The holidays are here and a warm French dessert is perfect recipe to have this winter. Read the full story

4th Annual Korea Foundation

Celebrating Korean culture  at the Asian Art Museum on Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012 in San Francisco.

Jeff Kim, 33, from Namu Gaji cooks okonomiyaki at the Namu Street Food booth outside the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Okonomiyaki is a pancake with kimchee, market vegetables, bonito flakes, okonomiyaki sauce and kewpie mayo. [Allen S. Lin/Staff Photo]

United Paleteria Y Neberia is an authentic Mexican ice cream parlor located on Mission Boulevard in Hayward across the street from Hayward Plunge. Read the full story

Located on downtown B Street, Kokyo Sushi Buffet serves the best sushi in Hayward. I have been there at least five times, and this time, I came for dinner, all you can eat! Lunch is $8.95 and dinner is $14.95 for adults.

Many people have been to the Century Theater in Hayward, but they may not pay attention to the left hand side of the theater where there is a small sign for Kokyo Sushi Buffet.

Entering into the small door, there is an elevator and escalator going up to reach the second floor, and you will find a big restaurant. I noticed this place was very clean and tidy. There’s over a hundred foods in the display to order, all look very delicious.

Near the door, the first thing to come into our mind is the sushi bar. The most popular sushi varieties are the California roll, mango roll, volcano roll, lion king roll, ell roll, dragon roll and tashimi roll. Food choices vary according to the seasons. Takuwan, seaweed, clam salad, Japanese tofu, broccoli salad, and mushroom salad (also all you can eat) are among the choices for side dishes. Besides rolls, there are many fresh sashimis, like salmon, tuna, and octopus.

If you are not interested in sushi, don’t worry – Kokyo serves more than you think. Seafood is one of reasons why it’s famous. Steamed oysters, baked scallops, crab legs, baked shrimp, and steamed salmon are all available. They have many choice Asian cuisines with fried rice, fried noodles, and wonton soup being the most popular here. My favorite is fresh salmon; I like to eat it with wasabi and soy sauce. Fresh salmon is orange in color, and there will be many white lines inside. I heard that the wider the white lines, the fatter the salmon. It means that the salmon is fresh and soft, and it tastes like it is melting in your mouth. The crab legs here are not as good as the shrimp.

At the end, how can we forget to have some desserts? There are cupcakes, cheesecakes, fresh fruits, sweet and sour jellies, and all sorts of colorful desserts on the tables. My favorite is tapioca taro. It is a sweet soup, mixing coconut milk with melted taro; it is good for your health. Every time I come I will definitely eat at least one bowl of it.

I found a table near the window, and enjoyed the beautiful view of busy B Street below. Waiters came immediately to serve the drinks and constantly come and change the dishes for you.

Many people come to celebrate their birthdays here, they can bring balloons, flowers and cakes. It is a good experience to eat, and it is suitable for a couples, for families, especially good for a group of people.

Kokyo Sushi Buffet - 1071 B Street - Hayward, CA 94541 - (510) 881-9868

Hayward hosts its final of 4 downtown Street fairs this year Saturday, Sept. 17 in its annual Art, Wine and Specialty Brew Street Party.

According to the City of Hayward’s website, the street fair will be held on B street (between Foothill and Watkins streets) from noon – 5p.m. The party will have numerous food vendors, including Buffalo Bills, The Bistro, Bon Apetito, an art fair and a car show hosted by Vic Hubbard that will include over 125 hotrods,

In accordance with the Hayward Farmers Market being held near city hall, the street party will have a wine section being held at the corner of Watkins and B streets, while also providing beer gardens, over 80 vendors, live salsa, party bands and the Hayward High School band to keep you entertained.

Along with having several games and activities for children and adults to enjoy, the party will include: face painters, pony rides, and fire trucks to explore making this a great day out for the kids.

“Hayward street parties have been bringing families to our city center to celebrate the summer for 12 years,” said Kim Huggett, president of the Hayward Chamber of Commerce.

“These free events are part of a great Hayward tradition of community celebrations that appeal to all ages,” Hugget explained further.

The free to attend event will also provide free parking courtesy of AC Transit and the Hayward BART station.

For a nice Saturday out in the sun with a bite, and a beer in the humming downtown Hayward area of B Street, this event is the perfect occasion to plan on going to.

For more information go to www.hayward.org and click on upcoming events.

Created in 1974, the Solano Stroll street fair has been regarded as the largest street festival in the East Bay. Being held Sunday, September 11 (every second Sunday of September) on Solano Avenue in the nearby cities of Albany and Berkeley.

The mile-long festival will host over 500 attractions; from BBQ and restaurant stands, to arts and crafts, to entertainers dancing and playing music for your enjoyment as well as a parade, all beginning at 10 a.m.

“We’ll have over five hundred vendors, including food stands with cuisine from Armenia, China, Italy, Vietnam, Mexican, Mediterranean, Mongolian, French, Indian, barbecue, vegan — You name it, we’ll have it there,” said Solano Ave Assoc. executive director and events manager, Allen Cain, “Not to mention 50 exceptional entertainers representing the same great international diversity that is the Bay Area.”

The event is also known as an ideal family gathering as there will be a designated area for kid entertainment like; giant slides, carnival games, clowns, jugglers, stilt walkers, face painters, magicians and even mechanical rides, according to the Solano Ave Association website.

Also, in correspondence with the environmentally conscious minds of Berkeley, the fair will feature a “Green Zone” that will showcase tools for green technology like: solar panels, tank-less water heaters, as well as providing tips to your home or business to be more environmentally helpful.

Getting to the venue will also be no problem as free shuttles will run from the North Berkeley BART station from 10am-7pm. Additionally, if you plan to bike to the festival, there will be free bike parking.

There will even be valet parking at both ends of Solano Ave, courtesy of the East Bay Bikes Coalition and the Albany “Strollers for Rollers” association.

Driving may not be the best choice as a way to get to the area as limited parking will be available because of a large attendance expectation.

Event manager Allen Cain expects the turnout to bring over 250,000 people!

This will be an alcohol and tobacco free event, so instead of your party hats – bring your sun hat and enjoy a fun stroll in the sun. For more information on the Solano Stroll go to http://www.solanoavenueassn.org.

Ike’s Place is located at Lime restaurant, 2247 Market St., San Francisco, and open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Although perfect throughout the week for delectable sandwiches, Ike’s @ Lime is not what you would imagine for a sandwich shop. The unique atmosphere with the colorful backlights makes for something completely new.

The vast sandwich menu makes for a hard decision. With three menus you have a choice of meat, veggie, or vegan, all served with Ike’s Dirty Secret Sauce, lettuce, tomato, red onions, pickles, and banana peppers, unless otherwise specified. Mustard, pesto and jalapenos are free upon request.

Making the final decision I chose the “Ex-Boyfriend” equipped with salami, bacon, avocado and cheddar on a Dutch crunch. When ordering you have your choice of freshly baked bread – French, wheat, sourdough or Dutch crunch – along with a bag of chips. Very delicious and filling, while just eating half I was more than happy to save the rest for later.

Because of the demand for Ike’s sandwiches and the freshly baked bread it is best to call in your order at 415-553 6888. The full menu can be found online at www.ilikeikesplace.com.

On the other hand if you want brunch coupled with a party scene, visit Lime. This place morphs into more of a club atmosphere that just happens to serve good food. The people are fun and the music is a blast – mostly current beats but with a few throwback jams.

On the weekends Lime is packed to the gills for brunch and the servers have to weave their way through the crowd just to serve the $8 bottomless mimosas. Feel free to get up and dance because Lime just has that vibe.

The menu includes everything from brunch, served Saturday 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., to the main dinner menu, Monday through Saturday 5 p.m.-12 a.m. and Sunday 5-11 p.m.

With the reasonably priced food and the brunch menu we got a Frittata served with bacon and house potatoes, along with pancakes filled with chocolate chips and topped with bananas and whipped cream, all to split.

Shortly after ordering complementary biscuits were brought to our table along with butter and two types of jam. Once at the table you are offered bottomless mimosas.

Because of the constant traffic of people it’s best to either call ahead at 415-621-5256 or book a seat online at www.lime-sf.com.

Taking BART out to San Francisco, 16th Street Mission station, it’s just a quick walk to Ike’s Place and Lime. Although both unique, they are perfect to gather up a group to go out to San Francisco for a fun time, weekday or weekend, day or night. There is always good food and a fun, upbeat atmosphere.

Quesadillas are a fun snack and so easy to make. There are many different ways to make quesadillas. One creative way is to add bacon and egg to make a breakfast quesadilla. If you like to dip your quesadillas, they go well with sour cream and salsa.
This article, however, demonstrates how to make a basic cheese quesadilla. Feel free to add different ingredients to spice yours up. Simple ingredients and a little time is all you need to make a tasty treat!

Ingredients:
4 flour tortillas
4 thick slices of cheese
3 teaspoons of butter

Instructions:
1. Heat saucepan and add three teaspoons of butter.
2. Place tortilla in the saucepan (cook one at a time).
3. Place one slice of cheese on one side of the tortilla. Then fold in half.
4. Flip until each side is light brown.
5. Repeat with the other three tortillas.

Dining at Thai Delight Cuisine was a pleasant treat. The earthy and relaxing vibe instantly envelopes you as you walk through the door. The smiles and helpfulness of the staff along with the amazing taste of the food gives this place a bit of everything.

Coming out of the cold and rain with a group of friends into the cozy, warm Thai restaurant, we were greeted by kind staff and seated at a comfortable table for six. The lighting is perfect for any occasion, whether it be a first date or a casual outing with friends, and further enhanced the environment.

Our waitress, Au, was all smiles, very professional and kind. This made eating at Thai Delight Cuisine even more of a pleasure. Throughout the meal the staff was very helpful. My group and I were impressed by the customer service at Thai Delight.

The food was mouth-watering, from the appetizers to the dessert. We began our experience with Fried Vegetarian Spring Rolls and Fried Sweet Potatoes. Both were very tasty, but the winner by far was the Fried Sweet Potatoes.
“Unexpected, delicious,” said Deanne, and I have to agree. The sauce that came along with the sweet potatoes was excellent!

It was not long before our dinner arrived and based on the appetizers we were looking forward to the experience. Placed before us was Yellow Turmeric Curry with chicken, Penang Curry with beef, Pad Thai with beef, Bar-B-Q Pork and two sides of sticky rice. Each of us, with our own Thai iced tea, couldn’t wait to dive into the flavors that were waiting.

Although all the food was delicious, everyone definitely had their favorite. One thing Tyis said about the Yellow Turmeric Curry was, “Bossly! I didn’t even mind the onions. Great flavor even though I’m not a fan of curry.”
Pad Thai is easily said to be one of the most ordered plates. “It’s a good intro to Thai food, great for beginners,” said Sarah.
On a personal level, I prefer my Penang with more spice and this one definitely had a kick to it, along with very good flavor.

The last item for the main course was the Bar-B-Q Pork and everyone had something to say about it. “It was phenomenal, very tender. The barbecue was not over powering. (It) tasted great when mixed with the curries of the rest of the meal,” said Tyis.
“Tender, delicious. I would get it again,” said Deanne. “Tender. Barbecue flavor was there but mild enough so you could still enjoy the sauce with it. Definitely something I would get again,” Sarah said.
I have to agree with all three of them. It was tender and something I recommend getting. The Bar-B-Q Pork is a very good choice for the individual who may not be too sure about Thai food.

 

Shayna Cathey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A table full of delight at Thai Delight in Berkeley.

Although the main portion of the dinner was done, our meal was not over. Our group shared both Sticky Rice with Mango and Fried Banana with Coconut Ice Cream as our dessert for the evening.
The Sticky Rice with Mango was a winner with all. However, I much preferred the Fried Banana with Coconut Ice Cream. I would have never guessed that coconut and bananas would complement each other so well!
Sarah said, “It’s wonderful. I’m sorry I have to share it.” She then proceeded to enlighten the table, telling us how good it was to enjoy it by “(dipping) the banana in the chocolate, and have a little bit of coconut ice cream all together. Delicious!”

By the time we finished we were very happily full. The prices at Thai Delight Cuisine are average and they cater not only to the average diner but also vegetarians. They also accept all major credit cards.
Since the restaurant is on Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley, you may have to park around the corner. But if you are taking BART to the Downtown Berkeley station you need only to walk up Shattuck toward Francisco.
The lunch menu is served from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. while dinner starts at 4 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m. View the full menu online at http://www.themenupage.com/thaidelight/index.html.

Thai Delight Cuisine is located at 1700 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, and can be reached at 510-549-0611.

Throughout the years the restaurant at 24297 Hesperian Blvd. in Hayward has constantly changed, closing down and re-opening in the hopes of catering to hungry customers.

This time around, since its grand opening last May, the non-franchised Buddy’s Bites and Brews may be the niche-restaurant that the area has needed.

Buddy’s is the perfect place for a quick lunch or dinner with friends and family who enjoy a variety of beers and some wtf (wow that’s fiery) buffalo wings.

Buddy’s serves up affordable comfort food like specialty burgers, crispy battered seafood, fish tacos, great drinks and excellent service. It’s a nice place to go after work or during the afternoon if you’re trying to get a quick bite to eat.

I went to Buddy’s on a Monday afternoon right before happy hour and was pleasantly surprised that even though it was not yet 6 p.m. the staff still offered the happy hour wing special. I ordered a fresh Corona and some strawberry jalapeno (mild) buffalo wings.

There is a wide variety of drinks to choose from. If you’re with a big party try ordering a 2-liter tower of beer for the happy hour price of $15, regular price being $20.

Next I ordered the chum basket, which offers a variety of fried goodies like mussels, scallops, shrimp, calamari, and snapper on a bed of garlic fries.

The prices are fairly reasonable and the menu is expansive, including soup, salad, specialty burgers, sandwiches, tacos and even pasta.

The service is timely and the waiters are really nice people. You never get the sense of feeling rushed or having to wait patiently for your food.

Buddy’s was started by a surf instructor and his friends wanting to bring the laid-back beach vibe and eatery to Hayward. Independently owned, Buddy’s hopes to generate the feeling of summer all year long.

The restaurant’s kitchen is open Sunday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. On Friday and Saturday it also opens at 11:30 a.m. but closes at 10:30 p.m.

Throughout the week Buddy’s also offers a variety of specials. Mondays feature 50-cent wings, “Taco Tuesdays” means $1 fish tacos and Wednesday is trivia night.

Depending on what time you get there and who you’re with, you will probably be spending more on drinks as the happy hour menu and appetizers will fill you up.

All in all I couldn’t find a better place to spend time with loved ones for a quick bite. No matter the time service at Buddy’s is excellent.

Despite the other chains that have resided at 24297 Hesperian Blvd. through the years, it seems Buddy’s is here to stay.

For more information, including the menu and specials, please visit www.buddysbitesandbrews.com or call 510-300-3388.