Annie Chang/Staff

Being an avid coffee drinker, my goal is to try coffee from every country I visit, and international coffees in the States also easily grab my attention. When Semih, a dear Turkish friend of mine, asked me if I wanted to experience Turkish coffee one night at 11 p.m., I desperately wished I could — but, of course, that would mean no sleep that night. A couple of days later, I headed over to try the coffee that was constantly on my mind. Little did I know, drinking Turkish coffee had its own little ritual.

Semih began to make the coffee as soon as I entered his apartment, and I immediately started snapping photos. I was very interested, and everything grabbed my attention. He added a pure powdery coffee into hot water that was sitting in a cezve, a small copper Turkish coffee pot that makes about two espresso-sized cups of coffee. Traditionally, the cezve is held over flames and embers, but because his apartment only had an electric stove, he just rested the cezve on that. After a couple of minutes, Semih added some sugar into the coffee. He told me that it depends on personal preference: Some people drink it black, and some like it with sugar. He heated the mixture of coffee and hot water until it boiled and said that if it was done perfectly and taken off the stove the second it started to boil, there would be delicious coffee foam at the top of the cup. No cream or flavoring was added after the coffee was poured into the cup, and it was an intense, dark color characteristic of a perfect cup of pure coffee. The taste was deliciously bitter, with an almost grassy or charcoal-like note that differed greatly from regular black coffee in the United States. The bitterness was so unique that to add more sugar or cream would have overpowered the coffee taste. After drinking the coffee, we ate pieces of Turkish dessert, a type of starch gel and sugar with different flavors and pistachios or fruit jelly inside.

Then it was time for fortune-telling, in which the saucer is turned upside down and placed on top of the coffee cup. This combination is circled clockwise three times and then flipped over, so that the saucer faces up and the cup is upside-down on the saucer. A coin is placed on the cup to make it cool faster. The point is to leave the coffee residue in the cup so that it forms ambiguous patterns. My intrigued self could barely wait to see my fortune. Here’s what Semih told me:

-  There was a large part of the cup that was white: I had a pure and innocent heart.
- He saw the figure of a bird: Someone would come visit me soon.
- There was something not so pretty in the shape of a dead fish: Something would scare me.
- A bit of leftover coffee would not stop running although we were not moving the cup, which was quite strange: I was easily led by others and convinced by them, and my opinions were easily swayed.

After the fortune-telling from the cup, it was the plate’s turn. He told me to make a wish before the fortune telling started, then allow one drop of coffee to run down the back of the plate. The speed of the drop represented how fast the wish would come true, and the closer it got to the middle of the plate, the more likely it would come true. Unfortunately, my wish would start to look like it was coming true, but it would not. Reminding myself that I am not superstitious, I was fascinated by the ritual and did not let the wish bother me. Many things were revealed, and I am waiting to see whether anything comes true.

Contact Annie Chang at achang@dailycal.org

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Annie Chang/Staff

Walking down Shattuck Avenue, I’ve passed Venus many times, but it never stood out to me, because I was always in a rush to go elsewhere. It wasn’t until my roommate gushed about how delicious brunch there was that I made a point to go there. Having arrived early, I peered inside and was surprised to see how small the restaurant really was. At first glance, it looks like a diner because of the different sauces and bottles on each table. I decided to wait inside and ordered a cappuccino before delving into menu. The cappuccino tasted similar to any other average cappuccino: a deep, roasted flavor that was slightly acidic. The taste of coffee pierced through, unmasked by milk and foam, but I had hoped for a stronger and purer taste with more layers and flavor profiles. My preferences go to full-bodied, rich cappuccinos with fruity and acidic notes, which this cappuccino did not have enough of.

Glancing at the menu, I had difficulty sifting through the numerous selections. There were brunch dishes, such as a chicken-and-sausage scramble, the “Venus Benedict” and an apricot almond chicken salad. In the end, I went for the lemon ricotta hotcakes, which I hadn’t seen anywhere else. The choice turned out to be amazingly satisfying even before I took a bite, as the fruity aroma rose up through the steam and into my nostrils. One bite in, I started gushing to my roommate, who was dining with me, about how quickly it melted in my mouth. The softness from the ricotta cheese that was smoothly mixed into the hotcake batter enhanced the melty texture, and chewing was almost unnecessary. Because ricotta is so mild and creamy, it only added moisture to the hotcakes, all the while preserving the pure sweetness of hotcakes that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The hotcakes also came with small servings of lemon curd and homemade blackberry sauce. The lemon curd was a bit too sweet, but when mixed with the tangy homemade blackberry sauce, the combination perfectly complemented the hotcakes. I will definitely be back for more of these lemon ricotta hotcakes, and I have high hopes for the other tantalizing names on Venus’ menus.

Venus is located at 2327 Shattuck Ave. Call 510-540-5950 for reservations.

Contact Annie Chang at achang@dailycal.org

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Mai Truong/Staff

When the question “What should we eat?” crops up, my first response is usually izakaya.

Some people refer to izakaya food as Japanese tapas, but I think of tapas as “Spanish izakaya” because izakaya includes a wider range of dishes, from the small appetizers that serve as drinking snacks to the filling rice and noodle dishes to be had after drinks. Izakaya plates are also designed for sharing, which sets the perfect atmosphere for get-togethers, and the restaurants should be casual and affordable, with more emphasis on taste than artistry of the food. In the Berkeley izakaya scene, not only does Kiraku fit that bill, but it is also conveniently located on Telegraph Avenue to cater to the student community on the Southside.

In an izakaya, it’s a good idea to start off with something cold and adventurous, knowing that you can always return to the warmth of fried chicken and potstickers if all else fails. Although the fermented firefly squid, with its strong sea flavor, will not appeal to everyone (it wasn’t for me), “spicy” jellyfish and “spicy” boiled baby octopus (iidako), which looks fiery red, are not spicy at all but mildly sweet, springy and fun to eat.

Some of the starters are best enjoyed as nibblers throughout the meal. On one end of the spectrum, there’s takowasabi — raw octopus chopped and marinated in a light wasabi sauce, which appears slimy but tastes clean — to refresh your palate between heavier plates, like barbecued spare ribs and grilled beef tongue. And on the other end, there’s renkon chips, thinly sliced lotus root deep fried and sprinkled with celery salt, a light snack to be enjoyed while waiting for the seared albacore tataki, which is a whole different kind of delight dressed in ponzu and onion sauce.

The fried dishes at Kiraku are always sure bets. Corn tempura with green tea salt and kisu tempura (whiting fish) with umeboshi salt is airy enough to make you forget that it is deep-fried. Karaage (fried chicken) comes piping hot, and deep fried rock shrimp with spicy mayo is both visually inviting and texturally addicting, as the shrimp is still moist and firm inside the light, crispy batter.

After indulging in tempura, I always choose the omelet salad to give myself the illusion of healthy eating — shredded cabbage with sauteed pork belly blanketed with a thin omelet, topped with katsuobushi (bonito flakes), Japanese mayo and soy sauce. The salad looks big and fluffy but not too filling, and it leaves enough room for an “after-sake” (shushoku) dish.

Actually, by the time you get to the after-sake, you’re typically a bit inebriated (izakaya are Japanese drinking establishments, and Kiraku has more than 40 choices of sake, shochu, chuhai and beer). That means your palates are either dulled or totally dead, so the shushoku just has to be filling. Kiraku’s shushoku does just that. Literally. While filling, the oyako don, rice with simmered chicken and onion omelet, was a little too mushy, and the yaki udon did not leave a strong impression despite featuring many flavors — small bits of octopus, hearty noodle and salty katsuobushi with a sweet basil pesto twist.

What the shushoku lacked, the spare ribs made up for perfectly with tender, fall-of-the-bone meat in a savory orange marmalade barbecue sauce. It’s a dish that I can always recommend, for it is not an acquired taste and would please every palate (except vegetarian ones) — just like Kiraku is the perfect middle-range restaurant that everyone would like, regardless of your preference to stay in the pork-belly zone or venture into the fermented-squid zone.

And if, by some miracle, you still have room after the shushoku (there’s always room for ice cream, right?), there’s grapefruit yogurt with fresh blueberries and green grapes. The tartness woke me right up from my food coma, a bright note that kept me smiling all the way home in the crisp air of the Berkeley night.

Kiraku is located at 2566 Telegraph Ave. Call 510-848-2758 to make reservations.

Mai Truong is the editor of Eating Berkeley. Contact her at mtruong@dailycal.org.

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shellEProductions under Creative Commons/File

Eating with your parents will be a special experience, as you are up and coming into the world of work, freedom and independence. And while you can make it all the more memorable by bringing them to your favorite restaurant, that’s only the beginning. Here are some tips for having a great dining experience with family:

View from the bar at Ippuku. Image by shellEProductions under Creative Commons

1. Book dinner somewhere nice. Take your parents to Top Dog — but not every night that they visit. Your parents’ visit is your chance to eat at the places that you can’t afford as a starving college student. Book a dinner at one of Berkeley’s astoundingly great restaurants. In the summer, be sure to book dinner seven to 10 days in advance; otherwise, it’s hard to get a reservation at the time and place that you want. Here’s a list of some places (by no means authoritative) to take your parents for dinner.

Chez Panisse — The legendary restaurant whose founder, Alice Waters, recently dined with Michelle Obama when she was in town. Book far in advance for the restaurant or upstairs diner.

Angeline’s Louisiana Kitchen — This place is for the omnivores, with big, hearty portions and delicious sides, complete with a lively atmosphere.

Belli Osteria — This place offers delicious homemade pastas and boasts a Saucier like no other. Order multiple courses and wine to get the full experience of this delicious, impressive new restaurant.

Ippuku — This place has the most unique atmosphere and rarest style, described as Japanese soul food. Like other restaurants on this list, it is somewhere to eat before graduation multiple times. Be sure to book at least a week in advance.

Zachary’s Chicago Pizza — This restaurant is nice in a different sense. It has some of the greatest pizza ever conceived and is bustling all night. It’s definitely a family place.

Eating at Zachary’s should be a graduation requirement. Image by da5ide under Creative Commons

2. Bring your friend(s). When your parents visit, introduce them to your friends. The dinner table at a nice restaurant will spur interesting conversations and bring out new things in you and your buddies. Let your parents know ahead of time so that you don’t surprise them. Bring one or two friends to a nice restaurant, but bring as many as you want if you eat somewhere like the Cheese Board, which has a great laid-back atmosphere. If dinner with parents and friends doesn’t strike your fancy, entertain the idea of going out for drinks at Freehouse, which is impressive, or Pappy’s, which is a throwback.

3. Encourage your parents to choose their favorite place. No one doesn’t like good food. Bring out your parents’ inner foodie. Send them links to some of the restaurants in Berkeley to get them stoked about dinner. Plus, it gives your parents the chance to eat some of their favorite cuisines.

The Legendary Breakfast at Brown Sugar Kitchen. Image by swnktstic under Creative Commons

4. Know where you want to eat in San Francisco and Oakland. Plan lunch and dinner into your trips to San Francisco to avoid eating at the lame eateries that swarm many of the tourist sites in San Francisco and Oakland. It’s also a good way to make sure that you don’t miss out on every possible opportunity to eat the best meal of your life while your parents are visiting. For breakfast in Oakland, we recommend getting the chicken and waffles at Brown Sugar Kitchen. For lunch in San Francisco, we recommend the open-face sandwiches at Tartine (which are big enough to split) in the Mission District. Reservations not needed or taken at either establishment.

5. Get dessert; order a drink. When you’re eating in Berkeley with your parents, don’t hold back. Take no prisoners. Go to Babette’s at the Berkeley Art Museum for desserts baked daily by the head chef Joan Ellis herself. Grab a house-crafted brew at Jupiter after dinner. Wherever you are, grab a drink — beer, coffee, or boba tea. Order the homemade lemon scones or triple-chocolate, gooey apricot upside-down cake with vanilla ice cream. YOLO.

What are your favorite places to take your parents out to? Let us know in the comments!

Contact Josh Escobar at jescobar@dailycal.org

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Erin Alexander/Staff

What’s the best thing about having your parents visit you for the weekend? It is undeniably the two or three days of freedom from the monotony of the dining halls and from spending money of your own. As well as spending that cherished, quality time with them, of course. My parents came all the way from Florida to visit me for a few days and while they were here, we wanted to explore one of the most fruitful and delicious regions of California – Napa Valley. I could not have been more excited to spend some much-needed quality time with my parents and try some of the best food and “grape juice” in the world.

The first stop on our list was a tour at Hall Wines, a picturesque, family-owned property in the hills of St. Helena. The group was small and our guide, Gary, laid out the basics of grape harvesting, wine production and barreling. The highlight of the tour was the tasting room, located inside a hillside cave lined with centuries-old Austrian brick and decorated with a small portion of the owner’s private art collection. The long hallway of the dimly lit cave was lined with wooden oak wine barrels, the smell of which permeated through the air, and led to a large private dining room where we had our wine tasting. The standout feature of the dining room was the large chandelier made out of carved tree branches and covered in Swarovski crystals and small yellow lights. The soft glow and sparkle of the lighting paired with the brisk chill of the underground cellar created a calm, almost enchanted atmosphere. We sampled a selection of both subtle and robust red wines, some of which have aptly been voted the best in the world.

Next up was Regusci Winery, located right in the heart of Napa’s Stags Leap District. The experience at Regusci was far more laid back, though no less memorable. I was greeted at the entrance by an adorable chocolate lab and corgi, followed by Allison, our guide. The feeling at Regusci was casual and ranch-like, which makes sense considering the property originally doubled as a farm and vineyard. Our private tour took us throughout the property and inside the original 1878 stone wine cellar, which was no doubt the coolest part of the experience. The large, two-story building was stacked floor to ceiling with wine barrels, all of which are actually used in the process of aging Regusci wine. We even got to try samples from a selection of different barrels that were in different stages of the aging process, so we could taste the transition from a newly barreled wine to one that is ready for bottling.

At this point in the day, around five o’clock in the evening, our stomachs were aching for food. We headed over to Yountville, home to three of Chef Thomas Keller’s world-renowned restaurants. Of the three, my parents and I opted for Bouchon, a one-Michelin starred French bistro. The maître d’ was a tad short with us when we arrived asking to be seated ten minutes early, but the staff was hardly impolite. To start, we ordered a cheese plate with fresh cow, goat and sheep’s milk paired with honeycomb, candied almonds and freshly baked bread. To accompany our cheese course, we chose a decadent plate of bone marrow, roasted with garlic, parsley, shallots and sherry vinegar (my personal favorite of the evening). My entrée of grilled pork belly was a bit fatty and over-seasoned for my taste (I found it difficult to finish), although it was paired well with big juicy prunes.

By the end of the night, I was happily stuffed and thoroughly satisfied, having spent a wonderful day catching up over great food and drinks with family. The magic of Napa Valley lies not in its world-class wineries or restaurants, although they are undeniably essential to the experience, but in the experience shared among the friends, family or even someone on your wine tasting tour you encounter by chance. We shared the flavor profiles of a particular wine and the enthusiasm for a specific dish, and we found that the conversation, much like the wine, flows freely and with ease in this special valley.

Contact Erin Alexander at ealexander@dailycal.org

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The Sheng Kee Bakery on Telegraph has delighted people for months with its beautifully crafted Taiwanese breads, treats and desserts. I remember how I waited months for Sheng Kee to open. I was studying in a cafe when I heard that it was finally going to open, and I almost screamed. The opening day, I got there at 7:30 a.m. For the first two weeks, I visited Sheng Kee at least five or six times, and over the months, I have narrowed down a few favorites.

A classic that I have loved since I was a child is the pork sung bun. Pork sung is loosely chopped dried pork with a light and fluffy texture. The bakeries that make outstanding pork sung buns usually fill it to the brim, and Sheng Kee definitely does that. Their pork sung reminded me of a slightly sweet beef jerky but crispier and crunchier. What makes this particular pork sung bun stand out from the others is the puff pastry on top, which is similar to a very flaky croissant but with less of a  buttery taste and more of a slight cheese taste. The bun prompted me to think of potato chips with multiple flavors: the cheesiness of a cheese croissant and the savoriness of barbecued pulled pork, but slightly sweeter.

A new pastry that I recently tried is the peanut butter pineapple bun, which is a traditional pineapple bun with peanut butter and ground peanuts on top. Contrary to their name, pineapple buns don’t actually have any pineapple in them; the surface just has a  pineapple-like texture with its diamond grid-like formation. The slightly crumbly top tastes like milk with a hint of vanilla, similar to a less sweet creme brulee in bread form. The ground peanuts produce a nice contrast in texture against the soft pastry.

Something else that I usually buy there is the Asian version of garlic bread, which comes in a nice rectangular prism shape and doesn’t squish down easily. Somehow, Sheng Kee makes it taste even better than the American kind. The garlic and oil topping is still the same, but the texture of the bread changes everything. Once your teeth sink through the hard outside, they’ll reach the soft texture of Asian buttery white bread.

With Sheng Kee’s many choices, a breakfast stop for my usual peanut butter pineapple bun and pork sung bun always makes me happy. I look forward to trying every single Sheng Kee pastry and cake, and hopefully you will find your favorite here too. Sheng Kee is not only for those of us who are obsessed with Asian baked goods, but also for those who want to try Taiwanese pastries for the first time. So make a quick stop if you haven’t already. You won’t regret it.

Image source: John Loo under Creative Commons

Contact Annie Chang at achang@dailycal.org

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Erin Alexander/Staff

As both a freshman and a foodie, one of the first things I set out to do upon my arrival at Cal was to survey Berkeley’s local food scene, which I discovered is not only thriving but also growing. After scouring the likes of Yelp and Open Table, Brasa caught my eye: a self-proclaimed Peruvian “joint” located on University Avenue near Martin Luther King Jr Way. Having visited Peru a little more than a year ago and fallen in love with both its breathtaking sights and delicious food, I could not have been more excited to find a spot to satisfy my Peruvian craving right in Berkeley, and I was even more disappointed to find out it has recently closed.

What I found at Brasa wasn’t exactly authentic Peruvian, but that’s one of things about it I loved best. Brasa’s menu took your standard pork or chicken sandwich and livened it up with the fundamentals flavors in the base of Peruvian cooking. They also offered a few undeniably traditional favorites, such as the maracuya juice (passion fruit) and house made alfajores for $4. The $2 passion fruit juice was light, refreshing and the perfect complement to my chicharron (pork) sandwich; the alfajores were composed of soft, gooey caramel sandwiched between two large, buttery shortbread cookies. The chicharron sandwich — though, at $8.50, was priced a bit higher than a similar sandwich you’d find in Peru — was packed with flavor. The tender, perfectly seasoned pork paired nicely with the crunchy red onion and cabbage — all of which was sandwiched between two hot, buttery sandwich buns. The saltiness of the pulled pork was well complemented by the sweetness of the red onion and tied together by the spicy, creamy dressing.

Alfajores: soft, gooey caramel sandwiched between buttery shortbread cookies.

Although the prices may have been a little higher than most are willing to spend, the owners behind Brasa were right to blend Peruvian flavors with simple dishes, like the sandwich and rice bowl. I’ll miss the taste of other Peruvian staples, such as their lucuma soft-serve ice cream (lucuma is a sweet fruit indigenous to the Andean region of South America), lomo saltado (steak) sandwich and, for when I was feeling adventurous, their anticuchos (beef heart and rocoto chili peppers).

Perhaps it was the steep prices, the location — tucked away on University Avenue near Trader Joe’s — or the lack of interest in Peruvian food (though I highly doubt that, as Berkeley seems to be a hub for ethnic food) that led to Brasa’s end. All I know is that I will now have to return to Yelp, Google and the like to fill the void created by this culinary tragedy.

Contact Erin Alexander at ealexander@dailycal.org

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Berkeley foodies have plenty to be excited about, from fine dining on Fourth Street to cheap eats in the Asian Ghetto. But they really go gaga over the slightest mention of secret menu items, even ones at big chains. Who wouldn’t? Around Berkeley, Starbucks, CREAM and Jamba Juice have sweet secret beverages to try, so here’s an inside look at some of these hidden treats.

At Starbucks, there are the “red tux mocha” and the “cinnamon roll frappuccino.” The red tux mocha is half white chocolate mocha and half regular mocha with raspberry syrup. The mocha’s flavors were beautifully layered in a reddish-brown concoction reminiscent of one of my favorite desserts, red velvet cake. At first sip, the raspberry flavor excites the taste buds, and after a couple of seconds, the subtle white chocolate mocha flavor comes through. I usually dislike mochas because their heavy chocolate flavoring drowns out the taste of the coffee, but this drink balanced the mocha with different layers of flavors that pop at the exact right moments. Meanwhile, the cinnamon roll frappuccino is vanilla bean frappuccino with cinnamon dolce syrup, and it tasted like I had just taken a bite out of a warm and delicious cinnamon roll. The best part: It leaves a pleasant creme brulee aftertaste. While the flavors in this drink were also layered, the effect was more subtle. The entire experience was like eating two desserts in one go, except in smoothie form.

CREAM is famous for its ice cream cookie sandwiches, and it also offers an expansive milkshake menu. But you can be creative and ask for the cookie shake, which is a blend of your choice of ice cream and cookie. Just a heads-up: Not all employees recognize the cookie shake by name, so be prepared to describe it if you order one. As expected, picking the right combination of cookie and ice cream is crucial. Not looking to get too wild and crazy, I picked a chocolate chip cookie and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, and the shake ended up tasting exactly like if I had eaten the ice cream cookie sandwich version of this combination. The finished product was way too sweet, and it was very difficult for me to finish. The cookie chunks sank down to the bottom and were impossible to get without a spoon, so I ended up drinking a vanilla shake with some chocolate pieces here and there then eating cookie pieces afterwards. In hindsight, I should have chosen a coffee ice cream and chocolate chip cookie; the roasted bitter flavor of coffee would counter the sugar in the chocolate for a better balance.

To round out my secret-menu beverage run, I hit up Jamba Juice and ordered a Fruity Rocks smoothie, which was supposed to taste like Fruity Pebbles cereal. When I took my first sip of the purple, berry-color drink, my mind went to cherry Skittles. After about half the cup, the taste became increasingly familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Finally, 20 minutes later, I realized that it tasted exactly like Smarties candy, which always makes my mouth feel a little dry. This effect was not too enjoyable, but I continued to walk down Telegraph Avenue, sipping on my thick, fruity smoothie because, as a kid, Smarties were among the few nonchocolate candies that I really liked. The nostalgia made the experience worthwhile.

My friends always say that I’m adventurous when it comes to food. You know that feeling of an adrenaline rush when you’re on a roller coaster when the wind charges at you? That’s the feeling I get when I eat something I’ve never tried before. Squealing and screaming occur with both food and roller coasters, and taking the pass less traveled with cuisine usually comes with rewarding surprises. Secret menus exist to be dug out, and the adventures are definitely worthwhile.

Image source: Jed Schmidt under Creative Commons

Contact Annie Chang at achang@dailycal.org

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Looking for something to do this weekend? How about a trip to Gilroy for some garlic rosemary chicken sandwiches or garlic lumpia, with garlic ice cream for dessert?

You got it. The Gilroy Garlic Festival is running its 35th celebration this Friday through Sunday. We all know the charming smell of garlic browning on a skillet, the vital role of minced garlic in a brine for chicken and how that creamy roasted garlic can liven up a margherita pizza. There’ll be no shortage of lip-smacking savory dishes with garlic at the festival. Besides, there are garlic desserts. Not something you can get every day.

What’s even more special about this year’s festival, to us Cal-ers at least, is the garlic-infused cream puff and garlic almond brittle from two of our very own Cal Dining executive chefs, Ida Shen and Mary Ferrer. Imagine a baked choux pastry filled with a creamy blend of ricotta, orange zest, whipped cream, sugar and grated garlic. It most definitely will not be too sweet or too strong — it’s just screaming awesomeness. They are entering a competition on Friday, and if they win, they will make their recipe public. In the mean time, cheer them on while nibbling some garlicky finger foods.

Check out the booths that will be at this year’s festival. Tickets with 20 percent discounts are available to the entire UC Berkeley community on the Garlic Festival ticket website (promo code “Bears”). And really, what’s a better way to wind down after your exams than taking a drive south in this beautiful weather and eating a load of good food?

Image source: Allan Chatto under Creative Commons

Contact Mai Truong at mtruong@dailycal.org

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Annie Chang/Staff

Intense dim sum cravings require a certain quality of the doughy delicacy to satisfy. Dim sum is not just a meal or just some more Chinese food. It is a part of a weekly routine, a form of slowing down and relaxing. I will always remember my dad’s longtime college friend; every Sunday morning, while his wife and daughter slept in, he went to the nearby dim sum restaurant with a newspaper and enjoyed the food for three or four hours. He savored every bite while pondering the latest news. It’s a ritual for him. I always say to myself, “This man truly enjoys life and the small intricacies of food.” Dim sum is about savoring every bite of all the unique tastes. In Cantonese, dim sum holds many different meanings. The word can mean “treat” or “snack”, but it also means “to touch the heart.” The meal is designed to enlighten and touch you deep down in your passion for food, to be a treat for oneself. The warmth of dim sum embraces you each time you savor a bite.

As students, we might not have time for a three-hour meal, but we still deserve delicious dim sum. Asian Pearl is one of the good dim sum places accessible to UC Berkeley students by bus. Located in an indoor plaza with 99 Ranch Market and other Chinese shops, Asian Pearl draws crowds like no other. Go on a weekend, and be prepared to wait for about 30 minutes to an hour. Do not be scared away though; the restaurant is well worth the wait because its dim sum is one of the best around Berkeley.

In a brightly lit restaurant with white tablecloths, white ceilings and tan and beige walls, the mood is sure to please. Look through the windows and see a sea of people eating their hearts out. Although the food is great, the service is average, probably because there are so many people that the servers forget little things sometimes. I have always gone for the dim sum and order my staples: steamed shrimp dumplings, shiu mai (pork dumplings), baked barbecue pork buns, steamed egg custard bun (filled with salted duck egg’s yolk), shrimp rice noodle roll, baked crispy egg custard tart and turnip soft cake with scallops. Actually, I am especially judgmental about the egg custard tart. I order it every time I eat dim sum. Unlike the other dishes, every restaurant makes egg custard tarts a little differently. An excellent egg custard tart should be noticeably flaky, easily crumbled, so soft that I barely have to bite down and able to melt in the mouth. Asian Pearl’s egg custard tarts are almost up there with the best tarts I’ve had in Hong Kong and San Francisco’s Chinatown. Including the egg custard tart, all dishes arrive hot and fresh, creating the distinct light aroma of dim sum.

Dim sum exists to slow down life and to help one forget about stressful problems. Dim sum represents something a little bit different for everyone, whether it be a time to socialize with friends and family or indulge in filling treats to satisfy a passion for food. When I eat at Asian Pearl, I always feel relaxed, free and true to myself. Somehow the restaurant makes me regain a positive attitude toward daily life. I wonder if it was the same for my father’s friend.

Asian Pearl is located at 3288 Pierce St,, Suite A-118, Richmond, CA (inside the 99 Ranch plaza). You can call the restaurant at (510) 526-6800, but it doesn’t take reservations.

Contact Annie Change at achang@dailycal.org

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