Cock-A-Doodle Cafe

Last weekend we were in the East Bay for the Cal-Stanford game in Berkeley. On Sunday we were joined by our good friends Dan and Sandy, for breakfast at the Cock-A-Doodle Cafe. Although we've stayed in downtown Oakland many times, we weren't aware of this cute little diner at Seventh and Washington Streets until I found a short review of it in Oakland Magazine.

The sun was streaming through the windows of the narrow dining room as we were promptly seated and brought big mugs of excellent coffee. Vicki and I had arrived a little early so I read the sports page and didn't pickup the menu until she said, “This is an amazing menu.” And it does have very innovative breakfast offerings such as omelets, scrambles, pancakes, french toast, all with a variety of interesting combinations and most with a Latin American emphasis. I chose the Oaxacan slow-roasted pork omelet with tomatillo salsa, mozzarella, green onions and avocado. When it came to the table it looked like a compact egg burrito, but it tasted divine. The eggs were cooked perfectly, firm, but creamy and light, and the pork melted in my mouth. This combination of ingredients made it one of the best omelets I've ever eaten—honestly! It came with excellent fried potatoes, brown on the outside and creamy within.

Vicki had the lemon ricotta pancakes with applewood-smoked bacon. They were light and fluffy with outstanding flavor, a real winner. Sandy also had pancakes and Dan chose the Chicken Apple Scramble, eggs with shiitake mushrooms, mozzarella, spinach, grilled onions, and red bell pepper basil aioli. It was served in a crepe and looked yummy.

So we've found a new favorite breakfast place right in good ol' Oakland, my home town. I know we'll be back and we'd better get there early on the weekend because by the time we left, the place was jammed and people were waiting. Aside from the inside dining room there is also a garden patio. The Cock-A-Doodle Cafe also serves lunch and their menu features an array of interesting salads, sandwiches, burgers, and shrimp tacos. Evenings, Thursday-Saturday, tapas and beverages are served from 5-10 p.m.



Cock-A-Doodle Cafe. 710 Washington Street, Downtown Oakland. (510) 465-5400.

Sahn Maru

This weekend Vicki and I went down to the Big Game, Cal vs. Stanford. On the way down we made our favorite mid-point stop at the Flour Garden Bakery in Auburn, CA where we bought sandwiches and cookies to eat at the game. I got a marvelous black forest ham on foccacia and Vicki, chicken salad—a good alternative to game food.

After a satisfying game that saw Cal win, 36-16, we checked in at our hotel, Marriott Courtyard, at the Oakland airport. We had a nice big room with two queen beds—Vicki thought it looked like it was brand new, though according to Travelocity it was built in 2001. We were tired and for dinner were eyeing Yoshino, a Japanese restaurant across the street from the hotel; no driving. We rallied, however, and got back in the car for a fifteen-minute drive to Sahn Maru restaurant on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland.

SAHN MARU

Located in north Oakland's Temescal area in the Korean district, Sahn Maru is one of the outstanding Korean restaurants in this area. We entered a well lit room that was about a quarter full of diners and were immediately greeted and let to our table. The atmosphere was large and open, the walls on one side decorated with beautiful Korean artwork. The tables are very unique, the tops consisting of a single piece wood, cross cut from a large pine log.

We started with Duk Bok Gi, a sauteed rice cake served with a sauce of soy and scallions—delicious! We'd been led to Sahn Maru by a short review in Oakland Magazine, which touted its Black Goat Stew, Heuk Yum So Tang, so I ordered that for my main course. It came in a bowl with sesame leaves and a mustard and bean paste broth, and a sesame, mustard, and chili dipping sauce. The meat was excellent, tender and flavorful, really great with the sauce. Vicki chose braised pork with sweet potatoes and dates and it was also outstanding. It takes a little getting used to picking the pork off the bones, but the flavor of the pork with the sweet potatoes was excellent.

Black Goat Stew

As always, our meal came with banchan, those little side dishes. Here's what we had:

Kimchi, sweetened yams, marinated bean sprouts, sauteed spinach, anchovies, pickled radishes, broccoli, tofu.

By the time we left, about eight, the place was pretty full. It was generally a young crowd and most of the diners were asian, with a sprinkling of anglos. Everyone was enjoying themselves.

Sahn Maru has exceptional food and a great atmosphere, it's a great part of the East Bay restaurant scene.

Sahn Maru. 4315 Telegraph Ave. Oakland, CA 94701. (510)653-3366.