Get Ready, SF: Chef Behind Oakland's Drip Line Will Bring Unique Flavors Across the Bay

In early June 2018, Drip Line's Chef Nora Haron and the cafe's owners Josh Larson and Carrie Shores parted ways. When Haron struck out with her own cafe menu at Drip Line, she earned a loyal cult following in a very short time. The chef assured her fans that favorites like her Singapore Chicken Rice would be back, and she even hinted that she would open her own restaurant in East Bay.

Not long after leaving Drip Line, Haron held two pop-ups in Old Oakland (one was a tribute to the recently departed Anthony Bourdain), but there were no signs of a restaurant opening. Fast forward to today and Haron is back in action at Local Kitchen, bringing her delicious take on Singaporean-Indonesian dishes with Northern Californian influences and ingredients.

When asked about the unique flavors she brings to her menu, Haron is excited to spread the word about Singaporean & Indonesian cuisine: "At Drip Line, some customers traveled quite far for the hard-to-find flavors we served that they missed from childhood. Others loved trying dishes they've never tasted before. Singaporean & Indonesian cuisines are still underrepresented in the States, not yet having as much mainstream exposure as Thai, Chinese, Indian dishes."

Since 2009, Local Kitchen has provided wood-fired pizza and a Mediterranean-inflected menu familiar to Californian diners, but times have changed and they want to cater to the younger and more diverse customers coming into the Bay from all over the world.

To assist the restaurant in this next chapter of its life, Local Kitchen’s Jeff Handy was looking for a new chef and bringing Haron's Singaporean-Indonesian-Californian cooking to the kitchen will hopefully help them make that transition. The revamped menu boasts items like Laksa, Whole Roasted Branzino (with a sambal marinade, turmeric cauliflower puree and pistachio sambal), Chicken Satay and more.

"Good food, Singaporean and Indonesian food, takes time. I'm grateful to partner Local Kitchen's Jeff Handy for giving me time to develop the recipes and train the staff. These are complex dishes. I'm excited to share these flavors with more people," says Haron.

Don't be scared—the pizza is not leaving the menu! You can still get one at Local, but, instead of the average Margherita or Pepperoni, the new pizzas will have a Haron twist to it. One of the first changes she made in the kitchen was to make the pizza dough a sourdough.  The new pizzas on the menu will be topped with local produce and seasonal vegetables like cauliflower puree, wild mushrooms, roasted tomatoes and pistachio sambal. Haron is also adding Indonesian touches like Beef Rendang braised brisket, mozzarella, roasted pineapple and micro basil.

Haron's menu compared to her time at Drip Line is a bit bigger, which she credits to the new space and tools: "Local Kitchen gives me access to a bigger, open kitchen, a wood-fired oven - I'm so looking forward to serving a wider variety of savory dishes from the Singaporean-Indonesian repertoire."

Fans of Haron's menu at Drip Line can rest easy knowing that some of their favorites from the cafe (like the Singapore Chicken Rice) will be making a comeback in her new kitchen. Her Blended Burger made from 60% grass-fed beef and 40% Shiitake (which we listed in our Top 15 Burgers in Oakland) is listed on the menu as well.

Starting today, the savory new menu is available to diners who go in for lunch and dinner. In the coming months, Haron is considering rolling out a brunch menu (fingers crossed that kaya toast, pandan cake and chicken and sourdough waffles turn up).

Keep scrolling for a peek at the new Local Kitchen menu!

Local Kitchen
330 1st St #1 (at Folsom)
San Francisco, CA 94105
Monday - Friday 11:30am - 2pm, 5:30pm - 10pm
Saturday 5:30pm - 10pm
Sunday 5:30pm - 9pm

Small Plates

• Chef’s Soup of the Day // 8
• Roasted Cauliflower | Brokoli Bunga Bakar - five spiced roasted cauliflower, pistachio sambal // 12
• Za’atar Flatbread | Roti Za’atar- thyme, oregano, sesame seeds, sumac, pistachio sambal
• Chicken Satay | Satay Ayam - coriander spiced skewers, cucumber, pickled red onion, peanut sauce // 12
• Lamb Meatballs | Bebola Daging Kambing - raita, sourdough flatbread // 12

Salads

• Green Mango - macadamia nuts, fried shallots, dried shrimp, thai chillies, asparagus, black garlic-sesame vinaigrette // 18
• Gado Gado - kale, fried tofu & tempeh, braised yellow beets, black rice, purple potato chips, peanut sambal // 18

Main Plates

• James Beard Blended Burger Project™ by Chef Nora - 40% shiitake, 60% grass-fed beef, cheddar, arugula, sambal aioli, purple potato chips // 18
• Kerala-Style Chicken Curry | Kari Ayam Kerala - coriander, cumin, turmeric & chilli marinade, coconut milk, curry leaves // 18
• Beef Brisket Rendang & Arancini | Pulut Dan Rendang - braised brisket, coconut-turmeric arancini, apricot-ginger chutney // 34
• Curried Rice Noodles | Laksa - Malaysian-style curried rice noodle soup, grilled shrimp, poached egg, sambal, cucumber, rau ram // 18
• Salmon Assam | Assam Pedas Ikan - cauliflower puree, fried asparagus, sambal, tamarind broth // 24
• Singapore Chicken Rice | Nasi Ayam - poached & flash fried chicken thighs, ginger infused jasmine rice, cucumber, cilantro,
  sweet & spicy soy sauce, chicken broth // 18
• Wood-Fire Roasted Branzino | Ikan Bakar - sambal marinade, turmeric cauliflower puree, pistachio sambal // 28