The Other Critics

Bauer Raves About Ippuku, Even Loves the Chicken Tartare

Minced chicken with braised turnips.
Minced chicken with braised turnips. Photo: Laura Morton/Chron

Mr. Bauer says that entering Berkeley’s new Japanese eatery Ippuku is like “moving into a separate world,” and he says “everything is geared to your pace,” whether you’re just there for drinks and bar snacks, or a full meal. He loves many of the various chicken dishes, recommending the simple chicken wing as well as his favorite, minced chicken with turnips, “an earthy, soulful dish” that he says he “would come by for weekly if I had the chance.” As for the chicken tartare: “It has a texture akin to tuna tartare with a meatier flavor, creamy from being chopped. It’s loaded with spices and chiles and scattered with radish sprouts.” We still would never order it. [Chron]

Bauer Raves About Ippuku, Even Loves the Chicken Tartare