Octopus souvlaki is among the dishes at the Alora Social. The new San Ramon restaurant opened in March.
Brianna Danner/Provided by Lianna Wehrung
Alora Social, a new Mediterranean restaurant in San Ramon, opened in March.
Alora Social
Burgers with Korean ingredients, Lao-Thai flavors and a new Japanese-style noodle shop: New restaurant openings in the East Bay brought a wide spread of Asian flavors in March.
Lovers of Mediterranean fare also have a couple of new spots to check out.
Click here for a roundup of notable East Bay restaurants that opened in February.
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From the Mediterranean coast to the East Bay
The owners of Mediterranean restaurant Alora on San Francisco’s Embarcadero have opened their latest venture in San Ramon. Alora Social opened at the Bishop Ranch mall, bringing shareable plates in a more laid-back restaurant compared to its sibling in the city. The menu includes a variety of dips and breads; mezze like Turkish-style yogurt and marinated chicken wings; and octopus souvlaki with Spanish chorizo and golden potato. Whole grilled fish and brick-pressed chickens with roasted vegetables are among the entrees.
6000 Bollinger Canyon Rd., Suite 1100, San Ramon. visitalora.com/alora-social
Bright Southeast Asian cooking arrives
Flavors from Laos and the bordering Isan region of Thailand have a new home in El Cerrito. Pakaoma is now cooking curries and pad Thai along with Lao-style steamed catfish in banana leaves and khao soi. The menu includes shareable plates like spicy dumplings stuffed with marinated pork, chicken satay and fried shrimp rolls. Yelp users reported the restaurant opened in early March.
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1880 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. pakaomathailao.com
Cheesecake and meats pull up to Oakland
Crazy Block Cheesecakes, a popular vendor at farmers markets in Alameda and Fremont, is expanding its offering at a new fixed location. The new restaurant, with brick walls featuring mural-sized anime and videogame characters, offers an eclectic mix of food including latkes, smoked barbecue and loaded fries. Of course, New York-style cheesecakes in flavors like banana-coffee, ube-blueberry and Hennessey praline will still be available.
3355 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. instagram.com/crazyblockcheesecakes
Traveling coffee stand finds a home
Fans of Soul Blends’ Coffee Roasters, a steady presence at farmers markets in Oakland, rejoice. Soul Blends’ espresso and drip drinks can be found every day at its new West Oakland location. The Black-owned business prepares drinks using African coffees. Eater SF reported the opening.
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3207 Louise St., Oakland. soulblendscoffee.com
Customers wait in line at the grand opening of the new Marugame Udon restaurant in Alameda. The noodle restarant offers udon noodles in a variety of broths and sauces.
Mario Cortez / S.F. Chronicle.
Udon chain expands presence
Alameda noodle heads just got a new spot for thick, bouncy noodles. Marugame Udon opened in Alameda’s South Shore Center at the start of March, drawing long lines. Bowls come filled with udon and your choice of dashi broth, pork broth or a sauce base, and your choice of protein. Add-ons include fresh fried tempura vegetables or shrimp. Other Bay Area Marugame Udon locations operate in San Francisco, Berkeley, San Ramon and Palo Alto.
2249 South Shore Center, Suite 330, Alameda. marugameudon.com
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Burgers and fried rice now cooking at food hall
Prescott Market, the long-in-the-works food hall in West Oakland, has served its first diners. Tenants getting an early start inside the spacious hall include Almanac Beer Co., West Oakland Farmers Market fixture Woo Can Cook and Fast Times Burgers, which specializes in crispy smashburgers. A High Wire Coffee kiosk is also preparing drinks and offering pastries from mochi muffin makers Third Culture Bakery. The whole lineup of vendors, which includes butcher counter Prescott Meats and a Pizzeria Violetta location, are scheduled to open April 5.
1620-1640 18th St., Oakland. westoaklandfarmersmarket.org/markethall
Hayward got a new location of smash burger restaurant Oh G Burger in March.
Cesar Hernandez / The Chronicle
More Korean-influenced smashburgers
Oh G Burger is now making smash burgers in Hayward. The burger restaurant presses and flips patties that run the gamut from classic double cheeseburgers to bulgogi burgers, with a sweet glaze on the patties and heat from a spicy ssamjang paste. Oh G Burger is a joint project between the owners of East Bay Korean barbecue chain Ohgane and fried chicken spot Chimmelier. This location joins others in Oakland and Berkeley.
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1213 A St., Hayward. ohgburgers.com
Old fave gets a new tenant
The Well has taken over the Oakland space that Mediterranean restaurant and bar Shakewell, which closed last August, once called home. East Bay Nosh reports the new project brings burgers, wood-fired pizza and meaty cuts of beef, lamb and pork.
3407 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. thewell-oakland.com
A food truck’s new crib
A San Leandro food truck known for over-the-top fried rolls with crab and shrimp has a fixed location in Oakland’s Dimond District location. Saucy Hut is now serving its rolls along with hoagies with steak and hot links and loaded fries. It took over the vacancy left by Puerto Rican restaurant La Perla, which relocated to Castro Valley. East Bay Nosh reported the arrival.
3409 Fruitvale Ave., Oakland. instagram.com/thesaucyhut
Reach Mario Cortez: mario.cortez@sfchronicle.com