Foreign Cinema

Once in a blue moon, there is an occasion worthy of a hip, expensive restaurant. Graduations, perhaps, or anniversaries. On those occasions, you can justify eating at places like Chez Pannise or Farallon, restaurants you see featured on the Food Network and in inStyle magazine.

On the occasion of my friend Carol's bachelorette party, I thought it would be fitting to take her out to Foreign Cinema, a trendy restaurant in the Mission district in San Francisco. THe night before the party, I opened up my issue of Newsweek to find the restaurant had been featured in a special on outdoor dining. There is nothing like having your choice be backed up by some big name publication.

The outside of the restaurant is innoculous, tucked away in a seedy portion of Mission, between 21st and 22nd. A long corridor leads to the actual industrial-style restaurant, with minimalist tables, chairs and benches. There is a small bar in the back that serves cocktails for about $7-8. Try the Blood Orange or the Vixen. Indoor seating features the warmth of a massive indoor fireplace, but outdoor seating is where the name of the restaurant comes in. After nightfall, a monthly foreign film is projected onto the outdoor wall and sound played softly through drive-in movie speakers located along the walls. If you try the place during the summer, be careful as the film doesn't begin to play until about 8:45.

The menu features a very ample oyster selection, with more than 15 varieties of oysters. I bought two Miyagi for Carol and I to try (her very first!) and they were both fresh. If you've never had raw oysters, go to a renowned establishement and try with just a sqeeze of lemon. Raw oysters are probably the best food I've ever tasted, though only on special occasions. Single oysters priced at $2, half a dozen at $12 and a dozen at $18-20.

However, there is more than the oyster bar. Ladies at the table tried the roast chicken (18), the lamb loin (24), the pasta (17) and the poached salmon (23). In all honesty, the best value would be the roast chicken, which was herb marinated and came in copious amount. I ordered the lamb, which was pretty sparse as far as amount of food, but came atop a very tasty lemon risoto. Shelly's salmon was also delicious, but a little too rare for her taste. (but good in my opinion) The meal is served with very good bread which was very quickly refreshed.

At any of these pricey places, the amount of food you get for your money will always be a problem. You must go into the experience knowing that you are paying for the ambiance and the name and not the amount of food. At Foreign Cinema, the atmosphere is lively, the service friendly, and the food delicious. Check your budget before you go.

la Mediterranee

This quaint restaurant, located at 2936 College Avenue, provided me with one of the best, most balanced meals I have eaten in quite a while. I went to lunch there today with two lovely ladies at about 2, not having to wait at all for a table. They have a choice of outdoor seating as well as indoor. We opted for indoor and were treated to a room of skylights and fresh flowers on each table. I ordered the chicken pomegranate lunch special- 3 drumsticks marinated in pomegranate sauce and baked with wild herbs, served with rice, fruit, cheese, pita and hummus, served with a green salad... all for $7.25! The waitress was friendly and the food only took about 15 minutes to get to our table. The dish was DELICIOUS. The chicken was cooked to perfection, tender, juicy, flavorful, falling off the bone. The rice was seasoned and mixed with a few garbanzo beans and raisins. The salad was dressed with some feta cheese and the hummus on the plate was accompanied by a basket of wheat pita rounds. A wedge of pineapple, banana, and orange, along with a slice of creamy cheese served as a perfect balance to the protein and starch of the chicken and rice. I was extremely happy with what I ordered from this place. My friend ordered the small middle eastern plate, a combination of three items- chicken cilicia fillo(flaky pastry, filled with chicken, almonds, chickpeas, raisin, cinnamon and spices- really nice sweet/salty balance), spinach and feta in fillo, and a levant sandwich (cream cheese, herbs, cucumbers, feta, tomato). Awesome combination as well. My other friend ordered the chicken kebab combo- this one didn't turn out as lovely as the other two combinations. The chicken was a bit dry and too chewy for our taste. Go for the chicken pomegranate or middle eastern plates, you won't be disappointed! Each combo was only $7.25.

Other menu items include appetizers of hummos, baba ghanoush, lamb kebabs, quiche, a selection of 5 different fillo dough specialties, and baklava, pistachio nests for dessert. definitely try out this place, you won't be disappointed!

have a beautiful summer everyone. it's been a pleasure reviewing berkeley eats with my hillarious partner in crime, lydia. i'll be back in a few months (watch out for special socal and philippines reviews =)

cheers,
melissa joy

Chez Melissa, Jamie, Shinie and Kathy

A culinary treat that you readers won't be able to try (unless you just so happen to be one lucky enough to befriend these lovely ladies) was the scrumptious dinner these girls created this past saturday. While the food was sadly not for the women, I was lucky enough to try some of the shrimp scampi and was treated to the perfect amount of butter, garlic, pepper and LEMON. With six George Forman grills, steaks were cooked to tender perfection and topped with sauteed mushrooms. The meal began with a lovely green salad with tomatoes, raisins, mandarin oranges, walnuts, avocado and feta cheese, creating a symphony of freshness. (Haha) Thanks to the fly that flew into the very salad pictured below, us girls were able to try some of this great salad. The night was topped off by lovey deserts in the form of cheesecake and lemon tarts. The orange/lemon/lime punch concoction was the perfect blend of juices, ice and a touch of soda. Simple recipies (easy enough for us to follow), but great tastes and flavor. Awesome job girls!

Khana Peena

Last week, Lydia and I were able to take time out from studying and enjoy a meal at Khana Peena on Oxford, between Oxford & Allston (next to Ben & Jerry's). They have a lunch buffet that includes a bottomless soda for only $6.49. For quality Indian food, that's a steal my friends.

This mini restaurant is an outlet from their main restaurant on Solano, which looks pretty schnazzy I must say. At the Oxford restaurant, they have outdoor seating, bar seating, as well as seating upstairs. For their buffet selection, they have an endless supply of delicious naan, rice, spinach + potatoes (aloon), creamy chicken tikka masala, lamb, tandoori chicken, lentils, salad, lamb curry, among a few other selections. The tikka masala is perfectly cooked, creamy with tender bits of chicken. Dip your naan into this dish, and you'll shake your head in agreement. The spinach and potatoes was a bit on the watery side for me, but for a $6.49 all-you-can eat buffet, what can you expect. The tandoori chicken was tender and tastes delicious with their naan and basmati rice. I recommend pouring a bit of their cucumber/cilantro (green) or tamarind (brown) sauce on any of your dishes for an extra dimension of flavor. I went back for two plates, but left room to try the traditional Indian dessert, honey balls. Basically they're bread balls that have been soaked in a honey syrup. It's delicious, but one is pretty much all you may be able to stomach.

Lydia and I had a satisfying lunch here and we hope you check it out too.

Enjoy those finals everyone, but don't forget to eat in the process.

Cheers,
Melissa Joy

King Dong Chinese Restaurant

I'm not too sure how I like this new blogging interface. It's too cartoon-y for me, too 6th grade.

For a brief week, my lovely fellow food chick and I reveled in the prospects of living together next semester. But it seems that providence has dashed those dreams.

With finals and end-of-the-year stress upon us, I find myself a little frazzled and a lot hungry. John and I had dinner Sunday night and I was being pretty pissy about not going for Japanese food. He recommended a Chinese restaurant called King Dong on Shattuck and between Channing and Haste, and I went along reluctantly as I am weary of Chinese restaurants in general. However, we entered to find the restaurant bustling with take out orders and families dining in. John was craving the Mushoo Pork and a friend of his recommended the King Dong Chicken, so we shared the two dishes. Now, I never quite knew what Mushoo Pork consisted of, but I was pleasantly suprised by the stirfried pork, cabbage, vegetables, bean sprout medly that came with four tortilla type wrappers and plum sauce. The plum sauce gave the dish just enough flavor and there was plenty of filling to satisfy the two of us. The King Dom chicken is fried chicken cutlet in a ver spicy garlic sauce. Although the sauce was tasty, the chicken was a little dry and was breaded a little thick. A bucket of rice cost a whopping $.80 extra. Located just minutes from downtown Berkeley in the ghetto direction, King Dong was a very pleasant surprise. Prices ranged from about $7-10 dollars for dinner and slightly cheaper for lunch. If you are looking for a solid Chinese restaurant, the popularity of King Dong speaks for itself. The take-out pick up line was about 3 people long the entire time we were there. Check it out when you are tired of hitting up the same generic Chinese places. And avoid the shady massage parlor next door.

Cafe Durant, Tanaka, Cancun

okay, just to put off work for a few more minutes and before i forget the food places i have eaten in the last week, i decided to update!

first of all, i have reiterate how incredibly gorgeous the weather in the bay was today. it was absolutely wonderful! incredible blue sky, sunny, and cool. can it get any better?

well last wednesday morning, i finally ate breakfast at cafe durant. i shared an early breakfast with three cool chicks- norey, christine, and jen. we got there at about 9 am and of course were the first patrons. they have an outdoor patio and seating inside. they have a great variety of combination plates for breakfast. i ordered one of the sundeck combinations- spinach/tomato omelette, french toast, strawberry-banana pancakes, and homefries.. all for $6!! i have to say it was pretty tasty. the portions were definitely enough for each item. the french toast was buttery and crisp at the same time, the pancakes had bits of strawberry and banana interspersed within and the homefries and omelette were up to par as well. oh and they have this crazy orange squeezer machine. order fresh oj just to see the machine work! my friends ordered crepes. they have a HUGE serving of crepes when you order them for about $5. two crepes filled with different fillings of your choice- fresh fruit, nutella, etc.

tanaka. you know those moments when you just crave some miso soup, the sweet taste of teriyaki, and raw fish. ahh yes that's me every other day. try this japanese restaurant on university, just two doors down from mcdonalds. they restaurant features a mix of contemporary decor around a central sushi bar. the menu is extensive and offers different combinations, individual dishes, and boats to share. i had the combination- $9.95 with a selection of two items from a list of about 10. i ordered the teriyaki salmon, and 4 pieces of sushi (tuna, salmon, himachi, and ebi- sweet shrimp). the dish is accompanied by salad, miso soup, and rice. although the salmon piece was a bit on the small side, the balance of vegetable, protein, and carbs was just right! the sushi could have been a bit fresher i must say. nevertheless, i ended up finishing the whole dish and was thoroughly satisfied. their miso soup was just right in the level of saltiness and their miso type dressing on the salad was excellent! tanaka is definitely worth checking out as it is one of the more decent priced japanese places around the area. if you want the creme de la creme of japanese, check out kirala down shattuck near adeline (i get mixed reviews about kirala, however).

check it: cancun, on allston located next to the gaia (excellent americanized mexican food) is having their $5 for every item on the menu in honor of cinco de mayo this wednesday. take advantage! i recommend the prawn burrito... you'll love it with a side of mango salsa!!

cheers,
melissa joy