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"slug": "all-you-can-eat-wagyu-beef-barbecue-sushi-milpitas-ayce-late-night",
"title": "A Ritzy New Japanese Barbecue Spot Revels in All-You-Can-Eat Beef and Sushi",
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"content": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu-a60ca683.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Three men devour barbecue meats while a server cooks the food on the grill.\" class=\"wp-image-13995359\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu-a60ca683.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu-a60ca683-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu-a60ca683-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu-a60ca683-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The centerpiece of a meal at Sea Wagyu House in Milpitas is the abundant grill-your-own meat and seafood spread, available in three progressively more extravagant tiers. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/south-bay\">South Bay’s\u003c/a> newest all-you-can-eat restaurant is situated in a Milpitas strip mall, in a big, airy space that until recently housed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2024/12/18/red-lobster-closure-milpitas.html\">Red Lobster\u003c/a>. (It still looks like one from the outside.) Unlike its predecessor, though, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/seawagyu.house/\">Sea Wagyu House\u003c/a> promises extravagant delights from both the land \u003cem>and\u003c/em> the sea. Which is to say diners can indulge in as much Japanese yakiniku-style grilled wagyu beef as they care to eat. And they can feast on unlimited nigiri and sashimi from a well-stocked sushi buffet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the place stays open until 1 o’clock in the morning every night. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is what ultimately brought us here at 9:30 p.m. on a recent Friday, having snagged a late reservation to bypass the two-hour-long Yelp waiting list. Inside, the restaurant has been done up in a modern, vaguely nightclub-esque style, with lots of streaked black marble and faux pyrotechnics, and a staff of attractive Asian American twentysomethings dressed in all black to match. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Savvy diners will quickly clock that Sea Wagyu House is a pretty blatant clone of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.chubbycattle.com/\">Chubby Cattle\u003c/a> conglomerate’s growing empire of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13965215/all-you-can-eat-wagyu-beef-hot-pot-shabu-shabu-mikiya-santa-clara\">upscale AYCE wagyu spots\u003c/a>, right down to the 90-minute time limit for your meal and the “silver,” “gold” and “diamond” tier levels on the menu. (An ungenerous reviewer might call it a cut-rate version, as each tier is priced $10 to $20 cheaper.) Sea Wagyu isn’t even the only \u003ca href=\"https://www.yelp.com/biz/wagyu-grill-ayce-milpitas\">copycat\u003c/a> \u003cem>in Milpitas,\u003c/em> where a location of Chubby Cattle proper is also slated to \u003ca href=\"https://www.chubbycattle.com/project/chubby-cattle-milpitas/\">open soon\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Who knows who will emerge victorious in the coming wagyu buffet wars? The only thing clear is that piles of endless wagyu seem to be the restaurant format of choice for today’s cash-flush Asian American Millennials and Gen Z-ers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But even if the concept behind Sea Wagyu House isn’t original, the restaurant does have its own unique charms that set it apart from the crowd. One of the most notable is the sushi selection, which to be clear, isn’t necessarily premium omakase-counter quality. But the fish is fresher and more interestingly varied than what you’d find at most sushi buffets. I loaded up on two rounds of just sashimi — velvety escolar dotted with chili crisp, buttery slices of hamachi, and some other delicate, pink-fleshed fish I didn’t recognize that came garnished with jalapeño and microgreens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men approach a restaurant, lit up at night. The sign above reads, "Sea Wagyu House."\" class=\"wp-image-13995362\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant is open until 1 a.m. every night. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rest of the buffet counter is mostly dedicated to items meant to enhance your barbecue experience. There is an excellent sauce station, with a variety of premixed options highlighted by a refreshing, chile-spiked “house sauce” and a zippy green, cilantro-based number that paired especially well with seafood. And there are radish slices, lettuce leaves and surprisingly excellent kimchi, for diners who like to fold their meat into Korean-style lettuce wraps.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the centerpiece of the Sea Wagyu experience is the grill-your-own barbecue spread, which itself is an abundant array of both meat and seafood — with additional luxury ingredients added for each higher price point. The $45 silver tier, for instance, doesn’t come with any actual wagyu, while the $75 diamond tier is bloated with unnecessarily extravagant items like abalone and caviar that didn’t even make sense to us in a barbecue context. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For us, the $58 gold tier felt like the Goldilocks level, as it came with all of the premium cuts we wound up enjoying the most. Even at this level, you get an unlimited supply of six different cuts of wagyu, including the ribeye cap, the chuck eye and the beef “toro” — all thin cuts that sizzled and often burst into flame on the hot wire grill. Every cut was delicious, though at a certain point the wagyu all started to taste the same, just varying levels of buttery and rich. One standout was the wagyu flat iron, which was exquisitely tender with a robust, beefy flavor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our other favorites weren’t wagyu cuts at all, but rather the bone-in short rib (cut off the bone, actually, and rolled up into a coil) and the rib finger. These were the thickest, steakiest cuts. Seasoned with just salt and pepper, each piece burst with meaty juices when we bit in and was delicious even without any sauce.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the seafood side, we especially loved the generous portion of uncommonly fresh and juicy live clams (part of the “Dragon Seafood Tower,” which during our visit just came on a normal plate), which popped open after a few minutes on the grill. And after our server saw how much we enjoyed the sea snails (a favorite of the restaurant’s Vietnamese clientele), she brought us another huge plate of them that she’d already dug out from their shells ahead of time, so we could savor their earthy umami unencumbered.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For all of the restaurant’s astonishing abundance, there were a handful of aspects that felt a little bit \u003cem>un\u003c/em>generous. Unlike some of the other buffets at this price point, no drinks were included in any of the tiers, and the fountain sodas didn’t even come with free refills. (As the Diet Coke fiends in our party racked up a $15 soda bill, I couldn’t help but think of the all-you-can-drink milk tea I’d enjoyed at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13965215/all-you-can-eat-wagyu-beef-hot-pot-shabu-shabu-mikiya-santa-clara\">a local competitor.\u003c/a>) And the only dessert option to speak of was a rather paltry selection of limp fruit crepes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If we are being real about it, though, no one is eating at an AYCE wagyu spot for the drinks or desserts. And halfway through our meal at Sea Wagyu, we started to really get the hang of how to best enjoy ourselves. We learned that none of the wide selection of (mostly carb-heavy) hot appetizers were worth the stomach space except the bone broth, which made for a wonderful palate cleanser. The mushroom soup wasn’t bad either.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mostly, though, what we learned was that our friendly server was far, far more competent than we could ever dream of being. That baby octopus I bit into that was still soft and watery inside? It wasn’t even close to finished. Later, I ate one that she had grilled and it was sublime, with a tender bite and a subtle smoky flavor. After that we let her handle all of the seafood — the scallops, the oysters, the wonderfully crackly-shelled head-on shrimp. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the time 10 o’clock rolled around, we’d basically given up on grilling the meats on our own. Every cut she grilled tasted twice as good as the ones we’d tried to manage ourselves. We sat back and focused on eating. We let her cook.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.seawagyuhouse.com/\">\u003cem>Sea Wagyu House\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is open Monday through Friday, 5 p.m.–1 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday, noon–1 a.m., at 503 E. Calaveras Blvd. in Milpitas. Last seating is at 12:30 a.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/south-bay\">South Bay’s\u003c/a> newest all-you-can-eat restaurant is situated in a Milpitas strip mall, in a big, airy space that until recently housed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2024/12/18/red-lobster-closure-milpitas.html\">Red Lobster\u003c/a>. (It still looks like one from the outside.) Unlike its predecessor, though, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/seawagyu.house/\">Sea Wagyu House\u003c/a> promises extravagant delights from both the land \u003cem>and\u003c/em> the sea. Which is to say diners can indulge in as much Japanese yakiniku-style grilled wagyu beef as they care to eat. And they can feast on unlimited nigiri and sashimi from a well-stocked sushi buffet. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/south-bay\">South Bay’s\u003c/a> newest all-you-can-eat restaurant is situated in a Milpitas strip mall, in a big, airy space that until recently housed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2024/12/18/red-lobster-closure-milpitas.html\">Red Lobster\u003c/a>. (It still looks like one from the outside.) Unlike its predecessor, though, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/seawagyu.house/\">Sea Wagyu House\u003c/a> promises extravagant delights from both the land \u003cem>and\u003c/em> the sea. Which is to say diners can indulge in as much Japanese yakiniku-style grilled wagyu beef as they care to eat. And they can feast on unlimited nigiri and sashimi from a well-stocked sushi buffet. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And the place stays open until 1 o’clock in the morning every night. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And the place stays open until 1 o’clock in the morning every night. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This is what ultimately brought us here at 9:30 p.m. on a recent Friday, having snagged a late reservation to bypass the two-hour-long Yelp waiting list. Inside, the restaurant has been done up in a modern, vaguely nightclub-esque style, with lots of streaked black marble and faux pyrotechnics, and a staff of attractive Asian American twentysomethings dressed in all black to match. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>This is what ultimately brought us here at 9:30 p.m. on a recent Friday, having snagged a late reservation to bypass the two-hour-long Yelp waiting list. Inside, the restaurant has been done up in a modern, vaguely nightclub-esque style, with lots of streaked black marble and faux pyrotechnics, and a staff of attractive Asian American twentysomethings dressed in all black to match. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Savvy diners will quickly clock that Sea Wagyu House is a pretty blatant clone of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.chubbycattle.com/\">Chubby Cattle\u003c/a> conglomerate’s growing empire of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13965215/all-you-can-eat-wagyu-beef-hot-pot-shabu-shabu-mikiya-santa-clara\">upscale AYCE wagyu spots\u003c/a>, right down to the 90-minute time limit for your meal and the “silver,” “gold” and “diamond” tier levels on the menu. (An ungenerous reviewer might call it a cut-rate version, as each tier is priced $10 to $20 cheaper.) Sea Wagyu isn’t even the only \u003ca href=\"https://www.yelp.com/biz/wagyu-grill-ayce-milpitas\">copycat\u003c/a> \u003cem>in Milpitas,\u003c/em> where a location of Chubby Cattle proper is also slated to \u003ca href=\"https://www.chubbycattle.com/project/chubby-cattle-milpitas/\">open soon\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Savvy diners will quickly clock that Sea Wagyu House is a pretty blatant clone of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.chubbycattle.com/\">Chubby Cattle\u003c/a> conglomerate’s growing empire of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13965215/all-you-can-eat-wagyu-beef-hot-pot-shabu-shabu-mikiya-santa-clara\">upscale AYCE wagyu spots\u003c/a>, right down to the 90-minute time limit for your meal and the “silver,” “gold” and “diamond” tier levels on the menu. (An ungenerous reviewer might call it a cut-rate version, as each tier is priced $10 to $20 cheaper.) Sea Wagyu isn’t even the only \u003ca href=\"https://www.yelp.com/biz/wagyu-grill-ayce-milpitas\">copycat\u003c/a> \u003cem>in Milpitas,\u003c/em> where a location of Chubby Cattle proper is also slated to \u003ca href=\"https://www.chubbycattle.com/project/chubby-cattle-milpitas/\">open soon\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Who knows who will emerge victorious in the coming wagyu buffet wars? The only thing clear is that piles of endless wagyu seem to be the restaurant format of choice for today’s cash-flush Asian American Millennials and Gen Z-ers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Who knows who will emerge victorious in the coming wagyu buffet wars? The only thing clear is that piles of endless wagyu seem to be the restaurant format of choice for today’s cash-flush Asian American Millennials and Gen Z-ers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But even if the concept behind Sea Wagyu House isn’t original, the restaurant does have its own unique charms that set it apart from the crowd. One of the most notable is the sushi selection, which to be clear, isn’t necessarily premium omakase-counter quality. But the fish is fresher and more interestingly varied than what you’d find at most sushi buffets. I loaded up on two rounds of just sashimi — velvety escolar dotted with chili crisp, buttery slices of hamachi, and some other delicate, pink-fleshed fish I didn’t recognize that came garnished with jalapeño and microgreens.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But even if the concept behind Sea Wagyu House isn’t original, the restaurant does have its own unique charms that set it apart from the crowd. One of the most notable is the sushi selection, which to be clear, isn’t necessarily premium omakase-counter quality. But the fish is fresher and more interestingly varied than what you’d find at most sushi buffets. I loaded up on two rounds of just sashimi — velvety escolar dotted with chili crisp, buttery slices of hamachi, and some other delicate, pink-fleshed fish I didn’t recognize that came garnished with jalapeño and microgreens.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb-1152x1536.jpg 1152w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men approach a restaurant, lit up at night. The sign above reads, "Sea Wagyu House."\" class=\"wp-image-13995362\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant is open until 1 a.m. every night.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men approach a restaurant, lit up at night. The sign above reads, "Sea Wagyu House."\" class=\"wp-image-13995362\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant is open until 1 a.m. every night.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The rest of the buffet counter is mostly dedicated to items meant to enhance your barbecue experience. There is an excellent sauce station, with a variety of premixed options highlighted by a refreshing, chile-spiked “house sauce” and a zippy green, cilantro-based number that paired especially well with seafood. And there are radish slices, lettuce leaves and surprisingly excellent kimchi, for diners who like to fold their meat into Korean-style lettuce wraps.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The rest of the buffet counter is mostly dedicated to items meant to enhance your barbecue experience. There is an excellent sauce station, with a variety of premixed options highlighted by a refreshing, chile-spiked “house sauce” and a zippy green, cilantro-based number that paired especially well with seafood. And there are radish slices, lettuce leaves and surprisingly excellent kimchi, for diners who like to fold their meat into Korean-style lettuce wraps.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the centerpiece of the Sea Wagyu experience is the grill-your-own barbecue spread, which itself is an abundant array of both meat and seafood — with additional luxury ingredients added for each higher price point. The $45 silver tier, for instance, doesn’t come with any actual wagyu, while the $75 diamond tier is bloated with unnecessarily extravagant items like abalone and caviar that didn’t even make sense to us in a barbecue context. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But the centerpiece of the Sea Wagyu experience is the grill-your-own barbecue spread, which itself is an abundant array of both meat and seafood — with additional luxury ingredients added for each higher price point. The $45 silver tier, for instance, doesn’t come with any actual wagyu, while the $75 diamond tier is bloated with unnecessarily extravagant items like abalone and caviar that didn’t even make sense to us in a barbecue context. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For us, the $58 gold tier felt like the Goldilocks level, as it came with all of the premium cuts we wound up enjoying the most. Even at this level, you get an unlimited supply of six different cuts of wagyu, including the ribeye cap, the chuck eye and the beef “toro” — all thin cuts that sizzled and often burst into flame on the hot wire grill. Every cut was delicious, though at a certain point the wagyu all started to taste the same, just varying levels of buttery and rich. One standout was the wagyu flat iron, which was exquisitely tender with a robust, beefy flavor. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For us, the $58 gold tier felt like the Goldilocks level, as it came with all of the premium cuts we wound up enjoying the most. Even at this level, you get an unlimited supply of six different cuts of wagyu, including the ribeye cap, the chuck eye and the beef “toro” — all thin cuts that sizzled and often burst into flame on the hot wire grill. Every cut was delicious, though at a certain point the wagyu all started to taste the same, just varying levels of buttery and rich. One standout was the wagyu flat iron, which was exquisitely tender with a robust, beefy flavor. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Our other favorites weren’t wagyu cuts at all, but rather the bone-in short rib (cut off the bone, actually, and rolled up into a coil) and the rib finger. These were the thickest, steakiest cuts. Seasoned with just salt and pepper, each piece burst with meaty juices when we bit in and was delicious even without any sauce.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Our other favorites weren’t wagyu cuts at all, but rather the bone-in short rib (cut off the bone, actually, and rolled up into a coil) and the rib finger. These were the thickest, steakiest cuts. Seasoned with just salt and pepper, each piece burst with meaty juices when we bit in and was delicious even without any sauce.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On the seafood side, we especially loved the generous portion of uncommonly fresh and juicy live clams (part of the “Dragon Seafood Tower,” which during our visit just came on a normal plate), which popped open after a few minutes on the grill. And after our server saw how much we enjoyed the sea snails (a favorite of the restaurant’s Vietnamese clientele), she brought us another huge plate of them that she’d already dug out from their shells ahead of time, so we could savor their earthy umami unencumbered.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On the seafood side, we especially loved the generous portion of uncommonly fresh and juicy live clams (part of the “Dragon Seafood Tower,” which during our visit just came on a normal plate), which popped open after a few minutes on the grill. And after our server saw how much we enjoyed the sea snails (a favorite of the restaurant’s Vietnamese clientele), she brought us another huge plate of them that she’d already dug out from their shells ahead of time, so we could savor their earthy umami unencumbered.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For all of the restaurant’s astonishing abundance, there were a handful of aspects that felt a little bit \u003cem>un\u003c/em>generous. Unlike some of the other buffets at this price point, no drinks were included in any of the tiers, and the fountain sodas didn’t even come with free refills. (As the Diet Coke fiends in our party racked up a $15 soda bill, I couldn’t help but think of the all-you-can-drink milk tea I’d enjoyed at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13965215/all-you-can-eat-wagyu-beef-hot-pot-shabu-shabu-mikiya-santa-clara\">a local competitor.\u003c/a>) And the only dessert option to speak of was a rather paltry selection of limp fruit crepes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For all of the restaurant’s astonishing abundance, there were a handful of aspects that felt a little bit \u003cem>un\u003c/em>generous. Unlike some of the other buffets at this price point, no drinks were included in any of the tiers, and the fountain sodas didn’t even come with free refills. (As the Diet Coke fiends in our party racked up a $15 soda bill, I couldn’t help but think of the all-you-can-drink milk tea I’d enjoyed at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13965215/all-you-can-eat-wagyu-beef-hot-pot-shabu-shabu-mikiya-santa-clara\">a local competitor.\u003c/a>) And the only dessert option to speak of was a rather paltry selection of limp fruit crepes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If we are being real about it, though, no one is eating at an AYCE wagyu spot for the drinks or desserts. And halfway through our meal at Sea Wagyu, we started to really get the hang of how to best enjoy ourselves. We learned that none of the wide selection of (mostly carb-heavy) hot appetizers were worth the stomach space except the bone broth, which made for a wonderful palate cleanser. The mushroom soup wasn’t bad either.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If we are being real about it, though, no one is eating at an AYCE wagyu spot for the drinks or desserts. And halfway through our meal at Sea Wagyu, we started to really get the hang of how to best enjoy ourselves. We learned that none of the wide selection of (mostly carb-heavy) hot appetizers were worth the stomach space except the bone broth, which made for a wonderful palate cleanser. The mushroom soup wasn’t bad either.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mostly, though, what we learned was that our friendly server was far, far more competent than we could ever dream of being. That baby octopus I bit into that was still soft and watery inside? It wasn’t even close to finished. Later, I ate one that she had grilled and it was sublime, with a tender bite and a subtle smoky flavor. After that we let her handle all of the seafood — the scallops, the oysters, the wonderfully crackly-shelled head-on shrimp. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mostly, though, what we learned was that our friendly server was far, far more competent than we could ever dream of being. That baby octopus I bit into that was still soft and watery inside? It wasn’t even close to finished. Later, I ate one that she had grilled and it was sublime, with a tender bite and a subtle smoky flavor. After that we let her handle all of the seafood — the scallops, the oysters, the wonderfully crackly-shelled head-on shrimp. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>By the time 10 o’clock rolled around, we’d basically given up on grilling the meats on our own. Every cut she grilled tasted twice as good as the ones we’d tried to manage ourselves. We sat back and focused on eating. We let her cook.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>By the time 10 o’clock rolled around, we’d basically given up on grilling the meats on our own. Every cut she grilled tasted twice as good as the ones we’d tried to manage ourselves. We sat back and focused on eating. We let her cook.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.seawagyuhouse.com/\">\u003cem>Sea Wagyu House\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is open Monday through Friday, 5 p.m.–1 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday, noon–1 a.m., at 503 E. Calaveras Blvd. in Milpitas. Last seating is at 12:30 a.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.seawagyuhouse.com/\">\u003cem>Sea Wagyu House\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is open Monday through Friday, 5 p.m.–1 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday, noon–1 a.m., at 503 E. Calaveras Blvd. in Milpitas. Last seating is at 12:30 a.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu-a60ca683.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Three men devour barbecue meats while a server cooks the food on the grill.\" class=\"wp-image-13995359\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu-a60ca683.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu-a60ca683-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu-a60ca683-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu-a60ca683-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The centerpiece of a meal at Sea Wagyu House in Milpitas is the abundant grill-your-own meat and seafood spread, available in three progressively more extravagant tiers. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/south-bay\">South Bay’s\u003c/a> newest all-you-can-eat restaurant is situated in a Milpitas strip mall, in a big, airy space that until recently housed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2024/12/18/red-lobster-closure-milpitas.html\">Red Lobster\u003c/a>. (It still looks like one from the outside.) Unlike its predecessor, though, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/seawagyu.house/\">Sea Wagyu House\u003c/a> promises extravagant delights from both the land \u003cem>and\u003c/em> the sea. Which is to say diners can indulge in as much Japanese yakiniku-style grilled wagyu beef as they care to eat. And they can feast on unlimited nigiri and sashimi from a well-stocked sushi buffet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the place stays open until 1 o’clock in the morning every night. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is what ultimately brought us here at 9:30 p.m. on a recent Friday, having snagged a late reservation to bypass the two-hour-long Yelp waiting list. Inside, the restaurant has been done up in a modern, vaguely nightclub-esque style, with lots of streaked black marble and faux pyrotechnics, and a staff of attractive Asian American twentysomethings dressed in all black to match. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Savvy diners will quickly clock that Sea Wagyu House is a pretty blatant clone of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.chubbycattle.com/\">Chubby Cattle\u003c/a> conglomerate’s growing empire of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13965215/all-you-can-eat-wagyu-beef-hot-pot-shabu-shabu-mikiya-santa-clara\">upscale AYCE wagyu spots\u003c/a>, right down to the 90-minute time limit for your meal and the “silver,” “gold” and “diamond” tier levels on the menu. (An ungenerous reviewer might call it a cut-rate version, as each tier is priced $10 to $20 cheaper.) Sea Wagyu isn’t even the only \u003ca href=\"https://www.yelp.com/biz/wagyu-grill-ayce-milpitas\">copycat\u003c/a> \u003cem>in Milpitas,\u003c/em> where a location of Chubby Cattle proper is also slated to \u003ca href=\"https://www.chubbycattle.com/project/chubby-cattle-milpitas/\">open soon\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Who knows who will emerge victorious in the coming wagyu buffet wars? The only thing clear is that piles of endless wagyu seem to be the restaurant format of choice for today’s cash-flush Asian American Millennials and Gen Z-ers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But even if the concept behind Sea Wagyu House isn’t original, the restaurant does have its own unique charms that set it apart from the crowd. One of the most notable is the sushi selection, which to be clear, isn’t necessarily premium omakase-counter quality. But the fish is fresher and more interestingly varied than what you’d find at most sushi buffets. I loaded up on two rounds of just sashimi — velvety escolar dotted with chili crisp, buttery slices of hamachi, and some other delicate, pink-fleshed fish I didn’t recognize that came garnished with jalapeño and microgreens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men approach a restaurant, lit up at night. The sign above reads, "Sea Wagyu House."\" class=\"wp-image-13995362\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/seawagyu2-6ff09eeb-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant is open until 1 a.m. every night. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rest of the buffet counter is mostly dedicated to items meant to enhance your barbecue experience. There is an excellent sauce station, with a variety of premixed options highlighted by a refreshing, chile-spiked “house sauce” and a zippy green, cilantro-based number that paired especially well with seafood. And there are radish slices, lettuce leaves and surprisingly excellent kimchi, for diners who like to fold their meat into Korean-style lettuce wraps.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the centerpiece of the Sea Wagyu experience is the grill-your-own barbecue spread, which itself is an abundant array of both meat and seafood — with additional luxury ingredients added for each higher price point. The $45 silver tier, for instance, doesn’t come with any actual wagyu, while the $75 diamond tier is bloated with unnecessarily extravagant items like abalone and caviar that didn’t even make sense to us in a barbecue context. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For us, the $58 gold tier felt like the Goldilocks level, as it came with all of the premium cuts we wound up enjoying the most. Even at this level, you get an unlimited supply of six different cuts of wagyu, including the ribeye cap, the chuck eye and the beef “toro” — all thin cuts that sizzled and often burst into flame on the hot wire grill. Every cut was delicious, though at a certain point the wagyu all started to taste the same, just varying levels of buttery and rich. One standout was the wagyu flat iron, which was exquisitely tender with a robust, beefy flavor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our other favorites weren’t wagyu cuts at all, but rather the bone-in short rib (cut off the bone, actually, and rolled up into a coil) and the rib finger. These were the thickest, steakiest cuts. Seasoned with just salt and pepper, each piece burst with meaty juices when we bit in and was delicious even without any sauce.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the seafood side, we especially loved the generous portion of uncommonly fresh and juicy live clams (part of the “Dragon Seafood Tower,” which during our visit just came on a normal plate), which popped open after a few minutes on the grill. And after our server saw how much we enjoyed the sea snails (a favorite of the restaurant’s Vietnamese clientele), she brought us another huge plate of them that she’d already dug out from their shells ahead of time, so we could savor their earthy umami unencumbered.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For all of the restaurant’s astonishing abundance, there were a handful of aspects that felt a little bit \u003cem>un\u003c/em>generous. Unlike some of the other buffets at this price point, no drinks were included in any of the tiers, and the fountain sodas didn’t even come with free refills. (As the Diet Coke fiends in our party racked up a $15 soda bill, I couldn’t help but think of the all-you-can-drink milk tea I’d enjoyed at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13965215/all-you-can-eat-wagyu-beef-hot-pot-shabu-shabu-mikiya-santa-clara\">a local competitor.\u003c/a>) And the only dessert option to speak of was a rather paltry selection of limp fruit crepes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If we are being real about it, though, no one is eating at an AYCE wagyu spot for the drinks or desserts. And halfway through our meal at Sea Wagyu, we started to really get the hang of how to best enjoy ourselves. We learned that none of the wide selection of (mostly carb-heavy) hot appetizers were worth the stomach space except the bone broth, which made for a wonderful palate cleanser. The mushroom soup wasn’t bad either.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mostly, though, what we learned was that our friendly server was far, far more competent than we could ever dream of being. That baby octopus I bit into that was still soft and watery inside? It wasn’t even close to finished. Later, I ate one that she had grilled and it was sublime, with a tender bite and a subtle smoky flavor. After that we let her handle all of the seafood — the scallops, the oysters, the wonderfully crackly-shelled head-on shrimp. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the time 10 o’clock rolled around, we’d basically given up on grilling the meats on our own. Every cut she grilled tasted twice as good as the ones we’d tried to manage ourselves. We sat back and focused on eating. We let her cook.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.seawagyuhouse.com/\">\u003cem>Sea Wagyu House\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is open Monday through Friday, 5 p.m.–1 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday, noon–1 a.m., at 503 E. Calaveras Blvd. in Milpitas. Last seating is at 12:30 a.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "a-novel-affair-romance-bookstore-los-altos-bay-area",
"title": "Readers Bond Over Faeries, Hockey Players and Dukes at This Romance Bookstore",
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"headTitle": "Readers Bond Over Faeries, Hockey Players and Dukes at This Romance Bookstore | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/findingyourpeople\">Finding Your People\u003c/a>, a series celebrating the Bay Area’s meetups and subcultures that bring people together IRL in an increasingly online world.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Not many book clubs go from “opposites-attract workplace liaisons” one month to “bloody sapphic vampires” the next. But romance readers are just built different. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tucked away in a charming corner of the South Bay town of Los Altos, A Novel Affair — the Bay Area’s first bookstore devoted to romance literature — is a proud home for them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The readers convene every last Sunday of the month. For June, the pick was the aforementioned vampire novel: \u003cem>Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil \u003c/em>by V.E. Schwab. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jeffery Spafford of Santa Clara gave it 4.8 stars. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Schwab really likes to explore the idea of hunger and want — and the sacrifice one makes for it,” he said. He’s a fan of her pandemic hit, a poetically tragic tale of immortality called \u003cem>The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue\u003c/em>. “It questions all the characters’ moral compasses, and some of them were truly terrible.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Right across from him was Daly City resident Janella Juan. She smiled and held up her whiteboard, revealing her rating: 1 star.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992225\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Janella Juan speaks during a book club event at A Novel Affair. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>No hard feelings, though. Unlike your pandemic-era book club, A Novel Affair’s members actually do their reading. Taylor Wardwell of Santa Clara was even head down, catching up on the last few pages before things got started. Fremont’s Ariel Flores said she started and finished the book in the last 24 hours. “[I] gotta get rid of this toxic book,” she said, laughing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And then, they got \u003cem>into \u003c/em>it\u003cem>.\u003c/em> For over an hour, they laughed, debated and shot back and forth about the gothic affairs of the lesbian undead throughout time (“I don’t think she loved anyone.” “I think she loved herself!” “I \u003cem>hate\u003c/em> her mother-in-law. Absolutely \u003cem>not\u003c/em>.”) \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s that kind of spirited discussion that has brought Spafford back to every single book club hosted by the store so far. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-08-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992405\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-08-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-08-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-08-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-08-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Participants gather for a book club event at A Novel Affair. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-45-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992404\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-45-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-45-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-45-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-45-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeffrey Spafford shares the rating he chose for the book during book club. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“I always kind of leave a little bit more inspired by other people’s perspective,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Romance novel discussions can get contentious online. It’s also much harder to make genuine connections on Goodreads. But the regular members of A Novel Affair’s book club are much more cordial, and have gotten to know each other through their tastes. Wardell, who was sitting next to Spafford, said to him, “I knew you were not gonna like this character.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>A slow burn\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Spafford admitted that at first, he didn’t consider himself a romance reader. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It turned out to be the last few years, it was my top-most read genre,” Spafford said. “I’m a teacher. So my job can be stressful. And our world is really terrible.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It can be nice to revisit the familiar beats of a good romance story, he explained. His \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/06/25/nx-s1-5673443/the-new-book-tropesick-is-a-love-letter-to-romance-novels\">favorite tropes are\u003c/a> second-chance love and enemies-to-lovers. “Most of [the stories] have happy endings,” he added.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Spafford is not alone in looking for an escape: Romance novel sales \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonifitzgerald/2020/05/08/during-tough-times-romance-novel-sales-are-set-to-soar/\">tend to go up\u003c/a> during destabilizing times, including after \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/21/not-just-love-actually-why-romance-fiction-is-booming\">the attack on the Twin Towers\u003c/a>, during the Great Recession and in the early days of the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-07-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992226\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-07-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-07-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-07-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-07-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Participants browse books before a bedazzling event at A Novel Affair. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Romance’s impact in the publishing world has never been more apparent. This formidable genre’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.marketplace.org/story/2025/10/14/romance-novels-float-floundering-publishing-industry\">sales support almost the entire industry\u003c/a>, and its passionate, built-in fanbase make romance novels no-brainers for TV and film adaptation, \u003ca href=\"https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/why-rom-coms-not-in-theaters-anymore-1235548513/\">quenching viewers’ thirst for swoon-worthy plots\u003c/a>. A \u003ca href=\"https://therippedbodice.com/\">host\u003c/a> of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thelastchapterchi/\">themed\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://lovestruckbooks.com/\">bookstores, some of them part cafes and part wine bars\u003c/a>, are \u003ca href=\"https://grumpandsunshine.com/\">opening\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.tropebookshop.com/\">across the country\u003c/a> — including The Love Potion Library, which opened last spring in \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thelovepotionlibrary/\">San Francisco’s Castro District\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>No matter the subgenre, no matter “how high-concept it is,” romance “just reaches people in a really deep way,” said Abigail Hing Wen, Bay Area writer of young adult romance \u003cem>Loveboat, Taipei\u003c/em>, which was adapted into a 2023 Netflix film.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The longing and that desire for companionship — desire to be seen and understood and accepted for who you are — I think that’s something that’s just innate to all of us,” she continued (favorite trope: enemies-to-lovers).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But as a genre, romance doesn’t exactly get \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/21/not-just-love-actually-why-romance-fiction-is-booming\">its dues or respect\u003c/a>, said Yung Le, co-founder of A Novel Affair.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992227\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yung Le, bookstore owner, speaks with participants during a book bedazzling event. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a genre majorly written by women and enjoyed by women — and a lot of people dismiss it as a category,” said Le. “Maybe because of it or not, but we thought that we’ll be the place to celebrate romance.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Le started A Novel Affair over a year ago with Julie Pham when they “realized there really isn’t a third space for people like us, and we also realized that ‘people like us’ is a huge community — especially in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Forced proximity\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A Novel Affair is bright and airy, with bookshelves lining the edges of the store and an open floor in the center — giving people an opportunity to strike up conversations. Or be “at forced proximity,” Spafford said, using a beloved romance trope. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It feels a little like BookTok coming to life. For Pride, rainbow-themed paper chains are draped along the ceiling. Pop music gently plays in the background. A corner displays T-shirts and baseball hats with snappy one-liners: “Everything I Know About Hockey I Learned From Romance Novels.” “death by \u003ca href=\"https://help.goodreads.com/s/question/0D58V00008zYYOkSAO/what-does-tbr-mean\">tbr\u003c/a>.” There’s a Shane Hollander-scented candle for sale. (This reporter unfortunately could not verify the smell.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"13992402\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-02-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992402\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-02-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-02-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-02-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-02-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees read heart-shaped notes from readers sharing their book confessions. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"13992403\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-41-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992403\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-41-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-41-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-41-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-41-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A confession at the shop reads, “Talking about the book with book friends is better than reading.” (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The most eye-catching part, however, is a window with a collage of Valentines stuck to it. A sign mimicking \u003cem>Bridgerton\u003c/em>’s elusive gossip Lady Whistledown asks readers to share their “most scandalous bookish confession.” Some highlights: \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Most love ‘triangles’ are just angles. Someone’s gotta be gay!” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I hate a book featuring a man.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Hockey romances aren’t all that. Where are the karate romances?!?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Established relationship\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hannah Phamvu (favorite trope: enemies-to-lovers, fake dating) from Milpitas was at a full crafting event during a cozy May evening, bedazzling a copy of Ali Hazelwood’s \u003cem>Deep End\u003c/em>. As she methodically placed teal plastic jewels onto the paperback cover, Phamvu and others around the table snacked and recommended titles. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“A lot of people who were there did not come with anybody else,” she said. “It’s just a really wholesome space.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-42-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992230\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-42-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-42-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-42-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-42-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hannah Phamvu chats with fellow romance book enthusiasts during a book bedazzling event. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>She recalled her first big event: a Regency-romance tea party. “I was really nervous, because none of my friends locally in the Bay Area are [on] their reading game.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now she’s a regular, attending craft nights and watch parties, and curling up on the couch with a book in front of the shop’s synthetic fireplace.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m a creature of habit, and so I feel like I’m always around people who are just like me, except when I’m at work,” Phamvu said. “A Novel Affair has really opened my world to like different people, different genres, different lifestyles. But everybody bonds over the same thing, which is reading.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-43-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992232\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-43-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-43-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-43-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-43-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The book Fang Fiction sits on a table before a book bedazzling event. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Romance — and its fans — also brought back her hunger to read for pleasure like she did in high school.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I used to just love going to Borders Bookstores and Barnes & Noble, and begging my parents to buy a stack of books for me,” Phamvu said. “And laying around with my friends just reading.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It has brought that love back.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.anovelaffairbookcafe.com/bookshop-events\">A Novel Affair’s book club\u003c/a> meets on the last Sunday of the month. The next meetings are on Aug. 30 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Not many book clubs go from “opposites-attract workplace liaisons” one month to “bloody sapphic vampires” the next. But romance readers are just built different. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tucked away in a charming corner of the South Bay town of Los Altos, A Novel Affair — the Bay Area’s first bookstore devoted to romance literature — is a proud home for them. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tucked away in a charming corner of the South Bay town of Los Altos, A Novel Affair — the Bay Area’s first bookstore devoted to romance literature — is a proud home for them. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The readers convene every last Sunday of the month. For June, the pick was the aforementioned vampire novel: \u003cem>Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil \u003c/em>by V.E. Schwab. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The readers convene every last Sunday of the month. For June, the pick was the aforementioned vampire novel: \u003cem>Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil \u003c/em>by V.E. Schwab. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jeffery Spafford of Santa Clara gave it 4.8 stars. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Schwab really likes to explore the idea of hunger and want — and the sacrifice one makes for it,” he said. He’s a fan of her pandemic hit, a poetically tragic tale of immortality called \u003cem>The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue\u003c/em>. “It questions all the characters’ moral compasses, and some of them were truly terrible.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Schwab really likes to explore the idea of hunger and want — and the sacrifice one makes for it,” he said. He’s a fan of her pandemic hit, a poetically tragic tale of immortality called \u003cem>The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue\u003c/em>. “It questions all the characters’ moral compasses, and some of them were truly terrible.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Right across from him was Daly City resident Janella Juan. She smiled and held up her whiteboard, revealing her rating: 1 star.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>No hard feelings, though. Unlike your pandemic-era book club, A Novel Affair’s members actually do their reading. Taylor Wardwell of Santa Clara was even head down, catching up on the last few pages before things got started. Fremont’s Ariel Flores said she started and finished the book in the last 24 hours. “[I] gotta get rid of this toxic book,” she said, laughing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And then, they got \u003cem>into \u003c/em>it\u003cem>.\u003c/em> For over an hour, they laughed, debated and shot back and forth about the gothic affairs of the lesbian undead throughout time (“I don’t think she loved anyone.” “I think she loved herself!” “I \u003cem>hate\u003c/em> her mother-in-law. Absolutely \u003cem>not\u003c/em>.”) \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And then, they got \u003cem>into \u003c/em>it\u003cem>.\u003c/em> For over an hour, they laughed, debated and shot back and forth about the gothic affairs of the lesbian undead throughout time (“I don’t think she loved anyone.” “I think she loved herself!” “I \u003cem>hate\u003c/em> her mother-in-law. Absolutely \u003cem>not\u003c/em>.”) \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-45-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992404\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-45-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-45-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-45-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-45-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeffrey Spafford shares the rating he chose for the book during book club.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-45-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992404\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeffrey Spafford shares the rating he chose for the book during book club.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I always kind of leave a little bit more inspired by other people’s perspective,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Romance novel discussions can get contentious online. It’s also much harder to make genuine connections on Goodreads. But the regular members of A Novel Affair’s book club are much more cordial, and have gotten to know each other through their tastes. Wardell, who was sitting next to Spafford, said to him, “I knew you were not gonna like this character.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "A slow burn",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Spafford admitted that at first, he didn’t consider himself a romance reader. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It turned out to be the last few years, it was my top-most read genre,” Spafford said. “I’m a teacher. So my job can be stressful. And our world is really terrible.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It turned out to be the last few years, it was my top-most read genre,” Spafford said. “I’m a teacher. So my job can be stressful. And our world is really terrible.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It can be nice to revisit the familiar beats of a good romance story, he explained. His \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/06/25/nx-s1-5673443/the-new-book-tropesick-is-a-love-letter-to-romance-novels\">favorite tropes are\u003c/a> second-chance love and enemies-to-lovers. “Most of [the stories] have happy endings,” he added.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It can be nice to revisit the familiar beats of a good romance story, he explained. His \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/06/25/nx-s1-5673443/the-new-book-tropesick-is-a-love-letter-to-romance-novels\">favorite tropes are\u003c/a> second-chance love and enemies-to-lovers. “Most of [the stories] have happy endings,” he added.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Spafford is not alone in looking for an escape: Romance novel sales \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonifitzgerald/2020/05/08/during-tough-times-romance-novel-sales-are-set-to-soar/\">tend to go up\u003c/a> during destabilizing times, including after \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/21/not-just-love-actually-why-romance-fiction-is-booming\">the attack on the Twin Towers\u003c/a>, during the Great Recession and in the early days of the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Spafford is not alone in looking for an escape: Romance novel sales \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonifitzgerald/2020/05/08/during-tough-times-romance-novel-sales-are-set-to-soar/\">tend to go up\u003c/a> during destabilizing times, including after \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/21/not-just-love-actually-why-romance-fiction-is-booming\">the attack on the Twin Towers\u003c/a>, during the Great Recession and in the early days of the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-07-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992226\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-07-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-07-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-07-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-07-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Participants browse books before a bedazzling event at A Novel Affair.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-07-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992226\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Participants browse books before a bedazzling event at A Novel Affair.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Romance’s impact in the publishing world has never been more apparent. This formidable genre’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.marketplace.org/story/2025/10/14/romance-novels-float-floundering-publishing-industry\">sales support almost the entire industry\u003c/a>, and its passionate, built-in fanbase make romance novels no-brainers for TV and film adaptation, \u003ca href=\"https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/why-rom-coms-not-in-theaters-anymore-1235548513/\">quenching viewers’ thirst for swoon-worthy plots\u003c/a>. A \u003ca href=\"https://therippedbodice.com/\">host\u003c/a> of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thelastchapterchi/\">themed\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://lovestruckbooks.com/\">bookstores, some of them part cafes and part wine bars\u003c/a>, are \u003ca href=\"https://grumpandsunshine.com/\">opening\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.tropebookshop.com/\">across the country\u003c/a> — including The Love Potion Library, which opened last spring in \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thelovepotionlibrary/\">San Francisco’s Castro District\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Romance’s impact in the publishing world has never been more apparent. This formidable genre’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.marketplace.org/story/2025/10/14/romance-novels-float-floundering-publishing-industry\">sales support almost the entire industry\u003c/a>, and its passionate, built-in fanbase make romance novels no-brainers for TV and film adaptation, \u003ca href=\"https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/why-rom-coms-not-in-theaters-anymore-1235548513/\">quenching viewers’ thirst for swoon-worthy plots\u003c/a>. A \u003ca href=\"https://therippedbodice.com/\">host\u003c/a> of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thelastchapterchi/\">themed\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://lovestruckbooks.com/\">bookstores, some of them part cafes and part wine bars\u003c/a>, are \u003ca href=\"https://grumpandsunshine.com/\">opening\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.tropebookshop.com/\">across the country\u003c/a> — including The Love Potion Library, which opened last spring in \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thelovepotionlibrary/\">San Francisco’s Castro District\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>No matter the subgenre, no matter “how high-concept it is,” romance “just reaches people in a really deep way,” said Abigail Hing Wen, Bay Area writer of young adult romance \u003cem>Loveboat, Taipei\u003c/em>, which was adapted into a 2023 Netflix film.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>No matter the subgenre, no matter “how high-concept it is,” romance “just reaches people in a really deep way,” said Abigail Hing Wen, Bay Area writer of young adult romance \u003cem>Loveboat, Taipei\u003c/em>, which was adapted into a 2023 Netflix film.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The longing and that desire for companionship — desire to be seen and understood and accepted for who you are — I think that’s something that’s just innate to all of us,” she continued (favorite trope: enemies-to-lovers).\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The longing and that desire for companionship — desire to be seen and understood and accepted for who you are — I think that’s something that’s just innate to all of us,” she continued (favorite trope: enemies-to-lovers).\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But as a genre, romance doesn’t exactly get \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/21/not-just-love-actually-why-romance-fiction-is-booming\">its dues or respect\u003c/a>, said Yung Le, co-founder of A Novel Affair.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But as a genre, romance doesn’t exactly get \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/21/not-just-love-actually-why-romance-fiction-is-booming\">its dues or respect\u003c/a>, said Yung Le, co-founder of A Novel Affair.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992227\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yung Le, bookstore owner, speaks with participants during a book bedazzling event.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992227\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yung Le, bookstore owner, speaks with participants during a book bedazzling event.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s a genre majorly written by women and enjoyed by women — and a lot of people dismiss it as a category,” said Le. “Maybe because of it or not, but we thought that we’ll be the place to celebrate romance.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s a genre majorly written by women and enjoyed by women — and a lot of people dismiss it as a category,” said Le. “Maybe because of it or not, but we thought that we’ll be the place to celebrate romance.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Le started A Novel Affair over a year ago with Julie Pham when they “realized there really isn’t a third space for people like us, and we also realized that ‘people like us’ is a huge community — especially in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Le started A Novel Affair over a year ago with Julie Pham when they “realized there really isn’t a third space for people like us, and we also realized that ‘people like us’ is a huge community — especially in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Forced proximity",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Forced proximity\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A Novel Affair is bright and airy, with bookshelves lining the edges of the store and an open floor in the center — giving people an opportunity to strike up conversations. Or be “at forced proximity,” Spafford said, using a beloved romance trope. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A Novel Affair is bright and airy, with bookshelves lining the edges of the store and an open floor in the center — giving people an opportunity to strike up conversations. Or be “at forced proximity,” Spafford said, using a beloved romance trope. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It feels a little like BookTok coming to life. For Pride, rainbow-themed paper chains are draped along the ceiling. Pop music gently plays in the background. A corner displays T-shirts and baseball hats with snappy one-liners: “Everything I Know About Hockey I Learned From Romance Novels.” “death by \u003ca href=\"https://help.goodreads.com/s/question/0D58V00008zYYOkSAO/what-does-tbr-mean\">tbr\u003c/a>.” There’s a Shane Hollander-scented candle for sale. (This reporter unfortunately could not verify the smell.)\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>It feels a little like BookTok coming to life. For Pride, rainbow-themed paper chains are draped along the ceiling. Pop music gently plays in the background. A corner displays T-shirts and baseball hats with snappy one-liners: “Everything I Know About Hockey I Learned From Romance Novels.” “death by \u003ca href=\"https://help.goodreads.com/s/question/0D58V00008zYYOkSAO/what-does-tbr-mean\">tbr\u003c/a>.” There’s a Shane Hollander-scented candle for sale. (This reporter unfortunately could not verify the smell.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped\">\n\n\u003c/figure>\n",
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null,
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null,
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-02-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992402\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees read heart-shaped notes from readers sharing their book confessions.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-02-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992402\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees read heart-shaped notes from readers sharing their book confessions.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-41-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992403\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A confession at the shop reads, “Talking about the book with book friends is better than reading.”\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-41-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992403\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A confession at the shop reads, “Talking about the book with book friends is better than reading.”\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The most eye-catching part, however, is a window with a collage of Valentines stuck to it. A sign mimicking \u003cem>Bridgerton\u003c/em>’s elusive gossip Lady Whistledown asks readers to share their “most scandalous bookish confession.” Some highlights: \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The most eye-catching part, however, is a window with a collage of Valentines stuck to it. A sign mimicking \u003cem>Bridgerton\u003c/em>’s elusive gossip Lady Whistledown asks readers to share their “most scandalous bookish confession.” Some highlights: \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Most love ‘triangles’ are just angles. Someone’s gotta be gay!” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Most love ‘triangles’ are just angles. Someone’s gotta be gay!” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I hate a book featuring a man.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I hate a book featuring a man.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hannah Phamvu (favorite trope: enemies-to-lovers, fake dating) from Milpitas was at a full crafting event during a cozy May evening, bedazzling a copy of Ali Hazelwood’s \u003cem>Deep End\u003c/em>. As she methodically placed teal plastic jewels onto the paperback cover, Phamvu and others around the table snacked and recommended titles. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.anovelaffairbookcafe.com/bookshop-events\">A Novel Affair’s book club\u003c/a> meets on the last Sunday of the month. The next meetings are on Aug. 30 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/findingyourpeople\">Finding Your People\u003c/a>, a series celebrating the Bay Area’s meetups and subcultures that bring people together IRL in an increasingly online world.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Not many book clubs go from “opposites-attract workplace liaisons” one month to “bloody sapphic vampires” the next. But romance readers are just built different. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tucked away in a charming corner of the South Bay town of Los Altos, A Novel Affair — the Bay Area’s first bookstore devoted to romance literature — is a proud home for them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The readers convene every last Sunday of the month. For June, the pick was the aforementioned vampire novel: \u003cem>Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil \u003c/em>by V.E. Schwab. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jeffery Spafford of Santa Clara gave it 4.8 stars. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Schwab really likes to explore the idea of hunger and want — and the sacrifice one makes for it,” he said. He’s a fan of her pandemic hit, a poetically tragic tale of immortality called \u003cem>The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue\u003c/em>. “It questions all the characters’ moral compasses, and some of them were truly terrible.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Right across from him was Daly City resident Janella Juan. She smiled and held up her whiteboard, revealing her rating: 1 star.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992225\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Janella Juan speaks during a book club event at A Novel Affair. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>No hard feelings, though. Unlike your pandemic-era book club, A Novel Affair’s members actually do their reading. Taylor Wardwell of Santa Clara was even head down, catching up on the last few pages before things got started. Fremont’s Ariel Flores said she started and finished the book in the last 24 hours. “[I] gotta get rid of this toxic book,” she said, laughing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And then, they got \u003cem>into \u003c/em>it\u003cem>.\u003c/em> For over an hour, they laughed, debated and shot back and forth about the gothic affairs of the lesbian undead throughout time (“I don’t think she loved anyone.” “I think she loved herself!” “I \u003cem>hate\u003c/em> her mother-in-law. Absolutely \u003cem>not\u003c/em>.”) \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s that kind of spirited discussion that has brought Spafford back to every single book club hosted by the store so far. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-08-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992405\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-08-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-08-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-08-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-08-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Participants gather for a book club event at A Novel Affair. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-45-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992404\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-45-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-45-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-45-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260628-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-45-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeffrey Spafford shares the rating he chose for the book during book club. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“I always kind of leave a little bit more inspired by other people’s perspective,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Romance novel discussions can get contentious online. It’s also much harder to make genuine connections on Goodreads. But the regular members of A Novel Affair’s book club are much more cordial, and have gotten to know each other through their tastes. Wardell, who was sitting next to Spafford, said to him, “I knew you were not gonna like this character.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>A slow burn\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Spafford admitted that at first, he didn’t consider himself a romance reader. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It turned out to be the last few years, it was my top-most read genre,” Spafford said. “I’m a teacher. So my job can be stressful. And our world is really terrible.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It can be nice to revisit the familiar beats of a good romance story, he explained. His \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/06/25/nx-s1-5673443/the-new-book-tropesick-is-a-love-letter-to-romance-novels\">favorite tropes are\u003c/a> second-chance love and enemies-to-lovers. “Most of [the stories] have happy endings,” he added.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Spafford is not alone in looking for an escape: Romance novel sales \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonifitzgerald/2020/05/08/during-tough-times-romance-novel-sales-are-set-to-soar/\">tend to go up\u003c/a> during destabilizing times, including after \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/21/not-just-love-actually-why-romance-fiction-is-booming\">the attack on the Twin Towers\u003c/a>, during the Great Recession and in the early days of the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-07-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992226\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-07-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-07-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-07-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-07-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Participants browse books before a bedazzling event at A Novel Affair. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Romance’s impact in the publishing world has never been more apparent. This formidable genre’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.marketplace.org/story/2025/10/14/romance-novels-float-floundering-publishing-industry\">sales support almost the entire industry\u003c/a>, and its passionate, built-in fanbase make romance novels no-brainers for TV and film adaptation, \u003ca href=\"https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/why-rom-coms-not-in-theaters-anymore-1235548513/\">quenching viewers’ thirst for swoon-worthy plots\u003c/a>. A \u003ca href=\"https://therippedbodice.com/\">host\u003c/a> of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thelastchapterchi/\">themed\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://lovestruckbooks.com/\">bookstores, some of them part cafes and part wine bars\u003c/a>, are \u003ca href=\"https://grumpandsunshine.com/\">opening\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.tropebookshop.com/\">across the country\u003c/a> — including The Love Potion Library, which opened last spring in \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thelovepotionlibrary/\">San Francisco’s Castro District\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>No matter the subgenre, no matter “how high-concept it is,” romance “just reaches people in a really deep way,” said Abigail Hing Wen, Bay Area writer of young adult romance \u003cem>Loveboat, Taipei\u003c/em>, which was adapted into a 2023 Netflix film.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The longing and that desire for companionship — desire to be seen and understood and accepted for who you are — I think that’s something that’s just innate to all of us,” she continued (favorite trope: enemies-to-lovers).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But as a genre, romance doesn’t exactly get \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/21/not-just-love-actually-why-romance-fiction-is-booming\">its dues or respect\u003c/a>, said Yung Le, co-founder of A Novel Affair.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992227\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-12-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yung Le, bookstore owner, speaks with participants during a book bedazzling event. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a genre majorly written by women and enjoyed by women — and a lot of people dismiss it as a category,” said Le. “Maybe because of it or not, but we thought that we’ll be the place to celebrate romance.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Le started A Novel Affair over a year ago with Julie Pham when they “realized there really isn’t a third space for people like us, and we also realized that ‘people like us’ is a huge community — especially in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Forced proximity\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A Novel Affair is bright and airy, with bookshelves lining the edges of the store and an open floor in the center — giving people an opportunity to strike up conversations. Or be “at forced proximity,” Spafford said, using a beloved romance trope. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It feels a little like BookTok coming to life. For Pride, rainbow-themed paper chains are draped along the ceiling. Pop music gently plays in the background. A corner displays T-shirts and baseball hats with snappy one-liners: “Everything I Know About Hockey I Learned From Romance Novels.” “death by \u003ca href=\"https://help.goodreads.com/s/question/0D58V00008zYYOkSAO/what-does-tbr-mean\">tbr\u003c/a>.” There’s a Shane Hollander-scented candle for sale. (This reporter unfortunately could not verify the smell.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"13992402\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-02-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992402\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-02-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-02-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-02-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-02-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees read heart-shaped notes from readers sharing their book confessions. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"13992403\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-41-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992403\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-41-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-41-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-41-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-41-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A confession at the shop reads, “Talking about the book with book friends is better than reading.” (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The most eye-catching part, however, is a window with a collage of Valentines stuck to it. A sign mimicking \u003cem>Bridgerton\u003c/em>’s elusive gossip Lady Whistledown asks readers to share their “most scandalous bookish confession.” Some highlights: \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Most love ‘triangles’ are just angles. Someone’s gotta be gay!” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I hate a book featuring a man.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Hockey romances aren’t all that. Where are the karate romances?!?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Established relationship\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hannah Phamvu (favorite trope: enemies-to-lovers, fake dating) from Milpitas was at a full crafting event during a cozy May evening, bedazzling a copy of Ali Hazelwood’s \u003cem>Deep End\u003c/em>. As she methodically placed teal plastic jewels onto the paperback cover, Phamvu and others around the table snacked and recommended titles. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“A lot of people who were there did not come with anybody else,” she said. “It’s just a really wholesome space.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-42-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992230\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-42-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-42-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-42-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-42-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hannah Phamvu chats with fellow romance book enthusiasts during a book bedazzling event. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>She recalled her first big event: a Regency-romance tea party. “I was really nervous, because none of my friends locally in the Bay Area are [on] their reading game.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now she’s a regular, attending craft nights and watch parties, and curling up on the couch with a book in front of the shop’s synthetic fireplace.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m a creature of habit, and so I feel like I’m always around people who are just like me, except when I’m at work,” Phamvu said. “A Novel Affair has really opened my world to like different people, different genres, different lifestyles. But everybody bonds over the same thing, which is reading.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-43-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992232\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-43-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-43-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-43-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260517-FYP-RomanceNovelCommunity-43-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The book Fang Fiction sits on a table before a book bedazzling event. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Romance — and its fans — also brought back her hunger to read for pleasure like she did in high school.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I used to just love going to Borders Bookstores and Barnes & Noble, and begging my parents to buy a stack of books for me,” Phamvu said. “And laying around with my friends just reading.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It has brought that love back.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.anovelaffairbookcafe.com/bookshop-events\">A Novel Affair’s book club\u003c/a> meets on the last Sunday of the month. The next meetings are on Aug. 30 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-jose-jazz-christian-vela-artistic-director-summer-fest",
"title": "In Full-Circle Moment, Christian Vela Is Named Artistic Director of San Jose Jazz",
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"headTitle": "In Full-Circle Moment, Christian Vela Is Named Artistic Director of San Jose Jazz | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>As a freewheeling kid growing up in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">East San Jose\u003c/a> in the late 1990s, Christian Vela anticipated each San Jose Jazz Festival with a mounting excitement that he can still recall vividly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was the feeling you get the last day of school, or right before Christmas, then I’d get on my bike and ride down to the festival,” he recalls, still sounding amazed at seeing musicians he loved on the same downtown plaza stage where he’d skateboard. “One year, I ended up getting backstage and took a photo with Poncho Sanchez, who was a hero of mine. I couldn’t believe it!”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/8SM3Cqm9xL0?si=kHiiK7v2lH323QWe\">today’s announcement\u003c/a> that Vela will take over as artistic director of that very same festival — now known as \u003ca href=\"https://summerfest.sanjosejazz.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=2085391436&gbraid=0AAAAAD_iJiL4JfAucAzI0YPHHUZqS8UDV&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3qLSBhDaARIsAFTiVh6rdHAuzfgsaXmd_1I1VarYYWt5M2bCDGwE3cNUQIWhS_t4ds-gRwsaAvNOEALw_wcB\">Summer Fest\u003c/a>, which from Aug. 7–9 brings dozens of jazz, blues, R&B, Latin and soul acts to downtown San José — he’s made a full-circle journey back to the organization that shaped his love of music.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vela’s already made an impact since taking over as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose-jazz\">San Jose Jazz\u003c/a>’s production manager in 2024, and his appointment last year as associate artistic director. He steps into the lead curator role in September, filling the big shoes of Bruce Labadie, the pervasively influential South Bay music programmer who’s booked Summer Fest since its inception in 1990.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1339\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson.jpg\" alt=\"A white man in a mustache and colorful sweatshirt poses against a wood paneled wall with a striking Black woman in a tan suit jacket and decorative rings.\" class=\"wp-image-13991321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson-768x514.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson-1536x1028.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Jose Jazz founder Bruce Labadie, at right, with singer Nancy Wilson in 1986. (Courtesy San Jose Jazz)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At 45, Vela brings a wealth of experience to the position — and not just from riding his bike to the festival each year as a teenager. He served as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/sfjazz\">SFJAZZ\u003c/a>’s senior production manager for 11 years, from 2013-2024, followed by a year-long stint as COO of the Presidio Theatre. After coming back home, he’s spent the past two years under Labadie’s wing at San Jose Jazz.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Christian knows how to work with artists,” says Labadie, whose half-century career encompasses booking three dozen venues and festivals across the state, including last summer’s Monterey Jazz Festival. “He’s involved in all kinds of other things that San Jose Jazz is doing, like the Break Room, but Summer Fest is a different level. I cautioned him, it’s non-stop work.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Judging by his track record at the Break Room, an intimate venue that San Jose Jazz opened during the pandemic, Vela has already brought in a trove of new ideas. A self-described vinylphile, he added artist residencies into the Break Room mix, which includes taking musicians record hunting before they spin albums and discuss their formative influences for an audience.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1-768x614.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1-1536x1229.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Christian Vela, at left, with the Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés. (Courtesy San Jose Jazz)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s actually very selfish, bringing together all the things that I like,” Vela says. “My partner and I are into vinyl — she spins as DJ Weekend Girl — and I wanted to think of a unique way to introduce a vinyl night.” Another idea of Vela’s was having the resident artist join an all-ages jam session that takes place on \u003ca href=\"https://www.southfirstfridays.com/\">First Fridays\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of four children born in San José to parents from Ciudad Juárez, Vela got his start as a musician playing guitar in church. When a group of friends at Independence High School gained traction with the ska band Firme, he became their tour manager. As the keeper of the band’s van, he ended up providing transportation for Manu Chao, and struck up a friendship with the polyglot French-Spanish star.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around 2011, Manu Chao’s people dropped his name to the Malian couple Amadou and Mariam, who at the time were seeking a tour manager. Despite speaking rudimentary French, Vela jumped into the role.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I did my homework on the instruments, learning how to set them up and mic them, and did my part in trying to learn French, taking courses on my phone,” Vela says. “I think they saw the effort I put forth, and I toured with them for almost three years.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He was ready to come off the road and spend some time at home when Amadou and Mariam concluded a long tour with an SFJAZZ performance at Davies Symphony Hall in 2013. “I’m like a roadrunner all over the place, and the SFJAZZ production manager on stage was watching me,” recalls Vela, who ended up signing on with the recently opened SFJAZZ Center. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1411\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles.jpg 1411w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles-160x227.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles-768x1089.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles-1084x1536.jpg 1084w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1411px) 100vw, 1411px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Saxophonist Kamasi Washington performs as part of Summer Fest in downtown San José. (Grason Littles)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If he was helping forge a new venue identity at SFJAZZ, he’s taking on a very different role at San Jose Jazz, which for decades has maintained one of the West Coast’s premiere festivals by building upon San José’s downtown resources, like the Tech Museum, Montgomery Theater and expansive plaza.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s one of my favorite festivals, and an advantage Christian has is that Bruce Labadie has given him a runway,” says bassist \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/marcus-shelby\">Marcus Shelby\u003c/a> — who, as the artistic director of Healdsburg Jazz since 2020, knows all about taking over programming from a festival’s founder.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s the perfect opportunity and situation for him,” Shelby adds. “He’s someone who loves and knows the heartbeat of the city.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As a freewheeling kid growing up in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">East San Jose\u003c/a> in the late 1990s, Christian Vela anticipated each San Jose Jazz Festival with a mounting excitement that he can still recall vividly.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As a freewheeling kid growing up in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">East San Jose\u003c/a> in the late 1990s, Christian Vela anticipated each San Jose Jazz Festival with a mounting excitement that he can still recall vividly.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was the feeling you get the last day of school, or right before Christmas, then I’d get on my bike and ride down to the festival,” he recalls, still sounding amazed at seeing musicians he loved on the same downtown plaza stage where he’d skateboard. “One year, I ended up getting backstage and took a photo with Poncho Sanchez, who was a hero of mine. I couldn’t believe it!”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It was the feeling you get the last day of school, or right before Christmas, then I’d get on my bike and ride down to the festival,” he recalls, still sounding amazed at seeing musicians he loved on the same downtown plaza stage where he’d skateboard. “One year, I ended up getting backstage and took a photo with Poncho Sanchez, who was a hero of mine. I couldn’t believe it!”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>With \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/8SM3Cqm9xL0?si=kHiiK7v2lH323QWe\">today’s announcement\u003c/a> that Vela will take over as artistic director of that very same festival — now known as \u003ca href=\"https://summerfest.sanjosejazz.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=2085391436&gbraid=0AAAAAD_iJiL4JfAucAzI0YPHHUZqS8UDV&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3qLSBhDaARIsAFTiVh6rdHAuzfgsaXmd_1I1VarYYWt5M2bCDGwE3cNUQIWhS_t4ds-gRwsaAvNOEALw_wcB\">Summer Fest\u003c/a>, which from Aug. 7–9 brings dozens of jazz, blues, R&B, Latin and soul acts to downtown San José — he’s made a full-circle journey back to the organization that shaped his love of music.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>With \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/8SM3Cqm9xL0?si=kHiiK7v2lH323QWe\">today’s announcement\u003c/a> that Vela will take over as artistic director of that very same festival — now known as \u003ca href=\"https://summerfest.sanjosejazz.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=2085391436&gbraid=0AAAAAD_iJiL4JfAucAzI0YPHHUZqS8UDV&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3qLSBhDaARIsAFTiVh6rdHAuzfgsaXmd_1I1VarYYWt5M2bCDGwE3cNUQIWhS_t4ds-gRwsaAvNOEALw_wcB\">Summer Fest\u003c/a>, which from Aug. 7–9 brings dozens of jazz, blues, R&B, Latin and soul acts to downtown San José — he’s made a full-circle journey back to the organization that shaped his love of music.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Vela’s already made an impact since taking over as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose-jazz\">San Jose Jazz\u003c/a>’s production manager in 2024, and his appointment last year as associate artistic director. He steps into the lead curator role in September, filling the big shoes of Bruce Labadie, the pervasively influential South Bay music programmer who’s booked Summer Fest since its inception in 1990.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Vela’s already made an impact since taking over as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose-jazz\">San Jose Jazz\u003c/a>’s production manager in 2024, and his appointment last year as associate artistic director. He steps into the lead curator role in September, filling the big shoes of Bruce Labadie, the pervasively influential South Bay music programmer who’s booked Summer Fest since its inception in 1990.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At 45, Vela brings a wealth of experience to the position — and not just from riding his bike to the festival each year as a teenager. He served as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/sfjazz\">SFJAZZ\u003c/a>’s senior production manager for 11 years, from 2013-2024, followed by a year-long stint as COO of the Presidio Theatre. After coming back home, he’s spent the past two years under Labadie’s wing at San Jose Jazz.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At 45, Vela brings a wealth of experience to the position — and not just from riding his bike to the festival each year as a teenager. He served as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/sfjazz\">SFJAZZ\u003c/a>’s senior production manager for 11 years, from 2013-2024, followed by a year-long stint as COO of the Presidio Theatre. After coming back home, he’s spent the past two years under Labadie’s wing at San Jose Jazz.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Christian knows how to work with artists,” says Labadie, whose half-century career encompasses booking three dozen venues and festivals across the state, including last summer’s Monterey Jazz Festival. “He’s involved in all kinds of other things that San Jose Jazz is doing, like the Break Room, but Summer Fest is a different level. I cautioned him, it’s non-stop work.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Christian knows how to work with artists,” says Labadie, whose half-century career encompasses booking three dozen venues and festivals across the state, including last summer’s Monterey Jazz Festival. “He’s involved in all kinds of other things that San Jose Jazz is doing, like the Break Room, but Summer Fest is a different level. I cautioned him, it’s non-stop work.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Judging by his track record at the Break Room, an intimate venue that San Jose Jazz opened during the pandemic, Vela has already brought in a trove of new ideas. A self-described vinylphile, he added artist residencies into the Break Room mix, which includes taking musicians record hunting before they spin albums and discuss their formative influences for an audience.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Judging by his track record at the Break Room, an intimate venue that San Jose Jazz opened during the pandemic, Vela has already brought in a trove of new ideas. A self-described vinylphile, he added artist residencies into the Break Room mix, which includes taking musicians record hunting before they spin albums and discuss their formative influences for an audience.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1-768x614.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1-1536x1229.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Christian Vela, at left, with the Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s actually very selfish, bringing together all the things that I like,” Vela says. “My partner and I are into vinyl — she spins as DJ Weekend Girl — and I wanted to think of a unique way to introduce a vinyl night.” Another idea of Vela’s was having the resident artist join an all-ages jam session that takes place on \u003ca href=\"https://www.southfirstfridays.com/\">First Fridays\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s actually very selfish, bringing together all the things that I like,” Vela says. “My partner and I are into vinyl — she spins as DJ Weekend Girl — and I wanted to think of a unique way to introduce a vinyl night.” Another idea of Vela’s was having the resident artist join an all-ages jam session that takes place on \u003ca href=\"https://www.southfirstfridays.com/\">First Fridays\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of four children born in San José to parents from Ciudad Juárez, Vela got his start as a musician playing guitar in church. When a group of friends at Independence High School gained traction with the ska band Firme, he became their tour manager. As the keeper of the band’s van, he ended up providing transportation for Manu Chao, and struck up a friendship with the polyglot French-Spanish star.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One of four children born in San José to parents from Ciudad Juárez, Vela got his start as a musician playing guitar in church. When a group of friends at Independence High School gained traction with the ska band Firme, he became their tour manager. As the keeper of the band’s van, he ended up providing transportation for Manu Chao, and struck up a friendship with the polyglot French-Spanish star.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Around 2011, Manu Chao’s people dropped his name to the Malian couple Amadou and Mariam, who at the time were seeking a tour manager. Despite speaking rudimentary French, Vela jumped into the role.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Around 2011, Manu Chao’s people dropped his name to the Malian couple Amadou and Mariam, who at the time were seeking a tour manager. Despite speaking rudimentary French, Vela jumped into the role.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I did my homework on the instruments, learning how to set them up and mic them, and did my part in trying to learn French, taking courses on my phone,” Vela says. “I think they saw the effort I put forth, and I toured with them for almost three years.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I did my homework on the instruments, learning how to set them up and mic them, and did my part in trying to learn French, taking courses on my phone,” Vela says. “I think they saw the effort I put forth, and I toured with them for almost three years.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He was ready to come off the road and spend some time at home when Amadou and Mariam concluded a long tour with an SFJAZZ performance at Davies Symphony Hall in 2013. “I’m like a roadrunner all over the place, and the SFJAZZ production manager on stage was watching me,” recalls Vela, who ended up signing on with the recently opened SFJAZZ Center. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He was ready to come off the road and spend some time at home when Amadou and Mariam concluded a long tour with an SFJAZZ performance at Davies Symphony Hall in 2013. “I’m like a roadrunner all over the place, and the SFJAZZ production manager on stage was watching me,” recalls Vela, who ended up signing on with the recently opened SFJAZZ Center. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles.jpg 1411w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles-160x227.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles-768x1089.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles-1084x1536.jpg 1084w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Saxophonist Kamasi Washington performs as part of Summer Fest in downtown San José. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If he was helping forge a new venue identity at SFJAZZ, he’s taking on a very different role at San Jose Jazz, which for decades has maintained one of the West Coast’s premiere festivals by building upon San José’s downtown resources, like the Tech Museum, Montgomery Theater and expansive plaza.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If he was helping forge a new venue identity at SFJAZZ, he’s taking on a very different role at San Jose Jazz, which for decades has maintained one of the West Coast’s premiere festivals by building upon San José’s downtown resources, like the Tech Museum, Montgomery Theater and expansive plaza.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s one of my favorite festivals, and an advantage Christian has is that Bruce Labadie has given him a runway,” says bassist \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/marcus-shelby\">Marcus Shelby\u003c/a> — who, as the artistic director of Healdsburg Jazz since 2020, knows all about taking over programming from a festival’s founder.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s one of my favorite festivals, and an advantage Christian has is that Bruce Labadie has given him a runway,” says bassist \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/marcus-shelby\">Marcus Shelby\u003c/a> — who, as the artistic director of Healdsburg Jazz since 2020, knows all about taking over programming from a festival’s founder.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s the perfect opportunity and situation for him,” Shelby adds. “He’s someone who loves and knows the heartbeat of the city.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As a freewheeling kid growing up in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">East San Jose\u003c/a> in the late 1990s, Christian Vela anticipated each San Jose Jazz Festival with a mounting excitement that he can still recall vividly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was the feeling you get the last day of school, or right before Christmas, then I’d get on my bike and ride down to the festival,” he recalls, still sounding amazed at seeing musicians he loved on the same downtown plaza stage where he’d skateboard. “One year, I ended up getting backstage and took a photo with Poncho Sanchez, who was a hero of mine. I couldn’t believe it!”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/8SM3Cqm9xL0?si=kHiiK7v2lH323QWe\">today’s announcement\u003c/a> that Vela will take over as artistic director of that very same festival — now known as \u003ca href=\"https://summerfest.sanjosejazz.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=2085391436&gbraid=0AAAAAD_iJiL4JfAucAzI0YPHHUZqS8UDV&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3qLSBhDaARIsAFTiVh6rdHAuzfgsaXmd_1I1VarYYWt5M2bCDGwE3cNUQIWhS_t4ds-gRwsaAvNOEALw_wcB\">Summer Fest\u003c/a>, which from Aug. 7–9 brings dozens of jazz, blues, R&B, Latin and soul acts to downtown San José — he’s made a full-circle journey back to the organization that shaped his love of music.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vela’s already made an impact since taking over as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose-jazz\">San Jose Jazz\u003c/a>’s production manager in 2024, and his appointment last year as associate artistic director. He steps into the lead curator role in September, filling the big shoes of Bruce Labadie, the pervasively influential South Bay music programmer who’s booked Summer Fest since its inception in 1990.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1339\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson.jpg\" alt=\"A white man in a mustache and colorful sweatshirt poses against a wood paneled wall with a striking Black woman in a tan suit jacket and decorative rings.\" class=\"wp-image-13991321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson-768x514.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson-1536x1028.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Jose Jazz founder Bruce Labadie, at right, with singer Nancy Wilson in 1986. (Courtesy San Jose Jazz)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At 45, Vela brings a wealth of experience to the position — and not just from riding his bike to the festival each year as a teenager. He served as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/sfjazz\">SFJAZZ\u003c/a>’s senior production manager for 11 years, from 2013-2024, followed by a year-long stint as COO of the Presidio Theatre. After coming back home, he’s spent the past two years under Labadie’s wing at San Jose Jazz.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Christian knows how to work with artists,” says Labadie, whose half-century career encompasses booking three dozen venues and festivals across the state, including last summer’s Monterey Jazz Festival. “He’s involved in all kinds of other things that San Jose Jazz is doing, like the Break Room, but Summer Fest is a different level. I cautioned him, it’s non-stop work.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Judging by his track record at the Break Room, an intimate venue that San Jose Jazz opened during the pandemic, Vela has already brought in a trove of new ideas. A self-described vinylphile, he added artist residencies into the Break Room mix, which includes taking musicians record hunting before they spin albums and discuss their formative influences for an audience.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1-768x614.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1-1536x1229.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Christian Vela, at left, with the Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés. (Courtesy San Jose Jazz)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s actually very selfish, bringing together all the things that I like,” Vela says. “My partner and I are into vinyl — she spins as DJ Weekend Girl — and I wanted to think of a unique way to introduce a vinyl night.” Another idea of Vela’s was having the resident artist join an all-ages jam session that takes place on \u003ca href=\"https://www.southfirstfridays.com/\">First Fridays\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of four children born in San José to parents from Ciudad Juárez, Vela got his start as a musician playing guitar in church. When a group of friends at Independence High School gained traction with the ska band Firme, he became their tour manager. As the keeper of the band’s van, he ended up providing transportation for Manu Chao, and struck up a friendship with the polyglot French-Spanish star.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around 2011, Manu Chao’s people dropped his name to the Malian couple Amadou and Mariam, who at the time were seeking a tour manager. Despite speaking rudimentary French, Vela jumped into the role.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I did my homework on the instruments, learning how to set them up and mic them, and did my part in trying to learn French, taking courses on my phone,” Vela says. “I think they saw the effort I put forth, and I toured with them for almost three years.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He was ready to come off the road and spend some time at home when Amadou and Mariam concluded a long tour with an SFJAZZ performance at Davies Symphony Hall in 2013. “I’m like a roadrunner all over the place, and the SFJAZZ production manager on stage was watching me,” recalls Vela, who ended up signing on with the recently opened SFJAZZ Center. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1411\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles.jpg 1411w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles-160x227.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles-768x1089.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles-1084x1536.jpg 1084w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1411px) 100vw, 1411px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Saxophonist Kamasi Washington performs as part of Summer Fest in downtown San José. (Grason Littles)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If he was helping forge a new venue identity at SFJAZZ, he’s taking on a very different role at San Jose Jazz, which for decades has maintained one of the West Coast’s premiere festivals by building upon San José’s downtown resources, like the Tech Museum, Montgomery Theater and expansive plaza.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s one of my favorite festivals, and an advantage Christian has is that Bruce Labadie has given him a runway,” says bassist \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/marcus-shelby\">Marcus Shelby\u003c/a> — who, as the artistic director of Healdsburg Jazz since 2020, knows all about taking over programming from a festival’s founder.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s the perfect opportunity and situation for him,” Shelby adds. “He’s someone who loves and knows the heartbeat of the city.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "cupertino-cantonese-roast-duck-changsha-noodle-late-night",
"title": "This Late-Night Noodle House Slings the South Bay’s Tastiest Roast Duck",
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"content": "\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Noodles1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men devouring Chinese roast duck and rice noodles.\" class=\"wp-image-13991073\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Noodles1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Noodles1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Noodles1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Noodles1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Noodles1-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">At Changshan Rice Noodles, the star of the menu is the Cantonese-style roast duck. The Cupertino restaurant is open until midnight most nights. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’ve ever wondered where all the young Asian Americans in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/cupertino\">Cupertino\u003c/a> hang out late at night, all you need to do is visit the Cupertino Village shopping plaza. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At around 9:15 on a recent Friday night, the entire plaza was positively swarming with Asian teens and twentysomethings. On one side of the parking lot, a swanky hip-hop dance studio and a Mandarin-friendly board game club hosting a Dungeons & Dragons night each attracted their own particular flavor of Asian youth culture. On the other side was one of the longest lines that I’ve \u003cem>ever\u003c/em> seen queued up outside a boba shop. (The new Charlie’s Tea was running a buy-one-get-one special for its grand opening, it turns out.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We’d come in search of a late-night Chinese feast, but what we found wasn’t just one solitary restaurant that happened to stay open late. Instead, the whole shopping center buzzed with youthful energy and excitement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Our intended destination, Changsha Rice Noodles, aka \u003ca href=\"https://changsha-mifen.com/\">Changsha Mifen\u003c/a> (长沙米粉) — or “Jade Tea BBQ,” according to the restaurant’s only sign in English — stays open until midnight most nights, tucked away on the far end of the busy plaza. It’s part of a crop of newer, semi-mysterious Chinese restaurants in the South Bay that always seem to be in the middle of a rebrand. In Changsha’s case, it seems the folks who run Jade Tea Garden, the Cantonese banquet hall on the other side of the building, decided last fall to try their hand at Hunan-style street noodles. The two restaurants share a big kitchen in the middle — hence the confusing signage and hodgepodge menu combining two regional cuisines that don’t normally have much to do with each other. Certainly it’s the only place I know of that specializes in Hunan rice noodles \u003cem>and \u003c/em>Cantonese barbecue. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/noodles2.jpg\" alt='Illustration: Exterior of a restaurant lit up at night. The sign reads \"Jade Tea BBQ.\"' class=\"wp-image-13991072\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/noodles2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/noodles2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/noodles2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/noodles2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/noodles2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Also known as “Jade Tea BBQ,” the restaurant is located in the Cupertino Village shopping plaza — a hugely popular late-night hangout spot for young Asian Americans. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>My suggestion? They may want to consider renaming the restaurant “Jade Duck House,” because the duck is the one must-order dish — the thing that stands out as soon as you walk in the door. In back, dozens of the birds dangled from metal hooks, some already roasted to a gorgeously well-burnished golden brown. Many more hung in various stages of an air-drying process calibrated to yield the crispiest possible skin. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During our visit, Changsha was running an incredible special — $15 for half a “Guangzhou roast duck” (discounted from $22). This was some of the tastiest Cantonese-style roast duck I’ve had anywhere in the United States. The skin was outrageously crispy without being greasy; the layer of flavorful fat had rendered down to soft, melty nubs. The meat itself? Impossibly tender and juicy. On the plate, a nice little “jus” of sweet soy sauce mixed with the duck’s fatty drippings made for a heavenly dipping sauce.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The duck is so good, all you really need to add is a bowl of white rice to assemble a satisfying meal. But the restaurant’s other specialty — rice noodles prepared in the style associated with Changsha, Hunan’s capital city — is also worth trying. These come in a variety of both soupy and dry versions. We thoroughly enjoyed the restaurant’s solid, flavorful take on beef noodle soup, which came topped with mustard greens and a scattering of raw chopped garlic. A dry version topped with scrambled eggs, pickled mustard stems and chopped chilies had its own homey, rustic kind of charm. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In both dishes, the rice noodles themselves were the most memorable component: round and white like spaghetti and cooked just shy of soggy, but with a pleasant, chewy bite in the center. They were very, very slurpable.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Really, though, everything we ordered was incredibly tasty — the bright and vinegary cucumber salad; the big, fleshy grilled oysters; the fried black stinky tofu, which had a delightfully squishy texture that helped soak up all the juices from the accompanying mala sauce. If there’s any running theme to the menu, it’s that the kitchen uses a metric ton of raw garlic, chopping it up small or into big chunks, tossing it willy-nilly, it feels like, into almost every dish. We loved it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Changsha Rice Noodles is one of those spots where you order via QR code, and the service is brusque and impersonal if not actively unfriendly. But the food itself is \u003cem>full\u003c/em> of soul. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And based on the jam-packed dining room we encountered, it’s clear they’ve struck on a winning combination. Even well past 10 p.m., the restaurant felt every bit as busy and rambunctious as any of the other Asian hangout spots in Cupertino Village. There were families with kids out past their bedtime. Lovey-dovey Gen Z couples doing that cutesy thing you see young couples do in Asia, sitting next to each other on the same side of the table even though they’re only a party of two. As far as we could tell, everyone was Chinese.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of course, everyone had ordered the duck. And, just like us, they all cleaned their plates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/changshamifen/\">\u003cem>Changsha Rice Noodles\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Monday to Saturday 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.–midnight, and Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30–9 p.m. at 10911 N. Wolfe Rd. Ste. B (in the Cupertino Village shopping plaza).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Noodles1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men devouring Chinese roast duck and rice noodles.\" class=\"wp-image-13991073\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Noodles1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Noodles1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Noodles1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Noodles1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Noodles1-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">At Changshan Rice Noodles, the star of the menu is the Cantonese-style roast duck. The Cupertino restaurant is open until midnight most nights.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At around 9:15 on a recent Friday night, the entire plaza was positively swarming with Asian teens and twentysomethings. On one side of the parking lot, a swanky hip-hop dance studio and a Mandarin-friendly board game club hosting a Dungeons & Dragons night each attracted their own particular flavor of Asian youth culture. On the other side was one of the longest lines that I’ve \u003cem>ever\u003c/em> seen queued up outside a boba shop. (The new Charlie’s Tea was running a buy-one-get-one special for its grand opening, it turns out.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>We’d come in search of a late-night Chinese feast, but what we found wasn’t just one solitary restaurant that happened to stay open late. Instead, the whole shopping center buzzed with youthful energy and excitement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Our intended destination, Changsha Rice Noodles, aka \u003ca href=\"https://changsha-mifen.com/\">Changsha Mifen\u003c/a> (长沙米粉) — or “Jade Tea BBQ,” according to the restaurant’s only sign in English — stays open until midnight most nights, tucked away on the far end of the busy plaza. It’s part of a crop of newer, semi-mysterious Chinese restaurants in the South Bay that always seem to be in the middle of a rebrand. In Changsha’s case, it seems the folks who run Jade Tea Garden, the Cantonese banquet hall on the other side of the building, decided last fall to try their hand at Hunan-style street noodles. The two restaurants share a big kitchen in the middle — hence the confusing signage and hodgepodge menu combining two regional cuisines that don’t normally have much to do with each other. Certainly it’s the only place I know of that specializes in Hunan rice noodles \u003cem>and \u003c/em>Cantonese barbecue. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Our intended destination, Changsha Rice Noodles, aka \u003ca href=\"https://changsha-mifen.com/\">Changsha Mifen\u003c/a> (长沙米粉) — or “Jade Tea BBQ,” according to the restaurant’s only sign in English — stays open until midnight most nights, tucked away on the far end of the busy plaza. It’s part of a crop of newer, semi-mysterious Chinese restaurants in the South Bay that always seem to be in the middle of a rebrand. In Changsha’s case, it seems the folks who run Jade Tea Garden, the Cantonese banquet hall on the other side of the building, decided last fall to try their hand at Hunan-style street noodles. The two restaurants share a big kitchen in the middle — hence the confusing signage and hodgepodge menu combining two regional cuisines that don’t normally have much to do with each other. Certainly it’s the only place I know of that specializes in Hunan rice noodles \u003cem>and \u003c/em>Cantonese barbecue. \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/noodles2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Exterior of a restaurant lit up at night. The sign reads "Jade Tea BBQ."\" class=\"wp-image-13991072\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Also known as “Jade Tea BBQ,” the restaurant is located in the Cupertino Village shopping plaza — a hugely popular late-night hangout spot for young Asian Americans.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>My suggestion? They may want to consider renaming the restaurant “Jade Duck House,” because the duck is the one must-order dish — the thing that stands out as soon as you walk in the door. In back, dozens of the birds dangled from metal hooks, some already roasted to a gorgeously well-burnished golden brown. Many more hung in various stages of an air-drying process calibrated to yield the crispiest possible skin. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>My suggestion? They may want to consider renaming the restaurant “Jade Duck House,” because the duck is the one must-order dish — the thing that stands out as soon as you walk in the door. In back, dozens of the birds dangled from metal hooks, some already roasted to a gorgeously well-burnished golden brown. Many more hung in various stages of an air-drying process calibrated to yield the crispiest possible skin. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During our visit, Changsha was running an incredible special — $15 for half a “Guangzhou roast duck” (discounted from $22). This was some of the tastiest Cantonese-style roast duck I’ve had anywhere in the United States. The skin was outrageously crispy without being greasy; the layer of flavorful fat had rendered down to soft, melty nubs. The meat itself? Impossibly tender and juicy. On the plate, a nice little “jus” of sweet soy sauce mixed with the duck’s fatty drippings made for a heavenly dipping sauce.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During our visit, Changsha was running an incredible special — $15 for half a “Guangzhou roast duck” (discounted from $22). This was some of the tastiest Cantonese-style roast duck I’ve had anywhere in the United States. The skin was outrageously crispy without being greasy; the layer of flavorful fat had rendered down to soft, melty nubs. The meat itself? Impossibly tender and juicy. On the plate, a nice little “jus” of sweet soy sauce mixed with the duck’s fatty drippings made for a heavenly dipping sauce.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The duck is so good, all you really need to add is a bowl of white rice to assemble a satisfying meal. But the restaurant’s other specialty — rice noodles prepared in the style associated with Changsha, Hunan’s capital city — is also worth trying. These come in a variety of both soupy and dry versions. We thoroughly enjoyed the restaurant’s solid, flavorful take on beef noodle soup, which came topped with mustard greens and a scattering of raw chopped garlic. A dry version topped with scrambled eggs, pickled mustard stems and chopped chilies had its own homey, rustic kind of charm. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The duck is so good, all you really need to add is a bowl of white rice to assemble a satisfying meal. But the restaurant’s other specialty — rice noodles prepared in the style associated with Changsha, Hunan’s capital city — is also worth trying. These come in a variety of both soupy and dry versions. We thoroughly enjoyed the restaurant’s solid, flavorful take on beef noodle soup, which came topped with mustard greens and a scattering of raw chopped garlic. A dry version topped with scrambled eggs, pickled mustard stems and chopped chilies had its own homey, rustic kind of charm. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In both dishes, the rice noodles themselves were the most memorable component: round and white like spaghetti and cooked just shy of soggy, but with a pleasant, chewy bite in the center. They were very, very slurpable.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In both dishes, the rice noodles themselves were the most memorable component: round and white like spaghetti and cooked just shy of soggy, but with a pleasant, chewy bite in the center. They were very, very slurpable.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Really, though, everything we ordered was incredibly tasty — the bright and vinegary cucumber salad; the big, fleshy grilled oysters; the fried black stinky tofu, which had a delightfully squishy texture that helped soak up all the juices from the accompanying mala sauce. If there’s any running theme to the menu, it’s that the kitchen uses a metric ton of raw garlic, chopping it up small or into big chunks, tossing it willy-nilly, it feels like, into almost every dish. We loved it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Really, though, everything we ordered was incredibly tasty — the bright and vinegary cucumber salad; the big, fleshy grilled oysters; the fried black stinky tofu, which had a delightfully squishy texture that helped soak up all the juices from the accompanying mala sauce. If there’s any running theme to the menu, it’s that the kitchen uses a metric ton of raw garlic, chopping it up small or into big chunks, tossing it willy-nilly, it feels like, into almost every dish. We loved it.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Changsha Rice Noodles is one of those spots where you order via QR code, and the service is brusque and impersonal if not actively unfriendly. But the food itself is \u003cem>full\u003c/em> of soul. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And based on the jam-packed dining room we encountered, it’s clear they’ve struck on a winning combination. Even well past 10 p.m., the restaurant felt every bit as busy and rambunctious as any of the other Asian hangout spots in Cupertino Village. There were families with kids out past their bedtime. Lovey-dovey Gen Z couples doing that cutesy thing you see young couples do in Asia, sitting next to each other on the same side of the table even though they’re only a party of two. As far as we could tell, everyone was Chinese.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And based on the jam-packed dining room we encountered, it’s clear they’ve struck on a winning combination. Even well past 10 p.m., the restaurant felt every bit as busy and rambunctious as any of the other Asian hangout spots in Cupertino Village. There were families with kids out past their bedtime. Lovey-dovey Gen Z couples doing that cutesy thing you see young couples do in Asia, sitting next to each other on the same side of the table even though they’re only a party of two. As far as we could tell, everyone was Chinese.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Of course, everyone had ordered the duck. And, just like us, they all cleaned their plates.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/changshamifen/\">\u003cem>Changsha Rice Noodles\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Monday to Saturday 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.–midnight, and Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30–9 p.m. at 10911 N. Wolfe Rd. Ste. B (in the Cupertino Village shopping plaza).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/changshamifen/\">\u003cem>Changsha Rice Noodles\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Monday to Saturday 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.–midnight, and Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30–9 p.m. at 10911 N. Wolfe Rd. Ste. B (in the Cupertino Village shopping plaza).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"title": "A Cupertino Noodle House Slings the South Bay’s Tastiest Roast Duck | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Noodles1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men devouring Chinese roast duck and rice noodles.\" class=\"wp-image-13991073\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Noodles1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Noodles1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Noodles1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Noodles1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Noodles1-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">At Changshan Rice Noodles, the star of the menu is the Cantonese-style roast duck. The Cupertino restaurant is open until midnight most nights. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’ve ever wondered where all the young Asian Americans in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/cupertino\">Cupertino\u003c/a> hang out late at night, all you need to do is visit the Cupertino Village shopping plaza. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At around 9:15 on a recent Friday night, the entire plaza was positively swarming with Asian teens and twentysomethings. On one side of the parking lot, a swanky hip-hop dance studio and a Mandarin-friendly board game club hosting a Dungeons & Dragons night each attracted their own particular flavor of Asian youth culture. On the other side was one of the longest lines that I’ve \u003cem>ever\u003c/em> seen queued up outside a boba shop. (The new Charlie’s Tea was running a buy-one-get-one special for its grand opening, it turns out.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We’d come in search of a late-night Chinese feast, but what we found wasn’t just one solitary restaurant that happened to stay open late. Instead, the whole shopping center buzzed with youthful energy and excitement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Our intended destination, Changsha Rice Noodles, aka \u003ca href=\"https://changsha-mifen.com/\">Changsha Mifen\u003c/a> (长沙米粉) — or “Jade Tea BBQ,” according to the restaurant’s only sign in English — stays open until midnight most nights, tucked away on the far end of the busy plaza. It’s part of a crop of newer, semi-mysterious Chinese restaurants in the South Bay that always seem to be in the middle of a rebrand. In Changsha’s case, it seems the folks who run Jade Tea Garden, the Cantonese banquet hall on the other side of the building, decided last fall to try their hand at Hunan-style street noodles. The two restaurants share a big kitchen in the middle — hence the confusing signage and hodgepodge menu combining two regional cuisines that don’t normally have much to do with each other. Certainly it’s the only place I know of that specializes in Hunan rice noodles \u003cem>and \u003c/em>Cantonese barbecue. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/noodles2.jpg\" alt='Illustration: Exterior of a restaurant lit up at night. The sign reads \"Jade Tea BBQ.\"' class=\"wp-image-13991072\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/noodles2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/noodles2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/noodles2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/noodles2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/noodles2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Also known as “Jade Tea BBQ,” the restaurant is located in the Cupertino Village shopping plaza — a hugely popular late-night hangout spot for young Asian Americans. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>My suggestion? They may want to consider renaming the restaurant “Jade Duck House,” because the duck is the one must-order dish — the thing that stands out as soon as you walk in the door. In back, dozens of the birds dangled from metal hooks, some already roasted to a gorgeously well-burnished golden brown. Many more hung in various stages of an air-drying process calibrated to yield the crispiest possible skin. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During our visit, Changsha was running an incredible special — $15 for half a “Guangzhou roast duck” (discounted from $22). This was some of the tastiest Cantonese-style roast duck I’ve had anywhere in the United States. The skin was outrageously crispy without being greasy; the layer of flavorful fat had rendered down to soft, melty nubs. The meat itself? Impossibly tender and juicy. On the plate, a nice little “jus” of sweet soy sauce mixed with the duck’s fatty drippings made for a heavenly dipping sauce.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The duck is so good, all you really need to add is a bowl of white rice to assemble a satisfying meal. But the restaurant’s other specialty — rice noodles prepared in the style associated with Changsha, Hunan’s capital city — is also worth trying. These come in a variety of both soupy and dry versions. We thoroughly enjoyed the restaurant’s solid, flavorful take on beef noodle soup, which came topped with mustard greens and a scattering of raw chopped garlic. A dry version topped with scrambled eggs, pickled mustard stems and chopped chilies had its own homey, rustic kind of charm. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In both dishes, the rice noodles themselves were the most memorable component: round and white like spaghetti and cooked just shy of soggy, but with a pleasant, chewy bite in the center. They were very, very slurpable.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Really, though, everything we ordered was incredibly tasty — the bright and vinegary cucumber salad; the big, fleshy grilled oysters; the fried black stinky tofu, which had a delightfully squishy texture that helped soak up all the juices from the accompanying mala sauce. If there’s any running theme to the menu, it’s that the kitchen uses a metric ton of raw garlic, chopping it up small or into big chunks, tossing it willy-nilly, it feels like, into almost every dish. We loved it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Changsha Rice Noodles is one of those spots where you order via QR code, and the service is brusque and impersonal if not actively unfriendly. But the food itself is \u003cem>full\u003c/em> of soul. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And based on the jam-packed dining room we encountered, it’s clear they’ve struck on a winning combination. Even well past 10 p.m., the restaurant felt every bit as busy and rambunctious as any of the other Asian hangout spots in Cupertino Village. There were families with kids out past their bedtime. Lovey-dovey Gen Z couples doing that cutesy thing you see young couples do in Asia, sitting next to each other on the same side of the table even though they’re only a party of two. As far as we could tell, everyone was Chinese.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of course, everyone had ordered the duck. And, just like us, they all cleaned their plates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/changshamifen/\">\u003cem>Changsha Rice Noodles\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Monday to Saturday 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.–midnight, and Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30–9 p.m. at 10911 N. Wolfe Rd. Ste. B (in the Cupertino Village shopping plaza).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "sunnyvale-indian-ice-cream-pints-of-joy-late-night",
"title": "The Exuberant Joy of an Indian Ice Cream Shop at 11 PM",
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"headTitle": "The Exuberant Joy of an Indian Ice Cream Shop at 11 PM | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men eagerly eating many varieties of ice cream.\" class=\"wp-image-13990722\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pints of Joy is known for its wide selection of Indian-inspired ice cream flavors. The original Sunnyvale location stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The line outside the Indian \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/ice-cream\">ice cream\u003c/a> shop is, in a word, outrageous. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sandwiched between a dental office and an injection clinic in an anonymous Sunnyvale plaza, \u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/\">Pints of Joy\u003c/a> doesn’t, at first glance, \u003cem>look\u003c/em> like it’d be the site of an exuberant after-hours party. And yet: There are at least 15 or 20 customers ahead of us in line when we pull up to the scoop shop at a quarter past 10 on a recent Friday night — and easily another 30 ice cream eaters seated inside, or at the handful of tables on the string light–bedecked courtyard, or just sprawled out on the decorative planter boxes in front. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Almost everyone appears to be South Asian. And because a good chunk of the crowd has come in big, boisterous groups of five or six, the place pulses with the electricity of happy late-night conversation. At one outdoor table, a multigenerational family — Boomer grandparents, Gen X kids, Gen Z grandkids — teases each other over waffle cones. Inside, a table of eight bespectacled men in their 20s gesticulate vigorously with their hands, in the thick of some lively discussion. (Speaking as two glasses-wearing Asians, we never felt more at home among our people than at this Sunnyvale ice cream shop.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove.jpg\" alt='Illustration: An ice cream shop lit up at night, with a long line of customers waiting outside. The sign reads, \"Pints of Joy.\"' class=\"wp-image-13990725\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shortly before closing on a Friday night, the line outside the shop still stretched 15 or 20 people deep. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The reason for Pints of Joy’s popularity isn’t \u003cem>just\u003c/em> the convenience of being an ice cream parlor that stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends. What sets the shop apart is its lineup of Indian-inspired flavors — a breathtaking array even among the Bay Area’s small handful of other \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/139737/a-bay-area-creamery-gives-kamala-harris-its-highest-honor-an-ice-cream-flavor\">new-school South Asian ice cream\u003c/a> brands. There are flavors named after traditional, spice-laden Indian desserts like ras malai, falooda and malai kulfi. There are tropical fruits I love (mango! jackfruit!) and others I’d never heard of, like chikoo — a grainy, vaguely pear-like fruit that folks in India sometimes \u003ca href=\"https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/journal/in-india-the-chikoo-fruit-spreads-its-sweet-legacy\">add to milkshakes or turn into dehydrated chips\u003c/a>. One flavor, the \u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/collections/order-ahead/products/meetha-paan\">meetha paan\u003c/a>, even features fresh betel leaves. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All told, there were nearly 30 flavors to choose from, all intriguing. For probably a third of them, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what the ice cream might taste like. On a busy night like this one, when it wasn’t possible for us to take our time sampling three or four different flavors before making up our minds, the shop’s four-scoop flight ($14.99), served on a handsome wooden tray, is a nice option — especially if you’re sharing with a couple of friends. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We wound up picking more or less at random, but all of the flavors we chose were a hit. The gulab jamun flavor is a fun, inspired twist on the syrup-soaked “Indian donuts,” with chunks of the sweet dough balls mixed into the ice cream itself. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, our scooper’s top recommendation is the Biscoff cookie flavor, which features crumbled bits of the crisp, caramelly cookies (a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thestatesman.com/inspiration-hub/biscoff-in-india-the-biscuit-that-lost-its-bite-1503544174.html\">popular treat in India\u003c/a>, it turns out). This winds up being our favorite; it’s extravagantly delicious, like a bolder, more texturally interesting cookies and cream.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In addition to the audaciousness of the flavors, the other distinguishing feature of the ice cream at Pints of Joy is that it doesn’t have any eggs in it, so the scoops aren’t as dense or creamy as the ones at some of my favorite high-end creameries, like Bi-Rite or Lush Gelato. The texture is lighter here; the ice cream melts a little bit faster. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bonus is that the eggless approach makes for flavors that are more vivid and refreshing, perfect for the shop’s dazzling palette of tropical fruits. So, for the third scoop in our flight, I loved the intense, honeyed sweetness of the Alphonso mango ice cream, made with the pulp from real Indian mangoes, aka the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990218/indian-mango-party-san-francisco-mission\">king of fruits\u003c/a>.” And the most provocative flavor of the night was the custard apple, aka sitaphal, which includes strands of the fruit’s creamy, delicate flesh. The flavor lies somewhere between a banana and a less pungent durian. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Indian sweets lovers who want their frozen confections to taste \u003cem>even more \u003c/em>Indian, Pints of Joy also offers a selection of ice cream desserts modeled closely after traditional Indian sweets. The maximalist gajar halwa sundae comes dusted with almonds and crushed pistachios and has a layer of sticky-sweet carrot gelatin (the “gajar halwa”) on the bottom of the bowl. The mango mastani, meanwhile, is like if you took a mango lassi and added a scoop of mango ice cream, and also scattered a handful of Tutti-Frutti candy and nuts on top. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Suffice it to say, we’re on a bit of a sugar high by the end of the night. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All around us, though, the party rages on. Even as late as 10:45 p.m., we see children, maybe 8 or 9 years old, out past their bedtime, getting in line with their parents. The very last customer is a young South Asian woman in pajamas who sneaks in the door right as the store is closing up shop and walks out a few minutes later holding two pints in a plastic bag. She’s on the phone, probably letting friends or family know that her late-night mission was a success. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By this point, it’s well past 11 o’clock, and Pints of Joy has technically closed. But even halfway across the parking lot, we still hear the echoes of everyone’s happy chatter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pintsofjoyicecream/\">\u003cem>Pints of Joy\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Tuesday to Thursday 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday to Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday noon to 10 p.m. at 717 E. El Camino Real in Sunnyvale. The shop also has locations in \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/pages/fremont\">\u003cem>Fremont\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/pages/best-ice-cream-parlour-in-palo-alto\">\u003cem>Palo Alto\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> (at Rick’s Ice Cream).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men eagerly eating many varieties of ice cream.\" class=\"wp-image-13990722\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pints of Joy is known for its wide selection of Indian-inspired ice cream flavors. The original Sunnyvale location stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men eagerly eating many varieties of ice cream.\" class=\"wp-image-13990722\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pints of Joy is known for its wide selection of Indian-inspired ice cream flavors. The original Sunnyvale location stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The line outside the Indian \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/ice-cream\">ice cream\u003c/a> shop is, in a word, outrageous. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The line outside the Indian \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/ice-cream\">ice cream\u003c/a> shop is, in a word, outrageous. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sandwiched between a dental office and an injection clinic in an anonymous Sunnyvale plaza, \u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/\">Pints of Joy\u003c/a> doesn’t, at first glance, \u003cem>look\u003c/em> like it’d be the site of an exuberant after-hours party. And yet: There are at least 15 or 20 customers ahead of us in line when we pull up to the scoop shop at a quarter past 10 on a recent Friday night — and easily another 30 ice cream eaters seated inside, or at the handful of tables on the string light–bedecked courtyard, or just sprawled out on the decorative planter boxes in front. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sandwiched between a dental office and an injection clinic in an anonymous Sunnyvale plaza, \u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/\">Pints of Joy\u003c/a> doesn’t, at first glance, \u003cem>look\u003c/em> like it’d be the site of an exuberant after-hours party. And yet: There are at least 15 or 20 customers ahead of us in line when we pull up to the scoop shop at a quarter past 10 on a recent Friday night — and easily another 30 ice cream eaters seated inside, or at the handful of tables on the string light–bedecked courtyard, or just sprawled out on the decorative planter boxes in front. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Almost everyone appears to be South Asian. And because a good chunk of the crowd has come in big, boisterous groups of five or six, the place pulses with the electricity of happy late-night conversation. At one outdoor table, a multigenerational family — Boomer grandparents, Gen X kids, Gen Z grandkids — teases each other over waffle cones. Inside, a table of eight bespectacled men in their 20s gesticulate vigorously with their hands, in the thick of some lively discussion. (Speaking as two glasses-wearing Asians, we never felt more at home among our people than at this Sunnyvale ice cream shop.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Almost everyone appears to be South Asian. And because a good chunk of the crowd has come in big, boisterous groups of five or six, the place pulses with the electricity of happy late-night conversation. At one outdoor table, a multigenerational family — Boomer grandparents, Gen X kids, Gen Z grandkids — teases each other over waffle cones. Inside, a table of eight bespectacled men in their 20s gesticulate vigorously with their hands, in the thick of some lively discussion. (Speaking as two glasses-wearing Asians, we never felt more at home among our people than at this Sunnyvale ice cream shop.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-600x600.jpg 600w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: An ice cream shop lit up at night, with a long line of customers waiting outside. The sign reads, "Pints of Joy."\" class=\"wp-image-13990725\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shortly before closing on a Friday night, the line outside the shop still stretched 15 or 20 people deep.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The reason for Pints of Joy’s popularity isn’t \u003cem>just\u003c/em> the convenience of being an ice cream parlor that stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends. What sets the shop apart is its lineup of Indian-inspired flavors — a breathtaking array even among the Bay Area’s small handful of other \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/139737/a-bay-area-creamery-gives-kamala-harris-its-highest-honor-an-ice-cream-flavor\">new-school South Asian ice cream\u003c/a> brands. There are flavors named after traditional, spice-laden Indian desserts like ras malai, falooda and malai kulfi. There are tropical fruits I love (mango! jackfruit!) and others I’d never heard of, like chikoo — a grainy, vaguely pear-like fruit that folks in India sometimes \u003ca href=\"https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/journal/in-india-the-chikoo-fruit-spreads-its-sweet-legacy\">add to milkshakes or turn into dehydrated chips\u003c/a>. One flavor, the \u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/collections/order-ahead/products/meetha-paan\">meetha paan\u003c/a>, even features fresh betel leaves. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The reason for Pints of Joy’s popularity isn’t \u003cem>just\u003c/em> the convenience of being an ice cream parlor that stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends. What sets the shop apart is its lineup of Indian-inspired flavors — a breathtaking array even among the Bay Area’s small handful of other \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/139737/a-bay-area-creamery-gives-kamala-harris-its-highest-honor-an-ice-cream-flavor\">new-school South Asian ice cream\u003c/a> brands. There are flavors named after traditional, spice-laden Indian desserts like ras malai, falooda and malai kulfi. There are tropical fruits I love (mango! jackfruit!) and others I’d never heard of, like chikoo — a grainy, vaguely pear-like fruit that folks in India sometimes \u003ca href=\"https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/journal/in-india-the-chikoo-fruit-spreads-its-sweet-legacy\">add to milkshakes or turn into dehydrated chips\u003c/a>. One flavor, the \u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/collections/order-ahead/products/meetha-paan\">meetha paan\u003c/a>, even features fresh betel leaves. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All told, there were nearly 30 flavors to choose from, all intriguing. For probably a third of them, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what the ice cream might taste like. On a busy night like this one, when it wasn’t possible for us to take our time sampling three or four different flavors before making up our minds, the shop’s four-scoop flight ($14.99), served on a handsome wooden tray, is a nice option — especially if you’re sharing with a couple of friends. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>All told, there were nearly 30 flavors to choose from, all intriguing. For probably a third of them, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what the ice cream might taste like. On a busy night like this one, when it wasn’t possible for us to take our time sampling three or four different flavors before making up our minds, the shop’s four-scoop flight ($14.99), served on a handsome wooden tray, is a nice option — especially if you’re sharing with a couple of friends. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>We wound up picking more or less at random, but all of the flavors we chose were a hit. The gulab jamun flavor is a fun, inspired twist on the syrup-soaked “Indian donuts,” with chunks of the sweet dough balls mixed into the ice cream itself. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>We wound up picking more or less at random, but all of the flavors we chose were a hit. The gulab jamun flavor is a fun, inspired twist on the syrup-soaked “Indian donuts,” with chunks of the sweet dough balls mixed into the ice cream itself. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, our scooper’s top recommendation is the Biscoff cookie flavor, which features crumbled bits of the crisp, caramelly cookies (a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thestatesman.com/inspiration-hub/biscoff-in-india-the-biscuit-that-lost-its-bite-1503544174.html\">popular treat in India\u003c/a>, it turns out). This winds up being our favorite; it’s extravagantly delicious, like a bolder, more texturally interesting cookies and cream.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, our scooper’s top recommendation is the Biscoff cookie flavor, which features crumbled bits of the crisp, caramelly cookies (a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thestatesman.com/inspiration-hub/biscoff-in-india-the-biscuit-that-lost-its-bite-1503544174.html\">popular treat in India\u003c/a>, it turns out). This winds up being our favorite; it’s extravagantly delicious, like a bolder, more texturally interesting cookies and cream.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In addition to the audaciousness of the flavors, the other distinguishing feature of the ice cream at Pints of Joy is that it doesn’t have any eggs in it, so the scoops aren’t as dense or creamy as the ones at some of my favorite high-end creameries, like Bi-Rite or Lush Gelato. The texture is lighter here; the ice cream melts a little bit faster. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In addition to the audaciousness of the flavors, the other distinguishing feature of the ice cream at Pints of Joy is that it doesn’t have any eggs in it, so the scoops aren’t as dense or creamy as the ones at some of my favorite high-end creameries, like Bi-Rite or Lush Gelato. The texture is lighter here; the ice cream melts a little bit faster. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bonus is that the eggless approach makes for flavors that are more vivid and refreshing, perfect for the shop’s dazzling palette of tropical fruits. So, for the third scoop in our flight, I loved the intense, honeyed sweetness of the Alphonso mango ice cream, made with the pulp from real Indian mangoes, aka the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990218/indian-mango-party-san-francisco-mission\">king of fruits\u003c/a>.” And the most provocative flavor of the night was the custard apple, aka sitaphal, which includes strands of the fruit’s creamy, delicate flesh. The flavor lies somewhere between a banana and a less pungent durian. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The bonus is that the eggless approach makes for flavors that are more vivid and refreshing, perfect for the shop’s dazzling palette of tropical fruits. So, for the third scoop in our flight, I loved the intense, honeyed sweetness of the Alphonso mango ice cream, made with the pulp from real Indian mangoes, aka the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990218/indian-mango-party-san-francisco-mission\">king of fruits\u003c/a>.” And the most provocative flavor of the night was the custard apple, aka sitaphal, which includes strands of the fruit’s creamy, delicate flesh. The flavor lies somewhere between a banana and a less pungent durian. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For Indian sweets lovers who want their frozen confections to taste \u003cem>even more \u003c/em>Indian, Pints of Joy also offers a selection of ice cream desserts modeled closely after traditional Indian sweets. The maximalist gajar halwa sundae comes dusted with almonds and crushed pistachios and has a layer of sticky-sweet carrot gelatin (the “gajar halwa”) on the bottom of the bowl. The mango mastani, meanwhile, is like if you took a mango lassi and added a scoop of mango ice cream, and also scattered a handful of Tutti-Frutti candy and nuts on top. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For Indian sweets lovers who want their frozen confections to taste \u003cem>even more \u003c/em>Indian, Pints of Joy also offers a selection of ice cream desserts modeled closely after traditional Indian sweets. The maximalist gajar halwa sundae comes dusted with almonds and crushed pistachios and has a layer of sticky-sweet carrot gelatin (the “gajar halwa”) on the bottom of the bowl. The mango mastani, meanwhile, is like if you took a mango lassi and added a scoop of mango ice cream, and also scattered a handful of Tutti-Frutti candy and nuts on top. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Suffice it to say, we’re on a bit of a sugar high by the end of the night. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All around us, though, the party rages on. Even as late as 10:45 p.m., we see children, maybe 8 or 9 years old, out past their bedtime, getting in line with their parents. The very last customer is a young South Asian woman in pajamas who sneaks in the door right as the store is closing up shop and walks out a few minutes later holding two pints in a plastic bag. She’s on the phone, probably letting friends or family know that her late-night mission was a success. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>All around us, though, the party rages on. Even as late as 10:45 p.m., we see children, maybe 8 or 9 years old, out past their bedtime, getting in line with their parents. The very last customer is a young South Asian woman in pajamas who sneaks in the door right as the store is closing up shop and walks out a few minutes later holding two pints in a plastic bag. She’s on the phone, probably letting friends or family know that her late-night mission was a success. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>By this point, it’s well past 11 o’clock, and Pints of Joy has technically closed. But even halfway across the parking lot, we still hear the echoes of everyone’s happy chatter.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>By this point, it’s well past 11 o’clock, and Pints of Joy has technically closed. But even halfway across the parking lot, we still hear the echoes of everyone’s happy chatter.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pintsofjoyicecream/\">\u003cem>Pints of Joy\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Tuesday to Thursday 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday to Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday noon to 10 p.m. at 717 E. El Camino Real in Sunnyvale. The shop also has locations in \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/pages/fremont\">\u003cem>Fremont\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/pages/best-ice-cream-parlour-in-palo-alto\">\u003cem>Palo Alto\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> (at Rick’s Ice Cream).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pintsofjoyicecream/\">\u003cem>Pints of Joy\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Tuesday to Thursday 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday to Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday noon to 10 p.m. at 717 E. El Camino Real in Sunnyvale. The shop also has locations in \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/pages/fremont\">\u003cem>Fremont\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/pages/best-ice-cream-parlour-in-palo-alto\">\u003cem>Palo Alto\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> (at Rick’s Ice Cream).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Pints of Joy is Sunnyvale’s sweetest late-night party.",
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"title": "Pints of Joy Is Sunnyvale's Late-Night Indian Ice Cream Shop | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men eagerly eating many varieties of ice cream.\" class=\"wp-image-13990722\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pints of Joy is known for its wide selection of Indian-inspired ice cream flavors. The original Sunnyvale location stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The line outside the Indian \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/ice-cream\">ice cream\u003c/a> shop is, in a word, outrageous. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sandwiched between a dental office and an injection clinic in an anonymous Sunnyvale plaza, \u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/\">Pints of Joy\u003c/a> doesn’t, at first glance, \u003cem>look\u003c/em> like it’d be the site of an exuberant after-hours party. And yet: There are at least 15 or 20 customers ahead of us in line when we pull up to the scoop shop at a quarter past 10 on a recent Friday night — and easily another 30 ice cream eaters seated inside, or at the handful of tables on the string light–bedecked courtyard, or just sprawled out on the decorative planter boxes in front. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Almost everyone appears to be South Asian. And because a good chunk of the crowd has come in big, boisterous groups of five or six, the place pulses with the electricity of happy late-night conversation. At one outdoor table, a multigenerational family — Boomer grandparents, Gen X kids, Gen Z grandkids — teases each other over waffle cones. Inside, a table of eight bespectacled men in their 20s gesticulate vigorously with their hands, in the thick of some lively discussion. (Speaking as two glasses-wearing Asians, we never felt more at home among our people than at this Sunnyvale ice cream shop.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove.jpg\" alt='Illustration: An ice cream shop lit up at night, with a long line of customers waiting outside. The sign reads, \"Pints of Joy.\"' class=\"wp-image-13990725\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shortly before closing on a Friday night, the line outside the shop still stretched 15 or 20 people deep. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The reason for Pints of Joy’s popularity isn’t \u003cem>just\u003c/em> the convenience of being an ice cream parlor that stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends. What sets the shop apart is its lineup of Indian-inspired flavors — a breathtaking array even among the Bay Area’s small handful of other \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/139737/a-bay-area-creamery-gives-kamala-harris-its-highest-honor-an-ice-cream-flavor\">new-school South Asian ice cream\u003c/a> brands. There are flavors named after traditional, spice-laden Indian desserts like ras malai, falooda and malai kulfi. There are tropical fruits I love (mango! jackfruit!) and others I’d never heard of, like chikoo — a grainy, vaguely pear-like fruit that folks in India sometimes \u003ca href=\"https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/journal/in-india-the-chikoo-fruit-spreads-its-sweet-legacy\">add to milkshakes or turn into dehydrated chips\u003c/a>. One flavor, the \u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/collections/order-ahead/products/meetha-paan\">meetha paan\u003c/a>, even features fresh betel leaves. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All told, there were nearly 30 flavors to choose from, all intriguing. For probably a third of them, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what the ice cream might taste like. On a busy night like this one, when it wasn’t possible for us to take our time sampling three or four different flavors before making up our minds, the shop’s four-scoop flight ($14.99), served on a handsome wooden tray, is a nice option — especially if you’re sharing with a couple of friends. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We wound up picking more or less at random, but all of the flavors we chose were a hit. The gulab jamun flavor is a fun, inspired twist on the syrup-soaked “Indian donuts,” with chunks of the sweet dough balls mixed into the ice cream itself. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, our scooper’s top recommendation is the Biscoff cookie flavor, which features crumbled bits of the crisp, caramelly cookies (a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thestatesman.com/inspiration-hub/biscoff-in-india-the-biscuit-that-lost-its-bite-1503544174.html\">popular treat in India\u003c/a>, it turns out). This winds up being our favorite; it’s extravagantly delicious, like a bolder, more texturally interesting cookies and cream.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In addition to the audaciousness of the flavors, the other distinguishing feature of the ice cream at Pints of Joy is that it doesn’t have any eggs in it, so the scoops aren’t as dense or creamy as the ones at some of my favorite high-end creameries, like Bi-Rite or Lush Gelato. The texture is lighter here; the ice cream melts a little bit faster. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bonus is that the eggless approach makes for flavors that are more vivid and refreshing, perfect for the shop’s dazzling palette of tropical fruits. So, for the third scoop in our flight, I loved the intense, honeyed sweetness of the Alphonso mango ice cream, made with the pulp from real Indian mangoes, aka the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990218/indian-mango-party-san-francisco-mission\">king of fruits\u003c/a>.” And the most provocative flavor of the night was the custard apple, aka sitaphal, which includes strands of the fruit’s creamy, delicate flesh. The flavor lies somewhere between a banana and a less pungent durian. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Indian sweets lovers who want their frozen confections to taste \u003cem>even more \u003c/em>Indian, Pints of Joy also offers a selection of ice cream desserts modeled closely after traditional Indian sweets. The maximalist gajar halwa sundae comes dusted with almonds and crushed pistachios and has a layer of sticky-sweet carrot gelatin (the “gajar halwa”) on the bottom of the bowl. The mango mastani, meanwhile, is like if you took a mango lassi and added a scoop of mango ice cream, and also scattered a handful of Tutti-Frutti candy and nuts on top. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Suffice it to say, we’re on a bit of a sugar high by the end of the night. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All around us, though, the party rages on. Even as late as 10:45 p.m., we see children, maybe 8 or 9 years old, out past their bedtime, getting in line with their parents. The very last customer is a young South Asian woman in pajamas who sneaks in the door right as the store is closing up shop and walks out a few minutes later holding two pints in a plastic bag. She’s on the phone, probably letting friends or family know that her late-night mission was a success. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By this point, it’s well past 11 o’clock, and Pints of Joy has technically closed. But even halfway across the parking lot, we still hear the echoes of everyone’s happy chatter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pintsofjoyicecream/\">\u003cem>Pints of Joy\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Tuesday to Thursday 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday to Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday noon to 10 p.m. at 717 E. El Camino Real in Sunnyvale. The shop also has locations in \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/pages/fremont\">\u003cem>Fremont\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/pages/best-ice-cream-parlour-in-palo-alto\">\u003cem>Palo Alto\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> (at Rick’s Ice Cream).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "turkish-food-truck-chefmus-adana-kebab-mountain-view",
"title": "A New Turkish Food Truck Serves Some of the Best Adana Kebab in the Bay Area",
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"content": "\u003cp>I have a rule where anytime I spot a busy \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/food-truck\">food truck\u003c/a>, I’ll make a brief detour to check it out, even if it means pulling across three lanes on the highway — much to the dismay of my passengers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s how I first discovered \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/chefmuskebab/\">Chefmus\u003c/a>, a modest-looking Turkish food trailer wedged between a gas station and tire shop in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/mountain-view\">Mountain View\u003c/a>. From the main street, you can’t see the dining tables or the crowd of customers swarming the trailer. But when I peeked inside the window, I saw a full-on pyrotechnics show: a variety of meat kebabs, jalapeños, tomatoes and onions grilled over a live flame until they were heavily charred.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The menu features only three items: lamb shish kebab, chicken shish kebab and, the truck’s biggest claim to fame, the minced lamb skewers known as Adana kebab. These glistening kebabs are scorched on the grill until they develop a crunchy shell, then tightly wrapped in a flour tortilla along with tomatoes, onion and a spritz of lemon juice. The meat is so tender it hardly requires chewing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987760\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987760\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-jalapenos.jpg\" alt=\"Jalapeños, tomatoes and Adana kebab on a hot grill.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-jalapenos.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-jalapenos-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-jalapenos-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-jalapenos-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Adana kebab, tomatoes and jalapeños are cooked over a live fire until they’re nicely charred. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Brothers Seyhumus and Emir Artik moved to the US from their hometown of Istanbul, Turkey, in 2021. Although the city of Adana is on the other side of the country, the Artiks grew up eating Adana-style kebabs as it’s one of the most popular street foods all across Turkey. Still, Seyhumus says he was never taught how to make the kebabs when he attended culinary school in Istanbul. Instead, he picked up the skill while working at a hotel restaurant in Taksim.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the brothers opened Chefmus this past December, their goal was to share the depth of Turkish cuisine with the Bay Area. Familiar grilled meats like kebabs and köfte seemed like a good place to start.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Turkish people come for Adana kebab because it’s hard to find in the Bay Area,” Seyhumus says. While the dish is a staple on Turkish restaurant menus, proper Adana — fire-roasted and intensely lamby, with meticulously ground meat — is incredibly rare. In the Bay Area, most restaurants make their Adana with lamb scraps or a mix of lamb and beef instead of grinding the proper cuts of lamb, he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987771\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987771\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-emir.jpg\" alt=\"A man poses in front of a food truck.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-emir.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-emir-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-emir-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-emir-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Co-owner Emir Artik poses in front of the Chefmus food truck. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So, Seyhumus decided that Chefmus should focus on mastering Adana kebab. The dish is traditionally made by \u003ca href=\"https://vimeo.com/6169932?turnstile=0.6MbAj6ED8-MOqJ-8nemaMegVknEExUAXZBRGso7jdyRzbt42N0DnBvRZHZgjM5BPyzPXiRGgJ8n0KA6tWfyIIb9f2J8vuUDB5HKd32pdHD9ofyZRWjhasOx6sJQmW4-B5JtaZbnlLYODW_7UksD5qrQp20WGFvE-z4KbQAqeu24GxyLDnWMU4AxyUlBFJLEZ6_7exnTQUDdc-41scc9G6zUcYHmazq3FIYOv8J2kjX_1IZbfmszOiN1DGfGevMAoNlG3QPg78zro1zOTmeLRQ8FAh0flb_oKocasUSVeJPBXwdY-vxjA4WEw1ikPYRTqjoPLUnB7652g8v6GWcQ0VVGsS4LC7jds1JICnFqhWeimbTFJMMOUca8VMy-xwyF-GQxTRtYo1jD890NPHIUcmcIaYYLjvHj0McJdG3zI6YWvUGxega6L4KBYt85Vc2yePvrQKho5AnwBM2UzbRfsDTkU0H483LHnHtr_5mPmodRXbEdIZvVlCGwufagUU4SV_OZY_1r7Xz8_lZSqxQYO9OENzWomgpwUA9GbKwqDUPuOqMX8LfDbOPSY03h_HQqZbP-Qnt3MusO0vSTEB55glsAAVsds5Kj9fYfktnFOfzh6fHZcGOalXZMX3wK2jN8HVCejdPsROM9JI1eV--UeT61VudCe_lFiGCNAPrLGmPWxMKC6A5MFMINP0-XAtWNBPymTFLNzaEXQ4V9xEu6L1k2m-8_c0mjCq4vUoGQy2H7sFIEZuKucggaz4vb1zjXGVdJMIybuoduALsdo3z95YWxp5v1WjYtahcgKRqmLdq2gkE6YNzuwJceDHTiEDdpbdF3L6HG0k5AJxNpMXU_mRhSjpr-jczCTNERuM4BSIkWvOkd6Tm_91cREcmtA4oc29sROdlULPnUHPVOmpeUBg6JceL6DLoQNI1eY92BNZtk7kjzmIsAaAethBQ-Ppr6w.OG5UkLg4O3O8GIAA4-WXrw.61f5f4cba33a76b70b13c208efa6cab31d9da2cf089e005b0cad52afe8f178c8\">mincing lamb\u003c/a> with a curved blade known as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXY59BZnH-4\">zirh knife\u003c/a>. Seyhumus uses the zirh he ordered from Turkey to finely chop a minimum of 10 pounds of halal lamb each day. Even though a lot of other kebab shops use a machine to grind their meat, Seyhumus is opposed to that shortcut because it produces a dense, chewy texture akin to sausage. Chefmus’ coarsely chopped lamb — a mix of shoulder and rib meat — is looser and more tender. It’s only salted and lightly seasoned with red pepper to allow the flavor of the lamb to shine. The ground meat is massaged onto a long, blade-like skewer known as a shish). After grilling, the kebabs are juicy with a hint of smokiness. They’re served wrapped in flour tortillas, as the Artiks have yet to find a source for pide, the traditional Turkish flatbread. Even still, this is the best Adana-style kebab I’ve had in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The brothers tag-team the food trailer — Seyhumus takes the first shift to prepare the meats, and Emir takes over in the afternoon to cook until they sell out. Emir was working as an Uber driver and decided to get into the food business to support his brother even though he never had any prior restaurant experience. Both brothers say they see Chefmus as more than just a business venture. It’s a way to connect with people in the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now, 50% of our customers are Turkish,” says Emir. “Others have never tried Turkish food.” Many customers tell the brothers they feel like they’re eating a meal in Turkey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987762\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987762\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-kofte-kebab.jpg\" alt=\"A kofte keba sandwich, opened to show the meat, tomatoes, and onions inside.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"924\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-kofte-kebab.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-kofte-kebab-160x74.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-kofte-kebab-768x355.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-kofte-kebab-1536x710.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chefmus’ köfte kebab is a recent addition to the menu. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Chefmus also offers rotating dishes like sütlaç (rice pudding) and mercimek çorbası (lentil soup). On the first day of Ramadan this year, Seyhumus prepared lamb shanks that he cooked for four hours. “I’m not sure if these things will be on the menu permanently,” says Emir, noting that they’ll usually announce these specials on their \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/chefmuskebab/\">Instagram page\u003c/a>. “We’re always going to do new things, but not every day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13965475,arts_13979641,arts_13961613']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>If a dish is extremely popular, like their recent beef köfte, it’ll join the permanent roster. Seyhumus declined to share any of the fourteen secret spices he uses in his köfte, but the results speak for themselves: Grilled over the flame, these meatballs were earthy and aromatic, and especially tasty when tucked into a crunchy baguette with sliced onions and tomatoes. The advantage of having a limited menu is being able to focus on each dish. The chicken kebab, for example, is marinated for 24 hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Emir and Seyhumus already have plans for opening a second Chefmus location in Santa Clara later this year and perhaps eventually a restaurant. Meanwhile, Seyhumus says his true passion has always been desserts — specifically, San Sebastian cheesecake (aka Basque cheesecake) topped with Belgian chocolate. Before opening the food truck, he’d dreamed of starting a cheesecake business. He held off on selling desserts at the food trailer due to lack of space, but he says he’s eager to return to his roots as a pastry chef someday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Maybe I will open a coffee shop with desserts,” he says. “First, I want people to know us and what we sell.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/chefmuskebab/\">\u003ci>Chefmus\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m.–10 p.m. and Sunday 1–8 p.m. at 101 E. El Camino Real in Mountain View.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "This Food Truck Serves the Best Adana Kebab in the Bay Area | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>I have a rule where anytime I spot a busy \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/food-truck\">food truck\u003c/a>, I’ll make a brief detour to check it out, even if it means pulling across three lanes on the highway — much to the dismay of my passengers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s how I first discovered \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/chefmuskebab/\">Chefmus\u003c/a>, a modest-looking Turkish food trailer wedged between a gas station and tire shop in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/mountain-view\">Mountain View\u003c/a>. From the main street, you can’t see the dining tables or the crowd of customers swarming the trailer. But when I peeked inside the window, I saw a full-on pyrotechnics show: a variety of meat kebabs, jalapeños, tomatoes and onions grilled over a live flame until they were heavily charred.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The menu features only three items: lamb shish kebab, chicken shish kebab and, the truck’s biggest claim to fame, the minced lamb skewers known as Adana kebab. These glistening kebabs are scorched on the grill until they develop a crunchy shell, then tightly wrapped in a flour tortilla along with tomatoes, onion and a spritz of lemon juice. The meat is so tender it hardly requires chewing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987760\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987760\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-jalapenos.jpg\" alt=\"Jalapeños, tomatoes and Adana kebab on a hot grill.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-jalapenos.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-jalapenos-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-jalapenos-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-jalapenos-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Adana kebab, tomatoes and jalapeños are cooked over a live fire until they’re nicely charred. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Brothers Seyhumus and Emir Artik moved to the US from their hometown of Istanbul, Turkey, in 2021. Although the city of Adana is on the other side of the country, the Artiks grew up eating Adana-style kebabs as it’s one of the most popular street foods all across Turkey. Still, Seyhumus says he was never taught how to make the kebabs when he attended culinary school in Istanbul. Instead, he picked up the skill while working at a hotel restaurant in Taksim.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the brothers opened Chefmus this past December, their goal was to share the depth of Turkish cuisine with the Bay Area. Familiar grilled meats like kebabs and köfte seemed like a good place to start.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Turkish people come for Adana kebab because it’s hard to find in the Bay Area,” Seyhumus says. While the dish is a staple on Turkish restaurant menus, proper Adana — fire-roasted and intensely lamby, with meticulously ground meat — is incredibly rare. In the Bay Area, most restaurants make their Adana with lamb scraps or a mix of lamb and beef instead of grinding the proper cuts of lamb, he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987771\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987771\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-emir.jpg\" alt=\"A man poses in front of a food truck.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-emir.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-emir-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-emir-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-emir-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Co-owner Emir Artik poses in front of the Chefmus food truck. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So, Seyhumus decided that Chefmus should focus on mastering Adana kebab. The dish is traditionally made by \u003ca href=\"https://vimeo.com/6169932?turnstile=0.6MbAj6ED8-MOqJ-8nemaMegVknEExUAXZBRGso7jdyRzbt42N0DnBvRZHZgjM5BPyzPXiRGgJ8n0KA6tWfyIIb9f2J8vuUDB5HKd32pdHD9ofyZRWjhasOx6sJQmW4-B5JtaZbnlLYODW_7UksD5qrQp20WGFvE-z4KbQAqeu24GxyLDnWMU4AxyUlBFJLEZ6_7exnTQUDdc-41scc9G6zUcYHmazq3FIYOv8J2kjX_1IZbfmszOiN1DGfGevMAoNlG3QPg78zro1zOTmeLRQ8FAh0flb_oKocasUSVeJPBXwdY-vxjA4WEw1ikPYRTqjoPLUnB7652g8v6GWcQ0VVGsS4LC7jds1JICnFqhWeimbTFJMMOUca8VMy-xwyF-GQxTRtYo1jD890NPHIUcmcIaYYLjvHj0McJdG3zI6YWvUGxega6L4KBYt85Vc2yePvrQKho5AnwBM2UzbRfsDTkU0H483LHnHtr_5mPmodRXbEdIZvVlCGwufagUU4SV_OZY_1r7Xz8_lZSqxQYO9OENzWomgpwUA9GbKwqDUPuOqMX8LfDbOPSY03h_HQqZbP-Qnt3MusO0vSTEB55glsAAVsds5Kj9fYfktnFOfzh6fHZcGOalXZMX3wK2jN8HVCejdPsROM9JI1eV--UeT61VudCe_lFiGCNAPrLGmPWxMKC6A5MFMINP0-XAtWNBPymTFLNzaEXQ4V9xEu6L1k2m-8_c0mjCq4vUoGQy2H7sFIEZuKucggaz4vb1zjXGVdJMIybuoduALsdo3z95YWxp5v1WjYtahcgKRqmLdq2gkE6YNzuwJceDHTiEDdpbdF3L6HG0k5AJxNpMXU_mRhSjpr-jczCTNERuM4BSIkWvOkd6Tm_91cREcmtA4oc29sROdlULPnUHPVOmpeUBg6JceL6DLoQNI1eY92BNZtk7kjzmIsAaAethBQ-Ppr6w.OG5UkLg4O3O8GIAA4-WXrw.61f5f4cba33a76b70b13c208efa6cab31d9da2cf089e005b0cad52afe8f178c8\">mincing lamb\u003c/a> with a curved blade known as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXY59BZnH-4\">zirh knife\u003c/a>. Seyhumus uses the zirh he ordered from Turkey to finely chop a minimum of 10 pounds of halal lamb each day. Even though a lot of other kebab shops use a machine to grind their meat, Seyhumus is opposed to that shortcut because it produces a dense, chewy texture akin to sausage. Chefmus’ coarsely chopped lamb — a mix of shoulder and rib meat — is looser and more tender. It’s only salted and lightly seasoned with red pepper to allow the flavor of the lamb to shine. The ground meat is massaged onto a long, blade-like skewer known as a shish). After grilling, the kebabs are juicy with a hint of smokiness. They’re served wrapped in flour tortillas, as the Artiks have yet to find a source for pide, the traditional Turkish flatbread. Even still, this is the best Adana-style kebab I’ve had in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The brothers tag-team the food trailer — Seyhumus takes the first shift to prepare the meats, and Emir takes over in the afternoon to cook until they sell out. Emir was working as an Uber driver and decided to get into the food business to support his brother even though he never had any prior restaurant experience. Both brothers say they see Chefmus as more than just a business venture. It’s a way to connect with people in the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now, 50% of our customers are Turkish,” says Emir. “Others have never tried Turkish food.” Many customers tell the brothers they feel like they’re eating a meal in Turkey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987762\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987762\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-kofte-kebab.jpg\" alt=\"A kofte keba sandwich, opened to show the meat, tomatoes, and onions inside.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"924\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-kofte-kebab.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-kofte-kebab-160x74.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-kofte-kebab-768x355.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/chefmus-kofte-kebab-1536x710.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chefmus’ köfte kebab is a recent addition to the menu. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Chefmus also offers rotating dishes like sütlaç (rice pudding) and mercimek çorbası (lentil soup). On the first day of Ramadan this year, Seyhumus prepared lamb shanks that he cooked for four hours. “I’m not sure if these things will be on the menu permanently,” says Emir, noting that they’ll usually announce these specials on their \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/chefmuskebab/\">Instagram page\u003c/a>. “We’re always going to do new things, but not every day.”\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>If a dish is extremely popular, like their recent beef köfte, it’ll join the permanent roster. Seyhumus declined to share any of the fourteen secret spices he uses in his köfte, but the results speak for themselves: Grilled over the flame, these meatballs were earthy and aromatic, and especially tasty when tucked into a crunchy baguette with sliced onions and tomatoes. The advantage of having a limited menu is being able to focus on each dish. The chicken kebab, for example, is marinated for 24 hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Emir and Seyhumus already have plans for opening a second Chefmus location in Santa Clara later this year and perhaps eventually a restaurant. Meanwhile, Seyhumus says his true passion has always been desserts — specifically, San Sebastian cheesecake (aka Basque cheesecake) topped with Belgian chocolate. Before opening the food truck, he’d dreamed of starting a cheesecake business. He held off on selling desserts at the food trailer due to lack of space, but he says he’s eager to return to his roots as a pastry chef someday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Maybe I will open a coffee shop with desserts,” he says. “First, I want people to know us and what we sell.”\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/chefmuskebab/\">\u003ci>Chefmus\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m.–10 p.m. and Sunday 1–8 p.m. at 101 E. El Camino Real in Mountain View.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>One of the most memorable breakfasts of my life was at a small sushi stall at the old Tsukiji fish market in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/japan\">Tokyo\u003c/a>, where I dug into a big wooden tub of rice topped with a mountain of incredibly fresh-tasting \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/japanese-food\">uni, ikura and fatty tuna\u003c/a>. It was just past eight o’clock in the morning. After I’d devoured most of the raw seafood, the shopkeeper poured hot dashi over the last little bit so I could slurp it up like the most exquisite rice porridge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Call it a typical Japanophile’s romanticized tourist experience, but for years I’ve thought about that bowl of seafood. I never found anything quite like it in the Bay Area until a couple of weeks ago when I stumbled on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yaichi_restaurant/\">Yaichi\u003c/a>, a newish restaurant specializing in fresh seafood bowls, or kaisendon, in the Ulferts Center shopping plaza in Milpitas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986367\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986367\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-exterior.jpg\" alt='Exterior of a restaurant. The blue curtain hanging in the doorway reads, \"Yaichi Japanese Udon & Seafood Bowl.\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-exterior.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-exterior-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-exterior-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-exterior-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The restaurant is located in the Ulferts Center shopping plaza in Milpitas. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Open since this past fall, Yaichi sells three progressively luxed-up versions of its sushi bowl. The basic “Ume” bowl ($26) comes piled extravagantly high with minced yellowfin tuna, flying fish roe, scallops and a plump morsel of snow crab leg meat. The more premium bowls ($32 and $41, respectively) add a generous scattering of ikura (marinated salmon roe) and Hokkaido sea urchin to the mix.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beginner-friendly instructions displayed on every table teach first-timers how to best enjoy the kaisen don: First, place some of the rice and seafood on a piece of dried seaweed, wrapping it up to eat like a sushi hand roll. Then, mix together some wasabi and house-brewed soy sauce and pour it over the remaining seafood. The briny pop of the ikura and the buttery ocean umami of the uni make for an especially delicious combination when stirred into the warm rice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986366\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986366\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-closeup-2.jpg\" alt=\"Japanese seafood bowl piled high with salmon roe, sea urchin and other assorted raw seafood.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-closeup-2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-closeup-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-closeup-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-closeup-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Another view of the “Matsu” bowl — the fanciest and most expensive of Yaichi’s seafood bowls. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Toward the end of the meal, you can add the optional ochazuke set ($4.50), which comes with shredded shiso, seaweed, tiny rice cracker balls and a single piece of salmon sashimi. Add all that into what’s left of your bowl (make sure you save some of the rice!) and then pour hot dashi over everything, transforming the sushi bowl into a gentle, cozy soup that warms you up from the inside. In that way, diners get to enjoy their kaisendon as two totally different dishes in one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant is the brainchild of Tokyo-raised chef-owner Nobu Kashima, who also runs Leichi, a popular izakaya in Santa Clara. In Japan, he explains, you can find kaisendon at casual izakayas, at beachside seafood restaurants and — perhaps most commonly for foreign tourists — at fish market kiosks like the one I ate at Tsikiji. In recent years, popular, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C_XZH2zz_pE/?hl=en&img_index=1\">Instagram-friendly kaisendon chains\u003c/a> in Tokyo have been known to draw two-hour lines during the dinner rush.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here in the Bay Area, though, Kashima says he hasn’t really seen any restaurants specializing in these giant seafood bowls, though you might find a more modest version on the menu at certain sushi restaurants or izakayas. What’s much more common are chirashi bowls, which feature a variety of sashimi scattered on top of a bowl or bento box of vinegared sushi rice. Kaisendon like Yaichi’s, on the other hand, usually comes with plain, unseasoned rice, which makes it more suitable for the ochazuke treatment — also a relative rarity in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986371\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986371\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-ochuzuke.jpg\" alt=\"A bowl of dashi broth with seafood and rice.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-ochuzuke.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-ochuzuke-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-ochuzuke-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-ochuzuke-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The optional ochuzuke set gives diners an additional way to enjoy the meal. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Apart from the seafood bowls, Yaichi offers a concise selection of izakaya-style appetizers, my favorite of which was the delightful DIY Japanese potato salad, which comes with a little mortar and wooden pestle. You pound the potatoes to your preferred texture before mixing in the mayonnaise, cucumber, onion, soft-boiled egg and your choice of ham or salted cod roe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13986256,arts_13926203,arts_13957143']Eventually, the restaurant’s other main specialty will be udon. Kashimi says he’s in the process of importing a noodle machine from Japan so that he can make the udon fresh in-house. Both the noodles and the broth will be made according to the Sanuki style from Kanagawa Prefecture. The noodles are meant to be particularly chewy, and the broth will have a strong fish flavor from dried sardines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kanishi says he’s hoping the udon will be available within the coming month. At that point, the emphasis of the restaurant will be split evenly between the udon and the seafood rice bowls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some people really like noodles,” he says. “But if you’re eating noodles every day, you miss the rice. That’s why I want to do both.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://yaichi.netlify.app/\">\u003ci>Yaichi\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open daily 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. and 4:30–8:30 p.m., except for Tuesdays, when the restaurant is closed. It’s located in the Ulferts Center at 668 Barber Ln. in Milpitas.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>One of the most memorable breakfasts of my life was at a small sushi stall at the old Tsukiji fish market in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/japan\">Tokyo\u003c/a>, where I dug into a big wooden tub of rice topped with a mountain of incredibly fresh-tasting \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/japanese-food\">uni, ikura and fatty tuna\u003c/a>. It was just past eight o’clock in the morning. After I’d devoured most of the raw seafood, the shopkeeper poured hot dashi over the last little bit so I could slurp it up like the most exquisite rice porridge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Call it a typical Japanophile’s romanticized tourist experience, but for years I’ve thought about that bowl of seafood. I never found anything quite like it in the Bay Area until a couple of weeks ago when I stumbled on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yaichi_restaurant/\">Yaichi\u003c/a>, a newish restaurant specializing in fresh seafood bowls, or kaisendon, in the Ulferts Center shopping plaza in Milpitas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986367\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986367\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-exterior.jpg\" alt='Exterior of a restaurant. The blue curtain hanging in the doorway reads, \"Yaichi Japanese Udon & Seafood Bowl.\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-exterior.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-exterior-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-exterior-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-exterior-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The restaurant is located in the Ulferts Center shopping plaza in Milpitas. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Open since this past fall, Yaichi sells three progressively luxed-up versions of its sushi bowl. The basic “Ume” bowl ($26) comes piled extravagantly high with minced yellowfin tuna, flying fish roe, scallops and a plump morsel of snow crab leg meat. The more premium bowls ($32 and $41, respectively) add a generous scattering of ikura (marinated salmon roe) and Hokkaido sea urchin to the mix.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beginner-friendly instructions displayed on every table teach first-timers how to best enjoy the kaisen don: First, place some of the rice and seafood on a piece of dried seaweed, wrapping it up to eat like a sushi hand roll. Then, mix together some wasabi and house-brewed soy sauce and pour it over the remaining seafood. The briny pop of the ikura and the buttery ocean umami of the uni make for an especially delicious combination when stirred into the warm rice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986366\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986366\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-closeup-2.jpg\" alt=\"Japanese seafood bowl piled high with salmon roe, sea urchin and other assorted raw seafood.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-closeup-2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-closeup-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-closeup-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-closeup-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Another view of the “Matsu” bowl — the fanciest and most expensive of Yaichi’s seafood bowls. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Toward the end of the meal, you can add the optional ochazuke set ($4.50), which comes with shredded shiso, seaweed, tiny rice cracker balls and a single piece of salmon sashimi. Add all that into what’s left of your bowl (make sure you save some of the rice!) and then pour hot dashi over everything, transforming the sushi bowl into a gentle, cozy soup that warms you up from the inside. In that way, diners get to enjoy their kaisendon as two totally different dishes in one.\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 the brainchild of Tokyo-raised chef-owner Nobu Kashima, who also runs Leichi, a popular izakaya in Santa Clara. In Japan, he explains, you can find kaisendon at casual izakayas, at beachside seafood restaurants and — perhaps most commonly for foreign tourists — at fish market kiosks like the one I ate at Tsikiji. In recent years, popular, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C_XZH2zz_pE/?hl=en&img_index=1\">Instagram-friendly kaisendon chains\u003c/a> in Tokyo have been known to draw two-hour lines during the dinner rush.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here in the Bay Area, though, Kashima says he hasn’t really seen any restaurants specializing in these giant seafood bowls, though you might find a more modest version on the menu at certain sushi restaurants or izakayas. What’s much more common are chirashi bowls, which feature a variety of sashimi scattered on top of a bowl or bento box of vinegared sushi rice. Kaisendon like Yaichi’s, on the other hand, usually comes with plain, unseasoned rice, which makes it more suitable for the ochazuke treatment — also a relative rarity in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986371\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986371\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-ochuzuke.jpg\" alt=\"A bowl of dashi broth with seafood and rice.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-ochuzuke.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-ochuzuke-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-ochuzuke-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/yaichi-ochuzuke-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The optional ochuzuke set gives diners an additional way to enjoy the meal. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Apart from the seafood bowls, Yaichi offers a concise selection of izakaya-style appetizers, my favorite of which was the delightful DIY Japanese potato salad, which comes with a little mortar and wooden pestle. You pound the potatoes to your preferred texture before mixing in the mayonnaise, cucumber, onion, soft-boiled egg and your choice of ham or salted cod roe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Eventually, the restaurant’s other main specialty will be udon. Kashimi says he’s in the process of importing a noodle machine from Japan so that he can make the udon fresh in-house. Both the noodles and the broth will be made according to the Sanuki style from Kanagawa Prefecture. The noodles are meant to be particularly chewy, and the broth will have a strong fish flavor from dried sardines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kanishi says he’s hoping the udon will be available within the coming month. At that point, the emphasis of the restaurant will be split evenly between the udon and the seafood rice bowls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some people really like noodles,” he says. “But if you’re eating noodles every day, you miss the rice. That’s why I want to do both.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://yaichi.netlify.app/\">\u003ci>Yaichi\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open daily 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. and 4:30–8:30 p.m., except for Tuesdays, when the restaurant is closed. It’s located in the Ulferts Center at 668 Barber Ln. in Milpitas.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "vostok-kyrgyzstan-halal-street-food-shawarma-gas-station-santa-clara",
"title": "This Gas Station Food Truck Serves Amazing Kyrgyz Street Food in Santa Clara",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985045\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985045\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vostok is one of the only Bay Area food businesses that specializes in the cuisine of Kyrgyzstan: shwarma, plov and wok-fried lagman. \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>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101891054/finding-amazing-food-in-unlikely-places\">Contrary to popular belief\u003c/a>, I don’t purchase \u003ci>all\u003c/i> of my meals from gas station convenience stores and food trucks parked outside of gas stations. But when I do, I’ve experienced close to a 100% rate of deliciousness — immaculately crunchy-skinned \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20190412201350/https://www.modernluxury.com/san-francisco/story/the-best-fried-chicken-sf-just-might-be-mission-gas-station\">Cajun fried chicken\u003c/a>, juicy \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13950577/halal-king-yemeni-restaurant-gas-station-richmond\">Yemeni scrambled eggs\u003c/a> ladled over hot pita, and behemothic \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2021/2/11/22275500/tacos-el-rulas-truck-berkeley-quesabirria-torta-cubana-handmade-tortillas\">tortas Cubanas\u003c/a> oozing with melted cheese.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Somehow, the dodgier and more middle-of-nowhere the gas station, the tastier the food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We were feeling pretty hyped, then, when we pulled into the Platinum gas station in Santa Clara at 9 o’clock on a recent chilly Thursday night to try the cuisine of Kyrgyzstan for the first time in our lives. Tucked behind the gas station mini-mart, hidden in the semi-darkness, was the halal food truck we’d driven an hour to find, its name, “Vostok Gyro & Shawarma,” emblazoned on top in a jaunty, colorful typeface.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Within the grand constellation of Bay Area food trucks, Vostok is a bit of an anomaly, due in part to its unusually long business hours, from noon to 11 p.m. daily. Based on the steady stream of customers we witnessed during our visit, the truck only gets busier as the night gets later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even more notably, Vostok is one of the only dedicated Kyrgyz food businesses in the Bay Area (I’m aware of just \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/dining-out-in-sf/204818/nursel-cuisine-kyrgyzstani-restaurant-peninsula-san-carlos\">one other\u003c/a>). There’s been a small uptick in Central Asian restaurants in the past few years — in places specializing in, say, Uyghur or Uzbek dishes. Afghan food, another cousin of these cuisines, has been a Bay Area staple going back to the ’80s and ’90s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kyrgyzstan, on the other hand, remains widely underrepresented. The country shares a border with Xinjiang, China, to the east, and Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to the north and west. Its food, likewise, is an amalgamation of all of these regional influences — a kind of culinary middle ground between Russian pelmeni and borscht, Chinese noodles, and the well-spiced shawarma and kebabs that you can find in much of the Arabic-speaking world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985046\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985046\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok2.jpg\" alt='Illustration: A food truck lit up at night. The sign on top reads, \"Vostok Gyro & Shawarma.\"' width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Located in the parking lot of a Santa Clara gas station, Vostok is open from noon to 11 p.m. daily. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>All of which is to say that the food at Vostok is \u003ci>delicious\u003c/i>, and several degrees more ambitious than what you might expect from a typical food truck, thanks in part to the fact that it’s rigged with both vertical shawarma spits and a wok station. Just about everything on the menu is cooked to order and comes out piping hot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We were sold as soon as we had our first taste of the crispy fried pelmeni — tiny, crescent-shaped beef dumplings that burst with meaty juices when we bit in. They were especially tasty dipped in the accompanying tub of dill-infused sour cream.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Vostok’s Kyrgyz-style shawarma wraps, which come in regular or “king” size, have their own distinct vibe that sets them apart from the shawarma you might get at a Turkish or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13894684/toum-shawarmaji-jordanian-restaurant-oakland-garlic-sauce\">Jordanian\u003c/a> spot. We opted for the beef shawarma, and the meat was both juicier and steakier than we expected. Instead of hitting us with a garlic bomb, the sauce was tangy and dill-forward, with a hint of sweetness. The combination of textures and flavors was fantastic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What really won me over, though, was the plov, a casserole-like rice dish flecked with tender stew beef, whole garlic cloves, and slivers of carrot cooked very soft. The main thing is that the long-grain rice comes out slicked brown with the grease and juices from the beef, which makes the whole thing incredibly decadent and delicious — not unlike, say, Afghan Qabili palaw. On the side, you get a little tub of raw onions and tomato to use as a garnish, cutting into the richness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is the dish I’ll be coming back for again and again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13983739,arts_13973430,arts_13950577']\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>\u003c/span>Finally, we dug into the wok lagman, which is the Kyrgyz and Uyghur take on wok-fried hand-pulled noodles — like a super-premium version of the stir-fried noodles you might get at a Chinese takeout spot. The noodles were thick, chewy and steaming-hot; the beef tender and slightly sweet, like pepper steak. The bowl came loaded with vegetables, too: bell peppers, onions, garlic and crisp wood ear mushrooms. Every part of the dish had that addictive charred, smoky, “wok hei” quality that you only get from high-heat wok cooking. It was the perfect thing to eat on a chilly night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Next to the truck, Vostok’s proprietors have set up a little tented dining area, with a patio heater and string lights — or they’re in the process of setting it up, anyway. During our visit, neither lights nor heater were working, but that didn’t stop the small gaggle of middle-aged men who were seated there in the darkness, chatting over shawarma wraps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But most customers took their food to go. Others, who didn’t want to wait, sat inside their cars, opened up their takeout cartons and immediately dug in. A few, like us, simply laid out our feast on the hood of our cars, spilling chalap (a fizzy salted yogurt drink) onto the fender, slurping up the lagman and shoveling plov into our mouths as quickly as we could. The food was so hot and soul-nourishing, we forgot all about the cold.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/vostok_shawarma/\">\u003ci>Vostok Gyro & Shawarma\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open noon–11 p.m. daily at 36 Washington St. in Santa Clara (in the Platinum gas station parking lot).\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Vostok is dishing out piping-hot shawarma and plov until 11 p.m. every night.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985045\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985045\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vostok is one of the only Bay Area food businesses that specializes in the cuisine of Kyrgyzstan: shwarma, plov and wok-fried lagman. \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>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101891054/finding-amazing-food-in-unlikely-places\">Contrary to popular belief\u003c/a>, I don’t purchase \u003ci>all\u003c/i> of my meals from gas station convenience stores and food trucks parked outside of gas stations. But when I do, I’ve experienced close to a 100% rate of deliciousness — immaculately crunchy-skinned \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20190412201350/https://www.modernluxury.com/san-francisco/story/the-best-fried-chicken-sf-just-might-be-mission-gas-station\">Cajun fried chicken\u003c/a>, juicy \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13950577/halal-king-yemeni-restaurant-gas-station-richmond\">Yemeni scrambled eggs\u003c/a> ladled over hot pita, and behemothic \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2021/2/11/22275500/tacos-el-rulas-truck-berkeley-quesabirria-torta-cubana-handmade-tortillas\">tortas Cubanas\u003c/a> oozing with melted cheese.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Somehow, the dodgier and more middle-of-nowhere the gas station, the tastier the food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We were feeling pretty hyped, then, when we pulled into the Platinum gas station in Santa Clara at 9 o’clock on a recent chilly Thursday night to try the cuisine of Kyrgyzstan for the first time in our lives. Tucked behind the gas station mini-mart, hidden in the semi-darkness, was the halal food truck we’d driven an hour to find, its name, “Vostok Gyro & Shawarma,” emblazoned on top in a jaunty, colorful typeface.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Within the grand constellation of Bay Area food trucks, Vostok is a bit of an anomaly, due in part to its unusually long business hours, from noon to 11 p.m. daily. Based on the steady stream of customers we witnessed during our visit, the truck only gets busier as the night gets later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even more notably, Vostok is one of the only dedicated Kyrgyz food businesses in the Bay Area (I’m aware of just \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/dining-out-in-sf/204818/nursel-cuisine-kyrgyzstani-restaurant-peninsula-san-carlos\">one other\u003c/a>). There’s been a small uptick in Central Asian restaurants in the past few years — in places specializing in, say, Uyghur or Uzbek dishes. Afghan food, another cousin of these cuisines, has been a Bay Area staple going back to the ’80s and ’90s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kyrgyzstan, on the other hand, remains widely underrepresented. The country shares a border with Xinjiang, China, to the east, and Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to the north and west. Its food, likewise, is an amalgamation of all of these regional influences — a kind of culinary middle ground between Russian pelmeni and borscht, Chinese noodles, and the well-spiced shawarma and kebabs that you can find in much of the Arabic-speaking world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985046\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985046\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok2.jpg\" alt='Illustration: A food truck lit up at night. The sign on top reads, \"Vostok Gyro & Shawarma.\"' width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/vostok2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Located in the parking lot of a Santa Clara gas station, Vostok is open from noon to 11 p.m. daily. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>All of which is to say that the food at Vostok is \u003ci>delicious\u003c/i>, and several degrees more ambitious than what you might expect from a typical food truck, thanks in part to the fact that it’s rigged with both vertical shawarma spits and a wok station. Just about everything on the menu is cooked to order and comes out piping hot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We were sold as soon as we had our first taste of the crispy fried pelmeni — tiny, crescent-shaped beef dumplings that burst with meaty juices when we bit in. They were especially tasty dipped in the accompanying tub of dill-infused sour cream.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Vostok’s Kyrgyz-style shawarma wraps, which come in regular or “king” size, have their own distinct vibe that sets them apart from the shawarma you might get at a Turkish or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13894684/toum-shawarmaji-jordanian-restaurant-oakland-garlic-sauce\">Jordanian\u003c/a> spot. We opted for the beef shawarma, and the meat was both juicier and steakier than we expected. Instead of hitting us with a garlic bomb, the sauce was tangy and dill-forward, with a hint of sweetness. The combination of textures and flavors was fantastic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What really won me over, though, was the plov, a casserole-like rice dish flecked with tender stew beef, whole garlic cloves, and slivers of carrot cooked very soft. The main thing is that the long-grain rice comes out slicked brown with the grease and juices from the beef, which makes the whole thing incredibly decadent and delicious — not unlike, say, Afghan Qabili palaw. On the side, you get a little tub of raw onions and tomato to use as a garnish, cutting into the richness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is the dish I’ll be coming back for again and again.\u003c/p>\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>Finally, we dug into the wok lagman, which is the Kyrgyz and Uyghur take on wok-fried hand-pulled noodles — like a super-premium version of the stir-fried noodles you might get at a Chinese takeout spot. The noodles were thick, chewy and steaming-hot; the beef tender and slightly sweet, like pepper steak. The bowl came loaded with vegetables, too: bell peppers, onions, garlic and crisp wood ear mushrooms. Every part of the dish had that addictive charred, smoky, “wok hei” quality that you only get from high-heat wok cooking. It was the perfect thing to eat on a chilly night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Next to the truck, Vostok’s proprietors have set up a little tented dining area, with a patio heater and string lights — or they’re in the process of setting it up, anyway. During our visit, neither lights nor heater were working, but that didn’t stop the small gaggle of middle-aged men who were seated there in the darkness, chatting over shawarma wraps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But most customers took their food to go. Others, who didn’t want to wait, sat inside their cars, opened up their takeout cartons and immediately dug in. A few, like us, simply laid out our feast on the hood of our cars, spilling chalap (a fizzy salted yogurt drink) onto the fender, slurping up the lagman and shoveling plov into our mouths as quickly as we could. The food was so hot and soul-nourishing, we forgot all about the cold.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/vostok_shawarma/\">\u003ci>Vostok Gyro & Shawarma\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open noon–11 p.m. daily at 36 Washington St. in Santa Clara (in the Platinum gas station parking lot).\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "10-best-bay-area-san-francisco-oakland-san-jose-halloween-events-guide-2025",
"title": "Derby, Disco and Dirty Devils: 11 Bay Area Halloween Events for 2025",
"publishDate": 1757948436,
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"headTitle": "Derby, Disco and Dirty Devils: 11 Bay Area Halloween Events for 2025 | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>The Bay Area tends to outdo itself every Halloween, and 2025 offers something for everyone, whether you want to go on your own ghost hunt, \u003cem>boo\u003c/em>-gie down with disco freaks or get spooky with a symphony. Gracious goths, ghostly tour guides and even Rolling Dead skaters are all running wild this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are 11 unmissable events for Halloween 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13980995\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13980995\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/UCB-hike.png\" alt=\"A grainy black and white image of UC Berkeley's campanile tower lit up at night, viewed behind trees.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1373\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/UCB-hike.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/UCB-hike-160x110.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/UCB-hike-768x527.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/UCB-hike-1536x1054.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Explore UC Berkeley from a whole new (haunted) perspective on the Berkeley Haunted Hike. \u003ccite>(Berkeley Haunted Hike)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://thehauntedbayberkeleyhauntedhike.fearticket.com/\">Berkeley Haunted Hike\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>UC Berkeley Campus, Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Select dates throughout October\u003c/em>[aside postID=news_12056776 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/holt_286_4870-e1758301572353.jpg']Since 2013, filmmaker Ying Liu has been sharing bone-chilling tales of local hauntings via her \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thehauntedbay/\">\u003cem>Haunted Bay\u003c/em>\u003c/a> series. Liu has proven time and again that, for her, no lore is too off-putting, no history is too horrifying, and no location is too dangerous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because Liu is a tireless seeker of the strange, she knows a terrifying thing or two about locations that, to the rest of us, seem perfectly normal — including the grounds of UC Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Liu has assembled a team of likeminded guides and ghost hunters to lead groups on a three-hour hike around the campus that has been known to scare the wits out of people during its second half.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tours include elements of true crime, history and evidence from paranormal investigations, as well as personal anecdotes from the team. Bring your own flashlights (and good luck charms).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13980498\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13980498\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/ghosts-in-the-post.jpg\" alt=\"Two people stand on a rural road, surrounded by autumnal trees, dressed as traditional ghosts in white sheet. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/ghosts-in-the-post.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/ghosts-in-the-post-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/ghosts-in-the-post-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/ghosts-in-the-post-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Want a side of tea with your ghost stories? Check out ‘Ghosts in the Post.’ \u003ccite>(Vuk Saric/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Ghosts in the Post\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.neonraspberry.com/\">Neon Raspberry Art House\u003c/a>, Occidental\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Nov. 2, 6 p.m—8 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In collaboration with Books & Barns, a volunteer-run organization that showcases writers in rural spaces, the Neon Raspberry art space is hosting a night of haunted readings from classic texts. These are no ordinary readers, however. “Undead mushrooms, very dead authors and beautiful monsters” will all take the podium, apparently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After story time is over, attendees can participate in a lantern-lit procession to \u003ca href=\"https://www.twotreesteahouse.com/pages/the-tea-house\">Two Trees Tea House\u003c/a> where there will be snacks, more ghostly goings-on and, duh, tea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wondering why the event is called Ghosts in the Post? The organizers will send out curated ghost stories to everyone that requests one via the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/booksandbarns_aliterarything\">Books & Barns Instagram page\u003c/a>. Just send them a private message with your address and prepare for mail that’ll make you pale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976494\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13976494 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/00-chappell-roan-by-will-heath-nbc-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"A flamboyant singer with cascading red hair performs on stage, wearing striking make-up and pink and white hot pants, top and ribbons.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/00-chappell-roan-by-will-heath-nbc-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/00-chappell-roan-by-will-heath-nbc-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/00-chappell-roan-by-will-heath-nbc-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/00-chappell-roan-by-will-heath-nbc-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/00-chappell-roan-by-will-heath-nbc-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/00-chappell-roan-by-will-heath-nbc-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/00-chappell-roan-by-will-heath-nbc-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/00-chappell-roan-by-will-heath-nbc-1920x1280.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">We’re not saying that everyone at Discoween is going to be dressed as Chappell Roan, but an awful lot of people at Discoween are probably going to be dressed as Chappell Roan.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sapphic-spooky-showgirl-discoween-tickets-1602582630789\">Discoween\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>El Rio, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Oct. 31, 9 p.m.—2 a.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There is a portion of the population of San Francisco that is so perpetually ebullient, so utterly fueled by queer joy, that they’ll make even the darkest holiday on the calendar sparkle. That is what Discoween is for. (That is also, as we all know, what El Rio is for.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Organized by All Your Stupid Friends, this Halloween night shindig promises “Sapphic, Spooky, Showgirl” fun, fueled by your favorite pop and dance tunes from across time. There will be a bunch of costume contests, at least 10 people dressed as Chappell Roan, probably at least one impromptu “Thriller” dance routine and, scariest of all, ABBA songs (*shudder*). It’s also only $5 to get in. Go nuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13979700\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13979700\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/Nightfallfiloli.jpg\" alt=\"A woman wearing a white dress, veil and ghostly make-up stands in a grand hall, lit in red. She is holding dried flowers.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/Nightfallfiloli.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/Nightfallfiloli-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/Nightfallfiloli-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/Nightfallfiloli-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Nightfall at Filoli.’ \u003ccite>(Julia Rose Photography/Courtesy of Filoli Historic House and Garden)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://filoli.org/nightfall/\">Nightfall at Filoli\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Filoli Historic House & Garden, Woodside\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Oct. 3—Nov. 10\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you haven’t yet paid a visit to the\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13979279/giant-trolls-filoli-gardens-thomas-dambo-woodside-eco-art-sculpture\"> enchanting giant trolls\u003c/a> that are currently hanging out on Filoli’s grounds, rejoice! Your slackness has paid off! Because now you get to see Thomas Dambo’s fascinating creatures by moonlight, surrounded by \u003cem>Children of the Corn\u003c/em>-level creepy scarecrows, scores of jack-o’-lanterns and monster-sized banana slugs. (Just go with it…)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What’s more, Filoli’s historic house will be hauntingly decorated. There’s a hay maze to get lost in, and even “a blacklight mushroom forest” (whatever that might entail). If you need further enticement, there will also be tarot readings, live music, games and kid-friendly activities to freak out the whole family. Visitors are encouraged to attend in costume, so get your Miss Havisham gowns ready.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971723\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 933px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13971723\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/wicked.pressimage.jpg\" alt=\"A young woman with green-hued skin looks away as another young woman rests her head on her shoulder\" width=\"933\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/wicked.pressimage.jpg 933w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/wicked.pressimage-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/wicked.pressimage-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/wicked.pressimage-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 933px) 100vw, 933px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in ‘Wicked.’ \u003ccite>(Universal Pictures)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.symphonysanjose.org/attend/2025-2026-season/concerts/symphonic-spooktacular/\">Bewitching Broadway\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>California Theatre, San Jose\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 26 at 2:30 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12039342/travel-through-the-solar-system-at-symphony-san-jose\">Symphony San Jose\u003c/a> conductor \u003ca href=\"https://www.theconductorsinstitute.com/peterjaffe\">Peter Jaffe\u003c/a> leads an evening of enchanting picks from Broadway’s most supernatural moments. Bookended by favorites from \u003cem>Wicked\u003c/em>, the program will include highlights from \u003cem>Sweeney Todd\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Dance of the Vampires\u003c/em>, \u003cem>The Phantom of the Opera, Little Shop of Horrors \u003c/em>and many more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jaffe has been known to conduct orchestras in full Halloween attire before, setting the perfect tone for the Bewitching Broadway audience costume contest. Participants in the under-18 category can win four tickets to Legoland, and the winner of the special judges’ prize will get two tickets to an upcoming \u003ca href=\"https://broadwaysanjose.com/\">Broadway San Jose\u003c/a> show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13982025\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13982025\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/St-Francis.png\" alt=\"A large, grand hotel lit up at night, overlooking San Francisco's Union Square.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1330\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/St-Francis.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/St-Francis-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/St-Francis-768x511.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/St-Francis-1536x1021.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The storied St. Francis hotel has surprises waiting for you in room 1219.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marriott.com/offers/haunted-suite-experience-off-185722/sfouw-the-westin-st-francis-san-francisco-on-union-square\">The Haunted Suite\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Westin St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Oct. 1—Nov. 1. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Old hotels often have rooms they caution guests about because of creepy histories or ghostly goings on. By far the most notorious room in Union Square’s landmark \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13953890/st-francis-hotel-san-francisco-history-arbuckle-jolson-crocker-gerald-ford\">St. Francis Hotel\u003c/a> is 1219. This former suite was the place where Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle was accused of assaulting actress Virginia Rappe, resulting in injuries that later caused her death in 1921. (Arbuckle was found not guilty only after three trials.) The room was also where infamous blackface-performer Al Jolson died in 1950.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the month of October, the hotel is leaning all the way into that notoriety with special decorations in the room, including velvet drapes, flickering candlelight and other 1920s accents. The room even comes equipped with a Ouija board and themed tarot deck, in case you wish to chat with Arbuckle and Olson, or divine whether or not you’ll be leaving in the morning. Don’t expect to sleep soundly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13981003\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13981003\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/block-print.jpg\" alt=\"Traditional Mexican print shows a fierce calavera brandishing a knife with a crowd of calaveras behind him.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1257\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/block-print.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/block-print-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/block-print-768x483.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/block-print-1536x965.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Calavera Oaxaquena,’ published by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, circa 1903. \u003ccite>(VCG Wilson/Corbis via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/689b781e709d274100369a4b\">Linocut Block Printing with Amor Eterno Arte\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oakland Public Library, Rockridge branch\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Oct. 21, 6 p.m—7:30 p.m\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The artisans of East Oakland tattoo studio and gallery \u003ca href=\"https://amoreternoarte.com/\">Amor Eterno Arte\u003c/a> will be hosting this celebration of Latine printmaking in the run-up to Día de los Muertos. This class will teach attendees (aged 10 and over) the basics of block printing, with all materials provided by Oakland’s Rockridge library.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Participants will make their own prints during the class but — even better — they’ll leave with the skills needed to make their own decorations in good time for Day of the Dead celebrations on Nov. 1 and 2.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13979935\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13979935\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/BAD-Halloween-derby.png\" alt=\"A roller derby skater wearing face paint, knee and elbow pads and a green and black uniform gestures to the camera while skating.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1330\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/BAD-Halloween-derby.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/BAD-Halloween-derby-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/BAD-Halloween-derby-768x511.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/BAD-Halloween-derby-1536x1021.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Craving some competitive organized chaos this Halloween? Bay Area Derby has you covered. \u003ccite>(Will Toft/Courtesy of Bay Area Derby)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bay-area-derby-halloween-bout-tickets-1207561281299\">Bay Area Derby Halloween Bout\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Richmond Memorial Auditorium, Richmond\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Oct. 25, 4 p.m—9 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Roller derby is wild on any given day of the year, but the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bayareaderby.com/about/teams/oakland-outlaws\">Oakland Outlaws\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.bayareaderby.com/about/teams/san-francisco-rolling-dead\">San Francisco Rolling Dead\u003c/a> will be upping the stakes this October in a raucous Halloween Bay Area Derby special. Come see relentless skaters named things like Barbarian Streisand, Sylvia Wrath and Lexistential Dead tearing up the track — and each other — while in costume.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First whistle is at 6 p.m., and there will be vendors, food offerings and a costume contest to keep you entertained and refreshed before and during. Given that the Rolling Dead consider themselves “vengeful for victory and hungry for brains” and the Outlaws’ motto is “skate fast, hit hard, and win a good-looking trophy,” this promises to be a rager.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13981153\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13981153 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/bat-witch-ghost.png\" alt=\"A chaotic room lit by lasers and spotlights. Bare pipes are visible on the wall. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/bat-witch-ghost.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/bat-witch-ghost-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/bat-witch-ghost-768x512.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/bat-witch-ghost-1536x1025.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bat Witch Ghost are haunting YBCA in 2025. \u003ccite>(Bat Witch Ghost)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/batwitchghost/\">Bat Witch Ghost Haunt\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://ybca.org/\">YBCA\u003c/a>, San Francisco\u003cbr>\nOct. 25—Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2024, Aaron Wojack turned the service entrance and garages of his apartment building into “The Corridor of Horror,” a mind-melting DIY haunted house that KQED Arts’ own Sarah Hotchkiss later described as “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13969008/the-best-art-i-didnt-write-about-in-2024\">the most thrilling, scream-filled minutes of my 2024\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The event was such a hit that, this year, Wojack’s vision is hitting the hallowed halls of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/ybca\">YBCA\u003c/a>, after an invitation from the art center’s CEO, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13969404/ybca-new-ceo-mari-robles-headlands\">Mari Robles\u003c/a>. Ten artists will be presenting their own takes on the haunt’s theme, “Forest of the Eye.” An indoor labyrinth will dominate YBCA’s Forum room, while a graveyard featuring a bar, ambient DJs, psychic readers and face painters will be outside. Costumes are encouraged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adults can attend nighttime shows complete with actors, while families are invited to a to-be-announced number of kid-friendly daytime events.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13980364\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13980364\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/spooked-live.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1164\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/spooked-live.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/spooked-live-160x93.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/spooked-live-768x447.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/spooked-live-1536x894.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Glynn Washington and friends are taking ‘Spooked’ live. \u003ccite>(KQED/Snap Judgment)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.paramountoakland.org/events/detail/kqed-spooked-live\">‘Spooked’ Live\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Paramount Theater, Oakland\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Oct. 25, 7 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For mysterious host \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glynn_Washington\">Glynn Washington\u003c/a> and the producers of KQED’s\u003ca href=\"https://spookedpodcast.org/\">\u003cem> Spooked\u003c/em> podcast\u003c/a>, scary stories are for every week of the year, not just Halloween. And as any \u003cem>Spooked\u003c/em> listener could tell you, the most frightening thing of all is that every spine-chilling story featured in the series is true.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Washington will be joined by three storytellers from the \u003cem>Spooked\u003c/em> annals, Tiyi Schippers, Esther Squires and “Hawaii Ghost Guy” \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/hawaiighostguy/?hl=en\">Lopaka Kapanui\u003c/a>. Their tales from beyond the veil will be brought to life with the assistance of animations by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/underpresser/?hl=en\">Joe Presser\u003c/a> and music by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/clayxavier/?hl=en\">Clay Xavier\u003c/a>. There’s no better venue for this than the historic Paramount Theatre — a location renowned for its secret trapdoors and passageways, ghostly lore and rumors of hauntings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attend in your spookiest Halloween attire for a chance to win the \u003cem>Spooked\u003c/em> \u003cem>Live\u003c/em> best-dressed prize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13981005\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13981005\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/rocky-horror.jpg\" alt=\"A white man in garish make-up wearing a corset, stockings and garter belt performs on a stage with a strange woman and man posing behind him.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1492\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/rocky-horror.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/rocky-horror-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/rocky-horror-768x573.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/rocky-horror-1536x1146.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) in all his glory, ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show.’ \u003ccite>(Getty Images/United Archives)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"http://barelylegal.rhps.org/\">‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ 50th Anniversary Parties\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Various venues, Petaluma, Berkeley, Modesto, San Francisco, San Jose\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Throughout October\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s been half a century since Brad and Janet happened upon the gender-bending Dr. Frank-N-Furter and his mansion of strange seduction in \u003cem>The Rocky Horror Picture Show\u003c/em>. In that time, late night screenings of the lowbrow classic have become raucous parties where audience participation heightens all the saucy action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13982172']Now, thanks to\u003cem> Rocky Horror\u003c/em> fanatics \u003ca href=\"http://barelylegal.rhps.org/about.htm\">Barely Legal\u003c/a>, a run of anniversary screenings are taking over the Bay. Screenings will include an interactive pre-show by the Barely Legal performers, as well as a pack of props to utilize during the movie. Tickets are available at the following links: \u003ca href=\"http://barelylegal.rhps.org/rocky-horror-petaluma.htm\">Phoenix Theater\u003c/a>, Petaluma; \u003ca href=\"https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/45328066/rocky-horror-picture-show-berkeley-the-uc-theatre?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22902075321&gbraid=0AAAAABPNr9sW5xSRsC5VHfBUbQke_FQM4&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzt_FBhCEARIsAJGFWVlsmsMnVlgcEkY1vxVfJ6QBulmdbR7gHFsc3J4P6dY-PmSqnIOVHgcaAqTrEALw_wcB\">UC Theater\u003c/a>, Berkeley; \u003ca href=\"https://prod5.agileticketing.net/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=216261~4e8b4fa5-aaf4-4669-af20-791dec4fd008&\">State Theater\u003c/a>, Modesto; \u003ca href=\"https://www.broadwaysf.com/events/bsf-rhps-2025/curran-theater/tickets/58E541CC-022A-4CBC-BB75-4E53580B04D9\">The Curran Theater\u003c/a>, San Francisco; \u003ca href=\"https://3belowtheaters.com/rhps/\">3Below Theater\u003c/a>, San Jose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re a movie nerd and want more, please visit our \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13982172/san-francisco-halloween-2025-movie-screenings\">guide to Halloween movie happenings in San Francisco\u003c/a> this year.\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>The Bay Area tends to outdo itself every Halloween, and 2025 offers something for everyone, whether you want to go on your own ghost hunt, \u003cem>boo\u003c/em>-gie down with disco freaks or get spooky with a symphony. Gracious goths, ghostly tour guides and even Rolling Dead skaters are all running wild this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are 11 unmissable events for Halloween 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13980995\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13980995\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/UCB-hike.png\" alt=\"A grainy black and white image of UC Berkeley's campanile tower lit up at night, viewed behind trees.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1373\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/UCB-hike.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/UCB-hike-160x110.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/UCB-hike-768x527.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/UCB-hike-1536x1054.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Explore UC Berkeley from a whole new (haunted) perspective on the Berkeley Haunted Hike. \u003ccite>(Berkeley Haunted Hike)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://thehauntedbayberkeleyhauntedhike.fearticket.com/\">Berkeley Haunted Hike\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>UC Berkeley Campus, Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Select dates throughout October\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Since 2013, filmmaker Ying Liu has been sharing bone-chilling tales of local hauntings via her \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thehauntedbay/\">\u003cem>Haunted Bay\u003c/em>\u003c/a> series. Liu has proven time and again that, for her, no lore is too off-putting, no history is too horrifying, and no location is too dangerous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because Liu is a tireless seeker of the strange, she knows a terrifying thing or two about locations that, to the rest of us, seem perfectly normal — including the grounds of UC Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Liu has assembled a team of likeminded guides and ghost hunters to lead groups on a three-hour hike around the campus that has been known to scare the wits out of people during its second half.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tours include elements of true crime, history and evidence from paranormal investigations, as well as personal anecdotes from the team. Bring your own flashlights (and good luck charms).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13980498\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13980498\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/ghosts-in-the-post.jpg\" alt=\"Two people stand on a rural road, surrounded by autumnal trees, dressed as traditional ghosts in white sheet. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/ghosts-in-the-post.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/ghosts-in-the-post-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/ghosts-in-the-post-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/ghosts-in-the-post-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Want a side of tea with your ghost stories? Check out ‘Ghosts in the Post.’ \u003ccite>(Vuk Saric/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Ghosts in the Post\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.neonraspberry.com/\">Neon Raspberry Art House\u003c/a>, Occidental\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Nov. 2, 6 p.m—8 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In collaboration with Books & Barns, a volunteer-run organization that showcases writers in rural spaces, the Neon Raspberry art space is hosting a night of haunted readings from classic texts. These are no ordinary readers, however. “Undead mushrooms, very dead authors and beautiful monsters” will all take the podium, apparently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After story time is over, attendees can participate in a lantern-lit procession to \u003ca href=\"https://www.twotreesteahouse.com/pages/the-tea-house\">Two Trees Tea House\u003c/a> where there will be snacks, more ghostly goings-on and, duh, tea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wondering why the event is called Ghosts in the Post? The organizers will send out curated ghost stories to everyone that requests one via the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/booksandbarns_aliterarything\">Books & Barns Instagram page\u003c/a>. Just send them a private message with your address and prepare for mail that’ll make you pale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976494\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13976494 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/00-chappell-roan-by-will-heath-nbc-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"A flamboyant singer with cascading red hair performs on stage, wearing striking make-up and pink and white hot pants, top and ribbons.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/00-chappell-roan-by-will-heath-nbc-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/00-chappell-roan-by-will-heath-nbc-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/00-chappell-roan-by-will-heath-nbc-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/00-chappell-roan-by-will-heath-nbc-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/00-chappell-roan-by-will-heath-nbc-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/00-chappell-roan-by-will-heath-nbc-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/00-chappell-roan-by-will-heath-nbc-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/00-chappell-roan-by-will-heath-nbc-1920x1280.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">We’re not saying that everyone at Discoween is going to be dressed as Chappell Roan, but an awful lot of people at Discoween are probably going to be dressed as Chappell Roan.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sapphic-spooky-showgirl-discoween-tickets-1602582630789\">Discoween\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>El Rio, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Oct. 31, 9 p.m.—2 a.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There is a portion of the population of San Francisco that is so perpetually ebullient, so utterly fueled by queer joy, that they’ll make even the darkest holiday on the calendar sparkle. That is what Discoween is for. (That is also, as we all know, what El Rio is for.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Organized by All Your Stupid Friends, this Halloween night shindig promises “Sapphic, Spooky, Showgirl” fun, fueled by your favorite pop and dance tunes from across time. There will be a bunch of costume contests, at least 10 people dressed as Chappell Roan, probably at least one impromptu “Thriller” dance routine and, scariest of all, ABBA songs (*shudder*). It’s also only $5 to get in. Go nuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13979700\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13979700\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/Nightfallfiloli.jpg\" alt=\"A woman wearing a white dress, veil and ghostly make-up stands in a grand hall, lit in red. She is holding dried flowers.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/Nightfallfiloli.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/Nightfallfiloli-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/Nightfallfiloli-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/Nightfallfiloli-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Nightfall at Filoli.’ \u003ccite>(Julia Rose Photography/Courtesy of Filoli Historic House and Garden)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://filoli.org/nightfall/\">Nightfall at Filoli\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Filoli Historic House & Garden, Woodside\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Oct. 3—Nov. 10\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you haven’t yet paid a visit to the\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13979279/giant-trolls-filoli-gardens-thomas-dambo-woodside-eco-art-sculpture\"> enchanting giant trolls\u003c/a> that are currently hanging out on Filoli’s grounds, rejoice! Your slackness has paid off! Because now you get to see Thomas Dambo’s fascinating creatures by moonlight, surrounded by \u003cem>Children of the Corn\u003c/em>-level creepy scarecrows, scores of jack-o’-lanterns and monster-sized banana slugs. (Just go with it…)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What’s more, Filoli’s historic house will be hauntingly decorated. There’s a hay maze to get lost in, and even “a blacklight mushroom forest” (whatever that might entail). If you need further enticement, there will also be tarot readings, live music, games and kid-friendly activities to freak out the whole family. Visitors are encouraged to attend in costume, so get your Miss Havisham gowns ready.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971723\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 933px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13971723\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/wicked.pressimage.jpg\" alt=\"A young woman with green-hued skin looks away as another young woman rests her head on her shoulder\" width=\"933\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/wicked.pressimage.jpg 933w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/wicked.pressimage-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/wicked.pressimage-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/wicked.pressimage-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 933px) 100vw, 933px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in ‘Wicked.’ \u003ccite>(Universal Pictures)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.symphonysanjose.org/attend/2025-2026-season/concerts/symphonic-spooktacular/\">Bewitching Broadway\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>California Theatre, San Jose\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 26 at 2:30 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12039342/travel-through-the-solar-system-at-symphony-san-jose\">Symphony San Jose\u003c/a> conductor \u003ca href=\"https://www.theconductorsinstitute.com/peterjaffe\">Peter Jaffe\u003c/a> leads an evening of enchanting picks from Broadway’s most supernatural moments. Bookended by favorites from \u003cem>Wicked\u003c/em>, the program will include highlights from \u003cem>Sweeney Todd\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Dance of the Vampires\u003c/em>, \u003cem>The Phantom of the Opera, Little Shop of Horrors \u003c/em>and many more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jaffe has been known to conduct orchestras in full Halloween attire before, setting the perfect tone for the Bewitching Broadway audience costume contest. Participants in the under-18 category can win four tickets to Legoland, and the winner of the special judges’ prize will get two tickets to an upcoming \u003ca href=\"https://broadwaysanjose.com/\">Broadway San Jose\u003c/a> show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13982025\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13982025\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/St-Francis.png\" alt=\"A large, grand hotel lit up at night, overlooking San Francisco's Union Square.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1330\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/St-Francis.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/St-Francis-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/St-Francis-768x511.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/St-Francis-1536x1021.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The storied St. Francis hotel has surprises waiting for you in room 1219.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marriott.com/offers/haunted-suite-experience-off-185722/sfouw-the-westin-st-francis-san-francisco-on-union-square\">The Haunted Suite\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Westin St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Oct. 1—Nov. 1. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Old hotels often have rooms they caution guests about because of creepy histories or ghostly goings on. By far the most notorious room in Union Square’s landmark \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13953890/st-francis-hotel-san-francisco-history-arbuckle-jolson-crocker-gerald-ford\">St. Francis Hotel\u003c/a> is 1219. This former suite was the place where Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle was accused of assaulting actress Virginia Rappe, resulting in injuries that later caused her death in 1921. (Arbuckle was found not guilty only after three trials.) The room was also where infamous blackface-performer Al Jolson died in 1950.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the month of October, the hotel is leaning all the way into that notoriety with special decorations in the room, including velvet drapes, flickering candlelight and other 1920s accents. The room even comes equipped with a Ouija board and themed tarot deck, in case you wish to chat with Arbuckle and Olson, or divine whether or not you’ll be leaving in the morning. Don’t expect to sleep soundly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13981003\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13981003\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/block-print.jpg\" alt=\"Traditional Mexican print shows a fierce calavera brandishing a knife with a crowd of calaveras behind him.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1257\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/block-print.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/block-print-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/block-print-768x483.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/block-print-1536x965.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Calavera Oaxaquena,’ published by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, circa 1903. \u003ccite>(VCG Wilson/Corbis via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/689b781e709d274100369a4b\">Linocut Block Printing with Amor Eterno Arte\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oakland Public Library, Rockridge branch\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Oct. 21, 6 p.m—7:30 p.m\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The artisans of East Oakland tattoo studio and gallery \u003ca href=\"https://amoreternoarte.com/\">Amor Eterno Arte\u003c/a> will be hosting this celebration of Latine printmaking in the run-up to Día de los Muertos. This class will teach attendees (aged 10 and over) the basics of block printing, with all materials provided by Oakland’s Rockridge library.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Participants will make their own prints during the class but — even better — they’ll leave with the skills needed to make their own decorations in good time for Day of the Dead celebrations on Nov. 1 and 2.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13979935\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13979935\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/BAD-Halloween-derby.png\" alt=\"A roller derby skater wearing face paint, knee and elbow pads and a green and black uniform gestures to the camera while skating.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1330\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/BAD-Halloween-derby.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/BAD-Halloween-derby-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/BAD-Halloween-derby-768x511.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/BAD-Halloween-derby-1536x1021.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Craving some competitive organized chaos this Halloween? Bay Area Derby has you covered. \u003ccite>(Will Toft/Courtesy of Bay Area Derby)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bay-area-derby-halloween-bout-tickets-1207561281299\">Bay Area Derby Halloween Bout\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Richmond Memorial Auditorium, Richmond\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Oct. 25, 4 p.m—9 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Roller derby is wild on any given day of the year, but the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bayareaderby.com/about/teams/oakland-outlaws\">Oakland Outlaws\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.bayareaderby.com/about/teams/san-francisco-rolling-dead\">San Francisco Rolling Dead\u003c/a> will be upping the stakes this October in a raucous Halloween Bay Area Derby special. Come see relentless skaters named things like Barbarian Streisand, Sylvia Wrath and Lexistential Dead tearing up the track — and each other — while in costume.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First whistle is at 6 p.m., and there will be vendors, food offerings and a costume contest to keep you entertained and refreshed before and during. Given that the Rolling Dead consider themselves “vengeful for victory and hungry for brains” and the Outlaws’ motto is “skate fast, hit hard, and win a good-looking trophy,” this promises to be a rager.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13981153\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13981153 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/bat-witch-ghost.png\" alt=\"A chaotic room lit by lasers and spotlights. Bare pipes are visible on the wall. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/bat-witch-ghost.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/bat-witch-ghost-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/bat-witch-ghost-768x512.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/bat-witch-ghost-1536x1025.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bat Witch Ghost are haunting YBCA in 2025. \u003ccite>(Bat Witch Ghost)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/batwitchghost/\">Bat Witch Ghost Haunt\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://ybca.org/\">YBCA\u003c/a>, San Francisco\u003cbr>\nOct. 25—Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2024, Aaron Wojack turned the service entrance and garages of his apartment building into “The Corridor of Horror,” a mind-melting DIY haunted house that KQED Arts’ own Sarah Hotchkiss later described as “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13969008/the-best-art-i-didnt-write-about-in-2024\">the most thrilling, scream-filled minutes of my 2024\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The event was such a hit that, this year, Wojack’s vision is hitting the hallowed halls of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/ybca\">YBCA\u003c/a>, after an invitation from the art center’s CEO, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13969404/ybca-new-ceo-mari-robles-headlands\">Mari Robles\u003c/a>. Ten artists will be presenting their own takes on the haunt’s theme, “Forest of the Eye.” An indoor labyrinth will dominate YBCA’s Forum room, while a graveyard featuring a bar, ambient DJs, psychic readers and face painters will be outside. Costumes are encouraged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adults can attend nighttime shows complete with actors, while families are invited to a to-be-announced number of kid-friendly daytime events.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13980364\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13980364\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/spooked-live.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1164\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/spooked-live.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/spooked-live-160x93.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/spooked-live-768x447.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/spooked-live-1536x894.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Glynn Washington and friends are taking ‘Spooked’ live. \u003ccite>(KQED/Snap Judgment)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.paramountoakland.org/events/detail/kqed-spooked-live\">‘Spooked’ Live\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Paramount Theater, Oakland\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Oct. 25, 7 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For mysterious host \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glynn_Washington\">Glynn Washington\u003c/a> and the producers of KQED’s\u003ca href=\"https://spookedpodcast.org/\">\u003cem> Spooked\u003c/em> podcast\u003c/a>, scary stories are for every week of the year, not just Halloween. And as any \u003cem>Spooked\u003c/em> listener could tell you, the most frightening thing of all is that every spine-chilling story featured in the series is true.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Washington will be joined by three storytellers from the \u003cem>Spooked\u003c/em> annals, Tiyi Schippers, Esther Squires and “Hawaii Ghost Guy” \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/hawaiighostguy/?hl=en\">Lopaka Kapanui\u003c/a>. Their tales from beyond the veil will be brought to life with the assistance of animations by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/underpresser/?hl=en\">Joe Presser\u003c/a> and music by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/clayxavier/?hl=en\">Clay Xavier\u003c/a>. There’s no better venue for this than the historic Paramount Theatre — a location renowned for its secret trapdoors and passageways, ghostly lore and rumors of hauntings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attend in your spookiest Halloween attire for a chance to win the \u003cem>Spooked\u003c/em> \u003cem>Live\u003c/em> best-dressed prize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13981005\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13981005\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/rocky-horror.jpg\" alt=\"A white man in garish make-up wearing a corset, stockings and garter belt performs on a stage with a strange woman and man posing behind him.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1492\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/rocky-horror.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/rocky-horror-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/rocky-horror-768x573.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/rocky-horror-1536x1146.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) in all his glory, ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show.’ \u003ccite>(Getty Images/United Archives)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"http://barelylegal.rhps.org/\">‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ 50th Anniversary Parties\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Various venues, Petaluma, Berkeley, Modesto, San Francisco, San Jose\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Throughout October\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s been half a century since Brad and Janet happened upon the gender-bending Dr. Frank-N-Furter and his mansion of strange seduction in \u003cem>The Rocky Horror Picture Show\u003c/em>. In that time, late night screenings of the lowbrow classic have become raucous parties where audience participation heightens all the saucy action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Now, thanks to\u003cem> Rocky Horror\u003c/em> fanatics \u003ca href=\"http://barelylegal.rhps.org/about.htm\">Barely Legal\u003c/a>, a run of anniversary screenings are taking over the Bay. Screenings will include an interactive pre-show by the Barely Legal performers, as well as a pack of props to utilize during the movie. Tickets are available at the following links: \u003ca href=\"http://barelylegal.rhps.org/rocky-horror-petaluma.htm\">Phoenix Theater\u003c/a>, Petaluma; \u003ca href=\"https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/45328066/rocky-horror-picture-show-berkeley-the-uc-theatre?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22902075321&gbraid=0AAAAABPNr9sW5xSRsC5VHfBUbQke_FQM4&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzt_FBhCEARIsAJGFWVlsmsMnVlgcEkY1vxVfJ6QBulmdbR7gHFsc3J4P6dY-PmSqnIOVHgcaAqTrEALw_wcB\">UC Theater\u003c/a>, Berkeley; \u003ca href=\"https://prod5.agileticketing.net/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=216261~4e8b4fa5-aaf4-4669-af20-791dec4fd008&\">State Theater\u003c/a>, Modesto; \u003ca href=\"https://www.broadwaysf.com/events/bsf-rhps-2025/curran-theater/tickets/58E541CC-022A-4CBC-BB75-4E53580B04D9\">The Curran Theater\u003c/a>, San Francisco; \u003ca href=\"https://3belowtheaters.com/rhps/\">3Below Theater\u003c/a>, San Jose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re a movie nerd and want more, please visit our \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13982172/san-francisco-halloween-2025-movie-screenings\">guide to Halloween movie happenings in San Francisco\u003c/a> this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"mceTemp\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "escaped-black-and-white-tegu-lizard-loose-santa-clara-county-san-jose",
"title": "There’s a Black and White Tegu on the Loose in Santa Clara County",
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"headTitle": "There’s a Black and White Tegu on the Loose in Santa Clara County | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>When someone told me over the weekend that a black and white tegu was loose in Joseph D. Grant County Park, I initially thought one of those boxy little driverless robotaxis had gone rogue. Turns out that tegus are, in fact, massive lizards native to Central and South America that like nothing more than gobbling up eggs, small mammals and fruit — and being pretty darn cute while they’re at it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The black and white tegu was spotted last week by hikers who reported their sighting to the Santa Clara County Parks department. Rangers have been searching for the tegu near Grant Lake ever since, and are encouraging hikers to immediately report any sightings of the little guy to them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13977344\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13977344\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/santa-clara-fb.png\" alt=\"A large white lizard with black markings peers out of shrubbery.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1551\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/santa-clara-fb.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/santa-clara-fb-160x124.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/santa-clara-fb-768x596.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/santa-clara-fb-1536x1191.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Santa Clara County Parks posted this alert to Facebook on Friday. \u003ccite>(Facebook/Santa Clara County Parks)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Where the heck did this lizard come from? Well, tegus are smart and usually docile, which means people like keeping them as pets. It’s perfectly legal to do so in California, even though they can grow up to four feet long and live up to 20 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s a pet tegu named Winston who has his own TikTok account:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" style=\"max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px\" cite=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@winstonthetegu/video/7129275873358040366\" data-video-id=\"7129275873358040366\">\n\u003csection>\u003ca title=\"@winstonthetegu\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@winstonthetegu?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@winstonthetegu\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"winstonthetegu\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/winstonthetegu?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#winstonthetegu\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"tegu\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tegu?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#TEGU\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"argentine\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/argentine?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#argentine\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"blackandwhite\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/blackandwhite?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#blackandwhite\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"tegus\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tegus?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#Tegus\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"argentinetegu\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/argentinetegu?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#argentinetegu\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"lizard\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/lizard?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#lizard\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"lizardlife\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/lizardlife?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#lizardlife\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"reptile\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/reptile?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#reptile\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"reptiles\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/reptiles?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#reptiles\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"fyp\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#fyp\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"foryoupage\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryoupage?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#foryoupage\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"fypシ\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp%E3%82%B7?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#fypシ\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"cute\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/cute?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#cute\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"lizardsofinstagram\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/lizardsofinstagram?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#lizardsofinstagram\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"tegulizard\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tegulizard?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#tegulizard\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"reptilesofinstagram\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/reptilesofinstagram?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#reptilesofinstagram\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"happy\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/happy?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#happy\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"♬ original sound - winstonthetegu\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7129275857436396334?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">♬ original sound – winstonthetegu\u003c/a>\u003c/section>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>[tiktok]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, when tegus get out into American nature, they can be destructive little so-and-sos who wreak havoc on native bird populations and other small creatures. They are also speedy and fond of burrowing, making them tricky to find and catch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" style=\"max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px\" cite=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@seasexotics/video/7345949940624969006\" data-video-id=\"7345949940624969006\">\n\u003csection>\u003ca title=\"@seasexotics\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@seasexotics?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@seasexotics\u003c/a> He stole my shoes \u003ca title=\"animal\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/animal?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#animal\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"animals\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/animals?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#animals\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"pet\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/pet?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#pet\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"pets\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/pets?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#pets\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"cuteanimals\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/cuteanimals?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#cuteanimals\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"interesting\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/interesting?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#interesting\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"reptiles\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/reptiles?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#reptiles\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"cute\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/cute?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#cute\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"reptile\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/reptile?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#reptile\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"aww\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/aww?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#aww\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"tegu\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tegu?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#tegu\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"blackandwhite\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/blackandwhite?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#blackandwhite\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"blackandwhitetegu\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/blackandwhitetegu?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#blackandwhitetegu\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"lizard\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/lizard?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#lizard\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"lizards\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/lizards?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#lizards\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"♬ original sound - Sea’s Exotics\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7345950029963643694?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">♬ original sound – Sea’s Exotics\u003c/a>\u003c/section>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Exacerbating matters, female tegus will lay up to 35 eggs each year; populations of the escaped reptiles can grow quickly. Both Florida and Georgia have such out-of-control tegu problems that both states recently introduced bans on breeding and selling the animals. One tegu owner, known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@thatteacherwiththelizard/video/7236761514924051758\">@thatteacherwiththelizard on TikTok\u003c/a>, notes that “Tegus are on the same level as cats when it comes to intelligence … They’re escape artists, they’re cunning, they’re super sweet. If you have a cat, you know.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep your eyes peeled if you’re in Joseph D. Grant County Park. The local birds will thank you for it.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Tegus are giant, egg-gobbling lizards who have no business roaming Silicon Valley willy-nilly.",
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"title": "Giant Lizard Spotted in South Bay Park, Near San José | KQED",
"description": "Tegus are giant, egg-gobbling lizards who have no business roaming Silicon Valley willy-nilly.",
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"headline": "There’s a Black and White Tegu on the Loose in Santa Clara County",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>When someone told me over the weekend that a black and white tegu was loose in Joseph D. Grant County Park, I initially thought one of those boxy little driverless robotaxis had gone rogue. Turns out that tegus are, in fact, massive lizards native to Central and South America that like nothing more than gobbling up eggs, small mammals and fruit — and being pretty darn cute while they’re at it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The black and white tegu was spotted last week by hikers who reported their sighting to the Santa Clara County Parks department. Rangers have been searching for the tegu near Grant Lake ever since, and are encouraging hikers to immediately report any sightings of the little guy to them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13977344\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13977344\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/santa-clara-fb.png\" alt=\"A large white lizard with black markings peers out of shrubbery.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1551\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/santa-clara-fb.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/santa-clara-fb-160x124.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/santa-clara-fb-768x596.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/santa-clara-fb-1536x1191.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Santa Clara County Parks posted this alert to Facebook on Friday. \u003ccite>(Facebook/Santa Clara County Parks)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Where the heck did this lizard come from? Well, tegus are smart and usually docile, which means people like keeping them as pets. It’s perfectly legal to do so in California, even though they can grow up to four feet long and live up to 20 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s a pet tegu named Winston who has his own TikTok account:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" style=\"max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px\" cite=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@winstonthetegu/video/7129275873358040366\" data-video-id=\"7129275873358040366\">\n\u003csection>\u003ca title=\"@winstonthetegu\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@winstonthetegu?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@winstonthetegu\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"winstonthetegu\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/winstonthetegu?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#winstonthetegu\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"tegu\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tegu?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#TEGU\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"argentine\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/argentine?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#argentine\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"blackandwhite\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/blackandwhite?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#blackandwhite\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"tegus\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tegus?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#Tegus\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"argentinetegu\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/argentinetegu?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#argentinetegu\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"lizard\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/lizard?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#lizard\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"lizardlife\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/lizardlife?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#lizardlife\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"reptile\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/reptile?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#reptile\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"reptiles\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/reptiles?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#reptiles\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"fyp\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#fyp\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"foryoupage\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryoupage?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#foryoupage\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"fypシ\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp%E3%82%B7?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#fypシ\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"cute\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/cute?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#cute\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"lizardsofinstagram\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/lizardsofinstagram?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#lizardsofinstagram\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"tegulizard\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tegulizard?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#tegulizard\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"reptilesofinstagram\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/reptilesofinstagram?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#reptilesofinstagram\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"happy\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/happy?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#happy\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"♬ original sound - winstonthetegu\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7129275857436396334?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">♬ original sound – winstonthetegu\u003c/a>\u003c/section>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, when tegus get out into American nature, they can be destructive little so-and-sos who wreak havoc on native bird populations and other small creatures. They are also speedy and fond of burrowing, making them tricky to find and catch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" style=\"max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px\" cite=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@seasexotics/video/7345949940624969006\" data-video-id=\"7345949940624969006\">\n\u003csection>\u003ca title=\"@seasexotics\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@seasexotics?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@seasexotics\u003c/a> He stole my shoes \u003ca title=\"animal\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/animal?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#animal\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"animals\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/animals?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#animals\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"pet\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/pet?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#pet\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"pets\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/pets?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#pets\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"cuteanimals\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/cuteanimals?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#cuteanimals\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"interesting\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/interesting?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#interesting\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"reptiles\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/reptiles?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#reptiles\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"cute\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/cute?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#cute\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"reptile\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/reptile?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#reptile\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"aww\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/aww?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#aww\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"tegu\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tegu?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#tegu\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"blackandwhite\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/blackandwhite?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#blackandwhite\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"blackandwhitetegu\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/blackandwhitetegu?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#blackandwhitetegu\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"lizard\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/lizard?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#lizard\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"lizards\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/lizards?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#lizards\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"♬ original sound - Sea’s Exotics\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7345950029963643694?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">♬ original sound – Sea’s Exotics\u003c/a>\u003c/section>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Exacerbating matters, female tegus will lay up to 35 eggs each year; populations of the escaped reptiles can grow quickly. Both Florida and Georgia have such out-of-control tegu problems that both states recently introduced bans on breeding and selling the animals. One tegu owner, known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@thatteacherwiththelizard/video/7236761514924051758\">@thatteacherwiththelizard on TikTok\u003c/a>, notes that “Tegus are on the same level as cats when it comes to intelligence … They’re escape artists, they’re cunning, they’re super sweet. If you have a cat, you know.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep your eyes peeled if you’re in Joseph D. Grant County Park. The local birds will thank you for it.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "hijau-indonesian-coffee-pop-up-pandan-latte-san-jose",
"title": "An Indonesian Coffee Pop-up Brings Pandan Lattes to San Jose",
"publishDate": 1735858207,
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"headTitle": "An Indonesian Coffee Pop-up Brings Pandan Lattes to San Jose | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Indonesian coffee shops are sprouting up in the Bay Area, introducing local caffeine hounds to aromatic, uniquely tropical drinks. The newest addition to the scene is Hijau, a coffee pop-up in San Jose known for crafting lattes with flavors like pineapple, coconut, lemongrass and ginger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>South Bay residents Lisa Maria and Ryan Prawiradjaja started Hijau in February of 2024. Maria was born and raised in Bekasi, the largest city in West Java, Indonesia, and immigrated to the United States 15 years ago for college. But when she was laid off from her job as a product manager at a tech startup last year, she decided to revisit an earlier dream. “I’ve always thought about starting a coffee shop,” Maria says. “My mom and dad were coffee roasters in the ’80s.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her parents’ business supplied roasted coffee beans to local vendors in Bekasi. Maria was too young to enjoy the beverage at the time, but she remembers the aroma of coffee in her childhood home. Now, she and her husband are continuing the tradition by bringing the smell of freshly brewed coffee into the life of their newborn daughter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13969932\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13969932\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Wedang-Latte-2.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a latte with foam milk art, topped with a slice of roasted ginger.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Wedang-Latte-2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Wedang-Latte-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Wedang-Latte-2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Wedang-Latte-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Wedang-Latte-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Wedang-Latte-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Wedang-Latte-2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Inspired by a traditional Indonesian hot drink, Hijau’s wedang latte comes topped with a slice of torched ginger. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So what exactly makes Hijau’s approach to coffee specifically Indonesian? For starters, some of the drinks are based on traditional Indonesian treats. As Maria puts it, “I think of coffee as my canvas to introduce Indonesian flavors.” Klepon, a pandan rice ball coated with shredded coconut and filled with molten palm sugar, inspired a latte made with pandan-infused palm sugar syrup, coconut milk and a coconut-flake garnish. Nastar, a bite-sized pineapple jam tart, gets reconstructed into a pineapple syrup–spiked latte humming with notes of clove and cinnamon. While the drinks are based on desserts, they’re not cloyingly sweet. Instead, they’re fine-tuned to allow the delicate flavors to shine through.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For other drinks, Maria and Prawiradjaja drew inspiration from wedang, a category of hot drinks that can be made with peanuts, mung beans or ginger. Hijau’s wedang latte is made by infusing palm sugar syrup with torched ginger and lemongrass. It’s influenced by wedang jahe, a hot ginger drink popular in the highlands. Maria describes it as a seasonal alternative to a pumpkin spice latte. “We don’t even have that kind of coffee flavor in Indonesia,” says Maria. “So I can take inspiration from what is existing and introduce that flavor in coffee.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pandan, an aromatic leaf commonly used in Southeast Asian cooking, is a buzzy ingredient at cafes and pastry shops around the Bay, but Maria felt that many renditions weren’t living up to the herb’s potential. “I was underwhelmed by the flavor,” says Maria, “I couldn’t taste the fragrance. I really wanted to represent it well.” Her pandan latte is subtle, grassy and bright green — it’s Maria’s favorite creation and the shop’s most popular drink.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13969933\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13969933\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Iced-Pandan-Latte.jpg\" alt=\"Iced coffee drink mixed with green-tinted milk.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Iced-Pandan-Latte.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Iced-Pandan-Latte-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Iced-Pandan-Latte-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Iced-Pandan-Latte-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Iced-Pandan-Latte-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Iced-Pandan-Latte-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Iced-Pandan-Latte-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An iced pandan latte — Hijau’s most popular drink. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, you won’t come across many bakeries offering freshly baked nastar or restaurants serving klepon for dessert. “Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world and the largest economy in Southeast Asia,” says Maria. “Why aren’t there more Indonesian establishments here?” In the past few years, a handful of Indonesian restaurants have opened up and gotten some buzz for their takes on classic dishes like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908798/bakso-indonesian-street-food-noodle-soup-dgrobak-richmond\">bakso\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13962220/fikscue-best-indonesian-texas-barbecue-smoked-brisket-alameda\">beef rendang\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13963228,arts_13962220,arts_13929177']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>While Indonesia is one of the top coffee-producing countries in the world, its coffee is not as popular in the U.S. as the roasts coming from other, more well-known coffee regions (in South and Central America, for instance). Coffee beans from the Indonesian island of Sumatra have long been a staple at third-wave coffee shops, but until recently, there weren’t any cafes that used these beans exclusively or that specialized in Indonesian-inspired coffee drinks. So far there are only a couple other spots — most notably \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13963228/indonesian-high-tea-kopi-bar-sandai-walnut-creek\">Kopi Bar\u003c/a> in Walnut Creek and Kopiku in San Francisco, which both source Indonesian coffee beans through Beaneka Coffee, a local roastery. Hijau doesn’t use Indonesian beans yet but plans to in the next phase of the business.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maria believes part of the reason Indonesian cuisine is underrepresented in the Bay Area is due to the relatively recent arrival of that immigrant community. It wasn’t until the ’80s and ’90s that there was a large wave of Indonesian immigration to the States, she explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of us put our roots down here,” says Maria. “More Indonesians are settling down in the U.S. and they want to keep the heritage and tastes of home here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13969934\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13969934\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Pouring-Milk.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up of a barista pour milk into a coffee drink.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Pouring-Milk.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Pouring-Milk-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Pouring-Milk-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Pouring-Milk-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Pouring-Milk-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Pouring-Milk-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Pouring-Milk-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A barista pours milk into one of Hijau’s Indonesian-inspired specialty coffee drinks. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She hopes that Hijau inspires more Indonesians to start their own businesses in the Bay Area. Her goal is to hook coffee lovers with Indonesian flavors before introducing them to the terroir of coffee beans from across Indonesia — specifically, those produced through giling basah (wet grinding), a process that originated in Indonesia that creates a distinct woody, earthy flavor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The couple plans to eventually open a brick-and-mortar coffee shop where they can continue to connect with the community. “It’s a bridge between my roots and future legacy,” says Maria. “I want our daughter to have her heritage represented when she grows up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/wearehijau/\">\u003ci>Hijau\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> pops up at the San Jose Rose Garden farmers market (577 Dana Ave) every Saturday. They’ll have two more pop-ups this winter — on Jan. 4 and 11, from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. — before taking a break until March 15, For more information about future pop-ups, check out Hijau’s \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/wearehijau/\">\u003ci>Instagram page\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Indonesian coffee shops are sprouting up in the Bay Area, introducing local caffeine hounds to aromatic, uniquely tropical drinks. The newest addition to the scene is Hijau, a coffee pop-up in San Jose known for crafting lattes with flavors like pineapple, coconut, lemongrass and ginger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>South Bay residents Lisa Maria and Ryan Prawiradjaja started Hijau in February of 2024. Maria was born and raised in Bekasi, the largest city in West Java, Indonesia, and immigrated to the United States 15 years ago for college. But when she was laid off from her job as a product manager at a tech startup last year, she decided to revisit an earlier dream. “I’ve always thought about starting a coffee shop,” Maria says. “My mom and dad were coffee roasters in the ’80s.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her parents’ business supplied roasted coffee beans to local vendors in Bekasi. Maria was too young to enjoy the beverage at the time, but she remembers the aroma of coffee in her childhood home. Now, she and her husband are continuing the tradition by bringing the smell of freshly brewed coffee into the life of their newborn daughter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13969932\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13969932\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Wedang-Latte-2.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a latte with foam milk art, topped with a slice of roasted ginger.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Wedang-Latte-2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Wedang-Latte-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Wedang-Latte-2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Wedang-Latte-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Wedang-Latte-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Wedang-Latte-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Wedang-Latte-2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Inspired by a traditional Indonesian hot drink, Hijau’s wedang latte comes topped with a slice of torched ginger. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So what exactly makes Hijau’s approach to coffee specifically Indonesian? For starters, some of the drinks are based on traditional Indonesian treats. As Maria puts it, “I think of coffee as my canvas to introduce Indonesian flavors.” Klepon, a pandan rice ball coated with shredded coconut and filled with molten palm sugar, inspired a latte made with pandan-infused palm sugar syrup, coconut milk and a coconut-flake garnish. Nastar, a bite-sized pineapple jam tart, gets reconstructed into a pineapple syrup–spiked latte humming with notes of clove and cinnamon. While the drinks are based on desserts, they’re not cloyingly sweet. Instead, they’re fine-tuned to allow the delicate flavors to shine through.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For other drinks, Maria and Prawiradjaja drew inspiration from wedang, a category of hot drinks that can be made with peanuts, mung beans or ginger. Hijau’s wedang latte is made by infusing palm sugar syrup with torched ginger and lemongrass. It’s influenced by wedang jahe, a hot ginger drink popular in the highlands. Maria describes it as a seasonal alternative to a pumpkin spice latte. “We don’t even have that kind of coffee flavor in Indonesia,” says Maria. “So I can take inspiration from what is existing and introduce that flavor in coffee.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pandan, an aromatic leaf commonly used in Southeast Asian cooking, is a buzzy ingredient at cafes and pastry shops around the Bay, but Maria felt that many renditions weren’t living up to the herb’s potential. “I was underwhelmed by the flavor,” says Maria, “I couldn’t taste the fragrance. I really wanted to represent it well.” Her pandan latte is subtle, grassy and bright green — it’s Maria’s favorite creation and the shop’s most popular drink.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13969933\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13969933\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Iced-Pandan-Latte.jpg\" alt=\"Iced coffee drink mixed with green-tinted milk.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Iced-Pandan-Latte.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Iced-Pandan-Latte-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Iced-Pandan-Latte-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Iced-Pandan-Latte-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Iced-Pandan-Latte-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Iced-Pandan-Latte-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Iced-Pandan-Latte-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An iced pandan latte — Hijau’s most popular drink. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, you won’t come across many bakeries offering freshly baked nastar or restaurants serving klepon for dessert. “Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world and the largest economy in Southeast Asia,” says Maria. “Why aren’t there more Indonesian establishments here?” In the past few years, a handful of Indonesian restaurants have opened up and gotten some buzz for their takes on classic dishes like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908798/bakso-indonesian-street-food-noodle-soup-dgrobak-richmond\">bakso\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13962220/fikscue-best-indonesian-texas-barbecue-smoked-brisket-alameda\">beef rendang\u003c/a>.\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>While Indonesia is one of the top coffee-producing countries in the world, its coffee is not as popular in the U.S. as the roasts coming from other, more well-known coffee regions (in South and Central America, for instance). Coffee beans from the Indonesian island of Sumatra have long been a staple at third-wave coffee shops, but until recently, there weren’t any cafes that used these beans exclusively or that specialized in Indonesian-inspired coffee drinks. So far there are only a couple other spots — most notably \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13963228/indonesian-high-tea-kopi-bar-sandai-walnut-creek\">Kopi Bar\u003c/a> in Walnut Creek and Kopiku in San Francisco, which both source Indonesian coffee beans through Beaneka Coffee, a local roastery. Hijau doesn’t use Indonesian beans yet but plans to in the next phase of the business.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maria believes part of the reason Indonesian cuisine is underrepresented in the Bay Area is due to the relatively recent arrival of that immigrant community. It wasn’t until the ’80s and ’90s that there was a large wave of Indonesian immigration to the States, she explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of us put our roots down here,” says Maria. “More Indonesians are settling down in the U.S. and they want to keep the heritage and tastes of home here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13969934\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13969934\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Pouring-Milk.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up of a barista pour milk into a coffee drink.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Pouring-Milk.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Pouring-Milk-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Pouring-Milk-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Pouring-Milk-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Pouring-Milk-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Pouring-Milk-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Pouring-Milk-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A barista pours milk into one of Hijau’s Indonesian-inspired specialty coffee drinks. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She hopes that Hijau inspires more Indonesians to start their own businesses in the Bay Area. Her goal is to hook coffee lovers with Indonesian flavors before introducing them to the terroir of coffee beans from across Indonesia — specifically, those produced through giling basah (wet grinding), a process that originated in Indonesia that creates a distinct woody, earthy flavor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The couple plans to eventually open a brick-and-mortar coffee shop where they can continue to connect with the community. “It’s a bridge between my roots and future legacy,” says Maria. “I want our daughter to have her heritage represented when she grows up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/wearehijau/\">\u003ci>Hijau\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> pops up at the San Jose Rose Garden farmers market (577 Dana Ave) every Saturday. They’ll have two more pop-ups this winter — on Jan. 4 and 11, from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. — before taking a break until March 15, For more information about future pop-ups, check out Hijau’s \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/wearehijau/\">\u003ci>Instagram page\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "best-dishes-bay-area-2024",
"title": "The Best Dishes I Ate in 2024",
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"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>For me, the first four years (!) of this decade in Bay Area food were largely defined by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13907197/best-dishes-bay-area-2021\">pandemic-era\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13921917/best-dishes-bay-area-2022\">takeout\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13939138/best-dishes-sf-bay-area-2023\">cozy meals eaten close to home\u003c/a>. In many ways, I felt as though my whole world had contracted, as more and more interactions were filtered through Zoom meetings, QR codes and delivery apps. So, this year I really wanted to get back to exploring the entirety of the Bay Area food scene in a more robust and deliberate way — its creative pop-ups; its distant, outer-suburban enclaves; and, especially, its underappreciated \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">late-night haunts\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The good news? The scene is just as delicious and joyous as ever. Here, then, are 10 of my favorite dishes from 2024, presented in roughly the chronological order in which I ate them:\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968991\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968991\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/egglicious-gotala.jpg\" alt=\"A large platter topped with grated hard-boiled eggs in green sauce, a fried egg, and two rolls.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/egglicious-gotala.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/egglicious-gotala-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/egglicious-gotala-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/egglicious-gotala-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/egglicious-gotala-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/egglicious-gotala-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/egglicious-gotala-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The egg gotala is a star of Egglicious’s egg-centric menu. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>1. Surti egg gotala at Egglicious India\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>4996 Stevens Creek Blvd., San Jose\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve always been a big egg person, but no restaurant exploded my view of how many different ways you might cook a chicken egg than Egglicious, San Jose’s fully “eggetarian” Indian restaurant, where a single dish might include three or four different imaginative egg preparations. I was especially amazed by the Surti egg gotala, a kind of thick curry topped with both a runny-yolked fried egg and a couple of hard-boiled eggs grated into coarse white shavings that resembled shredded mozzarella cheese. Scooped up with fluffy pav rolls, it was the most flavorful three-egg plate I’d eaten in years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968993\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968993\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/a-one-crab.jpg\" alt=\"A whole Dungeness crab served on a plate over a bed of French fries.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/a-one-crab.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/a-one-crab-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/a-one-crab-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/a-one-crab-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/a-one-crab-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/a-one-crab-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/a-one-crab-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A-One Kitchen serves one of the best garlic butter Dungeness crabs in the Bay. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>2. Garlic butter crab at A-One Kitchen\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>677 San Mateo Ave., San Bruno\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because of my ongoing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">Midnight Diners\u003c/a> series, this has largely been a year of exploring the Bay Area’s much-disparaged late-night food scene, which, to be totally transparent, I only had modest hopes for at the start of the project. But I remember exactly when my expectations flipped on their head: dinner at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13951914/dungeness-crab-garlic-noodles-san-bruno-late-night\">A-One Kitchen\u003c/a>, a festive Thai-Chinese spot across the street from the Artichoke Joe’s casino that stays open until 1 a.m. We feasted on garlicky, butter-soaked roast Dungeness crab and heaping plates of garlic noodles, and everything was so delicious, it made me realize that in some cases the Bay Area’s late-night food is also its best food — straight up. No caveats necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968994\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968994\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/e-lade-suya.jpg\" alt=\"A fried meat pie, plated elegantly next to a sprig of green herbs.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/e-lade-suya.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/e-lade-suya-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/e-lade-suya-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/e-lade-suya-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/e-lade-suya-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/e-lade-suya-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/e-lade-suya-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The suya meat pie at E Le Aɖe’s Ghanaian-Ethiopian pop-up. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>3. Meat pie at E Le Aɖe Test Kitchen Pop-Up at Cafe Colucci\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>5849 San Pablo Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My favorite fine dining meal of the year was a Ghanaian-Ethiopian fusion pop-up by Chef Selasie Dotse, hosted on the back patio at Cafe Colucci. As a person who sometimes finds tasting menu food a little bit samey-samey, this was the cannon blast of bold diasporic flavors I was looking for: a yam pave spiked with fiery chile-and-tomato hot sauce that knocked me upside the head, rockfish “kitfo” and injera reimagined as a kind of fish taco, and on and on. My favorite was the chef’s take on suya — the spice rub applied, in this case, to braised oxtail that was stuffed inside a gorgeous, flaky pastry, with a side of zippy peanut romesco sauce for dipping. Delicious. (Unfortunately, Dotse’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938506/cafe-colucci-pop-up-oakland-ethiopian-ghanaian-selasie-dotse\">E Le Aɖe pop-up series\u003c/a> ended shortly after the dinner I attended, and the chef is \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DDEGI77xeXd/?img_index=1\">moving to the East Coast\u003c/a>. But \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cafecolucci/?hl=en\">Cafe Colucci’s\u003c/a> patio is worth keeping an eye on as it’s become a regular landing spot for similarly audacious pop-ups.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968995\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968995\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/cajun-bistro-7-crawfish.jpg\" alt=\"Crawfish boil in a plastic bag.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/cajun-bistro-7-crawfish.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/cajun-bistro-7-crawfish-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/cajun-bistro-7-crawfish-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/cajun-bistro-7-crawfish-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/cajun-bistro-7-crawfish-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/cajun-bistro-7-crawfish-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/cajun-bistro-7-crawfish-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A bag of goodness at Cajun Bistro 7. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>4. Crawfish boil at Cajun Bistro 7\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3005 Silver Creek Rd. Ste. 116, San Jose\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maybe the best crawfish I’ve ever eaten in my life can be found at this little San Jose strip mall spot that serves \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13954983/viet-cajun-seafood-crawfish-boil-san-jose-late-night\">Viet-Cajun seafood boils until 4 a.m. every night\u003c/a> (because each day’s shipment of live crawfish comes in from Louisiana — or the Sacramento delta during the off season — at 5). Cajun Bistro 7’s creamy, garlicky seafood-boil sauces are extremely addicting, but it was the freshness of the little crustaceans themselves that blew my mind — so plump, toothsome and naturally sweet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968996\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968996\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/ping-yang-bing-soo.jpg\" alt=\"Watermelon balls and shave ice served inside the watermelon rind.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/ping-yang-bing-soo.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/ping-yang-bing-soo-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/ping-yang-bing-soo-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/ping-yang-bing-soo-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/ping-yang-bing-soo-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/ping-yang-bing-soo-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/ping-yang-bing-soo-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The watermelon bing soo at Ping Yang is a showstopper. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>5. Watermelon bing soo at Ping Yang\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>955 Larkin St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It would be hard to orchestrate a more perfect meal of homey comfort food than \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13957599/late-night-thai-food-dessert-sf-ping-yang\">the dinner I had at this cozy Thai cafe\u003c/a> this spring: pad see ew topped with wok-seared pork jowl and a simple Thai omelette over jasmine rice. Dessert, on the other hand, was a straight-up showstopper: a giant bing soo (Korean shaved ice) served inside a hollowed-out watermelon rind and piled high with melon balls that looked like gleaming bright red jewels. But while the presentation may have been flashy, the pleasures of this bing soo were just as plain and comforting as the rest of the meal — ripe, juicy fruit and sweet, condensed milk–infused ice shaved so finely it was like digging my spoon into the fluffiest freshly fallen powder snow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968997\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968997\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/piglet-douhua.jpg\" alt=\"Whipped tofu pudding topped with crushed sesame brittle.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/piglet-douhua.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/piglet-douhua-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/piglet-douhua-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/piglet-douhua-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/piglet-douhua-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/piglet-douhua-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/piglet-douhua-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Piglet & Co.’s take on dou hua, or tofu pudding, made for an ingenious dessert. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>6. Strawberry and dou hua at Piglet & Co.\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2170 Mission St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Speaking of dessert, the most memorable dish of my first meal at Piglet & Co. — a stylish, Taiwanese-inspired fusion spot in the Mission — was the chefs’ take on douhua, or tofu pudding, a ginger-syrup-soaked treat I’d enjoyed, hot or cold, during trips to Taipei ever since I was a kid. In Piglet & Co.’s ingenious version, the tofu was blended and whipped, so that it took on the texture of an airy mousse. On top, there was a layer of crushed sesame brittle and a few sprigs of fresh mint; fresh strawberries were hidden underneath. The overall effect was magical: like a nostalgic bowl of Lunar New Year’s tangyuan zhuzhed up with a dash of Bay Area summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13962178\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13962178\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/20240804_KQED_FIKSCUE_ML_0219-KQED-2.jpg\" alt='A huge smoked \"dinosaur\" beef rib on a paper-lined tray.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/20240804_KQED_FIKSCUE_ML_0219-KQED-2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/20240804_KQED_FIKSCUE_ML_0219-KQED-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/20240804_KQED_FIKSCUE_ML_0219-KQED-2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/20240804_KQED_FIKSCUE_ML_0219-KQED-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/20240804_KQED_FIKSCUE_ML_0219-KQED-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/20240804_KQED_FIKSCUE_ML_0219-KQED-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/20240804_KQED_FIKSCUE_ML_0219-KQED-2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A dino beef rib at Fikscue in Alameda. \u003ccite>(Marissa Leshnov for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>7. Dino beef rib at Fikscue\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1708 Park St., Alameda\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the months since I \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13962220/fikscue-best-indonesian-texas-barbecue-smoked-brisket-alameda\">first wrote about it\u003c/a>, this scrappy, self-styled “Indo-Tex” barbecue spot in Alameda has blown up even more, getting named one of the best new restaurants in the entire country by national outlets like \u003ca href=\"https://www.eater.com/24282771/best-new-restaurants-america-2024\">Eater\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/dining/best-restaurants-america.html#fikscue\">\u003ci>The New York Times\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, and gearing up to open a flashy \u003ca href=\"https://chasecenter.com/news/thrive-city-announces-addition-of-fikscue-craft-barbecue-20240816/\">new location at the Chase Center\u003c/a>. The thing about Fikscue is that Chef Fik Saleh’s Texas-style ’cue is good enough to make this list all on its own — I still daydream about the gigantic dino beef rib, which was so tender and fatty that it wobbled obscenely each time I nudged the meat with my fork. But the genius of Fikscue is how well the barbecue goes with all of the Indonesian side dishes — the peanut slaw, creamy kale curry and smoke-kissed nasi goreng fried rice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968998\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968998\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/go-duck-yourself-duck.jpg\" alt=\"A plate of Cantonese roast duck.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/go-duck-yourself-duck.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/go-duck-yourself-duck-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/go-duck-yourself-duck-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/go-duck-yourself-duck-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/go-duck-yourself-duck-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/go-duck-yourself-duck-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/go-duck-yourself-duck-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Go Duck Yourself’s signature Cantonese roast duck. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>8. Cantonese barbecue at Go Duck Yourself\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>439 Cortland Ave., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Late in the pandemic, my favorite old-school SF Chinatown butcher shop, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13913478/bird-flu-duck-shortage-san-francisco-chinatown-hing-lung\">Hing Lung Company\u003c/a>, relocated to Bernal Heights, built out a handsome new dining room, adopted a jokey new moniker — and somehow the food got even better?? Maybe it’s because I finally got to taste the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/Brothers-reinvent-their-father-s-meat-shop-in-12375005.php\">Cheung brothers’\u003c/a> Cantonese barbecue the way God intended it to be eaten: hot and fresh without having sat for 20 minutes in a takeout box. What I still can’t decide for the life of me, though, is which I love more: the roast pork belly, with its immaculately crunchy skin, or the absurdly juicy (and conveniently deboned) duck, which was especially delicious drizzled with soy sauce and rendered fat over hot white rice. Luckily, you don’t have to choose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968999\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968999\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/het-say-stall.jpg\" alt='A night market stall with a hand-written sign that reads, \"Het Say.\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/het-say-stall.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/het-say-stall-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/het-say-stall-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/het-say-stall-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/het-say-stall-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/het-say-stall-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/het-say-stall-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hết Sẩy’s stall at the Story Road Night Market in October 2024. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>9. Charcoal-grilled ribs at Hết Sẩy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Various locations, San Jose\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After years of reading rave reviews of this \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11963136/flavor-profile-beyond-banh-mi-san-jose-pop-up-plays-with-classics-of-vietnamese-cuisine\">homegrown Vietnamese pop-up\u003c/a>, I had my first Hết Sẩy experience at San Jose’s new \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13961537/san-jose-night-market-vietnamese-grand-century-mall\">Story Road Night Market\u003c/a> — easily the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13961537/san-jose-night-market-vietnamese-grand-century-mall\">most night market-y night market\u003c/a> I’ve been to in the Bay. And Hết Sẩy’s offerings were the best dishes we ate all night: the flaky little curry-chicken hand pie, fragrant with lemongrass, and most delicious of all, the pork ribs, grilled over a charcoal fire that one of Hết Sẩy’s chefs tended to lovingly with a bamboo fan so that the entire mall parking lot was suffused with the seductive smell of charred meat. Old-school cooking! The ribs were impossibly succulent and savory, topped with a bright and funky fish sauce and calamansi dressing that lingered on my fingers deliciously for the rest of the night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13969000\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13969000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/taishan-eel-claypot-rice.jpg\" alt=\"Cooked rice in a claypot.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/taishan-eel-claypot-rice.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/taishan-eel-claypot-rice-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/taishan-eel-claypot-rice-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/taishan-eel-claypot-rice-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/taishan-eel-claypot-rice-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/taishan-eel-claypot-rice-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/taishan-eel-claypot-rice-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The yellow eel claypot rice is one of Taishan Cuisine’s signature dishes. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>10. Yellow eel claypot rice at Taishan Cuisine\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>781 Broadway, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13967564/taishan-cuisine-san-francisco-chinatown-late-night-food\">Midnight Diners fave\u003c/a>, Taishan Cuisine is a repository of homey, comforting Toisan dishes — the cuisine of San Francisco’s earliest Chinese immigrants. Of particular note: the yellow eel claypot rice (or any of the other claypot rice dishes, really), which glistens with the uber-aromatic sheen of rendered fish fat. I loved breaking off shards of the crispy, toasty rice crust at the bottom of the pot to eat over the course of the meal. To be able to enjoy such a dish at 3 a.m. on any night of the week? What a dream.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>For me, the first four years (!) of this decade in Bay Area food were largely defined by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13907197/best-dishes-bay-area-2021\">pandemic-era\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13921917/best-dishes-bay-area-2022\">takeout\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13939138/best-dishes-sf-bay-area-2023\">cozy meals eaten close to home\u003c/a>. In many ways, I felt as though my whole world had contracted, as more and more interactions were filtered through Zoom meetings, QR codes and delivery apps. So, this year I really wanted to get back to exploring the entirety of the Bay Area food scene in a more robust and deliberate way — its creative pop-ups; its distant, outer-suburban enclaves; and, especially, its underappreciated \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">late-night haunts\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The good news? The scene is just as delicious and joyous as ever. Here, then, are 10 of my favorite dishes from 2024, presented in roughly the chronological order in which I ate them:\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968991\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968991\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/egglicious-gotala.jpg\" alt=\"A large platter topped with grated hard-boiled eggs in green sauce, a fried egg, and two rolls.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/egglicious-gotala.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/egglicious-gotala-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/egglicious-gotala-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/egglicious-gotala-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/egglicious-gotala-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/egglicious-gotala-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/egglicious-gotala-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The egg gotala is a star of Egglicious’s egg-centric menu. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>1. Surti egg gotala at Egglicious India\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>4996 Stevens Creek Blvd., San Jose\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve always been a big egg person, but no restaurant exploded my view of how many different ways you might cook a chicken egg than Egglicious, San Jose’s fully “eggetarian” Indian restaurant, where a single dish might include three or four different imaginative egg preparations. I was especially amazed by the Surti egg gotala, a kind of thick curry topped with both a runny-yolked fried egg and a couple of hard-boiled eggs grated into coarse white shavings that resembled shredded mozzarella cheese. Scooped up with fluffy pav rolls, it was the most flavorful three-egg plate I’d eaten in years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968993\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968993\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/a-one-crab.jpg\" alt=\"A whole Dungeness crab served on a plate over a bed of French fries.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/a-one-crab.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/a-one-crab-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/a-one-crab-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/a-one-crab-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/a-one-crab-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/a-one-crab-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/a-one-crab-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A-One Kitchen serves one of the best garlic butter Dungeness crabs in the Bay. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>2. Garlic butter crab at A-One Kitchen\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>677 San Mateo Ave., San Bruno\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because of my ongoing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">Midnight Diners\u003c/a> series, this has largely been a year of exploring the Bay Area’s much-disparaged late-night food scene, which, to be totally transparent, I only had modest hopes for at the start of the project. But I remember exactly when my expectations flipped on their head: dinner at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13951914/dungeness-crab-garlic-noodles-san-bruno-late-night\">A-One Kitchen\u003c/a>, a festive Thai-Chinese spot across the street from the Artichoke Joe’s casino that stays open until 1 a.m. We feasted on garlicky, butter-soaked roast Dungeness crab and heaping plates of garlic noodles, and everything was so delicious, it made me realize that in some cases the Bay Area’s late-night food is also its best food — straight up. No caveats necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968994\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968994\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/e-lade-suya.jpg\" alt=\"A fried meat pie, plated elegantly next to a sprig of green herbs.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/e-lade-suya.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/e-lade-suya-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/e-lade-suya-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/e-lade-suya-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/e-lade-suya-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/e-lade-suya-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/e-lade-suya-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The suya meat pie at E Le Aɖe’s Ghanaian-Ethiopian pop-up. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>3. Meat pie at E Le Aɖe Test Kitchen Pop-Up at Cafe Colucci\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>5849 San Pablo Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My favorite fine dining meal of the year was a Ghanaian-Ethiopian fusion pop-up by Chef Selasie Dotse, hosted on the back patio at Cafe Colucci. As a person who sometimes finds tasting menu food a little bit samey-samey, this was the cannon blast of bold diasporic flavors I was looking for: a yam pave spiked with fiery chile-and-tomato hot sauce that knocked me upside the head, rockfish “kitfo” and injera reimagined as a kind of fish taco, and on and on. My favorite was the chef’s take on suya — the spice rub applied, in this case, to braised oxtail that was stuffed inside a gorgeous, flaky pastry, with a side of zippy peanut romesco sauce for dipping. Delicious. (Unfortunately, Dotse’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938506/cafe-colucci-pop-up-oakland-ethiopian-ghanaian-selasie-dotse\">E Le Aɖe pop-up series\u003c/a> ended shortly after the dinner I attended, and the chef is \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DDEGI77xeXd/?img_index=1\">moving to the East Coast\u003c/a>. But \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cafecolucci/?hl=en\">Cafe Colucci’s\u003c/a> patio is worth keeping an eye on as it’s become a regular landing spot for similarly audacious pop-ups.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968995\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968995\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/cajun-bistro-7-crawfish.jpg\" alt=\"Crawfish boil in a plastic bag.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/cajun-bistro-7-crawfish.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/cajun-bistro-7-crawfish-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/cajun-bistro-7-crawfish-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/cajun-bistro-7-crawfish-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/cajun-bistro-7-crawfish-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/cajun-bistro-7-crawfish-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/cajun-bistro-7-crawfish-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A bag of goodness at Cajun Bistro 7. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>4. Crawfish boil at Cajun Bistro 7\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3005 Silver Creek Rd. Ste. 116, San Jose\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maybe the best crawfish I’ve ever eaten in my life can be found at this little San Jose strip mall spot that serves \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13954983/viet-cajun-seafood-crawfish-boil-san-jose-late-night\">Viet-Cajun seafood boils until 4 a.m. every night\u003c/a> (because each day’s shipment of live crawfish comes in from Louisiana — or the Sacramento delta during the off season — at 5). Cajun Bistro 7’s creamy, garlicky seafood-boil sauces are extremely addicting, but it was the freshness of the little crustaceans themselves that blew my mind — so plump, toothsome and naturally sweet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968996\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968996\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/ping-yang-bing-soo.jpg\" alt=\"Watermelon balls and shave ice served inside the watermelon rind.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/ping-yang-bing-soo.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/ping-yang-bing-soo-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/ping-yang-bing-soo-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/ping-yang-bing-soo-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/ping-yang-bing-soo-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/ping-yang-bing-soo-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/ping-yang-bing-soo-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The watermelon bing soo at Ping Yang is a showstopper. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>5. Watermelon bing soo at Ping Yang\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>955 Larkin St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It would be hard to orchestrate a more perfect meal of homey comfort food than \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13957599/late-night-thai-food-dessert-sf-ping-yang\">the dinner I had at this cozy Thai cafe\u003c/a> this spring: pad see ew topped with wok-seared pork jowl and a simple Thai omelette over jasmine rice. Dessert, on the other hand, was a straight-up showstopper: a giant bing soo (Korean shaved ice) served inside a hollowed-out watermelon rind and piled high with melon balls that looked like gleaming bright red jewels. But while the presentation may have been flashy, the pleasures of this bing soo were just as plain and comforting as the rest of the meal — ripe, juicy fruit and sweet, condensed milk–infused ice shaved so finely it was like digging my spoon into the fluffiest freshly fallen powder snow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968997\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968997\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/piglet-douhua.jpg\" alt=\"Whipped tofu pudding topped with crushed sesame brittle.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/piglet-douhua.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/piglet-douhua-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/piglet-douhua-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/piglet-douhua-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/piglet-douhua-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/piglet-douhua-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/piglet-douhua-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Piglet & Co.’s take on dou hua, or tofu pudding, made for an ingenious dessert. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>6. Strawberry and dou hua at Piglet & Co.\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2170 Mission St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Speaking of dessert, the most memorable dish of my first meal at Piglet & Co. — a stylish, Taiwanese-inspired fusion spot in the Mission — was the chefs’ take on douhua, or tofu pudding, a ginger-syrup-soaked treat I’d enjoyed, hot or cold, during trips to Taipei ever since I was a kid. In Piglet & Co.’s ingenious version, the tofu was blended and whipped, so that it took on the texture of an airy mousse. On top, there was a layer of crushed sesame brittle and a few sprigs of fresh mint; fresh strawberries were hidden underneath. The overall effect was magical: like a nostalgic bowl of Lunar New Year’s tangyuan zhuzhed up with a dash of Bay Area summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13962178\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13962178\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/20240804_KQED_FIKSCUE_ML_0219-KQED-2.jpg\" alt='A huge smoked \"dinosaur\" beef rib on a paper-lined tray.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/20240804_KQED_FIKSCUE_ML_0219-KQED-2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/20240804_KQED_FIKSCUE_ML_0219-KQED-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/20240804_KQED_FIKSCUE_ML_0219-KQED-2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/20240804_KQED_FIKSCUE_ML_0219-KQED-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/20240804_KQED_FIKSCUE_ML_0219-KQED-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/20240804_KQED_FIKSCUE_ML_0219-KQED-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/20240804_KQED_FIKSCUE_ML_0219-KQED-2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A dino beef rib at Fikscue in Alameda. \u003ccite>(Marissa Leshnov for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>7. Dino beef rib at Fikscue\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1708 Park St., Alameda\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the months since I \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13962220/fikscue-best-indonesian-texas-barbecue-smoked-brisket-alameda\">first wrote about it\u003c/a>, this scrappy, self-styled “Indo-Tex” barbecue spot in Alameda has blown up even more, getting named one of the best new restaurants in the entire country by national outlets like \u003ca href=\"https://www.eater.com/24282771/best-new-restaurants-america-2024\">Eater\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/dining/best-restaurants-america.html#fikscue\">\u003ci>The New York Times\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, and gearing up to open a flashy \u003ca href=\"https://chasecenter.com/news/thrive-city-announces-addition-of-fikscue-craft-barbecue-20240816/\">new location at the Chase Center\u003c/a>. The thing about Fikscue is that Chef Fik Saleh’s Texas-style ’cue is good enough to make this list all on its own — I still daydream about the gigantic dino beef rib, which was so tender and fatty that it wobbled obscenely each time I nudged the meat with my fork. But the genius of Fikscue is how well the barbecue goes with all of the Indonesian side dishes — the peanut slaw, creamy kale curry and smoke-kissed nasi goreng fried rice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968998\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968998\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/go-duck-yourself-duck.jpg\" alt=\"A plate of Cantonese roast duck.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/go-duck-yourself-duck.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/go-duck-yourself-duck-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/go-duck-yourself-duck-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/go-duck-yourself-duck-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/go-duck-yourself-duck-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/go-duck-yourself-duck-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/go-duck-yourself-duck-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Go Duck Yourself’s signature Cantonese roast duck. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>8. Cantonese barbecue at Go Duck Yourself\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>439 Cortland Ave., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Late in the pandemic, my favorite old-school SF Chinatown butcher shop, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13913478/bird-flu-duck-shortage-san-francisco-chinatown-hing-lung\">Hing Lung Company\u003c/a>, relocated to Bernal Heights, built out a handsome new dining room, adopted a jokey new moniker — and somehow the food got even better?? Maybe it’s because I finally got to taste the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/Brothers-reinvent-their-father-s-meat-shop-in-12375005.php\">Cheung brothers’\u003c/a> Cantonese barbecue the way God intended it to be eaten: hot and fresh without having sat for 20 minutes in a takeout box. What I still can’t decide for the life of me, though, is which I love more: the roast pork belly, with its immaculately crunchy skin, or the absurdly juicy (and conveniently deboned) duck, which was especially delicious drizzled with soy sauce and rendered fat over hot white rice. Luckily, you don’t have to choose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968999\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968999\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/het-say-stall.jpg\" alt='A night market stall with a hand-written sign that reads, \"Het Say.\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/het-say-stall.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/het-say-stall-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/het-say-stall-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/het-say-stall-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/het-say-stall-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/het-say-stall-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/het-say-stall-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hết Sẩy’s stall at the Story Road Night Market in October 2024. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>9. Charcoal-grilled ribs at Hết Sẩy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Various locations, San Jose\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After years of reading rave reviews of this \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11963136/flavor-profile-beyond-banh-mi-san-jose-pop-up-plays-with-classics-of-vietnamese-cuisine\">homegrown Vietnamese pop-up\u003c/a>, I had my first Hết Sẩy experience at San Jose’s new \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13961537/san-jose-night-market-vietnamese-grand-century-mall\">Story Road Night Market\u003c/a> — easily the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13961537/san-jose-night-market-vietnamese-grand-century-mall\">most night market-y night market\u003c/a> I’ve been to in the Bay. And Hết Sẩy’s offerings were the best dishes we ate all night: the flaky little curry-chicken hand pie, fragrant with lemongrass, and most delicious of all, the pork ribs, grilled over a charcoal fire that one of Hết Sẩy’s chefs tended to lovingly with a bamboo fan so that the entire mall parking lot was suffused with the seductive smell of charred meat. Old-school cooking! The ribs were impossibly succulent and savory, topped with a bright and funky fish sauce and calamansi dressing that lingered on my fingers deliciously for the rest of the night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13969000\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13969000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/taishan-eel-claypot-rice.jpg\" alt=\"Cooked rice in a claypot.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/taishan-eel-claypot-rice.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/taishan-eel-claypot-rice-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/taishan-eel-claypot-rice-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/taishan-eel-claypot-rice-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/taishan-eel-claypot-rice-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/taishan-eel-claypot-rice-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/taishan-eel-claypot-rice-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The yellow eel claypot rice is one of Taishan Cuisine’s signature dishes. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>10. Yellow eel claypot rice at Taishan Cuisine\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>781 Broadway, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13967564/taishan-cuisine-san-francisco-chinatown-late-night-food\">Midnight Diners fave\u003c/a>, Taishan Cuisine is a repository of homey, comforting Toisan dishes — the cuisine of San Francisco’s earliest Chinese immigrants. Of particular note: the yellow eel claypot rice (or any of the other claypot rice dishes, really), which glistens with the uber-aromatic sheen of rendered fish fat. I loved breaking off shards of the crispy, toasty rice crust at the bottom of the pot to eat over the course of the meal. To be able to enjoy such a dish at 3 a.m. on any night of the week? What a dream.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
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"masters-of-scale": {
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"mindshift": {
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"morning-edition": {
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"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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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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},
"pbs-newshour": {
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},
"perspectives": {
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"order": 14
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
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"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
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"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
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"politicalbreakdown": {
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"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
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"order": 5
},
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"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.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
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},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
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