As previously mentioned on tablehopper, OSMANTHUS is the latest to join the list of new Rockridge restaurants—it just opened in the former Nan Yang spot. I was on College Avenue last week and decided to stop by and take a peek. The candlelit room has a sultry feeling, and there’s an intimate bar in the back.
The “modern-classic Asian” menu from chef Julia Klein (previously at Terra in St. Helena) spans Chinese, Japanese, and Southeast Asian dishes, with an array of small plates (like two kinds of chicken wings, dry-fried green beans, mapo tofu, short ribs with kabocha and five spice), plus larger plates like Asian cioppino (sounds intriguing). The fried rice dishes also sound great, like one with Cantonese sausage and another with smoked trout, fried garlic, and ginger. You can read some initial Yelp reports. And there’s a full bar to boot. Open for dinner Tue-Sun. 6048 College Ave. at Florio, Oakland, 510-923-1233.
Ohgane’s new offshoot, COPAN, is now open in the former Sura in Temescal, according to East Bay Express. The Korean-Japanese restaurant from Ohgane’s Micha Oh (with chef Eddie Joo) is serving small plates like scallion pancake, bibimbap, stews, and soups—check out EBX’s scan of the menu. Lunch and dinner daily, 11am-10pm. 4869 Telegraph Ave. at 48th St., Oakland.
I have been tracking the opening of KINGSTON 11 on Facebook for some time now, and it looks like their soft opening period is launching this week (Thursday November 14th)! This Jamaican restaurant—from owners Adrian Henderson, Nigel Jones, and Andre King—started as a pop-up at Guerilla Café in Berkeley and is now launching their long-awaited brick-and-mortar location in Uptown Oakland.
The Jamaican menu (made with organic ingredients) includes small bites like salt fish fritters ($7), plantains with black bean sauce and sour cream ($6), black pepper tofu ($8), and spicy grilled shrimp ($8); larger plates include jerk chicken with rice, peas, and plantains ($14), slash and burn snapper with fried dumplings and green salad ($13), and oxtail stew with white jasmine rice and plantains ($15). There’s also a rum bar with cocktails, plus other spirits, wine, and beer. Dinner service to start Tue-Sat at 5pm, with lunch and Sunday brunch coming in mid-December. 2270 Telegraph Ave. at 23rd St., Oakland, 510-214-2311.
As previously mentioned, TRABOCCO, a new Italian restaurant, is opening in Alameda. We have word now that the new spot is opening on Monday November 18th with dinner service. To recap, the project comes from husband and wife team Giuseppe Naccarelli and Christine Naish Naccarelli and will offer housemade pastas and bread, plus wood-fired pizzas, salads, and roasted meats. You can take a look at the menu right here. Hours are Sun-Thu 5pm-10pm and Fri-Sat 5pm-11pm. In a couple of weeks, they’ll be adding lunch and weekend brunch, as well. South Shore Center at Shoreline Dr., Alameda, 510-521-1152.
The dining room at Osmanthus. Photo: © tablehopper.com.
