"Cheeseboard" in Boston

One of the few icons in the Berkeley eating scene, besides Chez Panisse, is the more accessible Cheeseboard Pizza. It's located in the so-called gourmet ghetto in North Berkeley on Shattuck, and sells only one type of pizza each day (click here to check for the pizza of the day). Slices are sold at $2.50 each, and they usually give you a tiny sliver with each order. That means if you're buying a slice each for you and your friend, you should make 2 separate orders. They also usually have a jazz band playing live on weekends.















Cheeseboard Upper Crust

The Cheeseboard sells my favorite pizza period. They used to say that at Cal, it was between Fat Slice and Blondie's -- yeah right, for 2nd place maybe.

I finally found a suitable Cheeseboard substitute in the Boston area last week. Since D(iscovery) day, I've been there 4 times in 7 days. They have been around since 2001, and they are actually a chain (the Cheeseboard is unique, and a co-op). I've seen the store on Newbury Street, but I never actually tried them till they opened the store in Harvard Square.

Upper Crust sells thin pizza, and they sell more than 1 type of pizza each day. I have only tried the slices of the day so far, and I like them. For $3.50, you get a slice the size of 2 regular slices. The food is fresh and tasty and cheap. Plus it allows me to nourish my Norcal nostalgia.

Differences (for people who care to know):
1. Pizza at the Cheeseboard has a slightly thicker crust, that is baked till hard and crispy. Upper Crust's slices are thin and floppy, allowing you to fold them (New York style). They have an excellent edge that is crunchy though.

2. The Cheeseboard sells only 1 type of pizza each day, so the pizza needs to be friendly to all, aka vegetarian. At least I think that is how they work. I've never eaten a slice with meat on it. Upper Crust puts meat on their slice of the day some times. On those days, vegetarians can order from the rest of their menu.

3. The Upper Crust sells wings. The Cheeseboard has expanded to include a daily salad, and a daily dessert since my college days, but those are sort of complementary. I think the Upper Crust was trying to appeal to the football watching crowd, although they do serve salads.

4. The Cheeseboard has live jazz. The Upper Crust plays contemporary pop cds.

Conclusoin: The Cheeseboard comes first for me. Upper Crust can take its place above Fat Slice and Blondie's, but I don't think it rivals the best.

Korean Fried Chicken in Boston

I first found out about Korean fried chicken from a couple of New York Times articles. It sounded delicious and exciting. Unfortunately I didn't know where to go in Boston to get some. By accident, I discovered a tiny restaurant in Allston that sells a version of Korean fried chicken.

The restaurant is called Color, and it's at 166 Harvard Ave. It's a tiny place with about 8 tables, and a great appetizer menu. I first discovered this place when I asked a Korean friend where I could get soondae (I saw it in a drama). Soondae was an acquired taste for me. The fried chicken was an instant revelation.

These days besides the Color fried chicken, other dishes I like are the ra-bokki, kimchi pancake, and soondae. I also highly recommend the seafood soft tofu chigae. I do not recommend the jap chae, or the seafood stew over rice, or the fried calamari. The stirfried calamari is awesome though.

I like the casual ambience of the place (it is also a bolba cafe), but some people find the bright colors annoying.
I guess it would only be right to update this: you can find the famous NYC "Bonchon" korean fried chicken at this bar/restaurant place called Privus which is around the corner from Color. I don't think it was as good as the Bonchon chicken in NYC, and it just didn't feel like it was worth twice the price of what I paid at Color. I think I like the homeliness of the food at Color.

A treat from Chinatown

I discovered something new and delicious in the Chinese bakery, and it's not an egg tart. It looks like a giant fluffy marshmallow, but there wasn't a label in the display so I don't have name for it. Let me call it the Chinese mochi.

It's softer than a Japanese mochi, but still chewy. The outside of the rice dough is dusted with unsweetened shreds of coconut. The rice dough is barely sweet, possibly unsweetened. The inside is a filling of sesame seeds, peanut bits, shredded coconut and sugar. It's sweet, but not overwhelming such that when you chew it, everything blends harmoniously. The smooth chewy outside contrasts well with the crunch of peanuts, the occasional sugar granule, and the rough coconut bits. It's roughly half the size of my fist, which is kinda huge. Just one makes an ample treat. At 70 cents a piece, it's a bargain.


I got mine at Ho Yuen Bakery in Boston's Chinatown, but it must be available elsewhere. I've been there twice, and it seems to sell out a little past mid-afternoon on Saturdays. I think they will look lovely in a box for the next time I need to bring snacks to a friend's place.