Reviews for Cafe Ohlone in Berkeley, CA
We were thrilled to see that Cafe Ohlone was open for tawwa-sii/(evening tea) the evening we were driving in from the South Bay... to see a band at the freight & salvage. We were a large party (8 of us) and we got stuck on traffic, so we showed up a littlelate. Luckily 1 of us was there when they were starting and was told we could all still come in even though we were 15-minuteslate. We are so glad they did! Everyone in our group so appreciated the experience and all that we learned. The experience is aspecial treat that goes far beyond food: for the tawwa-saii, consider it an immersive story-telling time full of history,different perspectives, some local botanical and culinary background, a quick traditional game and of course, tasty food! In ourgroup, we had a variety of experience: from a docent and teacher, who enlightens local youth on the history of indigenous peopleand plants in the South Bay on a daily basis, to a British national with little experience of local indigenous people andhistory. It was a first for all of us and we all walked away impressed. There are a number of ways you can approach amonolithic task like "sharing indigenous foods," and Vincent Medina presented us with a current, fully-contextualizedrealization of traditional ingredients formulated to please the modern palette: hazelnut-milk chia pudding is sweetened withagave syrup and benefits from the aromatic addition of vanilla. It's unlikely that the local people would have eaten such athing pre-contact, but given the opportunity to thrive uninterrupted into today's global society, you can bet that they *would*!So it's no wonder that their elders insist that they keep the hazelnut-flour brownies. They are everyone's favorite! If you cantake advantage of this unique opportunity, run, don't walk. We can't wait to try their dinner or brunch! Read more
Such delicious food and such important decolonizing work! Very excited about how they use this cafe to support deepening... connections to traditional food systems and thought within the Ohlone community ????????. Read more
Go. Just go. Maybe this is the most interesting and different food experience you can have in the bay area today. You'll... remember this fondly long after you can no longer remember whether that great meal you bought for $300 a person was at Benu orCoi. Two young Ohlones are trying to decolonize their culture. The cafe allows you to learn about and taste a credible stab atpre-colonial East Bay food. It's actually pretty tasty, but this is an experience more than a place to eat. There's plenty toread about this online, so instead of repeating it I will just add this as an endorsement to go. Read more
The great thing about this place is it is done for awareness of ohlone that are still indigenous to the east bay. They have not... moved from here ever. Hopefully this place can raise awareness that they are much alive and well as a culture. I was concerned Imight not liie some of the food for the snacks and tea on tuesday night but it was delicious and very natural to the nearbyland. The experience is great as it is communal at picnic tables, preceeded by prayer, and the food is explained. Very spiritualand tasty. It was an overall great experience. Highly recommended! Read more
This place is a MUST. Deliciously fanciful, natural, clean & exquisitely flavorful dishes from our Bay Areas very own indigenous... Ohlone tribe. The experience has been well thought out, and you can truly see the intentions that are full of LOVE here. This isas LOCAL and NATIVE as it gets!! Not enough stars for how happy this place makes me & how fulfilling the tastes!! Read more
Truly magical find. In addition to rare local foods, they treated us to games, stories, and song. It's difficult to find... behind the bookstore, but well worth the unique and private experience. The decor of acorns, nuts, abalone, and cattails wasreally lovely. Also, they provide lovely serapes for the chill. BE HERE Read more
Tucked behind University Press Books is a transformative place that allows you to turn back time. The lovingly gathered and... carefully prepared foods are nothing like any foods typically eaten today. Instead, these foods are the mainstay foods thatallowed the Ohlone people to live in peace and in harmony with their environment for thousands of years. The two indigenous menwho have created this incredible space and menu come from an unbroken line of people who have lived in the East Bay forthousands of years. The foods they are offering take a tremendous amount of time and labor, but they are not offering them in asimple format. The foods are rich and complex and take freshness to an entirely new level. Be prepared to sit outside, dresswarmly. Be prepared to learn. There will be abundant information given about each course. Be prepared to ask questions. Theywant to start conversations that feed your soul as well as your body. Be prepared for adventure. This is an incredibleopportunity to explore foods you may not otherwise taste. This is fine dining at its very best. Read more
What a gem! In the courtyard of the Anthropology Museum, you?ll find this charming oasis. Everything from the furniture,... landscape, menu, and soundtrack are all thoughtfully procured. Afternoon tea consisted of 3 refreshing flavors of tea and 3sweet dishes. The chia seed porridge was a generous portion with a delicious flavor profile as well as texture. The toastedhazelnuts added a tasty crunch. Blackberries and gooseberries were a nice palate cleanser, and the chia seed flour brownie biteswere addictive! The black walnuts and coarse East Bay salt were a perfect combination! I?m thankful they don?t sell theseindividually otherwise I would be eating them daily. In bulk. Not only was the meal unique and delicious, we also learned someOhlone history and words as well as heard some lovely songs and spoken word that were pre-recorded. It?s such a nice experienceand so much more than just food and drinks! Read more