Barkada

THIS place has not closed!
They Unilocalers seem to be mistaking it for the tapas place across the street, barlata, which is closing July 28^th or 29^th.
SO do not not go. GO. GO. GO. The food is scrumptious, wait staff fun, and atmosphere chill and upscale.
Their brunches are awesome — — the Benedict with corn beef is fantastic, their salads all wonderful and scones, yum. You can’t go wrong. Just pick sweet or savory and go to town.

After our Sunday morning spin class, a girlfriend and I headed to Aunt Mary’s for brunch. After a look at Mary’s menu and the wait for a table, we decided to pop across the street to find no wait for a couple of seats on Barkada’s back patio and a really inventive menu of brunch options.
Rachel chose the crêpe (as did the two dudes next to us) and raved about it. This gluten free option included three soft scrambled organic eggs, cremini mushrooms,
applewood smoked ham, mixed greens salad, tarragon chive
crème, feta and lemon zest.
I opted for the skirt steak and chorizo scramble which may well have been the best brunch choice I made in Q2. My plate arrived with a bountiful bunch of mixed greens; a generous helping of sliced, ripe avocado; well-​seasoned and nicely cooked skirt steak, a small portion of salsa; green beans; a knob of burrata cheese; and chorizo scrambled eggs. In case you’re unclear on whether or not this was awesome, it was AWESOME. I would be happy eating this dish every Sunday!
I’ll definitely be back at Barkada for brunch soon — I only wish it hadn’t taken me so long to try this Telegraph gem!

An hour later and no food on a Sunday morning — they said that it takes longer for big groups (we had six people in our party). I heard that going on weekdays usually results in faster cooking times. However, you can get a pretty decent Californian-​style brunch here.
The menu changes seasonally it seems, which is good and bad. On one hand, it means that a new interesting item may be added, but on the other hand, some good dishes may be removed as well. For example, I was told the earl grey chicken sandwich was amazing, but unfortunately they’ve removed it from the menu. Some of the staples on the menu are the burger, gluten-​free oatmeal pancakes, and french toast bread pudding.
We started with the ham, chive, and cheese croissant, which was quite good, but would’ve been much better if it were toasted or at least served a bit warm. They probably would’ve done that if we had asked, but I kind of wished they would take enough pride in their food to do that without our asking.
The kale salad that a lot of people rave about was just okay to me. The «green goddess dressing» was like a mayonnaise based dressing, which I wasn’t a huge fan of. I prefer the vinaigrette type dressing. It was also served with two cold poached eggs, which I guess went with the cold salad, but I prefer my eggs a bit warm. I think poached eggs are one of their specialties though, because every one was perfect (including those on my friends’ dishes).
The passion fruit blueberry mimosa was a bit of a disappointment. It tasted more like an orange mimosa without even a hint of passion fruit or blueberry.
The service was really good though, not to mention most of the waitstaff here were pretty good looking! ;)

Finally got in there this weekend after hearing good things and reading good things in the EBX. Walked in and seated immediately. Friendly servers who were attentive but not all up in your business.
Décor is modern but comfortable. Mostly wood slabs that were cleaned, lacquered and made into tables and seating.
Nice collections of pastries, bread, cakes — all looked top notch. (I did see a tartine bakery book in the top shelf of the kitchen-​which has a big window) Sat down for brunch with wifey and had the eggs benedict, some rum soaked beignets, and a ham and cheese croissant.
Everything tasted great. Eggs benedict was great, and one of the better hollandaise sauces in the area. Beignets were phenomenal, not too sweet but enough to feel decadent for brunch. Croissant had the proper level of flakiness — you can always tell by how big of a mess you leave when you bite into it.
Food took a little time to come out, but not egregiously slow. It is brunch time.
Overall a great first visit, and I will be back fo sho.

A mostly organic, health conscious brunch joint, with some GF options.
When I peered at the menu online I knew it was love at first sight. Called to try to make reservations and was told they don’t take them, but the wait is not bad, at the most about 10 minutes.
The food was as good as anticipated. David’s Tea is local but not my favorite. Crêpe is more like an omelette, but comes stuffed to the brim with mushrooms, ham and topped with a luscious tarragon crème. Nice how many of the dishes come with a hefty side of mixed greens. Always a winner in my book. The poached eggs and levain bread were nice touches to the kale salad. Maybe the kale could be massaged a BIT more? Fabulous skirt steak & chorizo scramble. The burrata on the side was a party in my mouth.
One downer: no smoothies. Solid brunch establishment. Will be back. Good eats.

This place is pretty darned cool. Great for a coffee, pastry, or lunch. If I lived in the area I would be here a whole ton. Nice light, chill guy behind the counter, awesome wooden tables. Just go, order something, and enjoy the food! Would love to come back for dinner some time, too.

I really wanted to like this place. I really did.
The décor is very urban-​esque with wooden tables and chairs. Outdoor patio seating available in the back. Open window kitchen (able to see chefs making pastries).
I ordered the Benedict with veggie option: sautéed mushrooms on English muffins, topped with poached eggs, red onions, chive crème hollandaise and a side of arugula salad with a lemon juice dressing + Granny Smith apple slices — your standard Eggs Benedict (the hollandaise was kind of bland). Yeah I love salad but this had an overwhelming serving of it… I would have enjoyed it more/​it would have been tolerable if it had some sort of dressing…
Bittersweet mocha — maybe the staff we had was new or whatnot but I was expecting some cute or even satisfactory foam art atop my mocha, but ended with a messy swirl… taste wise — was just okay
My brother had the barkada burger which he stated was cooked well and the meat was of a superb grade but, was over peppered and over salted.
Yeah, the Temescal neighborhood is revamping and rebuilding itself as a budding foodie-​hood but the prices are kind of on the higher end here… it would have been more justifiable if it was good :/

Good ambiance, nice crowd. Staff was accommodating and cheery even tho its busy (which is a big thing for me «i don’t want to be serve by a grumpy/​tired server)
I enjoy my soy latte it was good,
didn’t really enjoy the french toast its a lil too dry.
Barkada burger is really good juicy and tasty.

We stopped by here for a quick brunch today, and generally enjoyed our meal.
My wide had the polenta with parsnip root purée, two poached organic eggs, cremini mushroom, sundried tomato, grape tomato, green apple & cabbage slaw, lemon vinaigrette. It was solid, and the presentation was definitely exceptional. I had the eggs Benedict with corned beef on house english muffins, poached organic eggs, organic red onion, tarragon chive crème. I really enjoyed the twist with the tarragon chive crème instead of a traditional Hollandaise, it added a unique flavor but the corned beef was underwhelming, it tasted dry and stale. I definitely prefer the prosciutto Benedict they serve at Grand Lake Kitchen, it made me appreciate that dish that much more.
Service was good, and the décor is modern, so overall a good place; just not that great on the food front.

Sells out FAST. We came for lunch at 11a sharp and there was hardly any baked goods left in the case. The blackboards make for a tedious order system, guaranteed to back up a line out the door if more than three people arrive who don’t know already what they want to order. Excellent teas, but those are on a separate piece of paper the clerk has to hand to you to read through. All-​in-​all, extremely inefficient and time-​consuming order system. Suggest you read the menu on the website first, then you’ll only have to read the blackboard for the specials! (sigh)
But…their food is very good. Made with care and fine ingredients. Curry-​chile Squash soup was served lukewarm but very tasty. Spouse got the Black Forest ham and cheese grilled sandwich. He asked if they would sub Gruyère, and they were happy to do so. This was pressed grilled whole-​wheat, so it comes out looking almost burnt. It isn’t, though; but it is crisp. Not hard, just nicely crisp the way a pressed sandwich should be. It’s well buttered, and the ham is cut on the thick side, which works better than the paper-​thin slices that are commonly used. The Gruyère was excellent quality. It comes with a generous baby arugula salad that was dressed simply with EVOO and sea salt.
I ordered the burger, and got a modest but very tasty rendition. It was cooked more medium than medium-​rare. The bun is a soft brioche which is split, buttered and lightly toasted. It’s very good quality ground beef and although not salted, the butter on the bread goes a fair ways toward offsetting that. The bun is spread with a green onion-​whipped crème fraiche, a generous container of which is also served as extra. The burger comes with fresh sliced tomatoes, a few leaves of baby arugula, and some lightly pickled, very thin onion shreds. You have a choice of blue or cheddar, and I opted for cheddar. It wasn’t as good as the Gruyère, but this was a burger where the sum of its parts added up to more as a whole. It comes with a side of crispy fried kale leaves, which add a nice bitter touch.
We definitely would come back, but not at peak times.

Pros:
— Coffee-​rubbed pulled pork sandwich was bomb
— cool, earthy, coffee-​shop atmosphere
— interesting menu options (the spiced cider mimosa drew me in)
Cons:
— slow food service
— overpriced for portion sizes
— mimosas didn’t taste too fresh
Bottom line: Would not recommend to someone just looking for food. However, the atmosphere seemed appropriate for doing work and enjoying a coffee.

Barkada is a great brunch spot but the wait can be a bear. Grrrr. Got here around 11:30 on a rainy Sunday but it did to keep the crowds away! We waited about 35 min. You can also order coffee or pastries so there’s an option while you wait.
We wanted the donuts but they just ran out — boo. But we got the morning bun which are delicious! I ordered the eggs benedict with corned beef hash. Delish! It’s a little different than other bennies, maybe the corned beef, but that’s why I liked it. The hollandaise is light which was great. Corned beef tastes fresh. And a nice red cabbage salad. I only ate half as I was full from my bun, so when I ate my leftovers later at home, it was even better! We also got a side of toast and their bread is fantastic! The table next to us got French toast and it looked amazing.
Our server was the best. I read some reviews about weak service but we had a great server. He was funny, nice and we had no probs at all.

Look at this and tell me you don’t want it:
They’ve got some incredibly good-​looking baked goods (like the above bourbon
soaked baked doughnuts topped with fruit and chantilly cream). Fun brunch mimosas (good morning, spiced cider mimosa!) and strong coffee.
My gluten free crêpe was delicate and light (perhaps too light on the veggies & ham) with a nice mixed green side salad, but next time, I’m going for the benedict, the burger, the french toast bread pudding, or the nicoise salad (hey, a girl’s got to eat)!
Go early for brunch if you don’t want to wait too long — it’s popular and not a huge space. Looking forward to trying their happy hour or lunch/​dinner. Four stars, but an extra one just for the giddiness factor.

2014 update: when not in tomato season, you can eat delicious Fifth Quarter Charcuterie corned beef eggs benedict on the best English muffin you’ve ever had.
The kale salad was also delectable and hearty. Beignets also amaze.
So much amaze.

Former Remedy space across Telegraph from Aunt Mary’s.
I’ve been for lunch and brunch and have enjoyed the brunch food better. Lunch is counter service and brunch is table service.
For lunch I’ve had
Earl Grey roasted Chicken Sandwich ($ 11, house baguette, organic green apple, organic red onion, slivered almond, garlic herb aioli, mixed greens salad, balsamic vinaigrette
) I got this because they were out of the Pulled Pork. Anyway, I don’t usually like sandwiches on baguettes, but the house baked loaf is soft and chewy. The chicken was on the dry side. The apples and almonds added nice crunch and flavors (
). Didn’t get much garlic from the aioli.
Barkada Burger ($ 14, Prather Ranch grass-​fed ground beef, house olive oil brioche bun, organic red onion, tomato, arugula, choice of valdeon bleu cheese or Vermont smoked cheddar, kale chips with lemon chive cream
) I asked for Blue Cheese & Medium Rare. Came Med-​Well w/​Cheddar :(
Despite the doneness, the thick (6oz?) patty was juicier than most. Olive Oil Brioche Bun was a great partner for the burger and was never in danger of falling apart like lesser buns (
).
Kale chips. .. some good and crisp, but mostly soft & oily. Oil not hot enough? Lemon Chive Cream was light & airy (
). Lemony. Not chivey.
For Brunch we’ve had the Kale Salad and Benedicts.
Kale Salad ($ 11, organic lacinato kale, avocado, applewood smoked bacon,
fiscalini, seasonal vegetables, two poached eggs, housemade green goddess dressing, levain toast
) was large and full of fresh ingredients. It was under-​dressed for me, but that was quickly rectified (
). Nicely poached eggs (
). A little light on the bacon.
The Benedicts are healthier than most with a Tarragon Chive Crème in lieu of Hollandase Sauce and come with a salad /​slaw of red cabbage and apples instead of potatoes (
).
The Crab Cake benedict had no noticeable fillers in the cakes (
). It was a menu substitution because their Fifth Quarter Corned Beef was not available, but it was popular so hopefully will make a permanent spot during crab season.
The Fifth Quarter Corned Beef Benedict also was great (
). A good amount of flavorful corned beef (
). I think they should do a corned beef hash ;-)
The Veggie Benedict had sautéed crimini mushrooms instead of the typical spinach or tomato (
). The shrooms were cooked well with a meaty chew.
The $ 3 pizzas during happy hour sound like a great deal.

My gahd, yes.
I used to work next door. No, not the ramen shop, but the non-​profit that used to inhabit the space not too long ago. While I was working there, barkada bakery + café was inhabited by remedy coffee, which was a pretentious overpriced hipster coffee shop with the rudest employees.
When remedy closed up shop, I was okay with it. I wondered what would take the space over, and then I started seeing Barkada bakery + café pop up on my Unilocal feed. The word «barkada» is very personal to me so I made a mental note to go… and then I put two and two together and realized it’s the old remedy!
The interior is absolutely gorgeous. Like, I want my home to look like this. The coolest tables made out of what looks like sliced tree trunks (sorry, I’m not very art-​term-​knowledgable but you know what I mean, yeah?) Modern light fixtures, and little plants on the tables to add a personal touch. It’s modern and cozy at the same time.
My friend and I both opted for a cappuccino and a slice of strawberry mascarpone cake. The cappuccino was perfect, and their coffee is very good here. The cake was SO GOOD! I’m pretty picky when it comes to sweets and I’m not easily impressed by them, but this cake was on par with Crixa cakes in Berkeley, in my opinion. Perfectly moist, not too crumbly or overly sweet, and it was decadent without being insanely heavy.
The cherry on top? The folks that work here are so friendly and down to earth. I’ll definitely be coming here more often to study… I especially want to try their earl grey cake!

After Rich informed me hat they added more chocolate to the chocolate croissant, I had to return to try it again. Yup, there it was in the middle, lots of chocolate chips hidden underneath the braided layers. Delicious!
The excitement that I had when I peeled each braided layer was like finding a pot of gold.
Good Job Rich and Barkada Bakery. Thank you for listening to you customers in helping your bakery + café succeed. You have made me a regular customer.

Barkada is a wonderfully and thoughtfully crafted café with delectable organic pastries, cakes, sandwiches, and salads.
Before Barkada entered my world, I rarely gave scones nary attention. Barkada changed that for me. I started going to Barkada once a week to fulfill my cravings. The Fiscalini cheddar cheese and chive scone sells outs quick. The bittersweet chocolate and orange scone is well balanced and fragrant, and I recommend it with their daily select ice tea. I also buy their scones as small thank you gifts for friends or when friends visit, and they all love it.
The cakes, particularly the chiffon strawberry cake is aptly named. Very light and soothing on the tongue. If the cake base is similar to others, I may have to switch from my weekly scone habit to cake tasting. I know where I am specially ordering cakes for my next event.
From time to time, the pastry case may have a surprise or off-​menu item. This one hot day we decided to try the fresh fruit pavlova. DIVINE! I went back a couple more times inquiring about it and pining for it. It was made from additional egg whites the owner and baker had that day. Why? Because she thought her customers may enjoy it on an especially hot day. She really keeps her customers in mind.
After some strong as acid coffee in the neighborhood, the The Scarlet City Roast coffee is a welcomed hit. It has a strong flavor on the tongue and nose but mild impact on my sensitive stomach.
The décor is so soothing and welcoming. While enjoying a carefully prepared pressed sandwich, I count the rings and ponder the age of the lovely wood trunk tables, each organically shaped like a heart. The generous space between tables lets patrons sprawl out or get up without disturbing thy neighbor. It is a peaceful place with wonderful ambiance.
Also there is this big window where you can look into the baking and making operations. They work hard to put out artisanal bread. Once I start incorporating bread into dinner, I will likely purchase my daily loaf here. Olive thyme, ‘everything’ sourdough, and parmesan & black pepper all sound really nice to dress up dinner with.
Lastly, I can not help comparing it to Arbor Café, which used to be a place that monopolized café business on Telegraph. I am so glad I do NOT have to patronize the rude staff at Arbor Café anymore with their cash-​only policy, limited menu, no espresso drinks, and just overall awful customer service. I can not shake how I waited half an hour for my sandwich while it sat on the counter served to flies. Instead, thank you Barkada for entering into a bonafide Telegraph business and easily and far outcompeting the low bar set at Arbor Café. Barkada’s customer service is sweet and impeccable.

Barkada Bakery opens where Remedy Coffee was, next to an upcoming ramen shop.
offerings: coffee, cakes, scones, crossaints, cookies, tarts, pastries.
eats: hazaelnut caramel tart (4)
–smaller than cupcake size
–packed with rich flavors, fresh tasting
–slight aftertaste, not sure of origins.
crumbs:
–pastries small, pricey, flavorful, probably worth the $$$.
–not sure about the hours. Unilocal lists closing 2 – 3, a review says 6.
–no sign up yet. use saw standing board with name on it.
–not much variety in afternoon, almost sold out?

What I ate: Chocolate croissant, almond/​cardamom morning bun, spicy tea.
Visit date: May 11, 2013
First time? Yes.
Yay Barkada! When I woke up I got a message from my God-​sister that this bakery/​café was opening up today so immediately did a search on opening time: 9am. Consider me there! I gathered my barkada (my posse, if you will) and headed over. We were greeted by the cashier and one of the waitresses (we’ll call her the ‘pastry boss’), and I was instantly impressed by their display of assorted baked goods.
Of course, the chocolate croissant caught my eye/​stomach. The flakey exterior complemented the moist chocolatey center perfectly. And though slightly too buttery for my taste, the textures more than made up for it. I tried a bite of my friend’s almond/​cardamom morning bun, too. Um, amazing! This is the definite must try. The cardamom essence lingers in your mouth, but is not overbearing. I love the sugary outside, too.
Ambience is pleasant and chill. I felt like I was on vacation in some Portland café. Décor included tables made of wood cross sections and adorned with little succulent plants, a common table to get some business done, and, my personal favorite, lamps made of whisk attachments.
It was their first day so there were some missteps (like putting my pastry and beverage in to-​go containers when I said I’d like to enjoy them in the café), but hey — everyone is nervous on their first day. Oh yea, and the tip jar — I’ll take credit for that. ;)
And heads up – they serve lunch, too! I was so tempted to stay until I was hungry again. :)