My regular lunch stop these days
One of The Clog‘s editors said: “Let’s do a cafe crawl around campus.” I happened to have tried almost everything at UCafe and been going there forever these days, so I took up that part of the crawl. I sent a 466-word essay to the editor, right before I saw her email from 5 minutes earlier: “hey guys, cuz we’ll do 5 cafes total, let’s make it 100-150 words each”. Haha oops. Cutting time. Here’s the finished product.
Here’s my original 466 words. With pictures. 😉
“Since its grand opening last fall, UCafe on the South side has proved to be a reliable supplier of the Spanish bun (ham, cheese and sausage in a roll), the perfect $1.95 filler for those 10 minutes between classes.
Convenience:
It takes 1 minute to walk from Hearst Gym to UCafe, which is next to the post office at the Durant-Bowditch corner (yes, the post office with the most terrible customer service ever!). In UCafe, most of the pastries are placed in glass cabinets, you walk in, grab a tray at the front, a sheet of bakery paper and a pair of tongs, and start choosing. Even during the lunch rush, it doesn’t take more than 5 minutes to walk in and out of UCafe with your lunch if you already know what you want from the cabinets. If you have more time, a banh mi is worth the wait, and watching the kitchen staff rolling the dough into batches of ready-to-bake sausage rolls or the pâté getting spread inside your sandwich makes time go by faster.
There is enough seating for three by the window ledge, but almost nobody ever sits there.
Variety:
Clockwise from top left: pork bun, mango mousse, pork-and-green-onion roll, macadamia black devil (basically, rectangular chocolate muffin with nuts)
Clockwise from top left: patechaud (brioche with minced pork, $1.50), mini chocolate mousse ($3.95), cold cut banh mi ($3.25), lychee green tea (with lychee jelly, $3.50)
For the moment, only two kinds of banh mi are available: cold cuts ($3.25) and grilled pork ($2.75). However, the pastry selection is huge: several kinds of bread loaves, savory buns with sausage, beef, pork and chicken fillings, sweet buns with bean paste, berry and pineapple fillings, mooncakes, shortcakes, cookies, chocolate-muffin-like “butter bread”, etc. They also have a colorful assortment of macaroons, $1.25 each and “buy 4 get 1 free”.
To add to the young, chic but casual look of the café, the cake assortment and a multitude of milk tea and smoothie flavors are pleasing to the eyes and affordable for a student budget.
Price:
The cabinet pastries are all under $3, the mini cakes and regular-size drinks are under $4. One time they only accepted credit card for purchase over $15, I struggled to get up to $14.95 and the guy took pity on me and swiped my card anyway. Thank goodness they have no credit card limit now.
Taste:
Of course, you get what you pay for. Their cakes tend to be too sweet, the macaroons don’t appear with the best texture, and the banh mi is not made with the correct type of airy, scrumptious Vietnamese bread it’s supposed to be. But the overall taste is satisfactory, at least with the savory sausage buns.
To sum it up, UCafe is not a café where you sit and study while stylishly savoring your croissant with a cup of latte-art cappuccino. You can’t meet someone there for coffee either. But from there you can pick up a satisfying 2-minute lunch to go. It’s honest and no frills.”
Address: UCafe
2550 Durant Ave (between Bowditch St & Telegraph Ave)
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 981-1853
Great website! I am loving it!! Will be back later to read some more. I am taking your feeds also.
1Usually I don’t learn article on blogs, but I would like to say that this write-up very forced me to take a look at and do it! Your writing taste has been amazed me. Thanks, quite great post.
2Very interesting subject, appreciate it for posting. “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” by George Ellis.
3Hello my family member! I wish to say that this post is amazing, nice written and include approximately all significant infos. I’d like to peer extra posts like this .
4I have recently started a site, the info you offer on this web site has helped me tremendously. Thanks for all of your time & work. “If you would know strength and patience, welcome the company of trees.” by Hal Borland.
5An fascinating discussion is worth comment. I think that you must write extra on this matter, it might not be a taboo topic however typically individuals are not sufficient to speak on such topics. To the next. Cheers
6You completed certain good points there. I did a search on the matter and found mainly persons will have the same opinion with your blog.
7Really nice style and design and fantastic written content, very little else we need :D.
8I was suggested this blog by my cousin. I’m not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my problem. You’re wonderful! Thanks!
9Hi! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any issues with hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing several weeks of hard work due to no back up. Do you have any solutions to prevent hackers?
10very good put up, i actually love this web site, keep on it
11I gotta favorite this site it seems very useful very helpful
12I don’t unremarkably comment but I gotta admit thankyou for the post on this special one :D.
13I think this is one of the most vital information for me. And i am glad reading your article. But want to remark on few general things, The website style is great, the articles is really great :D. Good job, cheers
14I don’t usually comment but I gotta say appreciate it for the post on this special one :D.
15I believe you have noted some very interesting details , regards for the post.
16certainly like your website but you need to check the spelling on several of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling issues and I find it very bothersome to tell the truth nevertheless I will certainly come back again.
17I’ve read several good stuff here. Definitely worth bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how so much attempt you set to create any such wonderful informative site.
18You are my breathing in, I possess few blogs and rarely run out from brand :). “‘Tis the most tender part of love, each other to forgive.” by John Sheffield.
19Its like you read my mind! You seem to know a lot about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with a few pics to drive the message home a bit, but instead of that, this is excellent blog. A fantastic read. I’ll certainly be back.
20Very interesting details you have observed, appreciate it for posting.
21Hello, Neat post. There is a problem with your site in internet explorer, would check this?K IE nonetheless is the market chief and a big component to other folks will miss your magnificent writing due to this problem.
22I’ve been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this web site. Thanks, I’ll try and check back more often. How frequently you update your website?
23Hey there, I think your blog might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your blog in Opera, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, awesome blog!
24I really enjoy looking at on this web site, it holds good content. “It is easy to be nice, even to an enemy – from lack of character.” by Dag Hammarskjld.
25Fantastic post however , I was wondering if you could write a litte more on this topic? I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit further. Many thanks!
26so much excellent info on here, :D.
27A lot of thanks for every one of your efforts on this site. Kate takes pleasure in setting aside time for investigation and it’s easy to understand why. All of us hear all regarding the lively mode you provide efficient things on this blog and strongly encourage participation from some other people on the subject so our own daughter is truly studying a great deal. Enjoy the rest of the year. You’re doing a pretty cool job.
28I’ve been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this blog. Thank you, I will try and check back more frequently. How frequently you update your site?
29Hmm it looks like your blog ate my first comment (it was super long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I submitted and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I as well am an aspiring blog writer but I’m still new to everything. Do you have any suggestions for novice blog writers? I’d definitely appreciate it.
30I simply needed to thank you very much yet again. I do not know the things that I would’ve tried without these tricks revealed by you relating to such theme. It actually was the frightful concern in my position, however , finding out a well-written tactic you processed the issue forced me to cry for delight. I will be grateful for the help and wish you are aware of an amazing job that you’re accomplishing educating others by way of your web page. Most probably you haven’t met any of us.
31It’s really a great and helpful piece of information. I am glad that you shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
32Wow! This can be one particular of the most useful blogs We have ever arrive across on this subject. Actually Fantastic. I’m also an expert in this topic so I can understand your hard work.
33Hello there, You have done a fantastic job. I’ll certainly digg it and personally suggest to my friends. I’m confident they’ll be benefited from this web site.
34Hiya, I am really glad I have found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossips and net and this is actually annoying. A good web site with exciting content, that is what I need. Thank you for keeping this web-site, I’ll be visiting it. Do you do newsletters? Can’t find it.
35Sweet blog! I found it while searching on Yahoo News. Do you have any tips on how to get listed in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Cheers
36Perfect piece of work you have done, this internet site is really cool with fantastic info .
37That is the fitting weblog for anyone who desires to search out out about this topic. You understand a lot its virtually laborious to argue with you (not that I really would want…HaHa). You positively put a brand new spin on a subject thats been written about for years. Nice stuff, simply nice!
38Lovely just what I was searching for.Thanks to the author for taking his time on this one.
39Thanks – Enjoyed this post, can I set it up so I receive an update sent in an email when there is a new post?
40Perfect work you have done, this site is really cool with great information.
41But wanna comment on few general things, The website design is perfect, the subject material is real superb : D.
42I got what you mean ,saved to favorites, very decent site.
43WONDERFUL Post.thanks for share..extra wait .. …
44I like this post, enjoyed this one appreciate it for posting .
45Real instructive and great body structure of content material, now that’s user genial (:.
46I like what you guys are up too. Such clever work and reporting! Keep up the superb works guys I’ve added you guys to blogroll.
47Good day! I could have sworn I’ve been to this site before but after checking through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back often!
48I have read several excellent stuff here. Certainly price bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how a lot effort you place to make one of these wonderful informative site.
49I am really enjoying the theme/design of your blog. Do you ever run into any internet browser compatibility issues? A couple of my blog audience have complained about my blog not working correctly in Explorer but looks great in Firefox. Do you have any suggestions to help fix this issue?
50