CALIFORNIA CUISINE
tea vodka, crushed then strained blueberries and a hint of lemon, with a sage leaf garnish. Bright and deep with a bitter finish, it was a perfect farewell to a summer that seemed to linger through late fall.
The Styrofoam Plane is a bourbon soda drink with Aperol, a bitter Italian aperitif flavoured with orange. The bitter element, barely perceptible, accentuated the bourbon and citrus flavours. A long, thin slice of cucumber circled the outside of the glass.
The loving preparation of the drinks was a tantalizing prelude of the food to come.
We started with a delicate squash tempura. The batter was excellent, light and crunchy, and the squash tasted of deep autumn. Think of the beautiful layer of leaves covering outdoor trails.
Kewpie mayonnaise (common in Japanese households, made with rice vinegar for an extra kick), came on the side, a natural accompaniment.
Next was that day’s special: a warm leek and potato salad composed of a gently boiled egg (a little under-salted), braised smoked leeks, cooked, but still slightly crunchy kale, and croutons. A melding of soft earthy flavours, brought together by pieces of truffle tossed into it.
Our server was willing to comment extensively on anything we asked, and he let us know that the potatoes were slow-cooked for three hours. They were soft but not at all overcooked, which speaks to the care taken with vegetables at Berkeley North. There are no steaks on the menu, which focuses instead on seafood, vegetarian and vegan options.
I love my steaks, and I sometimes resist eating vegetarian, but this restaurant made it a pleasure. I was enjoying myself so thoroughly that I didn’t realize I was eating mostly vegetarian food until the server pointed it out. He also let us know that many things can be prepared gluten-free or vegan, on request.
Following the salad, we had the char tartar. It was surrounded by Jerusalem artichoke crisps with a nutty-rich, potato-y flavour that were perfectly sliced to scoop up the fresh, gorgeous fish. Topping the char were pickled slices of kohlrabi, a tangy contrast to the crisps.
Next was the house-made, fresh fettuccine with Alaskan King crab. Well prepared fresh pasta has a nice bouncy chew, and this was no exception. The chunks of crab were perfectly cooked and their flavour permeated the butter sauce. The sauce itself could have used something more to balance out the crab flavour, but the dish was still quite enjoyable.
Our last savoury dish was sautéed enoki mushrooms over creamed kale and winter spinach. The stems of the mushrooms could have been trimmed a bit, as they were too chewy for my taste, but the dish was full of umami flavours despite the lack of meat. The kale and spinach purée had the delicious chlorophyll taste of late season greens.
The tapas portions left room for dessert, so we ordered chocolate cake and ricotta fritters. The cake, served with vanilla ice cream and praline, was decadent with an intense chocolate flavour mellowed by the ice cream. The fritters, dusted with chocolate powder and anise, were less dense than the cake and spiced perfectly.
Throughout the night, every time he answered a question, our server conveyed the team’s passion for food and drink. He said, “It’s basically the party we would want to throw, every night!” My response? Party on. (Berkeley North has just rolled out a December bonus program. Spend $25 and receive one $10 VIP card to spend after the holidays, spend $50 and get two, up to a maximum of five at the $100 level.)