Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen

After four years at Berkeley, I've finally got to try Angeline's, which lived up to its expectation of being satisfying and tasty. I especially enjoyed their beverages, the strawberry lemonade and swamp water (ice tea and lemonade). So Angeline's is famous for their fried chicken, which unfortunately I did not get to try. I would have ordered it, but I was slightly sick and probably eating fried foods wasn't the best idea. Perhaps, I'm a hypocrite, but I did order the po' boy shrimp sandwich, which was fried, but to a lesser degree. The sandwich was good, but the fried shrimp was coated with salt. For someone who has low tolerance for salty foods, it wasn't entirely pleasant for me. However others would probably beg to differ since I just usually eat low sodium meals. I admit that if there was less salt, I would have enjoyed it more. I did enjoy the gumbo with its delicious and slightly spicy sauce.


The pricing of the food isn't extremely cheap, but moderate, with entrees ranging between $9-$17. My sandwich was about $10 and the gumbo was about $14. It's a small and intimate place, ideal for dates. If you're planning to go in a big group, expect to wait and pay a lot more than expected. If you like your fried food, then this restaurant is the place for you.

2261 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA 94704
Yelp Review

Crixia Cakes

Less than an hour to closing, this place was pretty packed. Crixia Cakes, as the store is named, is famous for their hearty cakes. Many folks like to come in and get a slice of the variety of cakes they have to offer with perhaps a pot of tea. Crixia Cakes are generous in their portions, giving huge slices that is usually enough to fill for two. This being said, many couples should consider venturing here if they like pastries because you can easily go on a casual dessert date. The size of the place is relatively standard, not too large or too small, with tables for about 5-6 parties. Most notable cakes include the carmella (a tiny chocolate bundt cake with oozing carmella inside), tiramisu, lemon cake (which isn't too sweet), and their moist chocolate cake. I definitely think I'll come back to try more of their cakes, such as the strawberry shortcake and fatima thighs (cookie sandwich). What I love about their cakes is the fact that they are not too sweet. Most American cakes are overwhelmingly packed with sugar, but Crixia masters the taste, lightness, and moderate sweetness making cakes more enjoyable to eat. Usually after eating rich cakes, I would get quite sick from even a small slice, but Crixia avoids this issue well. Charming little place, it is no wonder many people recommend Crixia.

2748 Adeline St
Berkeley, CA 94703
Yelp Review

Xocolate Bar

So I finally got to go to Xocolate Bar and I enjoyed the sipping chocolate immensely. I am pretty convinced that the drink was pure chocolate; I barely noticed a hint of milk (because there shouldn't be any). The price of the drink may seem high, but the richness and amount of chocolate put into the drink seems fair to me. Besides their sipping chocolate, all the truffles are made with colorful tones and delightful flavors. It's difficult to color chocolate, but Xocolate Bar achieves this aspect well. I am more intrigued by some of the names of chocolate such as the "making out chocolate" shaped as a heart with tones of pink, purple, and green. In addition, the shapes are quite unique, such as a Buddha, flowers, and other symbols. The truffles are usually complemented with an additional flavor, such as lavender, banana, orange, hazelnut, and more. Although each piece of chocolate ranges from $1-$3, I think getting a tiny box of these rich chocolates would be a uniquely sweet gift to give.

1709 Solano Ave
Berkeley, CA 94707
Yelp Review

China Village (Sichuan)

If you love spicy food and legit Sichuan style cooking, then China Village is a great place to go and satisfy your spicy needs. They have a variety of dishes for both spicy food lovers and non-spicy food lovers. The quality of the food is quite superb and I never had a truly disappointing dish during my visit. The 1000 chile fish soup (West Style Spicy Fish Fillet) is a great choice with moderate level of hotness. The dishes as well as the place is well-decorated, making this place appealing to eat at. Each dish comes with a decorated red radish flower, which catches many customers' attentions. I highly recommend this place if you want good spicy Chinese food. And, don't worry there are always non-spicy dishes if it gets too hot.

1335 Solano Avenue
Albany, CA 94706
Yelp Review

La Farine Bakery

La Farine Bakery is a french bakery with several shops in the cities of Berkeley and Oakland. They are famous for their morning buns, but also have delicious fruit tarts with an amazing custard spread. The traditional sweet morning bun is affordable, but if you want a more filling snack then the savory bun with ham and cheese is extremely satisfying. I love coming to La Farine whenever I can and getting a pastry as a snack or for breakfast. Their loaves of bread--my favorite is the rustic--blend well with most meals, such as sandwich making or appetizers for pastas. The breads tend to be crispy on the outside, but soft and fluffy on the inside. The prices are reasonably fair, and the quality of the foods is great. I highly recommend La Farine Bakery to anyone who loves bread and pastries.

6323 College Ave
Oakland, CA 94618
Yelp Review

Imperial Tea Court

The Imperial Tea Court has a variety of traditional asian teas, sold at generally standard prices. I first heard of this place while in San Francisco, where they have one situated in the Embarcadero area. The tea are made of high quality, and although they may seem expensive, it is not entirely surprising the prices per pound. In the states, it's hard to find good tea at cheap prices, unless you import them from Asia. The Imperial Tea Court also serves some dim sum and and hand-pulled noodles. What I love about the hand-pulled noodles is they remind me of the kinds of noodle I had in Taiwan--imperfectly shaped but it's legit. The beef stew with these noodles is great and possessed a rich aroma. The dragon well dumplings contains not only meat, but also bits of tea making it taste slightly bitter but pleasant. Speaking of pleasant, their open garden is beautiful for a nice sunny day. Although this place is a bit pricey, it's peaceful, relaxing, and the food is quite fine.

1511 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA 94709
Yelp Review

Nefeli Caffe

If I lived on the North Side of Berkeley, I think this would be the cafe I'd end up in most of the time. Nefeli Caffe is a Greek/Mediterranean shop that serves great coffee. I can't say much about the food, but the Nefeli mocha won my heart. I love chocolate, and the mocha was a good balance between chocolate and coffee. I also liked the fact that the drink wasn't too sweet. The bittersweet taste of the chocolate infused with the coffee made me glad that I made the trip to North Side while taking a study break from the library (although I was still working on my report). There isn't an internet source, but if you sit outside the signal for airbears is a bit strong to log-in and some internet surfing. The place itself is small, but filled with interesting decorations. I definitely want to come back and try more of their drinks and food.

1854 Euclid Ave
Berkeley, CA 94709
Yelp Review

Dojima-Ann, Japanese in Union Square

Dojima-Ann is probably one the better finds in the shopping district of downtown San Francisco. Most places I find are mediocre in comparison to the Mission District, but I was satisfied with the quality of the Japanese food served at Dojima-Ann. The restaurant serves typical Japanese entrees such as donburi, udon, bentos, and sushi rolls. I ordered the tempura donburi and they gave an assortment of tempura, including two shrimp; I was pleased with my meal. The prices during lunch is much more friendly than dinner, but for Japanese food, it's pretty standard. The service is friendly and the space is quaint. Like most Japanese restaurants, its interior design resembles most places in Japan. I recommend this place if you're shopping downtown because it's close and the quality of the food is satisfying. A plus is the fact that this place is practically next to a pretty good cupcake shop.


219 OFarrell St
San Francisco, CA 94102
Yelp Review

Charming Jazz Cafe

The Jazz School has great ambiance. If you are a music lover, been in band, or enjoy instrumental jazz, this place will probably charm you away. The cafe, joined with the school, not only serves regular customers, but also host events for the Jazz School, accommodating meals during some selected performances. Speaking of performances, the price of tickets are relatively cheap considering the fact that food is usually provided. The space is ample with engraved musical notes giving this place its unique character. Besides a school, this place offers plenty of resources including books and papers to read about music and music history for amusement and educational purposes. Free wi-fi is offered if you ask for the password.

The food is pretty standard for a cafe, but I like the fact that the barista tries her best to make a drink that will best suit you. For instance, I wanted to a flavor latte, but they don't normally have torani flavored syrup; the kind barista offered to make me a tea latte of my choice. I was pleased with the outcome considering it's not on the regular menu. In comparison to Musical Offering, this place is more price friendly (no more than $10 a person) and the portions are standard. However, unlike Musical Offering, this place is preferredfor brunch and breakfast than dinner. Nevertheless, it's a good place to sit and relax.

2087 Addison St
Berkeley, CA 94704
Yelp Review