InBerkeley

Sylvan Mishima Brackett runs Peko-Peko, a Japanese catering company in Oakland that specializes in the robust, tapas-style food of the izakaya (Japanese tavern). On Thursday, October 1, for one night only, Peko-Peko will transform the Guerrilla Cafe on Shattuck Ave. into a “pop-up” izakaya, serving tasty food, sake and beer.

Brackett worked at Chez Panisse for six years as Alice Waters’ assistant, and then as the restaurant’s first creative director, in charge of special dinners and events. He then left for Japan to eat and cook, and worked at a locally famous soba restaurant in the countryside north of Tokyo. Brackett’s izakaya-style menus combine local seafood, meats and other seasonal, sustainable ingredients.

When I spoke to Sylvan this afternoon, he told me he hopes to someday open a real izakaya, and thinks that opening this pop-up izakaya will be a fun way to try out some things he’s been thinking about.  Sylvan is still developing the menu for this event, but he said there will definitely be sardines simmered with some dashi, soy sauce, mirin and ginger.  Other possibilities include karoke (potato croquettes), gyoza (pot stickers), tsukemono (Japanese pickles), kakuni (braised pork belly with hot mustard and daikon) and dashimaki tamago (classic rolled omelet).

The pop-up izakaya will be open from 5:00 p.m. until late on October 1.  Izakaya crowds can sometimes be large and boisterous, but because seating at the Guerilla Cafe is limited, small parties are definitely encouraged.  Onaka peko-peko is Japanese for “I’m starving,” so bring your appetite.

(Photo: Aya Brackett)

Events, Food, restaurants

Doesn’t this look like fun?

Ellen DeGeneres’ day-long Twittertease of Berkeley looks like it ended up in a scrum. I think finding the Cupkates Truck was a better way to spend time.

Events

The Daily Clog has posted Your Guide to Walkout Festivities to help you navigate the various budget protest and walkout events taking place on campus over the next  24 hours or so.   They warn you should expect to encounter a lot of picket lines and rallies if you’re planning on being anywhere in the vicinity of campus tomorrow.

Events kick off tonight at 7 p.m. at Wheeler Auditorium for a Save the University teach-in, where several big-name faculty members, including Robert Reich and Ananya Roy, will explain the situation and the reasons for all the fuss.

You’ll also find several links to other Daily Californian articles on the walkout.

Education, Events, Government, Issues, Politics, UC Berkeley

Sometimes InBerkeley has to confront contentious issues. So I decided to venture forth and try the Cupkates Truck’s cupcakes.

I’ve been following Cupkates’ tweets since I wrote about her venture a few weeks ago on InBerkeley. But the timing was never right, or her location was inconvenient for me. Today, even though she had strayed into Emeryville, I made the leap.

I tried both the Twinkie and the Double Vanilla. The marshmallow frosting of the Twinkie was very good, but I thought the mix of cream filling with the marshmallow frosting was a bit too much for a humble cupcake. The Double Vanilla, on the other hand, was excellent: a nicely moist but still firm cake, with a delicious buttercream frosting. I’ve had cupcakes that pretend to be gourmet offerings (at gourmet prices), but I prefer the simple honesty of Kate’s Double Vanilla.

The eponymous Kate (photo above), who served me my cupcakes, says her fledgling business is doing pretty well. A welcome sign of entrepreneurship in Berkeley.

Food