Immersive experiences are trending, but the OG immersive experience is going out to eat. It touches all the senses: sight, touch, sound, smell, and of course taste. But did you know that you can combine a meal or tasting with serious culinary learning, right here in West Berkeley, a few blocks from the SKDA office?
The Cultured Pickle Shop
For a truly immersive 2-hour experience, sit at the chef’s counter and watch owner Kevin Farley as he creates an intricate vegetarian rice bowl with 18-21 ingredients, and listen closely as he explains each ingredient’s detailed origination story. Some fermented ingredients have been in the making for decades and have lineages from other fermented ingredients. Nothing is wasted, for instance they brine nettles in “sake lees”, a byproduct of the sake making process at Takara Sake down the street. I can’t begin to describe the love, care and craft that Kevin and his wife Alex Hozven imbue in each component of the meal. But you can see it in this beautiful bowl:
He and Alex have owned The Cultured Pickle shop for 28 years, and have been offering a sit down experience for the last three. Their vast knowledge of fermentation is much sought after by Michelin star chefs. If you’ve ever wanted to geek out on all things fermented and delicious, this is the place for you! The three course dine-in experience is offered on the weekends only. Call or email for reservations and ask for the chef’s counter!
Mezcal Tasting at El Patio
Join Hamei Hamedi in his private upstairs tasting room at West Berkeley’s El Patio. Hamei is a wealth of knowledge in the art of traditional mezcal making. While you taste a wide array of mezcals, Hamei will walk you through the traditional methods of making ancestral and artisanal mezcal, complete with visual footage of Oaxacan agave harvesting and pit roasting. We had no idea different mezcaleros (master mezcal makers) could create such vastly different flavor profiles!
El Patio also has a pink glowing-interior party bus if you’d like the tasting to come to you!