Berkeley has never lacked when it comes to fantastic restaurants, and today I want to highlight some new restaurants around town that deserve our support. The pandemic started a takeout epidemic in our culinary community. Now that COVID-19 has settled down, I would like to vouch for going out and eating in restaurants to become the norm again. For one, local restaurants actually make more money when you eat in, and you’ll be paying less for transportation fees and unnecessary taxes to delivery companies. Also, restaurateurs spend a lot of time crafting the perfect environment with furniture and decoration for customers to enjoy while eating in, so appreciating their hard work is important. I hope that you are inspired to visit these three new local restaurants and enjoy some delicious food!
Noor Indian Fusion: On University Avenue across from the Target is Noor Indian Fusion, a new Indian restaurant owned by a husband and wife. I had the chance to meet them while enjoying a tasty meal and they told me all the dishes are family recipes. Everything I tried was absolutely delicious and flavorful. My favorite dishes were the tofu tikka masala ordered with buttery, flaky paratha and basmati rice, the malabar shrimp, aloo gobi, and a mango lassi to drink. This restaurant is decorated beautifully and would be perfect for a celebration dinner.
Bageltopia: Right across from Noor Indian Fusion on University Avenue is one of many new bagel joints to open in this past year. Bageltopia has been featured in the New York Times for their delicious bagels and spreads. Serving a wide variety of both custom bagel sandwiches and classic bagel combos, Bageltopia has something for everyone. The menu has expanded quite a bit since opening, featuring an extensive vegan selection, egg sandwiches, and many new delicious spreads. You can order your bagel open-faced or in a sandwich form. I have a sweet tooth so I usually order a cinnamon raisin bagel with date cream cheese. I have also tried their innovative vegan “lox” made out of thinly sliced salted carrots.
Tanzie’s Cafe: Tanzie’s Cafe is a small Thai breakfast and brunch spot right off Sacramento Street and Dwight Way. Their menu has both savory and sweet traditional Thai breakfast dishes with ingredients sourced from local farms. The best item on the menu is the lava eggs, which are soft scrambled eggs served with meat or veggies over rice. They also have sizzling fried rice skillets and chia pudding which are both fantastic and indulgent. Tanzie’s has both outdoor and indoor seating. They recently announced that they will be starting dinner service soon, but for now they are open for breakfast and lunch. While Tanzie’s is slightly difficult to spot due to its tiny storefront, missing out grabbing a bite to eat there would be a true tragedy.