Editor’s note: Nosh covers food and restaurant news across the East Bay, and each week we publish one article covering all the restaurant openings and one article covering closings. The openings and closings for each month are then compiled into a round-up. Have a tip for Nosh? Submit it here.
Alameda restaurant opening
05.13.25: Alameda’s Xiang Xiang Noodle, a new casual spot for Szechuan specialties like hot pot, Ma La Xiang Guo, dan dan noodles, spicy wontons and more, has opened in the Marina Village shopping center. You’ll also find Hawaiian BBQ and rice bowls on the menu. Xiang Xiang Noodle, 845 Marina Village Pkwy, Alameda
Berkeley restaurant openings
05.20.25: Serving traditional Burmese fare like samosas, garlic noodles and tea leaf salad, Burma Berkeley is now open in what was formerly Royal Rangoon on Telegraph Avenue. Owner Steven Ma, who also owns Burma Burma in Dublin and Burma Light in Folsom, has added Berkeley-specific dishes to the menu, including meat and veggie options with black pepper sauce, dry curry sauce and a special Burma Berkeley sauce. There’s also a full bar with cocktails, non-alcoholic drinks and fruit juices. Burma Berkeley, 2826 Telegraph Ave. (between Oregon St. and Stuart St.,) Berkeley
05.27.25: El Mono, a purveyor of casual Peruvian fare like lomo saltado, ceviche, yucca fries and more, has opened a new outpost on Berkeley’s Fourth Street. (The original location is in El Cerrito.) Stop in for lunch or dinner seven days a week and don’t forget to check out their bar menu, which offers a selection of Peruvian brews and creative cocktails. El Mono, 1300 Fourth St. (at Gilman St.), Berkeley
05.06.25:The Original Mels Express, the retro-style American diner serving burgers, milkshakes, chili fries and chocolate chip pancakes, is now open in Berkeley. The diner has been around since 1947. It’s open daily in Berkeley from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Original Mels Express, 2014 Kala Bagai Way, Berkeley
05.27.25: Berkeley has a new ramen shop to get excited about: Sobo Ramen, also found in Downtown Oakland, is celebrating its soft opening on Milvia St. If you’re feeling adventurous, the spicy Mayu ramen (a rich tonkotsu broth drizzled in black garlic oil and homemade chili sauce) or the whiskey-glazed pork belly ramen are there for you. Sobo Ramen, 2000 Milvia St. (at University Ave.), Berkeley
05.06.25: Grab-and-go sushi rolls, nigiri, fresh summer rolls and poke bowls are now on offer at Sun Sun Sushi Shop, a new takeout restaurant replacing longtime Berkeley institution Sushi California. It’s a great choice for a snack on the go or a quick alternative to meal app delivery. Sun Sun Sushi Shop, 2033 Martin Luther King Jr. Way (at University Ave.), Berkeley.
Castro Valley restaurant opening
06.03.25: A new destination for fresh poke bowls, sushi rolls, seafood burgers and fish and chips has arrived in Castro Valley. Basa Seafood Express, which also has a location in San Francisco, is a casual eat-in restaurant and a great spot to order large sushi platters for parties and gatherings. Basa Seafood Express, 2637 Castro Valley Blvd., Castro Valley
Emeryville restaurant opening
05.13.25: Demiya, which specializes in yoshoku — Western-influenced Japanese comfort food — has opened a new location at Emeryville Public Market. You can get your fill of omurice (Japanese omelette rice), Japanese curry, mentaiko cream udon and Japanese croquettes, among others, Tuesday through Sunday. Demiya, 5959 Shellmound St., Emeryville
Oakland restaurant openings
05.13.25: Cafe Noir has moved from its iconic, mural-clad building on MacArthur Blvd. to West Oakland’s Prescott Market. The Black-owned, French bistro-style cafe is known for its hearty, homemade comfort foods, including the burger with bacon jam, jambalaya and decadent cakes. Swing by and check out the cafe’s latest menu item, the Prescott Bowl, loaded with blackened shrimp, farro, black beans, arugula, cherry tomatoes and pepper relish topped with a cooling herbed crema. Cafe Noir, 1620 18th St. (at Peralta St.), Oakland
05.20.25: Golondrinas Mexican Grill — a cozy, casual restaurant named for the barn swallow — has opened in the former Communitē Table space in Oakland’s Laurel District. Menu highlights include tacos, burritos, house-made mole, cake, flan, pupusa revuelta and aguas frescas. 4171 MacArthur Blvd. (at Maybelle Ave.), Oakland
05.13.25: With feathered ceiling lights, honey-gold accents and delicate art nouveau paneling, French wine bar La Loulou is bringing an ooh la la moment to Piedmont Ave. The bar celebrated its grand opening on May 10, pouring an ever-constant stream of wines from Loire, Bordeaux and Burgundy, as well as some Californian and Italian varieties. Pair your pinot with small bites — think charcuterie, raclette sandwiches, warm olives and veggie quiches — and let yourself be transported to the golden age of Paris’ yesteryear. La Loulou, 4250 Piedmont Ave. (at Glenwood Ave.), Oakland
05.20.25: A new hub for Eritrean and Ethiopian favorites has recently opened on Oakland’s Telegraph Avenue. Yelpers report veggie combos and fish sandwiches, but Ma’adi Selam hasn’t published a menu online yet, so head over in person to check it out for yourself. Ma’adi Selam, 5831 Telegraph Ave. (at 59th St.), Oakland
05.27.25: From the teams behind the acclaimed Ok’s Deli and Ohgane comes Oken, a contemporary Asian-American spot featuring delicacies like ganjang fried chicken, tuna carpaccio and oxtail jjigae in Oakland’s Rockridge district. Oken, which is neko (Japanese for cat) written backwards, blends Korean and Japanese cuisines with some Southeast Asian influences. Check out the recent Nosh feature on Oken for more details on the menu, atmosphere and Ok’s vision for the restaurant. Oken, 6200 Claremont Ave. (at Florio St.), Oakland
06.03.25: It seems that smash burgers are quickly becoming one of Oakland’s greatest loves. Shawlay Burger, Oakland’s latest burger joint, recently opened on Market St. and is open seven days a week, with happy hour offerings every Saturday from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. Check out the Western burger loaded with bacon and barbecue sauce, or sample the mozzarella sticks, onion rings, shakes and desserts. The location was previously known as Shawlay Eritrean & Ethiopian restaurant. Shawlay Burger, 3817 Market St. (at West MacArthur Blvd.), Oakland
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