Hawker Fare.
There’s been much anticipation for James Syhabout’s street food style restaurant in Oakland, and when I got word yesterday that this new spot from the Commis chef would open for lunch today, I didn’t hesitate to make my lunch plans.
On a grey, rainy day my coworker Geoffrey and I headed up to this new corner restaurant at 23rd and Webster, between Grand and Broadway and just a couple blocks away from Mua and Nex. I admit, I’d been driving by this space for a month or so to see if they were open, so I knew exactly where I was going.
After viewing the big graffiti mural and Oakland music posters through the windows, it was good to make it through the glass doors and inside. We were seated immediately at a nice table for two near the window, the tables are mostly communal in the middle but they can be separated and combined as needed along the perimeter, so although we were right next to the other diners we didn’t feel as if we were sitting WITH them.
No liquor license yet, but this was a work lunch anyways, so we ordered some thai iced tea. They came out in big, icy mason jars with glass handles delightfully unmixed. The tea was delicious, balancing between the milk and rich tea without being overly sweet or syrupy. So far, so good.
The menu is split into “Snacks,” rice bowls (all of which can have a fried egg added to it for $1.50), a few sides (rice, more peanut sauce), and drinks. Geoffrey ordered the short ribs while I got the meatballs.
The short ribs were delicious, very soft and cooked to a nice medium-rare, a hard feat for such a thin slice of meat. Geoffrey added a bit of peanut sauce to the mix as well which increased the flavor and complexity.
The meatballs were good and dense, if not a bit hard to cut with your fork. I employed a knife and was much happier, always trying to get a bit of rice, fresh lettuce, added peanut sauce, and meat on my fork. They were nicely grilled too and managed to not be too heavy and weren’t at all oily or greasy.
They also have a soft-serve machine and a few desserts, but we needed to be on our way so we grabbed the check and took off. Overall, I really enjoyed the lunch. It’s definitely a very casual spot, but it has a mix of super casual (plastic water glasses, mason jar glasses) mixed with the more elegant (nice deep plates, heavy silverware, and cloth napkins). It’s loaded with Oakland flavor which I really appreciated, and I left with a big smile on my face.
I’ll try and get back for dinner once they get their beer/wine license, and if you can go with a group of people definitely order as many different menu items as you can and share.
Hawker Fare * 2300 Webster Street * Oakland
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