1. Teni East Kitchen (Oakland, CA) $$
My #1 spot! I seriously LOVE going here when I am visiting Oakland! This is definitely the spot to visit for when I'm craving Burmese food. You cannot go wrong with the following items (shareable for 2-3 people):
1. Roti
2. Pea Shoot Salad (A MUST!)
3. Coconut Shrimp Curry
4. Lamb Curry
5. Coconut Rice (splurge on it, its worth it!)
This place is definitely a solid 9/10 for me!
2. La Marcha Tapas Bar (Berkeley, CA) $$
Hands down THE BEST Spanish tapas restaurant in the East Bay. Hey Fellas, this is definitely a good date spot *hint hint*. I highly recommend the following items:
1. Croqueta Trio (MY FAVORITE!)
2. Quesos & Charquteria Assortment (ask your server for recommendations to pair with your choice of wine!)
3. Paella Mixta
To save you some $$, try visiting during their Happy Hour 4-6PM & 10PM-12AM! Do note, this place gets pretty busy since it's a smaller restaurant! Plan accordingly!
3. Momo N Curry (Concord, CA) $
Now this is a spot I find myself visiting often since it's super casual, affordable, delicious, AND I live super close to it! Not a lot of people venture out to Concord area, but honestly, I feel you can find good food for a lot less! My recommendations are the following:
1. Curries (Chicken Tikka, Butter Chicken, and Lamb Korma)
2. Mango Lassi (Not overly sweet! Love it!)
3. Chicken Momo Sizzler
They just opened, so I highly recommend visiting them before they get popular!
4. Marufuku Ramen (Oakland, CA) $$
Being Half Japanese, I am a snob when it comes to eating good ramen. My favorite broth is Tonkotsu and Marufuku Ramen has perfected it! Typically I order:
1. Hakata Tonkotsu (Get deluxe if you want more meat, otherwise this one is solid)
2. Chicken Karaage
To avoid long waits outside, this location offers Yelp Waitlist! Put your name down on Yelp, and they will tell you when to arrive by! Cool eh? Also, if you are not from the East Bay, don't worry! They have a location in SF Japantown as well!
5. Broderick (Walnut Creek, CA) $$
Burgers have never been a thing for me. I usually satisfy my burger cravings at In-N-Out with a Double Double and Animal Style Fries... But this place blew me away! They have several delicious burger selections and fries! My favorites are:
1. Banh Mi Fries (A MUST GET! OH MY GERD)
2. Johnny Cash Burger
3. Duck Burger
4. Shakes (Nutty Butty, Oreo, Voodoo Cookie)