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"slug": "best-boba-shops-bay-area-berkeley-cupertino-sf",
"title": "12 Refreshing Bay Area Boba Shops to Cool You Off This Summer",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2026\">2026 Summer Arts Guide to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more\u003c/a> in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We are living in a golden age of boba in the Bay Area. In certain swaths of Berkeley, San Jose and Cupertino, you can find a boba shop on every block, and the sheer variety of drinks — from the cheese foam–topped to the nitro-chilled — has never been more robust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, any true bubble tea connoisseur will tell you that beverage quality varies wildly from boba shop to boba shop — and, if I can say the quiet part out loud, the vast majority of Bay Area spots are mediocre at best. Unless you \u003ci>like\u003c/i> stale tapioca balls and excruciatingly sweet, watered-down tea made from powder mixes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But listen: Friends don’t let friends drink bad boba. And because I care about you, dear reader, I’ve decided to share my running list of the best the Bay Area has to offer. As the parched, sun-soaked days of summer draw near, these are the spots where I’ll be posting up to quench my thirst. \u003cstrong>New additions for 2026: Goolu Tea, Heytea, Dzui Cake & Tea.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957737\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957737\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea.jpg\" alt=\"Two boba drinks on a wooden table.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1482\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-800x618.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-1020x787.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-160x124.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-768x593.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-1536x1186.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">TP Tea is a good choice for boba drinkers who want to be able to taste the tea. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>TP Tea\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2383 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s where I’ll remind you that the boba balls themselves are merely a \u003ci>topping\u003c/i>, and an optional one at that. A boba shop serving tea that doesn’t taste good on its own would never survive in Taiwan (or any serious tea-drinking country). And so the highest praise I can give to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tptea.california/\">TP Tea\u003c/a> is that it’s the kind of boba shop where you can order the most basic-sounding tea (say, the “Signature Black Tea”) with minimal (30%) sugar added and no toppings whatsoever — and the drink will taste good as hell. The tea drinks here actually taste like tea, including the elegantly smooth Tie Guan Yin milk tea, a contender for my favorite milk tea in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s for good reason, then, that TP’s UC Berkeley location is by far the busiest boba shop on a couple-block stretch of Telegraph Avenue packed with six or seven others. (Also, “Taiwan Professional Tea” is the best name for a boba chain, hands down.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Asha Tea House\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2086 University Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/two-local-teashops-that-could-make-you-care-about-tea-1/\">As the story goes\u003c/a>, this Berkeley institution opened as a vehicle for evangelizing the pleasures of fine Asian teas, and offered a simple boba menu as just one part of that mission. But the boba drinks were so wildly popular, they quickly overshadowed all of the shop’s higher-end offerings. More than probably any other Bay Area boba shop, the focus at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ashateahouse/?hl=en\">Asha\u003c/a> rests squarely on the quality of the tea itself rather than on any bells and whistles. All of my favorites have been on the menu from day one: the potent, condensed milk–sweetened Hong Kong milk tea, which is delicious hot or cold, with or without boba. Or any of the seasonal fruit teas, which rely on no artificial flavorings. Instead, they’re just pure tea, supplemented with one of Asha’s pulpy housemade fruit purees. When available, the strawberry black tea and the Asian pear oolong are especially elite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957738\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957738\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango.jpg\" alt=\"A mango smoothie topped with whipped cream.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dek Doi sells standard boba drinks, but its boba-adjacent Thai beverages — like the “Mango Sunset” — are where the Piedmont Avenue shop really shines. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Dek Doi Cafe\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>4125 Piedmont Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a testament to the beverage’s mainstream universal appeal these days that this little Thai cafe has a whole section of its menu dedicated to boba, which doesn’t have any traditional roots in Thailand. That said, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dekdoicafe/\">Dek Doi’s\u003c/a> boba drink selection is fairly basic, so you’d be better off choosing one of its boba-adjacent Thai drinks — like the “Mango Sunset,” which is just an S-tier exemplar of the kind of slushie mango smoothie that many shops sell. This version comes topped with whipped cream and crispy mung beans. Or try Thailand’s famous “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925310/dek-doi-cafe-pink-milk-thai-bl-oakland\">pink milk\u003c/a>,” or nom chompuu, which is made with red palm fruit syrup and resembles, and vaguely tastes similar to, a retro diner–style strawberry milk with tropical undertones. Note that the drinks here run sweet, but, like at any respectable boba shop, the sweetness level is customizable: For me, 50% was just right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957746\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957746\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee.jpg\" alt=\"A creamy boba drink sits on a table in front of a pillow.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The crème brûlée milk tea is one of Urban Ritual’s many excellent toppings-forward drinks. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Urban Ritual\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>488 Fell St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just when I got done saying boba isn’t all about all the toppings, here comes a boba shop that is, to a large extent, \u003ci>all about the toppings\u003c/i>. And yet I love it, unreservedly. Actually, the tea at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/urbanritualcafe/?hl=en\">Urban Ritual\u003c/a> tastes quite good, and the texture of the boba itself is unimpeachable. But what sets the shop apart is its next-generation approach to creative flavor and topping combinations. The most obvious example is its signature crème brûlée milk tea, which combines black tea, cream, tapioca balls and crème brûlée — both the eggy pudding and the crunchy-smoky torched sugar bits. This is Urban Ritual’s greatest innovation: the way it introduces textures other than the classic “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897410/taiwanese-food-texture-q-boba-love-boat\">QQ\u003c/a>” chew of the boba.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you want to tell me that some of these drinks are more of a dessert than a beverage? You would be correct — but who is going to complain as long as they know that going in?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989533\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989533\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera.jpg\" alt=\"Two boba drinks placed on the edge of a planter box filled with colorful flowers.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teaspoon’s Corte Madera location might be the best boba option in the North Bay. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Teaspoon\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>132 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13915004,arts_13976236']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>Marin County has long been a bit of a boba wasteland, as the big, trendy brands from Taiwan haven’t, to this point, seen the region’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11307601/why-is-marin-county-so-white\">small Asian population\u003c/a> as a worthwhile market. It was a happy day, then, when Teaspoon, one of the more well-regarded local (and now \u003ca href=\"https://order.teaspoonlife.com/\">national\u003c/a>) chains, opened a branch in a Corte Madera shopping plaza. The creamy, caramelly Black Sugar Assam is a well-executed take on the black sugar boba trend. And the “Grasshopper,” which combines lychee green tea and fresh cucumber juice, is fun and refreshing — a nod, perhaps, toward the kind of pepino agua fresca you might find at a local taqueria.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A note of caution: Teaspoon’s drinks were always a bit on the sweet side, but lately the chain has doubled down on the sugar, literally — what used to be the maximum (“regular”) sweetness level is now listed as 50% sweet, which means customers who don’t want a sugar bomb should probably opt for 10%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989514\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989514\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash.jpg\" alt='Hand holding a boba drink with a Christmas tree in the background. The text on the cup reads, \"Goolutea Zesty Lime Smash\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Goolu Tea, in Castro Valley, specializes in lime smash boba drinks, in which whole limes get smashed and muddled by hand. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Goolu Tea\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3646 Village Dr., Castro Valley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A relative newcomer to the Bay Area scene, this independent boba shop specializes in hand-smashed lime teas, a style of drink that’s wildly popular in China and Hong Kong, where it’s often made with green lemons. The name of the drink is self-explanatory: Once you place your order, you’ll hear sound of those fresh limes getting pummeled — quite literally beaten to a pulp — by the staff, releasing not just the sour juices but also the slightly bitter fragrance of the rind. The end result is one of the most refreshing drinks you can find on a hot day. I’m especially fond of the light, slightly astringent Phoenix lime tea, made with a coveted oolong varietal from Guangdong, China.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea \u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>34133 Fremont Blvd., Fremont\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some ways this may feel like a basic pick: This Taiwanese chain has had a foothold in Northern California for years now, with more than a dozen locations, and it’s been a minute since the brand was super-relevant on the Taipei scene. But what \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yifang.cal/?hl=en\">Yifang\u003c/a> still does better than any other Bay Area chain is its fruit-flavored teas — whether it’s pineapple teas (made with housemade pineapple jam), old-school Taiwanese tastes like winter melon tea or lemon aiyu or, best of all, the shop’s signature Yifang Fruit Tea, which comes loaded fresh apple, orange and passion fruit, like a beverage and fruit salad all in one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is another spot where you’ll want to be careful about the sweetness levels, which vary widely from drink to drink. I’ve ordered the Yifang Fruit Tea at 0% sweetness and still found it to be plenty sweet enough!\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957754\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957754\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up of a man holding two boba drinks using boba totes made of twine.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chicha San Chen’s hallmark is that it brews the tea for each individual boba drink to order. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Chicha San Chen\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>20688 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13904913,arts_13989331']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>This one is for the diehards — or at least for tea lovers who have about an hour to kill. The current title holder in the contest for buzziest Bay Area boba shop, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/chichasanchen.norcal/?hl=en\">Chicha San Chen\u003c/a> touts its award-winning tea drinks, which are individually brewed to order using the company’s patented, very Third-Wave-esque “teaspresso” machines. Is it all a little bit precious? Sure. But it does make for tasty tea. Word to the wise: If you’re going to go through all the trouble of waiting in line for half an hour (and then \u003ci>another\u003c/i> half hour for them to make your drink), then you’d better be a person who appreciates the flavor of tea for tea’s sake — and you’d be well-advised to order one of the simpler drinks, so the taste of that tea actually shines through. I love the floral, slightly tannic, minimally sweetened honey osmanthus oolong in particular.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bonus points for packaging that’s cute \u003ci>and\u003c/i> convenient: Every cup comes with a disposable \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C13nPlqLXle/?hl=en\">boba tote\u003c/a> made of twine. And as the chain has slowly ramped up its \u003ca href=\"https://chichasanchennorcal.com/locations\">Bay Area footprint\u003c/a>, the crowds are starting get more manageable too. (During recent visits to the Berkeley location, I’ve snagged my drinks in less than 20 minutes.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957757\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957757\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful.jpg\" alt=\"A soy pudding drink with many colorful toppings.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1439\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-1020x764.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-1536x1151.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The #8 combination at Soyful desserts is a hybrid of boba, soy pudding and chè. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Soyful Desserts\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>999 Story Rd., San José\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the joys of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13904913/vietnamese-drinks-boba-che-guide-san-jose\">San José’s vibrant, colorful drinks scene\u003c/a> is the way that Taiwanese, Chinese and Vietnamese influences have fused together to create their own unique, hybridized thing. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/soyfuldesserts/\">Soyful Desserts\u003c/a> is probably the peak example of that synthesis, with its concise menu of Hong Kong-style milk teas, soy pudding drinks and shaved ice–laden Vietnamese chè. As the shop’s name indicates, the star here is the soy pudding (aka tofu pudding), a silky, refreshing treat equally beloved in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam. To experience this fusion in all its glory, try the #8 soy pudding combination, which comes filled to the brim with ginger syrup–soaked tofu pudding, shaved ice, basil seeds, pandan jelly, grass jelly, sweet red beans and probably a handful of other toppings I’m forgetting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m well aware that this is a “drink” that’s more solid than liquid — that it, in fact, constitutes a full meal in itself. But that doesn’t make it any less fun or delicious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13976427\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding.jpg\" alt='Coconut pudding topped with diced mango, served in a jar. The insignia on the jar reads, \"Tong Sui.\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Tong Sui\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>927 E. Arques Ave. #151, Sunnyvale\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also in the realm of good boba at businesses that aren’t strictly boba shops, this popular dessert mini-chain stands out for its selection of seasonally rotating drinks that skew more toward tropical fruit than pure tea. The osmanthus oolong milk tea, topped with tea jelly and an airy coconut cream “cloud,” embodies the shop’s approach: The drinks are refreshing, texturally interesting, sweet but not \u003cem>too \u003c/em>sweet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the real reason to make a special trip to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tongsui.us/?hl=en\">Tong Sui\u003c/a> is the shop’s line of coconut puddings that are so tender and jiggly, they practically melt in your mouth. I especially love the one topped with a double layer of mango (both finely chopped and in soft mochi form).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989531\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989531\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose.jpg\" alt='Facade of a busy boba shop, with a line of people waiting outside the entrance. The sign above reads, \"HEYTEA.\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San José location of Heytea, one of the buzziest boba chains to come out of China in recent years. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Heytea\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1628 Hostetter Rd. Ste. H, San José\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the trendiest boba chains to come out of China, Heytea has made rapid inroads in the Bay Area, with locations opening in San Francisco, Berkeley, Milpitas, Daly City and beyond, all in the past two years. During peak hours, I found the San José shop to be more than a little chaotic, with long and unpredictable wait times for drinks — quite tasty drinks, it turns out. The matcha and brown sugar drinks are big sellers, but Heytea’s real strength is its super-refreshing fruit teas. I’m a sucker for all of the grape flavors, including the enticingly named “Crisp Grape Boom,” which is essentially a slushie with chunks of peeled fresh grape mixed in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989519\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989519\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a cup of milk tea in front of Dzui Cake & Tea. The text on the cup reads, "You can't buy happiness, but you can buy durian."\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy durian” — especially at Dzui Cake & Tea in San José. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Dzui Cake & Tea\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2451 Alvin Ave., San José\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With its vast selection of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986806/dzui-favorite-durian-dessert-shop-san-jose-banh-pia\">durian desserts\u003c/a> and hard-to-find Vietnamese pastries, Dzui’s is a lot more than just a boba shop. But the drinks are worth a trip in their own right. Of particular note is the “á đù…rian” milk tea, which is almost certainly the best durian milk tea you’ll find in the Bay. The salt-cream-topped drink is rich, creamy and apologetically funky, with a true durian flavor that gets stronger and more delicious the longer you drink it. Also excellent: the chè-like hambalang milk tea, which comes loaded with boba, flan, and an assortment of colorful jellies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"mceTemp\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2026\">2026 Summer Arts Guide to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more\u003c/a> in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We are living in a golden age of boba in the Bay Area. In certain swaths of Berkeley, San Jose and Cupertino, you can find a boba shop on every block, and the sheer variety of drinks — from the cheese foam–topped to the nitro-chilled — has never been more robust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, any true bubble tea connoisseur will tell you that beverage quality varies wildly from boba shop to boba shop — and, if I can say the quiet part out loud, the vast majority of Bay Area spots are mediocre at best. Unless you \u003ci>like\u003c/i> stale tapioca balls and excruciatingly sweet, watered-down tea made from powder mixes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But listen: Friends don’t let friends drink bad boba. And because I care about you, dear reader, I’ve decided to share my running list of the best the Bay Area has to offer. As the parched, sun-soaked days of summer draw near, these are the spots where I’ll be posting up to quench my thirst. \u003cstrong>New additions for 2026: Goolu Tea, Heytea, Dzui Cake & Tea.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957737\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957737\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea.jpg\" alt=\"Two boba drinks on a wooden table.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1482\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-800x618.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-1020x787.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-160x124.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-768x593.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-1536x1186.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">TP Tea is a good choice for boba drinkers who want to be able to taste the tea. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>TP Tea\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2383 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s where I’ll remind you that the boba balls themselves are merely a \u003ci>topping\u003c/i>, and an optional one at that. A boba shop serving tea that doesn’t taste good on its own would never survive in Taiwan (or any serious tea-drinking country). And so the highest praise I can give to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tptea.california/\">TP Tea\u003c/a> is that it’s the kind of boba shop where you can order the most basic-sounding tea (say, the “Signature Black Tea”) with minimal (30%) sugar added and no toppings whatsoever — and the drink will taste good as hell. The tea drinks here actually taste like tea, including the elegantly smooth Tie Guan Yin milk tea, a contender for my favorite milk tea in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s for good reason, then, that TP’s UC Berkeley location is by far the busiest boba shop on a couple-block stretch of Telegraph Avenue packed with six or seven others. (Also, “Taiwan Professional Tea” is the best name for a boba chain, hands down.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Asha Tea House\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2086 University Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/two-local-teashops-that-could-make-you-care-about-tea-1/\">As the story goes\u003c/a>, this Berkeley institution opened as a vehicle for evangelizing the pleasures of fine Asian teas, and offered a simple boba menu as just one part of that mission. But the boba drinks were so wildly popular, they quickly overshadowed all of the shop’s higher-end offerings. More than probably any other Bay Area boba shop, the focus at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ashateahouse/?hl=en\">Asha\u003c/a> rests squarely on the quality of the tea itself rather than on any bells and whistles. All of my favorites have been on the menu from day one: the potent, condensed milk–sweetened Hong Kong milk tea, which is delicious hot or cold, with or without boba. Or any of the seasonal fruit teas, which rely on no artificial flavorings. Instead, they’re just pure tea, supplemented with one of Asha’s pulpy housemade fruit purees. When available, the strawberry black tea and the Asian pear oolong are especially elite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957738\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957738\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango.jpg\" alt=\"A mango smoothie topped with whipped cream.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dek Doi sells standard boba drinks, but its boba-adjacent Thai beverages — like the “Mango Sunset” — are where the Piedmont Avenue shop really shines. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Dek Doi Cafe\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>4125 Piedmont Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a testament to the beverage’s mainstream universal appeal these days that this little Thai cafe has a whole section of its menu dedicated to boba, which doesn’t have any traditional roots in Thailand. That said, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dekdoicafe/\">Dek Doi’s\u003c/a> boba drink selection is fairly basic, so you’d be better off choosing one of its boba-adjacent Thai drinks — like the “Mango Sunset,” which is just an S-tier exemplar of the kind of slushie mango smoothie that many shops sell. This version comes topped with whipped cream and crispy mung beans. Or try Thailand’s famous “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925310/dek-doi-cafe-pink-milk-thai-bl-oakland\">pink milk\u003c/a>,” or nom chompuu, which is made with red palm fruit syrup and resembles, and vaguely tastes similar to, a retro diner–style strawberry milk with tropical undertones. Note that the drinks here run sweet, but, like at any respectable boba shop, the sweetness level is customizable: For me, 50% was just right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957746\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957746\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee.jpg\" alt=\"A creamy boba drink sits on a table in front of a pillow.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The crème brûlée milk tea is one of Urban Ritual’s many excellent toppings-forward drinks. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Urban Ritual\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>488 Fell St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just when I got done saying boba isn’t all about all the toppings, here comes a boba shop that is, to a large extent, \u003ci>all about the toppings\u003c/i>. And yet I love it, unreservedly. Actually, the tea at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/urbanritualcafe/?hl=en\">Urban Ritual\u003c/a> tastes quite good, and the texture of the boba itself is unimpeachable. But what sets the shop apart is its next-generation approach to creative flavor and topping combinations. The most obvious example is its signature crème brûlée milk tea, which combines black tea, cream, tapioca balls and crème brûlée — both the eggy pudding and the crunchy-smoky torched sugar bits. This is Urban Ritual’s greatest innovation: the way it introduces textures other than the classic “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897410/taiwanese-food-texture-q-boba-love-boat\">QQ\u003c/a>” chew of the boba.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you want to tell me that some of these drinks are more of a dessert than a beverage? You would be correct — but who is going to complain as long as they know that going in?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989533\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989533\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera.jpg\" alt=\"Two boba drinks placed on the edge of a planter box filled with colorful flowers.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teaspoon’s Corte Madera location might be the best boba option in the North Bay. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Teaspoon\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>132 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>Marin County has long been a bit of a boba wasteland, as the big, trendy brands from Taiwan haven’t, to this point, seen the region’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11307601/why-is-marin-county-so-white\">small Asian population\u003c/a> as a worthwhile market. It was a happy day, then, when Teaspoon, one of the more well-regarded local (and now \u003ca href=\"https://order.teaspoonlife.com/\">national\u003c/a>) chains, opened a branch in a Corte Madera shopping plaza. The creamy, caramelly Black Sugar Assam is a well-executed take on the black sugar boba trend. And the “Grasshopper,” which combines lychee green tea and fresh cucumber juice, is fun and refreshing — a nod, perhaps, toward the kind of pepino agua fresca you might find at a local taqueria.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A note of caution: Teaspoon’s drinks were always a bit on the sweet side, but lately the chain has doubled down on the sugar, literally — what used to be the maximum (“regular”) sweetness level is now listed as 50% sweet, which means customers who don’t want a sugar bomb should probably opt for 10%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989514\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989514\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash.jpg\" alt='Hand holding a boba drink with a Christmas tree in the background. The text on the cup reads, \"Goolutea Zesty Lime Smash\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Goolu Tea, in Castro Valley, specializes in lime smash boba drinks, in which whole limes get smashed and muddled by hand. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Goolu Tea\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3646 Village Dr., Castro Valley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A relative newcomer to the Bay Area scene, this independent boba shop specializes in hand-smashed lime teas, a style of drink that’s wildly popular in China and Hong Kong, where it’s often made with green lemons. The name of the drink is self-explanatory: Once you place your order, you’ll hear sound of those fresh limes getting pummeled — quite literally beaten to a pulp — by the staff, releasing not just the sour juices but also the slightly bitter fragrance of the rind. The end result is one of the most refreshing drinks you can find on a hot day. I’m especially fond of the light, slightly astringent Phoenix lime tea, made with a coveted oolong varietal from Guangdong, China.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea \u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>34133 Fremont Blvd., Fremont\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some ways this may feel like a basic pick: This Taiwanese chain has had a foothold in Northern California for years now, with more than a dozen locations, and it’s been a minute since the brand was super-relevant on the Taipei scene. But what \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yifang.cal/?hl=en\">Yifang\u003c/a> still does better than any other Bay Area chain is its fruit-flavored teas — whether it’s pineapple teas (made with housemade pineapple jam), old-school Taiwanese tastes like winter melon tea or lemon aiyu or, best of all, the shop’s signature Yifang Fruit Tea, which comes loaded fresh apple, orange and passion fruit, like a beverage and fruit salad all in one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is another spot where you’ll want to be careful about the sweetness levels, which vary widely from drink to drink. I’ve ordered the Yifang Fruit Tea at 0% sweetness and still found it to be plenty sweet enough!\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957754\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957754\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up of a man holding two boba drinks using boba totes made of twine.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chicha San Chen’s hallmark is that it brews the tea for each individual boba drink to order. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Chicha San Chen\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>20688 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>This one is for the diehards — or at least for tea lovers who have about an hour to kill. The current title holder in the contest for buzziest Bay Area boba shop, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/chichasanchen.norcal/?hl=en\">Chicha San Chen\u003c/a> touts its award-winning tea drinks, which are individually brewed to order using the company’s patented, very Third-Wave-esque “teaspresso” machines. Is it all a little bit precious? Sure. But it does make for tasty tea. Word to the wise: If you’re going to go through all the trouble of waiting in line for half an hour (and then \u003ci>another\u003c/i> half hour for them to make your drink), then you’d better be a person who appreciates the flavor of tea for tea’s sake — and you’d be well-advised to order one of the simpler drinks, so the taste of that tea actually shines through. I love the floral, slightly tannic, minimally sweetened honey osmanthus oolong in particular.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bonus points for packaging that’s cute \u003ci>and\u003c/i> convenient: Every cup comes with a disposable \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C13nPlqLXle/?hl=en\">boba tote\u003c/a> made of twine. And as the chain has slowly ramped up its \u003ca href=\"https://chichasanchennorcal.com/locations\">Bay Area footprint\u003c/a>, the crowds are starting get more manageable too. (During recent visits to the Berkeley location, I’ve snagged my drinks in less than 20 minutes.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957757\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957757\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful.jpg\" alt=\"A soy pudding drink with many colorful toppings.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1439\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-1020x764.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-1536x1151.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The #8 combination at Soyful desserts is a hybrid of boba, soy pudding and chè. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Soyful Desserts\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>999 Story Rd., San José\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the joys of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13904913/vietnamese-drinks-boba-che-guide-san-jose\">San José’s vibrant, colorful drinks scene\u003c/a> is the way that Taiwanese, Chinese and Vietnamese influences have fused together to create their own unique, hybridized thing. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/soyfuldesserts/\">Soyful Desserts\u003c/a> is probably the peak example of that synthesis, with its concise menu of Hong Kong-style milk teas, soy pudding drinks and shaved ice–laden Vietnamese chè. As the shop’s name indicates, the star here is the soy pudding (aka tofu pudding), a silky, refreshing treat equally beloved in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam. To experience this fusion in all its glory, try the #8 soy pudding combination, which comes filled to the brim with ginger syrup–soaked tofu pudding, shaved ice, basil seeds, pandan jelly, grass jelly, sweet red beans and probably a handful of other toppings I’m forgetting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m well aware that this is a “drink” that’s more solid than liquid — that it, in fact, constitutes a full meal in itself. But that doesn’t make it any less fun or delicious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13976427\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding.jpg\" alt='Coconut pudding topped with diced mango, served in a jar. The insignia on the jar reads, \"Tong Sui.\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Tong Sui\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>927 E. Arques Ave. #151, Sunnyvale\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also in the realm of good boba at businesses that aren’t strictly boba shops, this popular dessert mini-chain stands out for its selection of seasonally rotating drinks that skew more toward tropical fruit than pure tea. The osmanthus oolong milk tea, topped with tea jelly and an airy coconut cream “cloud,” embodies the shop’s approach: The drinks are refreshing, texturally interesting, sweet but not \u003cem>too \u003c/em>sweet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the real reason to make a special trip to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tongsui.us/?hl=en\">Tong Sui\u003c/a> is the shop’s line of coconut puddings that are so tender and jiggly, they practically melt in your mouth. I especially love the one topped with a double layer of mango (both finely chopped and in soft mochi form).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989531\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989531\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose.jpg\" alt='Facade of a busy boba shop, with a line of people waiting outside the entrance. The sign above reads, \"HEYTEA.\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San José location of Heytea, one of the buzziest boba chains to come out of China in recent years. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Heytea\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1628 Hostetter Rd. Ste. H, San José\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the trendiest boba chains to come out of China, Heytea has made rapid inroads in the Bay Area, with locations opening in San Francisco, Berkeley, Milpitas, Daly City and beyond, all in the past two years. During peak hours, I found the San José shop to be more than a little chaotic, with long and unpredictable wait times for drinks — quite tasty drinks, it turns out. The matcha and brown sugar drinks are big sellers, but Heytea’s real strength is its super-refreshing fruit teas. I’m a sucker for all of the grape flavors, including the enticingly named “Crisp Grape Boom,” which is essentially a slushie with chunks of peeled fresh grape mixed in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989519\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989519\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a cup of milk tea in front of Dzui Cake & Tea. The text on the cup reads, "You can't buy happiness, but you can buy durian."\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy durian” — especially at Dzui Cake & Tea in San José. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Dzui Cake & Tea\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2451 Alvin Ave., San José\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With its vast selection of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986806/dzui-favorite-durian-dessert-shop-san-jose-banh-pia\">durian desserts\u003c/a> and hard-to-find Vietnamese pastries, Dzui’s is a lot more than just a boba shop. But the drinks are worth a trip in their own right. Of particular note is the “á đù…rian” milk tea, which is almost certainly the best durian milk tea you’ll find in the Bay. The salt-cream-topped drink is rich, creamy and apologetically funky, with a true durian flavor that gets stronger and more delicious the longer you drink it. Also excellent: the chè-like hambalang milk tea, which comes loaded with boba, flan, and an assortment of colorful jellies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"mceTemp\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "best-cheap-affordable-restaurant-meals-bay-area-oakland-sf",
"title": "25 Great Bay Area Meals for $12 or Less",
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"headTitle": "25 Great Bay Area Meals for $12 or Less | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ci>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">How We Get By\u003c/a>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">full series here\u003c/a>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You don’t need to sit down at one of the Bay Area’s posh and trendy temples of fine dining to know that eating out in the year 2026 is too damn expensive. These days, even the most generic fast food might cost $50 or $60 to feed a family of four, and buying groceries to cook at home is an increasingly fraught and overwhelming expense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thankfully, the high-end California cuisine restaurant isn’t the \u003ci>only\u003c/i> hallmark of the Bay Area food scene — there’s also the neighborhood taco truck, noodle counter, bánh mì shop and casual takeout dim sum deli. In every city in the Bay, these essential restaurants are still feeding the people, often at a shockingly inexpensive price point. You just need to know which ones are actually delicious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here, then, is my guide to eating well on a budget: 25 of my favorite affordable Bay Area restaurants where you can get a full, satisfying meal for $12 or less.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#CheapEatsinSanFrancisco\">Cheap eats in San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#CheapEatsintheSouthBayandPeninsula\">Cheap eats in the South Bay and Peninsula\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#CheapEatsintheNorthBay\">Cheap eats in the North Bay\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch1>\u003cb>EAST BAY\u003c/b>\u003c/h1>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989352\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989352\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/universal-bakery-pan-con-todo.jpg\" alt=\"Breakfast sandwich with sausage, scrambled egg and queso fresco.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/universal-bakery-pan-con-todo.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/universal-bakery-pan-con-todo-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/universal-bakery-pan-con-todo-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/universal-bakery-pan-con-todo-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The pan con todo with Guatemalan sausage at Universal Bakery, which has locations in San Pablo, San Francisco and Daly City. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Universal Bakery\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1946 23rd St., San Pablo\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This bustling Guatemalan bakery is the king of the delicious, inexpensive breakfast sandwich, serving at least seven different varieties of its pan con todo. The baseline sandwich ($6.55) comes with fluffy scrambled eggs, refried beans, crema and a wedge of fresh cheese — the staples of a traditional Guatemalan breakfast, all piled onto a good, crusty French roll. My favorite version adds well-charred longaniza (Guatemalan pork sausage) to the mix; others feature sweet plantains or carne asada. The bakery has additional locations in \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Universal+Bakery+on+Mission/@37.741405,-122.4228077,3291m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x808f7e5d405c2f8b:0xb24e30761070f266!8m2!3d37.741405!4d-122.4228077!16s%2Fg%2F1vlqqfmk?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDQyOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D\">San Francisco’s Mission District\u003c/a> and in \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Universal+Bakery+on+Geneva/@37.7070028,-122.4146378,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x808f7ec563977c09:0x63c23ad1f3300324!8m2!3d37.7070028!4d-122.4146378!16s%2Fg%2F11bx9t7vrz?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMyNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D\">Daly City\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989373\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989373\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/aqua-terra_branzino_credit-luketsai.jpg\" alt=\"Seared fish fillet on a bed of noodles, with grilled vegetables on the side.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/aqua-terra_branzino_credit-luketsai.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/aqua-terra_branzino_credit-luketsai-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/aqua-terra_branzino_credit-luketsai-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/aqua-terra_branzino_credit-luketsai-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Even the most expensive items on the menu at Aqua Terra, like this seared branzino, only cost $16. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Aqua Terra Grill at Contra Costa College\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2600 Mission Bell Dr. SAB-130, San Pablo\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Located on the Contra Costa College campus, \u003ca href=\"https://linktr.ee/ccc_order?fbclid=IwY2xjawRlx6JleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFEWHBmMlhCam1JYk1ZTjdRc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkJtQLftRhaphc9HVpBM1Pr9EdNirfRNdN9VR35XQrQKyp3Rsl1ce1jrD45w_aem_5GeBZRKVmdFI7Kideqc3EA\">Aqua Terra\u003c/a> functions as a training facility for students in the school’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ccc_culinaryacademy\">culinary academy\u003c/a>, but it it’s also fully open to the public for lunch service, three days a week (Tuesday–Thursday). The bonus with getting a meal prepared and served by students still learning their trade is that it’s an extraordinary value — say, a cool $9 for braised beef shank ravioli or a portobello focaccia sandwich with fries. (It’s just $16 to splurge on grilled branzino with garlic noodles.) The food can be a little uneven, with a throwback-to-’90s-New-American vibe. But it’s a solid meal — slightly fancy, even! — with sweet, earnest service for fast food prices. Note: the restaurant follows the school calendar, which means it’s already wrapping up for the semester. The last hurrah is a big Mother’s Day buffet on May 12–13; \u003ca href=\"https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=SmlUw-XMn0iyo6Kp0m4MP3XtfkM2ShJPnQ6gSMwaMQJUNE5WMTdVR05WQldHUTJDNEFWUEFKM1M2MC4u&route=shorturl\">reservations\u003c/a> are highly recommended.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989374\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989374\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/la-selva_credit-luketsai_2.jpg\" alt=\"Whole grilled chicken in a takeout container, with rice, refried beans and various salsas on the side.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/la-selva_credit-luketsai_2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/la-selva_credit-luketsai_2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/la-selva_credit-luketsai_2-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/la-selva_credit-luketsai_2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The whole chicken meal at Richmond’s La Selva is an affordable way to feed the whole family. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>La Selva Taqueria\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1049 23rd St., Richmond\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The house specialty at this rainforest-themed taqueria near the end of \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/a-richmond-taco-crawl-2-1/\">Richmond’s 23rd Street taco corridor\u003c/a> is pollo al carbon — whole spatchcocked chickens slow-grilled over charcoal until the skin is deeply charred and the flesh is smoky, tender and delicious. You can get your chicken either on tacos or in a burrito, but my preference is the $30 family meal, which comes with a whole bird, tortillas, rice, refried beans, chips and as many tubs of salsa as you want from the restaurant’s excellent serve-yourself salsa bar. It’s enough to feed my family of four with leftovers — just $7.50 per person.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Grand Cafe\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>4250 Macdonald Ave., Richmond\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This under-the-radar Hong Kong cafe tucked inside a Target shopping plaza isn’t notable for any single standout dish, but instead for its overall dedication to affordability: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986256/cheap-cantonese-restaurant-richmond-east-bay-grand-cafe-dim-sum-claypot-rice\">Nothing on the menu costs more than $10.75\u003c/a>, and most dishes come with free soy milk and a bowl of hot soup on the side. My favorite is the claypot rice with spare ribs and preserved sausage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13923368\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13923368\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/antojitos-exterior.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of the Antojitos Guatemaltecos restaurant with a yellow facade and a handful of outdoor tables on the sidewalk.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/antojitos-exterior.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/antojitos-exterior-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/antojitos-exterior-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/antojitos-exterior-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/antojitos-exterior-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/antojitos-exterior-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tamales are the staple dish at Antojitos Guatemaltecos in El Cerrito. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Antojitos Guatemaltecos\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>11252 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tamales are the staple dish at this \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923359/antojitos-guatemaltecos-guatemalan-restaurant-el-cerrito-tamales-pollo-campero\">homestyle Guatemalan restaurant\u003c/a> — and at $5 a pop, they’re also its most affordable offering. Two of these, mixed and matched between about a half-dozen available varieties, make for a hearty breakfast, lunch or dinner. I especially love the wonderfully jiggly and custard-like Guatemalan-style corn-masa tamales and the harder-to-find \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13913355/guatemalan-rice-tamales-antojitos-guatemaltecos-richmond\">rice tamales\u003c/a>, which are like a soupy Central American cousin to Chinese zongzi. The restaurant has a great deal on its extraordinarily flavorful \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-04-14/pollo-campero-central-america-los-angeles\">Pollo Campero–style\u003c/a> fried chicken — a whole leg, fries and a handmade tortilla for $11.95.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Top Dog\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2534 Durant Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The original, and only remaining, location of Top Dog is a Berkeley \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13954597/top-dog-late-night-hot-dogs-berkeley-midnight-diners\">late-night institution\u003c/a> for good reason. The hot dogs, served on the shop’s signature toasty French rolls, are simply the best. One of them makes for a solid lunch (the garlic frankfurter is my favorite); two in one sitting feels like a downright feast. Note well: Most of the dogs are priced at $4.75, but the shop has a $5 credit card minimum. If you don’t feel like buying a soda, the mild, creamy potato salad is a nice add-on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989377\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989377\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/alems-coffee-shihan-ful_credit-luketsai.jpg\" alt=\"Dark red fava bean stew, with two crusty rolls on the side.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/alems-coffee-shihan-ful_credit-luketsai.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/alems-coffee-shihan-ful_credit-luketsai-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/alems-coffee-shihan-ful_credit-luketsai-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/alems-coffee-shihan-ful_credit-luketsai-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The shihan ful at Alem’s Coffee in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Alem’s Coffee\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>5353 Claremont Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Strictly speaking, my favorite dishes at this classic Eritrean cafe are \u003ci>just \u003c/i>above this roundup’s $12 threshold — the oniony egg frittata ($12.50) and the spice-redolent fava bean stew known as shihan ful ($13), both served with excellent crusty bread for dipping. On a hot day, though, it’s tough to beat the value on the $9 umbotito, a quirky, refreshing potato sandwich of sorts — slices of cold, al dente boiled potato topped with lettuce, tomatoes and onions in a light vinaigrette. The cafe’s location, across from the Oakland DMV parking lot, has made it the one bright spot in many otherwise dreary mornings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989378\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989378\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/souk-savanh_rice-plate_credit-luketsai.jpg\" alt=\"Sticky rice, sausage balls and fried egg on a metal tray.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/souk-savanh_rice-plate_credit-luketsai.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/souk-savanh_rice-plate_credit-luketsai-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/souk-savanh_rice-plate_credit-luketsai-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/souk-savanh_rice-plate_credit-luketsai-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The $10 Lao sausage rice plate at the newly opened Souk Savanh 2.0 in Oakland. The fried egg is a $2 add-on. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Soukh Savanh 2.0\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1707 Telegraph Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recently reborn in a prime Uptown location, the new, counter-service incarnation of this \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/paradise-deferred-2-1/\">much-loved Lao-Thai restaurant\u003c/a> has one of the most affordable menus in the neighborhood. The headliner is the selection of $10 rice plates, which are available all day long. I especially love the fermented Lao sausage, which Souk Savanh serves as crisp-edged meatballs — absurdly delicious when dunked in a runny-yolked fried egg (a $2 add-on); dipped in funky-sweet jeow som; and then scooped up, Lao-style, with a clump of sticky rice. Pro tip: For a near-perfect meal, two diners can split one rice plate and an order of nam khao (crispy rice ball salad) — one of the best versions in the Bay — for about $12 a person. \u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note: Souk Savanh is now \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DYN4ropPhGb/\">closed indefinitely,\u003c/a> but the owners continue to run an \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pais.eatery/\">active pop-up in Richmond\u003c/a> that serves many of the same dishes.\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989379\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989379\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/banh-mi-ba-le_credit-luketsai_1.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding what's left of a banh mi sandwich with ground pork and egg.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/banh-mi-ba-le_credit-luketsai_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/banh-mi-ba-le_credit-luketsai_1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/banh-mi-ba-le_credit-luketsai_1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/banh-mi-ba-le_credit-luketsai_1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of a half-eaten #13 meatball and egg bánh mì from Banh Mi Ba Le. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Banh Mi Ba Le\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1909 International Blvd., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ba Le’s #13 meatball-and-egg bánh mì shot to the top of my bánh mì rankings the first time I tried it, some 15 years ago — just an exquisite combination of juicy, peppery ground pork; a jammy-yolked fried egg; a big smear of buttery Vietnamese mayo; and both fresh and pickled vegetables. It’s still my favorite to this day. The only things that have changed is that the shop now keeps super-limited hours (Friday–Sunday only) and no longer has a dine-in area. The prices have crept up too, but at $6.30 a pop for most sandwiches on the menu ($7.25 for the #13), it’s still as good a bang for your buck as you can find in the East Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989380\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989380\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/taqueria-el-paisa_credit-luketsai.jpg\" alt=\"Two tacos, radishes, grilled onions and nopales on a paper plate.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/taqueria-el-paisa_credit-luketsai.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/taqueria-el-paisa_credit-luketsai-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/taqueria-el-paisa_credit-luketsai-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/taqueria-el-paisa_credit-luketsai-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A two-taco plate at Taqueria El Paisa in Oakland’s Fruitvale District. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Taqueria El Paisa\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>4610 International Blvd., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The beauty of Fruitvale is that you can get amazing, inexpensive tacos up and down International Boulevard, but this no-frills taqueria is the \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/taqueria-el-paisa-at-com-serves-the-best-tacos-in-town-2-1/\">best of the best\u003c/a>. Favorites include the decadent tripa (a divine combination of soft, squishy and crunchy textures) and the exquisitely tender, juicy suadero. These days, El Paisa tacos will run you $4.50 a pop — by no means the cheapest in the neighborhood — but they’re so rich and meaty that a two-taco lunch is usually all I want. A three-taco lunch? That’s cause for celebration (and maybe a short nap).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003ch1>\u003ca id=\"CheapEatsinSanFrancisco\">\u003c/a>\u003cb>SAN FRANCISCO\u003c/b>\u003c/h1>\n\u003ch2>Freddie’s Sandwiches\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>300 Francisco St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Freddie’s is the very definition of the low-key neighborhood deli that’s always there when you need it. I got lunch here at least once a week when I worked near North Beach, alternating between the Italian combo and the egg salad, both excellent, always on Dutch Crunch. Most sandwiches are priced at $10.95 for the small (but generously stuffed) 6-inch size — I never wanted anything bigger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989385\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989385\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lung-fung_credit-luketsai_2.jpg\" alt=\"The interior of a Chinese bakery, with a fully stocked display case and old-fashioned signage visible.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lung-fung_credit-luketsai_2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lung-fung_credit-luketsai_2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lung-fung_credit-luketsai_2-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lung-fung_credit-luketsai_2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lung Fung Bakery serves some of the best baked pork buns and egg custard tarts in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Lung Fung Bakery\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1823 Clement St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chinese bakeries are some of the best places to cobble together an S-tier struggle meal — to, for instance, drop $5 on a couple of barbecue pork buns and fill your daily meat and carb allowance. At Lung Fung in the Outer Richmond, the baked char siu buns aren’t just inexpensive, at $2.50 apiece; they’re also my very favorite version of this treat — beautifully golden-brown with a super-lush and meaty filling. If you’ve got a couple bucks to spare on dessert, Lung Fung’s egg custard tarts ($2.38) are also some of the best around. Cash only.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989390\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989390\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yo-yo_credit-luketsai_2.jpg\" alt=\"Takeout containers of soba and curry chicken against a concrete backdrop.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yo-yo_credit-luketsai_2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yo-yo_credit-luketsai_2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yo-yo_credit-luketsai_2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yo-yo_credit-luketsai_2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The curry chicken special and a half order of cold soba from Yo Yo’s. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Yo Yo’s\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>318 Pacific Ave., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This tiny, utterly unpretentious Japanese takeout shop feels like a miracle in the Financial District. Udon for $9? Six-piece unagi rolls for $3.25? Almost everything on the menu available as a (still-substantial) half portion? All in all, I’m hard-pressed to think of a more affordable lunch in the city. On days when I’m particularly cash-strapped, my go-to is the half order of cold soba ($5), which comes loaded with spinach, tofu puffs and crispy puffed rice, plus a refreshing hit of wasabi by request. But it’s hard to pass up on the curry chicken special ($12) when it’s available: two tender chicken legs, a hard-boiled egg and big chunks of carrot and potato in a spicy-sweet sauce that tastes more like home-cooked Thai massaman curry than your standard Japanese roux. It’s delicious, and enough food to stretch the leftovers into another meal. Cash only.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989251\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989251\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_002-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Siu mai dumplings in a metal steamer.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_002-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_002-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_002-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_002-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Beef siu mai dumplings at Good Mong Kok. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Good Mong Kok\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1039 Stockton St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s easy to understand why this popular takeout dim sum spot draws some of the longest lines in Chinatown: The shop sells a huge assortment of extremely tasty, conveniently portable buns and dumplings for bargain-basement prices. Most items are between $2 and $4, perfect for sampling a good mix. The steamed buns here are especially great: uncommonly juicy and savory pork-and-vegetable buns (three for $3.80) and, my favorite, the truly enormous big (or “combination”) chicken bun ($2.80), which comes jam-packed with thigh meat, shiitakes, preserved sausage and hard-boiled egg — a whole meal unto itself. Cash only.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989392\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989392\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yamo-2.jpg\" alt=\"A bowl of beef noodles with Burmese tea leaf salad on the side.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yamo-2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yamo-2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yamo-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yamo-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yuma’s beef noodles with an order of tea leaf salad on the side. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Yamo\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3406 18th St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This narrow, eight-seat Burmese noodle counter in the heart of the Mission seems almost too charming to be real, with its older proprietress working three hot woks at a time while her daughter greets the shop’s diverse cast of twenty- and thirtysomething regular customers by name. Oh, and every single item on the menu costs $9 or less. The headliner here is the house noodles ($9), a simple and satisfying oil-slicked stir-fry topped with crispy garlic and your protein of choice. But everything I’ve tried has been tasty: the blazing-hot, shatteringly crispy potato samusas ($5) and the tea leaf salad ($9), which has a wonderful zip of heat that cuts through the funk of the fermented tea. Cash only.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989393\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989393\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/basa-seafood-shoyu-salmon-poke_credit-luketsai.jpg\" alt=\"A container of salmon poke and a side of white rice, shown on a park bench.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/basa-seafood-shoyu-salmon-poke_credit-luketsai.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/basa-seafood-shoyu-salmon-poke_credit-luketsai-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/basa-seafood-shoyu-salmon-poke_credit-luketsai-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/basa-seafood-shoyu-salmon-poke_credit-luketsai-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An order of shoyu salmon poke from Basa Seafood Express is best enjoyed on a nearby park bench. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Basa Seafood Express\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3064 24th St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This bare-bones Mission District seafood counter is a neighborhood staple for affordable sushi rolls, sashimi and fried seafood dishes. My go-to lunch order is the shoyu salmon poke ($8.50) with a small side of rice — the combination of raw fish, seasoned soy sauce and hot rice is such a simple, exquisite pleasure in the middle of the workday. Also great: the impeccably fried, poboy-adjacent soft-shell crab burger ($11.50). There’s no dine-in seating, so you can bring your food home or find a park bench a couple blocks away for a nice al fresco meal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003ch1>\u003ca id=\"CheapEatsintheSouthBayandPeninsula\">\u003c/a>\u003cb>SOUTH BAY AND PENINSULA\u003c/b>\u003c/h1>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989395\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989395\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/fil-am_credit-luketsai_2.jpg\" alt=\"To-go container of barbecue skewers over white rice.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/fil-am_credit-luketsai_2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/fil-am_credit-luketsai_2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/fil-am_credit-luketsai_2-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/fil-am_credit-luketsai_2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Filipino BBQ skewers over rice from Fil-Am Cuisine in Daly City. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Fil-Am Cuisine\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>66 School St., Daly City\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I don’t know if there’s such a thing as a perfect lunch, but two Filipino barbecue meat sticks over rice from Fil-Am Cuisine comes pretty close to my Platonic ideal — especially since it only costs $9.99. The sweet smell of the shop’s well-charred pork and chicken skewers ($3.75 each a la carte) is irresistible. Add a couple more to your order plus a large carton of pancit ($9), and you can feed the whole family. Cash only.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989396\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989396\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/keiths-chicken_credit-luketsai.jpg\" alt=\"A waffle and three chicken wings on a paper plate.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/keiths-chicken_credit-luketsai.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/keiths-chicken_credit-luketsai-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/keiths-chicken_credit-luketsai-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/keiths-chicken_credit-luketsai-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Three chicken wings and a Belgian waffle — one of the discounted daily specials at Keith’s Chicken & Waffles in Daly City. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Keith’s Chicken & Waffles\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>270 San Pedro Rd., Daly City\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The best thing about Keith’s is that it sells some of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13979460/keiths-chicken-waffles-crunchiest-fried-chicken-daly-city-late-night\">crunchiest, most exceptionally well seasoned fried chicken\u003c/a> you can find in the Bay Area, along with several varieties of crisp-edged, airy-light waffles. The second-best thing? The prices are so reasonable that they put even fast food chicken chains like Popeyes and Raising Cane’s to shame. Combo meals, which come with a waffle or side dish, start at $12, and there’s always a daily special — say, three wings and a Belgian waffle — for around $10.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989261\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989261\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050626BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_031-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a salmon musubi.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050626BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_031-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050626BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_031-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050626BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_031-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050626BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_031-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The luscious salmon musubi from Takahashi Market in San Mateo. The 120-year-old market’s musubis are one of the Bay Area’s best lunch deals. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Takahashi Market\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>221 S. Claremont St., San Mateo\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The wonderfully varied assortment of musubis at this 120-year-old Japanese-Hawaiian market aren’t just one of the best lunch deals in town; they’re one of my favorite things to eat in the Bay Area, flat out. Just one of these hefty, seven-inch beauties will fill you up — the Spam musubi ($6.95) is a classic for good reason, but my personal favorite is the decadent, tobiko-topped salmon-and-crawfish musubi.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Taiwan Porridge\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>20956 Homestead Rd., Cupertino\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Taiwanese immigrants, this strip mall spot’s format is deeply nostalgic: a dazzling array of hot and cold dishes all meant to accompany big tureens of velvety sweet potato congee. Value-wise, the highlight is the $12.83 three-item lunch special (available until 4 p.m.), which puts the average Chinese takeout joint’s combo plate to shame with cozy, home-style options like cold lotus root salad, twice-cooked pork belly, anchovies stir-fried with peanuts, and loofah with scrambled eggs. If budget allows, you should absolutely pay an extra $1.83 to upgrade from regular steamed rice to congee. Taiwan Porridge also has locations in Milpitas and Fremont.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989256\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989256\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_015-KQED.jpg\" alt='An Indian supermarket lit up at night. The sign above reads, \"Apni Mandi.\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_015-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_015-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_015-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_015-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The exterior of Apni Mandi in Sunnyvale. The Indian market sells hot food 24/7. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Apni Mandi\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1111 W. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not only is the hot food counter at Sunnyvale’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13955884/sunnyvale-late-night-food-24-hour-indian-grocery-apni-mandi-apna-bazar\">24-hour Indian grocery store\u003c/a> open all day and night, its $10.99 vegetarian thali platter is one of best deals around — a three-compartment foil clamshell container crammed full of rice, onion salad and your choice of two curries (I especially love the paneer makhani and the fritter-studded kadhi pakora), with a couple rounds of chapati on the side.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989400\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989400\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/duc-huong_grilled-pork-egg_luketsai.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a small banh mi in a parking lot.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/duc-huong_grilled-pork-egg_luketsai.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/duc-huong_grilled-pork-egg_luketsai-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/duc-huong_grilled-pork-egg_luketsai-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/duc-huong_grilled-pork-egg_luketsai-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The option to order a budget-friendly half-size bánh mì at Duc Huong also allows diners to try multiple varieties. Pictured here is the grilled pork and egg bánh mì. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Duc Huong\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1020 Story Rd. Ste. C, San José\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My favorite South Bay bánh mì mini-chain is especially good for budget-minded diners because it offers a half-size sandwich option ($4.50 for most varieties), allowing lighter eaters to save some money — and giving heartier eaters the chance to sample two different sandwiches for the price of one. I love the classic #2 cold-cut combo the best, but the #8 (grilled pork topped with a fluffy egg omelette) is also pretty great, especially on garlic bread. Why not get both? Apart from its very busy original Story Road location, Duc Huong has \u003ca href=\"https://duchuongsandwiches.com/#locations\">three other shops\u003c/a> around San José, plus one in Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003ch1>\u003ca id=\"CheapEatsintheNorthBay\">\u003c/a>\u003cb>NORTH BAY\u003c/b>\u003c/h1>\n\u003ch2>Guerneville Taco Truck\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>16632 Main St., Guerneville\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amidst all of Sonoma County’s frou-frou dining options, this taco truck — parked in a Safeway parking lot — is an oasis for locals and daytrippers looking for something more casual and inexpensive. Tacos are $3; the excellent (massive, totally shareable) breakfast burrito is $14. My favorite, the $12.50 fry-stuffed California burrito, has enough calories to keep you going all day. This is a must-stop for my family on our way to an Armstrong Woods hike, or on our way back from a day of Russian River Valley wine tasting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13907215\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13907215\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/12/WhataChicken.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a flannel and hat tends to chicken on a grill on an overcast day\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/12/WhataChicken.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/12/WhataChicken-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/12/WhataChicken-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/12/WhataChicken-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/12/WhataChicken-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/12/WhataChicken-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">What a Chicken’s outdoor grill, seen here at the Santa Rosa Flea Market. \u003ccite>(Gabe Meline/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>What a Chicken\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>706 E. Washington St., Petaluma\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This gem of a pollo asado shop sits near the gateway to wine country, slinging hearty portions of its exceptionally juicy and crisp-skinned char-grilled chicken at a good value in one of the Bay Area’s most expensive regions. The prices especially work in your favor if you come with a crowd: My standard order is a half ($18.99) or whole chicken plate ($34.99), which comes with rice, salsa and piping-hot handmade tortillas — plenty of food to feed two or four adults, respectively, at under $10 per person. Pro tip: I always add one of the shop’s meaty, slow-cooked pork ribs ($4.99) to my order. It’s just as good as the chicken.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989401\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989401\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/pupuseria-blankita_credit-luketsai.jpg\" alt=\"A pupusa on a white plate, with a small tub of curtido and a bowl of salsa on the side.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/pupuseria-blankita_credit-luketsai.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/pupuseria-blankita_credit-luketsai-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/pupuseria-blankita_credit-luketsai-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/pupuseria-blankita_credit-luketsai-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">One of Pupuseria Blankita’s toasty, well-griddled pupusas. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Pupuseria Blankita\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>48 N. San Pedro Rd., San Rafael\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two of Blankita’s toasty, well-griddled pupusas make for the ideal post–Marin Farmers Market lunch — say, the revuelta ($5.50), with its classic pork, bean and cheese filling, and maybe the green-flecked zucchini and cheese ($4.50), both topped with a generous heap of bright, crunchy curtido. To mix it up, sometimes I’ll order just one pupusa and add a gooey, sugar-dusted fried plantain empanada ($5) for dessert.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Your guide to the best — and most affordable — taquerias, noodle counters and bánh mì shops in the Bay.",
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"title": "The Best Cheap Meals in the Bay Area | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ci>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">How We Get By\u003c/a>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">full series here\u003c/a>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You don’t need to sit down at one of the Bay Area’s posh and trendy temples of fine dining to know that eating out in the year 2026 is too damn expensive. These days, even the most generic fast food might cost $50 or $60 to feed a family of four, and buying groceries to cook at home is an increasingly fraught and overwhelming expense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thankfully, the high-end California cuisine restaurant isn’t the \u003ci>only\u003c/i> hallmark of the Bay Area food scene — there’s also the neighborhood taco truck, noodle counter, bánh mì shop and casual takeout dim sum deli. In every city in the Bay, these essential restaurants are still feeding the people, often at a shockingly inexpensive price point. You just need to know which ones are actually delicious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here, then, is my guide to eating well on a budget: 25 of my favorite affordable Bay Area restaurants where you can get a full, satisfying meal for $12 or less.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#CheapEatsinSanFrancisco\">Cheap eats in San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#CheapEatsintheSouthBayandPeninsula\">Cheap eats in the South Bay and Peninsula\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#CheapEatsintheNorthBay\">Cheap eats in the North Bay\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch1>\u003cb>EAST BAY\u003c/b>\u003c/h1>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989352\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989352\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/universal-bakery-pan-con-todo.jpg\" alt=\"Breakfast sandwich with sausage, scrambled egg and queso fresco.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/universal-bakery-pan-con-todo.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/universal-bakery-pan-con-todo-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/universal-bakery-pan-con-todo-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/universal-bakery-pan-con-todo-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The pan con todo with Guatemalan sausage at Universal Bakery, which has locations in San Pablo, San Francisco and Daly City. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Universal Bakery\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1946 23rd St., San Pablo\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This bustling Guatemalan bakery is the king of the delicious, inexpensive breakfast sandwich, serving at least seven different varieties of its pan con todo. The baseline sandwich ($6.55) comes with fluffy scrambled eggs, refried beans, crema and a wedge of fresh cheese — the staples of a traditional Guatemalan breakfast, all piled onto a good, crusty French roll. My favorite version adds well-charred longaniza (Guatemalan pork sausage) to the mix; others feature sweet plantains or carne asada. The bakery has additional locations in \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Universal+Bakery+on+Mission/@37.741405,-122.4228077,3291m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x808f7e5d405c2f8b:0xb24e30761070f266!8m2!3d37.741405!4d-122.4228077!16s%2Fg%2F1vlqqfmk?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDQyOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D\">San Francisco’s Mission District\u003c/a> and in \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Universal+Bakery+on+Geneva/@37.7070028,-122.4146378,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x808f7ec563977c09:0x63c23ad1f3300324!8m2!3d37.7070028!4d-122.4146378!16s%2Fg%2F11bx9t7vrz?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMyNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D\">Daly City\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989373\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989373\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/aqua-terra_branzino_credit-luketsai.jpg\" alt=\"Seared fish fillet on a bed of noodles, with grilled vegetables on the side.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/aqua-terra_branzino_credit-luketsai.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/aqua-terra_branzino_credit-luketsai-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/aqua-terra_branzino_credit-luketsai-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/aqua-terra_branzino_credit-luketsai-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Even the most expensive items on the menu at Aqua Terra, like this seared branzino, only cost $16. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Aqua Terra Grill at Contra Costa College\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2600 Mission Bell Dr. SAB-130, San Pablo\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Located on the Contra Costa College campus, \u003ca href=\"https://linktr.ee/ccc_order?fbclid=IwY2xjawRlx6JleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFEWHBmMlhCam1JYk1ZTjdRc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkJtQLftRhaphc9HVpBM1Pr9EdNirfRNdN9VR35XQrQKyp3Rsl1ce1jrD45w_aem_5GeBZRKVmdFI7Kideqc3EA\">Aqua Terra\u003c/a> functions as a training facility for students in the school’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ccc_culinaryacademy\">culinary academy\u003c/a>, but it it’s also fully open to the public for lunch service, three days a week (Tuesday–Thursday). The bonus with getting a meal prepared and served by students still learning their trade is that it’s an extraordinary value — say, a cool $9 for braised beef shank ravioli or a portobello focaccia sandwich with fries. (It’s just $16 to splurge on grilled branzino with garlic noodles.) The food can be a little uneven, with a throwback-to-’90s-New-American vibe. But it’s a solid meal — slightly fancy, even! — with sweet, earnest service for fast food prices. Note: the restaurant follows the school calendar, which means it’s already wrapping up for the semester. The last hurrah is a big Mother’s Day buffet on May 12–13; \u003ca href=\"https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=SmlUw-XMn0iyo6Kp0m4MP3XtfkM2ShJPnQ6gSMwaMQJUNE5WMTdVR05WQldHUTJDNEFWUEFKM1M2MC4u&route=shorturl\">reservations\u003c/a> are highly recommended.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989374\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989374\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/la-selva_credit-luketsai_2.jpg\" alt=\"Whole grilled chicken in a takeout container, with rice, refried beans and various salsas on the side.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/la-selva_credit-luketsai_2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/la-selva_credit-luketsai_2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/la-selva_credit-luketsai_2-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/la-selva_credit-luketsai_2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The whole chicken meal at Richmond’s La Selva is an affordable way to feed the whole family. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>La Selva Taqueria\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1049 23rd St., Richmond\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The house specialty at this rainforest-themed taqueria near the end of \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/a-richmond-taco-crawl-2-1/\">Richmond’s 23rd Street taco corridor\u003c/a> is pollo al carbon — whole spatchcocked chickens slow-grilled over charcoal until the skin is deeply charred and the flesh is smoky, tender and delicious. You can get your chicken either on tacos or in a burrito, but my preference is the $30 family meal, which comes with a whole bird, tortillas, rice, refried beans, chips and as many tubs of salsa as you want from the restaurant’s excellent serve-yourself salsa bar. It’s enough to feed my family of four with leftovers — just $7.50 per person.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Grand Cafe\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>4250 Macdonald Ave., Richmond\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This under-the-radar Hong Kong cafe tucked inside a Target shopping plaza isn’t notable for any single standout dish, but instead for its overall dedication to affordability: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986256/cheap-cantonese-restaurant-richmond-east-bay-grand-cafe-dim-sum-claypot-rice\">Nothing on the menu costs more than $10.75\u003c/a>, and most dishes come with free soy milk and a bowl of hot soup on the side. My favorite is the claypot rice with spare ribs and preserved sausage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13923368\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13923368\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/antojitos-exterior.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of the Antojitos Guatemaltecos restaurant with a yellow facade and a handful of outdoor tables on the sidewalk.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/antojitos-exterior.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/antojitos-exterior-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/antojitos-exterior-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/antojitos-exterior-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/antojitos-exterior-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/antojitos-exterior-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tamales are the staple dish at Antojitos Guatemaltecos in El Cerrito. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Antojitos Guatemaltecos\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>11252 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tamales are the staple dish at this \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923359/antojitos-guatemaltecos-guatemalan-restaurant-el-cerrito-tamales-pollo-campero\">homestyle Guatemalan restaurant\u003c/a> — and at $5 a pop, they’re also its most affordable offering. Two of these, mixed and matched between about a half-dozen available varieties, make for a hearty breakfast, lunch or dinner. I especially love the wonderfully jiggly and custard-like Guatemalan-style corn-masa tamales and the harder-to-find \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13913355/guatemalan-rice-tamales-antojitos-guatemaltecos-richmond\">rice tamales\u003c/a>, which are like a soupy Central American cousin to Chinese zongzi. The restaurant has a great deal on its extraordinarily flavorful \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-04-14/pollo-campero-central-america-los-angeles\">Pollo Campero–style\u003c/a> fried chicken — a whole leg, fries and a handmade tortilla for $11.95.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Top Dog\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2534 Durant Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The original, and only remaining, location of Top Dog is a Berkeley \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13954597/top-dog-late-night-hot-dogs-berkeley-midnight-diners\">late-night institution\u003c/a> for good reason. The hot dogs, served on the shop’s signature toasty French rolls, are simply the best. One of them makes for a solid lunch (the garlic frankfurter is my favorite); two in one sitting feels like a downright feast. Note well: Most of the dogs are priced at $4.75, but the shop has a $5 credit card minimum. If you don’t feel like buying a soda, the mild, creamy potato salad is a nice add-on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989377\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989377\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/alems-coffee-shihan-ful_credit-luketsai.jpg\" alt=\"Dark red fava bean stew, with two crusty rolls on the side.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/alems-coffee-shihan-ful_credit-luketsai.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/alems-coffee-shihan-ful_credit-luketsai-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/alems-coffee-shihan-ful_credit-luketsai-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/alems-coffee-shihan-ful_credit-luketsai-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The shihan ful at Alem’s Coffee in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Alem’s Coffee\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>5353 Claremont Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Strictly speaking, my favorite dishes at this classic Eritrean cafe are \u003ci>just \u003c/i>above this roundup’s $12 threshold — the oniony egg frittata ($12.50) and the spice-redolent fava bean stew known as shihan ful ($13), both served with excellent crusty bread for dipping. On a hot day, though, it’s tough to beat the value on the $9 umbotito, a quirky, refreshing potato sandwich of sorts — slices of cold, al dente boiled potato topped with lettuce, tomatoes and onions in a light vinaigrette. The cafe’s location, across from the Oakland DMV parking lot, has made it the one bright spot in many otherwise dreary mornings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989378\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989378\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/souk-savanh_rice-plate_credit-luketsai.jpg\" alt=\"Sticky rice, sausage balls and fried egg on a metal tray.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/souk-savanh_rice-plate_credit-luketsai.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/souk-savanh_rice-plate_credit-luketsai-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/souk-savanh_rice-plate_credit-luketsai-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/souk-savanh_rice-plate_credit-luketsai-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The $10 Lao sausage rice plate at the newly opened Souk Savanh 2.0 in Oakland. The fried egg is a $2 add-on. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Soukh Savanh 2.0\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1707 Telegraph Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recently reborn in a prime Uptown location, the new, counter-service incarnation of this \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/paradise-deferred-2-1/\">much-loved Lao-Thai restaurant\u003c/a> has one of the most affordable menus in the neighborhood. The headliner is the selection of $10 rice plates, which are available all day long. I especially love the fermented Lao sausage, which Souk Savanh serves as crisp-edged meatballs — absurdly delicious when dunked in a runny-yolked fried egg (a $2 add-on); dipped in funky-sweet jeow som; and then scooped up, Lao-style, with a clump of sticky rice. Pro tip: For a near-perfect meal, two diners can split one rice plate and an order of nam khao (crispy rice ball salad) — one of the best versions in the Bay — for about $12 a person. \u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note: Souk Savanh is now \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DYN4ropPhGb/\">closed indefinitely,\u003c/a> but the owners continue to run an \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pais.eatery/\">active pop-up in Richmond\u003c/a> that serves many of the same dishes.\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989379\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989379\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/banh-mi-ba-le_credit-luketsai_1.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding what's left of a banh mi sandwich with ground pork and egg.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/banh-mi-ba-le_credit-luketsai_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/banh-mi-ba-le_credit-luketsai_1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/banh-mi-ba-le_credit-luketsai_1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/banh-mi-ba-le_credit-luketsai_1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of a half-eaten #13 meatball and egg bánh mì from Banh Mi Ba Le. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Banh Mi Ba Le\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1909 International Blvd., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ba Le’s #13 meatball-and-egg bánh mì shot to the top of my bánh mì rankings the first time I tried it, some 15 years ago — just an exquisite combination of juicy, peppery ground pork; a jammy-yolked fried egg; a big smear of buttery Vietnamese mayo; and both fresh and pickled vegetables. It’s still my favorite to this day. The only things that have changed is that the shop now keeps super-limited hours (Friday–Sunday only) and no longer has a dine-in area. The prices have crept up too, but at $6.30 a pop for most sandwiches on the menu ($7.25 for the #13), it’s still as good a bang for your buck as you can find in the East Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989380\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989380\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/taqueria-el-paisa_credit-luketsai.jpg\" alt=\"Two tacos, radishes, grilled onions and nopales on a paper plate.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/taqueria-el-paisa_credit-luketsai.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/taqueria-el-paisa_credit-luketsai-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/taqueria-el-paisa_credit-luketsai-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/taqueria-el-paisa_credit-luketsai-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A two-taco plate at Taqueria El Paisa in Oakland’s Fruitvale District. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Taqueria El Paisa\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>4610 International Blvd., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The beauty of Fruitvale is that you can get amazing, inexpensive tacos up and down International Boulevard, but this no-frills taqueria is the \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/taqueria-el-paisa-at-com-serves-the-best-tacos-in-town-2-1/\">best of the best\u003c/a>. Favorites include the decadent tripa (a divine combination of soft, squishy and crunchy textures) and the exquisitely tender, juicy suadero. These days, El Paisa tacos will run you $4.50 a pop — by no means the cheapest in the neighborhood — but they’re so rich and meaty that a two-taco lunch is usually all I want. A three-taco lunch? That’s cause for celebration (and maybe a short nap).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003ch1>\u003ca id=\"CheapEatsinSanFrancisco\">\u003c/a>\u003cb>SAN FRANCISCO\u003c/b>\u003c/h1>\n\u003ch2>Freddie’s Sandwiches\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>300 Francisco St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Freddie’s is the very definition of the low-key neighborhood deli that’s always there when you need it. I got lunch here at least once a week when I worked near North Beach, alternating between the Italian combo and the egg salad, both excellent, always on Dutch Crunch. Most sandwiches are priced at $10.95 for the small (but generously stuffed) 6-inch size — I never wanted anything bigger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989385\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989385\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lung-fung_credit-luketsai_2.jpg\" alt=\"The interior of a Chinese bakery, with a fully stocked display case and old-fashioned signage visible.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lung-fung_credit-luketsai_2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lung-fung_credit-luketsai_2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lung-fung_credit-luketsai_2-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lung-fung_credit-luketsai_2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lung Fung Bakery serves some of the best baked pork buns and egg custard tarts in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Lung Fung Bakery\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1823 Clement St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chinese bakeries are some of the best places to cobble together an S-tier struggle meal — to, for instance, drop $5 on a couple of barbecue pork buns and fill your daily meat and carb allowance. At Lung Fung in the Outer Richmond, the baked char siu buns aren’t just inexpensive, at $2.50 apiece; they’re also my very favorite version of this treat — beautifully golden-brown with a super-lush and meaty filling. If you’ve got a couple bucks to spare on dessert, Lung Fung’s egg custard tarts ($2.38) are also some of the best around. Cash only.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989390\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989390\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yo-yo_credit-luketsai_2.jpg\" alt=\"Takeout containers of soba and curry chicken against a concrete backdrop.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yo-yo_credit-luketsai_2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yo-yo_credit-luketsai_2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yo-yo_credit-luketsai_2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yo-yo_credit-luketsai_2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The curry chicken special and a half order of cold soba from Yo Yo’s. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Yo Yo’s\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>318 Pacific Ave., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This tiny, utterly unpretentious Japanese takeout shop feels like a miracle in the Financial District. Udon for $9? Six-piece unagi rolls for $3.25? Almost everything on the menu available as a (still-substantial) half portion? All in all, I’m hard-pressed to think of a more affordable lunch in the city. On days when I’m particularly cash-strapped, my go-to is the half order of cold soba ($5), which comes loaded with spinach, tofu puffs and crispy puffed rice, plus a refreshing hit of wasabi by request. But it’s hard to pass up on the curry chicken special ($12) when it’s available: two tender chicken legs, a hard-boiled egg and big chunks of carrot and potato in a spicy-sweet sauce that tastes more like home-cooked Thai massaman curry than your standard Japanese roux. It’s delicious, and enough food to stretch the leftovers into another meal. Cash only.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989251\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989251\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_002-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Siu mai dumplings in a metal steamer.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_002-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_002-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_002-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_002-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Beef siu mai dumplings at Good Mong Kok. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Good Mong Kok\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1039 Stockton St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s easy to understand why this popular takeout dim sum spot draws some of the longest lines in Chinatown: The shop sells a huge assortment of extremely tasty, conveniently portable buns and dumplings for bargain-basement prices. Most items are between $2 and $4, perfect for sampling a good mix. The steamed buns here are especially great: uncommonly juicy and savory pork-and-vegetable buns (three for $3.80) and, my favorite, the truly enormous big (or “combination”) chicken bun ($2.80), which comes jam-packed with thigh meat, shiitakes, preserved sausage and hard-boiled egg — a whole meal unto itself. Cash only.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989392\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989392\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yamo-2.jpg\" alt=\"A bowl of beef noodles with Burmese tea leaf salad on the side.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yamo-2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yamo-2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yamo-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/yamo-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yuma’s beef noodles with an order of tea leaf salad on the side. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Yamo\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3406 18th St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This narrow, eight-seat Burmese noodle counter in the heart of the Mission seems almost too charming to be real, with its older proprietress working three hot woks at a time while her daughter greets the shop’s diverse cast of twenty- and thirtysomething regular customers by name. Oh, and every single item on the menu costs $9 or less. The headliner here is the house noodles ($9), a simple and satisfying oil-slicked stir-fry topped with crispy garlic and your protein of choice. But everything I’ve tried has been tasty: the blazing-hot, shatteringly crispy potato samusas ($5) and the tea leaf salad ($9), which has a wonderful zip of heat that cuts through the funk of the fermented tea. Cash only.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989393\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989393\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/basa-seafood-shoyu-salmon-poke_credit-luketsai.jpg\" alt=\"A container of salmon poke and a side of white rice, shown on a park bench.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/basa-seafood-shoyu-salmon-poke_credit-luketsai.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/basa-seafood-shoyu-salmon-poke_credit-luketsai-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/basa-seafood-shoyu-salmon-poke_credit-luketsai-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/basa-seafood-shoyu-salmon-poke_credit-luketsai-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An order of shoyu salmon poke from Basa Seafood Express is best enjoyed on a nearby park bench. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Basa Seafood Express\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3064 24th St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This bare-bones Mission District seafood counter is a neighborhood staple for affordable sushi rolls, sashimi and fried seafood dishes. My go-to lunch order is the shoyu salmon poke ($8.50) with a small side of rice — the combination of raw fish, seasoned soy sauce and hot rice is such a simple, exquisite pleasure in the middle of the workday. Also great: the impeccably fried, poboy-adjacent soft-shell crab burger ($11.50). There’s no dine-in seating, so you can bring your food home or find a park bench a couple blocks away for a nice al fresco meal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003ch1>\u003ca id=\"CheapEatsintheSouthBayandPeninsula\">\u003c/a>\u003cb>SOUTH BAY AND PENINSULA\u003c/b>\u003c/h1>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989395\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989395\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/fil-am_credit-luketsai_2.jpg\" alt=\"To-go container of barbecue skewers over white rice.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/fil-am_credit-luketsai_2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/fil-am_credit-luketsai_2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/fil-am_credit-luketsai_2-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/fil-am_credit-luketsai_2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Filipino BBQ skewers over rice from Fil-Am Cuisine in Daly City. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Fil-Am Cuisine\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>66 School St., Daly City\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I don’t know if there’s such a thing as a perfect lunch, but two Filipino barbecue meat sticks over rice from Fil-Am Cuisine comes pretty close to my Platonic ideal — especially since it only costs $9.99. The sweet smell of the shop’s well-charred pork and chicken skewers ($3.75 each a la carte) is irresistible. Add a couple more to your order plus a large carton of pancit ($9), and you can feed the whole family. Cash only.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989396\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989396\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/keiths-chicken_credit-luketsai.jpg\" alt=\"A waffle and three chicken wings on a paper plate.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/keiths-chicken_credit-luketsai.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/keiths-chicken_credit-luketsai-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/keiths-chicken_credit-luketsai-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/keiths-chicken_credit-luketsai-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Three chicken wings and a Belgian waffle — one of the discounted daily specials at Keith’s Chicken & Waffles in Daly City. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Keith’s Chicken & Waffles\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>270 San Pedro Rd., Daly City\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The best thing about Keith’s is that it sells some of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13979460/keiths-chicken-waffles-crunchiest-fried-chicken-daly-city-late-night\">crunchiest, most exceptionally well seasoned fried chicken\u003c/a> you can find in the Bay Area, along with several varieties of crisp-edged, airy-light waffles. The second-best thing? The prices are so reasonable that they put even fast food chicken chains like Popeyes and Raising Cane’s to shame. Combo meals, which come with a waffle or side dish, start at $12, and there’s always a daily special — say, three wings and a Belgian waffle — for around $10.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989261\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989261\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050626BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_031-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a salmon musubi.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050626BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_031-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050626BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_031-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050626BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_031-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050626BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_031-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The luscious salmon musubi from Takahashi Market in San Mateo. The 120-year-old market’s musubis are one of the Bay Area’s best lunch deals. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Takahashi Market\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>221 S. Claremont St., San Mateo\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The wonderfully varied assortment of musubis at this 120-year-old Japanese-Hawaiian market aren’t just one of the best lunch deals in town; they’re one of my favorite things to eat in the Bay Area, flat out. Just one of these hefty, seven-inch beauties will fill you up — the Spam musubi ($6.95) is a classic for good reason, but my personal favorite is the decadent, tobiko-topped salmon-and-crawfish musubi.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Taiwan Porridge\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>20956 Homestead Rd., Cupertino\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Taiwanese immigrants, this strip mall spot’s format is deeply nostalgic: a dazzling array of hot and cold dishes all meant to accompany big tureens of velvety sweet potato congee. Value-wise, the highlight is the $12.83 three-item lunch special (available until 4 p.m.), which puts the average Chinese takeout joint’s combo plate to shame with cozy, home-style options like cold lotus root salad, twice-cooked pork belly, anchovies stir-fried with peanuts, and loofah with scrambled eggs. If budget allows, you should absolutely pay an extra $1.83 to upgrade from regular steamed rice to congee. Taiwan Porridge also has locations in Milpitas and Fremont.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989256\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989256\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_015-KQED.jpg\" alt='An Indian supermarket lit up at night. The sign above reads, \"Apni Mandi.\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_015-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_015-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_015-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/050526BEST-MEALS-UNDER-10_GH_015-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The exterior of Apni Mandi in Sunnyvale. The Indian market sells hot food 24/7. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Apni Mandi\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1111 W. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not only is the hot food counter at Sunnyvale’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13955884/sunnyvale-late-night-food-24-hour-indian-grocery-apni-mandi-apna-bazar\">24-hour Indian grocery store\u003c/a> open all day and night, its $10.99 vegetarian thali platter is one of best deals around — a three-compartment foil clamshell container crammed full of rice, onion salad and your choice of two curries (I especially love the paneer makhani and the fritter-studded kadhi pakora), with a couple rounds of chapati on the side.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989400\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989400\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/duc-huong_grilled-pork-egg_luketsai.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a small banh mi in a parking lot.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/duc-huong_grilled-pork-egg_luketsai.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/duc-huong_grilled-pork-egg_luketsai-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/duc-huong_grilled-pork-egg_luketsai-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/duc-huong_grilled-pork-egg_luketsai-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The option to order a budget-friendly half-size bánh mì at Duc Huong also allows diners to try multiple varieties. Pictured here is the grilled pork and egg bánh mì. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Duc Huong\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1020 Story Rd. Ste. C, San José\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My favorite South Bay bánh mì mini-chain is especially good for budget-minded diners because it offers a half-size sandwich option ($4.50 for most varieties), allowing lighter eaters to save some money — and giving heartier eaters the chance to sample two different sandwiches for the price of one. I love the classic #2 cold-cut combo the best, but the #8 (grilled pork topped with a fluffy egg omelette) is also pretty great, especially on garlic bread. Why not get both? Apart from its very busy original Story Road location, Duc Huong has \u003ca href=\"https://duchuongsandwiches.com/#locations\">three other shops\u003c/a> around San José, plus one in Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003ch1>\u003ca id=\"CheapEatsintheNorthBay\">\u003c/a>\u003cb>NORTH BAY\u003c/b>\u003c/h1>\n\u003ch2>Guerneville Taco Truck\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>16632 Main St., Guerneville\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amidst all of Sonoma County’s frou-frou dining options, this taco truck — parked in a Safeway parking lot — is an oasis for locals and daytrippers looking for something more casual and inexpensive. Tacos are $3; the excellent (massive, totally shareable) breakfast burrito is $14. My favorite, the $12.50 fry-stuffed California burrito, has enough calories to keep you going all day. This is a must-stop for my family on our way to an Armstrong Woods hike, or on our way back from a day of Russian River Valley wine tasting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13907215\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13907215\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/12/WhataChicken.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a flannel and hat tends to chicken on a grill on an overcast day\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/12/WhataChicken.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/12/WhataChicken-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/12/WhataChicken-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/12/WhataChicken-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/12/WhataChicken-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/12/WhataChicken-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">What a Chicken’s outdoor grill, seen here at the Santa Rosa Flea Market. \u003ccite>(Gabe Meline/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>What a Chicken\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>706 E. Washington St., Petaluma\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This gem of a pollo asado shop sits near the gateway to wine country, slinging hearty portions of its exceptionally juicy and crisp-skinned char-grilled chicken at a good value in one of the Bay Area’s most expensive regions. The prices especially work in your favor if you come with a crowd: My standard order is a half ($18.99) or whole chicken plate ($34.99), which comes with rice, salsa and piping-hot handmade tortillas — plenty of food to feed two or four adults, respectively, at under $10 per person. Pro tip: I always add one of the shop’s meaty, slow-cooked pork ribs ($4.99) to my order. It’s just as good as the chicken.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989401\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989401\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/pupuseria-blankita_credit-luketsai.jpg\" alt=\"A pupusa on a white plate, with a small tub of curtido and a bowl of salsa on the side.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/pupuseria-blankita_credit-luketsai.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/pupuseria-blankita_credit-luketsai-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/pupuseria-blankita_credit-luketsai-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/pupuseria-blankita_credit-luketsai-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">One of Pupuseria Blankita’s toasty, well-griddled pupusas. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Pupuseria Blankita\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>48 N. San Pedro Rd., San Rafael\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two of Blankita’s toasty, well-griddled pupusas make for the ideal post–Marin Farmers Market lunch — say, the revuelta ($5.50), with its classic pork, bean and cheese filling, and maybe the green-flecked zucchini and cheese ($4.50), both topped with a generous heap of bright, crunchy curtido. To mix it up, sometimes I’ll order just one pupusa and add a gooey, sugar-dusted fried plantain empanada ($5) for dessert.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "This Saturday, Taiwanese Food Once Again Takes Over Union Square",
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"content": "\u003cp>On Saturday, tourists and locals passing through Union Square will find more than just the usual cable cars, big-box retailers and historic hotels. Instead, a huge, bustling Taiwanese market, not unlike a scene one might see in Taipei, will occupy the district’s central plaza — dozens upon dozens of vendors selling T-shirts, cute handmade stationery, artisanal soy sauce, boba drinks and, of course, a dazzling array of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/taiwanese-food\">Taiwanese food\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s the 33rd annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.tap-sf.org/tacf\">Taiwanese American Cultural Festival\u003c/a>, which organizers tout as the largest event of its kind on the West Coast, drawing upwards of 10,000 visitors each year. As always, the annual celebration of Taiwanese American culture will showcase local artists and designers, and feature live performances running the gamut from traditional folk dance to soft boy pop (including a set by San Francisco singer-songwriter \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/iamfedge/\">Fedge\u003c/a>).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than anything, though, the event is a big coming-out day for Taiwanese food, which had long kept a relatively low profile in the Bay Area before experiencing a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897272/bay-area-taiwanese-food-scene-nostalgia\">real renaissance in recent years\u003c/a>. The festival’s market area will include booths selling pantry staples like soy sauce and chili oil, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/daeliciousness?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">multiple\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/shopteappo/?hl=en\">vendors\u003c/a> selling loose-leaf oolong teas sourced from the mountains of Taiwan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989323\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989323\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/liangs-noodle-pull_jan-stec.jpg\" alt=\"A food vendor pulls noodles at an outdoor festival.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/liangs-noodle-pull_jan-stec.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/liangs-noodle-pull_jan-stec-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/liangs-noodle-pull_jan-stec-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/liangs-noodle-pull_jan-stec-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/liangs-noodle-pull_jan-stec-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pulling noodles by hand at the Liang’s Village stand at the 2025 edition of the Taiwanese American Cultural Festival. \u003ccite>(Jan Stec, courtesy of TAP-SF.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13897936,arts_13959259']\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>\u003c/span>For many visitors, the biggest attraction will be the rare opportunity to sample a wide variety of the street foods normally found at Taiwanese night markets. This year’s selection is especially robust. For the first time, the stylish fusion lounge \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pigletco.sf/\">Piglet & Co\u003c/a> will be on hand, serving their fancified (and utterly delicious) take on Taiwanese braised pork rice, aka \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897498/mama-liu-lu-rou-fan-taiwanese-food-comic\">lu rou fan\u003c/a>. The caterer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bun.me.up/?hl=en\">Bun Me Up\u003c/a> will offer braised pork belly buns and other steamed bun sandwiches — essentially a modern twist on Taiwanese gua bao. And Hayward-based \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mitk1655/\">MITK\u003c/a> will have black pepper buns — a Taipei night market classic — and the thin, soupy noodles known as mee sua.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897684/pandemic-taiwanese-food-liangs-village\">Liang’s Village\u003c/a>, one of the most popular Taiwanese restaurants in the Bay, will sell both vegan and pork-based versions of its hand-pulled noodles, served with a spicy peanut-sesame sauce and fried dough sticks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For those who’ve saved room for dessert, the festival hosts a number of up-and-coming Taiwanese bakery pop-ups. Newcomers include \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lunarbakerysf/?hl=en\">Lunar Bakery\u003c/a>, with their Taiwanese-inspired takes on pastel de nata and tres leches cake, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/atoibakes/?hl=en\">À Toi Bakes\u003c/a>, whose offerings will include \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DWCRJb1iaOu/?hl=en\">snowflake crisps\u003c/a> — a kind of crispy-chewy nougat treat that’s especially trendy in Taiwan right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989320\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/piglet-and-co_lu-rou-fan.jpg\" alt=\"An elegant bowl of braised pork over rice.\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/piglet-and-co_lu-rou-fan.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/piglet-and-co_lu-rou-fan-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/piglet-and-co_lu-rou-fan-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/piglet-and-co_lu-rou-fan-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Piglet & Co will serve its popular, upscale version of Taiwanese-style braised pork rice (lu rou fan). \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Piglet & Co)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>The \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.tap-sf.org/tacf\">\u003ci>Taiwanese American Cultural Festival\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> will take place on Saturday, May 9, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. at Union Square in San Francisco. Admission is free.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On Saturday, tourists and locals passing through Union Square will find more than just the usual cable cars, big-box retailers and historic hotels. Instead, a huge, bustling Taiwanese market, not unlike a scene one might see in Taipei, will occupy the district’s central plaza — dozens upon dozens of vendors selling T-shirts, cute handmade stationery, artisanal soy sauce, boba drinks and, of course, a dazzling array of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/taiwanese-food\">Taiwanese food\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s the 33rd annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.tap-sf.org/tacf\">Taiwanese American Cultural Festival\u003c/a>, which organizers tout as the largest event of its kind on the West Coast, drawing upwards of 10,000 visitors each year. As always, the annual celebration of Taiwanese American culture will showcase local artists and designers, and feature live performances running the gamut from traditional folk dance to soft boy pop (including a set by San Francisco singer-songwriter \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/iamfedge/\">Fedge\u003c/a>).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than anything, though, the event is a big coming-out day for Taiwanese food, which had long kept a relatively low profile in the Bay Area before experiencing a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897272/bay-area-taiwanese-food-scene-nostalgia\">real renaissance in recent years\u003c/a>. The festival’s market area will include booths selling pantry staples like soy sauce and chili oil, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/daeliciousness?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">multiple\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/shopteappo/?hl=en\">vendors\u003c/a> selling loose-leaf oolong teas sourced from the mountains of Taiwan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989323\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989323\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/liangs-noodle-pull_jan-stec.jpg\" alt=\"A food vendor pulls noodles at an outdoor festival.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/liangs-noodle-pull_jan-stec.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/liangs-noodle-pull_jan-stec-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/liangs-noodle-pull_jan-stec-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/liangs-noodle-pull_jan-stec-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/liangs-noodle-pull_jan-stec-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pulling noodles by hand at the Liang’s Village stand at the 2025 edition of the Taiwanese American Cultural Festival. \u003ccite>(Jan Stec, courtesy of TAP-SF.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>\u003c/span>For many visitors, the biggest attraction will be the rare opportunity to sample a wide variety of the street foods normally found at Taiwanese night markets. This year’s selection is especially robust. For the first time, the stylish fusion lounge \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pigletco.sf/\">Piglet & Co\u003c/a> will be on hand, serving their fancified (and utterly delicious) take on Taiwanese braised pork rice, aka \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897498/mama-liu-lu-rou-fan-taiwanese-food-comic\">lu rou fan\u003c/a>. The caterer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bun.me.up/?hl=en\">Bun Me Up\u003c/a> will offer braised pork belly buns and other steamed bun sandwiches — essentially a modern twist on Taiwanese gua bao. And Hayward-based \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mitk1655/\">MITK\u003c/a> will have black pepper buns — a Taipei night market classic — and the thin, soupy noodles known as mee sua.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897684/pandemic-taiwanese-food-liangs-village\">Liang’s Village\u003c/a>, one of the most popular Taiwanese restaurants in the Bay, will sell both vegan and pork-based versions of its hand-pulled noodles, served with a spicy peanut-sesame sauce and fried dough sticks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For those who’ve saved room for dessert, the festival hosts a number of up-and-coming Taiwanese bakery pop-ups. Newcomers include \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lunarbakerysf/?hl=en\">Lunar Bakery\u003c/a>, with their Taiwanese-inspired takes on pastel de nata and tres leches cake, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/atoibakes/?hl=en\">À Toi Bakes\u003c/a>, whose offerings will include \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DWCRJb1iaOu/?hl=en\">snowflake crisps\u003c/a> — a kind of crispy-chewy nougat treat that’s especially trendy in Taiwan right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989320\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/piglet-and-co_lu-rou-fan.jpg\" alt=\"An elegant bowl of braised pork over rice.\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/piglet-and-co_lu-rou-fan.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/piglet-and-co_lu-rou-fan-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/piglet-and-co_lu-rou-fan-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/piglet-and-co_lu-rou-fan-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Piglet & Co will serve its popular, upscale version of Taiwanese-style braised pork rice (lu rou fan). \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Piglet & Co)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>The \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.tap-sf.org/tacf\">\u003ci>Taiwanese American Cultural Festival\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> will take place on Saturday, May 9, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. at Union Square in San Francisco. Admission is free.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "This North Bay Taqueria Is Your New Destination for Late-Night Fried Fish Tacos",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988853\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988853\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/el-tucan.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men devouring a large amount of tacos while seated at a picnic table. In back, string lights and heat lamps are visible.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/el-tucan.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/el-tucan-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/el-tucan-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/el-tucan-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/el-tucan-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">El Tucán’s new location in San Rafael has an outdoor patio that looks out over the waterfront and a new menu addition: Baja-style fried fish and fried shrimp tacos. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003ci>The Midnight Diners\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Thien Pham\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>. 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/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The best tacos I’ve ever eaten in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/marin-county\">Marin County\u003c/a> are tucked away in the warren of warehouses and car dealerships that populate the eastern end of San Rafael. We pulled into the neighborhood at a little past 9 o’clock on a recent Friday night because we’d heard that one of our favorite taquerias, El Tucán, had finally opened its long-awaited location here — an outpost the owners had initially planned to debut \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13903359/el-tucan-tijuana-tacos-quesabirria-san-rafael\">all the way back in 2021\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tucantacosandbeer/\">El Tucán Tacos & Beer\u003c/a> is meant to be a swankier, sit-down version of the original taqueria in Richmond. Importantly for our purposes, it stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Technically speaking, both the Richmond taqueria and the even newer El Tucán location \u003ca href=\"https://www.tacoseltucan.com/sf-info.html\">in San Francisco\u003c/a> are more prototypical late-night spots, slinging tacos until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Here in the North Bay, however, the new El Tucán is \u003ca href=\"https://next.kqed.org/arts/13953224/best-late-night-prime-rib-marin-petes-881-club-poker-room\">one of the very few places in town\u003c/a> that stays open late at all. In this particular semi-industrial corner of San Rafael, it was the only restaurant of any kind, open or closed, we saw for blocks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As regulars at the original El Tucán, we came with the expectation that we’d be eating some of the tastiest carne asada in the Bay. What we didn’t expect was that the new restaurant would \u003ci>also \u003c/i>fry up the best Baja fish tacos we’ve eaten in a long, long time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant is bigger and fancier than it looks from the outside, with a long, gleamingly back-lit bar; trendy wicker light fixtures; and multiple flat-screen TVs for sports-watching. Along one wall there’s one of those cursive neon signs: “You are the salsa to my tacos.” On another, a colorful, very geometric mural of the restaurant’s namesake toucan. Not for nothing in Marin County, every other customer on this busy Friday night appeared to be Latino — a mix of twentysomethings sipping on gaudy, fluorescent-hued margaritas and older gentlemen in work boots. (El Tucán is located in San Rafael’s Canal District, where a dense cluster of apartment complexes houses the bulk of Marin County’s working class Latino population.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988852\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988852\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/eltucan2.jpg\" alt='Illustration: a boxy, fairly nondescript-looking restaurant lit up at night. The neon sign reads, \"El Tucán Tacos & Beer,\" with a drawing of a toucan as its logo.' width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/eltucan2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/eltucan2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/eltucan2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/eltucan2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/eltucan2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marin County doesn’t have a lot of notable late-night dining options, but El Tucán is open until 11 p.m. on weekends. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The nicest part of the restaurant is the big, expansive deck in the back, adorned with string lights and a flotilla of heat lamps, that faces out toward the San Rafael Creek waterfront. We parked ourselves at one of the sturdy wooden picnic tables and proceeded to order about twice as many tacos as we had any business eating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>El Tucán’s claim to fame is that it was one of the first taquerias to bring \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2019/12/5/20994943/tacos-el-tucan-tijuana-carne-asada-quesatacos-richmond\">Tijuana-style tacos\u003c/a> to the Bay Area, with its emphasis on meats grilled over fire (instead of on a flat-top), supple handmade tortillas, and the dollop of guacamole that comes on every taco by default. Arguably, the restaurant’s calling card is its quesatacos, which come laced with a thin layer of extremely crispy cheese. What experience has taught me, though, is that those cheesy tacos are too heavy for me to eat more than two or three in one sitting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So for our first meal in San Rafael, we instead started with a round of the standard (cheeseless) asada tacos, which were as phenomenal as we remembered; the steak was chopped finer, and came out so much juicier and more tender, than at your typical taco shop. Topped with a tangle of grilled onions and that big scoop of guacamole, the taco felt luxurious to eat, like a full meal in and of itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13988444,arts_13953224,arts_13963832']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>Diners who want to splurge a bit can try one of the premium ($9) specialty tacos, like the arrachera (skirt steak) taco, which puts an entire mini steak on top of a tortilla. We loved how pleasantly chewy and crisp-edged the steak was — though we probably would have been even happier trading it for two more asada tacos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The real highlight of the restaurant, however, was another exemplar of Baja California cuisine: Baja-style fried fish tacos and shrimp tacos, which are only available at the San Rafael location.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of my controversial food opinions is that Baja fish tacos are the \u003ci>only\u003c/i> good fish tacos — you can keep your fussy little grilled fish tacos. But I also rarely order them in the Bay Area. There are so few places here that do them well (hello, \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/cholita-linda-to-bring-fish-tacos-and-eclectic-latin-to-temescal-1/\">Cholita Linda\u003c/a>!), and you wind up paying twice as much for a taco that’s only half as good as what you can get at, say, any random spot in San Diego.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m happy to report, then, that the fish tacos at El Tucán are spectacular. They’re pricey, yes, at $8 a pop. But they’re also \u003ci>huge\u003c/i>, with one plump, impeccably fried fillet that’s moist and tender, with an airy-light batter. There’s also limey chipotle crema and a tangle of delicately sliced cabbage and pickled onions. Taken all together, it makes for a flawlessly balanced bite. The Baja shrimp taco, which combines all of the same components with a pile of batter-fried shrimp, is just as good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like every other trend-hopping taqueria in the Bay, El Tucán has jumped on the \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2019/11/21/20937687/el-garage-quesabirria-birria-taco-richmond-instagram\">quesabirria hype train\u003c/a>, with an assortment of birria-centric menu items that run the gamut from standard quesabirria tacos and consomé-dipped “red tacos” to super-sized birria “pizza.” We tried one of the red tacos with adobada (Tijuana-style al pastor) and found it tasty enough, if a little too heavy and cheesy for how stuffed we already felt at that stage in the meal. What we did enjoy, however, is El Tucán’s take on birria ramen — a rather elegant, stewy version, served with sliced avocado on top. It had a homey warmth to it that was especially nice on a chilly night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the end, there was a part of us that still preferred the old El Tucán in Richmond, where you stand in line, shoulder to shoulder with strangers, grab a plastic stool on the patio and wolf your food down in the semi-darkness. Certainly, it’s more chaotic, with a certain kind of romance. But if you’ve come with a group of friends and want to kick it for a while, that big deck overlooking the boats on the water is tough to beat. Especially with ice-cold Pacifica on draft and a couple of fish tacos in your belly.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tucantacosandbeer/\">\u003ci>El Tucán Tacos & Beer\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m.–9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. at 15 Harbor St. in San Rafael.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988853\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988853\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/el-tucan.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men devouring a large amount of tacos while seated at a picnic table. In back, string lights and heat lamps are visible.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/el-tucan.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/el-tucan-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/el-tucan-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/el-tucan-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/el-tucan-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">El Tucán’s new location in San Rafael has an outdoor patio that looks out over the waterfront and a new menu addition: Baja-style fried fish and fried shrimp tacos. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003ci>The Midnight Diners\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Thien Pham\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>. 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/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The best tacos I’ve ever eaten in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/marin-county\">Marin County\u003c/a> are tucked away in the warren of warehouses and car dealerships that populate the eastern end of San Rafael. We pulled into the neighborhood at a little past 9 o’clock on a recent Friday night because we’d heard that one of our favorite taquerias, El Tucán, had finally opened its long-awaited location here — an outpost the owners had initially planned to debut \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13903359/el-tucan-tijuana-tacos-quesabirria-san-rafael\">all the way back in 2021\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tucantacosandbeer/\">El Tucán Tacos & Beer\u003c/a> is meant to be a swankier, sit-down version of the original taqueria in Richmond. Importantly for our purposes, it stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Technically speaking, both the Richmond taqueria and the even newer El Tucán location \u003ca href=\"https://www.tacoseltucan.com/sf-info.html\">in San Francisco\u003c/a> are more prototypical late-night spots, slinging tacos until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Here in the North Bay, however, the new El Tucán is \u003ca href=\"https://next.kqed.org/arts/13953224/best-late-night-prime-rib-marin-petes-881-club-poker-room\">one of the very few places in town\u003c/a> that stays open late at all. In this particular semi-industrial corner of San Rafael, it was the only restaurant of any kind, open or closed, we saw for blocks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As regulars at the original El Tucán, we came with the expectation that we’d be eating some of the tastiest carne asada in the Bay. What we didn’t expect was that the new restaurant would \u003ci>also \u003c/i>fry up the best Baja fish tacos we’ve eaten in a long, long time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant is bigger and fancier than it looks from the outside, with a long, gleamingly back-lit bar; trendy wicker light fixtures; and multiple flat-screen TVs for sports-watching. Along one wall there’s one of those cursive neon signs: “You are the salsa to my tacos.” On another, a colorful, very geometric mural of the restaurant’s namesake toucan. Not for nothing in Marin County, every other customer on this busy Friday night appeared to be Latino — a mix of twentysomethings sipping on gaudy, fluorescent-hued margaritas and older gentlemen in work boots. (El Tucán is located in San Rafael’s Canal District, where a dense cluster of apartment complexes houses the bulk of Marin County’s working class Latino population.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988852\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988852\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/eltucan2.jpg\" alt='Illustration: a boxy, fairly nondescript-looking restaurant lit up at night. The neon sign reads, \"El Tucán Tacos & Beer,\" with a drawing of a toucan as its logo.' width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/eltucan2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/eltucan2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/eltucan2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/eltucan2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/eltucan2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marin County doesn’t have a lot of notable late-night dining options, but El Tucán is open until 11 p.m. on weekends. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The nicest part of the restaurant is the big, expansive deck in the back, adorned with string lights and a flotilla of heat lamps, that faces out toward the San Rafael Creek waterfront. We parked ourselves at one of the sturdy wooden picnic tables and proceeded to order about twice as many tacos as we had any business eating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>El Tucán’s claim to fame is that it was one of the first taquerias to bring \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2019/12/5/20994943/tacos-el-tucan-tijuana-carne-asada-quesatacos-richmond\">Tijuana-style tacos\u003c/a> to the Bay Area, with its emphasis on meats grilled over fire (instead of on a flat-top), supple handmade tortillas, and the dollop of guacamole that comes on every taco by default. Arguably, the restaurant’s calling card is its quesatacos, which come laced with a thin layer of extremely crispy cheese. What experience has taught me, though, is that those cheesy tacos are too heavy for me to eat more than two or three in one sitting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So for our first meal in San Rafael, we instead started with a round of the standard (cheeseless) asada tacos, which were as phenomenal as we remembered; the steak was chopped finer, and came out so much juicier and more tender, than at your typical taco shop. Topped with a tangle of grilled onions and that big scoop of guacamole, the taco felt luxurious to eat, like a full meal in and of itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>Diners who want to splurge a bit can try one of the premium ($9) specialty tacos, like the arrachera (skirt steak) taco, which puts an entire mini steak on top of a tortilla. We loved how pleasantly chewy and crisp-edged the steak was — though we probably would have been even happier trading it for two more asada tacos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The real highlight of the restaurant, however, was another exemplar of Baja California cuisine: Baja-style fried fish tacos and shrimp tacos, which are only available at the San Rafael location.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of my controversial food opinions is that Baja fish tacos are the \u003ci>only\u003c/i> good fish tacos — you can keep your fussy little grilled fish tacos. But I also rarely order them in the Bay Area. There are so few places here that do them well (hello, \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/cholita-linda-to-bring-fish-tacos-and-eclectic-latin-to-temescal-1/\">Cholita Linda\u003c/a>!), and you wind up paying twice as much for a taco that’s only half as good as what you can get at, say, any random spot in San Diego.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m happy to report, then, that the fish tacos at El Tucán are spectacular. They’re pricey, yes, at $8 a pop. But they’re also \u003ci>huge\u003c/i>, with one plump, impeccably fried fillet that’s moist and tender, with an airy-light batter. There’s also limey chipotle crema and a tangle of delicately sliced cabbage and pickled onions. Taken all together, it makes for a flawlessly balanced bite. The Baja shrimp taco, which combines all of the same components with a pile of batter-fried shrimp, is just as good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like every other trend-hopping taqueria in the Bay, El Tucán has jumped on the \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2019/11/21/20937687/el-garage-quesabirria-birria-taco-richmond-instagram\">quesabirria hype train\u003c/a>, with an assortment of birria-centric menu items that run the gamut from standard quesabirria tacos and consomé-dipped “red tacos” to super-sized birria “pizza.” We tried one of the red tacos with adobada (Tijuana-style al pastor) and found it tasty enough, if a little too heavy and cheesy for how stuffed we already felt at that stage in the meal. What we did enjoy, however, is El Tucán’s take on birria ramen — a rather elegant, stewy version, served with sliced avocado on top. It had a homey warmth to it that was especially nice on a chilly night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the end, there was a part of us that still preferred the old El Tucán in Richmond, where you stand in line, shoulder to shoulder with strangers, grab a plastic stool on the patio and wolf your food down in the semi-darkness. Certainly, it’s more chaotic, with a certain kind of romance. But if you’ve come with a group of friends and want to kick it for a while, that big deck overlooking the boats on the water is tough to beat. Especially with ice-cold Pacifica on draft and a couple of fish tacos in your belly.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tucantacosandbeer/\">\u003ci>El Tucán Tacos & Beer\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m.–9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. at 15 Harbor St. in San Rafael.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>When Tommy Cleary opened his landmark \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/japanese-food\">Japanese\u003c/a> skewer restaurant, Hina Yakitori, back in 2019, most diners in San Francisco had never heard of “omakase”-style yakitori. The Divisadero Street restaurant was the first yakitori spot in the U.S. to do away with a la carte ordering, instead breaking half a pasture-raised chicken into a 16-course tasting menu — skewer after precisely \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodandwine.com/here-s-why-chefs-call-this-japanese-charcoal-the-best-in-the-world-8656405\">binchotan\u003c/a>-grilled skewer highlighting the juiciness of the bird’s underarm, the crunch of the gizzard, the exquisite tenderness of the thigh oyster.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was, in a word, amazing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant cemented Cleary’s reputation as the king of the Bay Area’s high-end yakitori scene. But at $165 per person, Hina was a once- or twice-a-year splurge for all but the wealthiest Bay Area diners. And so, after it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13933006/hina-yakitori-closing-grilled-chicken-omakase-san-francisco\">closed in 2023\u003c/a>, Cleary started thinking about how he might create a more accessible yakitori restaurant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988787\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988787\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-yakitori.jpg\" alt=\"Three small plates of yakitori, presented in an elegant wooden box.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-yakitori.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-yakitori-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-yakitori-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-yakitori-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">TBD’s yakitori is served without the actual skewers. Pictured here: the wing drummette stuffed with cheese, thigh with shansho, and breast with green onion. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In some ways, then, his new izakaya, TBD — a partnership with SF sushi superstar Ray Lee (Akiko’s, Friends Only) — is a return to Cleary’s roots. Longtime customers might recall that the earliest iteration of Hina was a much more \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/hina-yakitori-in-oakland-works-magic-with-whole-chickens-and-a-charcoal-grill-2-1/\">casual yakitori joint in Oakland\u003c/a> where you could order five or six skewers, a rice bowl and a cold Asahi, and be out the door for $40 or $50.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TBD isn’t exactly an inexpensive restaurant. You can go all out, as I did during a recent dinner visit, and order every yakitori item on the menu, some sashimi, a couple of hot appetizers and a finishing hot pot, and drop well over $100 a person. But a single diner can also order one small set of grilled items and a (quite substantial) fried chicken leg for about $50, and leave completely satisfied.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cleary is hoping that range of price points will make TBD the kind of place where regulars might more easily visit a couple times a month. He cites a recent Saturday night when a customer came in by herself, ordered tuna tataki, fried chicken and one box of skewers, and then sat at the counter reading a book.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988788\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988788\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-okonomiyaki.jpg\" alt=\"A puffy savory pancake topped with cabbage and orange fish roe.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-okonomiyaki.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-okonomiyaki-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-okonomiyaki-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-okonomiyaki-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">TBD’s take on okonomiyaki — a puffy king crab pancake topped with sauerkraut and ikura. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“That’s kind of the ideal situation,” Cleary says. “You come by, do your thing, have a good time and leave. I feel like the vibe is warm and intimate, but also lively like an izakaya.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Cleary closed Hina, he questioned \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13933006/hina-yakitori-closing-grilled-chicken-omakase-san-francisco\">whether he ever wanted to open a restaurant in San Francisco\u003c/a> again. In the end, the opportunity to team up with Lee, who runs two of the city’s most celebrated \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/friends-only-akikos-sushi-17872403.php\">sushi spots\u003c/a>, was too intriguing to pass up. The new restaurant is located on the edge of Union Square, in the space that originally housed Akiko’s. Broadly speaking, Cleary heads up the yakitori program while Lee is in charge of sashimi and hot izakaya-style small plates. But the whole kitchen team collaborates on every dish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The aforementioned fried chicken leg, for instance, is a showstopper of a dish that comes with the claw attached — Lee’s idea, Cleary says. Another chef, Jerry Lam, built out the rest of the dish — the double-fry technique that gives the chicken its exceptional crunch, the honey-butter chile glaze, the housemade furikake topping. And the hint of shichimi togarashi and side of yuzu hot sauce echo the \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2021/1/21/22241119/hina-yakitori-yagenbori-nashville-hot-chicken-japanese-shichimi-togarashi\">hot chicken sandwiches\u003c/a> Cleary sold at Hina during the takeout-only days of the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988789\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988789\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-offal.jpg\" alt=\"A trio of grilled chicken offal served in an elegant wooden box.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-offal.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-offal-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-offal-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-offal-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A trio of chicken offal: the gizzard, the liver and the heart. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And even though TBD is a more casual restaurant, Cleary is still pushing into new frontiers of yakitori technique. For instance, the izakaya is one of the very few yakitori specialists that forgoes the skewers themselves — a first for Cleary. At TBD, the various cuts of grilled chicken are instead presented in an elegant wooden box. One box comes with a trio of different cuts of crispy chicken skin, topped variously with ikura and pickled mullet roe. Another plate features an egg-yolk-topped chicken meatball served between two rice-flour wafer buns, like a Japanese ice cream sandwich.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wanted something that looks a bit better and more unique, I guess,” Cleary says. “I wanted my own thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The other big change is that Cleary is now one of the only yakitori chefs in the U.S. who’s dry-aging all of his chicken — a logical area of experimentation given that Lee’s sushi restaurants are known for their innovation in dry-aging raw fish; they’ve already got several of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DXFI38_DwN5/\">aging cabinets\u003c/a> on site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988790\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988790\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-tsukune.jpg\" alt='Chicken meatball served as a \"sandwich\" inside two wafers.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-tsukune.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-tsukune-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-tsukune-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-tsukune-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The tsukune (chicken meatball) comes between two monaka wafers, reminiscent of a Japanese ice cream sandwichj. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Up until this point, however, dry-aging chicken hasn’t really been a thing in the yakitori world. According to Cleary, the results have been incredible: “It makes the skin really, really crispy and concentrates the flavor of the meat a lot more.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13988444,arts_13987061,arts_13986360']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>The only problem for diners who want to score a TBD reservation right now? The restaurant isn’t open to the public yet, strictly speaking. Only folks who are on the Akiko’s, Friends Only and Hina mailing lists have access to a private OpenTable link. The idea, Cleary says, is to slowly ramp up the number of covers the kitchen is able to handle in a given night — and to give longtime supporters first dibs on checking out the new spot. The restaurant might still be a couple months away from opening at full clip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That said, Cleary says the intent isn’t to gatekeep the restaurant in any kind of elitist way. Everyone is welcome, he says. But for a private reservation, for now at least, you have to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tbd.izakaya/\">follow TBD on Instagram\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We post the link in our stories,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>TBD is open Tuesday to Saturday, 5:30–8:30 p.m. For now, follow the restaurant on \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tbd.izakaya/\">\u003ci>Instagram\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>, where it periodically posts its private reservation link.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>When Tommy Cleary opened his landmark \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/japanese-food\">Japanese\u003c/a> skewer restaurant, Hina Yakitori, back in 2019, most diners in San Francisco had never heard of “omakase”-style yakitori. The Divisadero Street restaurant was the first yakitori spot in the U.S. to do away with a la carte ordering, instead breaking half a pasture-raised chicken into a 16-course tasting menu — skewer after precisely \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodandwine.com/here-s-why-chefs-call-this-japanese-charcoal-the-best-in-the-world-8656405\">binchotan\u003c/a>-grilled skewer highlighting the juiciness of the bird’s underarm, the crunch of the gizzard, the exquisite tenderness of the thigh oyster.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was, in a word, amazing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant cemented Cleary’s reputation as the king of the Bay Area’s high-end yakitori scene. But at $165 per person, Hina was a once- or twice-a-year splurge for all but the wealthiest Bay Area diners. And so, after it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13933006/hina-yakitori-closing-grilled-chicken-omakase-san-francisco\">closed in 2023\u003c/a>, Cleary started thinking about how he might create a more accessible yakitori restaurant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988787\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988787\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-yakitori.jpg\" alt=\"Three small plates of yakitori, presented in an elegant wooden box.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-yakitori.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-yakitori-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-yakitori-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-yakitori-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">TBD’s yakitori is served without the actual skewers. Pictured here: the wing drummette stuffed with cheese, thigh with shansho, and breast with green onion. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In some ways, then, his new izakaya, TBD — a partnership with SF sushi superstar Ray Lee (Akiko’s, Friends Only) — is a return to Cleary’s roots. Longtime customers might recall that the earliest iteration of Hina was a much more \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/hina-yakitori-in-oakland-works-magic-with-whole-chickens-and-a-charcoal-grill-2-1/\">casual yakitori joint in Oakland\u003c/a> where you could order five or six skewers, a rice bowl and a cold Asahi, and be out the door for $40 or $50.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TBD isn’t exactly an inexpensive restaurant. You can go all out, as I did during a recent dinner visit, and order every yakitori item on the menu, some sashimi, a couple of hot appetizers and a finishing hot pot, and drop well over $100 a person. But a single diner can also order one small set of grilled items and a (quite substantial) fried chicken leg for about $50, and leave completely satisfied.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cleary is hoping that range of price points will make TBD the kind of place where regulars might more easily visit a couple times a month. He cites a recent Saturday night when a customer came in by herself, ordered tuna tataki, fried chicken and one box of skewers, and then sat at the counter reading a book.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988788\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988788\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-okonomiyaki.jpg\" alt=\"A puffy savory pancake topped with cabbage and orange fish roe.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-okonomiyaki.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-okonomiyaki-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-okonomiyaki-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-okonomiyaki-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">TBD’s take on okonomiyaki — a puffy king crab pancake topped with sauerkraut and ikura. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“That’s kind of the ideal situation,” Cleary says. “You come by, do your thing, have a good time and leave. I feel like the vibe is warm and intimate, but also lively like an izakaya.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Cleary closed Hina, he questioned \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13933006/hina-yakitori-closing-grilled-chicken-omakase-san-francisco\">whether he ever wanted to open a restaurant in San Francisco\u003c/a> again. In the end, the opportunity to team up with Lee, who runs two of the city’s most celebrated \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/friends-only-akikos-sushi-17872403.php\">sushi spots\u003c/a>, was too intriguing to pass up. The new restaurant is located on the edge of Union Square, in the space that originally housed Akiko’s. Broadly speaking, Cleary heads up the yakitori program while Lee is in charge of sashimi and hot izakaya-style small plates. But the whole kitchen team collaborates on every dish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The aforementioned fried chicken leg, for instance, is a showstopper of a dish that comes with the claw attached — Lee’s idea, Cleary says. Another chef, Jerry Lam, built out the rest of the dish — the double-fry technique that gives the chicken its exceptional crunch, the honey-butter chile glaze, the housemade furikake topping. And the hint of shichimi togarashi and side of yuzu hot sauce echo the \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2021/1/21/22241119/hina-yakitori-yagenbori-nashville-hot-chicken-japanese-shichimi-togarashi\">hot chicken sandwiches\u003c/a> Cleary sold at Hina during the takeout-only days of the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988789\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988789\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-offal.jpg\" alt=\"A trio of grilled chicken offal served in an elegant wooden box.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-offal.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-offal-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-offal-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-offal-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A trio of chicken offal: the gizzard, the liver and the heart. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And even though TBD is a more casual restaurant, Cleary is still pushing into new frontiers of yakitori technique. For instance, the izakaya is one of the very few yakitori specialists that forgoes the skewers themselves — a first for Cleary. At TBD, the various cuts of grilled chicken are instead presented in an elegant wooden box. One box comes with a trio of different cuts of crispy chicken skin, topped variously with ikura and pickled mullet roe. Another plate features an egg-yolk-topped chicken meatball served between two rice-flour wafer buns, like a Japanese ice cream sandwich.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wanted something that looks a bit better and more unique, I guess,” Cleary says. “I wanted my own thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The other big change is that Cleary is now one of the only yakitori chefs in the U.S. who’s dry-aging all of his chicken — a logical area of experimentation given that Lee’s sushi restaurants are known for their innovation in dry-aging raw fish; they’ve already got several of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DXFI38_DwN5/\">aging cabinets\u003c/a> on site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988790\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988790\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-tsukune.jpg\" alt='Chicken meatball served as a \"sandwich\" inside two wafers.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-tsukune.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-tsukune-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-tsukune-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/tbd-tsukune-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The tsukune (chicken meatball) comes between two monaka wafers, reminiscent of a Japanese ice cream sandwichj. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Up until this point, however, dry-aging chicken hasn’t really been a thing in the yakitori world. According to Cleary, the results have been incredible: “It makes the skin really, really crispy and concentrates the flavor of the meat a lot more.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>The only problem for diners who want to score a TBD reservation right now? The restaurant isn’t open to the public yet, strictly speaking. Only folks who are on the Akiko’s, Friends Only and Hina mailing lists have access to a private OpenTable link. The idea, Cleary says, is to slowly ramp up the number of covers the kitchen is able to handle in a given night — and to give longtime supporters first dibs on checking out the new spot. The restaurant might still be a couple months away from opening at full clip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That said, Cleary says the intent isn’t to gatekeep the restaurant in any kind of elitist way. Everyone is welcome, he says. But for a private reservation, for now at least, you have to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tbd.izakaya/\">follow TBD on Instagram\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We post the link in our stories,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>TBD is open Tuesday to Saturday, 5:30–8:30 p.m. For now, follow the restaurant on \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tbd.izakaya/\">\u003ci>Instagram\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>, where it periodically posts its private reservation link.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "best-burritos-variety-cucos-san-jose-redwood-city",
"title": "A New San José Restaurant Offers the Largest Variety of Burritos in the Bay",
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"content": "\u003cp>If \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/burrito\">burrito\u003c/a> eating were a professional sport, I would probably be one of the highest-ranked players in the league. I’ve eaten hundreds of burritos across the Bay Area, usually sitting in my car with salsas spread across the dash. But even a pro eater might be intimidated by the staggering selection at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cucosburritos/\">Cuco’s Burritos\u003c/a>, which offers more than 14 different specialty styles — the most I’ve ever encountered in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On my first visit to the restaurant’s brand new location in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/sanjosefood\">San José\u003c/a>, I couldn’t decide between a wet burrito drenched in mole and another that was smothered in bright green tomatillo salsa. I went for both and added a secret menu option I’d heard about for good measure — a burrito stuffed with smoky al pastor and a whole chile relleno oozing molten cheese.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The dining room was a lot nicer than the interior of my Civic, with homey tile flooring and sleek wooden tables that quickly filled up with an entire fleet of burritos drizzled with vibrant salsas and zigzagging crema. Each burrito was both absolutely packed and perfectly balanced; no single ingredient outshined the rest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988696\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988696\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Top-to-bottom_-Asada-fries-suiza-burrito-chile-relleno-al-pastor-burrito-and-chipotle-shrimp-burrito.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a spread of burritos and carne asada fries.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Top-to-bottom_-Asada-fries-suiza-burrito-chile-relleno-al-pastor-burrito-and-chipotle-shrimp-burrito.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Top-to-bottom_-Asada-fries-suiza-burrito-chile-relleno-al-pastor-burrito-and-chipotle-shrimp-burrito-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Top-to-bottom_-Asada-fries-suiza-burrito-chile-relleno-al-pastor-burrito-and-chipotle-shrimp-burrito-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Top-to-bottom_-Asada-fries-suiza-burrito-chile-relleno-al-pastor-burrito-and-chipotle-shrimp-burrito-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Top-to-bottom_-Asada-fries-suiza-burrito-chile-relleno-al-pastor-burrito-and-chipotle-shrimp-burrito-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A massive burrito feast at the new Cuco’s Burritos in San José. Pictured from left to right: carne asada fries, suiza burrito, chile relleno–al pastor burrito and chipotle shrimp burrito. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Owner Mariela Peralta was practically raised in a restaurant kitchen. Her parents opened their first food truck in Redwood City in 1988, when she was an infant. By age 12, she was buttering bread and passing out sodas. When she was 18, her father gave her a food truck of her own. She ran it for five years before quitting to try out careers in the medical field and bridal makeup. Ultimately, she found that her true passion was food and returned to manage her parents’ four trucks and two restaurants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Peralta collaborated with her father, Don Cuco, to open the original Cuco’s location in Redwood City in 2019. She named the restaurant after him, and in return he shared his recipes and helped her remodel the space before he passed away in 2023. Open for about a month now, the new San José location replaced Tacos El Rancherito, a restaurant that her mother, Doña Lupe, ran for 25 years before deciding to retire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13979641,arts_13958466,arts_13904835']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>Of course, the Bay Area has no shortage of burrito restaurants, but Peralta decided to distinguish her business from established taquerias by doubling down on burritos even more — by offering a more extensive selection than anyone else. Many of Cuco’s wet burritos, in particular, are inspired by regional Mexican dishes like \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/tortas-ahogadas-oakland-san-jose-21122878.php\">tortas ahogadas\u003c/a> from Jalisco, enchiladas suizas from Mexico City, aporreadillo from Michoacan and mole from Oaxaca. The restaurant also serves regional styles popular in other parts of the United States, like San Diego’s California burrito, which comes stuffed with fries, or Arizona’s deep-fried burrito (aka a chimichanga). There’s also some influence from our own region’s massive \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101910084/why-the-mission-style-burrito-defines-the-bay-area\">Mission burritos\u003c/a> — although Peralta says she’s never eaten a burrito in the Mission herself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988697\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988697\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Angel-Peralta-left-and-Mariela-Peralta-right.jpg\" alt=\"A man and woman pose for a portrait inside a restaurant.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Angel-Peralta-left-and-Mariela-Peralta-right.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Angel-Peralta-left-and-Mariela-Peralta-right-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Angel-Peralta-left-and-Mariela-Peralta-right-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Angel-Peralta-left-and-Mariela-Peralta-right-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mariela Peralta (right) is the owner of Cuco’s Burritos. She runs the new San José shop along with her brother, Angel (left). \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The large variety of burrito styles — including six different breakfast burritos — has earned the restaurant a cult following and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2025/best-burrito-sf-bay-area/\">critical acclaim\u003c/a>. The hyperfocus on burritos doesn’t come across as a gimmick, though. Instead, it has simply given Peralta a new way of highlighting family recipes that have been popular for over 40 years. In fact, Peralta says her burrito fillings are all dishes she grew up eating at home. The moles, for example, were handed down through multiple generations of women in her family going back to her great-grandmother.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want to continue the legacy that my parents started so many years ago,” Peralta says. “It’s my mission to see the restaurant flourish and have more people try my family’s recipes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some cases, Peralta adds her own flourish to her family’s recipes — by creating vegetarian versions of al pastor and chorizo that combine tofu with her dad’s adobo, as well as a vegetarian mole burrito.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988694\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988694\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Chile-Relleno-Al-Pastor-Burrito.jpg\" alt=\"A woman in a pink cardigan holds a burrito in her hand, ready to take a bite.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Chile-Relleno-Al-Pastor-Burrito.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Chile-Relleno-Al-Pastor-Burrito-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Chile-Relleno-Al-Pastor-Burrito-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Chile-Relleno-Al-Pastor-Burrito-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This off-menu “secret” burrito features smoky al pastor and a whole chile relleno. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Many of the customers at the San José Cuco’s are familiar with the original restaurant in Redwood City. The menus at both locations are largely the same, but Peralta says she does have some San Jose exclusives in the works, like tacos dorados and carne asada fries, both developed by her brother, Angel Peralta. She’s also considering adding seasonal burritos like one inspired by chile en nogada, a stuffed poblano drowned in a creamy walnut sauce that’s typically served around Mexican Independence Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although she has a head chef who does most of the day-to-day cooking at the two restaurants, Peralta herself frequently steps into all the roles, including cashier, cook and server. Although she’s already thinking about her next move, she doesn’t have any grand ambitions to turn Cuco’s into a giant chain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t know how much of me I can pour into more locations,” she says. “Maybe one more and all done.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cucosburritos/\">\u003ci>Cuco’s Burritos\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> (1729 McKee Rd., San José) is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m.–6 p.m. \u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>If \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/burrito\">burrito\u003c/a> eating were a professional sport, I would probably be one of the highest-ranked players in the league. I’ve eaten hundreds of burritos across the Bay Area, usually sitting in my car with salsas spread across the dash. But even a pro eater might be intimidated by the staggering selection at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cucosburritos/\">Cuco’s Burritos\u003c/a>, which offers more than 14 different specialty styles — the most I’ve ever encountered in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On my first visit to the restaurant’s brand new location in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/sanjosefood\">San José\u003c/a>, I couldn’t decide between a wet burrito drenched in mole and another that was smothered in bright green tomatillo salsa. I went for both and added a secret menu option I’d heard about for good measure — a burrito stuffed with smoky al pastor and a whole chile relleno oozing molten cheese.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The dining room was a lot nicer than the interior of my Civic, with homey tile flooring and sleek wooden tables that quickly filled up with an entire fleet of burritos drizzled with vibrant salsas and zigzagging crema. Each burrito was both absolutely packed and perfectly balanced; no single ingredient outshined the rest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988696\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988696\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Top-to-bottom_-Asada-fries-suiza-burrito-chile-relleno-al-pastor-burrito-and-chipotle-shrimp-burrito.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a spread of burritos and carne asada fries.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Top-to-bottom_-Asada-fries-suiza-burrito-chile-relleno-al-pastor-burrito-and-chipotle-shrimp-burrito.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Top-to-bottom_-Asada-fries-suiza-burrito-chile-relleno-al-pastor-burrito-and-chipotle-shrimp-burrito-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Top-to-bottom_-Asada-fries-suiza-burrito-chile-relleno-al-pastor-burrito-and-chipotle-shrimp-burrito-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Top-to-bottom_-Asada-fries-suiza-burrito-chile-relleno-al-pastor-burrito-and-chipotle-shrimp-burrito-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Top-to-bottom_-Asada-fries-suiza-burrito-chile-relleno-al-pastor-burrito-and-chipotle-shrimp-burrito-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A massive burrito feast at the new Cuco’s Burritos in San José. Pictured from left to right: carne asada fries, suiza burrito, chile relleno–al pastor burrito and chipotle shrimp burrito. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Owner Mariela Peralta was practically raised in a restaurant kitchen. Her parents opened their first food truck in Redwood City in 1988, when she was an infant. By age 12, she was buttering bread and passing out sodas. When she was 18, her father gave her a food truck of her own. She ran it for five years before quitting to try out careers in the medical field and bridal makeup. Ultimately, she found that her true passion was food and returned to manage her parents’ four trucks and two restaurants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Peralta collaborated with her father, Don Cuco, to open the original Cuco’s location in Redwood City in 2019. She named the restaurant after him, and in return he shared his recipes and helped her remodel the space before he passed away in 2023. Open for about a month now, the new San José location replaced Tacos El Rancherito, a restaurant that her mother, Doña Lupe, ran for 25 years before deciding to retire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>Of course, the Bay Area has no shortage of burrito restaurants, but Peralta decided to distinguish her business from established taquerias by doubling down on burritos even more — by offering a more extensive selection than anyone else. Many of Cuco’s wet burritos, in particular, are inspired by regional Mexican dishes like \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/tortas-ahogadas-oakland-san-jose-21122878.php\">tortas ahogadas\u003c/a> from Jalisco, enchiladas suizas from Mexico City, aporreadillo from Michoacan and mole from Oaxaca. The restaurant also serves regional styles popular in other parts of the United States, like San Diego’s California burrito, which comes stuffed with fries, or Arizona’s deep-fried burrito (aka a chimichanga). There’s also some influence from our own region’s massive \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101910084/why-the-mission-style-burrito-defines-the-bay-area\">Mission burritos\u003c/a> — although Peralta says she’s never eaten a burrito in the Mission herself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988697\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988697\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Angel-Peralta-left-and-Mariela-Peralta-right.jpg\" alt=\"A man and woman pose for a portrait inside a restaurant.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Angel-Peralta-left-and-Mariela-Peralta-right.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Angel-Peralta-left-and-Mariela-Peralta-right-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Angel-Peralta-left-and-Mariela-Peralta-right-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Angel-Peralta-left-and-Mariela-Peralta-right-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mariela Peralta (right) is the owner of Cuco’s Burritos. She runs the new San José shop along with her brother, Angel (left). \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The large variety of burrito styles — including six different breakfast burritos — has earned the restaurant a cult following and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2025/best-burrito-sf-bay-area/\">critical acclaim\u003c/a>. The hyperfocus on burritos doesn’t come across as a gimmick, though. Instead, it has simply given Peralta a new way of highlighting family recipes that have been popular for over 40 years. In fact, Peralta says her burrito fillings are all dishes she grew up eating at home. The moles, for example, were handed down through multiple generations of women in her family going back to her great-grandmother.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want to continue the legacy that my parents started so many years ago,” Peralta says. “It’s my mission to see the restaurant flourish and have more people try my family’s recipes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some cases, Peralta adds her own flourish to her family’s recipes — by creating vegetarian versions of al pastor and chorizo that combine tofu with her dad’s adobo, as well as a vegetarian mole burrito.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988694\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988694\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Chile-Relleno-Al-Pastor-Burrito.jpg\" alt=\"A woman in a pink cardigan holds a burrito in her hand, ready to take a bite.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Chile-Relleno-Al-Pastor-Burrito.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Chile-Relleno-Al-Pastor-Burrito-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Chile-Relleno-Al-Pastor-Burrito-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Chile-Relleno-Al-Pastor-Burrito-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This off-menu “secret” burrito features smoky al pastor and a whole chile relleno. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Many of the customers at the San José Cuco’s are familiar with the original restaurant in Redwood City. The menus at both locations are largely the same, but Peralta says she does have some San Jose exclusives in the works, like tacos dorados and carne asada fries, both developed by her brother, Angel Peralta. She’s also considering adding seasonal burritos like one inspired by chile en nogada, a stuffed poblano drowned in a creamy walnut sauce that’s typically served around Mexican Independence Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although she has a head chef who does most of the day-to-day cooking at the two restaurants, Peralta herself frequently steps into all the roles, including cashier, cook and server. Although she’s already thinking about her next move, she doesn’t have any grand ambitions to turn Cuco’s into a giant chain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t know how much of me I can pour into more locations,” she says. “Maybe one more and all done.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cucosburritos/\">\u003ci>Cuco’s Burritos\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> (1729 McKee Rd., San José) is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m.–6 p.m. \u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "pay-what-you-can-bay-area-restaurants-reems-bombera-masala-y-maiz-oakland-sf",
"title": "Bay Area Restaurants Will Allow Customers to ‘Pay What They Can’ — For One Day, Anyway",
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"content": "\u003cp>In many ways, Masala y Maiz, the globally acclaimed Mexico City restaurant, was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13987839/masala-y-maiz-mexico-city-restaurant-oakland-bay-area-roots\">born in the Bay Area\u003c/a> — in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a>, specifically, where chef-owners Norma Listman and Saqib Keval first met and fell in love. Since opening in 2017, the restaurant has made a name for itself not only for its forward-thinking Mexican, Indian and East African fusion cuisine but also its very Oakland brand of activist, egalitarian politics. Most famously, the restaurant frequently hosts “Paga Lo Que Puedas” — i.e., “Pay What You Can” — days, allowing customers from all socioeconomic backgrounds to enjoy a Michelin-starred meal they otherwise might not be able to afford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=arts_13987839 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_OutsideRestaurant-1536x1024.jpg']This year, the restaurant is taking this movement global. Keval and Listman recently declared August 26, 2026, a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.pagaloquepuedas-paywhatyoucan.com/\">global day of hospitality\u003c/a>,” and they’re calling on restaurants around the world to adopt the Pay What You Can model at least for that one day. Participating restaurants will simply serve their regular menus, allowing guests to order whatever they like — and pay however much they’re able to afford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Given Masala y Maiz’s Bay Area roots, it’s no surprise that four of the 33 restaurants worldwide that have signed up so far are located in the Bay: \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reemscalifornia/\">Reem’s\u003c/a> in San Francisco, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bomberaoakland/\">Bombera\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/understoryoakland/\">Understory\u003c/a> in Oakland, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/valleyswim.club/\">Valley Swim Club\u003c/a> in Sonoma.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987862\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987862\" 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.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" 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-caption-text\">Norma Listman and Saqib Keval prepare tamales at an early iteration of their Mexico City restaurant, Masala y Maiz. \u003ccite>(Sana Javeri Kadri, courtesy of Masala y Maiz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Reem’s chef-owner Reem Assil, who has known Listman and Keval since Keval’s early days as a co-founder of the food justice group People’s Kitchen Collective, says signing up was “a no-brainer in this late-stage capitalism that’s just killing us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve got to do everything we can to push against the status quo,” she says. And by feeding people — for free, in some cases — restaurants wouldn’t just be making a symbolic gesture: “It’s something that materially impacts the community around you.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here in the Bay Area, there’s already some precedent for restaurants engaging in this kind of activism. Oakland’s Monster Pho has long hosted an annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13968422/free-pho-oakland-monster-pho-seiji-oda\">free phở day\u003c/a>, for instance. And collective-owned Understory, another of the Pay What You Can event’s participants, offers a Pay What You Can dish — typically a warm, nourishing noodle soup — on its regular menu \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DQLE24kCVhR/\">all the time\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the pandemic, Assil herself started a “Man’oushe It Forward” program at her Mission District Arab bakery that allowed customers who had the means to subsidize a free meal for someone who needed it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s always a power to collective action,” Assil says of the Masala y Maiz initiative. “Hopefully people are inspired by this and \u003ca href=\"https://tally.so/r/2ELyKg\">sign up\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, part of the reason for announcing the event four months in advance, as Keval and Listman have, is that there’s still plenty of time for the movement to pick up momentum — and for the list of participating restaurants in the Bay Area to grow from four to 10, or 20, or even more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988644\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988644\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Oct2024-42.jpg\" alt=\"Portrait of a chef in an khaki apron seated at the counter inside a restaurant.\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Oct2024-42.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Oct2024-42-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Oct2024-42-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Oct2024-42-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bombera chef-owner Dominica Rice-Cisneros. \u003ccite>(Clara Rice, courtesy of Bombera)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Dominica Rice-Cisneros of Bombera, the Pay What You Can day is an opportunity for her restaurant to connect with its neighbors in Oakland’s Dimond District in a more approachable way. So many people in the neighborhood are working-class folks laboring in various sectors of the service industry, Rice-Cisneros explains. They’re Peet’s baristas, pizza-slingers at Cybelle’s and grocery-baggers at the Farmer Joe’s supermarket. They’re postal workers and auto mechanics. And while some of these neighbors have become occasional customers at Bombera, many others have stayed away, perhaps afraid that the food will be too “fancy” and that they won’t be able to afford it in the end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a shyness around it,” she says. “So I want to make sure that this is a risk-free chance for them to order something they would never really order, and not feel bad about it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://resy.com/cities/oakland-ca/venues/bombera\">Reservations at Bombera\u003c/a> are normally released one month in advance, with a handful of seats set aside for walk-ins. It’ll be no different for the Aug. 28 Pay What You Can promotion, but Rice-Cisneros plans to give those neighborhood workers first dibs on snagging a table for themselves and for their families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In gentrifying cities like Oakland — and Mexico City, for that matter — there are so many upscale restaurants that have a tenuous relationship with their surrounding neighborhoods, with wealthy out-of-towners forming much of their customer base. Adopting a “pay what you can” model, even for just a day, might help bridge some of that gap.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988645\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988645\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Jan2024-43.jpg\" alt='View of a restaurant courtyard decorated with festive banners. The name of the restaurant, \"Bombera,\" is visible on its facade.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Jan2024-43.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Jan2024-43-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Jan2024-43-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Jan2024-43-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bombera hopes to use the Pay What You Can promotion to reach out to workers at neighboring businesses in Oakland’s Dimond District. \u003ccite>(Clara Rice, courtesy of Bombera)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rice-Cisneros’ hope is that new customers might come in and see that it \u003ci>is\u003c/i> possible to come into her restaurant, order a quesadilla and an horchata, and have a nice sit-down dining experience for around $20 — that it isn’t always necessary to splurge on the duck carnitas mole and a bunch of cocktails.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, she’s thinking about adding an orange mole to the menu for that day only, just to make the meal extra special. And if everything goes well?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think definitely it’s something I would love to continue doing once a year,” Rice-Cisneros says.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>The Masala y Maiz–organized “Pay What You Can” day will take place on August 26, 2026. See the \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pagaloquepuedas-paywhatyoucan.com/\">\u003ci>event webpage\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> for a full list of participating restaurants — or, if you’re an interested restaurant owner, to \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://tally.so/r/2ELyKg\">\u003ci>sign up\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> to participate.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In many ways, Masala y Maiz, the globally acclaimed Mexico City restaurant, was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13987839/masala-y-maiz-mexico-city-restaurant-oakland-bay-area-roots\">born in the Bay Area\u003c/a> — in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a>, specifically, where chef-owners Norma Listman and Saqib Keval first met and fell in love. Since opening in 2017, the restaurant has made a name for itself not only for its forward-thinking Mexican, Indian and East African fusion cuisine but also its very Oakland brand of activist, egalitarian politics. Most famously, the restaurant frequently hosts “Paga Lo Que Puedas” — i.e., “Pay What You Can” — days, allowing customers from all socioeconomic backgrounds to enjoy a Michelin-starred meal they otherwise might not be able to afford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>This year, the restaurant is taking this movement global. Keval and Listman recently declared August 26, 2026, a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.pagaloquepuedas-paywhatyoucan.com/\">global day of hospitality\u003c/a>,” and they’re calling on restaurants around the world to adopt the Pay What You Can model at least for that one day. Participating restaurants will simply serve their regular menus, allowing guests to order whatever they like — and pay however much they’re able to afford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Given Masala y Maiz’s Bay Area roots, it’s no surprise that four of the 33 restaurants worldwide that have signed up so far are located in the Bay: \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reemscalifornia/\">Reem’s\u003c/a> in San Francisco, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bomberaoakland/\">Bombera\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/understoryoakland/\">Understory\u003c/a> in Oakland, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/valleyswim.club/\">Valley Swim Club\u003c/a> in Sonoma.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987862\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987862\" 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.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" 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-caption-text\">Norma Listman and Saqib Keval prepare tamales at an early iteration of their Mexico City restaurant, Masala y Maiz. \u003ccite>(Sana Javeri Kadri, courtesy of Masala y Maiz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Reem’s chef-owner Reem Assil, who has known Listman and Keval since Keval’s early days as a co-founder of the food justice group People’s Kitchen Collective, says signing up was “a no-brainer in this late-stage capitalism that’s just killing us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve got to do everything we can to push against the status quo,” she says. And by feeding people — for free, in some cases — restaurants wouldn’t just be making a symbolic gesture: “It’s something that materially impacts the community around you.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here in the Bay Area, there’s already some precedent for restaurants engaging in this kind of activism. Oakland’s Monster Pho has long hosted an annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13968422/free-pho-oakland-monster-pho-seiji-oda\">free phở day\u003c/a>, for instance. And collective-owned Understory, another of the Pay What You Can event’s participants, offers a Pay What You Can dish — typically a warm, nourishing noodle soup — on its regular menu \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DQLE24kCVhR/\">all the time\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the pandemic, Assil herself started a “Man’oushe It Forward” program at her Mission District Arab bakery that allowed customers who had the means to subsidize a free meal for someone who needed it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s always a power to collective action,” Assil says of the Masala y Maiz initiative. “Hopefully people are inspired by this and \u003ca href=\"https://tally.so/r/2ELyKg\">sign up\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, part of the reason for announcing the event four months in advance, as Keval and Listman have, is that there’s still plenty of time for the movement to pick up momentum — and for the list of participating restaurants in the Bay Area to grow from four to 10, or 20, or even more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988644\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988644\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Oct2024-42.jpg\" alt=\"Portrait of a chef in an khaki apron seated at the counter inside a restaurant.\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Oct2024-42.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Oct2024-42-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Oct2024-42-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Oct2024-42-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bombera chef-owner Dominica Rice-Cisneros. \u003ccite>(Clara Rice, courtesy of Bombera)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Dominica Rice-Cisneros of Bombera, the Pay What You Can day is an opportunity for her restaurant to connect with its neighbors in Oakland’s Dimond District in a more approachable way. So many people in the neighborhood are working-class folks laboring in various sectors of the service industry, Rice-Cisneros explains. They’re Peet’s baristas, pizza-slingers at Cybelle’s and grocery-baggers at the Farmer Joe’s supermarket. They’re postal workers and auto mechanics. And while some of these neighbors have become occasional customers at Bombera, many others have stayed away, perhaps afraid that the food will be too “fancy” and that they won’t be able to afford it in the end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a shyness around it,” she says. “So I want to make sure that this is a risk-free chance for them to order something they would never really order, and not feel bad about it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://resy.com/cities/oakland-ca/venues/bombera\">Reservations at Bombera\u003c/a> are normally released one month in advance, with a handful of seats set aside for walk-ins. It’ll be no different for the Aug. 28 Pay What You Can promotion, but Rice-Cisneros plans to give those neighborhood workers first dibs on snagging a table for themselves and for their families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In gentrifying cities like Oakland — and Mexico City, for that matter — there are so many upscale restaurants that have a tenuous relationship with their surrounding neighborhoods, with wealthy out-of-towners forming much of their customer base. Adopting a “pay what you can” model, even for just a day, might help bridge some of that gap.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988645\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988645\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Jan2024-43.jpg\" alt='View of a restaurant courtyard decorated with festive banners. The name of the restaurant, \"Bombera,\" is visible on its facade.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Jan2024-43.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Jan2024-43-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Jan2024-43-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Bombera-Jan2024-43-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bombera hopes to use the Pay What You Can promotion to reach out to workers at neighboring businesses in Oakland’s Dimond District. \u003ccite>(Clara Rice, courtesy of Bombera)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rice-Cisneros’ hope is that new customers might come in and see that it \u003ci>is\u003c/i> possible to come into her restaurant, order a quesadilla and an horchata, and have a nice sit-down dining experience for around $20 — that it isn’t always necessary to splurge on the duck carnitas mole and a bunch of cocktails.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, she’s thinking about adding an orange mole to the menu for that day only, just to make the meal extra special. And if everything goes well?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think definitely it’s something I would love to continue doing once a year,” Rice-Cisneros says.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>The Masala y Maiz–organized “Pay What You Can” day will take place on August 26, 2026. See the \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pagaloquepuedas-paywhatyoucan.com/\">\u003ci>event webpage\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> for a full list of participating restaurants — or, if you’re an interested restaurant owner, to \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://tally.so/r/2ELyKg\">\u003ci>sign up\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> to participate.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "rize-up-bakery-free-youth-baking-class-sf-bayview",
"title": "A Rising Star Chef Trains San Francisco’s Next Generation of Bakers",
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"content": "\u003cp>On an unseasonably warm Sunday afternoon in March, Azikiwee “Z” Anderson stands in a small kitchen, talking about gluten production.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here in the back of the Smoke Soul Kitchen soul food restaurant in San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/bayview\">Bayview\u003c/a> neighborhood, seven teens and almost-teens are huddled in front of a big commercial mixer, listening as their teacher for the day elucidates the finer points of making a kick-ass batch of pizza dough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, one by one, the students pour the ingredients with which they’ve been entrusted into the mixer — water, yeast, “poolish” (or pre-ferment), flour and salt. And as the machine folds the mixture onto itself again and again, slowly but surely, a dough begins to form.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The key, Anderson says, is to allow the “little rubber bands” of gluten to form more and more connections, strengthening the dough and making it more elastic. “Then you can stretch it out and make a pizza,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the end of this two-hour session, every kid in the class will have done exactly that. They’ll have flattened and stretched out their dough, spun it in the air like a real Italian pizzaiolo, slathered it with toppings and slid the whole thing into a 550-degree triple-decker oven. They’ll have eaten their fill \u003cem>and \u003c/em>brought home another ball of the dough that they made together from scratch, ready to do it all again the next day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988476\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988476\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_099_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_099_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_099_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_099_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_099_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bailey Gee, right, pours yeast into a mixer as Marina Sanchez prepares dough during a youth baking workshop at Bayview Makers Kitchen. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The pizza-making session is part of a series of monthly community baking classes called “\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rize-make-baking-classes-tickets-1983557674400?aff=erelexpmlt\">Rize + Make\u003c/a>” hosted by the Bayview Makers Kitchen, a food incubator run by the nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.edotbayview.org/\">Economic Development on Third\u003c/a> (EDoT). The classes, which started in February, are pegged for youth ages 16-20, with a bit of wiggle room. (Students for this particular session range in age from an 11-year-old attending with her mom to a young man in his early 20s.) Most of them are Bayview residents themselves — a mix of Black, Asian and Latino kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The best part? The classes are completely free.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For young foodies who sign up for his class, Anderson is something of a local celebrity — a rising star in the world of artisanal baking. His sourdough bakery, Rize Up Bakery, is one of the breakout hits from the pandemic pop-up era, known for loaves with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11963721/how-sfs-rize-up-sourdough-puts-black-bakers-on-the-map\">boundary-pushing flavors\u003c/a> like Korean gochujang and Indian masala.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988472\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988472\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_089_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_089_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_089_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_089_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_089_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Youth participants shape pizza dough during the March 2026 edition of the free baking workshop. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Anderson’s bread is now a staple at Bay Area farmers markets and high-end grocery stores, and he’s about to launch \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/03/10/rize-up-sourdough-bakery-cafe-soma/\">his first cafe\u003c/a>, in a space adjacent to his production facility in SoMa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s also highly aware of the space he occupies as one of the only Black bakers in the artisanal sourdough scene in the Bay Area and beyond. It’s a big part of why he thinks it’s so important for him to give back — to give Black and Brown kids in the Bayview a chance to imagine a future they’d never before considered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Obviously, you’re here for a reason,” Anderson says at the start of the class. “The next step is how do we build enough skills and how do we have fun, so that you want to be in the kitchen more? And you think, ‘I could be a baker. I could do this.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Baking to feel seen\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Anderson’s own childhood was, by all accounts, a difficult one. Born and raised in New Orleans, he was the eldest of three children in a biracial family. His father, a traveling musician, was a heroin addict who “spent all his money on drugs and wound up beating my mom close to death,” Anderson recalls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When his mother got out of the hospital, protective services told her she was going to wind up dead if she didn’t move away; they put her and her kids on a bus to San Francisco. Anderson was 5 years old at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The family lived in the bus station for the first few weeks after they arrived, until a women’s shelter finally set them up with a place to stay. Eventually, they moved into a small apartment amid the housing projects in the Western Addition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988463\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988463\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260413-A-RISING-STAR-BAKER-GIVES-BACK-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1494\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260413-A-RISING-STAR-BAKER-GIVES-BACK-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260413-A-RISING-STAR-BAKER-GIVES-BACK-02-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260413-A-RISING-STAR-BAKER-GIVES-BACK-02-KQED-768x574.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260413-A-RISING-STAR-BAKER-GIVES-BACK-02-KQED-1536x1147.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anderson (far right), age 14 or 15, poses with his mother and two siblings for a family portrait taken in the late ’80s. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Azikiwee Anderson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The only places that we could afford to live were pretty bad,” Anderson says. Still, he fell in love with early-’80s San Francisco from the very start — he loved the diversity of thought and the way all different kinds of people were able to feel included. “At its core, it’s a place where people come to be part of community,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a different story when Anderson moved to Chico in middle school. There, he was often one of the only Black kids in any given room, and his adolescent years were riddled with run-ins with teachers and police.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He felt perpetually pigeonholed and stereotyped. Later, as an adult, Anderson was one of a tiny handful of Black inline skaters successful enough to make a living at it, first as a competitor and then as a judge, event organizer and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45IgxIlffn0\">skatepark designer\u003c/a>. And when he finally got involved in the Bay Area’s artisanal sourdough scene, he didn’t know any other Black bakers who were part of that world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I never saw anyone who looked like me do that,” he says, explaining his initial skepticism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988464\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 558px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988464\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260413-A-RISING-STAR-BAKER-GIVES-BACK-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"558\" height=\"837\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260413-A-RISING-STAR-BAKER-GIVES-BACK-03-KQED.jpg 558w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260413-A-RISING-STAR-BAKER-GIVES-BACK-03-KQED-160x240.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 558px) 100vw, 558px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anderson performs a skate trick during the Team Rollerblade tour, circa 2000. Before he became a baker, Anderson had a long career as a professional inline skater. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Azikiwee Anderson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>All of this helps explain why the idea of teaching a free baking class for young people was so appealing to Anderson. For Black and Brown kids in Bayview, he wants to be that adult role model he never had when he was growing up — the one who opens up the possibility of a career path a kid might have never considered for someone who looks like them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all, he says, “I don’t think people were like, ‘Oh, Black people shouldn’t be a part of this.’ I just think maybe we didn’t have the means or the involvement. And so we didn’t see it as something that was viable for us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like hundreds of thousands of other Americans, Anderson’s own sourdough journey started during the pandemic. By the 2010s, he’d stepped away from rollerblading to spend more time with his children. He’d always loved cooking, so he figured he might make a career out of it. After going to culinary school, he built up a successful career as a private chef.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, that business evaporated once COVID lockdowns hit. Anderson suddenly found himself with a lot more time on his hands, and he joined a group text with friends and neighbors who would share recipes for quarantine meals. It was only a matter of time before a few of them started tinkering with sourdough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anderson, for his part, had never baked seriously before, and he recalls his first few loaves being completely mediocre. “I sucked at it,” he says. “And I don’t like sucking at things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So he kept baking, expanding his output from one loaf to two loaves to eight loaves a week, documenting his progress on Instagram and masking up to drop the bread off on his neighbors’ doorsteps. Eventually, he got good enough that people as far away as Brooklyn started asking if they could buy a loaf. He built a website, and the rest was history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s one part of the origin story of Rize Up Bakery, anyway. The other part is that Anderson cried every day in the summer of 2020 after George Floyd was murdered by a white policeman in Minneapolis. “I never thought of myself as a depressed person, but something about him begging and talking to his dead mama just broke my heart. I couldn’t deal with how it made me feel.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baking sourdough was the one way he could tune out that pain for a few hours — the one thing that made him feel genuinely happy. “It was very Zen-esque,” he says. “Everything else would disappear.” And when he shared his bread with other people, it would make them happy too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988482\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988482\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_020_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_020_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_020_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_020_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Azikiwee Anderson shapes rounds of dough at a worktable inside Rize Up Bakery’s main production facility in SoMa on April 3, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It was the coolest feedback loop,” he says, describing the “dopamine hit” he’d get every time someone praised one of his creations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was deeply intentional, then, that Anderson made Rize Up’s logo a raised Black fist. And the fact that Anderson comes from such a different background than other people in the artisanal sourdough world has turned out to be his greatest strength.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have never been accepted in my life; I know the way it feels to be othered and disrespected,” Anderson says. “How can I use my platform to make other people feel seen?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That thought process leads him to different flavors than the ones commonly sold at other bakeries — because he isn’t offering, say, a cranberry-walnut loaf just because he knows it will sell. Anderson points to one of his most popular breads, the ube pan loaf, as a point of contrast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988481\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13988481 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_014_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_014_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_014_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_014_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_014_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At Rize Up Bakery, rows of sesame seed–coated loaves sit on a rack lined with cloth couche as they proof. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Anyone could have made that bread, he says. The reason Anderson was the one who did was because he’d had Filipino friends who’d invited him into their homes and made him feel like he belonged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m inspired by people who always made me feel seen. Most people would say, ‘Why would I make this crazy loaf that makes it 10 times harder to make the bread, and I don’t even know if people will buy it?’” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of Rize Up’s early experiments drew on his New Orleans roots, incorporating spicy Louisiana sausages, for instance. These days, many of the bakery’s most popular loaves draw from seemingly unlikely global inspirations, like his “K-Pop” bread, which features roasted garlic cloves and a hit of gochujang heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I do everything ass-backwards,” he says. “I make [the bread] to make people feel seen.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A Bayview revival\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the end, that’s what Anderson hopes his baking class will be too — a way of helping his students feel seen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earl Shaddix, executive director of EDoT, explains that the idea of offering a free baking class came out of the organization’s kitchen incubator program, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bayviewmakers.com/kitchen\">Bayview Makers Kitchen\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As part of the group’s effort to revive Bayview’s Third Street corridor, they came up with the idea of refurbishing shuttered restaurants and turning them into shared kitchen spaces for up-and-coming food entrepreneurs. The first one, at 5698 3rd St., was so successful that the program quickly outgrew the space; two of the incubator’s alumni now run their Mexican restaurant, Frank Grizzly’s, there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988480\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13988480 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_005_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_005_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_005_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_005_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_005_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left, Keyan Depillo, dough team lead, and owner Azikiwee Anderson greet each other with a fist bump inside Rize Up Bakery on April 3, 2026, in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The current iteration of the Bayview Makers Kitchen runs out of the space formerly occupied by Auntie April’s, a classic SF soul food spot that closed during the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In front, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/smokesoulsf/?hl=en\">Smoke Soul Kitchen\u003c/a>, another of the incubator’s graduates, is a full-blown soul food restaurant. In the back, the incubator now hosts a handful of bakers — a donut maker, a Palestinian baker, a Filipina pastry chef and more. On Sundays, though, the kitchen was free, and so Shaddix struck on the idea of hosting classes there for neighborhood youth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We wanted the instructors to look like the community,” Shaddix says. “Youth in our community are not going to a fancy baking school downtown. That’s not happening. So rather than send our kids down there, let’s bring the big guns out here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=arts_13981914 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/250918-TEENFASHIONSTUDENTS_02223_TV-KQEd.jpg']Anderson was the first person who came to mind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the classes aren’t limited to Bayview residents, Shaddix says kids from the neighborhood are given priority, especially since each class tops out at 10 students. So far, he says, the response has been phenomenal, and he’s already making plans for other classes — one on jam-making, perhaps, or maybe one focused on pies and biscuits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For some of the kids, the series will serve as a direct pipeline into their first summer jobs, bussing tables or working in the prep kitchen at one of Bayview Makers Kitchen’s affiliated restaurants.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Become the adult you needed’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Maybe the most surprising thing about this kids’ baking class is how much math and science there is, as Anderson spends a good chunk of the time talking about dough hydration percentages and ideal fermentation temperatures, and teaching how to tare a scale and ever-so-gingerly measure out exactly 40 grams of flour. (One student, 16-year-old Bailey, says the whole thing reminds her of chemistry class.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beyond the \u003cem>pizza party\u003c/em> of it all — the joy with which each student slides their custom-topped pies off the pizza peel with a quick \u003cem>shoop\u003c/em>, and then tears into their pizzas while the crust is still blistering hot — the biggest thing that comes across is how much the class feels like a real job training.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988473\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988473\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_093_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_093_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_093_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_093_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_093_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anderson explains the dough-making process during his hands-on baking workshop. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As much as Anderson talks about specific techniques for kneading or shaping the dough, he spends just as much time emphasizing the importance of staying organized in the kitchen, moving efficiently and cleaning up after yourself as you go. By the end of the session, it really does feel like everyone is ready to work a shift at the bakery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The students, by and large, aren’t sure yet if they would really consider a career as professional bakers, though the class seems to open their eyes up to the possibility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eleven-year-old Marina Sanchez, a Bayview resident who’s taking the class along with her mom, says the baking series initially caught their eye because they’d seen Anderson and his bakery featured on TV. Jaylen Banks, who, in his 20s, is the oldest student in the class, has always liked cooking, but says he’s come away from the first two sessions with a greater sense of confidence in his abilities — enough so that he’s now “maybe” interested in exploring it as a career.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988478\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988478\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_115_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_115_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_115_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_115_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_115_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marina Sanchez stretches a round of pizza dough. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Santino Jolibette, 16, is taking the class as part of an internship at Smoke Soul Kitchen he is doing through EDoT, so he’s already well on his way to exploring cooking and baking as a potential career — “it’s definitely possible,” he says, though for now it’s just a hobby. At home, his parents mostly cook Mexican food, so artisanal sourdough pizza is a whole new world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jeanne McCoy, an EDoT board member and the mother of one of Anderson’s baking students, says the class is a clear-cut example of why representation is important.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you don’t see a Black astronaut in space, you might think that’s not something for you,” she says. “But if you see somebody that’s from your community who is doing the thing, it helps lay a roadmap. It’s not such a gap between this thing that I might be dreaming about and the person who’s doing it way over there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988469\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988469\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_066_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_066_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_066_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_066_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_066_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A freshly baked pizza: the end product of the Bayview Makers Kitchen’s March 2026 baking workshop. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Anderson says what really spurred him to pursue teaching seriously was when one of his employees told him, “When you grow up, you become the adult you needed as a kid.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That shook me up,” Anderson says. He recalls that when he was a teenager, he never thought that any of the adults in his life, apart from his mother, cared about cultivating his dreams.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of the softness that I had got crushed out of me when I was a kid,” he says. “How cool would it be if I could [have kept] the beautiful, soft part of me just because someone believed in me?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988479\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988479\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_121_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_121_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_121_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_121_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_121_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Amerika Sanchez, left, and her daughter Marina enjoy the pizza they made. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Young people, when they’re 16 or 20 years old, just need someone to help them to imagine a future for themselves, he says — someone who cares enough about them to say, “You’ve got this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On his own unlikely journey to becoming a baker, Anderson says, “How was it that I spent my entire life and no one ever told me I could do this — how cool it would be to do this? I want these kids to see it in themselves, too.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The “\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rize-make-baking-classes-tickets-1983557674400?aff=erelexpmlt\">\u003cem>Rise + Make\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>” baking classes take place on the fourth Sunday of every month — at least through October for this first year, Anderson says. The next session is on April 26, noon to 2 p.m., at 4618 3rd St., in San Francisco. Pre-registration is required, and space is extremely limited. The classes are free and are recommended for youth ages 16-20, with priority given to Bayview residents.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On an unseasonably warm Sunday afternoon in March, Azikiwee “Z” Anderson stands in a small kitchen, talking about gluten production.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here in the back of the Smoke Soul Kitchen soul food restaurant in San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/bayview\">Bayview\u003c/a> neighborhood, seven teens and almost-teens are huddled in front of a big commercial mixer, listening as their teacher for the day elucidates the finer points of making a kick-ass batch of pizza dough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, one by one, the students pour the ingredients with which they’ve been entrusted into the mixer — water, yeast, “poolish” (or pre-ferment), flour and salt. And as the machine folds the mixture onto itself again and again, slowly but surely, a dough begins to form.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The key, Anderson says, is to allow the “little rubber bands” of gluten to form more and more connections, strengthening the dough and making it more elastic. “Then you can stretch it out and make a pizza,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the end of this two-hour session, every kid in the class will have done exactly that. They’ll have flattened and stretched out their dough, spun it in the air like a real Italian pizzaiolo, slathered it with toppings and slid the whole thing into a 550-degree triple-decker oven. They’ll have eaten their fill \u003cem>and \u003c/em>brought home another ball of the dough that they made together from scratch, ready to do it all again the next day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988476\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988476\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_099_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_099_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_099_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_099_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_099_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bailey Gee, right, pours yeast into a mixer as Marina Sanchez prepares dough during a youth baking workshop at Bayview Makers Kitchen. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The pizza-making session is part of a series of monthly community baking classes called “\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rize-make-baking-classes-tickets-1983557674400?aff=erelexpmlt\">Rize + Make\u003c/a>” hosted by the Bayview Makers Kitchen, a food incubator run by the nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.edotbayview.org/\">Economic Development on Third\u003c/a> (EDoT). The classes, which started in February, are pegged for youth ages 16-20, with a bit of wiggle room. (Students for this particular session range in age from an 11-year-old attending with her mom to a young man in his early 20s.) Most of them are Bayview residents themselves — a mix of Black, Asian and Latino kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The best part? The classes are completely free.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For young foodies who sign up for his class, Anderson is something of a local celebrity — a rising star in the world of artisanal baking. His sourdough bakery, Rize Up Bakery, is one of the breakout hits from the pandemic pop-up era, known for loaves with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11963721/how-sfs-rize-up-sourdough-puts-black-bakers-on-the-map\">boundary-pushing flavors\u003c/a> like Korean gochujang and Indian masala.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988472\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988472\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_089_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_089_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_089_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_089_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_089_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Youth participants shape pizza dough during the March 2026 edition of the free baking workshop. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Anderson’s bread is now a staple at Bay Area farmers markets and high-end grocery stores, and he’s about to launch \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/03/10/rize-up-sourdough-bakery-cafe-soma/\">his first cafe\u003c/a>, in a space adjacent to his production facility in SoMa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s also highly aware of the space he occupies as one of the only Black bakers in the artisanal sourdough scene in the Bay Area and beyond. It’s a big part of why he thinks it’s so important for him to give back — to give Black and Brown kids in the Bayview a chance to imagine a future they’d never before considered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Obviously, you’re here for a reason,” Anderson says at the start of the class. “The next step is how do we build enough skills and how do we have fun, so that you want to be in the kitchen more? And you think, ‘I could be a baker. I could do this.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Baking to feel seen\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Anderson’s own childhood was, by all accounts, a difficult one. Born and raised in New Orleans, he was the eldest of three children in a biracial family. His father, a traveling musician, was a heroin addict who “spent all his money on drugs and wound up beating my mom close to death,” Anderson recalls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When his mother got out of the hospital, protective services told her she was going to wind up dead if she didn’t move away; they put her and her kids on a bus to San Francisco. Anderson was 5 years old at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The family lived in the bus station for the first few weeks after they arrived, until a women’s shelter finally set them up with a place to stay. Eventually, they moved into a small apartment amid the housing projects in the Western Addition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988463\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988463\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260413-A-RISING-STAR-BAKER-GIVES-BACK-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1494\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260413-A-RISING-STAR-BAKER-GIVES-BACK-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260413-A-RISING-STAR-BAKER-GIVES-BACK-02-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260413-A-RISING-STAR-BAKER-GIVES-BACK-02-KQED-768x574.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260413-A-RISING-STAR-BAKER-GIVES-BACK-02-KQED-1536x1147.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anderson (far right), age 14 or 15, poses with his mother and two siblings for a family portrait taken in the late ’80s. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Azikiwee Anderson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The only places that we could afford to live were pretty bad,” Anderson says. Still, he fell in love with early-’80s San Francisco from the very start — he loved the diversity of thought and the way all different kinds of people were able to feel included. “At its core, it’s a place where people come to be part of community,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a different story when Anderson moved to Chico in middle school. There, he was often one of the only Black kids in any given room, and his adolescent years were riddled with run-ins with teachers and police.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He felt perpetually pigeonholed and stereotyped. Later, as an adult, Anderson was one of a tiny handful of Black inline skaters successful enough to make a living at it, first as a competitor and then as a judge, event organizer and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45IgxIlffn0\">skatepark designer\u003c/a>. And when he finally got involved in the Bay Area’s artisanal sourdough scene, he didn’t know any other Black bakers who were part of that world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I never saw anyone who looked like me do that,” he says, explaining his initial skepticism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988464\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 558px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988464\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260413-A-RISING-STAR-BAKER-GIVES-BACK-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"558\" height=\"837\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260413-A-RISING-STAR-BAKER-GIVES-BACK-03-KQED.jpg 558w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260413-A-RISING-STAR-BAKER-GIVES-BACK-03-KQED-160x240.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 558px) 100vw, 558px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anderson performs a skate trick during the Team Rollerblade tour, circa 2000. Before he became a baker, Anderson had a long career as a professional inline skater. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Azikiwee Anderson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>All of this helps explain why the idea of teaching a free baking class for young people was so appealing to Anderson. For Black and Brown kids in Bayview, he wants to be that adult role model he never had when he was growing up — the one who opens up the possibility of a career path a kid might have never considered for someone who looks like them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all, he says, “I don’t think people were like, ‘Oh, Black people shouldn’t be a part of this.’ I just think maybe we didn’t have the means or the involvement. And so we didn’t see it as something that was viable for us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like hundreds of thousands of other Americans, Anderson’s own sourdough journey started during the pandemic. By the 2010s, he’d stepped away from rollerblading to spend more time with his children. He’d always loved cooking, so he figured he might make a career out of it. After going to culinary school, he built up a successful career as a private chef.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, that business evaporated once COVID lockdowns hit. Anderson suddenly found himself with a lot more time on his hands, and he joined a group text with friends and neighbors who would share recipes for quarantine meals. It was only a matter of time before a few of them started tinkering with sourdough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anderson, for his part, had never baked seriously before, and he recalls his first few loaves being completely mediocre. “I sucked at it,” he says. “And I don’t like sucking at things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So he kept baking, expanding his output from one loaf to two loaves to eight loaves a week, documenting his progress on Instagram and masking up to drop the bread off on his neighbors’ doorsteps. Eventually, he got good enough that people as far away as Brooklyn started asking if they could buy a loaf. He built a website, and the rest was history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s one part of the origin story of Rize Up Bakery, anyway. The other part is that Anderson cried every day in the summer of 2020 after George Floyd was murdered by a white policeman in Minneapolis. “I never thought of myself as a depressed person, but something about him begging and talking to his dead mama just broke my heart. I couldn’t deal with how it made me feel.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baking sourdough was the one way he could tune out that pain for a few hours — the one thing that made him feel genuinely happy. “It was very Zen-esque,” he says. “Everything else would disappear.” And when he shared his bread with other people, it would make them happy too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988482\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988482\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_020_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_020_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_020_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_020_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Azikiwee Anderson shapes rounds of dough at a worktable inside Rize Up Bakery’s main production facility in SoMa on April 3, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It was the coolest feedback loop,” he says, describing the “dopamine hit” he’d get every time someone praised one of his creations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was deeply intentional, then, that Anderson made Rize Up’s logo a raised Black fist. And the fact that Anderson comes from such a different background than other people in the artisanal sourdough world has turned out to be his greatest strength.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have never been accepted in my life; I know the way it feels to be othered and disrespected,” Anderson says. “How can I use my platform to make other people feel seen?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That thought process leads him to different flavors than the ones commonly sold at other bakeries — because he isn’t offering, say, a cranberry-walnut loaf just because he knows it will sell. Anderson points to one of his most popular breads, the ube pan loaf, as a point of contrast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988481\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13988481 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_014_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_014_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_014_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_014_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_014_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At Rize Up Bakery, rows of sesame seed–coated loaves sit on a rack lined with cloth couche as they proof. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Anyone could have made that bread, he says. The reason Anderson was the one who did was because he’d had Filipino friends who’d invited him into their homes and made him feel like he belonged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m inspired by people who always made me feel seen. Most people would say, ‘Why would I make this crazy loaf that makes it 10 times harder to make the bread, and I don’t even know if people will buy it?’” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of Rize Up’s early experiments drew on his New Orleans roots, incorporating spicy Louisiana sausages, for instance. These days, many of the bakery’s most popular loaves draw from seemingly unlikely global inspirations, like his “K-Pop” bread, which features roasted garlic cloves and a hit of gochujang heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I do everything ass-backwards,” he says. “I make [the bread] to make people feel seen.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A Bayview revival\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the end, that’s what Anderson hopes his baking class will be too — a way of helping his students feel seen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earl Shaddix, executive director of EDoT, explains that the idea of offering a free baking class came out of the organization’s kitchen incubator program, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bayviewmakers.com/kitchen\">Bayview Makers Kitchen\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As part of the group’s effort to revive Bayview’s Third Street corridor, they came up with the idea of refurbishing shuttered restaurants and turning them into shared kitchen spaces for up-and-coming food entrepreneurs. The first one, at 5698 3rd St., was so successful that the program quickly outgrew the space; two of the incubator’s alumni now run their Mexican restaurant, Frank Grizzly’s, there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988480\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13988480 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_005_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_005_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_005_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_005_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/040326ArisingStarBaker_GH_005_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left, Keyan Depillo, dough team lead, and owner Azikiwee Anderson greet each other with a fist bump inside Rize Up Bakery on April 3, 2026, in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The current iteration of the Bayview Makers Kitchen runs out of the space formerly occupied by Auntie April’s, a classic SF soul food spot that closed during the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In front, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/smokesoulsf/?hl=en\">Smoke Soul Kitchen\u003c/a>, another of the incubator’s graduates, is a full-blown soul food restaurant. In the back, the incubator now hosts a handful of bakers — a donut maker, a Palestinian baker, a Filipina pastry chef and more. On Sundays, though, the kitchen was free, and so Shaddix struck on the idea of hosting classes there for neighborhood youth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We wanted the instructors to look like the community,” Shaddix says. “Youth in our community are not going to a fancy baking school downtown. That’s not happening. So rather than send our kids down there, let’s bring the big guns out here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Anderson was the first person who came to mind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the classes aren’t limited to Bayview residents, Shaddix says kids from the neighborhood are given priority, especially since each class tops out at 10 students. So far, he says, the response has been phenomenal, and he’s already making plans for other classes — one on jam-making, perhaps, or maybe one focused on pies and biscuits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For some of the kids, the series will serve as a direct pipeline into their first summer jobs, bussing tables or working in the prep kitchen at one of Bayview Makers Kitchen’s affiliated restaurants.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Become the adult you needed’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Maybe the most surprising thing about this kids’ baking class is how much math and science there is, as Anderson spends a good chunk of the time talking about dough hydration percentages and ideal fermentation temperatures, and teaching how to tare a scale and ever-so-gingerly measure out exactly 40 grams of flour. (One student, 16-year-old Bailey, says the whole thing reminds her of chemistry class.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beyond the \u003cem>pizza party\u003c/em> of it all — the joy with which each student slides their custom-topped pies off the pizza peel with a quick \u003cem>shoop\u003c/em>, and then tears into their pizzas while the crust is still blistering hot — the biggest thing that comes across is how much the class feels like a real job training.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988473\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988473\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_093_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_093_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_093_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_093_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_093_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anderson explains the dough-making process during his hands-on baking workshop. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As much as Anderson talks about specific techniques for kneading or shaping the dough, he spends just as much time emphasizing the importance of staying organized in the kitchen, moving efficiently and cleaning up after yourself as you go. By the end of the session, it really does feel like everyone is ready to work a shift at the bakery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The students, by and large, aren’t sure yet if they would really consider a career as professional bakers, though the class seems to open their eyes up to the possibility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eleven-year-old Marina Sanchez, a Bayview resident who’s taking the class along with her mom, says the baking series initially caught their eye because they’d seen Anderson and his bakery featured on TV. Jaylen Banks, who, in his 20s, is the oldest student in the class, has always liked cooking, but says he’s come away from the first two sessions with a greater sense of confidence in his abilities — enough so that he’s now “maybe” interested in exploring it as a career.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988478\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988478\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_115_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_115_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_115_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_115_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_115_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marina Sanchez stretches a round of pizza dough. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Santino Jolibette, 16, is taking the class as part of an internship at Smoke Soul Kitchen he is doing through EDoT, so he’s already well on his way to exploring cooking and baking as a potential career — “it’s definitely possible,” he says, though for now it’s just a hobby. At home, his parents mostly cook Mexican food, so artisanal sourdough pizza is a whole new world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jeanne McCoy, an EDoT board member and the mother of one of Anderson’s baking students, says the class is a clear-cut example of why representation is important.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you don’t see a Black astronaut in space, you might think that’s not something for you,” she says. “But if you see somebody that’s from your community who is doing the thing, it helps lay a roadmap. It’s not such a gap between this thing that I might be dreaming about and the person who’s doing it way over there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988469\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988469\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_066_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_066_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_066_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_066_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_066_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A freshly baked pizza: the end product of the Bayview Makers Kitchen’s March 2026 baking workshop. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Anderson says what really spurred him to pursue teaching seriously was when one of his employees told him, “When you grow up, you become the adult you needed as a kid.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That shook me up,” Anderson says. He recalls that when he was a teenager, he never thought that any of the adults in his life, apart from his mother, cared about cultivating his dreams.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of the softness that I had got crushed out of me when I was a kid,” he says. “How cool would it be if I could [have kept] the beautiful, soft part of me just because someone believed in me?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988479\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988479\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_121_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_121_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_121_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_121_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/032226_aRisingstarBakerGivesBack-_GH_121_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Amerika Sanchez, left, and her daughter Marina enjoy the pizza they made. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Young people, when they’re 16 or 20 years old, just need someone to help them to imagine a future for themselves, he says — someone who cares enough about them to say, “You’ve got this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On his own unlikely journey to becoming a baker, Anderson says, “How was it that I spent my entire life and no one ever told me I could do this — how cool it would be to do this? I want these kids to see it in themselves, too.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The “\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rize-make-baking-classes-tickets-1983557674400?aff=erelexpmlt\">\u003cem>Rise + Make\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>” baking classes take place on the fourth Sunday of every month — at least through October for this first year, Anderson says. The next session is on April 26, noon to 2 p.m., at 4618 3rd St., in San Francisco. Pre-registration is required, and space is extremely limited. The classes are free and are recommended for youth ages 16-20, with priority given to Bayview residents.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "best-korean-barbecue-santa-clara-charcoal-grill-korean-spring-late-night",
"title": "Santa Clara’s Tastiest Charcoal-Grilled Korean Barbecue Spot Stays Open Until Midnight",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988447\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988447\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men devouring Korean barbecue while a server attends to the grill.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At Santa Clara’s Korean Spring BBQ, the late-night special is a massive $200 barbecue feast. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003ci>The Midnight Diners\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Thien Pham\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>. 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/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I love the moment you first step into a proper \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/korean-food\">Korean\u003c/a> barbecue restaurant: The sweet, smoky smell of charred meat instantly seeps into your clothing. The industrial-size hood vents whir and hum, working overtime. And when the server hustles over to your table to line the edge of the grill with aluminum foil, then lowers a tray of red-hot charcoal into the pit? That’s when you know it’s \u003ci>really\u003c/i> on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Such are the charms of Korean Spring BBQ, one of the Bay Area’s last remaining Korean barbecue restaurants where the meat is still grilled over wood charcoal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Located in a busy plaza in Santa Clara’s sprawling, informal Koreatown, Korean Spring doesn’t have the slick branding and Insta-optimized aesthetics of some of the newer high-end KBBQ hotspots and trendy \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13965215/all-you-can-eat-wagyu-beef-hot-pot-shabu-shabu-mikiya-santa-clara\">AYCE wagyu purveyors\u003c/a>. Instead, the place has more of an old-school, mom-and-pop vibe. The dining room is all utilitarian metallic surfaces, with minimal decor, and the people who come here seem like they come purely for the love of the meat — and for the clean, smoky char you can never quite get with a gas grill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of particular interest to us? The restaurant stays open until midnight six nights a week, and starting at 9 p.m., they serve a $200 “Midnight Menu” combo set that comes with four different cuts of USDA Prime beef, beef bone soup, a salad and a few other side dishes, plus your choice of soju, beer or soda. It’s a lavish barbecue feast for three or four meat lovers to share — and, as we soon learned, altogether too much food for two greedy midnight diners. Not that we went down without a fight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988449\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988449\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: facade of Korean Spring BBQ restaurant, lit up at night.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Located in the busy Kiely Plaza, the restaurant is open until midnight six nights a week. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At half past nine on a recent Friday night, the restaurant was about half full with parties of four or five — all Asians in their twenties and thirties, chatting happily in Mandarin and Korean. This is the kind of Korean barbecue joint where the staff grills the meat for you at the table, not one of those cook-it-yourself setups. Our friendly attendant got to work as soon as we placed our order, deftly flipping the meat on the hot grill and, in some cases, using scissors to cut it down into progressively smaller pieces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here in the Bay Area, even experienced Korean barbecue enthusiasts tend to stick with a handful of greatest hits — your ribeye bulgogi, pork belly and L.A. galbi. One nice thing about Korean Spring’s Midnight Menu is that it introduces a number of lesser-known but equally delicious cuts. We started with thinly sliced beef tongue, which was rich and earthy with a fun, snappy texture. Then came the outside skirt, one of our favorites, sliced about as thick as you would cut a steak for stir-fry and astonishingly tender; the flavor was deeply, deeply beefy. The rib finger — the meat between the rib bones, apparently — was the most steak-like of the cuts, with the same satisfying chew and juicy richness you might expect from a nicely grilled ribeye. And the thinly sliced brisket point had a lovely streak of fat in each piece that rendered out while the edges of the meat got nice and crispy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Notably, none of these cuts are marinated, so what you taste is the pure flavor of the Prime-grade beef, with its rich marbling, enhanced by the smoke and char from the charcoal grill. The set comes with a variety of dipping options: doenjang (fermented soybean paste), wasabi, some kind of purple sea salt and, by far our favorite, a slurry of salt, pepper and sesame oil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We also couldn’t resist ordering the marinated galbi, or short rib, as a $60 add-on. Here, they cut the well-marbled meat off the bone and grill it like thin strips of steak. We weren’t prepared for how soft and buttery this would be, the fatty parts literally melting away in our mouths. Afterwards, our friendly grill guy cut off the bits of meat and cartilage still attached to the bone and grilled those separately for another taste and texture — those crunchy-chewy bits of connective tissue were some of our favorite bites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13988027,arts_13973430,arts_13961328']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>Meanwhile, the non-barbecue side dishes that come with the set all felt incredibly thoughtful, like they’d been carefully calibrated to balance out our meal. I would never think to order something called “tofu salad w/ almond” at a Korean barbecue restaurant, but this was fantastic — salad greens topped with very soft tofu and sliced almonds, then dressed with a sweet doenjang-based dressing. Every time I felt like all of the meat was getting too rich and heavy, I’d take a bite of salad, and then I’d be ready to keep going. A bowl of cloudy beef bone soup, garnished with green onions and served unseasoned, with salt on the side, served a similar palate-refreshing purpose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the classic steamed egg, or gyeran-jjim, was one of the best versions I’ve had — immaculately fluffy and light. Too often this dish deflates into a sad pancake as soon as you cut into it, but Korean Spring’s held its shape, and its delectable texture, over the course of the meal. The only side we weren’t a fan of was the cheese fondue; dipping our barbecue in melted cheese was a fun novelty, but not something we wanted to do more than once or twice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taken all together, this was more or less our platonic ideal of a Korean barbecue meal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Note that Korean Spring isn’t one of those ssam specialists where they give you a half-dozen exotic lettuces to use to wrap your meats. Here, they only offered regular green lettuce — and we had to ask for it. The banchan selection is also pretty limited. Apart from the more substantial side dishes mentioned above, you really only get kimchi, a stack of marinated perilla leaves and a “salad” of pickled onions and jalapeños. But all of it is excellent. In particular, the kimchi is the kind made with whole napa cabbage, cut into bright, crunchy slivers. And I loved wrapping the beef inside the pickled perilla leaves, whose musky tang provided a nice counterpoint to the rich meat. Another essential for any KBBQ connoisseur: slices of raw garlic and jalapeños, refilled quickly and plentifully whenever we asked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At $200 before any add-ons, the meal is a bit of a splurge even split between the three or four diners it’s intended to feed. But it’s a worthy splurge if you find yourself in a carnivorous mood and want to treat yourself late at night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We dipped and double-dipped our meat in doenjang and sesame oil, wrapped it in lettuce accented with slivers of sharp, pungent garlic. We sipped our broth and then piled more meat on top of rice, reveling in the uniquely Korean pleasures of mixing and matching every bite, and then we went home with a ridiculous amount of leftovers. It was a good night.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Korean Spring BBQ is open Monday 11 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5–9 p.m., Tuesday to Friday 11 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5 p.m.–midnight, and Saturday to Sunday 11 a.m.–midnight at 1062 Kiely Blvd. in Santa Clara. The “Midnight Menu” is available after 9 p.m.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988447\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988447\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men devouring Korean barbecue while a server attends to the grill.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At Santa Clara’s Korean Spring BBQ, the late-night special is a massive $200 barbecue feast. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003ci>The Midnight Diners\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Thien Pham\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>. 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/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I love the moment you first step into a proper \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/korean-food\">Korean\u003c/a> barbecue restaurant: The sweet, smoky smell of charred meat instantly seeps into your clothing. The industrial-size hood vents whir and hum, working overtime. And when the server hustles over to your table to line the edge of the grill with aluminum foil, then lowers a tray of red-hot charcoal into the pit? That’s when you know it’s \u003ci>really\u003c/i> on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Such are the charms of Korean Spring BBQ, one of the Bay Area’s last remaining Korean barbecue restaurants where the meat is still grilled over wood charcoal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Located in a busy plaza in Santa Clara’s sprawling, informal Koreatown, Korean Spring doesn’t have the slick branding and Insta-optimized aesthetics of some of the newer high-end KBBQ hotspots and trendy \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13965215/all-you-can-eat-wagyu-beef-hot-pot-shabu-shabu-mikiya-santa-clara\">AYCE wagyu purveyors\u003c/a>. Instead, the place has more of an old-school, mom-and-pop vibe. The dining room is all utilitarian metallic surfaces, with minimal decor, and the people who come here seem like they come purely for the love of the meat — and for the clean, smoky char you can never quite get with a gas grill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of particular interest to us? The restaurant stays open until midnight six nights a week, and starting at 9 p.m., they serve a $200 “Midnight Menu” combo set that comes with four different cuts of USDA Prime beef, beef bone soup, a salad and a few other side dishes, plus your choice of soju, beer or soda. It’s a lavish barbecue feast for three or four meat lovers to share — and, as we soon learned, altogether too much food for two greedy midnight diners. Not that we went down without a fight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988449\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988449\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: facade of Korean Spring BBQ restaurant, lit up at night.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KoreanSpring2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Located in the busy Kiely Plaza, the restaurant is open until midnight six nights a week. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At half past nine on a recent Friday night, the restaurant was about half full with parties of four or five — all Asians in their twenties and thirties, chatting happily in Mandarin and Korean. This is the kind of Korean barbecue joint where the staff grills the meat for you at the table, not one of those cook-it-yourself setups. Our friendly attendant got to work as soon as we placed our order, deftly flipping the meat on the hot grill and, in some cases, using scissors to cut it down into progressively smaller pieces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here in the Bay Area, even experienced Korean barbecue enthusiasts tend to stick with a handful of greatest hits — your ribeye bulgogi, pork belly and L.A. galbi. One nice thing about Korean Spring’s Midnight Menu is that it introduces a number of lesser-known but equally delicious cuts. We started with thinly sliced beef tongue, which was rich and earthy with a fun, snappy texture. Then came the outside skirt, one of our favorites, sliced about as thick as you would cut a steak for stir-fry and astonishingly tender; the flavor was deeply, deeply beefy. The rib finger — the meat between the rib bones, apparently — was the most steak-like of the cuts, with the same satisfying chew and juicy richness you might expect from a nicely grilled ribeye. And the thinly sliced brisket point had a lovely streak of fat in each piece that rendered out while the edges of the meat got nice and crispy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Notably, none of these cuts are marinated, so what you taste is the pure flavor of the Prime-grade beef, with its rich marbling, enhanced by the smoke and char from the charcoal grill. The set comes with a variety of dipping options: doenjang (fermented soybean paste), wasabi, some kind of purple sea salt and, by far our favorite, a slurry of salt, pepper and sesame oil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We also couldn’t resist ordering the marinated galbi, or short rib, as a $60 add-on. Here, they cut the well-marbled meat off the bone and grill it like thin strips of steak. We weren’t prepared for how soft and buttery this would be, the fatty parts literally melting away in our mouths. Afterwards, our friendly grill guy cut off the bits of meat and cartilage still attached to the bone and grilled those separately for another taste and texture — those crunchy-chewy bits of connective tissue were some of our favorite bites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>Meanwhile, the non-barbecue side dishes that come with the set all felt incredibly thoughtful, like they’d been carefully calibrated to balance out our meal. I would never think to order something called “tofu salad w/ almond” at a Korean barbecue restaurant, but this was fantastic — salad greens topped with very soft tofu and sliced almonds, then dressed with a sweet doenjang-based dressing. Every time I felt like all of the meat was getting too rich and heavy, I’d take a bite of salad, and then I’d be ready to keep going. A bowl of cloudy beef bone soup, garnished with green onions and served unseasoned, with salt on the side, served a similar palate-refreshing purpose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the classic steamed egg, or gyeran-jjim, was one of the best versions I’ve had — immaculately fluffy and light. Too often this dish deflates into a sad pancake as soon as you cut into it, but Korean Spring’s held its shape, and its delectable texture, over the course of the meal. The only side we weren’t a fan of was the cheese fondue; dipping our barbecue in melted cheese was a fun novelty, but not something we wanted to do more than once or twice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taken all together, this was more or less our platonic ideal of a Korean barbecue meal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Note that Korean Spring isn’t one of those ssam specialists where they give you a half-dozen exotic lettuces to use to wrap your meats. Here, they only offered regular green lettuce — and we had to ask for it. The banchan selection is also pretty limited. Apart from the more substantial side dishes mentioned above, you really only get kimchi, a stack of marinated perilla leaves and a “salad” of pickled onions and jalapeños. But all of it is excellent. In particular, the kimchi is the kind made with whole napa cabbage, cut into bright, crunchy slivers. And I loved wrapping the beef inside the pickled perilla leaves, whose musky tang provided a nice counterpoint to the rich meat. Another essential for any KBBQ connoisseur: slices of raw garlic and jalapeños, refilled quickly and plentifully whenever we asked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At $200 before any add-ons, the meal is a bit of a splurge even split between the three or four diners it’s intended to feed. But it’s a worthy splurge if you find yourself in a carnivorous mood and want to treat yourself late at night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We dipped and double-dipped our meat in doenjang and sesame oil, wrapped it in lettuce accented with slivers of sharp, pungent garlic. We sipped our broth and then piled more meat on top of rice, reveling in the uniquely Korean pleasures of mixing and matching every bite, and then we went home with a ridiculous amount of leftovers. It was a good night.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Korean Spring BBQ is open Monday 11 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5–9 p.m., Tuesday to Friday 11 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5 p.m.–midnight, and Saturday to Sunday 11 a.m.–midnight at 1062 Kiely Blvd. in Santa Clara. The “Midnight Menu” is available after 9 p.m.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>It’s Restaurant Week season, folks. The city of Oakland just finished its \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13987557/best-deals-oakland-restaurant-week-2026\">11-day extravaganza\u003c/a> of prix-fixe dining deals, while the super-sized \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfrestaurantweek.com/restaurants/\">spring iteration\u003c/a> of San Francisco’s twice-yearly promotion kicks off on April 10.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, it’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley’s\u003c/a> turn. The 2026 edition of \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/food-drinks/restaurant-week/\">Berkeley Restaurant Week\u003c/a> runs April 2–12, with at least 74 restaurants, bars and wineries signed up to participate. Sponsored by the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/\">tourism bureau\u003c/a>, the annual event features the usual array of discounted set menus and special dishes, with a few added bonuses: This year, a number of participating restaurants will offer \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/food-drinks/restaurant-week/sips-of-spring-waived-corkage/\">free corkage\u003c/a> to customers who bring a bottle of their favorite Berkeley-made wine or sake. And for those who like an extra helping of culture with their meal, the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) is offering \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/events/experience-art-film-for-less-during-brw25/\">discounted tickets\u003c/a> to visitors who show Berkeley Restaurant Week reservations or dining receipts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the deals themselves, it’s a bit of a mixed bag: Some restaurants are only adding a single (not necessarily discounted) special dish for the occasion, while a handful are promoting prix-fixe sets that — gasp! — actually appear \u003ci>more \u003c/i>expensive than their regular menu prices. After scouring the dozens of menus, I’ve picked out eight deals I’m especially enthusiastic about. The best thing about the promotion? The breadth of offerings really shows off Berkeley’s identity as a diverse, globally inspired food city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988215\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988215\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread.jpg\" alt=\"Spread of Ethiopian stews on top of a round of injera.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A spread of Ethiopian stews served on injera at Berkeley’s Lemat. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Ethiopian feast\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/lemat-ethiopian-restaurant-cafe/\">Lemat\u003c/a>, one of the East Bay’s most popular Ethiopian restaurants, is doing a \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Lemat-Ethopian-Restaurant.pdf?mtime=20260325090540\">$35 prix fixe\u003c/a> that comes with an appetizer, a meat or veggie sampler entree, and ceremonial coffee service to close. This is an especially good deal for carnivores, as choosing all of the meat options comes out to well over a $40 value. But the smartest play would be to come with a buddy (or a small group, even) and split one meat set and one veggie set — a classic move for frequent Ethiopian restaurant-goers.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The vegetarian Thai set\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/farmhouse-kitchen-thai-cuisine/\">Farmhouse Thai\u003c/a> restaurant group is one of the Bay Area’s most well-regarded Thai establishments, but it’s also on the more expensive end of the spectrum. Its Berkeley location’s Restaurant Week prix fixe should appeal to both budget-minded diners and vegetarians who’ve been thinking about giving the restaurant a try: a \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Farmhouse-Thai-Kitchen.pdf?mtime=20260325090444\">$39 vegetarian set\u003c/a> that includes a sparkly lemon drink, vegan fresh rolls, a pomelo salad, and a vegetarian version of Farmhouse Thai’s signature khao soi curry noodle soup. (The version with meat normally costs $46 all by itself.)\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The indulgent solo tapas spread\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/la-marcha-tapas-bar/\">La Marcha\u003c/a> is offering a few different Restaurant Week deals, but the $25 lunch special is especially appealing to anyone who’s ever thought going out for tapas is thoroughly impractical for a solo diner. \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/La-Marcha-1-1.pdf?mtime=20260325094632\">The set\u003c/a> includes your choice of two tapas, plus an individual portion of paella (not normally an available option).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957736\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957736\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop.jpg\" alt=\"Two boba drinks on a park bench.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Two of Chicha San Chen’s highly touted boba drinks, pictured here outside the chain’s Cupertino location. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The boba deal\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/chicha-san-chen/\">Chicha San Chen\u003c/a> has a strong case for being the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13957666/best-boba-shops-bay-area-berkeley-cupertino-sf\">best boba shop\u003c/a> in the East Bay and possibly the entire Bay Area. The Berkeley location’s Restaurant Week deal requires a little bit of prior planning: You have to \u003ca href=\"https://chichasanchennorcal.com/reservation\">make a reservation\u003c/a> for a free tea tasting. Once you’ve completed the tasting, you’ll get \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Chicha-San-Chen.pdf?mtime=20260325090429\">$2 off\u003c/a> the purchase of two of the shop’s excellent boba drinks — I favor anything with their osmanthus oolong.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The family chicken bucket\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/hopscotch-chicken/\">Hopscotch Chicken\u003c/a>, chef Kyle Itani’s Japanese American–inflected fried chicken spot, has a fun deal for a family or group of friends: $60 for a “\u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Hopscotch-Chicken.pdf?mtime=20260325090505\">picnic pack\u003c/a>” that includes a bucket of fried chicken, a miso chicken Caesar salad, fries, collard greens, mac and cheese and two Asahi beers. It’s not a \u003ci>huge\u003c/i> savings off the regular menu prices, but you essentially get the beer for free.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988216\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988216\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken.jpg\" alt=\"Plate of Hainan-style chicken rice, with a bowl of broth on the side.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kopi Bar’s take on Hainan chicken rice comes with the traditional bowl of broth on the side. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Hainan chicken rice set\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13986607,arts_13957666']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>The most convenient Restaurant Week option for folks who want to take advantage of the BAMPFA discount — to check out the great \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986355/theresa-hak-kyung-cha-multiple-offerings-bampfa-review\">Theresa Hak Kyung Cha retrospective\u003c/a>, perhaps — is \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/kopi-bar-bakery/\">Kopi Bar\u003c/a>, the museum’s second-floor cafe. The Singaporean-Indonesian spot is offering \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Kopi-Bar.pdf?mtime=20260331112831\">two specials\u003c/a> for the week: laksa grits and its excellent, slightly nontraditional take on Hainan chicken rice, with skin-on chicken that’s poached \u003ci>and \u003c/i>roasted. Each dish is priced at $20, a slight discount from its regular price.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The three-course izakaya feast\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/fish-bird-sousaku-izakaya/\">Fish & Bird\u003c/a> is one of my favorite modern Japanese izakayas in the East Bay, and its Restaurant Week offering might be the meal deal I’d be most likely to indulge in myself: \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Fish-Bird-Sousaku-Izakaya.pdf?mtime=20260325090446\">$39 for three courses\u003c/a> — I’d go for the sashimi salad, the Japanese cabbage roll, and the matcha tiramisu. It’s hard to calculate the exact value, but the one entree listed on the regular menu — the ebi fry curry rice — normally goes for $33 all by itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Korean classics\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/pyeong-chang-tofu/\">Pyeong Chang Tofu House\u003c/a> is one of my favorite Korean restaurants in the East Bay, but it can be a bit of a splurge — which is why the Berkeley location’s \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Pyeong-Chang-Tofu-2.pdf?mtime=20260330143906\">Restaurant Week deals\u003c/a> are especially appealing. I love the \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Pyeong-Chang-Tofu-2.pdf?mtime=20260330143906\">$35 option\u003c/a>, which comes with Pyeong Chang’s legendary, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/10/magazine/bored-with-the-same-old-try-these-crispy-kimchi-pancakes.html\">Samin Nosrat–approved\u003c/a> kimchi pancake and a bowl of the shop’s must-order tofu soup — plus rice and all the banchan you can eat.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/food-drinks/restaurant-week/\">\u003ci>Berkeley Restaurant Week\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> runs April 2–12.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It’s Restaurant Week season, folks. The city of Oakland just finished its \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13987557/best-deals-oakland-restaurant-week-2026\">11-day extravaganza\u003c/a> of prix-fixe dining deals, while the super-sized \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfrestaurantweek.com/restaurants/\">spring iteration\u003c/a> of San Francisco’s twice-yearly promotion kicks off on April 10.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, it’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley’s\u003c/a> turn. The 2026 edition of \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/food-drinks/restaurant-week/\">Berkeley Restaurant Week\u003c/a> runs April 2–12, with at least 74 restaurants, bars and wineries signed up to participate. Sponsored by the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/\">tourism bureau\u003c/a>, the annual event features the usual array of discounted set menus and special dishes, with a few added bonuses: This year, a number of participating restaurants will offer \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/food-drinks/restaurant-week/sips-of-spring-waived-corkage/\">free corkage\u003c/a> to customers who bring a bottle of their favorite Berkeley-made wine or sake. And for those who like an extra helping of culture with their meal, the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) is offering \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/events/experience-art-film-for-less-during-brw25/\">discounted tickets\u003c/a> to visitors who show Berkeley Restaurant Week reservations or dining receipts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the deals themselves, it’s a bit of a mixed bag: Some restaurants are only adding a single (not necessarily discounted) special dish for the occasion, while a handful are promoting prix-fixe sets that — gasp! — actually appear \u003ci>more \u003c/i>expensive than their regular menu prices. After scouring the dozens of menus, I’ve picked out eight deals I’m especially enthusiastic about. The best thing about the promotion? The breadth of offerings really shows off Berkeley’s identity as a diverse, globally inspired food city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988215\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988215\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread.jpg\" alt=\"Spread of Ethiopian stews on top of a round of injera.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A spread of Ethiopian stews served on injera at Berkeley’s Lemat. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Ethiopian feast\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/lemat-ethiopian-restaurant-cafe/\">Lemat\u003c/a>, one of the East Bay’s most popular Ethiopian restaurants, is doing a \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Lemat-Ethopian-Restaurant.pdf?mtime=20260325090540\">$35 prix fixe\u003c/a> that comes with an appetizer, a meat or veggie sampler entree, and ceremonial coffee service to close. This is an especially good deal for carnivores, as choosing all of the meat options comes out to well over a $40 value. But the smartest play would be to come with a buddy (or a small group, even) and split one meat set and one veggie set — a classic move for frequent Ethiopian restaurant-goers.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The vegetarian Thai set\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/farmhouse-kitchen-thai-cuisine/\">Farmhouse Thai\u003c/a> restaurant group is one of the Bay Area’s most well-regarded Thai establishments, but it’s also on the more expensive end of the spectrum. Its Berkeley location’s Restaurant Week prix fixe should appeal to both budget-minded diners and vegetarians who’ve been thinking about giving the restaurant a try: a \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Farmhouse-Thai-Kitchen.pdf?mtime=20260325090444\">$39 vegetarian set\u003c/a> that includes a sparkly lemon drink, vegan fresh rolls, a pomelo salad, and a vegetarian version of Farmhouse Thai’s signature khao soi curry noodle soup. (The version with meat normally costs $46 all by itself.)\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The indulgent solo tapas spread\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/la-marcha-tapas-bar/\">La Marcha\u003c/a> is offering a few different Restaurant Week deals, but the $25 lunch special is especially appealing to anyone who’s ever thought going out for tapas is thoroughly impractical for a solo diner. \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/La-Marcha-1-1.pdf?mtime=20260325094632\">The set\u003c/a> includes your choice of two tapas, plus an individual portion of paella (not normally an available option).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957736\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957736\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop.jpg\" alt=\"Two boba drinks on a park bench.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Two of Chicha San Chen’s highly touted boba drinks, pictured here outside the chain’s Cupertino location. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The boba deal\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/chicha-san-chen/\">Chicha San Chen\u003c/a> has a strong case for being the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13957666/best-boba-shops-bay-area-berkeley-cupertino-sf\">best boba shop\u003c/a> in the East Bay and possibly the entire Bay Area. The Berkeley location’s Restaurant Week deal requires a little bit of prior planning: You have to \u003ca href=\"https://chichasanchennorcal.com/reservation\">make a reservation\u003c/a> for a free tea tasting. Once you’ve completed the tasting, you’ll get \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Chicha-San-Chen.pdf?mtime=20260325090429\">$2 off\u003c/a> the purchase of two of the shop’s excellent boba drinks — I favor anything with their osmanthus oolong.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The family chicken bucket\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/hopscotch-chicken/\">Hopscotch Chicken\u003c/a>, chef Kyle Itani’s Japanese American–inflected fried chicken spot, has a fun deal for a family or group of friends: $60 for a “\u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Hopscotch-Chicken.pdf?mtime=20260325090505\">picnic pack\u003c/a>” that includes a bucket of fried chicken, a miso chicken Caesar salad, fries, collard greens, mac and cheese and two Asahi beers. It’s not a \u003ci>huge\u003c/i> savings off the regular menu prices, but you essentially get the beer for free.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988216\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988216\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken.jpg\" alt=\"Plate of Hainan-style chicken rice, with a bowl of broth on the side.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kopi Bar’s take on Hainan chicken rice comes with the traditional bowl of broth on the side. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Hainan chicken rice set\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>The most convenient Restaurant Week option for folks who want to take advantage of the BAMPFA discount — to check out the great \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986355/theresa-hak-kyung-cha-multiple-offerings-bampfa-review\">Theresa Hak Kyung Cha retrospective\u003c/a>, perhaps — is \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/kopi-bar-bakery/\">Kopi Bar\u003c/a>, the museum’s second-floor cafe. The Singaporean-Indonesian spot is offering \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Kopi-Bar.pdf?mtime=20260331112831\">two specials\u003c/a> for the week: laksa grits and its excellent, slightly nontraditional take on Hainan chicken rice, with skin-on chicken that’s poached \u003ci>and \u003c/i>roasted. Each dish is priced at $20, a slight discount from its regular price.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The three-course izakaya feast\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/fish-bird-sousaku-izakaya/\">Fish & Bird\u003c/a> is one of my favorite modern Japanese izakayas in the East Bay, and its Restaurant Week offering might be the meal deal I’d be most likely to indulge in myself: \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Fish-Bird-Sousaku-Izakaya.pdf?mtime=20260325090446\">$39 for three courses\u003c/a> — I’d go for the sashimi salad, the Japanese cabbage roll, and the matcha tiramisu. It’s hard to calculate the exact value, but the one entree listed on the regular menu — the ebi fry curry rice — normally goes for $33 all by itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Korean classics\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/pyeong-chang-tofu/\">Pyeong Chang Tofu House\u003c/a> is one of my favorite Korean restaurants in the East Bay, but it can be a bit of a splurge — which is why the Berkeley location’s \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Pyeong-Chang-Tofu-2.pdf?mtime=20260330143906\">Restaurant Week deals\u003c/a> are especially appealing. I love the \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Pyeong-Chang-Tofu-2.pdf?mtime=20260330143906\">$35 option\u003c/a>, which comes with Pyeong Chang’s legendary, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/10/magazine/bored-with-the-same-old-try-these-crispy-kimchi-pancakes.html\">Samin Nosrat–approved\u003c/a> kimchi pancake and a bowl of the shop’s must-order tofu soup — plus rice and all the banchan you can eat.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/food-drinks/restaurant-week/\">\u003ci>Berkeley Restaurant Week\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> runs April 2–12.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "harrys-hofbrau-late-night-inexpensive-meat-potatoes-san-leandro",
"title": "Harry’s Hofbrau Is a Late-Night Throwback for $20 Steak Dinners",
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"headTitle": "Harry’s Hofbrau Is a Late-Night Throwback for $20 Steak Dinners | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988036\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988036\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Diners point at the dishes they want at a cafeteria-style counter. Chefs in white toques serve them their food.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_1-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">With locations in San Leandro and Redwood City, Harry’s Hofbrau is one of the last in a dying breed of cafeteria-style restaurants specializing in freshly carved roasted meats. \u003ccite>(Briana Loewinsohn)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003ci>The Midnight Diners\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Thien Pham\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>. 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. This week, guest artist (and rotisserie chicken enthusiast) \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/brianabreaks/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Briana Loewinsohn\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> joined them in the hofbrau line.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s been a couple of decades since I’ve eaten at the EPCOT Center’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.eater.com/2015/8/26/9192203/epcot-world-showcase-ranked\">themed dining pavilions\u003c/a>. But \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/harryshofbrausanleandro/\">Harry’s Hofbrau\u003c/a> in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-leandro\">San Leandro\u003c/a> might be the closest I’ve gotten to its pleasantly cheesy theme-park vibe while dining out in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Harry’s, you’re greeted at the door by a procession of jolly statues (a paunchy, mustachioed chef; a beer chugger in lederhosen), all gussied up in leprechaun green if you come the week before St. Patrick’s Day, as we did. The restaurant is \u003ci>huge\u003c/i>, nostalgically appointed in the style of a German hunting lodge, and perpetually decked out with colorful streamers, balloons and twinkle lights for Christmas, or St. Patty’s, or Thanksgiving. You wait in a long cafeteria queue, and when you finally reach the front, one of the knife-wielding maestros in a jaunty white chef’s toque hands you a plastic tray with a plate piled high with gravy-drenched sliced meats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is perfection, in its way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Above all else, Harry’s is a restaurant that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s a proper hofbrau — one of the last in a dying breed of cafeteria-style restaurants, mostly unique to the Bay Area, that specialize in freshly carved roasted meats and inexpensive draft beer. It also happens to be one of the few remaining places in the Bay where you can get a big steak (or roast turkey, or corned-beef-and-cabbage) dinner for around $20.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, of special relevance to our interests, the place stays open late, too — until 11 p.m. on weekends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That said, the crowd at Harry’s, at a little past 9 p.m. on a recent Friday, didn’t exactly \u003ci>feel\u003c/i> like a crowd. There wasn’t much of a line at this late hour, and because the cavernous dining room is so big, only about a third of the tables were occupied. It was one of the more diverse dining rooms I’ve been in for a while, ethnically and racially (an even split between Black, white, Latino and Asian), if not in terms of age. Indeed, apart from one lone table of teens, our middle-aged crew appeared to be the only party in the entire restaurant under the age of 60. One cushy booth was occupied by a group of older ladies in matching custodial uniforms. A number of solo diners quietly ate their plates of roast beef and mashed potatoes by themselves — tired and contemplative at the end of a long workday, it seemed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This, too, is part of the restaurant’s charm. The San Leandro hofbrau — along with the original Redwood City location, which dates back to the 1950s — is one of the few Bay Area restaurants where you can walk in with a group of 10 or 15 at 10 o’clock on a Saturday night and have everyone seated and enjoying a hot meal within a matter of minutes. For a big, casual family reunion, last-minute birthday party or after-work group-decompression session, Harry’s is an easy crowdpleaser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988037\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988037\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men sit in a leather booth over a large spread of roast meats and mashed potatoes.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">There isn’t much of a crowd at Harry’s Hofbrau late at night — which makes is perfect for an impromptu gathering. The restaurant stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends. \u003ccite>(Briana Loewinsohn)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The heart of the carvery is the cafeteria-style steam table counter where diners can choose from a dizzying array of roasted meats, the most popular of which are the turkey (for a Thanksgiving anytime vibe), the roast beef and the corned beef — normally a Thursday dinner special, but served all week long in the lead-up to St. Patrick’s Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most devoted Harry’s loyalist in our group stuck with her usual rotisserie chicken dinner, which she described as being just like the more famous turkey dinner “but cheaper \u003ci>and\u003c/i> tastier.” For about $17, you get a half a chicken, a huge mound of mashed potatoes soaked in your choice of beef or turkey gravy (both excellent), a dinner roll and an additional side of your choosing. While you don’t come to a place like Harry’s expecting complicated spices or pasture-raised birds, the dark meat on that chicken was tender and succulent, the gravy made up for the slight dryness of the breast, and the skin was especially well seasoned and delicious — all in all, several steps up from a Boston Market (or your local equivalent).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The house-cured corned beef and cabbage, meanwhile, was just fine — sliced thick, generously portioned, and tasty enough, especially when drenched in the house au jus. The accompanying cabbage, carrots and potatoes were just plainly boiled, though. You’ll have to doctor them up with salt and butter at the table if you find them bland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13987415,arts_13963093,arts_13953224']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>My favorite, by far, was the Santa Maria–style tri tip — a nod to California’s own homegrown style of barbecue — which Harry’s serves as a special on Friday nights. Even carved off the small nub of the roast left over at the end of the night, the thin slices of beef were still perfectly tender and pink, with a pronounced smoky flavor that lingered on the tongue. It was fantastic soaked in au jus, with a dab of the bottled horseradish cream available on each table.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(Pro tip: You can always ask for more au jus or gravy. Don’t make the same mistake I did, confidently walking up to a dispenser in the dining area to pour myself a tub. Those are hot \u003ci>coffee \u003c/i>dispensers, not au jus or gravy dispensers — though I can’t be the only one who’s suggested that those would be an amazing amenity.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant’s other signature is its mashed potatoes, which aren’t “gourmet” in any way, but look just like a version you might see on a 1950s picture postcard, and taste just as rich and nostalgic. While none of the other side dishes we tried were strictly \u003ci>delicious\u003c/i>, the range of hot and cold options on the steam table is another part of what makes the Harry’s experience fun and vaguely buffet-like. For balance, I’d recommend getting some kind of green vegetable: I liked the mixed grilled veggies (exactly like you’d get at a backyard cookout) better than the limp Caesar salad with oddly soft croutons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’ll want to save a little bit of room for dessert too. Even though my tablemates mocked my enthusiasm for the blueberry pie — which they, in their ignorance, deemed too thick-crusted and overly sweet — I can never resist ordering a slice. This night’s specimen was especially perfect-looking, like a cartoon drawing of a slice of pie, with its crinkly sparkly-sugar topping and thick filling of glistening berries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I polished off most of the pie by myself, with a cup of strong hot coffee. Like just about everything else at Harry’s, it tasted like the most pleasant memory.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/harryshofbrausanleandro/\">\u003ci>Harry’s Hofbrau\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open Sunday to Thursday 11 a.m.–10 p.m. and Friday to Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. at 14900 E. 14th St. in San Leandro. The restaurant’s \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/harryshofbraurwc/\">\u003ci>other location\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>, at 1909 El Camino Real in Redwood City, is open until 11 p.m. one additional night, on Thursdays.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "The classic San Leandro restaurant serves heaping portions of meat and gravy-soaked potatoes until 11 p.m. on weekends.",
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"title": "Harry’s Hofbrau Is a Late-Night Throwback for $20 Steak Dinners | KQED",
"description": "The classic San Leandro restaurant serves heaping portions of meat and gravy-soaked potatoes until 11 p.m. on weekends.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988036\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988036\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Diners point at the dishes they want at a cafeteria-style counter. Chefs in white toques serve them their food.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_1-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">With locations in San Leandro and Redwood City, Harry’s Hofbrau is one of the last in a dying breed of cafeteria-style restaurants specializing in freshly carved roasted meats. \u003ccite>(Briana Loewinsohn)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003ci>The Midnight Diners\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Thien Pham\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>. 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. This week, guest artist (and rotisserie chicken enthusiast) \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/brianabreaks/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Briana Loewinsohn\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> joined them in the hofbrau line.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s been a couple of decades since I’ve eaten at the EPCOT Center’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.eater.com/2015/8/26/9192203/epcot-world-showcase-ranked\">themed dining pavilions\u003c/a>. But \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/harryshofbrausanleandro/\">Harry’s Hofbrau\u003c/a> in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-leandro\">San Leandro\u003c/a> might be the closest I’ve gotten to its pleasantly cheesy theme-park vibe while dining out in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Harry’s, you’re greeted at the door by a procession of jolly statues (a paunchy, mustachioed chef; a beer chugger in lederhosen), all gussied up in leprechaun green if you come the week before St. Patrick’s Day, as we did. The restaurant is \u003ci>huge\u003c/i>, nostalgically appointed in the style of a German hunting lodge, and perpetually decked out with colorful streamers, balloons and twinkle lights for Christmas, or St. Patty’s, or Thanksgiving. You wait in a long cafeteria queue, and when you finally reach the front, one of the knife-wielding maestros in a jaunty white chef’s toque hands you a plastic tray with a plate piled high with gravy-drenched sliced meats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is perfection, in its way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Above all else, Harry’s is a restaurant that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s a proper hofbrau — one of the last in a dying breed of cafeteria-style restaurants, mostly unique to the Bay Area, that specialize in freshly carved roasted meats and inexpensive draft beer. It also happens to be one of the few remaining places in the Bay where you can get a big steak (or roast turkey, or corned-beef-and-cabbage) dinner for around $20.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, of special relevance to our interests, the place stays open late, too — until 11 p.m. on weekends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That said, the crowd at Harry’s, at a little past 9 p.m. on a recent Friday, didn’t exactly \u003ci>feel\u003c/i> like a crowd. There wasn’t much of a line at this late hour, and because the cavernous dining room is so big, only about a third of the tables were occupied. It was one of the more diverse dining rooms I’ve been in for a while, ethnically and racially (an even split between Black, white, Latino and Asian), if not in terms of age. Indeed, apart from one lone table of teens, our middle-aged crew appeared to be the only party in the entire restaurant under the age of 60. One cushy booth was occupied by a group of older ladies in matching custodial uniforms. A number of solo diners quietly ate their plates of roast beef and mashed potatoes by themselves — tired and contemplative at the end of a long workday, it seemed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This, too, is part of the restaurant’s charm. The San Leandro hofbrau — along with the original Redwood City location, which dates back to the 1950s — is one of the few Bay Area restaurants where you can walk in with a group of 10 or 15 at 10 o’clock on a Saturday night and have everyone seated and enjoying a hot meal within a matter of minutes. For a big, casual family reunion, last-minute birthday party or after-work group-decompression session, Harry’s is an easy crowdpleaser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988037\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988037\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men sit in a leather booth over a large spread of roast meats and mashed potatoes.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Harrys_Hofbrau_2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">There isn’t much of a crowd at Harry’s Hofbrau late at night — which makes is perfect for an impromptu gathering. The restaurant stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends. \u003ccite>(Briana Loewinsohn)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The heart of the carvery is the cafeteria-style steam table counter where diners can choose from a dizzying array of roasted meats, the most popular of which are the turkey (for a Thanksgiving anytime vibe), the roast beef and the corned beef — normally a Thursday dinner special, but served all week long in the lead-up to St. Patrick’s Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most devoted Harry’s loyalist in our group stuck with her usual rotisserie chicken dinner, which she described as being just like the more famous turkey dinner “but cheaper \u003ci>and\u003c/i> tastier.” For about $17, you get a half a chicken, a huge mound of mashed potatoes soaked in your choice of beef or turkey gravy (both excellent), a dinner roll and an additional side of your choosing. While you don’t come to a place like Harry’s expecting complicated spices or pasture-raised birds, the dark meat on that chicken was tender and succulent, the gravy made up for the slight dryness of the breast, and the skin was especially well seasoned and delicious — all in all, several steps up from a Boston Market (or your local equivalent).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The house-cured corned beef and cabbage, meanwhile, was just fine — sliced thick, generously portioned, and tasty enough, especially when drenched in the house au jus. The accompanying cabbage, carrots and potatoes were just plainly boiled, though. You’ll have to doctor them up with salt and butter at the table if you find them bland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>My favorite, by far, was the Santa Maria–style tri tip — a nod to California’s own homegrown style of barbecue — which Harry’s serves as a special on Friday nights. Even carved off the small nub of the roast left over at the end of the night, the thin slices of beef were still perfectly tender and pink, with a pronounced smoky flavor that lingered on the tongue. It was fantastic soaked in au jus, with a dab of the bottled horseradish cream available on each table.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(Pro tip: You can always ask for more au jus or gravy. Don’t make the same mistake I did, confidently walking up to a dispenser in the dining area to pour myself a tub. Those are hot \u003ci>coffee \u003c/i>dispensers, not au jus or gravy dispensers — though I can’t be the only one who’s suggested that those would be an amazing amenity.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant’s other signature is its mashed potatoes, which aren’t “gourmet” in any way, but look just like a version you might see on a 1950s picture postcard, and taste just as rich and nostalgic. While none of the other side dishes we tried were strictly \u003ci>delicious\u003c/i>, the range of hot and cold options on the steam table is another part of what makes the Harry’s experience fun and vaguely buffet-like. For balance, I’d recommend getting some kind of green vegetable: I liked the mixed grilled veggies (exactly like you’d get at a backyard cookout) better than the limp Caesar salad with oddly soft croutons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’ll want to save a little bit of room for dessert too. Even though my tablemates mocked my enthusiasm for the blueberry pie — which they, in their ignorance, deemed too thick-crusted and overly sweet — I can never resist ordering a slice. This night’s specimen was especially perfect-looking, like a cartoon drawing of a slice of pie, with its crinkly sparkly-sugar topping and thick filling of glistening berries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I polished off most of the pie by myself, with a cup of strong hot coffee. Like just about everything else at Harry’s, it tasted like the most pleasant memory.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/harryshofbrausanleandro/\">\u003ci>Harry’s Hofbrau\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open Sunday to Thursday 11 a.m.–10 p.m. and Friday to Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. at 14900 E. 14th St. in San Leandro. The restaurant’s \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/harryshofbraurwc/\">\u003ci>other location\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>, at 1909 El Camino Real in Redwood City, is open until 11 p.m. one additional night, on Thursdays.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "masala-y-maiz-mexico-city-restaurant-oakland-bay-area-roots",
"title": "How One of Mexico City’s Most Acclaimed Restaurants Began in Oakland",
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"content": "\u003cp>[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen you first enter Masala y Maiz — a Michelin-starred renegade of a restaurant in Mexico City that has been profiled on Netflix’s “Chef’s Table” — you wouldn’t necessarily know that Oakland is at the heart of its soulful appeal. The concrete, brutalist design of the space denotes an air of Mexican modernism that’s unlike anything you’d find in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet according to chef and co-owner Saqib Keval, a Northern California–raised son of Ethiopian and Kenyan immigrants of Indian descent, Oakland is central to the restaurant’s ethos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The restaurant feels like an extension of Oakland at times, in terms of the music, politics, culture, vibe,” says Keval, who opened Masala y Maiz with his wife Norma Listman in 2017. “It feels like an embassy. Oakland is a place we miss.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area activists may remember Keval as one of the co-founders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/peopleskitchencollective/\">People’s Kitchen Collective\u003c/a> (PKC), among Oakland’s most prominent food justice organizations. Listman, meanwhile, was born and raised in Texcoco, Mexico, before she migrated to the Bay in the ’90s to work as a multidisciplinary artist and, eventually, a chef, cutting her teeth at esteemed Oakland restaurants like Tamarindo, Bay Wolf and Camino.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987860\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987860\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_OutsideRestaurant.jpg\" alt=\"Two chefs in blue aprons pose in front a restaurant, underneath massive cement columns.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_OutsideRestaurant.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_OutsideRestaurant-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_OutsideRestaurant-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_OutsideRestaurant-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Keval and Listman stand in front of the current iteration of Masala y Maiz in Mexico City’s historic centro, where the restaurant relocated in 2024. \u003ccite>(Ana Lorenzana, courtesy of Masala y Maiz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I have Oakland tattooed on my leg,” she says. “We hold a romantic idea of the Bay, of Oakland, when we lived there. I was in the Bay for 18 years. I was there during the dot-com boom in ’99. A lot of our communities left because it was impossible to keep going. The restaurants we worked at closed because it wasn’t sustainable. [But] my mentors are still there, and that’s where I came into food.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland’s grassroots influences, along with Listman’s leftist upbringing in Mexico and Keval’s anti-colonial literary acumen from his days at Humboldt State University, are unmistakably baked into Masala y Maiz’s philosophies of collectivism, equity and universal workers rights. A few times a year, the restaurant hosts an “Eat What You Want, Pay What You Can” day, inviting anyone — particularly locals combating the rising cost of living in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-gentrification-continues-to-change-mexico-city\">a gentrified Mexico City\u003c/a> — to enjoy a Michelin-starred meal, even if all they can afford to pay for it with is \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250825-pay-what-you-can-for-a-michelin-starred-meal\">a piece of original artwork\u003c/a>. The restaurant’s regular menus often feature large, bilingual phrases (“white supremacy is terrorism”; “que vive la lucha femenista”) based on current events.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987864\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987864\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_TableSpread.jpg\" alt=\"A spread of dishes on a black tabletop — included is a fried whole fish, head-on shrimp, and salad.\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_TableSpread.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_TableSpread-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_TableSpread-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_TableSpread-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An impressive spread of dishes at Masa y Maiz. \u003ccite>(Ana Lorenzana, courtesy of Masala y Maiz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The messaging isn’t only for show. In 2018, the restaurant boldly \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-mexico-city-restaurant-20180512-story.html\">challenged Mexico City’s government officials, citing corruption and bribery\u003c/a> — and somehow came out unscathed. Then, in 2021, the couple rejected a nomination from The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, calling out the foundation’s culture of exploitation and sexism. On Instagram, Masala y Maiz expressed gratitude for the recognition but didn’t yield, sharing a graphic of their invitation with a simple declaration overlaid above it: “\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CVfYu1rL7oT/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=128bcd38-88bd-4ee8-a174-fd802ac4baae\">Gracias, no gracias\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant has also proven to be far more transcendentally savory than any political statement could ever be on its own. That is to say, the food at Masala y Maiz reflects Oakland’s famously eclectic flavors, too, in its borderless mezcla of dishes: an edible tapestry of Mexican, Indian and East African ingredients. The paratha quesadilla, which uses Indian flatbread in place of traditional corn tortillas, is gooed together with a blend of Oaxacan and mountain cheeses, and served with a side of salsa machaar and herb salad. For the uttapam gordita, a thick South Indian dosa is topped with shredded barbacoa, butternut squash, asparagus and housemade salsa verde. And the esquites makai pakka is a Kenyan remix of Mexico’s beloved street corn dish — a stir of corn kernels, coconut milk, East African masala, in-house mayo and crumbled cotija cheese.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987857\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987857\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/36_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg\" alt='Jars of spices labeled with blue tape, including dried guajillo chiles, gunpowder pudi, \"Black Power cardamom,\" methi, and maiz morado.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/36_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/36_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/36_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/36_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Masala y Maiz is a reflection of the commonalities that can be found across different parts the Global South. Here, a medley of Indian and East African spices sit beside Mexican ingredients like corn and guajillo peppers. \u003ccite>(Sana Javeri Kadri, courtesy of Masala y Maiz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now, Oakland’s past is reuniting with the restaurant’s present. This month, the duo is hosting a series of guest chefs from all over the map in honor of International Women’s Month. The series concludes on March 25 with a collaborative dinner featuring the Bay Area’s own Reem Assil and Nite Yun, who both got their starts cooking in Oakland. Yun is the Cambodian American chef behind \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lunette_cambodia/?hl=en\">Lunette\u003c/a>, a Khmer gem inside San Francisco’s Ferry Building; Assil is the Palestinian-Syrian culinary icon of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reemscalifornia/?hl=en\">Reem’s California\u003c/a> fame. The Bay Area chefs will join Listman and Keval to create a one-night-only menu centered on their Cambodian, Palestinian, Indian and Mexican backgrounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But how, exactly, did this internationally renowned hot spot make it all the way down from the East Bay’s shores to the pedestrian-flooded Centro Historico of Mexico’s trending capital to begin with? As it turns out, it all originated as an Oakland love story.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>‘Ghetto Gourmet’ and PKC — that’s Oakland, baby\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before landing in the Bay, Listman had already established herself in the Mexico City art scene. When she came to Oakland in the ’90s, she quickly felt aligned with the city’s unsugared realness, laissez-faire freedoms and artistic energy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The art scene in Mexico City was very avant garde, very international; it was exhilarating. I felt the same way about Oakland,” she says. “I fell in love with the Bay because of that similarity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987856\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987856\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/MX14-700-preview.jpg\" alt=\"In a backyard garden setting, a woman holds out a glass while a bottle wine is poured.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/MX14-700-preview.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/MX14-700-preview-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/MX14-700-preview-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/MX14-700-preview-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">During her time in the Bay Area, Listman brought her expertise and insights as a Mexican-born artist and foodmaker, helping to introduce mezcal to the region when it was relatively unknown. Alice Waters (right), the founder of Berkeley’s Chez Panisse, attended one of her many events. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Norma Listman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Oakland of then was far from the Oakland it would later become. In the mid-to-late aughts, Listman was among the first in the Town to purvey artisanal mezcals, when the libation was more mystery than mainstream. She was invested in fashion, design and art. In 2007, she began working front of house in various Oakland restaurants, eventually finding her way into the kitchen. She independently experimented with food as “a medium to tell a larger story” with a project she titled The Salon Dinners. Listman recalls those times fondly, before tech billionaires and real estate conglomerates completely uprooted artists and storytellers in the region, leaving a profit-driven void in their wake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In Oakland, there was something called ‘Ghetto Gourmet,’” she says, describing an underground community of Oakland home chefs at the time, not to be confused with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11777049/why-berkeleys-gourmet-ghetto-is-a-problem-for-some\">Berkeley neighborhood nickname\u003c/a>. “People turned their houses into restaurants and began cooking their own food, and it was a really cool time in the Bay to have those experiences and to be experimental. I started doing some of that,” she says. “Where I grew up in Mexico, it’s common that some homes and garages and family dining rooms become restaurants to serve pozole or some other dish that the family matriarch does well. [My dinners] felt like a blend of that, in terms of food, but it was shot down by the health department. It lasted about a year and a half, and it was so cool.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Listman, these kinds of secretive, word-of-mouth happenings gave Oakland a certain magic in that era: “Everything felt more hidden. Back in the day, nothing was exposed, but if you knocked on a door, it would open, and then another door would appear behind that, and you’d find another world inside.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987852\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987852\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-founders.jpg\" alt=\"Three smiling people posing for a portrait in front of some kitchen cabinets\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-founders.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-founders-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-founders-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-founders-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left: Keval, Sita Kuratomi Bhaumik and Jocelyn Jackson. The trio co-founded the People’s Kitchen Collective in 2007. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Saqib Keval)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During that same span, \u003ca href=\"https://edibleeastbay.com/2013/08/15/it-takes-a-grandmother/\">Keval was steadily building up PKC\u003c/a>, a political food program he co-founded in 2007, along with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923936/moad-new-chef-in-residence-jocelyn-jackson-peoples-kitchen-collective\">Jocelyn Jackson\u003c/a> and Sita Kuratomi Bhaumik, in West Oakland. Keval’s evolving vision for the group was inspired by his involvement in Bay Area restaurants and food nonprofits like Restaurant Opportunities Center of the Bay Area and West Oakland’s People’s Grocery, where he helped start the \u003ca href=\"https://growingjusticeinstitute.wordpress.com/about/\">Growing Justice Institute\u003c/a>, an urban agriculture project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During Keval’s time at PKC, the group held large-scale public meals at Lil Bobby Hutton Park and at urban farms. Keval developed connections with Black Panther Party elders and collaborated with the likes of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986932/emory-douglas-black-panthers-interview-aaacc-san-francisco\">Emory Douglas\u003c/a>, who created the fliers for the Panthers’ Free Breakfast Program. “It was formative for me as an activist to understand the Black and Brown and South Asian history in the Bay. That was vital,” Keval says of those years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Soon, his path would serendipitously intertwine with Listman’s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987854\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987854\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/kaval-pkc.jpg\" alt=\"A South Asian man holds a microphone as he addresses a gathering. His apron reads, "The People's Kitchen, OAKLAND."\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1336\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/kaval-pkc.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/kaval-pkc-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/kaval-pkc-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/kaval-pkc-1536x1026.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In the late aughts, Keval rallied communities in Oakland and beyond around issues of food justice. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Saqib Keval)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The road to Mexico City goes through Old Oakland\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Maybe no neighborhood in Oakland has retained as much of the clandestine enchantment that Listman recalls from the aughts as Old Oakland. In particular, the historic downtown neighborhood — crammed into a quaint, relatively sleepy four-block nook bordered by Highway 880, Broadway and West Oakland — has long been an overlooked bastion of delicious eats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In prior years, you’d find beloved gems like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13910410/miss-ollies-oakland-closing\">Miss Ollie’s\u003c/a>, the Afro-Caribbean staple with out-the-door lines, where Keval once worked. Today, the neighborhood is home to chef Anthony Salguero’s Popoca, a Salvadoran American powerhouse slanging woodfired pupusas, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936332/tchaka-haitian-restaurant-oakland\">T’chaka\u003c/a>, Oakland’s first and only Haitian joint (which, poetically, exists in the former Miss Ollie’s space). But arguably no other restaurant in Old Oakland has left more of an imprint than Cosecha. Until it shuttered in 2021, the Mexican eatery inside of Swan Market was one of the most influential restaurants in the Bay Area’s culinary landscape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coincidentally, Cosecha is also where Listman and Keval first met, around 2013. At that time, Listman was working with the restaurant to host mezcal tastings and community art events; Keval and PKC used Cosecha as a space to provide meals and build a shared foundation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987858\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987858\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-at-cosecha.jpg\" alt=\"Crowded communal tables inside a food hall.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-at-cosecha.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-at-cosecha-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-at-cosecha-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-at-cosecha-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Old Oakland’s now-shuttered Cosecha was an instrumental space for Keval and Listman, who used it as a venue to build community and inspire change. For a time, the restaurant hosted many of the People’s Kitchen Collective’s pay-what-you-can meals. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Saqib Keval/People's Kitchen Collective)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In terms of how they started dating? Listman tells it straight: “We never really engaged that much. We were busy in our own worlds.” That changed when the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco began a new residency program and recruited both Listman and PKC to collaborate. Listman smiles: “We worked together on that event, and since then we’ve never stopped working together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dominica Rice-Cisneros, Cosecha’s Mexican American chef-owner who currently runs Bombera in the Dimond District, knew the couple long before they were star chefs. Since hosting them in her own restaurant, Rice-Cisneros has gone on to eat at every version of Masala y Maiz (the restaurant has had different locations in Mexico City over the years).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I consider Masala y Maiz to be a Bay Area restaurant, even though they’re in Mexico City. They are an Oakland restaurant, to be exact. True Oakland,” says Rice-Cisneros. “It’s definitely international and could do well everywhere, but first and foremost, it’s Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987859\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987859\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PKC25.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a blue apron looking down in front of a restaurant kitchen, where a woman is prepping food.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PKC25.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PKC25-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PKC25-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PKC25-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Keval drew inspiration from Bay Area restaurants like Cosecha, where he is pictured in this photo during his People’s Kitchen Collective years. Behind him, Cosecha chef Dominica Rice-Cisneros prepares a dish. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Saqib Keval)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This week, Rice-Cisneros will be flying out to attend the International Women’s Month dinner that Listman is hosting along with Assil and Yun. It doesn’t get more Bay Area — in Mexico City — than that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Rice-Cisneros doesn’t take any credit for uniting Listman and Keval, the couple is quick to point out Cosecha’s importance in their lives. “Masala y Maiz exists because of Dominica. We exist [as a couple] because of PKC,” Keval says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2017, Listman moved back to Mexico to research corn foodways. Unexpectedly, she was offered an on-the-spot chance to take over a dining space in the San Miguel Chapultepec neighborhood of Mexico City. She took the risk and invited Keval to join her. The result was Masala y Maiz: a combination of their families’ migratory lineages told through recipes. In that way, the restaurant is an expression of all of the parallels that Listman and Keval have found between the cuisines and cultures across Mexico, India, Kenya and the Global South at large.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987855\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987855\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/norma-and-saqib.jpg\" alt=\"A man and a woman, both in sunglasses, sit close together while the woman takes a selfie of the two of them with her phone.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/norma-and-saqib.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/norma-and-saqib-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/norma-and-saqib-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/norma-and-saqib-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In 2017, Listman and Keval left the Bay Area, where they had met and began dating, with the shared vision of changing the restaurant industry together. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Saqib Keval)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The restaurant’s stature has only grown over the years as it moved into larger spaces and solidified itself as a culinary destination and activist force in Mexico City. But even as the couple was building out their restaurant, the Bay Area was always close to their hearts — and the Bay hadn’t forgotten about them, either. Listman notes that her former mentor, the legendary Slanted Door chef Charles Phan (who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13970535/charles-phan-the-innovative-chef-of-sfs-slanted-door-has-died\">passed away last year\u003c/a>), supplied Masala y Maiz with its inaugural set of silverware. Eight years later, it’s still the crown jewel of the restaurant’s collection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b; font-weight: 400;\">[aside postID='arts_13960139,arts_13932089,arts_13912706']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>For Listman, the Bay resonates in their work — but it’s not the only factor. “The Bay Area is a very revolutionary place with incredible political movements,” she says. “But it’s not the only thing. A lot of the movements in Mexico and in different communities inform what we do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keval is even more effusive in his praise of the Bay. “The thing about the restaurants in the Bay we worked at was that they showed us the possibilities of what a restaurant can be, and the authenticity of each person expressing who they are in their own way,” he says. “We learned what it means to do right by your employees and your team. We worked with chefs who cared, who worked alongside everyone else. That helped me form this idea of what a restaurant could be and how to critique patriarchy, capitalism and so forth. Oakland gave me space to try that out and tweak it and work on service and hospitality from a different point of view, one that was community-based and centered on dignity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987861\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987861\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg\" alt=\"Two pairs of hands pressing down on banana leaves in a large pot.\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At Masala y Maiz, Listman and Keval combine culinary traditions from their respective backgrounds. \u003ccite>(Sana Javeri Kadri, courtesy of Masala y Maiz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a fine dining industry where headlines about \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/dining/rene-redzepi-noma-abuse-allegations.html\">institutions abusing their workers\u003c/a> are not uncommon, and in which high-end establishments have a reputation of being financially inaccessible to the working class, Masala y Maiz’s egalitarian for-the-people, by-the-people mantras are far from the norm. But they’re deeply rooted in the Bay’s insurgent ecosystem, where Listman and Keval were shaped and influenced for years while also carving out space for themselves, long before Masala y Maiz’s opened its proverbial doors to would-be diners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Keval puts it, “That’s who we are, and that’s a direct line to the Bay. That won’t ever stop being home.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all, is there anything more truly Oakland than feeding revolutions, building cross-communal solidarity, and inviting everyone to share in discourse amid today’s hetero-capitalist dystopia — all while eating some of the best meals of your life?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction: An earlier version of this article credited chef Anthony Strong with providing Masala y Maiz’s first set of silverware. Strong was also a mentor to Listman, but Charles Phan of Slanted Door was the one who gifted them the silverware.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/masalaymaiz/\">\u003ci>Masala y Maiz\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> (116 C. Artículo 123, Edificio Humboldt, Mexico City) is open every day from noon to 6 p.m., except on Tuesdays. On Wednesday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m., the restaurant will host its final International Women’s Month series dinner with chefs Reem Assil and Nite Yun. The communal meal will include a six-course collaborative tasting, with a welcome drink and tip included for $2,200 MXN, or roughly $115 USD, per person. \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.exploretock.com/masala-y-maiz-mexico-city/event/595460\">\u003ci>Tickets here\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">W\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>hen you first enter Masala y Maiz — a Michelin-starred renegade of a restaurant in Mexico City that has been profiled on Netflix’s “Chef’s Table” — you wouldn’t necessarily know that Oakland is at the heart of its soulful appeal. The concrete, brutalist design of the space denotes an air of Mexican modernism that’s unlike anything you’d find in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet according to chef and co-owner Saqib Keval, a Northern California–raised son of Ethiopian and Kenyan immigrants of Indian descent, Oakland is central to the restaurant’s ethos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The restaurant feels like an extension of Oakland at times, in terms of the music, politics, culture, vibe,” says Keval, who opened Masala y Maiz with his wife Norma Listman in 2017. “It feels like an embassy. Oakland is a place we miss.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area activists may remember Keval as one of the co-founders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/peopleskitchencollective/\">People’s Kitchen Collective\u003c/a> (PKC), among Oakland’s most prominent food justice organizations. Listman, meanwhile, was born and raised in Texcoco, Mexico, before she migrated to the Bay in the ’90s to work as a multidisciplinary artist and, eventually, a chef, cutting her teeth at esteemed Oakland restaurants like Tamarindo, Bay Wolf and Camino.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987860\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987860\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_OutsideRestaurant.jpg\" alt=\"Two chefs in blue aprons pose in front a restaurant, underneath massive cement columns.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_OutsideRestaurant.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_OutsideRestaurant-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_OutsideRestaurant-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_OutsideRestaurant-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Keval and Listman stand in front of the current iteration of Masala y Maiz in Mexico City’s historic centro, where the restaurant relocated in 2024. \u003ccite>(Ana Lorenzana, courtesy of Masala y Maiz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I have Oakland tattooed on my leg,” she says. “We hold a romantic idea of the Bay, of Oakland, when we lived there. I was in the Bay for 18 years. I was there during the dot-com boom in ’99. A lot of our communities left because it was impossible to keep going. The restaurants we worked at closed because it wasn’t sustainable. [But] my mentors are still there, and that’s where I came into food.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland’s grassroots influences, along with Listman’s leftist upbringing in Mexico and Keval’s anti-colonial literary acumen from his days at Humboldt State University, are unmistakably baked into Masala y Maiz’s philosophies of collectivism, equity and universal workers rights. A few times a year, the restaurant hosts an “Eat What You Want, Pay What You Can” day, inviting anyone — particularly locals combating the rising cost of living in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-gentrification-continues-to-change-mexico-city\">a gentrified Mexico City\u003c/a> — to enjoy a Michelin-starred meal, even if all they can afford to pay for it with is \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250825-pay-what-you-can-for-a-michelin-starred-meal\">a piece of original artwork\u003c/a>. The restaurant’s regular menus often feature large, bilingual phrases (“white supremacy is terrorism”; “que vive la lucha femenista”) based on current events.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987864\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987864\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_TableSpread.jpg\" alt=\"A spread of dishes on a black tabletop — included is a fried whole fish, head-on shrimp, and salad.\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_TableSpread.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_TableSpread-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_TableSpread-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_TableSpread-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An impressive spread of dishes at Masa y Maiz. \u003ccite>(Ana Lorenzana, courtesy of Masala y Maiz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The messaging isn’t only for show. In 2018, the restaurant boldly \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-mexico-city-restaurant-20180512-story.html\">challenged Mexico City’s government officials, citing corruption and bribery\u003c/a> — and somehow came out unscathed. Then, in 2021, the couple rejected a nomination from The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, calling out the foundation’s culture of exploitation and sexism. On Instagram, Masala y Maiz expressed gratitude for the recognition but didn’t yield, sharing a graphic of their invitation with a simple declaration overlaid above it: “\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CVfYu1rL7oT/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=128bcd38-88bd-4ee8-a174-fd802ac4baae\">Gracias, no gracias\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant has also proven to be far more transcendentally savory than any political statement could ever be on its own. That is to say, the food at Masala y Maiz reflects Oakland’s famously eclectic flavors, too, in its borderless mezcla of dishes: an edible tapestry of Mexican, Indian and East African ingredients. The paratha quesadilla, which uses Indian flatbread in place of traditional corn tortillas, is gooed together with a blend of Oaxacan and mountain cheeses, and served with a side of salsa machaar and herb salad. For the uttapam gordita, a thick South Indian dosa is topped with shredded barbacoa, butternut squash, asparagus and housemade salsa verde. And the esquites makai pakka is a Kenyan remix of Mexico’s beloved street corn dish — a stir of corn kernels, coconut milk, East African masala, in-house mayo and crumbled cotija cheese.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987857\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987857\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/36_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg\" alt='Jars of spices labeled with blue tape, including dried guajillo chiles, gunpowder pudi, \"Black Power cardamom,\" methi, and maiz morado.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/36_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/36_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/36_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/36_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Masala y Maiz is a reflection of the commonalities that can be found across different parts the Global South. Here, a medley of Indian and East African spices sit beside Mexican ingredients like corn and guajillo peppers. \u003ccite>(Sana Javeri Kadri, courtesy of Masala y Maiz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now, Oakland’s past is reuniting with the restaurant’s present. This month, the duo is hosting a series of guest chefs from all over the map in honor of International Women’s Month. The series concludes on March 25 with a collaborative dinner featuring the Bay Area’s own Reem Assil and Nite Yun, who both got their starts cooking in Oakland. Yun is the Cambodian American chef behind \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lunette_cambodia/?hl=en\">Lunette\u003c/a>, a Khmer gem inside San Francisco’s Ferry Building; Assil is the Palestinian-Syrian culinary icon of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reemscalifornia/?hl=en\">Reem’s California\u003c/a> fame. The Bay Area chefs will join Listman and Keval to create a one-night-only menu centered on their Cambodian, Palestinian, Indian and Mexican backgrounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But how, exactly, did this internationally renowned hot spot make it all the way down from the East Bay’s shores to the pedestrian-flooded Centro Historico of Mexico’s trending capital to begin with? As it turns out, it all originated as an Oakland love story.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>‘Ghetto Gourmet’ and PKC — that’s Oakland, baby\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before landing in the Bay, Listman had already established herself in the Mexico City art scene. When she came to Oakland in the ’90s, she quickly felt aligned with the city’s unsugared realness, laissez-faire freedoms and artistic energy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The art scene in Mexico City was very avant garde, very international; it was exhilarating. I felt the same way about Oakland,” she says. “I fell in love with the Bay because of that similarity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987856\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987856\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/MX14-700-preview.jpg\" alt=\"In a backyard garden setting, a woman holds out a glass while a bottle wine is poured.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/MX14-700-preview.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/MX14-700-preview-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/MX14-700-preview-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/MX14-700-preview-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">During her time in the Bay Area, Listman brought her expertise and insights as a Mexican-born artist and foodmaker, helping to introduce mezcal to the region when it was relatively unknown. Alice Waters (right), the founder of Berkeley’s Chez Panisse, attended one of her many events. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Norma Listman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Oakland of then was far from the Oakland it would later become. In the mid-to-late aughts, Listman was among the first in the Town to purvey artisanal mezcals, when the libation was more mystery than mainstream. She was invested in fashion, design and art. In 2007, she began working front of house in various Oakland restaurants, eventually finding her way into the kitchen. She independently experimented with food as “a medium to tell a larger story” with a project she titled The Salon Dinners. Listman recalls those times fondly, before tech billionaires and real estate conglomerates completely uprooted artists and storytellers in the region, leaving a profit-driven void in their wake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In Oakland, there was something called ‘Ghetto Gourmet,’” she says, describing an underground community of Oakland home chefs at the time, not to be confused with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11777049/why-berkeleys-gourmet-ghetto-is-a-problem-for-some\">Berkeley neighborhood nickname\u003c/a>. “People turned their houses into restaurants and began cooking their own food, and it was a really cool time in the Bay to have those experiences and to be experimental. I started doing some of that,” she says. “Where I grew up in Mexico, it’s common that some homes and garages and family dining rooms become restaurants to serve pozole or some other dish that the family matriarch does well. [My dinners] felt like a blend of that, in terms of food, but it was shot down by the health department. It lasted about a year and a half, and it was so cool.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Listman, these kinds of secretive, word-of-mouth happenings gave Oakland a certain magic in that era: “Everything felt more hidden. Back in the day, nothing was exposed, but if you knocked on a door, it would open, and then another door would appear behind that, and you’d find another world inside.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987852\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987852\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-founders.jpg\" alt=\"Three smiling people posing for a portrait in front of some kitchen cabinets\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-founders.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-founders-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-founders-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-founders-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left: Keval, Sita Kuratomi Bhaumik and Jocelyn Jackson. The trio co-founded the People’s Kitchen Collective in 2007. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Saqib Keval)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During that same span, \u003ca href=\"https://edibleeastbay.com/2013/08/15/it-takes-a-grandmother/\">Keval was steadily building up PKC\u003c/a>, a political food program he co-founded in 2007, along with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923936/moad-new-chef-in-residence-jocelyn-jackson-peoples-kitchen-collective\">Jocelyn Jackson\u003c/a> and Sita Kuratomi Bhaumik, in West Oakland. Keval’s evolving vision for the group was inspired by his involvement in Bay Area restaurants and food nonprofits like Restaurant Opportunities Center of the Bay Area and West Oakland’s People’s Grocery, where he helped start the \u003ca href=\"https://growingjusticeinstitute.wordpress.com/about/\">Growing Justice Institute\u003c/a>, an urban agriculture project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During Keval’s time at PKC, the group held large-scale public meals at Lil Bobby Hutton Park and at urban farms. Keval developed connections with Black Panther Party elders and collaborated with the likes of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986932/emory-douglas-black-panthers-interview-aaacc-san-francisco\">Emory Douglas\u003c/a>, who created the fliers for the Panthers’ Free Breakfast Program. “It was formative for me as an activist to understand the Black and Brown and South Asian history in the Bay. That was vital,” Keval says of those years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Soon, his path would serendipitously intertwine with Listman’s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987854\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987854\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/kaval-pkc.jpg\" alt=\"A South Asian man holds a microphone as he addresses a gathering. His apron reads, "The People's Kitchen, OAKLAND."\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1336\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/kaval-pkc.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/kaval-pkc-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/kaval-pkc-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/kaval-pkc-1536x1026.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In the late aughts, Keval rallied communities in Oakland and beyond around issues of food justice. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Saqib Keval)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The road to Mexico City goes through Old Oakland\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Maybe no neighborhood in Oakland has retained as much of the clandestine enchantment that Listman recalls from the aughts as Old Oakland. In particular, the historic downtown neighborhood — crammed into a quaint, relatively sleepy four-block nook bordered by Highway 880, Broadway and West Oakland — has long been an overlooked bastion of delicious eats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In prior years, you’d find beloved gems like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13910410/miss-ollies-oakland-closing\">Miss Ollie’s\u003c/a>, the Afro-Caribbean staple with out-the-door lines, where Keval once worked. Today, the neighborhood is home to chef Anthony Salguero’s Popoca, a Salvadoran American powerhouse slanging woodfired pupusas, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936332/tchaka-haitian-restaurant-oakland\">T’chaka\u003c/a>, Oakland’s first and only Haitian joint (which, poetically, exists in the former Miss Ollie’s space). But arguably no other restaurant in Old Oakland has left more of an imprint than Cosecha. Until it shuttered in 2021, the Mexican eatery inside of Swan Market was one of the most influential restaurants in the Bay Area’s culinary landscape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coincidentally, Cosecha is also where Listman and Keval first met, around 2013. At that time, Listman was working with the restaurant to host mezcal tastings and community art events; Keval and PKC used Cosecha as a space to provide meals and build a shared foundation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987858\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987858\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-at-cosecha.jpg\" alt=\"Crowded communal tables inside a food hall.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-at-cosecha.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-at-cosecha-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-at-cosecha-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/pkc-at-cosecha-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Old Oakland’s now-shuttered Cosecha was an instrumental space for Keval and Listman, who used it as a venue to build community and inspire change. For a time, the restaurant hosted many of the People’s Kitchen Collective’s pay-what-you-can meals. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Saqib Keval/People's Kitchen Collective)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In terms of how they started dating? Listman tells it straight: “We never really engaged that much. We were busy in our own worlds.” That changed when the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco began a new residency program and recruited both Listman and PKC to collaborate. Listman smiles: “We worked together on that event, and since then we’ve never stopped working together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dominica Rice-Cisneros, Cosecha’s Mexican American chef-owner who currently runs Bombera in the Dimond District, knew the couple long before they were star chefs. Since hosting them in her own restaurant, Rice-Cisneros has gone on to eat at every version of Masala y Maiz (the restaurant has had different locations in Mexico City over the years).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I consider Masala y Maiz to be a Bay Area restaurant, even though they’re in Mexico City. They are an Oakland restaurant, to be exact. True Oakland,” says Rice-Cisneros. “It’s definitely international and could do well everywhere, but first and foremost, it’s Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987859\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987859\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PKC25.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a blue apron looking down in front of a restaurant kitchen, where a woman is prepping food.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PKC25.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PKC25-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PKC25-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PKC25-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Keval drew inspiration from Bay Area restaurants like Cosecha, where he is pictured in this photo during his People’s Kitchen Collective years. Behind him, Cosecha chef Dominica Rice-Cisneros prepares a dish. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Saqib Keval)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This week, Rice-Cisneros will be flying out to attend the International Women’s Month dinner that Listman is hosting along with Assil and Yun. It doesn’t get more Bay Area — in Mexico City — than that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Rice-Cisneros doesn’t take any credit for uniting Listman and Keval, the couple is quick to point out Cosecha’s importance in their lives. “Masala y Maiz exists because of Dominica. We exist [as a couple] because of PKC,” Keval says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2017, Listman moved back to Mexico to research corn foodways. Unexpectedly, she was offered an on-the-spot chance to take over a dining space in the San Miguel Chapultepec neighborhood of Mexico City. She took the risk and invited Keval to join her. The result was Masala y Maiz: a combination of their families’ migratory lineages told through recipes. In that way, the restaurant is an expression of all of the parallels that Listman and Keval have found between the cuisines and cultures across Mexico, India, Kenya and the Global South at large.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987855\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987855\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/norma-and-saqib.jpg\" alt=\"A man and a woman, both in sunglasses, sit close together while the woman takes a selfie of the two of them with her phone.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/norma-and-saqib.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/norma-and-saqib-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/norma-and-saqib-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/norma-and-saqib-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In 2017, Listman and Keval left the Bay Area, where they had met and began dating, with the shared vision of changing the restaurant industry together. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Saqib Keval)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The restaurant’s stature has only grown over the years as it moved into larger spaces and solidified itself as a culinary destination and activist force in Mexico City. But even as the couple was building out their restaurant, the Bay Area was always close to their hearts — and the Bay hadn’t forgotten about them, either. Listman notes that her former mentor, the legendary Slanted Door chef Charles Phan (who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13970535/charles-phan-the-innovative-chef-of-sfs-slanted-door-has-died\">passed away last year\u003c/a>), supplied Masala y Maiz with its inaugural set of silverware. Eight years later, it’s still the crown jewel of the restaurant’s collection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b; font-weight: 400;\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>For Listman, the Bay resonates in their work — but it’s not the only factor. “The Bay Area is a very revolutionary place with incredible political movements,” she says. “But it’s not the only thing. A lot of the movements in Mexico and in different communities inform what we do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keval is even more effusive in his praise of the Bay. “The thing about the restaurants in the Bay we worked at was that they showed us the possibilities of what a restaurant can be, and the authenticity of each person expressing who they are in their own way,” he says. “We learned what it means to do right by your employees and your team. We worked with chefs who cared, who worked alongside everyone else. That helped me form this idea of what a restaurant could be and how to critique patriarchy, capitalism and so forth. Oakland gave me space to try that out and tweak it and work on service and hospitality from a different point of view, one that was community-based and centered on dignity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987861\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987861\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg\" alt=\"Two pairs of hands pressing down on banana leaves in a large pot.\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At Masala y Maiz, Listman and Keval combine culinary traditions from their respective backgrounds. \u003ccite>(Sana Javeri Kadri, courtesy of Masala y Maiz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a fine dining industry where headlines about \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/dining/rene-redzepi-noma-abuse-allegations.html\">institutions abusing their workers\u003c/a> are not uncommon, and in which high-end establishments have a reputation of being financially inaccessible to the working class, Masala y Maiz’s egalitarian for-the-people, by-the-people mantras are far from the norm. But they’re deeply rooted in the Bay’s insurgent ecosystem, where Listman and Keval were shaped and influenced for years while also carving out space for themselves, long before Masala y Maiz’s opened its proverbial doors to would-be diners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Keval puts it, “That’s who we are, and that’s a direct line to the Bay. That won’t ever stop being home.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all, is there anything more truly Oakland than feeding revolutions, building cross-communal solidarity, and inviting everyone to share in discourse amid today’s hetero-capitalist dystopia — all while eating some of the best meals of your life?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction: An earlier version of this article credited chef Anthony Strong with providing Masala y Maiz’s first set of silverware. Strong was also a mentor to Listman, but Charles Phan of Slanted Door was the one who gifted them the silverware.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
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"soldout": {
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"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
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"title": "TED Radio Hour",
"info": "The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.",
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"tagline": "Local news to keep you rooted",
"info": "Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.",
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