuya\u003c/a> is open Monday through Thursday 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5–10:15 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5–11:30 p.m. at 1428 Contra Costa Blvd. in Pleasant Hill.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Pleasant Hill finally has a destination for excellent sushi until 11:30 p.m. on weekends. ",
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"title": "Nobuya Brings Elegant Late-Night Sushi Boxes to the East Bay Suburbs | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men seated at a sushi bar devouring large quantities of sashimi served in elegant wooden boxes.\" class=\"wp-image-13994005\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nobuya, a newish izakaya and sushi restaurant in Pleasant Hill, is known for its elegant sushi boxes. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Everything about \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nobuya.sushi/\">Nobuya\u003c/a> is a bit of a surprise. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Start with the restaurant’s location on a quiet, semi-residential stretch of Pleasant Hill. We hadn’t previously found \u003cem>any\u003c/em> late-night dining in this particular swath of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/contra-costa-county\">Contra Costa County\u003c/a> suburbs, so when we heard about this newish sushi spot and izakaya, we were surprised to learn that it stays open until 11:30 p.m. on weekends. When we pulled up at a little before 10 on a recent Friday night, we were struck by the casual elegance of the dining room — all paper lanterns and light wood partitions, with quaint little nooks to sit in should you want some privacy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The crowd, at least at this hour, skewed toward older couples and groups of middle-aged businessmen, but the atmosphere — aided by an upbeat \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_pop\">city pop\u003c/a> soundtrack — felt lively and fun.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We made a beeline for the sushi counter, where our server immediately dropped off two bowls of piping hot miso soup. The main reason we’d made the trek out to Pleasant Hill is because Nobuya specializes in the kind of ornate wooden sushi boxes that are trendy now on social media — glistening, jewel-like slabs of sashimi, each one artfully arranged in its own little compartment. Here in the Bay Area, we’ve mostly only seen these boxes at higher-end Japanese restaurants in San Francisco or down on the Peninsula. To be able to snag one this far away from the big city at this hour of the night? We knew we had to try it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, our gregarious sushi chef, Carlos, turned out to be a one-man orchestrator of good vibes. He chatted amiably in Spanish with the middle-aged couple seated next to us, then slid enough free bites across the counter — a raw oyster topped with flying fish roe and citrusy soy, a baked scallop in a pool of lemon cream sauce — that we started to worry we’d been recognized. In the end, he really did just come across as an uncommonly friendly dude, eager to chat about his favorite East Bay sushi joints (\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/utzutzu/\">Utzutzu\u003c/a> in Alameda and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sushi-sho.com/\">Sushi Sho\u003c/a> in El Cerrito — both deep cuts that made it clear that he knew ball).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Exterior of a sushi restaurant lit up at night. The sign above reads, "Nobuya."\" class=\"wp-image-13994008\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/nobuya-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The rare late-night restaurant in the Pleasant Hill area, Nobuya is open until 11:30 p.m. on weekends. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nobuya isn’t an overly precious sushi restaurant. It doesn’t offer traditional omakase service, and you can do well for yourself whether your raw fish indulgence of choice is simple nigiri or saucy, over-the-top Americanized rolls (the “Chuck Norris” seems to be a popular choice). We started with a Snow Cracker appetizer from the “Today’s Special” section of the menu, where the most interesting izakaya-style small plates are listed. This was the perfect little appetizer, proving that the kitchen doesn’t take itself too seriously: one big jalapeño stuffed with snow crab and cream cheese, coated in panko, deep-fried and cut into bite-size segments, like a tiki bar’s take on a jalapeño popper.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The main event was not one but two different, but equally excellent, sushi boxes. First came the Omakase Box, whose nine compartments each contained three generous slices of sashimi: hirame (fluke), sea bream, chutoro, maguro, hamachi, salmon, amaebi (sweet shrimp), uni-topped scallops and, in the center, a mound of roe-topped sushi rice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Every cut was delicious — the clean bite of the hirame, the heavy ocean umami of the sea bream, the delicate sweetness of the shrimp. We were given an unlimited supply of toasted seaweed to make little wraps with, and, since the box included the shrimp, the chef served their deep-fried heads on the side so we could enjoy their pungent crunch. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the end, my favorite item in the box was the one I normally find the most boring: the lean maguro, which came in thick slabs topped with a dab of yuzu kosho pepper paste, and had an impossibly smooth texture and clean, savory flavor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At $69, the box is a bit of a splurge, but I’ve definitely paid more for smaller portions of lower-quality sushi. The same was true of the kaisen box ($59), which embodied a different form of luxury. For this set, a layer of sushi rice was topped with a whole row of uni. Next to that, a row of ikura, a row of sweet scallops and, finally, a whole row of sliced toro, with little flowers scattered on top to make it pretty. You could stir everything together and eat it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986360/yaichi-kaisendon-japanese-seafood-bowls-udon-milpitas\">like a rice bowl\u003c/a>, but we opted to pile a bit of this ‘n’ that onto the sheets of nori, rolling the whole thing up and eating it in one bite.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Either of the sushi boxes would be easily shareable, just like the oden (fish cake soup) we ordered as a finishing dish. I loved sipping on the rich, peppery broth between bites of sushi to cleanse my palate.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Add it all up, and Nobuya really ought to be \u003cem>the\u003c/em> late-night hotspot for this corner of the East Bay suburbs. But the restaurant was nearly half empty for the duration of our visit, and more and more so as the hour crept past 10 p.m.. For now, it seems, the vast majority of Nobuya’s clientele are locals from Pleasant Hill and its immediate surroundings (who all tend to be in bed by 9 o’clock, Carlos confided with a chuckle). The place has yet to be discovered by the legion of twenty- and thirtysomething food influencers always on the lookout for a new spot to hype up. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As good as the food at Nobuya is, that almost certainly won’t be the case for much longer. In the meantime, I’m going to relish the opportunity to walk in at 10 o’clock, without a reservation or any prior planning, and luxuriate in one of the most satisfying late-night sashimi dinners in the Bay. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nobuya.sushi/\">Nobuya\u003c/a> is open Monday through Thursday 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5–10:15 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5–11:30 p.m. at 1428 Contra Costa Blvd. in Pleasant Hill.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "chiricana-panamanian-food-oakland-bay-area-pop-up",
"title": "A New Pop-Up Is the Bay Area’s Tastiest Panamanian Secret",
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"headTitle": "A New Pop-Up Is the Bay Area’s Tastiest Panamanian Secret | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Chiricana-Patacon-Relleno_La-Cocina.jpg\" alt=\"Hands holding a plate of loaded Panamanian patacones (fried green plantains).\" class=\"wp-image-13993947\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Chiricana-Patacon-Relleno_La-Cocina.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Chiricana-Patacon-Relleno_La-Cocina-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Chiricana-Patacon-Relleno_La-Cocina-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Chiricana-Patacon-Relleno_La-Cocina-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chiricana chef Dani Solis holds a plate of Panamanian patacones — fried green plantains loaded with oyster mushrooms, olives and peppers. Solis’ pop-up and catering company is one of the Bay Area’s only Panamanian food businesses. (Courtesy of La Cocina)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Let’s get Panamanian food” is a suggestion most Californians aren’t used to hearing. In fact, even the most knowledgeable Bay Area \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/food\">foodies\u003c/a> may have never even considered Panamanian cuisine as an option at all.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chances are, you don’t know a local spot where you can grab sancocho, Panama’s national dish, which consists of a yam-thickened broth with chicken, yuca, corn and otoe (taro root). And you’ve probably never had the pleasure of eating carimañolas (Panamanian beef patties) or almojábanos (fried corn dough and cheese). Until recently, I hadn’t either.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For all of its culinary charms, the Bay has never had much of any Panamanian food scene to speak of. It’s not just the Bay either. Comida Panameña has rarely expanded beyond its own borders into other parts of the world in a noticeable way, and it doesn’t have the same reputation or ubiquity that other diasporic foods from Latin America have been able to cultivate, particularly within California’s diverse foodscape.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Recognizing that absence, Dani Solis — a San Jose-raised chef and daughter of Panamanian parents — wants to change that. With \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/chiri_cana/?hl=en\">Chiricana\u003c/a>, a small pop-up and catering business, she’s putting the Bay onto Panamanian American flavors, one recipe at a time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/2025-10-09-Pop-up-Night-Market-Dani-Solis-courtesy-La-Cocina.jpg\" alt=\"A smiling chef preps food inside a commercial kitchen.\" class=\"wp-image-13993951\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/2025-10-09-Pop-up-Night-Market-Dani-Solis-courtesy-La-Cocina.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/2025-10-09-Pop-up-Night-Market-Dani-Solis-courtesy-La-Cocina-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/2025-10-09-Pop-up-Night-Market-Dani-Solis-courtesy-La-Cocina-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/2025-10-09-Pop-up-Night-Market-Dani-Solis-courtesy-La-Cocina-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solis preps a dish for La Cocina’s pop-up night market in October 2025. (Courtesy of La Cocina)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m the only one doing this,” says Solis, who was informally trained by her grandmother and mom, who’ve both lived in San Jose together since arriving as immigrants. Chiricana is named after Chiriqui, the region in Panama where Solis’ grandmother was raised.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Though Solis is now based in Emeryville and works two part-time jobs outside of the food industry, she notes the role of her family’s close support network: her relatives often travel back to Panama to find materials and ingredients for Chiricana.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m privileged to have the choice to be able to pursue this. It’s a gift. I’m sharing my heart. I’m sharing all of my family with you,” she says, fresh off \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbZTEwnEsig/?hl=en&img_index=1\">vending Panamanian chicken wings at Outside Lands\u003c/a> for the first time this summer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After graduating from UC Berkeley in 2019 with a degree in Urban Studies and a minor in Food Systems, Solis worked at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Then, everything flipped during the COVID-19 pandemic. Solis went from preserving foodways and supporting foodmakers to becoming one herself.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/chiricana-spread.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a spread of Panamanian dishes, including corn cheese fritters, rice and beans, and a beet salad. \" class=\"wp-image-13993953\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/chiricana-spread.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/chiricana-spread-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/chiricana-spread-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/chiricana-spread-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A spread of dishes for an Open Test Kitchen pop-up in 2025. Pictured dishes include almojábanos (corn cheese fritters), arroz con guandú with beet salad, and sancocho de pollo. (Courtesy of Chiricana)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2022, Solis began incubating Chiricana at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13963726/oakland-bloom-open-test-kitchen-incubator-restaurant-understory\">Oakland Bloom\u003c/a>’s test kitchen. Her vision was manifold: to honor the legacy of her family’s migratory journey, and to expose a greater Bay Area audience to Panama’s multicultural history and the slept-on goodness of its food. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So what exactly is Panamanian food — and more importantly, what defines it when exported outside of its Central American context?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Begin with a basket of crispy, fat-rendered pork chicharrón, mixed with thick wedges of yuca frita. “It’s comfort food,” Solis says. “There’s a big ‘fritura’ culture in Panama. Any Central American kid will tell you they ate this growing up. Fry it, put on a plate with a paper towel to soak up the grease, and then put it on the table for whoever gets first dibs.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s accompanied with a side of creamy, mustard-yellow Panamanian salsa made from ají chombo, a relative of the habanero chile. The salsa is a centerpiece in Panamanian food, and might surprise unsuspecting eaters: It delivers enough bite to hint at oncoming pain, even if it never quite crosses the threshold of unbearability. I was personally surprised and delighted as someone who has traveled extensively in Latin America, where, save for in Mexico, it can get tricky to find a fiery meal. The ají chombo — which is native to the Caribbean islands and reached Panama in the 1850s, when workers immigrated to Panama to build railroads and, eventually, the Panama Canal — offers a different, more heat-intensive perspective on Central American gastronomy. Like Panama’s overlooked culinary history itself, the pepper packs a bigger punch than expected.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/panamanian-tamal.jpg\" alt=\"A wooden platter with a tamal, rice and beans, and a mustard-yellow salsa.\" class=\"wp-image-13993956\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/panamanian-tamal.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/panamanian-tamal-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/panamanian-tamal-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/panamanian-tamal-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Panamanian tamal plate with ají chombo salsa on the side. (Alan Chazaro)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To stave off ají chombo’s pepperiness and wash down the richness of the fried yuca and chicharrón, Solis provides a housemade chicha de limón con raspadura, or Panamanian lemonade. Served in a large totuma (a dried, hollowed-out calabash), the bright, citrusy beverage recalls a tropical getaway with just enough sweetness and zest without overdoing it. Made from Rangpur limes and raspadura (unrefined brown sugar made from evaporated sugarcane juice), it contains a floral, malty complexity that you won’t get from your neighborhood lemonade stand.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The main dish, when I visited Solis at her shared-use commercial kitchen at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11988111/la-cocina-reopens-as-commercial-kitchen-in-the-tenderloin-after-food-hall-closure\">La Cocina on Hyde Street\u003c/a>, was a showstopper: a Panamanian tamal, wrapped in banana and bijao leaves, and served with a side of arroz con guandú (pigeon peas) sauteed in coconut milk. It’s all paired with a fruity, herbaceous salad lightly dressed in a ginger hibiscus vinaigrette inspired by the lush Boquete region of Panama. D’Boca — Panama’s national ají chombo hot sauce — is also provided, to be used at your discretion.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In and of itself, the Panamanian tamal is impressive — a “mesoamerican protein bar,” Solis jokes. Weighty and firm yet jiggly and yielding, it’s larger than your standard tamal. The tamal Panameño is juicy, a result of a stewing of the ingredients to make a bone-in chicken broth from scratch. Afterwards, the broth is mixed in with the maíz pilado masa, adding a marrow-rich flavor to the dough. Inside, it’s overloaded with culantro (a staple in Panamanian cuisine), onion, garlic, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, chicken, olives and — a Solis family specialty — plums. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Recipes change with immigration. My grandma told me about how the recipe changed for her over time based on whatever ingredients were available,” says Solis. “When she came to the U.S., my grandma found plums and swapped them in for [the traditional] raisins.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As much as I want to bring Panamanian ingredients, it’s important to also bring my whole self through California produce and recipes that aren’t always super Panamanian in their preparation,” she adds. “But the essence has a Panamanian flair.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The tamal is a delicacy, a labor of love that can take all day to prepare and craft; it’s generally reserved for special occasions and holidays. At Chiricana, it allows Solis to reshape her lineage in the kitchen, across borders and across time, as an edible vessel for identity and cultural preservation that requires — in her own words — a “spiritual approach.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Solis, the approach has deep connections to her own family history. When she was an undergrad at UC Berkeley, she worked for the \u003ca href=\"https://food.berkeley.edu/\">Berkeley Food Institute\u003c/a> and was inspired by \u003ca href=\"https://viacampesina.org/en/\">La Vía Campesina\u003c/a>, a global grassroots movement of indigenous farm workers. Her own grandmother grew up living off the Panamanian land; Solis documented her grandma’s story as part of an oral history project titled “\u003ca href=\"https://www.gemsoralhistories.com/settingthetable/dani\">Setting the Table\u003c/a>,” in which foodmakers spoke with elders about diasporic recipes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/flan-de-nance.jpg\" alt=\"Square of flan drizzled with caramel and topped with crumbled cheese.\" class=\"wp-image-13993962\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/flan-de-nance.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/flan-de-nance-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/flan-de-nance-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/flan-de-nance-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/flan-de-nance-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Flan de nance — an original Chiricana creation. (Alan Chazaro)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Luckily, for Bay Area diners, Solis is just getting started. She’s currently toying with a Panamanian flan infused with nance — a yellow, pungent fruit that somewhat resembles a cherry — that is topped with crumbled queso fresco and drizzled with a raspadura crème caramel. The original invention is her interpretive ode to pesada de nance, a traditional Panamanian porridge her grandmother used to make. Solis herself was never crazy about nance, but now she’s translating it — by turning good memories into even better ones — for a Bay Area palate.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If I don’t learn these things, then others won’t be able to learn these [Panamanian] foodways and traditions,” says Solis. “Ingredients like guandú and corn from Panama can be difficult to find, but it’s my mission to seek them out as much as I can to make Chircana as authentic as I can.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" />\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.chiricana.com/\">\u003cem>Chiricana Cocina Panameña\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> will be at KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.tixr.com/groups/kqed/events/the-edible-atlas-a-global-street-eats-festival-192748\">\u003cem>Edible Atlas\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> global street food festival on Saturday, Sept. 19 from noon to 5 p.m. at Bloc15 (252 2nd St., Oakland). Entrance to the outdoor block party is free; tickets for the indoor market (where Chiricana will be vending) start at $45. Chiricana also does \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.chiricana.com/catering\">\u003cem>catering\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> with custom menus.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Chiricana-Patacon-Relleno_La-Cocina.jpg\" alt=\"Hands holding a plate of loaded Panamanian patacones (fried green plantains).\" class=\"wp-image-13993947\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Chiricana-Patacon-Relleno_La-Cocina.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Chiricana-Patacon-Relleno_La-Cocina-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Chiricana-Patacon-Relleno_La-Cocina-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Chiricana-Patacon-Relleno_La-Cocina-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chiricana chef Dani Solis holds a plate of Panamanian patacones — fried green plantains loaded with oyster mushrooms, olives and peppers. Solis’ pop-up and catering company is one of the Bay Area’s only Panamanian food businesses.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of La Cocina)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Chiricana-Patacon-Relleno_La-Cocina.jpg\" alt=\"Hands holding a plate of loaded Panamanian patacones (fried green plantains).\" class=\"wp-image-13993947\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chiricana chef Dani Solis holds a plate of Panamanian patacones — fried green plantains loaded with oyster mushrooms, olives and peppers. Solis’ pop-up and catering company is one of the Bay Area’s only Panamanian food businesses.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of La Cocina)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Let’s get Panamanian food” is a suggestion most Californians aren’t used to hearing. In fact, even the most knowledgeable Bay Area \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/food\">foodies\u003c/a> may have never even considered Panamanian cuisine as an option at all.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Let’s get Panamanian food” is a suggestion most Californians aren’t used to hearing. In fact, even the most knowledgeable Bay Area \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/food\">foodies\u003c/a> may have never even considered Panamanian cuisine as an option at all.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chances are, you don’t know a local spot where you can grab sancocho, Panama’s national dish, which consists of a yam-thickened broth with chicken, yuca, corn and otoe (taro root). And you’ve probably never had the pleasure of eating carimañolas (Panamanian beef patties) or almojábanos (fried corn dough and cheese). Until recently, I hadn’t either.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Chances are, you don’t know a local spot where you can grab sancocho, Panama’s national dish, which consists of a yam-thickened broth with chicken, yuca, corn and otoe (taro root). And you’ve probably never had the pleasure of eating carimañolas (Panamanian beef patties) or almojábanos (fried corn dough and cheese). Until recently, I hadn’t either.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For all of its culinary charms, the Bay has never had much of any Panamanian food scene to speak of. It’s not just the Bay either. Comida Panameña has rarely expanded beyond its own borders into other parts of the world in a noticeable way, and it doesn’t have the same reputation or ubiquity that other diasporic foods from Latin America have been able to cultivate, particularly within California’s diverse foodscape.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For all of its culinary charms, the Bay has never had much of any Panamanian food scene to speak of. It’s not just the Bay either. Comida Panameña has rarely expanded beyond its own borders into other parts of the world in a noticeable way, and it doesn’t have the same reputation or ubiquity that other diasporic foods from Latin America have been able to cultivate, particularly within California’s diverse foodscape.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Recognizing that absence, Dani Solis — a San Jose-raised chef and daughter of Panamanian parents — wants to change that. With \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/chiri_cana/?hl=en\">Chiricana\u003c/a>, a small pop-up and catering business, she’s putting the Bay onto Panamanian American flavors, one recipe at a time.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Recognizing that absence, Dani Solis — a San Jose-raised chef and daughter of Panamanian parents — wants to change that. With \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/chiri_cana/?hl=en\">Chiricana\u003c/a>, a small pop-up and catering business, she’s putting the Bay onto Panamanian American flavors, one recipe at a time.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/2025-10-09-Pop-up-Night-Market-Dani-Solis-courtesy-La-Cocina.jpg\" alt=\"A smiling chef preps food inside a commercial kitchen.\" class=\"wp-image-13993951\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/2025-10-09-Pop-up-Night-Market-Dani-Solis-courtesy-La-Cocina.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/2025-10-09-Pop-up-Night-Market-Dani-Solis-courtesy-La-Cocina-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/2025-10-09-Pop-up-Night-Market-Dani-Solis-courtesy-La-Cocina-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/2025-10-09-Pop-up-Night-Market-Dani-Solis-courtesy-La-Cocina-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solis preps a dish for La Cocina’s pop-up night market in October 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of La Cocina)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/2025-10-09-Pop-up-Night-Market-Dani-Solis-courtesy-La-Cocina.jpg\" alt=\"A smiling chef preps food inside a commercial kitchen.\" class=\"wp-image-13993951\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solis preps a dish for La Cocina’s pop-up night market in October 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of La Cocina)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m the only one doing this,” says Solis, who was informally trained by her grandmother and mom, who’ve both lived in San Jose together since arriving as immigrants. Chiricana is named after Chiriqui, the region in Panama where Solis’ grandmother was raised.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’m the only one doing this,” says Solis, who was informally trained by her grandmother and mom, who’ve both lived in San Jose together since arriving as immigrants. Chiricana is named after Chiriqui, the region in Panama where Solis’ grandmother was raised.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Though Solis is now based in Emeryville and works two part-time jobs outside of the food industry, she notes the role of her family’s close support network: her relatives often travel back to Panama to find materials and ingredients for Chiricana.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Though Solis is now based in Emeryville and works two part-time jobs outside of the food industry, she notes the role of her family’s close support network: her relatives often travel back to Panama to find materials and ingredients for Chiricana.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m privileged to have the choice to be able to pursue this. It’s a gift. I’m sharing my heart. I’m sharing all of my family with you,” she says, fresh off \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbZTEwnEsig/?hl=en&img_index=1\">vending Panamanian chicken wings at Outside Lands\u003c/a> for the first time this summer.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’m privileged to have the choice to be able to pursue this. It’s a gift. I’m sharing my heart. I’m sharing all of my family with you,” she says, fresh off \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbZTEwnEsig/?hl=en&img_index=1\">vending Panamanian chicken wings at Outside Lands\u003c/a> for the first time this summer.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After graduating from UC Berkeley in 2019 with a degree in Urban Studies and a minor in Food Systems, Solis worked at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Then, everything flipped during the COVID-19 pandemic. Solis went from preserving foodways and supporting foodmakers to becoming one herself.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After graduating from UC Berkeley in 2019 with a degree in Urban Studies and a minor in Food Systems, Solis worked at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Then, everything flipped during the COVID-19 pandemic. Solis went from preserving foodways and supporting foodmakers to becoming one herself.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/chiricana-spread.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a spread of Panamanian dishes, including corn cheese fritters, rice and beans, and a beet salad. \" class=\"wp-image-13993953\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/chiricana-spread.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/chiricana-spread-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/chiricana-spread-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/chiricana-spread-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A spread of dishes for an Open Test Kitchen pop-up in 2025. Pictured dishes include almojábanos (corn cheese fritters), arroz con guandú with beet salad, and sancocho de pollo.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Chiricana)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/chiricana-spread.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a spread of Panamanian dishes, including corn cheese fritters, rice and beans, and a beet salad. \" class=\"wp-image-13993953\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A spread of dishes for an Open Test Kitchen pop-up in 2025. Pictured dishes include almojábanos (corn cheese fritters), arroz con guandú with beet salad, and sancocho de pollo.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Chiricana)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2022, Solis began incubating Chiricana at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13963726/oakland-bloom-open-test-kitchen-incubator-restaurant-understory\">Oakland Bloom\u003c/a>’s test kitchen. Her vision was manifold: to honor the legacy of her family’s migratory journey, and to expose a greater Bay Area audience to Panama’s multicultural history and the slept-on goodness of its food. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In 2022, Solis began incubating Chiricana at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13963726/oakland-bloom-open-test-kitchen-incubator-restaurant-understory\">Oakland Bloom\u003c/a>’s test kitchen. Her vision was manifold: to honor the legacy of her family’s migratory journey, and to expose a greater Bay Area audience to Panama’s multicultural history and the slept-on goodness of its food. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So what exactly is Panamanian food — and more importantly, what defines it when exported outside of its Central American context?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>So what exactly is Panamanian food — and more importantly, what defines it when exported outside of its Central American context?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Begin with a basket of crispy, fat-rendered pork chicharrón, mixed with thick wedges of yuca frita. “It’s comfort food,” Solis says. “There’s a big ‘fritura’ culture in Panama. Any Central American kid will tell you they ate this growing up. Fry it, put on a plate with a paper towel to soak up the grease, and then put it on the table for whoever gets first dibs.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Begin with a basket of crispy, fat-rendered pork chicharrón, mixed with thick wedges of yuca frita. “It’s comfort food,” Solis says. “There’s a big ‘fritura’ culture in Panama. Any Central American kid will tell you they ate this growing up. Fry it, put on a plate with a paper towel to soak up the grease, and then put it on the table for whoever gets first dibs.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s accompanied with a side of creamy, mustard-yellow Panamanian salsa made from ají chombo, a relative of the habanero chile. The salsa is a centerpiece in Panamanian food, and might surprise unsuspecting eaters: It delivers enough bite to hint at oncoming pain, even if it never quite crosses the threshold of unbearability. I was personally surprised and delighted as someone who has traveled extensively in Latin America, where, save for in Mexico, it can get tricky to find a fiery meal. The ají chombo — which is native to the Caribbean islands and reached Panama in the 1850s, when workers immigrated to Panama to build railroads and, eventually, the Panama Canal — offers a different, more heat-intensive perspective on Central American gastronomy. Like Panama’s overlooked culinary history itself, the pepper packs a bigger punch than expected.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s accompanied with a side of creamy, mustard-yellow Panamanian salsa made from ají chombo, a relative of the habanero chile. The salsa is a centerpiece in Panamanian food, and might surprise unsuspecting eaters: It delivers enough bite to hint at oncoming pain, even if it never quite crosses the threshold of unbearability. I was personally surprised and delighted as someone who has traveled extensively in Latin America, where, save for in Mexico, it can get tricky to find a fiery meal. The ají chombo — which is native to the Caribbean islands and reached Panama in the 1850s, when workers immigrated to Panama to build railroads and, eventually, the Panama Canal — offers a different, more heat-intensive perspective on Central American gastronomy. Like Panama’s overlooked culinary history itself, the pepper packs a bigger punch than expected.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/panamanian-tamal.jpg\" alt=\"A wooden platter with a tamal, rice and beans, and a mustard-yellow salsa.\" class=\"wp-image-13993956\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/panamanian-tamal.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/panamanian-tamal-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/panamanian-tamal-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/panamanian-tamal-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Panamanian tamal plate with ají chombo salsa on the side.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/panamanian-tamal.jpg\" alt=\"A wooden platter with a tamal, rice and beans, and a mustard-yellow salsa.\" class=\"wp-image-13993956\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Panamanian tamal plate with ají chombo salsa on the side.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To stave off ají chombo’s pepperiness and wash down the richness of the fried yuca and chicharrón, Solis provides a housemade chicha de limón con raspadura, or Panamanian lemonade. Served in a large totuma (a dried, hollowed-out calabash), the bright, citrusy beverage recalls a tropical getaway with just enough sweetness and zest without overdoing it. Made from Rangpur limes and raspadura (unrefined brown sugar made from evaporated sugarcane juice), it contains a floral, malty complexity that you won’t get from your neighborhood lemonade stand.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>To stave off ají chombo’s pepperiness and wash down the richness of the fried yuca and chicharrón, Solis provides a housemade chicha de limón con raspadura, or Panamanian lemonade. Served in a large totuma (a dried, hollowed-out calabash), the bright, citrusy beverage recalls a tropical getaway with just enough sweetness and zest without overdoing it. Made from Rangpur limes and raspadura (unrefined brown sugar made from evaporated sugarcane juice), it contains a floral, malty complexity that you won’t get from your neighborhood lemonade stand.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The main dish, when I visited Solis at her shared-use commercial kitchen at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11988111/la-cocina-reopens-as-commercial-kitchen-in-the-tenderloin-after-food-hall-closure\">La Cocina on Hyde Street\u003c/a>, was a showstopper: a Panamanian tamal, wrapped in banana and bijao leaves, and served with a side of arroz con guandú (pigeon peas) sauteed in coconut milk. It’s all paired with a fruity, herbaceous salad lightly dressed in a ginger hibiscus vinaigrette inspired by the lush Boquete region of Panama. D’Boca — Panama’s national ají chombo hot sauce — is also provided, to be used at your discretion.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The main dish, when I visited Solis at her shared-use commercial kitchen at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11988111/la-cocina-reopens-as-commercial-kitchen-in-the-tenderloin-after-food-hall-closure\">La Cocina on Hyde Street\u003c/a>, was a showstopper: a Panamanian tamal, wrapped in banana and bijao leaves, and served with a side of arroz con guandú (pigeon peas) sauteed in coconut milk. It’s all paired with a fruity, herbaceous salad lightly dressed in a ginger hibiscus vinaigrette inspired by the lush Boquete region of Panama. D’Boca — Panama’s national ají chombo hot sauce — is also provided, to be used at your discretion.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In and of itself, the Panamanian tamal is impressive — a “mesoamerican protein bar,” Solis jokes. Weighty and firm yet jiggly and yielding, it’s larger than your standard tamal. The tamal Panameño is juicy, a result of a stewing of the ingredients to make a bone-in chicken broth from scratch. Afterwards, the broth is mixed in with the maíz pilado masa, adding a marrow-rich flavor to the dough. Inside, it’s overloaded with culantro (a staple in Panamanian cuisine), onion, garlic, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, chicken, olives and — a Solis family specialty — plums. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In and of itself, the Panamanian tamal is impressive — a “mesoamerican protein bar,” Solis jokes. Weighty and firm yet jiggly and yielding, it’s larger than your standard tamal. The tamal Panameño is juicy, a result of a stewing of the ingredients to make a bone-in chicken broth from scratch. Afterwards, the broth is mixed in with the maíz pilado masa, adding a marrow-rich flavor to the dough. Inside, it’s overloaded with culantro (a staple in Panamanian cuisine), onion, garlic, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, chicken, olives and — a Solis family specialty — plums. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Recipes change with immigration. My grandma told me about how the recipe changed for her over time based on whatever ingredients were available,” says Solis. “When she came to the U.S., my grandma found plums and swapped them in for [the traditional] raisins.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Recipes change with immigration. My grandma told me about how the recipe changed for her over time based on whatever ingredients were available,” says Solis. “When she came to the U.S., my grandma found plums and swapped them in for [the traditional] raisins.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As much as I want to bring Panamanian ingredients, it’s important to also bring my whole self through California produce and recipes that aren’t always super Panamanian in their preparation,” she adds. “But the essence has a Panamanian flair.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“As much as I want to bring Panamanian ingredients, it’s important to also bring my whole self through California produce and recipes that aren’t always super Panamanian in their preparation,” she adds. “But the essence has a Panamanian flair.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The tamal is a delicacy, a labor of love that can take all day to prepare and craft; it’s generally reserved for special occasions and holidays. At Chiricana, it allows Solis to reshape her lineage in the kitchen, across borders and across time, as an edible vessel for identity and cultural preservation that requires — in her own words — a “spiritual approach.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The tamal is a delicacy, a labor of love that can take all day to prepare and craft; it’s generally reserved for special occasions and holidays. At Chiricana, it allows Solis to reshape her lineage in the kitchen, across borders and across time, as an edible vessel for identity and cultural preservation that requires — in her own words — a “spiritual approach.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For Solis, the approach has deep connections to her own family history. When she was an undergrad at UC Berkeley, she worked for the \u003ca href=\"https://food.berkeley.edu/\">Berkeley Food Institute\u003c/a> and was inspired by \u003ca href=\"https://viacampesina.org/en/\">La Vía Campesina\u003c/a>, a global grassroots movement of indigenous farm workers. Her own grandmother grew up living off the Panamanian land; Solis documented her grandma’s story as part of an oral history project titled “\u003ca href=\"https://www.gemsoralhistories.com/settingthetable/dani\">Setting the Table\u003c/a>,” in which foodmakers spoke with elders about diasporic recipes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For Solis, the approach has deep connections to her own family history. When she was an undergrad at UC Berkeley, she worked for the \u003ca href=\"https://food.berkeley.edu/\">Berkeley Food Institute\u003c/a> and was inspired by \u003ca href=\"https://viacampesina.org/en/\">La Vía Campesina\u003c/a>, a global grassroots movement of indigenous farm workers. Her own grandmother grew up living off the Panamanian land; Solis documented her grandma’s story as part of an oral history project titled “\u003ca href=\"https://www.gemsoralhistories.com/settingthetable/dani\">Setting the Table\u003c/a>,” in which foodmakers spoke with elders about diasporic recipes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Luckily, for Bay Area diners, Solis is just getting started. She’s currently toying with a Panamanian flan infused with nance — a yellow, pungent fruit that somewhat resembles a cherry — that is topped with crumbled queso fresco and drizzled with a raspadura crème caramel. The original invention is her interpretive ode to pesada de nance, a traditional Panamanian porridge her grandmother used to make. Solis herself was never crazy about nance, but now she’s translating it — by turning good memories into even better ones — for a Bay Area palate.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Luckily, for Bay Area diners, Solis is just getting started. She’s currently toying with a Panamanian flan infused with nance — a yellow, pungent fruit that somewhat resembles a cherry — that is topped with crumbled queso fresco and drizzled with a raspadura crème caramel. The original invention is her interpretive ode to pesada de nance, a traditional Panamanian porridge her grandmother used to make. Solis herself was never crazy about nance, but now she’s translating it — by turning good memories into even better ones — for a Bay Area palate.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If I don’t learn these things, then others won’t be able to learn these [Panamanian] foodways and traditions,” says Solis. “Ingredients like guandú and corn from Panama can be difficult to find, but it’s my mission to seek them out as much as I can to make Chircana as authentic as I can.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If I don’t learn these things, then others won’t be able to learn these [Panamanian] foodways and traditions,” says Solis. “Ingredients like guandú and corn from Panama can be difficult to find, but it’s my mission to seek them out as much as I can to make Chircana as authentic as I can.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.chiricana.com/\">\u003cem>Chiricana Cocina Panameña\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> will be at KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.tixr.com/groups/kqed/events/the-edible-atlas-a-global-street-eats-festival-192748\">\u003cem>Edible Atlas\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> global street food festival on Saturday, Sept. 19 from noon to 5 p.m. at Bloc15 (252 2nd St., Oakland). Entrance to the outdoor block party is free; tickets for the indoor market (where Chiricana will be vending) start at $45. Chiricana also does \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.chiricana.com/catering\">\u003cem>catering\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> with custom menus.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.chiricana.com/\">\u003cem>Chiricana Cocina Panameña\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> will be at KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.tixr.com/groups/kqed/events/the-edible-atlas-a-global-street-eats-festival-192748\">\u003cem>Edible Atlas\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> global street food festival on Saturday, Sept. 19 from noon to 5 p.m. at Bloc15 (252 2nd St., Oakland). Entrance to the outdoor block party is free; tickets for the indoor market (where Chiricana will be vending) start at $45. Chiricana also does \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.chiricana.com/catering\">\u003cem>catering\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> with custom menus.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Chiricana serves hard-to-find dishes from Panama with a California twist.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Chiricana-Patacon-Relleno_La-Cocina.jpg\" alt=\"Hands holding a plate of loaded Panamanian patacones (fried green plantains).\" class=\"wp-image-13993947\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Chiricana-Patacon-Relleno_La-Cocina.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Chiricana-Patacon-Relleno_La-Cocina-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Chiricana-Patacon-Relleno_La-Cocina-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Chiricana-Patacon-Relleno_La-Cocina-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chiricana chef Dani Solis holds a plate of Panamanian patacones — fried green plantains loaded with oyster mushrooms, olives and peppers. Solis’ pop-up and catering company is one of the Bay Area’s only Panamanian food businesses. (Courtesy of La Cocina)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Let’s get Panamanian food” is a suggestion most Californians aren’t used to hearing. In fact, even the most knowledgeable Bay Area \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/food\">foodies\u003c/a> may have never even considered Panamanian cuisine as an option at all.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chances are, you don’t know a local spot where you can grab sancocho, Panama’s national dish, which consists of a yam-thickened broth with chicken, yuca, corn and otoe (taro root). And you’ve probably never had the pleasure of eating carimañolas (Panamanian beef patties) or almojábanos (fried corn dough and cheese). Until recently, I hadn’t either.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For all of its culinary charms, the Bay has never had much of any Panamanian food scene to speak of. It’s not just the Bay either. Comida Panameña has rarely expanded beyond its own borders into other parts of the world in a noticeable way, and it doesn’t have the same reputation or ubiquity that other diasporic foods from Latin America have been able to cultivate, particularly within California’s diverse foodscape.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Recognizing that absence, Dani Solis — a San Jose-raised chef and daughter of Panamanian parents — wants to change that. With \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/chiri_cana/?hl=en\">Chiricana\u003c/a>, a small pop-up and catering business, she’s putting the Bay onto Panamanian American flavors, one recipe at a time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/2025-10-09-Pop-up-Night-Market-Dani-Solis-courtesy-La-Cocina.jpg\" alt=\"A smiling chef preps food inside a commercial kitchen.\" class=\"wp-image-13993951\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/2025-10-09-Pop-up-Night-Market-Dani-Solis-courtesy-La-Cocina.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/2025-10-09-Pop-up-Night-Market-Dani-Solis-courtesy-La-Cocina-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/2025-10-09-Pop-up-Night-Market-Dani-Solis-courtesy-La-Cocina-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/2025-10-09-Pop-up-Night-Market-Dani-Solis-courtesy-La-Cocina-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solis preps a dish for La Cocina’s pop-up night market in October 2025. (Courtesy of La Cocina)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m the only one doing this,” says Solis, who was informally trained by her grandmother and mom, who’ve both lived in San Jose together since arriving as immigrants. Chiricana is named after Chiriqui, the region in Panama where Solis’ grandmother was raised.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Though Solis is now based in Emeryville and works two part-time jobs outside of the food industry, she notes the role of her family’s close support network: her relatives often travel back to Panama to find materials and ingredients for Chiricana.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m privileged to have the choice to be able to pursue this. It’s a gift. I’m sharing my heart. I’m sharing all of my family with you,” she says, fresh off \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbZTEwnEsig/?hl=en&img_index=1\">vending Panamanian chicken wings at Outside Lands\u003c/a> for the first time this summer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After graduating from UC Berkeley in 2019 with a degree in Urban Studies and a minor in Food Systems, Solis worked at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Then, everything flipped during the COVID-19 pandemic. Solis went from preserving foodways and supporting foodmakers to becoming one herself.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/chiricana-spread.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a spread of Panamanian dishes, including corn cheese fritters, rice and beans, and a beet salad. \" class=\"wp-image-13993953\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/chiricana-spread.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/chiricana-spread-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/chiricana-spread-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/chiricana-spread-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A spread of dishes for an Open Test Kitchen pop-up in 2025. Pictured dishes include almojábanos (corn cheese fritters), arroz con guandú with beet salad, and sancocho de pollo. (Courtesy of Chiricana)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2022, Solis began incubating Chiricana at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13963726/oakland-bloom-open-test-kitchen-incubator-restaurant-understory\">Oakland Bloom\u003c/a>’s test kitchen. Her vision was manifold: to honor the legacy of her family’s migratory journey, and to expose a greater Bay Area audience to Panama’s multicultural history and the slept-on goodness of its food. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So what exactly is Panamanian food — and more importantly, what defines it when exported outside of its Central American context?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Begin with a basket of crispy, fat-rendered pork chicharrón, mixed with thick wedges of yuca frita. “It’s comfort food,” Solis says. “There’s a big ‘fritura’ culture in Panama. Any Central American kid will tell you they ate this growing up. Fry it, put on a plate with a paper towel to soak up the grease, and then put it on the table for whoever gets first dibs.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s accompanied with a side of creamy, mustard-yellow Panamanian salsa made from ají chombo, a relative of the habanero chile. The salsa is a centerpiece in Panamanian food, and might surprise unsuspecting eaters: It delivers enough bite to hint at oncoming pain, even if it never quite crosses the threshold of unbearability. I was personally surprised and delighted as someone who has traveled extensively in Latin America, where, save for in Mexico, it can get tricky to find a fiery meal. The ají chombo — which is native to the Caribbean islands and reached Panama in the 1850s, when workers immigrated to Panama to build railroads and, eventually, the Panama Canal — offers a different, more heat-intensive perspective on Central American gastronomy. Like Panama’s overlooked culinary history itself, the pepper packs a bigger punch than expected.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/panamanian-tamal.jpg\" alt=\"A wooden platter with a tamal, rice and beans, and a mustard-yellow salsa.\" class=\"wp-image-13993956\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/panamanian-tamal.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/panamanian-tamal-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/panamanian-tamal-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/panamanian-tamal-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Panamanian tamal plate with ají chombo salsa on the side. (Alan Chazaro)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To stave off ají chombo’s pepperiness and wash down the richness of the fried yuca and chicharrón, Solis provides a housemade chicha de limón con raspadura, or Panamanian lemonade. Served in a large totuma (a dried, hollowed-out calabash), the bright, citrusy beverage recalls a tropical getaway with just enough sweetness and zest without overdoing it. Made from Rangpur limes and raspadura (unrefined brown sugar made from evaporated sugarcane juice), it contains a floral, malty complexity that you won’t get from your neighborhood lemonade stand.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The main dish, when I visited Solis at her shared-use commercial kitchen at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11988111/la-cocina-reopens-as-commercial-kitchen-in-the-tenderloin-after-food-hall-closure\">La Cocina on Hyde Street\u003c/a>, was a showstopper: a Panamanian tamal, wrapped in banana and bijao leaves, and served with a side of arroz con guandú (pigeon peas) sauteed in coconut milk. It’s all paired with a fruity, herbaceous salad lightly dressed in a ginger hibiscus vinaigrette inspired by the lush Boquete region of Panama. D’Boca — Panama’s national ají chombo hot sauce — is also provided, to be used at your discretion.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In and of itself, the Panamanian tamal is impressive — a “mesoamerican protein bar,” Solis jokes. Weighty and firm yet jiggly and yielding, it’s larger than your standard tamal. The tamal Panameño is juicy, a result of a stewing of the ingredients to make a bone-in chicken broth from scratch. Afterwards, the broth is mixed in with the maíz pilado masa, adding a marrow-rich flavor to the dough. Inside, it’s overloaded with culantro (a staple in Panamanian cuisine), onion, garlic, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, chicken, olives and — a Solis family specialty — plums. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Recipes change with immigration. My grandma told me about how the recipe changed for her over time based on whatever ingredients were available,” says Solis. “When she came to the U.S., my grandma found plums and swapped them in for [the traditional] raisins.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As much as I want to bring Panamanian ingredients, it’s important to also bring my whole self through California produce and recipes that aren’t always super Panamanian in their preparation,” she adds. “But the essence has a Panamanian flair.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The tamal is a delicacy, a labor of love that can take all day to prepare and craft; it’s generally reserved for special occasions and holidays. At Chiricana, it allows Solis to reshape her lineage in the kitchen, across borders and across time, as an edible vessel for identity and cultural preservation that requires — in her own words — a “spiritual approach.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Solis, the approach has deep connections to her own family history. When she was an undergrad at UC Berkeley, she worked for the \u003ca href=\"https://food.berkeley.edu/\">Berkeley Food Institute\u003c/a> and was inspired by \u003ca href=\"https://viacampesina.org/en/\">La Vía Campesina\u003c/a>, a global grassroots movement of indigenous farm workers. Her own grandmother grew up living off the Panamanian land; Solis documented her grandma’s story as part of an oral history project titled “\u003ca href=\"https://www.gemsoralhistories.com/settingthetable/dani\">Setting the Table\u003c/a>,” in which foodmakers spoke with elders about diasporic recipes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/flan-de-nance.jpg\" alt=\"Square of flan drizzled with caramel and topped with crumbled cheese.\" class=\"wp-image-13993962\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/flan-de-nance.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/flan-de-nance-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/flan-de-nance-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/flan-de-nance-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/flan-de-nance-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Flan de nance — an original Chiricana creation. (Alan Chazaro)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Luckily, for Bay Area diners, Solis is just getting started. She’s currently toying with a Panamanian flan infused with nance — a yellow, pungent fruit that somewhat resembles a cherry — that is topped with crumbled queso fresco and drizzled with a raspadura crème caramel. The original invention is her interpretive ode to pesada de nance, a traditional Panamanian porridge her grandmother used to make. Solis herself was never crazy about nance, but now she’s translating it — by turning good memories into even better ones — for a Bay Area palate.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If I don’t learn these things, then others won’t be able to learn these [Panamanian] foodways and traditions,” says Solis. “Ingredients like guandú and corn from Panama can be difficult to find, but it’s my mission to seek them out as much as I can to make Chircana as authentic as I can.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" />\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.chiricana.com/\">\u003cem>Chiricana Cocina Panameña\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> will be at KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.tixr.com/groups/kqed/events/the-edible-atlas-a-global-street-eats-festival-192748\">\u003cem>Edible Atlas\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> global street food festival on Saturday, Sept. 19 from noon to 5 p.m. at Bloc15 (252 2nd St., Oakland). Entrance to the outdoor block party is free; tickets for the indoor market (where Chiricana will be vending) start at $45. Chiricana also does \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.chiricana.com/catering\">\u003cem>catering\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> with custom menus.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "rainbow-grocery-tiny-desk-supermarket-concert-series-sf",
"title": "A Beloved SF Grocery Store Brings ‘Tiny Desk’-Style Concerts to the Produce Aisle",
"publishDate": 1788982513,
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"headTitle": "A Beloved SF Grocery Store Brings ‘Tiny Desk’-Style Concerts to the Produce Aisle | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-now-crop.jpg\" alt=\"A rock band performs in the produce section of a grocery store. In front, the bass player wears a red velvet suit.\" class=\"wp-image-13993719\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-now-crop.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-now-crop-160x200.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-now-crop-768x960.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-now-crop-1229x1536.jpg 1229w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The power pop trio Now (from left to right: Oli Lipton, Hannah Forrester and William Smith) performs a song in the produce section at Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco. The band’s set was part of “Under the Rainbow,” a new series in which the collective-owned grocery store highlights local Bay Area musicians. (Courtesy of Rainbow Grocery)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The venue for tonight’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/concerts\">concert\u003c/a> is the produce aisle at the local supermarket. The power pop trio \u003ca href=\"https://nowww.bandcamp.com/album/now-does-the-trick\">Now’s\u003c/a> drummer, who’s set his kit up just in front of the onions and the artichokes, taps out a four count with his sticks. Then the mop-haired guitar player breaks into the opening chords of The Clash’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZw23sWlyG0\">Lost in the Supermarket\u003c/a>” — a winking lead-in to the first song of their set. A single shiny apple sits on top of his guitar amp.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Behold the first edition of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcyWTTMSGd9/\">Under the Rainbow\u003c/a>, Rainbow Grocery’s answer to NPR’s popular \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/series/tiny-desk-concerts/\">Tiny Desk\u003c/a> concert series. Aldo de la Cruz-Falcon, a member of the collective-owned Mission District staple’s PR team, says the plan is to post these short concert videos — all filmed on site in the market’s produce section — on social media every other week. The idea is to highlight Bay Area indie bands while also showing a different side to your friendly neighborhood grocery store. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.instagram.com/reel/DcyWTTMSGd9/\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Something about Rainbow that’s different from other grocers is that we’re part of the community,” de la Cruz-Falcon says. “We’re a co-op; we’re not owned by billionaires. We like to do things for the community.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>De la Cruz-Falcon, who also works in Rainbow’s bulk foods department, says he was first inspired to put the project together after seeing a similar concert series at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fiestafreshmarket/\">Fiesta Fresh Market\u003c/a>, a Latino grocery in Delaware, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DZECt3tuvUD/\">go viral\u003c/a> earlier this year. He teamed up with coworkers Britta Leijonflycht (vitamins) and Nico DeEulio (herbs), both avid musicians themselves, to organize the first edition of Under the Rainbow, reaching out to local bands to come to the store for an unconventional recording session. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On a Saturday night in August, four bands showed up ready to rock: the aforementioned \u003ca href=\"https://nowww.bandcamp.com/album/now-does-the-trick\">Now\u003c/a>, the shoegaze-inflected indie pop collective \u003ca href=\"https://aprilmagazine.bandcamp.com/album/double-life-beat\">April Magazine\u003c/a>, gothic cumbia crooner \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/edgarmusicx/\">Edgar\u003c/a> and folk punk singer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mistermodee/\">Ryan Modee\u003c/a>. Now’s set is the only video that Rainbow Grocery has posted so far. It will release the others every other Wednesday morning.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the Rainbow does differ from the Tiny Desk series (which in recent months has featured everyone from \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/06/25/g-s1-126162/shaboozey-tiny-desk-concert\">Shaboozey\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/08/20/g-s1-136140/weird-al-yankovic-tiny-desk-concert\">“Weird Al” Yankovic\u003c/a>), in a few important ways. Most notably, at least for now, the musicians won’t be playing in front of a live audience, other than a handful of grocery store workers and the other bands in attendance. The logistics of doing a live show inside the supermarket during business hours felt too daunting, de la Cruz-Falcon explains — especially not knowing how unsuspecting customers might respond, and not wanting to make any other workers’ jobs more difficult.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-ryan-modee.jpg\" alt=\"A musician, seated in the produce section of a grocery store, plays the guitar.\" class=\"wp-image-13993723\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-ryan-modee.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-ryan-modee-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-ryan-modee-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-ryan-modee-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-ryan-modee-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Punk folk singer Ryan Modee performs with a pineapple on his guitar amp. (Courtesy of Rainbow Grocery)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For the time being, the project will mostly consist of videos shared on Rainbow Grocery’s YouTube and Instagram accounts. For the first session, the four bands — plus sound engineer Dylan Edrich — arrived at the supermarket shortly after its 9 p.m. closing time. By the time each band finished playing and recording its three-song set, it was around 2 a.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>William Smith, guitar player and singer for Now, says the idea of performing inside a grocery store was immediately appealing and a natural fit for his band’s DIY aesthetic — they’d done previous shows on highway overpasses and inside vintage clothing stores. (Coincidentally, drummer Oliver Lipton’s father had worked at Rainbow Grocery in the ’80s, so there was a nostalgic personal connection as well.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I love pop art, and I thought, what could be more pop art than having our band play in a grocery store?” Smith explains. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Smith, the whole experience felt like a dream. “It was surreal, like it was such an odd place to be wheeling my amp into,” he says. But everyone was so professional and kind — and the snacks, of course, were second to none. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I ate a really good apple,” he recalls.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For viewers watching the final product on YouTube, the surprising contrast between the vibe of the performance and its homey, lo-fi, out-of-the-studio setting is exactly what makes it so appealing. And the response, already, has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1332\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-edgar.jpg\" alt=\"Two musicians in gray suits performing in the produce section of a grocery store. The man in sunglasses on the left dances energetically. \" class=\"wp-image-13993724\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-edgar.jpg 1332w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-edgar-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-edgar-768x1153.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-edgar-1023x1536.jpg 1023w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1332px) 100vw, 1332px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Edgar (left) dances during his gothic cumbia set. (Courtesy of Rainbow Grocery)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Within a couple of days, more than 3,000 people liked the initial \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcjJ9lVsYGw/\">trailer for the series\u003c/a> that Rainbow Grocery posted; nearly 75,000 viewed the video. (“It’s probably some of the best exposure we’ve gotten,” Smith says.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>De la Cruz-Falcon says one of the other exciting things about the project is that so many of the worker-owners at Rainbow Grocery are talented musicians, many of whom have their own bands. He hopes some of those bands will play at future Under the Rainbow recording sessions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The next one will happen sometime in October, and the store is in the process of putting an application link up on its website. “Everybody’s welcome to submit,” de la Cruz-Falcon says. “We would love to have all kinds of music.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" />\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Rainbow Grocery will release new Under the Rainbow videos every other Wednesday morning — full sets on \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/@rainbow-grocery\">\u003cem>YouTube\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and clips on \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcjJ9lVsYGw/\">\u003cem>Instagram\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. The next edition, featuring \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DdEiK8uyqJI/\">April Magazine\u003c/a>, will come out on Sept. 16.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Behold the first edition of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcyWTTMSGd9/\">Under the Rainbow\u003c/a>, Rainbow Grocery’s answer to NPR’s popular \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/series/tiny-desk-concerts/\">Tiny Desk\u003c/a> concert series. Aldo de la Cruz-Falcon, a member of the collective-owned Mission District staple’s PR team, says the plan is to post these short concert videos — all filmed on site in the market’s produce section — on social media every other week. The idea is to highlight Bay Area indie bands while also showing a different side to your friendly neighborhood grocery store. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Something about Rainbow that’s different from other grocers is that we’re part of the community,” de la Cruz-Falcon says. “We’re a co-op; we’re not owned by billionaires. We like to do things for the community.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>De la Cruz-Falcon, who also works in Rainbow’s bulk foods department, says he was first inspired to put the project together after seeing a similar concert series at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fiestafreshmarket/\">Fiesta Fresh Market\u003c/a>, a Latino grocery in Delaware, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DZECt3tuvUD/\">go viral\u003c/a> earlier this year. He teamed up with coworkers Britta Leijonflycht (vitamins) and Nico DeEulio (herbs), both avid musicians themselves, to organize the first edition of Under the Rainbow, reaching out to local bands to come to the store for an unconventional recording session. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>De la Cruz-Falcon, who also works in Rainbow’s bulk foods department, says he was first inspired to put the project together after seeing a similar concert series at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fiestafreshmarket/\">Fiesta Fresh Market\u003c/a>, a Latino grocery in Delaware, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DZECt3tuvUD/\">go viral\u003c/a> earlier this year. He teamed up with coworkers Britta Leijonflycht (vitamins) and Nico DeEulio (herbs), both avid musicians themselves, to organize the first edition of Under the Rainbow, reaching out to local bands to come to the store for an unconventional recording session. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On a Saturday night in August, four bands showed up ready to rock: the aforementioned \u003ca href=\"https://nowww.bandcamp.com/album/now-does-the-trick\">Now\u003c/a>, the shoegaze-inflected indie pop collective \u003ca href=\"https://aprilmagazine.bandcamp.com/album/double-life-beat\">April Magazine\u003c/a>, gothic cumbia crooner \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/edgarmusicx/\">Edgar\u003c/a> and folk punk singer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mistermodee/\">Ryan Modee\u003c/a>. Now’s set is the only video that Rainbow Grocery has posted so far. It will release the others every other Wednesday morning.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On a Saturday night in August, four bands showed up ready to rock: the aforementioned \u003ca href=\"https://nowww.bandcamp.com/album/now-does-the-trick\">Now\u003c/a>, the shoegaze-inflected indie pop collective \u003ca href=\"https://aprilmagazine.bandcamp.com/album/double-life-beat\">April Magazine\u003c/a>, gothic cumbia crooner \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/edgarmusicx/\">Edgar\u003c/a> and folk punk singer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mistermodee/\">Ryan Modee\u003c/a>. Now’s set is the only video that Rainbow Grocery has posted so far. It will release the others every other Wednesday morning.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under the Rainbow does differ from the Tiny Desk series (which in recent months has featured everyone from \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/06/25/g-s1-126162/shaboozey-tiny-desk-concert\">Shaboozey\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/08/20/g-s1-136140/weird-al-yankovic-tiny-desk-concert\">“Weird Al” Yankovic\u003c/a>), in a few important ways. Most notably, at least for now, the musicians won’t be playing in front of a live audience, other than a handful of grocery store workers and the other bands in attendance. The logistics of doing a live show inside the supermarket during business hours felt too daunting, de la Cruz-Falcon explains — especially not knowing how unsuspecting customers might respond, and not wanting to make any other workers’ jobs more difficult.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under the Rainbow does differ from the Tiny Desk series (which in recent months has featured everyone from \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/06/25/g-s1-126162/shaboozey-tiny-desk-concert\">Shaboozey\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/08/20/g-s1-136140/weird-al-yankovic-tiny-desk-concert\">“Weird Al” Yankovic\u003c/a>), in a few important ways. Most notably, at least for now, the musicians won’t be playing in front of a live audience, other than a handful of grocery store workers and the other bands in attendance. The logistics of doing a live show inside the supermarket during business hours felt too daunting, de la Cruz-Falcon explains — especially not knowing how unsuspecting customers might respond, and not wanting to make any other workers’ jobs more difficult.\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-ryan-modee.jpg\" alt=\"A musician, seated in the produce section of a grocery store, plays the guitar.\" class=\"wp-image-13993723\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Punk folk singer Ryan Modee performs with a pineapple on his guitar amp.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Rainbow Grocery)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For the time being, the project will mostly consist of videos shared on Rainbow Grocery’s YouTube and Instagram accounts. For the first session, the four bands — plus sound engineer Dylan Edrich — arrived at the supermarket shortly after its 9 p.m. closing time. By the time each band finished playing and recording its three-song set, it was around 2 a.m.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For the time being, the project will mostly consist of videos shared on Rainbow Grocery’s YouTube and Instagram accounts. For the first session, the four bands — plus sound engineer Dylan Edrich — arrived at the supermarket shortly after its 9 p.m. closing time. By the time each band finished playing and recording its three-song set, it was around 2 a.m.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>William Smith, guitar player and singer for Now, says the idea of performing inside a grocery store was immediately appealing and a natural fit for his band’s DIY aesthetic — they’d done previous shows on highway overpasses and inside vintage clothing stores. (Coincidentally, drummer Oliver Lipton’s father had worked at Rainbow Grocery in the ’80s, so there was a nostalgic personal connection as well.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>William Smith, guitar player and singer for Now, says the idea of performing inside a grocery store was immediately appealing and a natural fit for his band’s DIY aesthetic — they’d done previous shows on highway overpasses and inside vintage clothing stores. (Coincidentally, drummer Oliver Lipton’s father had worked at Rainbow Grocery in the ’80s, so there was a nostalgic personal connection as well.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I love pop art, and I thought, what could be more pop art than having our band play in a grocery store?” Smith explains. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I love pop art, and I thought, what could be more pop art than having our band play in a grocery store?” Smith explains. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For Smith, the whole experience felt like a dream. “It was surreal, like it was such an odd place to be wheeling my amp into,” he says. But everyone was so professional and kind — and the snacks, of course, were second to none. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For Smith, the whole experience felt like a dream. “It was surreal, like it was such an odd place to be wheeling my amp into,” he says. But everyone was so professional and kind — and the snacks, of course, were second to none. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I ate a really good apple,” he recalls.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I ate a really good apple,” he recalls.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For viewers watching the final product on YouTube, the surprising contrast between the vibe of the performance and its homey, lo-fi, out-of-the-studio setting is exactly what makes it so appealing. And the response, already, has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For viewers watching the final product on YouTube, the surprising contrast between the vibe of the performance and its homey, lo-fi, out-of-the-studio setting is exactly what makes it so appealing. And the response, already, has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic.\u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "Two musicians in gray suits performing in the produce section of a grocery store. The man in sunglasses on the left dances energetically. ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-edgar.jpg\" alt=\"Two musicians in gray suits performing in the produce section of a grocery store. The man in sunglasses on the left dances energetically. \" class=\"wp-image-13993724\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-edgar.jpg 1332w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-edgar-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-edgar-768x1153.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-edgar-1023x1536.jpg 1023w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Edgar (left) dances during his gothic cumbia set.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Rainbow Grocery)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Within a couple of days, more than 3,000 people liked the initial \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcjJ9lVsYGw/\">trailer for the series\u003c/a> that Rainbow Grocery posted; nearly 75,000 viewed the video. (“It’s probably some of the best exposure we’ve gotten,” Smith says.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The next one will happen sometime in October, and the store is in the process of putting an application link up on its website. “Everybody’s welcome to submit,” de la Cruz-Falcon says. “We would love to have all kinds of music.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Rainbow Grocery will release new Under the Rainbow videos every other Wednesday morning — full sets on \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/@rainbow-grocery\">\u003cem>YouTube\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and clips on \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcjJ9lVsYGw/\">\u003cem>Instagram\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. The next edition, featuring \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DdEiK8uyqJI/\">April Magazine\u003c/a>, will come out on Sept. 16.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Rainbow Grocery will release new Under the Rainbow videos every other Wednesday morning — full sets on \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/@rainbow-grocery\">\u003cem>YouTube\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and clips on \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcjJ9lVsYGw/\">\u003cem>Instagram\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. The next edition, featuring \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DdEiK8uyqJI/\">April Magazine\u003c/a>, will come out on Sept. 16.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"title": "Rainbow Grocery Brings ‘Tiny Desk’-Style Concerts to the Produce Aisle | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-now-crop.jpg\" alt=\"A rock band performs in the produce section of a grocery store. In front, the bass player wears a red velvet suit.\" class=\"wp-image-13993719\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-now-crop.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-now-crop-160x200.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-now-crop-768x960.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-now-crop-1229x1536.jpg 1229w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The power pop trio Now (from left to right: Oli Lipton, Hannah Forrester and William Smith) performs a song in the produce section at Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco. The band’s set was part of “Under the Rainbow,” a new series in which the collective-owned grocery store highlights local Bay Area musicians. (Courtesy of Rainbow Grocery)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The venue for tonight’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/concerts\">concert\u003c/a> is the produce aisle at the local supermarket. The power pop trio \u003ca href=\"https://nowww.bandcamp.com/album/now-does-the-trick\">Now’s\u003c/a> drummer, who’s set his kit up just in front of the onions and the artichokes, taps out a four count with his sticks. Then the mop-haired guitar player breaks into the opening chords of The Clash’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZw23sWlyG0\">Lost in the Supermarket\u003c/a>” — a winking lead-in to the first song of their set. A single shiny apple sits on top of his guitar amp.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Behold the first edition of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcyWTTMSGd9/\">Under the Rainbow\u003c/a>, Rainbow Grocery’s answer to NPR’s popular \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/series/tiny-desk-concerts/\">Tiny Desk\u003c/a> concert series. Aldo de la Cruz-Falcon, a member of the collective-owned Mission District staple’s PR team, says the plan is to post these short concert videos — all filmed on site in the market’s produce section — on social media every other week. The idea is to highlight Bay Area indie bands while also showing a different side to your friendly neighborhood grocery store. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Something about Rainbow that’s different from other grocers is that we’re part of the community,” de la Cruz-Falcon says. “We’re a co-op; we’re not owned by billionaires. We like to do things for the community.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>De la Cruz-Falcon, who also works in Rainbow’s bulk foods department, says he was first inspired to put the project together after seeing a similar concert series at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fiestafreshmarket/\">Fiesta Fresh Market\u003c/a>, a Latino grocery in Delaware, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DZECt3tuvUD/\">go viral\u003c/a> earlier this year. He teamed up with coworkers Britta Leijonflycht (vitamins) and Nico DeEulio (herbs), both avid musicians themselves, to organize the first edition of Under the Rainbow, reaching out to local bands to come to the store for an unconventional recording session. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On a Saturday night in August, four bands showed up ready to rock: the aforementioned \u003ca href=\"https://nowww.bandcamp.com/album/now-does-the-trick\">Now\u003c/a>, the shoegaze-inflected indie pop collective \u003ca href=\"https://aprilmagazine.bandcamp.com/album/double-life-beat\">April Magazine\u003c/a>, gothic cumbia crooner \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/edgarmusicx/\">Edgar\u003c/a> and folk punk singer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mistermodee/\">Ryan Modee\u003c/a>. Now’s set is the only video that Rainbow Grocery has posted so far. It will release the others every other Wednesday morning.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the Rainbow does differ from the Tiny Desk series (which in recent months has featured everyone from \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/06/25/g-s1-126162/shaboozey-tiny-desk-concert\">Shaboozey\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/08/20/g-s1-136140/weird-al-yankovic-tiny-desk-concert\">“Weird Al” Yankovic\u003c/a>), in a few important ways. Most notably, at least for now, the musicians won’t be playing in front of a live audience, other than a handful of grocery store workers and the other bands in attendance. The logistics of doing a live show inside the supermarket during business hours felt too daunting, de la Cruz-Falcon explains — especially not knowing how unsuspecting customers might respond, and not wanting to make any other workers’ jobs more difficult.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-ryan-modee.jpg\" alt=\"A musician, seated in the produce section of a grocery store, plays the guitar.\" class=\"wp-image-13993723\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-ryan-modee.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-ryan-modee-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-ryan-modee-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-ryan-modee-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-ryan-modee-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Punk folk singer Ryan Modee performs with a pineapple on his guitar amp. (Courtesy of Rainbow Grocery)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For the time being, the project will mostly consist of videos shared on Rainbow Grocery’s YouTube and Instagram accounts. For the first session, the four bands — plus sound engineer Dylan Edrich — arrived at the supermarket shortly after its 9 p.m. closing time. By the time each band finished playing and recording its three-song set, it was around 2 a.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>William Smith, guitar player and singer for Now, says the idea of performing inside a grocery store was immediately appealing and a natural fit for his band’s DIY aesthetic — they’d done previous shows on highway overpasses and inside vintage clothing stores. (Coincidentally, drummer Oliver Lipton’s father had worked at Rainbow Grocery in the ’80s, so there was a nostalgic personal connection as well.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I love pop art, and I thought, what could be more pop art than having our band play in a grocery store?” Smith explains. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Smith, the whole experience felt like a dream. “It was surreal, like it was such an odd place to be wheeling my amp into,” he says. But everyone was so professional and kind — and the snacks, of course, were second to none. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I ate a really good apple,” he recalls.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For viewers watching the final product on YouTube, the surprising contrast between the vibe of the performance and its homey, lo-fi, out-of-the-studio setting is exactly what makes it so appealing. And the response, already, has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1332\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-edgar.jpg\" alt=\"Two musicians in gray suits performing in the produce section of a grocery store. The man in sunglasses on the left dances energetically. \" class=\"wp-image-13993724\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-edgar.jpg 1332w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-edgar-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-edgar-768x1153.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/rainbow-grocery-edgar-1023x1536.jpg 1023w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1332px) 100vw, 1332px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Edgar (left) dances during his gothic cumbia set. (Courtesy of Rainbow Grocery)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Within a couple of days, more than 3,000 people liked the initial \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcjJ9lVsYGw/\">trailer for the series\u003c/a> that Rainbow Grocery posted; nearly 75,000 viewed the video. (“It’s probably some of the best exposure we’ve gotten,” Smith says.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>De la Cruz-Falcon says one of the other exciting things about the project is that so many of the worker-owners at Rainbow Grocery are talented musicians, many of whom have their own bands. He hopes some of those bands will play at future Under the Rainbow recording sessions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The next one will happen sometime in October, and the store is in the process of putting an application link up on its website. “Everybody’s welcome to submit,” de la Cruz-Falcon says. “We would love to have all kinds of music.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" />\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Rainbow Grocery will release new Under the Rainbow videos every other Wednesday morning — full sets on \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/@rainbow-grocery\">\u003cem>YouTube\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and clips on \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcjJ9lVsYGw/\">\u003cem>Instagram\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. The next edition, featuring \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DdEiK8uyqJI/\">April Magazine\u003c/a>, will come out on Sept. 16.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "a-new-san-jose-pop-up-makes-the-most-unique-bagels-in-the-bay",
"title": "A New San José Pop-Up Makes the Most Unique Bagels in the Bay",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A decent bagel is hard to find in the South Bay. A great one? Nearly impossible. I knew I was in for something special when a line formed in front of the Wonn Bagels pop-up inside a coffee shop in South San José before it had even opened. Customers gazed longingly at the display case filled mostly with non-traditional bagels, some speckled with blueberries or topped with jalapeño slices. Later, after purchasing their bagels, they slathered them with chili crisp cream cheese.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a benchmark, I ordered a plain bagel. The shiny surface was rugged and bubbly with a firm crust. The inside was dense yet fluffy and had just the right amount of chewiness; the flavor was subtly tangy and sweet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bagel was great — and not just by San Jose standards.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tech workers Vivian Kim and Tony Nguyen started The Wonn Bagels as a weekend project this past May, popping up once a month at the San José Japantown Farmers Market. Kim is the head baker; Nguyen is in charge of business operations. The inspiration for the business came when Kim developed an affinity for breadmaking during the pandemic. Although she never cared much for bagels, she was intrigued by the boiling and shaping process. The first time she made her own bagels, she was surprised by how much she enjoyed them. The homemade bagels came out moist and springy, unlike the tough, dry specimens she’d grown up eating. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Tony-Nguyen-left-and-Vivian-Kim-right.jpg\" alt=\"Asian man and woman pose for a portrait in front of a display of bagels.\" class=\"wp-image-13993650\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Tony-Nguyen-left-and-Vivian-Kim-right.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Tony-Nguyen-left-and-Vivian-Kim-right-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Tony-Nguyen-left-and-Vivian-Kim-right-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Tony-Nguyen-left-and-Vivian-Kim-right-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tony Nguyen (left) and Vivian Kim started their bagel pop-up as a weekend project in May of 2026. They now sell their bagels twice a month at farmers markets and coffee shops in the South Bay. (Octavio Peña)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bagel recipe Kim settled on after years of tinkering is an amalgamation of several regional styles. “I started exploring different bagels like New York style, Montreal style and Japanese style,” says Kim. “I brought a little bit of everything and came up with my own.” The New York influence appears in the addition of malt (to achieve the ideal texture) and slow-proofing (which helps yield a nutty flavor Kim compares to Korean scorched rice). From Montreal, she borrowed the technique of boiling the bagels in honey water to improve the crust. And like the new vanguard of bagel shops that are now popular in Japan, she uses flour with a lower percentage of protein to create a crumb that’s more tender and moist than the typical New York bagel.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kim says the hardest part of the process is the 20-hour wait for the bagels to finish proofing before they can actually taste how the final product turned out. Right now, the couple produces around 75 bagels for each event. There’s also ongoing R&D for seasonal specials like their corn bagel. Their next project is introducing dessert bagels to the menu.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For now, The Wonn Bagels is one of the Bay Area’s only Asian American–owned bagel businesses. That said, Kim says that even though she’s Korean American, she’s cautious about forcing Korean fusion into her bagels. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Maybe down the line I’ll find the right Korean flavor profile that genuinely clicks,” she says. “But it will never be about labeling them ‘Korean bagels.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Cross-section.jpg\" alt=\"Cross section of a bagel, with bits of corn, jalapeño and cheddar cheese visible.\" class=\"wp-image-13993653\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Cross-section.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Cross-section-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Cross-section-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Cross-section-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The jalapeño corn cheese bagel is indicative of the pop-up’s creative, seasonal approach. (Octavio Peña)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, Kim describes her bagels as West Coast inspired, reflective of the region’s diverse food scene. Her favorite creation so far is a sweet double blueberry bagel, which she developed after eating too many other blueberry pastries that lacked a potent fruit flavor. The first layer of blueberry comes from mixing blueberry comp0te into the dough. The second involves meticulously incorporating pieces of fresh blueberry — by hand to avoid crushing the berries, which maintain some of their juiciness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the pop-up’s housemade cream cheese spreads, on the other hand, do draw inspiration from Asian ingredients — a “chili crunch” cream cheese and another that incorporates Japanese yuzu kosho chili paste. Kim also has a fondness for sweet bagel spreads, with flavors like strawberry compote, mango coconut and sweet corn. On the other hand, Nguyen’s go-to order is savory: an everything bagel loaded with bacon-scallion cream cheese.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Plain-and-everything-bagels.jpg\" alt=\"A display of plain and everything bagels.\" class=\"wp-image-13993652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Plain-and-everything-bagels.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Plain-and-everything-bagels-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Plain-and-everything-bagels-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Plain-and-everything-bagels-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Plain and everything bagels for sale at The Wonn Bagels’ August pop-up at Spectra Coffee in San José. (Octavio Peña)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the pop-up I visited at Spectra Coffee, customers could also order a box of standard bagel toppings like smoked lox, capers, cornichons, tomato and onion. I ordered the box so that I could build a sandwich with my jalapeño corn cheddar bagel and yuzu kosho cream cheese. The shell of the bagel made an audible crunch when I bit in, and the jalapeño bagel itself was chewy, light and spicier than I expected. The yuzu cream cheese provided a tart, fragrant contrast to the salmon’s richness. It was a delicious bagel sandwich.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kim and Nguyen have sold out at every event they have booked in the last few months. They currently host two pop-ups per month, alternating between cafes and farmers markets. As farmers market season wraps up, they’re searching for other locations so that they can host more frequent pop-ups. Someday, they might even open a proper brick-and-mortar bagel shop.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Long-term we want to switch our careers to focus on [The Wonn Bagels],” Nguyen says. “Not sure when that will be, but that’s our goal.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" />\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/the.wonn.bagels/\">\u003cem>The Wonn Bagels\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> pops up around the South Bay. The next pop-ups are at San José’s Japantown Farmer’s Market (357 E. Taylor St.) on Sep. 13 and Spectra Coffee (5353 Almaden Expy #52) on Sep. 27. Check the pop-up’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/the.wonn.bagels\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> for the most up-to-date schedule.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A decent bagel is hard to find in the South Bay. A great one? Nearly impossible. I knew I was in for something special when a line formed in front of the Wonn Bagels pop-up inside a coffee shop in South San José before it had even opened. Customers gazed longingly at the display case filled mostly with non-traditional bagels, some speckled with blueberries or topped with jalapeño slices. Later, after purchasing their bagels, they slathered them with chili crisp cream cheese.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A decent bagel is hard to find in the South Bay. A great one? Nearly impossible. I knew I was in for something special when a line formed in front of the Wonn Bagels pop-up inside a coffee shop in South San José before it had even opened. Customers gazed longingly at the display case filled mostly with non-traditional bagels, some speckled with blueberries or topped with jalapeño slices. Later, after purchasing their bagels, they slathered them with chili crisp cream cheese.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As a benchmark, I ordered a plain bagel. The shiny surface was rugged and bubbly with a firm crust. The inside was dense yet fluffy and had just the right amount of chewiness; the flavor was subtly tangy and sweet.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As a benchmark, I ordered a plain bagel. The shiny surface was rugged and bubbly with a firm crust. The inside was dense yet fluffy and had just the right amount of chewiness; the flavor was subtly tangy and sweet.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tech workers Vivian Kim and Tony Nguyen started The Wonn Bagels as a weekend project this past May, popping up once a month at the San José Japantown Farmers Market. Kim is the head baker; Nguyen is in charge of business operations. The inspiration for the business came when Kim developed an affinity for breadmaking during the pandemic. Although she never cared much for bagels, she was intrigued by the boiling and shaping process. The first time she made her own bagels, she was surprised by how much she enjoyed them. The homemade bagels came out moist and springy, unlike the tough, dry specimens she’d grown up eating. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tech workers Vivian Kim and Tony Nguyen started The Wonn Bagels as a weekend project this past May, popping up once a month at the San José Japantown Farmers Market. Kim is the head baker; Nguyen is in charge of business operations. The inspiration for the business came when Kim developed an affinity for breadmaking during the pandemic. Although she never cared much for bagels, she was intrigued by the boiling and shaping process. The first time she made her own bagels, she was surprised by how much she enjoyed them. The homemade bagels came out moist and springy, unlike the tough, dry specimens she’d grown up eating. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Tony-Nguyen-left-and-Vivian-Kim-right.jpg\" alt=\"Asian man and woman pose for a portrait in front of a display of bagels.\" class=\"wp-image-13993650\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Tony-Nguyen-left-and-Vivian-Kim-right.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Tony-Nguyen-left-and-Vivian-Kim-right-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Tony-Nguyen-left-and-Vivian-Kim-right-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Tony-Nguyen-left-and-Vivian-Kim-right-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tony Nguyen (left) and Vivian Kim started their bagel pop-up as a weekend project in May of 2026. They now sell their bagels twice a month at farmers markets and coffee shops in the South Bay.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Tony-Nguyen-left-and-Vivian-Kim-right.jpg\" alt=\"Asian man and woman pose for a portrait in front of a display of bagels.\" class=\"wp-image-13993650\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tony Nguyen (left) and Vivian Kim started their bagel pop-up as a weekend project in May of 2026. They now sell their bagels twice a month at farmers markets and coffee shops in the South Bay.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bagel recipe Kim settled on after years of tinkering is an amalgamation of several regional styles. “I started exploring different bagels like New York style, Montreal style and Japanese style,” says Kim. “I brought a little bit of everything and came up with my own.” The New York influence appears in the addition of malt (to achieve the ideal texture) and slow-proofing (which helps yield a nutty flavor Kim compares to Korean scorched rice). From Montreal, she borrowed the technique of boiling the bagels in honey water to improve the crust. And like the new vanguard of bagel shops that are now popular in Japan, she uses flour with a lower percentage of protein to create a crumb that’s more tender and moist than the typical New York bagel.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The bagel recipe Kim settled on after years of tinkering is an amalgamation of several regional styles. “I started exploring different bagels like New York style, Montreal style and Japanese style,” says Kim. “I brought a little bit of everything and came up with my own.” The New York influence appears in the addition of malt (to achieve the ideal texture) and slow-proofing (which helps yield a nutty flavor Kim compares to Korean scorched rice). From Montreal, she borrowed the technique of boiling the bagels in honey water to improve the crust. And like the new vanguard of bagel shops that are now popular in Japan, she uses flour with a lower percentage of protein to create a crumb that’s more tender and moist than the typical New York bagel.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kim says the hardest part of the process is the 20-hour wait for the bagels to finish proofing before they can actually taste how the final product turned out. Right now, the couple produces around 75 bagels for each event. There’s also ongoing R&D for seasonal specials like their corn bagel. Their next project is introducing dessert bagels to the menu.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kim says the hardest part of the process is the 20-hour wait for the bagels to finish proofing before they can actually taste how the final product turned out. Right now, the couple produces around 75 bagels for each event. There’s also ongoing R&D for seasonal specials like their corn bagel. Their next project is introducing dessert bagels to the menu.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For now, The Wonn Bagels is one of the Bay Area’s only Asian American–owned bagel businesses. That said, Kim says that even though she’s Korean American, she’s cautious about forcing Korean fusion into her bagels. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For now, The Wonn Bagels is one of the Bay Area’s only Asian American–owned bagel businesses. That said, Kim says that even though she’s Korean American, she’s cautious about forcing Korean fusion into her bagels. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Maybe down the line I’ll find the right Korean flavor profile that genuinely clicks,” she says. “But it will never be about labeling them ‘Korean bagels.’” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Maybe down the line I’ll find the right Korean flavor profile that genuinely clicks,” she says. “But it will never be about labeling them ‘Korean bagels.’” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Cross-section.jpg\" alt=\"Cross section of a bagel, with bits of corn, jalapeño and cheddar cheese visible.\" class=\"wp-image-13993653\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Cross-section.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Cross-section-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Cross-section-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Cross-section-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The jalapeño corn cheese bagel is indicative of the pop-up’s creative, seasonal approach.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Cross-section.jpg\" alt=\"Cross section of a bagel, with bits of corn, jalapeño and cheddar cheese visible.\" class=\"wp-image-13993653\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The jalapeño corn cheese bagel is indicative of the pop-up’s creative, seasonal approach.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Instead, Kim describes her bagels as West Coast inspired, reflective of the region’s diverse food scene. Her favorite creation so far is a sweet double blueberry bagel, which she developed after eating too many other blueberry pastries that lacked a potent fruit flavor. The first layer of blueberry comes from mixing blueberry comp0te into the dough. The second involves meticulously incorporating pieces of fresh blueberry — by hand to avoid crushing the berries, which maintain some of their juiciness.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Instead, Kim describes her bagels as West Coast inspired, reflective of the region’s diverse food scene. Her favorite creation so far is a sweet double blueberry bagel, which she developed after eating too many other blueberry pastries that lacked a potent fruit flavor. The first layer of blueberry comes from mixing blueberry comp0te into the dough. The second involves meticulously incorporating pieces of fresh blueberry — by hand to avoid crushing the berries, which maintain some of their juiciness.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many of the pop-up’s housemade cream cheese spreads, on the other hand, do draw inspiration from Asian ingredients — a “chili crunch” cream cheese and another that incorporates Japanese yuzu kosho chili paste. Kim also has a fondness for sweet bagel spreads, with flavors like strawberry compote, mango coconut and sweet corn. On the other hand, Nguyen’s go-to order is savory: an everything bagel loaded with bacon-scallion cream cheese.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many of the pop-up’s housemade cream cheese spreads, on the other hand, do draw inspiration from Asian ingredients — a “chili crunch” cream cheese and another that incorporates Japanese yuzu kosho chili paste. Kim also has a fondness for sweet bagel spreads, with flavors like strawberry compote, mango coconut and sweet corn. On the other hand, Nguyen’s go-to order is savory: an everything bagel loaded with bacon-scallion cream cheese.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Plain-and-everything-bagels.jpg\" alt=\"A display of plain and everything bagels.\" class=\"wp-image-13993652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Plain-and-everything-bagels.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Plain-and-everything-bagels-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Plain-and-everything-bagels-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Plain-and-everything-bagels-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Plain and everything bagels for sale at The Wonn Bagels’ August pop-up at Spectra Coffee in San José.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the pop-up I visited at Spectra Coffee, customers could also order a box of standard bagel toppings like smoked lox, capers, cornichons, tomato and onion. I ordered the box so that I could build a sandwich with my jalapeño corn cheddar bagel and yuzu kosho cream cheese. The shell of the bagel made an audible crunch when I bit in, and the jalapeño bagel itself was chewy, light and spicier than I expected. The yuzu cream cheese provided a tart, fragrant contrast to the salmon’s richness. It was a delicious bagel sandwich.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At the pop-up I visited at Spectra Coffee, customers could also order a box of standard bagel toppings like smoked lox, capers, cornichons, tomato and onion. I ordered the box so that I could build a sandwich with my jalapeño corn cheddar bagel and yuzu kosho cream cheese. The shell of the bagel made an audible crunch when I bit in, and the jalapeño bagel itself was chewy, light and spicier than I expected. The yuzu cream cheese provided a tart, fragrant contrast to the salmon’s richness. It was a delicious bagel sandwich.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kim and Nguyen have sold out at every event they have booked in the last few months. They currently host two pop-ups per month, alternating between cafes and farmers markets. As farmers market season wraps up, they’re searching for other locations so that they can host more frequent pop-ups. Someday, they might even open a proper brick-and-mortar bagel shop.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kim and Nguyen have sold out at every event they have booked in the last few months. They currently host two pop-ups per month, alternating between cafes and farmers markets. As farmers market season wraps up, they’re searching for other locations so that they can host more frequent pop-ups. Someday, they might even open a proper brick-and-mortar bagel shop.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Long-term we want to switch our careers to focus on [The Wonn Bagels],” Nguyen says. “Not sure when that will be, but that’s our goal.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/the.wonn.bagels/\">\u003cem>The Wonn Bagels\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> pops up around the South Bay. The next pop-ups are at San José’s Japantown Farmer’s Market (357 E. Taylor St.) on Sep. 13 and Spectra Coffee (5353 Almaden Expy #52) on Sep. 27. Check the pop-up’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/the.wonn.bagels\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> for the most up-to-date schedule.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/the.wonn.bagels/\">\u003cem>The Wonn Bagels\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> pops up around the South Bay. The next pop-ups are at San José’s Japantown Farmer’s Market (357 E. Taylor St.) on Sep. 13 and Spectra Coffee (5353 Almaden Expy #52) on Sep. 27. Check the pop-up’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/the.wonn.bagels\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> for the most up-to-date schedule.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The Wonn Bagels is rolling out distinctly West Coast bagels with a dash of Asian American flavor.",
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"title": "A New San José Pop-Up Makes the Most Unique Bagels in the Bay | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A decent bagel is hard to find in the South Bay. A great one? Nearly impossible. I knew I was in for something special when a line formed in front of the Wonn Bagels pop-up inside a coffee shop in South San José before it had even opened. Customers gazed longingly at the display case filled mostly with non-traditional bagels, some speckled with blueberries or topped with jalapeño slices. Later, after purchasing their bagels, they slathered them with chili crisp cream cheese.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a benchmark, I ordered a plain bagel. The shiny surface was rugged and bubbly with a firm crust. The inside was dense yet fluffy and had just the right amount of chewiness; the flavor was subtly tangy and sweet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bagel was great — and not just by San Jose standards.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tech workers Vivian Kim and Tony Nguyen started The Wonn Bagels as a weekend project this past May, popping up once a month at the San José Japantown Farmers Market. Kim is the head baker; Nguyen is in charge of business operations. The inspiration for the business came when Kim developed an affinity for breadmaking during the pandemic. Although she never cared much for bagels, she was intrigued by the boiling and shaping process. The first time she made her own bagels, she was surprised by how much she enjoyed them. The homemade bagels came out moist and springy, unlike the tough, dry specimens she’d grown up eating. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Tony-Nguyen-left-and-Vivian-Kim-right.jpg\" alt=\"Asian man and woman pose for a portrait in front of a display of bagels.\" class=\"wp-image-13993650\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Tony-Nguyen-left-and-Vivian-Kim-right.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Tony-Nguyen-left-and-Vivian-Kim-right-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Tony-Nguyen-left-and-Vivian-Kim-right-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Tony-Nguyen-left-and-Vivian-Kim-right-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tony Nguyen (left) and Vivian Kim started their bagel pop-up as a weekend project in May of 2026. They now sell their bagels twice a month at farmers markets and coffee shops in the South Bay. (Octavio Peña)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bagel recipe Kim settled on after years of tinkering is an amalgamation of several regional styles. “I started exploring different bagels like New York style, Montreal style and Japanese style,” says Kim. “I brought a little bit of everything and came up with my own.” The New York influence appears in the addition of malt (to achieve the ideal texture) and slow-proofing (which helps yield a nutty flavor Kim compares to Korean scorched rice). From Montreal, she borrowed the technique of boiling the bagels in honey water to improve the crust. And like the new vanguard of bagel shops that are now popular in Japan, she uses flour with a lower percentage of protein to create a crumb that’s more tender and moist than the typical New York bagel.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kim says the hardest part of the process is the 20-hour wait for the bagels to finish proofing before they can actually taste how the final product turned out. Right now, the couple produces around 75 bagels for each event. There’s also ongoing R&D for seasonal specials like their corn bagel. Their next project is introducing dessert bagels to the menu.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For now, The Wonn Bagels is one of the Bay Area’s only Asian American–owned bagel businesses. That said, Kim says that even though she’s Korean American, she’s cautious about forcing Korean fusion into her bagels. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Maybe down the line I’ll find the right Korean flavor profile that genuinely clicks,” she says. “But it will never be about labeling them ‘Korean bagels.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Cross-section.jpg\" alt=\"Cross section of a bagel, with bits of corn, jalapeño and cheddar cheese visible.\" class=\"wp-image-13993653\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Cross-section.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Cross-section-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Cross-section-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Cross-section-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The jalapeño corn cheese bagel is indicative of the pop-up’s creative, seasonal approach. (Octavio Peña)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, Kim describes her bagels as West Coast inspired, reflective of the region’s diverse food scene. Her favorite creation so far is a sweet double blueberry bagel, which she developed after eating too many other blueberry pastries that lacked a potent fruit flavor. The first layer of blueberry comes from mixing blueberry comp0te into the dough. The second involves meticulously incorporating pieces of fresh blueberry — by hand to avoid crushing the berries, which maintain some of their juiciness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the pop-up’s housemade cream cheese spreads, on the other hand, do draw inspiration from Asian ingredients — a “chili crunch” cream cheese and another that incorporates Japanese yuzu kosho chili paste. Kim also has a fondness for sweet bagel spreads, with flavors like strawberry compote, mango coconut and sweet corn. On the other hand, Nguyen’s go-to order is savory: an everything bagel loaded with bacon-scallion cream cheese.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Plain-and-everything-bagels.jpg\" alt=\"A display of plain and everything bagels.\" class=\"wp-image-13993652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Plain-and-everything-bagels.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Plain-and-everything-bagels-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Plain-and-everything-bagels-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Plain-and-everything-bagels-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Plain and everything bagels for sale at The Wonn Bagels’ August pop-up at Spectra Coffee in San José. (Octavio Peña)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the pop-up I visited at Spectra Coffee, customers could also order a box of standard bagel toppings like smoked lox, capers, cornichons, tomato and onion. I ordered the box so that I could build a sandwich with my jalapeño corn cheddar bagel and yuzu kosho cream cheese. The shell of the bagel made an audible crunch when I bit in, and the jalapeño bagel itself was chewy, light and spicier than I expected. The yuzu cream cheese provided a tart, fragrant contrast to the salmon’s richness. It was a delicious bagel sandwich.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kim and Nguyen have sold out at every event they have booked in the last few months. They currently host two pop-ups per month, alternating between cafes and farmers markets. As farmers market season wraps up, they’re searching for other locations so that they can host more frequent pop-ups. Someday, they might even open a proper brick-and-mortar bagel shop.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Long-term we want to switch our careers to focus on [The Wonn Bagels],” Nguyen says. “Not sure when that will be, but that’s our goal.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" />\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/the.wonn.bagels/\">\u003cem>The Wonn Bagels\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> pops up around the South Bay. The next pop-ups are at San José’s Japantown Farmer’s Market (357 E. Taylor St.) on Sep. 13 and Spectra Coffee (5353 Almaden Expy #52) on Sep. 27. Check the pop-up’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/the.wonn.bagels\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> for the most up-to-date schedule.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "best-pho-san-jose-torched-kobe-wagyu-duoi-bo-oxtails",
"title": "One of San José’s Best Phở Restaurants Slings Flame-Torched Wagyu Past Midnight",
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"headTitle": "One of San José’s Best Phở Restaurants Slings Flame-Torched Wagyu Past Midnight | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men devouring bowls of pho with a ferocity that verges on being frightening.\" class=\"wp-image-13993627\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">While Phở Đuôi Bò is best known for its blowtorched wagyu beef, the East San José restaurant’s phở itself is worth seeking out in its own right. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When we pulled into the strip mall parking lot in Eastside \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> at a little past 9 o’clock on a recent Friday night, the whole plaza had mostly shut down for the night: the beauty salon, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986806/dzui-favorite-durian-dessert-shop-san-jose-banh-pia\">durian dessert shop\u003c/a>, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13905293/vietnamese-tofu-capital-san-jose\">vegan tofu deli\u003c/a>. The one restaurant still open, a neon-lit beacon in the night, was Phở Đuôi Bò, where about a dozen would-be diners mingled on the curb outside, waiting for a table.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Their goal? To snag one of the city’s most talked-about bowls of phở — and, especially, for its blowtorched wagyu beef, served on top.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both of us had eaten at Đuôi Bò before and liked it enough to return on multiple occasions, families in tow. But the restaurant hit our radar again this summer when it put up a neon “LATE NIGHT EATS” sign and extended its hours past midnight — a rarity in a city whose excellent phở shops mostly close by 8 or 9 p.m. Đuôi Bò, on the other hand, is now open from 9 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. every day of the week: breakfast, lunch, dinner \u003cem>and \u003c/em>second dinner. The shop’s hours are so long, we got dizzy just imagining the size of their stock pot.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The crowd is largely Vietnamese (with other assorted Asians), but less overwhelmingly so than at many of San José’s other top phở spots. There were at least two or three tables’ worth of diverse, non-Asian twentysomethings who’d waited in line like everyone else — evidence, perhaps, of the restaurant’s recent popularity among the South Bay’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/phoduoibo/reels/\">food influencer class\u003c/a>. A lot of times you can tell how good an Asian restaurant is by its cross-generational appeal. Even at 9 p.m., there seemed to be as many 70-year-old Vietnamese aunties and uncles lining up for a hot bowl of phở as there were big groups of college kids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Phở Đuôi Bò first opened in 2024, the restaurant captured the attention of local phở lovers by offering flame-blasted Kobe beef as a topping option, sizzling the well-marbled slices of meat with a mini blowtorch tableside: the very definition of a gimmicky, Insta-viral offering. As it turns out, the torched beef (not really “\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_beef\">Kobe\u003c/a>,” as it’s listed on the menu, but American wagyu from Snake River Farms) is delicious (more on that in a second). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But beyond the flashy pyrotechnics, the core of the restaurant is a lot more rustic and homey. During our visit, the soundtrack was a mix of smooth jazz and old Vietnamese love ballads. In this age of tacky AI-generated wall art, the handpainted murals that line Đuôi Bò’s dining room depict Vietnamese countryside scenes — a bull rearing up in a grassy plain, a resplendently garnished bowl of phở. Nothing about the place reads as overtly “cool” or trendy. And nothing tastes homier than the phở broth itself. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo2.jpg\" alt=\"Storefront of a pho restaurant lit up at night. Illustration: The yellow lettering of the sign overhead reads "Pho Duoi Bo."\" class=\"wp-image-13993629\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant recently extended its hours, which means its phở is now available until 12;30 a.m. daily. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The name “đuôi bò” means oxtail, so of course we decided to order the deluxe oxtail phở, which comes with all the meats you’d get in a bowl of đặc biệt (“special”) phở, plus a big, meaty tailbone that we happily gnawed clean. Here’s our pro tip, though: The reason the restaurant has that name is because it uses dozens of oxtails to make the broth itself, through hours upon hours of slow simmering. The end result is that those tails wind up rather chewy, and all of the flavor has gone into the broth, which is some of the richest and most flavorful we’ve had in the Bay. It’s loaded with collagen and big, glistening droplets of fat, but also clean and light on the palate. And that’s the same broth you get no matter which phở you order. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For our second bowl, then, we stuck with our usual favorites: raw steak (served on the side so we could poach it in the hot soup at the last minute), the soft tendons, the fatty brisket and bouncy meatballs. We opted for the wider, springier fresh noodles, and doctored up a little dipping sauce for our meats: some fish sauce and Sriracha, a clutch of vinegared onions (available as a $1 side), a squeeze of lime. Đuôi Bò also offers Chinese fried crullers as a side dish. Fresh out of the deep fryer, these make an excellent addition to a bowl of phở; the contrast between their crunchiness and the bit of sogginess they pick up after they’ve bobbed around in the soup for a minute is just sublime.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All of this adds up to something approaching our Platonic ideal for phở, easily ranking as one of our top two or three favorite bowls in the Bay. The fact that we could have it at midnight on a random Tuesday night almost seems too good to be true. And all that before we’ve even really talked about the restaurant’s claim to fame — that flame-torched wagyu. Which is definitely worth getting as a side order to share. (We found it too heavy for one person to finish on their own.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re a fan of dramatics, as we are, you can ask the staff to torch the meat at the table, but in our experience, these days they usually decline that request and instead wield the flameflower at the back of the dining room, right before bringing the meat to your table. What we love is how the torching gives the fatty meat these wonderfully crisp edges and infuses it with a deep smoky flavor, which adds a new dimension to the phở-slurping experience. You can dump the plate of torched wagyu directly into your soup, but we liked eating it on its own, between sips of broth, dunking the meat in our makeshift vinegar dip to cut into the richness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The rest of Đuôi Bò’s menu is incredibly spare and basic — just some spring rolls and crispy chicken wings as appetizers. In a sign that they understand their audience, or maybe just the Instagram algorithm, they’ve also started blow-torching marrow bones, which were sold out during our visit. We couldn’t figure out how exactly those were meant to complement the phở — but we were here already, why wouldn’t we give it a try? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By the time we walked out of the restaurant, full beyond the point of comfort, it was close to 11 p.m., and the line of customers waiting outside showed no sign of diminishing. The crowd had started to skew a little bit younger and more fashionably dressed. But as we watched them staring longingly at the menu posted in the window, there was no mistake about it: They were here to \u003cem>eat\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" />\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/phoduoibo/\">\u003cem>Phở Đuôi Bò\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open 9 a.m.–12:30 a.m. daily at 2465 Alvin Ave. in San José.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When we pulled into the strip mall parking lot in Eastside \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> at a little past 9 o’clock on a recent Friday night, the whole plaza had mostly shut down for the night: the beauty salon, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986806/dzui-favorite-durian-dessert-shop-san-jose-banh-pia\">durian dessert shop\u003c/a>, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13905293/vietnamese-tofu-capital-san-jose\">vegan tofu deli\u003c/a>. The one restaurant still open, a neon-lit beacon in the night, was Phở Đuôi Bò, where about a dozen would-be diners mingled on the curb outside, waiting for a table.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When we pulled into the strip mall parking lot in Eastside \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> at a little past 9 o’clock on a recent Friday night, the whole plaza had mostly shut down for the night: the beauty salon, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986806/dzui-favorite-durian-dessert-shop-san-jose-banh-pia\">durian dessert shop\u003c/a>, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13905293/vietnamese-tofu-capital-san-jose\">vegan tofu deli\u003c/a>. The one restaurant still open, a neon-lit beacon in the night, was Phở Đuôi Bò, where about a dozen would-be diners mingled on the curb outside, waiting for a table.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Their goal? To snag one of the city’s most talked-about bowls of phở — and, especially, for its blowtorched wagyu beef, served on top.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Their goal? To snag one of the city’s most talked-about bowls of phở — and, especially, for its blowtorched wagyu beef, served on top.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Both of us had eaten at Đuôi Bò before and liked it enough to return on multiple occasions, families in tow. But the restaurant hit our radar again this summer when it put up a neon “LATE NIGHT EATS” sign and extended its hours past midnight — a rarity in a city whose excellent phở shops mostly close by 8 or 9 p.m. Đuôi Bò, on the other hand, is now open from 9 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. every day of the week: breakfast, lunch, dinner \u003cem>and \u003c/em>second dinner. The shop’s hours are so long, we got dizzy just imagining the size of their stock pot.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Both of us had eaten at Đuôi Bò before and liked it enough to return on multiple occasions, families in tow. But the restaurant hit our radar again this summer when it put up a neon “LATE NIGHT EATS” sign and extended its hours past midnight — a rarity in a city whose excellent phở shops mostly close by 8 or 9 p.m. Đuôi Bò, on the other hand, is now open from 9 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. every day of the week: breakfast, lunch, dinner \u003cem>and \u003c/em>second dinner. The shop’s hours are so long, we got dizzy just imagining the size of their stock pot.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The crowd is largely Vietnamese (with other assorted Asians), but less overwhelmingly so than at many of San José’s other top phở spots. There were at least two or three tables’ worth of diverse, non-Asian twentysomethings who’d waited in line like everyone else — evidence, perhaps, of the restaurant’s recent popularity among the South Bay’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/phoduoibo/reels/\">food influencer class\u003c/a>. A lot of times you can tell how good an Asian restaurant is by its cross-generational appeal. Even at 9 p.m., there seemed to be as many 70-year-old Vietnamese aunties and uncles lining up for a hot bowl of phở as there were big groups of college kids. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The crowd is largely Vietnamese (with other assorted Asians), but less overwhelmingly so than at many of San José’s other top phở spots. There were at least two or three tables’ worth of diverse, non-Asian twentysomethings who’d waited in line like everyone else — evidence, perhaps, of the restaurant’s recent popularity among the South Bay’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/phoduoibo/reels/\">food influencer class\u003c/a>. A lot of times you can tell how good an Asian restaurant is by its cross-generational appeal. Even at 9 p.m., there seemed to be as many 70-year-old Vietnamese aunties and uncles lining up for a hot bowl of phở as there were big groups of college kids. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When Phở Đuôi Bò first opened in 2024, the restaurant captured the attention of local phở lovers by offering flame-blasted Kobe beef as a topping option, sizzling the well-marbled slices of meat with a mini blowtorch tableside: the very definition of a gimmicky, Insta-viral offering. As it turns out, the torched beef (not really “\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_beef\">Kobe\u003c/a>,” as it’s listed on the menu, but American wagyu from Snake River Farms) is delicious (more on that in a second). \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When Phở Đuôi Bò first opened in 2024, the restaurant captured the attention of local phở lovers by offering flame-blasted Kobe beef as a topping option, sizzling the well-marbled slices of meat with a mini blowtorch tableside: the very definition of a gimmicky, Insta-viral offering. As it turns out, the torched beef (not really “\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_beef\">Kobe\u003c/a>,” as it’s listed on the menu, but American wagyu from Snake River Farms) is delicious (more on that in a second). \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But beyond the flashy pyrotechnics, the core of the restaurant is a lot more rustic and homey. During our visit, the soundtrack was a mix of smooth jazz and old Vietnamese love ballads. In this age of tacky AI-generated wall art, the handpainted murals that line Đuôi Bò’s dining room depict Vietnamese countryside scenes — a bull rearing up in a grassy plain, a resplendently garnished bowl of phở. Nothing about the place reads as overtly “cool” or trendy. And nothing tastes homier than the phở broth itself. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But beyond the flashy pyrotechnics, the core of the restaurant is a lot more rustic and homey. During our visit, the soundtrack was a mix of smooth jazz and old Vietnamese love ballads. In this age of tacky AI-generated wall art, the handpainted murals that line Đuôi Bò’s dining room depict Vietnamese countryside scenes — a bull rearing up in a grassy plain, a resplendently garnished bowl of phở. Nothing about the place reads as overtly “cool” or trendy. And nothing tastes homier than the phở broth itself. \u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "Storefront of a pho restaurant lit up at night. Illustration: The yellow lettering of the sign overhead reads \"Pho Duoi Bo.\"",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo2.jpg\" alt=\"Storefront of a pho restaurant lit up at night. Illustration: The yellow lettering of the sign overhead reads "Pho Duoi Bo."\" class=\"wp-image-13993629\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant recently extended its hours, which means its phở is now available until 12;30 a.m. daily.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo2.jpg\" alt=\"Storefront of a pho restaurant lit up at night. Illustration: The yellow lettering of the sign overhead reads "Pho Duoi Bo."\" class=\"wp-image-13993629\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant recently extended its hours, which means its phở is now available until 12;30 a.m. daily.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The name “đuôi bò” means oxtail, so of course we decided to order the deluxe oxtail phở, which comes with all the meats you’d get in a bowl of đặc biệt (“special”) phở, plus a big, meaty tailbone that we happily gnawed clean. Here’s our pro tip, though: The reason the restaurant has that name is because it uses dozens of oxtails to make the broth itself, through hours upon hours of slow simmering. The end result is that those tails wind up rather chewy, and all of the flavor has gone into the broth, which is some of the richest and most flavorful we’ve had in the Bay. It’s loaded with collagen and big, glistening droplets of fat, but also clean and light on the palate. And that’s the same broth you get no matter which phở you order. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The name “đuôi bò” means oxtail, so of course we decided to order the deluxe oxtail phở, which comes with all the meats you’d get in a bowl of đặc biệt (“special”) phở, plus a big, meaty tailbone that we happily gnawed clean. Here’s our pro tip, though: The reason the restaurant has that name is because it uses dozens of oxtails to make the broth itself, through hours upon hours of slow simmering. The end result is that those tails wind up rather chewy, and all of the flavor has gone into the broth, which is some of the richest and most flavorful we’ve had in the Bay. It’s loaded with collagen and big, glistening droplets of fat, but also clean and light on the palate. And that’s the same broth you get no matter which phở you order. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For our second bowl, then, we stuck with our usual favorites: raw steak (served on the side so we could poach it in the hot soup at the last minute), the soft tendons, the fatty brisket and bouncy meatballs. We opted for the wider, springier fresh noodles, and doctored up a little dipping sauce for our meats: some fish sauce and Sriracha, a clutch of vinegared onions (available as a $1 side), a squeeze of lime. Đuôi Bò also offers Chinese fried crullers as a side dish. Fresh out of the deep fryer, these make an excellent addition to a bowl of phở; the contrast between their crunchiness and the bit of sogginess they pick up after they’ve bobbed around in the soup for a minute is just sublime.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For our second bowl, then, we stuck with our usual favorites: raw steak (served on the side so we could poach it in the hot soup at the last minute), the soft tendons, the fatty brisket and bouncy meatballs. We opted for the wider, springier fresh noodles, and doctored up a little dipping sauce for our meats: some fish sauce and Sriracha, a clutch of vinegared onions (available as a $1 side), a squeeze of lime. Đuôi Bò also offers Chinese fried crullers as a side dish. Fresh out of the deep fryer, these make an excellent addition to a bowl of phở; the contrast between their crunchiness and the bit of sogginess they pick up after they’ve bobbed around in the soup for a minute is just sublime.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All of this adds up to something approaching our Platonic ideal for phở, easily ranking as one of our top two or three favorite bowls in the Bay. The fact that we could have it at midnight on a random Tuesday night almost seems too good to be true. And all that before we’ve even really talked about the restaurant’s claim to fame — that flame-torched wagyu. Which is definitely worth getting as a side order to share. (We found it too heavy for one person to finish on their own.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>All of this adds up to something approaching our Platonic ideal for phở, easily ranking as one of our top two or three favorite bowls in the Bay. The fact that we could have it at midnight on a random Tuesday night almost seems too good to be true. And all that before we’ve even really talked about the restaurant’s claim to fame — that flame-torched wagyu. Which is definitely worth getting as a side order to share. (We found it too heavy for one person to finish on their own.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you’re a fan of dramatics, as we are, you can ask the staff to torch the meat at the table, but in our experience, these days they usually decline that request and instead wield the flameflower at the back of the dining room, right before bringing the meat to your table. What we love is how the torching gives the fatty meat these wonderfully crisp edges and infuses it with a deep smoky flavor, which adds a new dimension to the phở-slurping experience. You can dump the plate of torched wagyu directly into your soup, but we liked eating it on its own, between sips of broth, dunking the meat in our makeshift vinegar dip to cut into the richness.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If you’re a fan of dramatics, as we are, you can ask the staff to torch the meat at the table, but in our experience, these days they usually decline that request and instead wield the flameflower at the back of the dining room, right before bringing the meat to your table. What we love is how the torching gives the fatty meat these wonderfully crisp edges and infuses it with a deep smoky flavor, which adds a new dimension to the phở-slurping experience. You can dump the plate of torched wagyu directly into your soup, but we liked eating it on its own, between sips of broth, dunking the meat in our makeshift vinegar dip to cut into the richness.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The rest of Đuôi Bò’s menu is incredibly spare and basic — just some spring rolls and crispy chicken wings as appetizers. In a sign that they understand their audience, or maybe just the Instagram algorithm, they’ve also started blow-torching marrow bones, which were sold out during our visit. We couldn’t figure out how exactly those were meant to complement the phở — but we were here already, why wouldn’t we give it a try? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The rest of Đuôi Bò’s menu is incredibly spare and basic — just some spring rolls and crispy chicken wings as appetizers. In a sign that they understand their audience, or maybe just the Instagram algorithm, they’ve also started blow-torching marrow bones, which were sold out during our visit. We couldn’t figure out how exactly those were meant to complement the phở — but we were here already, why wouldn’t we give it a try? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>By the time we walked out of the restaurant, full beyond the point of comfort, it was close to 11 p.m., and the line of customers waiting outside showed no sign of diminishing. The crowd had started to skew a little bit younger and more fashionably dressed. But as we watched them staring longingly at the menu posted in the window, there was no mistake about it: They were here to \u003cem>eat\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>By the time we walked out of the restaurant, full beyond the point of comfort, it was close to 11 p.m., and the line of customers waiting outside showed no sign of diminishing. The crowd had started to skew a little bit younger and more fashionably dressed. But as we watched them staring longingly at the menu posted in the window, there was no mistake about it: They were here to \u003cem>eat\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/phoduoibo/\">\u003cem>Phở Đuôi Bò\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open 9 a.m.–12:30 a.m. daily at 2465 Alvin Ave. in San José.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Come to Phở Đuôi Bò for the flashy pyrotechnics. Stay for the soul-nourishing broth.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men devouring bowls of pho with a ferocity that verges on being frightening.\" class=\"wp-image-13993627\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">While Phở Đuôi Bò is best known for its blowtorched wagyu beef, the East San José restaurant’s phở itself is worth seeking out in its own right. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When we pulled into the strip mall parking lot in Eastside \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> at a little past 9 o’clock on a recent Friday night, the whole plaza had mostly shut down for the night: the beauty salon, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986806/dzui-favorite-durian-dessert-shop-san-jose-banh-pia\">durian dessert shop\u003c/a>, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13905293/vietnamese-tofu-capital-san-jose\">vegan tofu deli\u003c/a>. The one restaurant still open, a neon-lit beacon in the night, was Phở Đuôi Bò, where about a dozen would-be diners mingled on the curb outside, waiting for a table.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Their goal? To snag one of the city’s most talked-about bowls of phở — and, especially, for its blowtorched wagyu beef, served on top.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both of us had eaten at Đuôi Bò before and liked it enough to return on multiple occasions, families in tow. But the restaurant hit our radar again this summer when it put up a neon “LATE NIGHT EATS” sign and extended its hours past midnight — a rarity in a city whose excellent phở shops mostly close by 8 or 9 p.m. Đuôi Bò, on the other hand, is now open from 9 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. every day of the week: breakfast, lunch, dinner \u003cem>and \u003c/em>second dinner. The shop’s hours are so long, we got dizzy just imagining the size of their stock pot.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The crowd is largely Vietnamese (with other assorted Asians), but less overwhelmingly so than at many of San José’s other top phở spots. There were at least two or three tables’ worth of diverse, non-Asian twentysomethings who’d waited in line like everyone else — evidence, perhaps, of the restaurant’s recent popularity among the South Bay’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/phoduoibo/reels/\">food influencer class\u003c/a>. A lot of times you can tell how good an Asian restaurant is by its cross-generational appeal. Even at 9 p.m., there seemed to be as many 70-year-old Vietnamese aunties and uncles lining up for a hot bowl of phở as there were big groups of college kids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Phở Đuôi Bò first opened in 2024, the restaurant captured the attention of local phở lovers by offering flame-blasted Kobe beef as a topping option, sizzling the well-marbled slices of meat with a mini blowtorch tableside: the very definition of a gimmicky, Insta-viral offering. As it turns out, the torched beef (not really “\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_beef\">Kobe\u003c/a>,” as it’s listed on the menu, but American wagyu from Snake River Farms) is delicious (more on that in a second). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But beyond the flashy pyrotechnics, the core of the restaurant is a lot more rustic and homey. During our visit, the soundtrack was a mix of smooth jazz and old Vietnamese love ballads. In this age of tacky AI-generated wall art, the handpainted murals that line Đuôi Bò’s dining room depict Vietnamese countryside scenes — a bull rearing up in a grassy plain, a resplendently garnished bowl of phở. Nothing about the place reads as overtly “cool” or trendy. And nothing tastes homier than the phở broth itself. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo2.jpg\" alt=\"Storefront of a pho restaurant lit up at night. Illustration: The yellow lettering of the sign overhead reads "Pho Duoi Bo."\" class=\"wp-image-13993629\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/PhoDuoiBo2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant recently extended its hours, which means its phở is now available until 12;30 a.m. daily. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The name “đuôi bò” means oxtail, so of course we decided to order the deluxe oxtail phở, which comes with all the meats you’d get in a bowl of đặc biệt (“special”) phở, plus a big, meaty tailbone that we happily gnawed clean. Here’s our pro tip, though: The reason the restaurant has that name is because it uses dozens of oxtails to make the broth itself, through hours upon hours of slow simmering. The end result is that those tails wind up rather chewy, and all of the flavor has gone into the broth, which is some of the richest and most flavorful we’ve had in the Bay. It’s loaded with collagen and big, glistening droplets of fat, but also clean and light on the palate. And that’s the same broth you get no matter which phở you order. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For our second bowl, then, we stuck with our usual favorites: raw steak (served on the side so we could poach it in the hot soup at the last minute), the soft tendons, the fatty brisket and bouncy meatballs. We opted for the wider, springier fresh noodles, and doctored up a little dipping sauce for our meats: some fish sauce and Sriracha, a clutch of vinegared onions (available as a $1 side), a squeeze of lime. Đuôi Bò also offers Chinese fried crullers as a side dish. Fresh out of the deep fryer, these make an excellent addition to a bowl of phở; the contrast between their crunchiness and the bit of sogginess they pick up after they’ve bobbed around in the soup for a minute is just sublime.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All of this adds up to something approaching our Platonic ideal for phở, easily ranking as one of our top two or three favorite bowls in the Bay. The fact that we could have it at midnight on a random Tuesday night almost seems too good to be true. And all that before we’ve even really talked about the restaurant’s claim to fame — that flame-torched wagyu. Which is definitely worth getting as a side order to share. (We found it too heavy for one person to finish on their own.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re a fan of dramatics, as we are, you can ask the staff to torch the meat at the table, but in our experience, these days they usually decline that request and instead wield the flameflower at the back of the dining room, right before bringing the meat to your table. What we love is how the torching gives the fatty meat these wonderfully crisp edges and infuses it with a deep smoky flavor, which adds a new dimension to the phở-slurping experience. You can dump the plate of torched wagyu directly into your soup, but we liked eating it on its own, between sips of broth, dunking the meat in our makeshift vinegar dip to cut into the richness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The rest of Đuôi Bò’s menu is incredibly spare and basic — just some spring rolls and crispy chicken wings as appetizers. In a sign that they understand their audience, or maybe just the Instagram algorithm, they’ve also started blow-torching marrow bones, which were sold out during our visit. We couldn’t figure out how exactly those were meant to complement the phở — but we were here already, why wouldn’t we give it a try? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By the time we walked out of the restaurant, full beyond the point of comfort, it was close to 11 p.m., and the line of customers waiting outside showed no sign of diminishing. The crowd had started to skew a little bit younger and more fashionably dressed. But as we watched them staring longingly at the menu posted in the window, there was no mistake about it: They were here to \u003cem>eat\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" />\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/phoduoibo/\">\u003cem>Phở Đuôi Bò\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open 9 a.m.–12:30 a.m. daily at 2465 Alvin Ave. in San José.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "best-matcha-bay-area-oakland-berkeley-sf-san-jose",
"title": "11 Vibrant Bay Area Matcha Cafes to Keep You Well Caffeinated",
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"headTitle": "11 Vibrant Bay Area Matcha Cafes to Keep You Well Caffeinated | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/fall-guide-2026\">2026 Fall Arts Guide\u003c/a> to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These days, every young person in the Bay Area seems to be walking around with some variation of the same green drink: matcha. Traditionally made by whisking finely ground green tea leaves with hot water, the beverage has been used for ceremonial practices in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/japanese-food\">Japan\u003c/a> for thousands of years. Over the past decade, however, the vibrant drink has taken America by storm. The United States now imports \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd2PpIvUKwo\">over 2,000 tons\u003c/a> of matcha per year, turning the tea powder into drinks, ice cream treats and even skin care products. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here in the Bay, it feels like a new matcha cafe or matcha-forward coffee shop opens almost every day. Each place offers its own take on the drink, whether it be a latte with your choice of milk, an obsessively sweet concoction of cookie butters and banana puddings, or a simple americano.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Matcha, like life, is all about balance. I spent the past several weeks trying many of the Bay Area’s hundreds of matcha cafes. Here are some of my favorites. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>EAST BAY: \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a cup of iced coffee topped with a layer of pale green matcha cream.\" class=\"wp-image-13993215\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The matcha americano with cream top at Yume Mori on August 21, 2026, in Berkeley. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yumemori.matcha/\">Yume Mori \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2319 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jazz plays inside this minimalist cafe located in a line of popular matcha cafes near UC Berkeley. The spot is hard to miss because there is always a crowd of people waiting outside — tweens holding mom’s spot in line while she searches for a parking space.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yume Mori is one of the few shops where customers get to choose a specific regional variety of matcha for your drink, each one boasting a different flavor profile. The cafe also serves matcha soft serve, matcha crepes and house specialties like clear matcha (made with coconut water and topped with matcha cream) and genmaicha lattes (made with green tea blended with roasted rice). The matcha here has a vibrant color and taste, but if you don’t care for those intense nutty and astringent flavors, there are also sweeter options like tiramisu, yuzu miso and cold brew options. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mindcoffee.ca/\">Mind Coffee\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1816 Euclid Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Away from the traffic of the busier parts of Berkeley sits Mind Coffee, a popular study spot for students on the north side of campus. Mind has a large selection of coffee, teas and pastries, and the matcha drinks, in particular, are some of the most creative in the Bay. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Einspänners are especially popular here. These froth-topped drinks, named after a type of horse-drawn carriage, originated in Vienna, Austria. But they’d been a fixture in Korean dramas for years by the time they made their way to the States. Einspänners are traditionally a coffee drink, but Mind features less common versions like an Earl Grey matcha Einspänner latte (which tastes a bit like a sweet, syrupy bowl of cereal) and an iced matcha sakura Einspänner with pink milk, which transports you into a forest of cherry blossom trees.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Matcha latte and strawberry matcha latte on a sun-dappled wooden table.\" class=\"wp-image-13993222\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A matcha latte and strawberry matcha latte from Kitsch Coffee in Oakland on Aug. 20, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kitschcoffeeoakland/\">Kitsch Coffee\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>590 2nd St., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kitsch Coffee shares space with a vintage furniture and home goods store in Jack London Square. The big open space is always full with people working behind laptops, chatting with friends or sifting through racks of vintage clothes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kitsch is a coffee shop, but the place takes matcha seriously. Matcha here is bright green and can be amped up with housemade syrups with flavors like ginger and lavender. The carrot cake matcha even comes with a cream cheese foam to mimic the frosting on a slice of cake. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fortheloveofmatchacafe/\">For the Love of Matcha\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Grand Lake Farmers Market (Grand Avenue and Lake Park Avenue, Oakland)\u003cbr>Temescal Farmers Market (5300 Claremont Ave., Oakland)\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This weekly pop-up at the Grand Lake and Temescal farmers markets closes once it sells out, so it’s best to arrive early. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The menu rotates based on the season. For summer, they have sweet corn, fig, vanilla and the forever favorite strawberry matcha latte. The farmers market stand is popular, so oftentimes you’ll find many of the flavors crossed out in permanent marker. The Matchacano is my go-to drink, but you can always up the flavor with their seasonal syrups and cream tops. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding matcha soft serve ice cream on a sugar cone.\" class=\"wp-image-13993225\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A customer holds a matcha-and-vanilla swirl soft serve ice cream cone from Urban Matcha in Castro Valley on Aug. 20, 2026 (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/urbanmatcha.castrovalley/\">Urban Matcha \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3311 Castro Valley Blvd., Castro Valley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A hidden gem in suburban Castro Valley, Urban Matcha provides a matcha oasis in a somewhat unlikely part of the Bay. At 7 p.m. on a recent Tuesday evening, the cafe was full of chatty teens, people finding a calm place to get work done and families ending their night with their favorite sweet treats. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Part of a chain that extends from California to Las Vegas, the cafe is especially notable for its matcha-flavored desserts. This is the kind of place where every other customer walks out with their hands full of matcha parfaits loaded with agar jelly, corn flakes, matcha gelato, red bean paste, mochi balls and a big scoop of matcha soft serve. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>SAN FRANCISCO: \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/constance.tea/\">Constance Tea\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3512 Balboa St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Located on Balboa Street, in the Outer Richmond, Constance Tea is the only place in San Francisco where tea leaves are stone-milled into matcha in house. This new shop isn’t the place to find the drinks that satisfy your sweet tooth. Instead, Constance focuses on the basics: a small selection of hōjicha (roasted green tea), Einspänners and traditional matcha drinks made with matcha sourced from various regions in Japan, showcasing different flavor profiles. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During a recent visit, my matcha americano was a vivid green, perfectly balanced between earthiness and a nutty aftertaste, with a cream top that provided just the right amount of milkiness to complement the grassy taste of the tea. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Two customers side by side holding creamy matcha drinks.\" class=\"wp-image-13993221\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Customers hold their matcha drinks at Ceré Tea on Valencia Street in San Francisco on Aug. 20, 2026. The tea shop specializes in matcha and hōjicha drinks. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cereteaxyz/\">Ceré Tea \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1186 Valencia St., San Francisco (and other locations)\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This popular matcha spot in the Mission, with locations throughout the Bay Area, has all the makings for a viral cafe, with its full-body selfie mirror and minimalist design. The menu puts matcha and hōjicha at the forefront, featuring drinks infused with yuzu, ube, guava and more. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The matcha leans toward the brighter and more bitter side, but you can always sweeten the deal with a banana or crème brûlée cream top. Trendy offerings like Einspänners and cheese cream toppings are also available. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/matchacafemaiko/\">Matcha Café Maiko \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1581 Webster St., San Francisco (and other locations)\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This wildly popular Honolulu-based chain has become a Bay Area mall staple. It’s a quick, convenient and portable way to take your matcha to go. Big chains often don’t maintain their quality, but Maiko is always consistent, offering a convenient option to grab your matcha on the go. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Perfect for a matcha beginner, the shop is known for its wide variety of matcha desserts:soft serves, shaved ices, parfaits, frappes and floats. The matcha here strikes just the right balance of sweetness and rich matcha flavor, providing the best caffeine boost after a day at the mall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>SOUTH BAY AND PENINSULA: \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A matcha drink with white swirls of crème brûlée–flavored cream.\" class=\"wp-image-13993424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The crème brûlée matcha swirl at Izumi Matcha in San Mateo on Aug. 27, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/izumi.matcha/\">Izumi Matcha \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>180 E. 3rd Ave. Unit 100A, San Mateo\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With three locations in the Peninsula and South Bay, Izumi is one of the only cafes in the US that \u003ca href=\"https://izumimatcha.com/premium-matcha-powder/\">sources its matcha from Marukyu Koyamaen\u003c/a>, a highly regarded producer in Uji, Japan. Inside, the walls are lined with tins of the Marukyu matcha powder, along with tea kettles, matcha serving bowls and matcha whisks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The broad menu of teas and desserts really highlight the quality of the matcha itself. The matcha latte options include trendy flavors like a crème brûlée swirl that adds an element of creaminess as a counterpoint to the bright matcha flavor. In addition to the drinks, the shop also offers a diverse selection of matcha- and tea-flavored ice creams — everything from ube to “intense matcha.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/aroma.cct/\">Aroma\u003c/a> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3005 Silver Creek Rd. Ste. 150, San José\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This East San José tea, coffee and chè shop sells a wide variety of Vietnamese-inspired coffee and tea drinks. Matcha is the powerhouse of the menu, available in 10 different flavors, many of them featuring Southeast Asian ingredients like pandan, guava, banana cream and mango sticky rice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The matcha at Aroma is strong, but not overpoweringly bitter. The quality of the tea shines through even when paired with thick, sweet, syrupy banana, mango and yuzu puddings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A matcha parfait in a sundae glass, layered with fresh strawberries and ice cream.\" class=\"wp-image-13993421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-04-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Another view of the matcha strawberry parfait at Matsu Matcha. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/matsumatcha.usa/\">Matsu Matcha\u003c/a> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3030 El Camino Real, Santa Clara\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp> A calm oasis located inside a busy shopping plaza in Santa Clara, Matsu serves bright green matcha in many different formats. The cafe’s extensive menu offers matcha gelato (available in five levels of increasing intensity, plus a seasonal flavor), matcha floats, matcha flights and much more. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The matcha flights are a good option for customers who have trouble deciding. They feature a triple dose of matcha, a matcha latte with matcha cream on top, a seasonal matcha (guava during my recent visit) and a matcha float (available in flavors like grape and dark chocolate). \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/fall-guide-2026\">2026 Fall Arts Guide\u003c/a> to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/fall-guide-2026\">2026 Fall Arts Guide\u003c/a> to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These days, every young person in the Bay Area seems to be walking around with some variation of the same green drink: matcha. Traditionally made by whisking finely ground green tea leaves with hot water, the beverage has been used for ceremonial practices in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/japanese-food\">Japan\u003c/a> for thousands of years. Over the past decade, however, the vibrant drink has taken America by storm. The United States now imports \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd2PpIvUKwo\">over 2,000 tons\u003c/a> of matcha per year, turning the tea powder into drinks, ice cream treats and even skin care products. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>These days, every young person in the Bay Area seems to be walking around with some variation of the same green drink: matcha. Traditionally made by whisking finely ground green tea leaves with hot water, the beverage has been used for ceremonial practices in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/japanese-food\">Japan\u003c/a> for thousands of years. Over the past decade, however, the vibrant drink has taken America by storm. The United States now imports \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd2PpIvUKwo\">over 2,000 tons\u003c/a> of matcha per year, turning the tea powder into drinks, ice cream treats and even skin care products. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Here in the Bay, it feels like a new matcha cafe or matcha-forward coffee shop opens almost every day. Each place offers its own take on the drink, whether it be a latte with your choice of milk, an obsessively sweet concoction of cookie butters and banana puddings, or a simple americano.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Here in the Bay, it feels like a new matcha cafe or matcha-forward coffee shop opens almost every day. Each place offers its own take on the drink, whether it be a latte with your choice of milk, an obsessively sweet concoction of cookie butters and banana puddings, or a simple americano.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Matcha, like life, is all about balance. I spent the past several weeks trying many of the Bay Area’s hundreds of matcha cafes. Here are some of my favorites. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Matcha, like life, is all about balance. I spent the past several weeks trying many of the Bay Area’s hundreds of matcha cafes. Here are some of my favorites. \u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "EAST BAY: ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>EAST BAY: \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>EAST BAY: \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"alt": "Hand holding a cup of iced coffee topped with a layer of pale green matcha cream.",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a cup of iced coffee topped with a layer of pale green matcha cream.\" class=\"wp-image-13993215\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The matcha americano with cream top at Yume Mori on August 21, 2026, in Berkeley.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a cup of iced coffee topped with a layer of pale green matcha cream.\" class=\"wp-image-13993215\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The matcha americano with cream top at Yume Mori on August 21, 2026, in Berkeley.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"text": "Yume Mori ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yumemori.matcha/\">Yume Mori \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yumemori.matcha/\">Yume Mori \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2319 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2319 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jazz plays inside this minimalist cafe located in a line of popular matcha cafes near UC Berkeley. The spot is hard to miss because there is always a crowd of people waiting outside — tweens holding mom’s spot in line while she searches for a parking space.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jazz plays inside this minimalist cafe located in a line of popular matcha cafes near UC Berkeley. The spot is hard to miss because there is always a crowd of people waiting outside — tweens holding mom’s spot in line while she searches for a parking space.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yume Mori is one of the few shops where customers get to choose a specific regional variety of matcha for your drink, each one boasting a different flavor profile. The cafe also serves matcha soft serve, matcha crepes and house specialties like clear matcha (made with coconut water and topped with matcha cream) and genmaicha lattes (made with green tea blended with roasted rice). The matcha here has a vibrant color and taste, but if you don’t care for those intense nutty and astringent flavors, there are also sweeter options like tiramisu, yuzu miso and cold brew options. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Yume Mori is one of the few shops where customers get to choose a specific regional variety of matcha for your drink, each one boasting a different flavor profile. The cafe also serves matcha soft serve, matcha crepes and house specialties like clear matcha (made with coconut water and topped with matcha cream) and genmaicha lattes (made with green tea blended with roasted rice). The matcha here has a vibrant color and taste, but if you don’t care for those intense nutty and astringent flavors, there are also sweeter options like tiramisu, yuzu miso and cold brew options. \u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Mind Coffee",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mindcoffee.ca/\">Mind Coffee\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mindcoffee.ca/\">Mind Coffee\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1816 Euclid Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1816 Euclid Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Away from the traffic of the busier parts of Berkeley sits Mind Coffee, a popular study spot for students on the north side of campus. Mind has a large selection of coffee, teas and pastries, and the matcha drinks, in particular, are some of the most creative in the Bay. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Away from the traffic of the busier parts of Berkeley sits Mind Coffee, a popular study spot for students on the north side of campus. Mind has a large selection of coffee, teas and pastries, and the matcha drinks, in particular, are some of the most creative in the Bay. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Einspänners are especially popular here. These froth-topped drinks, named after a type of horse-drawn carriage, originated in Vienna, Austria. But they’d been a fixture in Korean dramas for years by the time they made their way to the States. Einspänners are traditionally a coffee drink, but Mind features less common versions like an Earl Grey matcha Einspänner latte (which tastes a bit like a sweet, syrupy bowl of cereal) and an iced matcha sakura Einspänner with pink milk, which transports you into a forest of cherry blossom trees.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The Einspänners are especially popular here. These froth-topped drinks, named after a type of horse-drawn carriage, originated in Vienna, Austria. But they’d been a fixture in Korean dramas for years by the time they made their way to the States. Einspänners are traditionally a coffee drink, but Mind features less common versions like an Earl Grey matcha Einspänner latte (which tastes a bit like a sweet, syrupy bowl of cereal) and an iced matcha sakura Einspänner with pink milk, which transports you into a forest of cherry blossom trees.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"alt": "Matcha latte and strawberry matcha latte on a sun-dappled wooden table.",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Matcha latte and strawberry matcha latte on a sun-dappled wooden table.\" class=\"wp-image-13993222\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A matcha latte and strawberry matcha latte from Kitsch Coffee in Oakland on Aug. 20, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Matcha latte and strawberry matcha latte on a sun-dappled wooden table.\" class=\"wp-image-13993222\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A matcha latte and strawberry matcha latte from Kitsch Coffee in Oakland on Aug. 20, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kitschcoffeeoakland/\">Kitsch Coffee\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kitschcoffeeoakland/\">Kitsch Coffee\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>590 2nd St., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>590 2nd St., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kitsch Coffee shares space with a vintage furniture and home goods store in Jack London Square. The big open space is always full with people working behind laptops, chatting with friends or sifting through racks of vintage clothes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kitsch Coffee shares space with a vintage furniture and home goods store in Jack London Square. The big open space is always full with people working behind laptops, chatting with friends or sifting through racks of vintage clothes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kitsch is a coffee shop, but the place takes matcha seriously. Matcha here is bright green and can be amped up with housemade syrups with flavors like ginger and lavender. The carrot cake matcha even comes with a cream cheese foam to mimic the frosting on a slice of cake. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kitsch is a coffee shop, but the place takes matcha seriously. Matcha here is bright green and can be amped up with housemade syrups with flavors like ginger and lavender. The carrot cake matcha even comes with a cream cheese foam to mimic the frosting on a slice of cake. \u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "For the Love of Matcha",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fortheloveofmatchacafe/\">For the Love of Matcha\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fortheloveofmatchacafe/\">For the Love of Matcha\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Grand Lake Farmers Market (Grand Avenue and Lake Park Avenue, Oakland)\u003cbr>Temescal Farmers Market (5300 Claremont Ave., Oakland)\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Grand Lake Farmers Market (Grand Avenue and Lake Park Avenue, Oakland)\u003cbr>Temescal Farmers Market (5300 Claremont Ave., Oakland)\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This weekly pop-up at the Grand Lake and Temescal farmers markets closes once it sells out, so it’s best to arrive early. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>This weekly pop-up at the Grand Lake and Temescal farmers markets closes once it sells out, so it’s best to arrive early. \u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The menu rotates based on the season. For summer, they have sweet corn, fig, vanilla and the forever favorite strawberry matcha latte. The farmers market stand is popular, so oftentimes you’ll find many of the flavors crossed out in permanent marker. The Matchacano is my go-to drink, but you can always up the flavor with their seasonal syrups and cream tops. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The menu rotates based on the season. For summer, they have sweet corn, fig, vanilla and the forever favorite strawberry matcha latte. The farmers market stand is popular, so oftentimes you’ll find many of the flavors crossed out in permanent marker. The Matchacano is my go-to drink, but you can always up the flavor with their seasonal syrups and cream tops. \u003c/p>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 13993225,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "Hand holding matcha soft serve ice cream on a sugar cone.",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding matcha soft serve ice cream on a sugar cone.\" class=\"wp-image-13993225\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A customer holds a matcha-and-vanilla swirl soft serve ice cream cone from Urban Matcha in Castro Valley on Aug. 20, 2026\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding matcha soft serve ice cream on a sugar cone.\" class=\"wp-image-13993225\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A customer holds a matcha-and-vanilla swirl soft serve ice cream cone from Urban Matcha in Castro Valley on Aug. 20, 2026\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Urban Matcha ",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/urbanmatcha.castrovalley/\">Urban Matcha \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/urbanmatcha.castrovalley/\">Urban Matcha \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3311 Castro Valley Blvd., Castro Valley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3311 Castro Valley Blvd., Castro Valley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A hidden gem in suburban Castro Valley, Urban Matcha provides a matcha oasis in a somewhat unlikely part of the Bay. At 7 p.m. on a recent Tuesday evening, the cafe was full of chatty teens, people finding a calm place to get work done and families ending their night with their favorite sweet treats. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>A hidden gem in suburban Castro Valley, Urban Matcha provides a matcha oasis in a somewhat unlikely part of the Bay. At 7 p.m. on a recent Tuesday evening, the cafe was full of chatty teens, people finding a calm place to get work done and families ending their night with their favorite sweet treats. \u003c/p>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Part of a chain that extends from California to Las Vegas, the cafe is especially notable for its matcha-flavored desserts. This is the kind of place where every other customer walks out with their hands full of matcha parfaits loaded with agar jelly, corn flakes, matcha gelato, red bean paste, mochi balls and a big scoop of matcha soft serve. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Part of a chain that extends from California to Las Vegas, the cafe is especially notable for its matcha-flavored desserts. This is the kind of place where every other customer walks out with their hands full of matcha parfaits loaded with agar jelly, corn flakes, matcha gelato, red bean paste, mochi balls and a big scoop of matcha soft serve. \u003c/p>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "SAN FRANCISCO: ",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>SAN FRANCISCO: \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>SAN FRANCISCO: \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Constance Tea",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/constance.tea/\">Constance Tea\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/constance.tea/\">Constance Tea\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3512 Balboa St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3512 Balboa St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Located on Balboa Street, in the Outer Richmond, Constance Tea is the only place in San Francisco where tea leaves are stone-milled into matcha in house. This new shop isn’t the place to find the drinks that satisfy your sweet tooth. Instead, Constance focuses on the basics: a small selection of hōjicha (roasted green tea), Einspänners and traditional matcha drinks made with matcha sourced from various regions in Japan, showcasing different flavor profiles. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Located on Balboa Street, in the Outer Richmond, Constance Tea is the only place in San Francisco where tea leaves are stone-milled into matcha in house. This new shop isn’t the place to find the drinks that satisfy your sweet tooth. Instead, Constance focuses on the basics: a small selection of hōjicha (roasted green tea), Einspänners and traditional matcha drinks made with matcha sourced from various regions in Japan, showcasing different flavor profiles. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During a recent visit, my matcha americano was a vivid green, perfectly balanced between earthiness and a nutty aftertaste, with a cream top that provided just the right amount of milkiness to complement the grassy taste of the tea. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>During a recent visit, my matcha americano was a vivid green, perfectly balanced between earthiness and a nutty aftertaste, with a cream top that provided just the right amount of milkiness to complement the grassy taste of the tea. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 13993221,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "Two customers side by side holding creamy matcha drinks.",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Two customers side by side holding creamy matcha drinks.\" class=\"wp-image-13993221\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Customers hold their matcha drinks at Ceré Tea on Valencia Street in San Francisco on Aug. 20, 2026. The tea shop specializes in matcha and hōjicha drinks.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Two customers side by side holding creamy matcha drinks.\" class=\"wp-image-13993221\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Customers hold their matcha drinks at Ceré Tea on Valencia Street in San Francisco on Aug. 20, 2026. The tea shop specializes in matcha and hōjicha drinks.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Ceré Tea ",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cereteaxyz/\">Ceré Tea \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cereteaxyz/\">Ceré Tea \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1186 Valencia St., San Francisco (and other locations)\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1186 Valencia St., San Francisco (and other locations)\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This popular matcha spot in the Mission, with locations throughout the Bay Area, has all the makings for a viral cafe, with its full-body selfie mirror and minimalist design. The menu puts matcha and hōjicha at the forefront, featuring drinks infused with yuzu, ube, guava and more. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>This popular matcha spot in the Mission, with locations throughout the Bay Area, has all the makings for a viral cafe, with its full-body selfie mirror and minimalist design. The menu puts matcha and hōjicha at the forefront, featuring drinks infused with yuzu, ube, guava and more. \u003c/p>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The matcha leans toward the brighter and more bitter side, but you can always sweeten the deal with a banana or crème brûlée cream top. Trendy offerings like Einspänners and cheese cream toppings are also available. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The matcha leans toward the brighter and more bitter side, but you can always sweeten the deal with a banana or crème brûlée cream top. Trendy offerings like Einspänners and cheese cream toppings are also available. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Matcha Café Maiko ",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/matchacafemaiko/\">Matcha Café Maiko \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/matchacafemaiko/\">Matcha Café Maiko \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1581 Webster St., San Francisco (and other locations)\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1581 Webster St., San Francisco (and other locations)\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This wildly popular Honolulu-based chain has become a Bay Area mall staple. It’s a quick, convenient and portable way to take your matcha to go. Big chains often don’t maintain their quality, but Maiko is always consistent, offering a convenient option to grab your matcha on the go. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>This wildly popular Honolulu-based chain has become a Bay Area mall staple. It’s a quick, convenient and portable way to take your matcha to go. Big chains often don’t maintain their quality, but Maiko is always consistent, offering a convenient option to grab your matcha on the go. \u003c/p>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Perfect for a matcha beginner, the shop is known for its wide variety of matcha desserts:soft serves, shaved ices, parfaits, frappes and floats. The matcha here strikes just the right balance of sweetness and rich matcha flavor, providing the best caffeine boost after a day at the mall.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Perfect for a matcha beginner, the shop is known for its wide variety of matcha desserts:soft serves, shaved ices, parfaits, frappes and floats. The matcha here strikes just the right balance of sweetness and rich matcha flavor, providing the best caffeine boost after a day at the mall.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "SOUTH BAY AND PENINSULA: ",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>SOUTH BAY AND PENINSULA: \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>SOUTH BAY AND PENINSULA: \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 13993424,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "A matcha drink with white swirls of crème brûlée–flavored cream.",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A matcha drink with white swirls of crème brûlée–flavored cream.\" class=\"wp-image-13993424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The crème brûlée matcha swirl at Izumi Matcha in San Mateo on Aug. 27, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A matcha drink with white swirls of crème brûlée–flavored cream.\" class=\"wp-image-13993424\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The crème brûlée matcha swirl at Izumi Matcha in San Mateo on Aug. 27, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Izumi Matcha ",
"level": 2
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/izumi.matcha/\">Izumi Matcha \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/izumi.matcha/\">Izumi Matcha \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>180 E. 3rd Ave. Unit 100A, San Mateo\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>180 E. 3rd Ave. Unit 100A, San Mateo\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>With three locations in the Peninsula and South Bay, Izumi is one of the only cafes in the US that \u003ca href=\"https://izumimatcha.com/premium-matcha-powder/\">sources its matcha from Marukyu Koyamaen\u003c/a>, a highly regarded producer in Uji, Japan. Inside, the walls are lined with tins of the Marukyu matcha powder, along with tea kettles, matcha serving bowls and matcha whisks. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>With three locations in the Peninsula and South Bay, Izumi is one of the only cafes in the US that \u003ca href=\"https://izumimatcha.com/premium-matcha-powder/\">sources its matcha from Marukyu Koyamaen\u003c/a>, a highly regarded producer in Uji, Japan. Inside, the walls are lined with tins of the Marukyu matcha powder, along with tea kettles, matcha serving bowls and matcha whisks. \u003c/p>\n"
],
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},
{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The broad menu of teas and desserts really highlight the quality of the matcha itself. The matcha latte options include trendy flavors like a crème brûlée swirl that adds an element of creaminess as a counterpoint to the bright matcha flavor. In addition to the drinks, the shop also offers a diverse selection of matcha- and tea-flavored ice creams — everything from ube to “intense matcha.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The broad menu of teas and desserts really highlight the quality of the matcha itself. The matcha latte options include trendy flavors like a crème brûlée swirl that adds an element of creaminess as a counterpoint to the bright matcha flavor. In addition to the drinks, the shop also offers a diverse selection of matcha- and tea-flavored ice creams — everything from ube to “intense matcha.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Aroma",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/aroma.cct/\">Aroma\u003c/a> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/aroma.cct/\">Aroma\u003c/a> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3005 Silver Creek Rd. Ste. 150, San José\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3005 Silver Creek Rd. Ste. 150, San José\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This East San José tea, coffee and chè shop sells a wide variety of Vietnamese-inspired coffee and tea drinks. Matcha is the powerhouse of the menu, available in 10 different flavors, many of them featuring Southeast Asian ingredients like pandan, guava, banana cream and mango sticky rice. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This East San José tea, coffee and chè shop sells a wide variety of Vietnamese-inspired coffee and tea drinks. Matcha is the powerhouse of the menu, available in 10 different flavors, many of them featuring Southeast Asian ingredients like pandan, guava, banana cream and mango sticky rice. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The matcha at Aroma is strong, but not overpoweringly bitter. The quality of the tea shines through even when paired with thick, sweet, syrupy banana, mango and yuzu puddings.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The matcha at Aroma is strong, but not overpoweringly bitter. The quality of the tea shines through even when paired with thick, sweet, syrupy banana, mango and yuzu puddings.\u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "A matcha parfait in a sundae glass, layered with fresh strawberries and ice cream.",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A matcha parfait in a sundae glass, layered with fresh strawberries and ice cream.\" class=\"wp-image-13993421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-04-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Another view of the matcha strawberry parfait at Matsu Matcha.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A matcha parfait in a sundae glass, layered with fresh strawberries and ice cream.\" class=\"wp-image-13993421\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Another view of the matcha strawberry parfait at Matsu Matcha.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/matsumatcha.usa/\">Matsu Matcha\u003c/a> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/matsumatcha.usa/\">Matsu Matcha\u003c/a> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3030 El Camino Real, Santa Clara\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp> A calm oasis located inside a busy shopping plaza in Santa Clara, Matsu serves bright green matcha in many different formats. The cafe’s extensive menu offers matcha gelato (available in five levels of increasing intensity, plus a seasonal flavor), matcha floats, matcha flights and much more. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp> A calm oasis located inside a busy shopping plaza in Santa Clara, Matsu serves bright green matcha in many different formats. The cafe’s extensive menu offers matcha gelato (available in five levels of increasing intensity, plus a seasonal flavor), matcha floats, matcha flights and much more. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The matcha flights are a good option for customers who have trouble deciding. They feature a triple dose of matcha, a matcha latte with matcha cream on top, a seasonal matcha (guava during my recent visit) and a matcha float (available in flavors like grape and dark chocolate). \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The matcha flights are a good option for customers who have trouble deciding. They feature a triple dose of matcha, a matcha latte with matcha cream on top, a seasonal matcha (guava during my recent visit) and a matcha float (available in flavors like grape and dark chocolate). \u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "A guide to the best matcha lattes, Einspänners and soft serve in the Bay.",
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"title": "The Best Matcha Cafes in the Bay Area | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/fall-guide-2026\">2026 Fall Arts Guide\u003c/a> to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These days, every young person in the Bay Area seems to be walking around with some variation of the same green drink: matcha. Traditionally made by whisking finely ground green tea leaves with hot water, the beverage has been used for ceremonial practices in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/japanese-food\">Japan\u003c/a> for thousands of years. Over the past decade, however, the vibrant drink has taken America by storm. The United States now imports \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd2PpIvUKwo\">over 2,000 tons\u003c/a> of matcha per year, turning the tea powder into drinks, ice cream treats and even skin care products. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here in the Bay, it feels like a new matcha cafe or matcha-forward coffee shop opens almost every day. Each place offers its own take on the drink, whether it be a latte with your choice of milk, an obsessively sweet concoction of cookie butters and banana puddings, or a simple americano.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Matcha, like life, is all about balance. I spent the past several weeks trying many of the Bay Area’s hundreds of matcha cafes. Here are some of my favorites. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>EAST BAY: \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a cup of iced coffee topped with a layer of pale green matcha cream.\" class=\"wp-image-13993215\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/082126-FALLARTSGUIDEMATCHAINTHEBAY-15-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The matcha americano with cream top at Yume Mori on August 21, 2026, in Berkeley. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yumemori.matcha/\">Yume Mori \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2319 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jazz plays inside this minimalist cafe located in a line of popular matcha cafes near UC Berkeley. The spot is hard to miss because there is always a crowd of people waiting outside — tweens holding mom’s spot in line while she searches for a parking space.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yume Mori is one of the few shops where customers get to choose a specific regional variety of matcha for your drink, each one boasting a different flavor profile. The cafe also serves matcha soft serve, matcha crepes and house specialties like clear matcha (made with coconut water and topped with matcha cream) and genmaicha lattes (made with green tea blended with roasted rice). The matcha here has a vibrant color and taste, but if you don’t care for those intense nutty and astringent flavors, there are also sweeter options like tiramisu, yuzu miso and cold brew options. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mindcoffee.ca/\">Mind Coffee\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1816 Euclid Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Away from the traffic of the busier parts of Berkeley sits Mind Coffee, a popular study spot for students on the north side of campus. Mind has a large selection of coffee, teas and pastries, and the matcha drinks, in particular, are some of the most creative in the Bay. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Einspänners are especially popular here. These froth-topped drinks, named after a type of horse-drawn carriage, originated in Vienna, Austria. But they’d been a fixture in Korean dramas for years by the time they made their way to the States. Einspänners are traditionally a coffee drink, but Mind features less common versions like an Earl Grey matcha Einspänner latte (which tastes a bit like a sweet, syrupy bowl of cereal) and an iced matcha sakura Einspänner with pink milk, which transports you into a forest of cherry blossom trees.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Matcha latte and strawberry matcha latte on a sun-dappled wooden table.\" class=\"wp-image-13993222\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-9-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A matcha latte and strawberry matcha latte from Kitsch Coffee in Oakland on Aug. 20, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kitschcoffeeoakland/\">Kitsch Coffee\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>590 2nd St., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kitsch Coffee shares space with a vintage furniture and home goods store in Jack London Square. The big open space is always full with people working behind laptops, chatting with friends or sifting through racks of vintage clothes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kitsch is a coffee shop, but the place takes matcha seriously. Matcha here is bright green and can be amped up with housemade syrups with flavors like ginger and lavender. The carrot cake matcha even comes with a cream cheese foam to mimic the frosting on a slice of cake. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fortheloveofmatchacafe/\">For the Love of Matcha\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Grand Lake Farmers Market (Grand Avenue and Lake Park Avenue, Oakland)\u003cbr>Temescal Farmers Market (5300 Claremont Ave., Oakland)\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This weekly pop-up at the Grand Lake and Temescal farmers markets closes once it sells out, so it’s best to arrive early. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The menu rotates based on the season. For summer, they have sweet corn, fig, vanilla and the forever favorite strawberry matcha latte. The farmers market stand is popular, so oftentimes you’ll find many of the flavors crossed out in permanent marker. The Matchacano is my go-to drink, but you can always up the flavor with their seasonal syrups and cream tops. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding matcha soft serve ice cream on a sugar cone.\" class=\"wp-image-13993225\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHA-NG-30-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A customer holds a matcha-and-vanilla swirl soft serve ice cream cone from Urban Matcha in Castro Valley on Aug. 20, 2026 (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/urbanmatcha.castrovalley/\">Urban Matcha \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3311 Castro Valley Blvd., Castro Valley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A hidden gem in suburban Castro Valley, Urban Matcha provides a matcha oasis in a somewhat unlikely part of the Bay. At 7 p.m. on a recent Tuesday evening, the cafe was full of chatty teens, people finding a calm place to get work done and families ending their night with their favorite sweet treats. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Part of a chain that extends from California to Las Vegas, the cafe is especially notable for its matcha-flavored desserts. This is the kind of place where every other customer walks out with their hands full of matcha parfaits loaded with agar jelly, corn flakes, matcha gelato, red bean paste, mochi balls and a big scoop of matcha soft serve. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>SAN FRANCISCO: \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/constance.tea/\">Constance Tea\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3512 Balboa St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Located on Balboa Street, in the Outer Richmond, Constance Tea is the only place in San Francisco where tea leaves are stone-milled into matcha in house. This new shop isn’t the place to find the drinks that satisfy your sweet tooth. Instead, Constance focuses on the basics: a small selection of hōjicha (roasted green tea), Einspänners and traditional matcha drinks made with matcha sourced from various regions in Japan, showcasing different flavor profiles. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During a recent visit, my matcha americano was a vivid green, perfectly balanced between earthiness and a nutty aftertaste, with a cream top that provided just the right amount of milkiness to complement the grassy taste of the tea. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Two customers side by side holding creamy matcha drinks.\" class=\"wp-image-13993221\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260820-MATCHAINTHEBAY-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Customers hold their matcha drinks at Ceré Tea on Valencia Street in San Francisco on Aug. 20, 2026. The tea shop specializes in matcha and hōjicha drinks. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cereteaxyz/\">Ceré Tea \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1186 Valencia St., San Francisco (and other locations)\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This popular matcha spot in the Mission, with locations throughout the Bay Area, has all the makings for a viral cafe, with its full-body selfie mirror and minimalist design. The menu puts matcha and hōjicha at the forefront, featuring drinks infused with yuzu, ube, guava and more. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The matcha leans toward the brighter and more bitter side, but you can always sweeten the deal with a banana or crème brûlée cream top. Trendy offerings like Einspänners and cheese cream toppings are also available. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/matchacafemaiko/\">Matcha Café Maiko \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1581 Webster St., San Francisco (and other locations)\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This wildly popular Honolulu-based chain has become a Bay Area mall staple. It’s a quick, convenient and portable way to take your matcha to go. Big chains often don’t maintain their quality, but Maiko is always consistent, offering a convenient option to grab your matcha on the go. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Perfect for a matcha beginner, the shop is known for its wide variety of matcha desserts:soft serves, shaved ices, parfaits, frappes and floats. The matcha here strikes just the right balance of sweetness and rich matcha flavor, providing the best caffeine boost after a day at the mall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>SOUTH BAY AND PENINSULA: \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A matcha drink with white swirls of crème brûlée–flavored cream.\" class=\"wp-image-13993424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-10-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The crème brûlée matcha swirl at Izumi Matcha in San Mateo on Aug. 27, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/izumi.matcha/\">Izumi Matcha \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>180 E. 3rd Ave. Unit 100A, San Mateo\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With three locations in the Peninsula and South Bay, Izumi is one of the only cafes in the US that \u003ca href=\"https://izumimatcha.com/premium-matcha-powder/\">sources its matcha from Marukyu Koyamaen\u003c/a>, a highly regarded producer in Uji, Japan. Inside, the walls are lined with tins of the Marukyu matcha powder, along with tea kettles, matcha serving bowls and matcha whisks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The broad menu of teas and desserts really highlight the quality of the matcha itself. The matcha latte options include trendy flavors like a crème brûlée swirl that adds an element of creaminess as a counterpoint to the bright matcha flavor. In addition to the drinks, the shop also offers a diverse selection of matcha- and tea-flavored ice creams — everything from ube to “intense matcha.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/aroma.cct/\">Aroma\u003c/a> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3005 Silver Creek Rd. Ste. 150, San José\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This East San José tea, coffee and chè shop sells a wide variety of Vietnamese-inspired coffee and tea drinks. Matcha is the powerhouse of the menu, available in 10 different flavors, many of them featuring Southeast Asian ingredients like pandan, guava, banana cream and mango sticky rice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The matcha at Aroma is strong, but not overpoweringly bitter. The quality of the tea shines through even when paired with thick, sweet, syrupy banana, mango and yuzu puddings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A matcha parfait in a sundae glass, layered with fresh strawberries and ice cream.\" class=\"wp-image-13993421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-04-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260827-MATCHAINTHEBAY-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Another view of the matcha strawberry parfait at Matsu Matcha. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/matsumatcha.usa/\">Matsu Matcha\u003c/a> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3030 El Camino Real, Santa Clara\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp> A calm oasis located inside a busy shopping plaza in Santa Clara, Matsu serves bright green matcha in many different formats. The cafe’s extensive menu offers matcha gelato (available in five levels of increasing intensity, plus a seasonal flavor), matcha floats, matcha flights and much more. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The matcha flights are a good option for customers who have trouble deciding. They feature a triple dose of matcha, a matcha latte with matcha cream on top, a seasonal matcha (guava during my recent visit) and a matcha float (available in flavors like grape and dark chocolate). \u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "bay-area-restaurants-pay-what-you-can-2026-reems-bombera-sfizio",
"title": "These 9 Bay Area Restaurants Are Asking You to Pay What You Can",
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"content": "\u003cp>It started with a simple idea: In this time when dining out is an increasingly unattainable proposition for so many people, what if restaurants took money out of the equation? What if — for one day, at least — diners only had to pay however much they could \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">afford\u003c/a>?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This was the vision that Mexico City chefs Norma Listman and Saqib Keval had when they started hosting “Paga Lo Que Puedas” days at their now-Michelin-starred restaurant Masala y Maiz. They weren’t the first restaurant owners to experiment with a Pay What You Can model, but they may be the first to try to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13988641/pay-what-you-can-bay-area-restaurants-reems-bombera-masala-y-maiz-oakland-sf\">turn it into a worldwide movement\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This Wednesday, Aug. 26, will be the first \u003cem>global\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.pagaloquepuedas-paywhatyoucan.com/\">Paga Lo Que Puedas day\u003c/a>, a Masala y Maiz–organized initiative that has prompted more than 100 restaurants worldwide to sign up, including nine in the Bay Area. For this one day, these restaurants will serve their regular menus, and diners who come can order whatever they like and pay whatever amount they choose — nothing, even, if that’s all they can afford. (Drinks will still be full price.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg\" alt=\"In an outdoor courtyard, a man and woman in blue aprons prepare banana-leaf tamales in a large pot.\" class=\"wp-image-13987862\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Norma Listman and Saqib Keval cooking at the first iteration of their Mexico City restaurant, Masala y Maiz. The chefs are organizing the first global Paga Lo Que Puedas initiative on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (Sana Javeri Kadri, courtesy of Masala y Maiz)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The restaurant industry generally is kind of shitty … and it’s really easy to get caught in that spiral of everything that’s wrong about the industry,” says Keval, who’s probably best known in the Bay Area as one of the co-founders of Oakland-based \u003ca href=\"https://peopleskitchencollective.com/\">People’s Kitchen Collective\u003c/a> food justice organization. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But this wave of interest from restaurants all over the world made me feel hopeful,” he says. It made me see that we’re not alone.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area is where Keval and Listman \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13987839/masala-y-maiz-mexico-city-restaurant-oakland-bay-area-roots\">first met and fell in love\u003c/a>, and where they began their years-long collaboration in creating community-oriented food spaces. So they’d been hopeful that there would be a strong Bay Area turnout for this initiative. The nine Bay Area participants run the gamut from casual pasta counters (Sfizio in Oakland and Pasta Supply Co. in SF) to upscale Mexican (Bombera in Oakland and Acopio Alta Cocina in San José) and a wine country clam shack (Sonoma’s Valley Swim Club). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If there’s any commonality between the restaurants, Keval says, it’s these are the exact places he would have predicted would sign up for the initiative. These are the restaurants that have an explicit focus on social consciousness and aren’t shy about being outspoken with their activism. That includes places like \u003ca href=\"https://www.reemscalifornia.com/\">Reem’s\u003c/a>, slinger of the California-influenced Palestinian flatbreads known as man’oushe, which recently shifted to a \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/06/24/reems-california-jack-london-square/\">worker-owned business model\u003c/a> for its new Jack London Square storefront in Oakland. Worker collective–owned \u003ca href=\"https://understoryoakland.com/\">Understory\u003c/a>, meanwhile, is joining the initiative as an extension of its own Pay What You Can program, which it offers daily in the form of a single entree.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16.jpg\" alt=\"Sun-dappled table inside a sunny restaurant dining room.\" class=\"wp-image-13993318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A picturesque table at Bombera in Oakland. (Clara Rice, courtesy of Bombera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As Keval puts it, “They’re the people who I know I can always count on — that are always the first to step up for community and the first to use their restaurants as tools to create change.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In truth, Keval admits he wishes that \u003cem>more \u003c/em>Bay Area restaurants had signed up, particularly in the fine dining sector. Albi and Oyster Oyster, two participants in Washington, D.C., are both Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants; New York’s Caribbean hotspot Kabawa, which topped several \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodandwine.com/top-united-states-restaurants-2026-11919583\">best restaurant\u003c/a> lists \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/dining/best-nyc-restaurants.html\">this year\u003c/a>, occupies a similarly rarefied, high-end space. And Masala y Maiz itself has a Michelin star.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, no restaurants in that tier are participating this year. But Keval believes it would send a powerful message if they did. After all, he says, the cost of operating a restaurant and the cost of dining out have both gone up so much that it’s caused many restaurants to become segregated along lines of race and class.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In areas like the Bay Area, where this is pushed to the extreme, it makes it feel like the only people who get to experience a certain style of hospitality are the people who can afford to pay for it,” he says. “And that goes against why so many of us joined the [restaurant] industry in the first place.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie.jpg\" alt=\"A dish of mussels in a red sauce, with rolls of bread on the side.\" class=\"wp-image-13987863\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A plate of Balchão-style mussels at Masala y Maiz in Mexico City. (Ana Lorenzana, courtesy of Masala y Maiz)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But what if restaurants like, say, The French Laundry or Chez Panisse were accessible to \u003cem>anyone\u003c/em>, at least for one day? How would that change people’s perspectives on who and what fine dining is for? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What’s the point of it if it’s so exclusive?” Keval says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His hope is that by soliciting feedback from this year’s participants, he’ll get a better sense of how restaurants across different cultures, price points and service styles experienced the Pay What You Can model — and that next year, even more restaurants, including fine dining restaurants, will be inspired to join.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Keval’s experience, for instance, Masala y Maiz doesn’t actually lose money on the Paga Lo Que Puedas days. Some diners pay very little or dine for free, but that’s offset by wealthier patrons who willingly pay more to help subsidize those meals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the end, isn’t that what community is all about?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What we’re trying to do, ultimately,” Keval says, “is build a global community of like-minded chefs and restaurateurs that are trying to create change.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>See the full list of Bay Area restaurants participating in this year’s Paga Lo Que Puedas initiative below:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Oakland\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dcei0tPIJ_J/?img_index=1\">Bombera\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reemscalifornia/\">Reem’s\u003c/a> (Jack London Square location only; the Mission restaurant is \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbYoCqbMJKr/\">temporarily closed\u003c/a>) \u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sfiziopasta/\">Sfizio\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcfFMUCGicq/?img_index=1\">Tacos Oscar\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcfEEUPm8dn/?img_index=1\">Understory\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/merkadosf/\">Merkado\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pastasupplyco/\">Pasta Supply Co.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>San José\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbytnYWy_Ig/\">Acopio Alta Cocina \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Sonoma\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DYx7cHCjieW/\">Valley Swim Club\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction:\u003c/em> \u003cem>An earlier version of this story omitted Tacos Oscar, which is also participating in the Aug. 26 Pay What You Can initiative.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This Wednesday, Aug. 26, will be the first \u003cem>global\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.pagaloquepuedas-paywhatyoucan.com/\">Paga Lo Que Puedas day\u003c/a>, a Masala y Maiz–organized initiative that has prompted more than 100 restaurants worldwide to sign up, including nine in the Bay Area. For this one day, these restaurants will serve their regular menus, and diners who come can order whatever they like and pay whatever amount they choose — nothing, even, if that’s all they can afford. (Drinks will still be full price.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This Wednesday, Aug. 26, will be the first \u003cem>global\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.pagaloquepuedas-paywhatyoucan.com/\">Paga Lo Que Puedas day\u003c/a>, a Masala y Maiz–organized initiative that has prompted more than 100 restaurants worldwide to sign up, including nine in the Bay Area. For this one day, these restaurants will serve their regular menus, and diners who come can order whatever they like and pay whatever amount they choose — nothing, even, if that’s all they can afford. (Drinks will still be full price.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg\" alt=\"In an outdoor courtyard, a man and woman in blue aprons prepare banana-leaf tamales in a large pot.\" class=\"wp-image-13987862\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Norma Listman and Saqib Keval cooking at the first iteration of their Mexico City restaurant, Masala y Maiz. The chefs are organizing the first global Paga Lo Que Puedas initiative on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg\" alt=\"In an outdoor courtyard, a man and woman in blue aprons prepare banana-leaf tamales in a large pot.\" class=\"wp-image-13987862\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Norma Listman and Saqib Keval cooking at the first iteration of their Mexico City restaurant, Masala y Maiz. The chefs are organizing the first global Paga Lo Que Puedas initiative on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The restaurant industry generally is kind of shitty … and it’s really easy to get caught in that spiral of everything that’s wrong about the industry,” says Keval, who’s probably best known in the Bay Area as one of the co-founders of Oakland-based \u003ca href=\"https://peopleskitchencollective.com/\">People’s Kitchen Collective\u003c/a> food justice organization. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The restaurant industry generally is kind of shitty … and it’s really easy to get caught in that spiral of everything that’s wrong about the industry,” says Keval, who’s probably best known in the Bay Area as one of the co-founders of Oakland-based \u003ca href=\"https://peopleskitchencollective.com/\">People’s Kitchen Collective\u003c/a> food justice organization. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“But this wave of interest from restaurants all over the world made me feel hopeful,” he says. It made me see that we’re not alone.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“But this wave of interest from restaurants all over the world made me feel hopeful,” he says. It made me see that we’re not alone.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Bay Area is where Keval and Listman \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13987839/masala-y-maiz-mexico-city-restaurant-oakland-bay-area-roots\">first met and fell in love\u003c/a>, and where they began their years-long collaboration in creating community-oriented food spaces. So they’d been hopeful that there would be a strong Bay Area turnout for this initiative. The nine Bay Area participants run the gamut from casual pasta counters (Sfizio in Oakland and Pasta Supply Co. in SF) to upscale Mexican (Bombera in Oakland and Acopio Alta Cocina in San José) and a wine country clam shack (Sonoma’s Valley Swim Club). \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Bay Area is where Keval and Listman \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13987839/masala-y-maiz-mexico-city-restaurant-oakland-bay-area-roots\">first met and fell in love\u003c/a>, and where they began their years-long collaboration in creating community-oriented food spaces. So they’d been hopeful that there would be a strong Bay Area turnout for this initiative. The nine Bay Area participants run the gamut from casual pasta counters (Sfizio in Oakland and Pasta Supply Co. in SF) to upscale Mexican (Bombera in Oakland and Acopio Alta Cocina in San José) and a wine country clam shack (Sonoma’s Valley Swim Club). \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If there’s any commonality between the restaurants, Keval says, it’s these are the exact places he would have predicted would sign up for the initiative. These are the restaurants that have an explicit focus on social consciousness and aren’t shy about being outspoken with their activism. That includes places like \u003ca href=\"https://www.reemscalifornia.com/\">Reem’s\u003c/a>, slinger of the California-influenced Palestinian flatbreads known as man’oushe, which recently shifted to a \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/06/24/reems-california-jack-london-square/\">worker-owned business model\u003c/a> for its new Jack London Square storefront in Oakland. Worker collective–owned \u003ca href=\"https://understoryoakland.com/\">Understory\u003c/a>, meanwhile, is joining the initiative as an extension of its own Pay What You Can program, which it offers daily in the form of a single entree.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If there’s any commonality between the restaurants, Keval says, it’s these are the exact places he would have predicted would sign up for the initiative. These are the restaurants that have an explicit focus on social consciousness and aren’t shy about being outspoken with their activism. That includes places like \u003ca href=\"https://www.reemscalifornia.com/\">Reem’s\u003c/a>, slinger of the California-influenced Palestinian flatbreads known as man’oushe, which recently shifted to a \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/06/24/reems-california-jack-london-square/\">worker-owned business model\u003c/a> for its new Jack London Square storefront in Oakland. Worker collective–owned \u003ca href=\"https://understoryoakland.com/\">Understory\u003c/a>, meanwhile, is joining the initiative as an extension of its own Pay What You Can program, which it offers daily in the form of a single entree.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16.jpg\" alt=\"Sun-dappled table inside a sunny restaurant dining room.\" class=\"wp-image-13993318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A picturesque table at Bombera in Oakland.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16.jpg\" alt=\"Sun-dappled table inside a sunny restaurant dining room.\" class=\"wp-image-13993318\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A picturesque table at Bombera in Oakland.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As Keval puts it, “They’re the people who I know I can always count on — that are always the first to step up for community and the first to use their restaurants as tools to create change.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As Keval puts it, “They’re the people who I know I can always count on — that are always the first to step up for community and the first to use their restaurants as tools to create change.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In truth, Keval admits he wishes that \u003cem>more \u003c/em>Bay Area restaurants had signed up, particularly in the fine dining sector. Albi and Oyster Oyster, two participants in Washington, D.C., are both Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants; New York’s Caribbean hotspot Kabawa, which topped several \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodandwine.com/top-united-states-restaurants-2026-11919583\">best restaurant\u003c/a> lists \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/dining/best-nyc-restaurants.html\">this year\u003c/a>, occupies a similarly rarefied, high-end space. And Masala y Maiz itself has a Michelin star.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In truth, Keval admits he wishes that \u003cem>more \u003c/em>Bay Area restaurants had signed up, particularly in the fine dining sector. Albi and Oyster Oyster, two participants in Washington, D.C., are both Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants; New York’s Caribbean hotspot Kabawa, which topped several \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodandwine.com/top-united-states-restaurants-2026-11919583\">best restaurant\u003c/a> lists \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/dining/best-nyc-restaurants.html\">this year\u003c/a>, occupies a similarly rarefied, high-end space. And Masala y Maiz itself has a Michelin star.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, no restaurants in that tier are participating this year. But Keval believes it would send a powerful message if they did. After all, he says, the cost of operating a restaurant and the cost of dining out have both gone up so much that it’s caused many restaurants to become segregated along lines of race and class.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, no restaurants in that tier are participating this year. But Keval believes it would send a powerful message if they did. After all, he says, the cost of operating a restaurant and the cost of dining out have both gone up so much that it’s caused many restaurants to become segregated along lines of race and class.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In areas like the Bay Area, where this is pushed to the extreme, it makes it feel like the only people who get to experience a certain style of hospitality are the people who can afford to pay for it,” he says. “And that goes against why so many of us joined the [restaurant] industry in the first place.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“In areas like the Bay Area, where this is pushed to the extreme, it makes it feel like the only people who get to experience a certain style of hospitality are the people who can afford to pay for it,” he says. “And that goes against why so many of us joined the [restaurant] industry in the first place.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie-1024x1536.jpg 1024w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie.jpg\" alt=\"A dish of mussels in a red sauce, with rolls of bread on the side.\" class=\"wp-image-13987863\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A plate of Balchão-style mussels at Masala y Maiz in Mexico City.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie.jpg\" alt=\"A dish of mussels in a red sauce, with rolls of bread on the side.\" class=\"wp-image-13987863\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A plate of Balchão-style mussels at Masala y Maiz in Mexico City.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But what if restaurants like, say, The French Laundry or Chez Panisse were accessible to \u003cem>anyone\u003c/em>, at least for one day? How would that change people’s perspectives on who and what fine dining is for? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But what if restaurants like, say, The French Laundry or Chez Panisse were accessible to \u003cem>anyone\u003c/em>, at least for one day? How would that change people’s perspectives on who and what fine dining is for? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What’s the point of it if it’s so exclusive?” Keval says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>His hope is that by soliciting feedback from this year’s participants, he’ll get a better sense of how restaurants across different cultures, price points and service styles experienced the Pay What You Can model — and that next year, even more restaurants, including fine dining restaurants, will be inspired to join.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>His hope is that by soliciting feedback from this year’s participants, he’ll get a better sense of how restaurants across different cultures, price points and service styles experienced the Pay What You Can model — and that next year, even more restaurants, including fine dining restaurants, will be inspired to join.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Keval’s experience, for instance, Masala y Maiz doesn’t actually lose money on the Paga Lo Que Puedas days. Some diners pay very little or dine for free, but that’s offset by wealthier patrons who willingly pay more to help subsidize those meals.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In Keval’s experience, for instance, Masala y Maiz doesn’t actually lose money on the Paga Lo Que Puedas days. Some diners pay very little or dine for free, but that’s offset by wealthier patrons who willingly pay more to help subsidize those meals.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the end, isn’t that what community is all about?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the end, isn’t that what community is all about?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What we’re trying to do, ultimately,” Keval says, “is build a global community of like-minded chefs and restaurateurs that are trying to create change.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“What we’re trying to do, ultimately,” Keval says, “is build a global community of like-minded chefs and restaurateurs that are trying to create change.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>See the full list of Bay Area restaurants participating in this year’s Paga Lo Que Puedas initiative below:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>See the full list of Bay Area restaurants participating in this year’s Paga Lo Que Puedas initiative below:\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Oakland",
"level": 2
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Oakland\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Oakland\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dcei0tPIJ_J/?img_index=1\">Bombera\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reemscalifornia/\">Reem’s\u003c/a> (Jack London Square location only; the Mission restaurant is \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbYoCqbMJKr/\">temporarily closed\u003c/a>) \u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sfiziopasta/\">Sfizio\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcfFMUCGicq/?img_index=1\">Tacos Oscar\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcfEEUPm8dn/?img_index=1\">Understory\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dcei0tPIJ_J/?img_index=1\">Bombera\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reemscalifornia/\">Reem’s\u003c/a> (Jack London Square location only; the Mission restaurant is \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbYoCqbMJKr/\">temporarily closed\u003c/a>) \u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sfiziopasta/\">Sfizio\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcfFMUCGicq/?img_index=1\">Tacos Oscar\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcfEEUPm8dn/?img_index=1\">Understory\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "San Francisco",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/merkadosf/\">Merkado\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pastasupplyco/\">Pasta Supply Co.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/merkadosf/\">Merkado\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pastasupplyco/\">Pasta Supply Co.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "San José",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>San José\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbytnYWy_Ig/\">Acopio Alta Cocina \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbytnYWy_Ig/\">Acopio Alta Cocina \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Sonoma",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Sonoma\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DYx7cHCjieW/\">Valley Swim Club\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DYx7cHCjieW/\">Valley Swim Club\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Reem’s, Bombera, Pasta Supply Co. and more join a global initiative on Aug. 26.",
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"title": "These 9 Bay Area Restaurants Are Asking You to Pay What You Can | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It started with a simple idea: In this time when dining out is an increasingly unattainable proposition for so many people, what if restaurants took money out of the equation? What if — for one day, at least — diners only had to pay however much they could \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">afford\u003c/a>?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This was the vision that Mexico City chefs Norma Listman and Saqib Keval had when they started hosting “Paga Lo Que Puedas” days at their now-Michelin-starred restaurant Masala y Maiz. They weren’t the first restaurant owners to experiment with a Pay What You Can model, but they may be the first to try to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13988641/pay-what-you-can-bay-area-restaurants-reems-bombera-masala-y-maiz-oakland-sf\">turn it into a worldwide movement\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This Wednesday, Aug. 26, will be the first \u003cem>global\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.pagaloquepuedas-paywhatyoucan.com/\">Paga Lo Que Puedas day\u003c/a>, a Masala y Maiz–organized initiative that has prompted more than 100 restaurants worldwide to sign up, including nine in the Bay Area. For this one day, these restaurants will serve their regular menus, and diners who come can order whatever they like and pay whatever amount they choose — nothing, even, if that’s all they can afford. (Drinks will still be full price.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg\" alt=\"In an outdoor courtyard, a man and woman in blue aprons prepare banana-leaf tamales in a large pot.\" class=\"wp-image-13987862\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Norma Listman and Saqib Keval cooking at the first iteration of their Mexico City restaurant, Masala y Maiz. The chefs are organizing the first global Paga Lo Que Puedas initiative on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (Sana Javeri Kadri, courtesy of Masala y Maiz)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The restaurant industry generally is kind of shitty … and it’s really easy to get caught in that spiral of everything that’s wrong about the industry,” says Keval, who’s probably best known in the Bay Area as one of the co-founders of Oakland-based \u003ca href=\"https://peopleskitchencollective.com/\">People’s Kitchen Collective\u003c/a> food justice organization. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But this wave of interest from restaurants all over the world made me feel hopeful,” he says. It made me see that we’re not alone.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area is where Keval and Listman \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13987839/masala-y-maiz-mexico-city-restaurant-oakland-bay-area-roots\">first met and fell in love\u003c/a>, and where they began their years-long collaboration in creating community-oriented food spaces. So they’d been hopeful that there would be a strong Bay Area turnout for this initiative. The nine Bay Area participants run the gamut from casual pasta counters (Sfizio in Oakland and Pasta Supply Co. in SF) to upscale Mexican (Bombera in Oakland and Acopio Alta Cocina in San José) and a wine country clam shack (Sonoma’s Valley Swim Club). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If there’s any commonality between the restaurants, Keval says, it’s these are the exact places he would have predicted would sign up for the initiative. These are the restaurants that have an explicit focus on social consciousness and aren’t shy about being outspoken with their activism. That includes places like \u003ca href=\"https://www.reemscalifornia.com/\">Reem’s\u003c/a>, slinger of the California-influenced Palestinian flatbreads known as man’oushe, which recently shifted to a \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/06/24/reems-california-jack-london-square/\">worker-owned business model\u003c/a> for its new Jack London Square storefront in Oakland. Worker collective–owned \u003ca href=\"https://understoryoakland.com/\">Understory\u003c/a>, meanwhile, is joining the initiative as an extension of its own Pay What You Can program, which it offers daily in the form of a single entree.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16.jpg\" alt=\"Sun-dappled table inside a sunny restaurant dining room.\" class=\"wp-image-13993318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A picturesque table at Bombera in Oakland. (Clara Rice, courtesy of Bombera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As Keval puts it, “They’re the people who I know I can always count on — that are always the first to step up for community and the first to use their restaurants as tools to create change.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In truth, Keval admits he wishes that \u003cem>more \u003c/em>Bay Area restaurants had signed up, particularly in the fine dining sector. Albi and Oyster Oyster, two participants in Washington, D.C., are both Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants; New York’s Caribbean hotspot Kabawa, which topped several \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodandwine.com/top-united-states-restaurants-2026-11919583\">best restaurant\u003c/a> lists \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/dining/best-nyc-restaurants.html\">this year\u003c/a>, occupies a similarly rarefied, high-end space. And Masala y Maiz itself has a Michelin star.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, no restaurants in that tier are participating this year. But Keval believes it would send a powerful message if they did. After all, he says, the cost of operating a restaurant and the cost of dining out have both gone up so much that it’s caused many restaurants to become segregated along lines of race and class.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In areas like the Bay Area, where this is pushed to the extreme, it makes it feel like the only people who get to experience a certain style of hospitality are the people who can afford to pay for it,” he says. “And that goes against why so many of us joined the [restaurant] industry in the first place.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie.jpg\" alt=\"A dish of mussels in a red sauce, with rolls of bread on the side.\" class=\"wp-image-13987863\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A plate of Balchão-style mussels at Masala y Maiz in Mexico City. (Ana Lorenzana, courtesy of Masala y Maiz)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But what if restaurants like, say, The French Laundry or Chez Panisse were accessible to \u003cem>anyone\u003c/em>, at least for one day? How would that change people’s perspectives on who and what fine dining is for? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What’s the point of it if it’s so exclusive?” Keval says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His hope is that by soliciting feedback from this year’s participants, he’ll get a better sense of how restaurants across different cultures, price points and service styles experienced the Pay What You Can model — and that next year, even more restaurants, including fine dining restaurants, will be inspired to join.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Keval’s experience, for instance, Masala y Maiz doesn’t actually lose money on the Paga Lo Que Puedas days. Some diners pay very little or dine for free, but that’s offset by wealthier patrons who willingly pay more to help subsidize those meals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the end, isn’t that what community is all about?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What we’re trying to do, ultimately,” Keval says, “is build a global community of like-minded chefs and restaurateurs that are trying to create change.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>See the full list of Bay Area restaurants participating in this year’s Paga Lo Que Puedas initiative below:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Oakland\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dcei0tPIJ_J/?img_index=1\">Bombera\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reemscalifornia/\">Reem’s\u003c/a> (Jack London Square location only; the Mission restaurant is \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbYoCqbMJKr/\">temporarily closed\u003c/a>) \u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sfiziopasta/\">Sfizio\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcfFMUCGicq/?img_index=1\">Tacos Oscar\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcfEEUPm8dn/?img_index=1\">Understory\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/merkadosf/\">Merkado\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pastasupplyco/\">Pasta Supply Co.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>San José\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbytnYWy_Ig/\">Acopio Alta Cocina \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Sonoma\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DYx7cHCjieW/\">Valley Swim Club\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction:\u003c/em> \u003cem>An earlier version of this story omitted Tacos Oscar, which is also participating in the Aug. 26 Pay What You Can initiative.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "best-lechona-colombian-crispy-stuffed-pork-la-grama-san-jose",
"title": "This San José Food Tent Is a Temple to Crispy Colombian Stuffed Pork",
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"content": "\u003cp>The most exciting food often hides where you least expect it. Say, tucked behind a used car dealership just a few blocks away from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> DMV. This is where I found \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/la_grama_san_jose/\">La Grama\u003c/a>, a pop-up tent serving the best version of Colombian \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZa9h3x9PxQ\">lechona\u003c/a>, or crackly-skinned stuffed roast pork, I’ve ever tasted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The whole operation takes place under a big tent, with the kitchen on one side and a crowded dining area on the other. On my first visit, I had to play a game of musical chairs to snag a seat at one of the picnic tables. All around me, all I could hear was the sound of dozens of people biting into crunchy shards of pork rind. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Owner Augustine Torres moved from Villavicencio, Colombia, to San José in 2022. Together with some friends he knew from back home in Colombia, he started a food truck slinging hot dogs, burgers and picada (a platter of fried meats, plantains and potatoes). Before coming to the U.S., Torres had mostly worked in the cattle industry, but when his associates stepped away from the business, he decided to continue pursuing a food career on his own. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/La-Grama-tent.jpg\" alt=\"A food tent crowded with diners.\" class=\"wp-image-13993149\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/La-Grama-tent.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/La-Grama-tent-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/La-Grama-tent-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/La-Grama-tent-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">La Grama’s crowded food tent is filled with lechona lovers munching on crispy pork skin. (Octavio Peña)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Torres started La Grama in 2023, selling lechona by day and Colombian street food by night. In Colombia, lechona (aka lechona Tolimense), a dish with more than 500 years of history, is often served at weddings and big holiday celebrations. Traditionally, it’s made by stuffing an entire roast pig with rice and yellow peas. Torres mimics the technique to create smaller batches by stuffing everything inside a vessel of crispy pork skin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When I first started, I wasn’t making lechona,” says Torres. “I was sourcing it from a friend.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eventually, he hired a chef from Colombia to teach him to make the dish over video, developing his own recipe after seven months of experimentation. He begins by marinating pork leg in adobo for two days. Then, rice and yellow peas are stuffed into a giant pouch made by sewing pieces of pork skin together. The whole thing is roasted for eight hours until the skin crisps and the rice and peas get slick from the rendered fat.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Feasting on lechona is a tactile experience. During one visit, I shattered the chicharron with my fingers to dig into the rice and peas. Another time, I used a fragment of skin as a chip and loaded it with filling. Spritzing the whole thing with a lime wedge helps balance out the richness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Mon%CC%83ona.jpg\" alt=\"An unwrapped tamal topped with meat and a shard of crispy pork skin.\" class=\"wp-image-13993150\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Moñona.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Moñona-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Moñona-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Moñona-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The moñona is a Colombian tamal topped with a portion of lechona. (Octavio Peña)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s safe to say Torres’ lechona has been a hit — he sells 20 trays every weekend. The vast majority of customers are from Colombia, but newcomers to the dish have also wound up enjoying it, Torres says. You can find Colombian lechona, more or less prepared in the same way, in a few spots around the South Bay. At \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DGJrO60SnhP/\">Sabor a la Colombiana\u003c/a>, it comes paired with \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@recetasdelamamicarito/video/7626905936120057096\">insulsos\u003c/a> (steamed corn flour and panela). \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lacallejera_cf\">La Callejera\u003c/a>, also in San José, sells an especially flavorful version that’s heavy on the garlic and earthy spices. But La Grama’s version is still my favorite.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While lechona is excellent on its own, it’s even better when paired with other Colombian dishes. My favorite menu item at La Grama is the moñona — a Colombian tamal topped with lechona. The tamal arrives unwrapped in its banana leaf pouch, bursting with drumsticks, pork ribs and hardboiled eggs. As I excavated the meat, the lechona filling blended with the masa. Shards of crispy chicharron functioned like croutons to complement the moist masa. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Torres’ customers are also fond of a less traditional lechona pairing. In Colombia, buñuelos are sweet, ball-shaped fritters typically served as a holiday dessert, after the lechona. At La Grama, though, customers crack open the fritters and top them with a little pile of rice, peas and crispy pork skin. The combination is delicious: The buñuelos — made by Mr. Kike, a neighboring business that shares a tent with La Grama — have a core of stretchy molten cheese that sticks to the lechona, and the cakey, salty-sweet dough is a nice complement to the heavily seasoned rice and legumes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Lechona-on-bun%CC%83uelo.jpg\" alt=\"Rice and crispy pork skin piled on top of a cheese fritter.\" class=\"wp-image-13993151\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Lechona-on-buñuelo.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Lechona-on-buñuelo-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Lechona-on-buñuelo-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Lechona-on-buñuelo-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Customers at La Grama like to pile some of their lechona inside a buñuelo, or Colombian cheese fritter. (Octavio Peña)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Torres aspires to introduce lechona to as many people in the Bay Area as possible. His plans include opening a restaurant someday, but he’s taking things slow. First, he’d like to extend his hours to three days a week and add more charcoal-grilled dishes like punta de anca, burgers and churrascos to the menu. He’s confident, though, that his food will catch on.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After all, he says, “Lechona is the number one pork dish in the world.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>La Grama is open Saturday and Sunday 7:30 a.m.–12 p.m., and also on some Fridays, at 1501 Monterey Rd. in San Jose. Check the pop-up’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/la_grama_san_jose/\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>for the most up-to-date schedule.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The most exciting food often hides where you least expect it. Say, tucked behind a used car dealership just a few blocks away from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> DMV. This is where I found \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/la_grama_san_jose/\">La Grama\u003c/a>, a pop-up tent serving the best version of Colombian \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZa9h3x9PxQ\">lechona\u003c/a>, or crackly-skinned stuffed roast pork, I’ve ever tasted.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The most exciting food often hides where you least expect it. Say, tucked behind a used car dealership just a few blocks away from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> DMV. This is where I found \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/la_grama_san_jose/\">La Grama\u003c/a>, a pop-up tent serving the best version of Colombian \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZa9h3x9PxQ\">lechona\u003c/a>, or crackly-skinned stuffed roast pork, I’ve ever tasted.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The whole operation takes place under a big tent, with the kitchen on one side and a crowded dining area on the other. On my first visit, I had to play a game of musical chairs to snag a seat at one of the picnic tables. All around me, all I could hear was the sound of dozens of people biting into crunchy shards of pork rind. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The whole operation takes place under a big tent, with the kitchen on one side and a crowded dining area on the other. On my first visit, I had to play a game of musical chairs to snag a seat at one of the picnic tables. All around me, all I could hear was the sound of dozens of people biting into crunchy shards of pork rind. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Owner Augustine Torres moved from Villavicencio, Colombia, to San José in 2022. Together with some friends he knew from back home in Colombia, he started a food truck slinging hot dogs, burgers and picada (a platter of fried meats, plantains and potatoes). Before coming to the U.S., Torres had mostly worked in the cattle industry, but when his associates stepped away from the business, he decided to continue pursuing a food career on his own. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Owner Augustine Torres moved from Villavicencio, Colombia, to San José in 2022. Together with some friends he knew from back home in Colombia, he started a food truck slinging hot dogs, burgers and picada (a platter of fried meats, plantains and potatoes). Before coming to the U.S., Torres had mostly worked in the cattle industry, but when his associates stepped away from the business, he decided to continue pursuing a food career on his own. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/La-Grama-tent.jpg\" alt=\"A food tent crowded with diners.\" class=\"wp-image-13993149\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/La-Grama-tent.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/La-Grama-tent-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/La-Grama-tent-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/La-Grama-tent-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">La Grama’s crowded food tent is filled with lechona lovers munching on crispy pork skin.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/La-Grama-tent.jpg\" alt=\"A food tent crowded with diners.\" class=\"wp-image-13993149\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">La Grama’s crowded food tent is filled with lechona lovers munching on crispy pork skin.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Torres started La Grama in 2023, selling lechona by day and Colombian street food by night. In Colombia, lechona (aka lechona Tolimense), a dish with more than 500 years of history, is often served at weddings and big holiday celebrations. Traditionally, it’s made by stuffing an entire roast pig with rice and yellow peas. Torres mimics the technique to create smaller batches by stuffing everything inside a vessel of crispy pork skin.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Torres started La Grama in 2023, selling lechona by day and Colombian street food by night. In Colombia, lechona (aka lechona Tolimense), a dish with more than 500 years of history, is often served at weddings and big holiday celebrations. Traditionally, it’s made by stuffing an entire roast pig with rice and yellow peas. Torres mimics the technique to create smaller batches by stuffing everything inside a vessel of crispy pork skin.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When I first started, I wasn’t making lechona,” says Torres. “I was sourcing it from a friend.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Eventually, he hired a chef from Colombia to teach him to make the dish over video, developing his own recipe after seven months of experimentation. He begins by marinating pork leg in adobo for two days. Then, rice and yellow peas are stuffed into a giant pouch made by sewing pieces of pork skin together. The whole thing is roasted for eight hours until the skin crisps and the rice and peas get slick from the rendered fat.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Eventually, he hired a chef from Colombia to teach him to make the dish over video, developing his own recipe after seven months of experimentation. He begins by marinating pork leg in adobo for two days. Then, rice and yellow peas are stuffed into a giant pouch made by sewing pieces of pork skin together. The whole thing is roasted for eight hours until the skin crisps and the rice and peas get slick from the rendered fat.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Feasting on lechona is a tactile experience. During one visit, I shattered the chicharron with my fingers to dig into the rice and peas. Another time, I used a fragment of skin as a chip and loaded it with filling. Spritzing the whole thing with a lime wedge helps balance out the richness.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Feasting on lechona is a tactile experience. During one visit, I shattered the chicharron with my fingers to dig into the rice and peas. Another time, I used a fragment of skin as a chip and loaded it with filling. Spritzing the whole thing with a lime wedge helps balance out the richness.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Moñona.jpg\" alt=\"An unwrapped tamal topped with meat and a shard of crispy pork skin.\" class=\"wp-image-13993150\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Moñona.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Moñona-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Moñona-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Moñona-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The moñona is a Colombian tamal topped with a portion of lechona.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s safe to say Torres’ lechona has been a hit — he sells 20 trays every weekend. The vast majority of customers are from Colombia, but newcomers to the dish have also wound up enjoying it, Torres says. You can find Colombian lechona, more or less prepared in the same way, in a few spots around the South Bay. At \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DGJrO60SnhP/\">Sabor a la Colombiana\u003c/a>, it comes paired with \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@recetasdelamamicarito/video/7626905936120057096\">insulsos\u003c/a> (steamed corn flour and panela). \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lacallejera_cf\">La Callejera\u003c/a>, also in San José, sells an especially flavorful version that’s heavy on the garlic and earthy spices. But La Grama’s version is still my favorite.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s safe to say Torres’ lechona has been a hit — he sells 20 trays every weekend. The vast majority of customers are from Colombia, but newcomers to the dish have also wound up enjoying it, Torres says. You can find Colombian lechona, more or less prepared in the same way, in a few spots around the South Bay. At \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DGJrO60SnhP/\">Sabor a la Colombiana\u003c/a>, it comes paired with \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@recetasdelamamicarito/video/7626905936120057096\">insulsos\u003c/a> (steamed corn flour and panela). \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lacallejera_cf\">La Callejera\u003c/a>, also in San José, sells an especially flavorful version that’s heavy on the garlic and earthy spices. But La Grama’s version is still my favorite.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While lechona is excellent on its own, it’s even better when paired with other Colombian dishes. My favorite menu item at La Grama is the moñona — a Colombian tamal topped with lechona. The tamal arrives unwrapped in its banana leaf pouch, bursting with drumsticks, pork ribs and hardboiled eggs. As I excavated the meat, the lechona filling blended with the masa. Shards of crispy chicharron functioned like croutons to complement the moist masa. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While lechona is excellent on its own, it’s even better when paired with other Colombian dishes. My favorite menu item at La Grama is the moñona — a Colombian tamal topped with lechona. The tamal arrives unwrapped in its banana leaf pouch, bursting with drumsticks, pork ribs and hardboiled eggs. As I excavated the meat, the lechona filling blended with the masa. Shards of crispy chicharron functioned like croutons to complement the moist masa. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Torres’ customers are also fond of a less traditional lechona pairing. In Colombia, buñuelos are sweet, ball-shaped fritters typically served as a holiday dessert, after the lechona. At La Grama, though, customers crack open the fritters and top them with a little pile of rice, peas and crispy pork skin. The combination is delicious: The buñuelos — made by Mr. Kike, a neighboring business that shares a tent with La Grama — have a core of stretchy molten cheese that sticks to the lechona, and the cakey, salty-sweet dough is a nice complement to the heavily seasoned rice and legumes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Torres’ customers are also fond of a less traditional lechona pairing. In Colombia, buñuelos are sweet, ball-shaped fritters typically served as a holiday dessert, after the lechona. At La Grama, though, customers crack open the fritters and top them with a little pile of rice, peas and crispy pork skin. The combination is delicious: The buñuelos — made by Mr. Kike, a neighboring business that shares a tent with La Grama — have a core of stretchy molten cheese that sticks to the lechona, and the cakey, salty-sweet dough is a nice complement to the heavily seasoned rice and legumes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Lechona-on-buñuelo.jpg\" alt=\"Rice and crispy pork skin piled on top of a cheese fritter.\" class=\"wp-image-13993151\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Lechona-on-buñuelo.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Lechona-on-buñuelo-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Lechona-on-buñuelo-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Lechona-on-buñuelo-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Customers at La Grama like to pile some of their lechona inside a buñuelo, or Colombian cheese fritter.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Torres aspires to introduce lechona to as many people in the Bay Area as possible. His plans include opening a restaurant someday, but he’s taking things slow. First, he’d like to extend his hours to three days a week and add more charcoal-grilled dishes like punta de anca, burgers and churrascos to the menu. He’s confident, though, that his food will catch on.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Torres aspires to introduce lechona to as many people in the Bay Area as possible. His plans include opening a restaurant someday, but he’s taking things slow. First, he’d like to extend his hours to three days a week and add more charcoal-grilled dishes like punta de anca, burgers and churrascos to the menu. He’s confident, though, that his food will catch on.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After all, he says, “Lechona is the number one pork dish in the world.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>La Grama is open Saturday and Sunday 7:30 a.m.–12 p.m., and also on some Fridays, at 1501 Monterey Rd. in San Jose. Check the pop-up’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/la_grama_san_jose/\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>for the most up-to-date schedule.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>La Grama is open Saturday and Sunday 7:30 a.m.–12 p.m., and also on some Fridays, at 1501 Monterey Rd. in San Jose. Check the pop-up’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/la_grama_san_jose/\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>for the most up-to-date schedule.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The most exciting food often hides where you least expect it. Say, tucked behind a used car dealership just a few blocks away from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> DMV. This is where I found \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/la_grama_san_jose/\">La Grama\u003c/a>, a pop-up tent serving the best version of Colombian \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZa9h3x9PxQ\">lechona\u003c/a>, or crackly-skinned stuffed roast pork, I’ve ever tasted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The whole operation takes place under a big tent, with the kitchen on one side and a crowded dining area on the other. On my first visit, I had to play a game of musical chairs to snag a seat at one of the picnic tables. All around me, all I could hear was the sound of dozens of people biting into crunchy shards of pork rind. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Owner Augustine Torres moved from Villavicencio, Colombia, to San José in 2022. Together with some friends he knew from back home in Colombia, he started a food truck slinging hot dogs, burgers and picada (a platter of fried meats, plantains and potatoes). Before coming to the U.S., Torres had mostly worked in the cattle industry, but when his associates stepped away from the business, he decided to continue pursuing a food career on his own. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/La-Grama-tent.jpg\" alt=\"A food tent crowded with diners.\" class=\"wp-image-13993149\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/La-Grama-tent.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/La-Grama-tent-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/La-Grama-tent-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/La-Grama-tent-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">La Grama’s crowded food tent is filled with lechona lovers munching on crispy pork skin. (Octavio Peña)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Torres started La Grama in 2023, selling lechona by day and Colombian street food by night. In Colombia, lechona (aka lechona Tolimense), a dish with more than 500 years of history, is often served at weddings and big holiday celebrations. Traditionally, it’s made by stuffing an entire roast pig with rice and yellow peas. Torres mimics the technique to create smaller batches by stuffing everything inside a vessel of crispy pork skin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When I first started, I wasn’t making lechona,” says Torres. “I was sourcing it from a friend.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eventually, he hired a chef from Colombia to teach him to make the dish over video, developing his own recipe after seven months of experimentation. He begins by marinating pork leg in adobo for two days. Then, rice and yellow peas are stuffed into a giant pouch made by sewing pieces of pork skin together. The whole thing is roasted for eight hours until the skin crisps and the rice and peas get slick from the rendered fat.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Feasting on lechona is a tactile experience. During one visit, I shattered the chicharron with my fingers to dig into the rice and peas. Another time, I used a fragment of skin as a chip and loaded it with filling. Spritzing the whole thing with a lime wedge helps balance out the richness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Mon%CC%83ona.jpg\" alt=\"An unwrapped tamal topped with meat and a shard of crispy pork skin.\" class=\"wp-image-13993150\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Moñona.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Moñona-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Moñona-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Moñona-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The moñona is a Colombian tamal topped with a portion of lechona. (Octavio Peña)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s safe to say Torres’ lechona has been a hit — he sells 20 trays every weekend. The vast majority of customers are from Colombia, but newcomers to the dish have also wound up enjoying it, Torres says. You can find Colombian lechona, more or less prepared in the same way, in a few spots around the South Bay. At \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DGJrO60SnhP/\">Sabor a la Colombiana\u003c/a>, it comes paired with \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@recetasdelamamicarito/video/7626905936120057096\">insulsos\u003c/a> (steamed corn flour and panela). \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lacallejera_cf\">La Callejera\u003c/a>, also in San José, sells an especially flavorful version that’s heavy on the garlic and earthy spices. But La Grama’s version is still my favorite.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While lechona is excellent on its own, it’s even better when paired with other Colombian dishes. My favorite menu item at La Grama is the moñona — a Colombian tamal topped with lechona. The tamal arrives unwrapped in its banana leaf pouch, bursting with drumsticks, pork ribs and hardboiled eggs. As I excavated the meat, the lechona filling blended with the masa. Shards of crispy chicharron functioned like croutons to complement the moist masa. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Torres’ customers are also fond of a less traditional lechona pairing. In Colombia, buñuelos are sweet, ball-shaped fritters typically served as a holiday dessert, after the lechona. At La Grama, though, customers crack open the fritters and top them with a little pile of rice, peas and crispy pork skin. The combination is delicious: The buñuelos — made by Mr. Kike, a neighboring business that shares a tent with La Grama — have a core of stretchy molten cheese that sticks to the lechona, and the cakey, salty-sweet dough is a nice complement to the heavily seasoned rice and legumes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Lechona-on-bun%CC%83uelo.jpg\" alt=\"Rice and crispy pork skin piled on top of a cheese fritter.\" class=\"wp-image-13993151\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Lechona-on-buñuelo.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Lechona-on-buñuelo-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Lechona-on-buñuelo-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Lechona-on-buñuelo-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Customers at La Grama like to pile some of their lechona inside a buñuelo, or Colombian cheese fritter. (Octavio Peña)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Torres aspires to introduce lechona to as many people in the Bay Area as possible. His plans include opening a restaurant someday, but he’s taking things slow. First, he’d like to extend his hours to three days a week and add more charcoal-grilled dishes like punta de anca, burgers and churrascos to the menu. He’s confident, though, that his food will catch on.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After all, he says, “Lechona is the number one pork dish in the world.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>La Grama is open Saturday and Sunday 7:30 a.m.–12 p.m., and also on some Fridays, at 1501 Monterey Rd. in San Jose. Check the pop-up’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/la_grama_san_jose/\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>for the most up-to-date schedule.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "ys-choice-soul-food-oxtails-oakland-late-night",
"title": "Y’s Choice Is a Haven of Late-Night Soul Food in Oakland",
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"headTitle": "Y’s Choice Is a Haven of Late-Night Soul Food in Oakland | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration Two men dig into an abundant spread of braised oxtails and other soul food dishes.\" class=\"wp-image-13993078\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Y’s Choice, a soul food restaurant in Uptown Oakland, specializes in braised oxtails and other classic soul food dishes. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A late-night hankering for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/soul-food\">soul food\u003c/a> brings us to an unobtrusive building on a relatively quiet block on San Pablo Avenue in Oakland, just down the street from the Fox Theater. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Y’s Choice” reads the neon sign outside — after chef-owner “Y” Ahmed, \u003ca href=\"https://www.yschoice.space/our-story\">we later learn\u003c/a>. The restaurant stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends, and at a little past 9 on a Friday night, the bustling dining room smells of garlic, butter and spice. A steady stream of old \u003cem>Martin \u003c/em>episodes plays on the flatscreen TV in the corner. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Already, we feel like we’ve made a good decision coming here. (“Make A Wise Choice,” the sign behind the bar counter reads; I finally get the pun in the restaurant’s name after re-reading it five or six times.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the night of our visit, the crowd is roughly 90% Black women. One big, exuberant group of twentysomethings is dressed to the nines, maybe only just kicking off their night out on the town. At the table next to ours, a pair of middle-aged ladies is having a cozy chat in sweatshirts and mom jeans.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice2.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of a restaurant at nighttime. The sign outside reads, "Y's Choice."\" class=\"wp-image-13993080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Located about a block away from the Fox Theater, the restaurant is open until 11 p.m. on weekends. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We make ourselves comfortable too. The menu at Y’s covers a fairly wide range of diasporic cuisines — soul food classics and fried seafood, but also Jamaican dishes and African dishes. We start with a couple of the oxtail sambusas, one of a handful of East African–inspired dishes that nod to the chef’s Sudanese roots. After one bite, we know we’re in good hands. These are chonky, square-edged specimens stuffed to the brim with tender, luscious shreds of spice-tinged braised oxtail. The thin, crispy wrappers taste, improbably, just like Chinese \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youtiao\">youtiao\u003c/a>, fresh out of the fryer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And because we’re constitutionally incapable of resisting when we see any form of braised oxtails on a menu, we doubled up with a full entree order. At Y’s Choice, these are served like stew over a big bowl of gravy-soaked rice that tastes strongly of mushrooms — wildly delicious in its own right. The tails themselves are meaty and succulent, with soft nubs of fat and collagen we sucked clean off the bone. (The dish’s soupy, slow-cooked quality is so wonderful, we immediately make plans to come back to try the gumbo.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All of the soul food dishes come with a choice of two sides, and as soon as we taste the green beans and the mac and cheese, I give myself a round of applause for choosing well: The savory green beans have been stewed with smoked turkey until they’re falling-apart soft; the mac and cheese has just the right level of cheddar sharpness and ooze. It’s like we’re eating some holy trinity of soul food. Alternating bites between the oxtails, the green beans and the cheesy pasta shells, everything works together in perfect, complementary balance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It is worth noting that Y’s Choice isn’t necessarily an inexpensive restaurant. There are a couple of sandwich- and chicken wing–type options for less than $20, but if you splurge on a soul food plate or one of the big “Y’s Special” seafood or surf ’n’ turf combinations — the kind of stacked plates folks like to show off on Instagram — chances are you’ll be dropping at least $40 or $50 on the entree alone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What you get in exchange, though, is a whole lot of food. The least expensive of the specials, the Lil Sis ($40), comes with grilled lamb chops (a bit overcooked but fatty and aggressively seasoned, just how I like them), thickly battered fried prawns and a big bed of sweet, buttery \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13900855/garlic-noodles-sf-bay-area-iconic-foods-thanh-long-smellys\">garlic noodles\u003c/a>. Tasty as it all is, we manage to finish maybe half the plate before waving the white flag.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Also delicious (despite us having ordered way too many carbs): Y’s take on rasta pasta — a huge, and incredibly addicting, portion of creamy, jerk-spiced penne for $15. And for dessert, there’s peach cobbler. Their version comes out looking like an oozy puddle on the plate, but in the best way: soft, syrupy peach chunks with shards of soft, buttery crust mixed in, all topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Full as we are, we hoover up every last bite.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Busy as it is, even past 10 o’clock, the restaurant is big enough and quiet enough to allow for quiet conversation. Before we’d even placed our orders, our friendly server had told us that because everything is cooked to order, it can take a bit of time for the food to come out. It’s a good place to catch up with a friend over a long, languorous meal — not somewhere you go when you’re in a hurry. But the food is delicious enough, and the atmosphere has enough of a whiff of elegance, to make the restaurant feel celebratory. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We feel that, especially when that one long table of decked-out twentysomethings breaks into the happy birthday song not once but twice. As soon as they finish their second rendition, the servers distribute what looks to be about five dozen takeout cartons. Like us, it seems, the ladies found the portions so abundant that they — very happily — had several meals’ worth of leftovers to take home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ys_choice_/\">\u003cem>Y’s Choice\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Friday to Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday to Tuesday 11 a.m.–9 p.m. at 1825 San Pablo Ave. in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A late-night hankering for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/soul-food\">soul food\u003c/a> brings us to an unobtrusive building on a relatively quiet block on San Pablo Avenue in Oakland, just down the street from the Fox Theater. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Y’s Choice” reads the neon sign outside — after chef-owner “Y” Ahmed, \u003ca href=\"https://www.yschoice.space/our-story\">we later learn\u003c/a>. The restaurant stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends, and at a little past 9 on a Friday night, the bustling dining room smells of garlic, butter and spice. A steady stream of old \u003cem>Martin \u003c/em>episodes plays on the flatscreen TV in the corner. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Y’s Choice” reads the neon sign outside — after chef-owner “Y” Ahmed, \u003ca href=\"https://www.yschoice.space/our-story\">we later learn\u003c/a>. The restaurant stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends, and at a little past 9 on a Friday night, the bustling dining room smells of garlic, butter and spice. A steady stream of old \u003cem>Martin \u003c/em>episodes plays on the flatscreen TV in the corner. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Already, we feel like we’ve made a good decision coming here. (“Make A Wise Choice,” the sign behind the bar counter reads; I finally get the pun in the restaurant’s name after re-reading it five or six times.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Already, we feel like we’ve made a good decision coming here. (“Make A Wise Choice,” the sign behind the bar counter reads; I finally get the pun in the restaurant’s name after re-reading it five or six times.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On the night of our visit, the crowd is roughly 90% Black women. One big, exuberant group of twentysomethings is dressed to the nines, maybe only just kicking off their night out on the town. At the table next to ours, a pair of middle-aged ladies is having a cozy chat in sweatshirts and mom jeans.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On the night of our visit, the crowd is roughly 90% Black women. One big, exuberant group of twentysomethings is dressed to the nines, maybe only just kicking off their night out on the town. At the table next to ours, a pair of middle-aged ladies is having a cozy chat in sweatshirts and mom jeans.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice2.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of a restaurant at nighttime. The sign outside reads, "Y's Choice."\" class=\"wp-image-13993080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Located about a block away from the Fox Theater, the restaurant is open until 11 p.m. on weekends.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice2.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of a restaurant at nighttime. The sign outside reads, "Y's Choice."\" class=\"wp-image-13993080\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Located about a block away from the Fox Theater, the restaurant is open until 11 p.m. on weekends.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>We make ourselves comfortable too. The menu at Y’s covers a fairly wide range of diasporic cuisines — soul food classics and fried seafood, but also Jamaican dishes and African dishes. We start with a couple of the oxtail sambusas, one of a handful of East African–inspired dishes that nod to the chef’s Sudanese roots. After one bite, we know we’re in good hands. These are chonky, square-edged specimens stuffed to the brim with tender, luscious shreds of spice-tinged braised oxtail. The thin, crispy wrappers taste, improbably, just like Chinese \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youtiao\">youtiao\u003c/a>, fresh out of the fryer. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>We make ourselves comfortable too. The menu at Y’s covers a fairly wide range of diasporic cuisines — soul food classics and fried seafood, but also Jamaican dishes and African dishes. We start with a couple of the oxtail sambusas, one of a handful of East African–inspired dishes that nod to the chef’s Sudanese roots. After one bite, we know we’re in good hands. These are chonky, square-edged specimens stuffed to the brim with tender, luscious shreds of spice-tinged braised oxtail. The thin, crispy wrappers taste, improbably, just like Chinese \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youtiao\">youtiao\u003c/a>, fresh out of the fryer. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And because we’re constitutionally incapable of resisting when we see any form of braised oxtails on a menu, we doubled up with a full entree order. At Y’s Choice, these are served like stew over a big bowl of gravy-soaked rice that tastes strongly of mushrooms — wildly delicious in its own right. The tails themselves are meaty and succulent, with soft nubs of fat and collagen we sucked clean off the bone. (The dish’s soupy, slow-cooked quality is so wonderful, we immediately make plans to come back to try the gumbo.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And because we’re constitutionally incapable of resisting when we see any form of braised oxtails on a menu, we doubled up with a full entree order. At Y’s Choice, these are served like stew over a big bowl of gravy-soaked rice that tastes strongly of mushrooms — wildly delicious in its own right. The tails themselves are meaty and succulent, with soft nubs of fat and collagen we sucked clean off the bone. (The dish’s soupy, slow-cooked quality is so wonderful, we immediately make plans to come back to try the gumbo.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All of the soul food dishes come with a choice of two sides, and as soon as we taste the green beans and the mac and cheese, I give myself a round of applause for choosing well: The savory green beans have been stewed with smoked turkey until they’re falling-apart soft; the mac and cheese has just the right level of cheddar sharpness and ooze. It’s like we’re eating some holy trinity of soul food. Alternating bites between the oxtails, the green beans and the cheesy pasta shells, everything works together in perfect, complementary balance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>All of the soul food dishes come with a choice of two sides, and as soon as we taste the green beans and the mac and cheese, I give myself a round of applause for choosing well: The savory green beans have been stewed with smoked turkey until they’re falling-apart soft; the mac and cheese has just the right level of cheddar sharpness and ooze. It’s like we’re eating some holy trinity of soul food. Alternating bites between the oxtails, the green beans and the cheesy pasta shells, everything works together in perfect, complementary balance. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It is worth noting that Y’s Choice isn’t necessarily an inexpensive restaurant. There are a couple of sandwich- and chicken wing–type options for less than $20, but if you splurge on a soul food plate or one of the big “Y’s Special” seafood or surf ’n’ turf combinations — the kind of stacked plates folks like to show off on Instagram — chances are you’ll be dropping at least $40 or $50 on the entree alone. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It is worth noting that Y’s Choice isn’t necessarily an inexpensive restaurant. There are a couple of sandwich- and chicken wing–type options for less than $20, but if you splurge on a soul food plate or one of the big “Y’s Special” seafood or surf ’n’ turf combinations — the kind of stacked plates folks like to show off on Instagram — chances are you’ll be dropping at least $40 or $50 on the entree alone. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What you get in exchange, though, is a whole lot of food. The least expensive of the specials, the Lil Sis ($40), comes with grilled lamb chops (a bit overcooked but fatty and aggressively seasoned, just how I like them), thickly battered fried prawns and a big bed of sweet, buttery \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13900855/garlic-noodles-sf-bay-area-iconic-foods-thanh-long-smellys\">garlic noodles\u003c/a>. Tasty as it all is, we manage to finish maybe half the plate before waving the white flag.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>What you get in exchange, though, is a whole lot of food. The least expensive of the specials, the Lil Sis ($40), comes with grilled lamb chops (a bit overcooked but fatty and aggressively seasoned, just how I like them), thickly battered fried prawns and a big bed of sweet, buttery \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13900855/garlic-noodles-sf-bay-area-iconic-foods-thanh-long-smellys\">garlic noodles\u003c/a>. Tasty as it all is, we manage to finish maybe half the plate before waving the white flag.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Also delicious (despite us having ordered way too many carbs): Y’s take on rasta pasta — a huge, and incredibly addicting, portion of creamy, jerk-spiced penne for $15. And for dessert, there’s peach cobbler. Their version comes out looking like an oozy puddle on the plate, but in the best way: soft, syrupy peach chunks with shards of soft, buttery crust mixed in, all topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Full as we are, we hoover up every last bite.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Also delicious (despite us having ordered way too many carbs): Y’s take on rasta pasta — a huge, and incredibly addicting, portion of creamy, jerk-spiced penne for $15. And for dessert, there’s peach cobbler. Their version comes out looking like an oozy puddle on the plate, but in the best way: soft, syrupy peach chunks with shards of soft, buttery crust mixed in, all topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Full as we are, we hoover up every last bite.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Busy as it is, even past 10 o’clock, the restaurant is big enough and quiet enough to allow for quiet conversation. Before we’d even placed our orders, our friendly server had told us that because everything is cooked to order, it can take a bit of time for the food to come out. It’s a good place to catch up with a friend over a long, languorous meal — not somewhere you go when you’re in a hurry. But the food is delicious enough, and the atmosphere has enough of a whiff of elegance, to make the restaurant feel celebratory. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Busy as it is, even past 10 o’clock, the restaurant is big enough and quiet enough to allow for quiet conversation. Before we’d even placed our orders, our friendly server had told us that because everything is cooked to order, it can take a bit of time for the food to come out. It’s a good place to catch up with a friend over a long, languorous meal — not somewhere you go when you’re in a hurry. But the food is delicious enough, and the atmosphere has enough of a whiff of elegance, to make the restaurant feel celebratory. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>We feel that, especially when that one long table of decked-out twentysomethings breaks into the happy birthday song not once but twice. As soon as they finish their second rendition, the servers distribute what looks to be about five dozen takeout cartons. Like us, it seems, the ladies found the portions so abundant that they — very happily — had several meals’ worth of leftovers to take home.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>We feel that, especially when that one long table of decked-out twentysomethings breaks into the happy birthday song not once but twice. As soon as they finish their second rendition, the servers distribute what looks to be about five dozen takeout cartons. Like us, it seems, the ladies found the portions so abundant that they — very happily — had several meals’ worth of leftovers to take home.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ys_choice_/\">\u003cem>Y’s Choice\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Friday to Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday to Tuesday 11 a.m.–9 p.m. at 1825 San Pablo Ave. in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ys_choice_/\">\u003cem>Y’s Choice\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Friday to Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday to Tuesday 11 a.m.–9 p.m. at 1825 San Pablo Ave. in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Braised oxtails, in both sambusa and soupy rice bowl form, are the star of this San Pablo Avenue gem.",
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"title": "Y’s Choice Is a Haven of Late-Night Soul Food in Oakland | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration Two men dig into an abundant spread of braised oxtails and other soul food dishes.\" class=\"wp-image-13993078\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Y’s Choice, a soul food restaurant in Uptown Oakland, specializes in braised oxtails and other classic soul food dishes. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A late-night hankering for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/soul-food\">soul food\u003c/a> brings us to an unobtrusive building on a relatively quiet block on San Pablo Avenue in Oakland, just down the street from the Fox Theater. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Y’s Choice” reads the neon sign outside — after chef-owner “Y” Ahmed, \u003ca href=\"https://www.yschoice.space/our-story\">we later learn\u003c/a>. The restaurant stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends, and at a little past 9 on a Friday night, the bustling dining room smells of garlic, butter and spice. A steady stream of old \u003cem>Martin \u003c/em>episodes plays on the flatscreen TV in the corner. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Already, we feel like we’ve made a good decision coming here. (“Make A Wise Choice,” the sign behind the bar counter reads; I finally get the pun in the restaurant’s name after re-reading it five or six times.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the night of our visit, the crowd is roughly 90% Black women. One big, exuberant group of twentysomethings is dressed to the nines, maybe only just kicking off their night out on the town. At the table next to ours, a pair of middle-aged ladies is having a cozy chat in sweatshirts and mom jeans.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice2.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of a restaurant at nighttime. The sign outside reads, "Y's Choice."\" class=\"wp-image-13993080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/yschoice2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Located about a block away from the Fox Theater, the restaurant is open until 11 p.m. on weekends. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We make ourselves comfortable too. The menu at Y’s covers a fairly wide range of diasporic cuisines — soul food classics and fried seafood, but also Jamaican dishes and African dishes. We start with a couple of the oxtail sambusas, one of a handful of East African–inspired dishes that nod to the chef’s Sudanese roots. After one bite, we know we’re in good hands. These are chonky, square-edged specimens stuffed to the brim with tender, luscious shreds of spice-tinged braised oxtail. The thin, crispy wrappers taste, improbably, just like Chinese \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youtiao\">youtiao\u003c/a>, fresh out of the fryer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And because we’re constitutionally incapable of resisting when we see any form of braised oxtails on a menu, we doubled up with a full entree order. At Y’s Choice, these are served like stew over a big bowl of gravy-soaked rice that tastes strongly of mushrooms — wildly delicious in its own right. The tails themselves are meaty and succulent, with soft nubs of fat and collagen we sucked clean off the bone. (The dish’s soupy, slow-cooked quality is so wonderful, we immediately make plans to come back to try the gumbo.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All of the soul food dishes come with a choice of two sides, and as soon as we taste the green beans and the mac and cheese, I give myself a round of applause for choosing well: The savory green beans have been stewed with smoked turkey until they’re falling-apart soft; the mac and cheese has just the right level of cheddar sharpness and ooze. It’s like we’re eating some holy trinity of soul food. Alternating bites between the oxtails, the green beans and the cheesy pasta shells, everything works together in perfect, complementary balance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It is worth noting that Y’s Choice isn’t necessarily an inexpensive restaurant. There are a couple of sandwich- and chicken wing–type options for less than $20, but if you splurge on a soul food plate or one of the big “Y’s Special” seafood or surf ’n’ turf combinations — the kind of stacked plates folks like to show off on Instagram — chances are you’ll be dropping at least $40 or $50 on the entree alone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What you get in exchange, though, is a whole lot of food. The least expensive of the specials, the Lil Sis ($40), comes with grilled lamb chops (a bit overcooked but fatty and aggressively seasoned, just how I like them), thickly battered fried prawns and a big bed of sweet, buttery \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13900855/garlic-noodles-sf-bay-area-iconic-foods-thanh-long-smellys\">garlic noodles\u003c/a>. Tasty as it all is, we manage to finish maybe half the plate before waving the white flag.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Also delicious (despite us having ordered way too many carbs): Y’s take on rasta pasta — a huge, and incredibly addicting, portion of creamy, jerk-spiced penne for $15. And for dessert, there’s peach cobbler. Their version comes out looking like an oozy puddle on the plate, but in the best way: soft, syrupy peach chunks with shards of soft, buttery crust mixed in, all topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Full as we are, we hoover up every last bite.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Busy as it is, even past 10 o’clock, the restaurant is big enough and quiet enough to allow for quiet conversation. Before we’d even placed our orders, our friendly server had told us that because everything is cooked to order, it can take a bit of time for the food to come out. It’s a good place to catch up with a friend over a long, languorous meal — not somewhere you go when you’re in a hurry. But the food is delicious enough, and the atmosphere has enough of a whiff of elegance, to make the restaurant feel celebratory. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We feel that, especially when that one long table of decked-out twentysomethings breaks into the happy birthday song not once but twice. As soon as they finish their second rendition, the servers distribute what looks to be about five dozen takeout cartons. Like us, it seems, the ladies found the portions so abundant that they — very happily — had several meals’ worth of leftovers to take home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ys_choice_/\">\u003cem>Y’s Choice\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Friday to Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday to Tuesday 11 a.m.–9 p.m. at 1825 San Pablo Ave. in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"soldout": {
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