Mr. Holmes Bakehouse California Croissant: Topped with sesame seeds, thin strips of nori, and wasabi powder and filled with smoked salmon, the California Croissant from San Francisco bakery Mr. Holmes is more interesting in concept than in execution. The best bites were ones containing minced ginger, but those were a minority. Overall, while the texture of the croissant itself was satisfying, the salmon was overcooked. The packaging is a bit of an embarrassment of riches, served in a plastic takeout container with packets of soy t... (read more) 3.0/5.0
nori salmon sanfrancisco mrholmesbakehouse california croissant 3.0
Mr. Holmes Bakehouse Peach Cardamon Danish: An entire think piece could be dedicated to Mr. Holmes Bakehouse, a pastry shop in the heart of San Francisco's Tenderloin district. The Dominique Ansel Bakery of SF, it has an equally iconic dessert: the Cruffin. A cross between a muffin and croissant, the Cruffin is filled with a seasonal cream and is made in limited quantities, requiring those willing to wait to get in line early (the bakery opens at 7am on weekdays). But unlike DA Bakery, Mr. Holmes is not based in the SOHO of SF. To... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended desserts pastry sanfrancisco sf mrholmesbakehouse peach cardamon danish 4.0
Happy Lemon Lemon black tea: Textbook mediocre black tea. Tastes like Lipton, and it probably is. On the plus side, the drinks contains an entire lemon, sliced into wedges. But the overall effect is black tea I can easily make at home. Good thing it was free (from the buy one get on free promotion during Happy Lemon’s opening weekend in Berkeley). 2.0/5.0
drinks berkeley happylemon lemon black tea 2.0
Happy Lemon Mango Yakult Smoothie with Boba: My favorite Taiwanese bubble tea chain made its way to Berkeley, located dangerously close to the Downtown Berkeley BART station. This weekend, they're celebrating their opening by offering a buy-one-get-one-free special, which has led to insane lines from Berkeley students. They even taped off a maze-like line on the floor to control the flow of eager lemon-drink enthusiasts. I ordered their mango yakult smoothie along with a lemon black tea (review forthcoming). Immediately upon receiv... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks berkeley happylemon mango yakult smoothie boba 3.5
Little Giant Ice Cream Thai Green Curry and Key Lime Pie Ice Cream: Known for unusual flavors like asparagus and beez cheese (a combination of goat cheese, honey, and black pepper), Little Giant Ice Cream, located on Telegraph in Oakland, did not disappoint, particularly with the well-balanced Thai green curry ice cream. Equal parts savory and sweet, it's a creamy concoction where the lemongrass is unmistakable, and while it's vegan, it's incredibly smooth. The key lime pie was quite good but did not quite hit the same high point largely due to its slightl... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended icecream oakland littlegianticecream thai green curry key lime pie ice cream 4.0
Saffron Road Moroccan Barbecue Baked Lentil Chips: Crispy veggie chips that are substantially thicker yet lighter in texture than tortilla chips. Sized for dipping. The moroccan spice blend definitely lends a more distinct character than your typical barbecue flavor. It's less sweet (but still has traces of what I'm guessing is cinnamon), and has a smoky, peppery flavor (my guess is lots of paprika). Overall, though, I found the flavor strong enough that I wouldn't want to eat much in a single serving, and it wasn't memorable enough to be... (read more) 3.0/5.0
berkeleybowl chips tortilla saffronroad moroccan barbecue baked lentil 3.0