The Other Critics

Tsai Loves Juhu Beach Club; Roth Says b. patisserie ‘Beats a Plane Ticket to Paris Any Day’

Mistry's pavs.
Mistry’s pavs.

Luke Tsai has some thoughts on Preeti Mistry’s Juhu Beach Club, finally in a permanent home in Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood. He says that while he can’t vouch for the authenticity of Mistry’s take on Indian street foods — Editor’s Note: Can we just stop batting that word around for god’s sake? Who cares? — he can say it’s delicious. He loves the “starch and starch masterpiece” that is Mistry’s vada pav (a fried potato-puff sandwich, basically), and he says her gujarati-style samosas are “among the best I’ve eaten.” He also applauds her “Mom’s Guju Chili,” a vegetarian soup modeled after her mother’s version of moong dal, though he says it could maybe use more “searing heat” on the spice front. And he calls her chicken leg curry “comfort food, pure and simple.” The only thing he says doesn’t work are the “Vindaloo” chicken wings with blue-cheese raita. [EBX, Kauffman’s earlier take]

And over at the Weekly, Anna Roth adores the French pastries and Viennoiserie at Belinda Leong’s b. patisserie (2821 California at Divis). She calls out always amazing kouign ammans, the “glorious” croissants, the chocolate-vanilla choux, and the passion fruit-almond bostock. Also, she says the space is “a pleasant place to sit and eat,” and she’s quick to head off detractors when it comes to the prices. “At $6.50 a pastry and $11 a sandwich, none of it comes especially cheap — but it beats a plane ticket to Paris any day.” [SF Weekly]

Tsai Loves Juhu Beach Club; Roth Says b. patisserie ‘Beats a Plane Ticket