Cafe Espresso Experience - Berkeley

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.

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!

The evening was a special treat that went far beyond just food; our tawwa-sii experience was like an immersive storytelling session filled with history, diverse perspectives, local botany, culinary insights, a quick traditional game, and of course, delicious food! Among our group, we had a wide range of backgrounds—from a docent and educator who regularly teaches local youth about the history of indigenous peoples and their plants, to a British national with limited knowledge about the local indigenous culture and history. It was a first-time experience for all of us, and we left feeling truly impressed. There are many ways to approach the significant task of sharing indigenous foods, and Vincent Medina provided us with an up-to-date, fully contextualized take on traditional ingredients crafted to appeal to modern tastes. For example, the hazelnut-milk chia pudding was sweetened with agave syrup and enhanced with aromatic vanilla. Although it's unlikely that local people would have eaten something like this before contact, one can imagine that they would absolutely enjoy it today, given the chance to thrive in today's global society. It’s no surprise that their elders insist on keeping the hazelnut-flour brownies on the menu—they're a favorite among everyone! If you have the chance to experience this unique offering, don’t hesitate—run, don’t walk! We can’t wait to return for dinner or brunch!

The food here is incredibly delicious, and the cafe is doing vital work in promoting decolonization! I'm thrilled about their efforts to strengthen connections to traditional food systems and knowledge within the Ohlone community.

What a hidden treasure! Nestled in the courtyard of the Anthropology Museum, you'll discover this delightful oasis. Every detail, from the furnishings and landscaping to the menu and music, has been carefully curated. For afternoon tea, we enjoyed three refreshing tea flavors alongside three delectable sweet dishes. The chia seed porridge was a generous serving, bursting with great flavor and delightful texture, while the toasted hazelnuts provided a satisfying crunch. The blackberries and gooseberries served as a pleasant palate cleanser, and those chia seed flour brownie bites were simply irresistible! The combination of black walnuts and coarse East Bay salt was sublime. I’m grateful they don’t sell these individually, or I’d find myself indulging in them daily, in bulk. The meal was not just unique and delicious; we also had the opportunity to learn about Ohlone history and language while listening to lovely pre-recorded songs and spoken word pieces. It was a wonderful experience that offered so much more than just food and drinks!