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. Have a tip for Nosh? Submit it here.
JQ&B Liu Shang Pin
Food writer Richard Sterling once said that the durian emits an odor as if it were “garnished with a gym sock,” but this spiky fruit amounts to more than just its smell. It’s hailed as the King of Fruits across Southeast Asia, and those brave enough to break through its hostile shell are rewarded with the taste of its incredibly sweet, creamy and custardy flesh inside. JQ&B Liu Shang Pin, a specialty durian shop that recently opened in Richmond’s Pacific East Mall, is somewhat of a shrine to this oft-misunderstood delicacy. The shop is no-frills and to the point: inside, you’ll find four freezer cases of whole Malaysian durians wrapped in gold foil that go for as high as $23.99 per pound, but nothing to the tune of durian-flavored drinks or desserts. Check out KQED’s write-up of the shop to learn more. JQ&B Liu Shang Pi, Pacific East Mall (3288 Pierce St.), Richmond
Round Table Pizza
Round Table Pizza is the latest addition to Oakland’s Hegenberger Gateway Center. The opening comes after a slew of restaurants left the Hegenberger business corridor in recent months, including In-N-Out, two Starbucks stores, a Subway, a Denny’s and a Black Bear Diner. Round Table Pizza, 8450 Edgewater Drive, Oakland
Shake Shack
If Shake Shack is playing favorites, it appears that San Jose has landed in the burger chain’s good graces. While its Oakland location shuttered in August, Shake Shack’s third San Jose storefront opened in the Westgate Center on Oct. 17th. It’s a little outside Nosh’s normal coverage area, but we wanted any readers who have been craving the chain’s crinkle-cut fries, shakes and burgers to know to head to the South Bay. A fourth location is underway on Bascom Avenue, per Mercury News. Shake Shack, 1600 Saratoga Ave. (Westgate Center), San Jose
Simmer and Steamer
Thanks to a reader tip, Nosh learned that Simmer and Steamer, a fast-casual purveyor of Korean rice bowls, has opened on Kala Bagai Way in Berkeley. You’ll find hearty options like the galbi beef rice bowl, kimchi fried rice and pork belly curry bowl on the menu at decently affordable prices. Simmer and Steamer, 2012 Kala Bagai Way, Berkeley
Teta Nahla
Mohammad Abutaha, founder of Uptown Oakland’s popular Palestinian-Jordanian restaurant Shawarmaji, debuted his newest venture this week: Teta Nahla, a destination for “Arab soul food” that, unless you were part of Abutaha’s family growing up, you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. Abutaha named the restaurant after his grandmother, whose culinary skill inspired his career as a chef and steward of his homeland’s flavors. The San Francisco Chronicle reported on the opening. Teta Nahla, 2123 Franklin St., Oakland
