Two black-and-white images of cats hang side by side on a low cabinet at the back of Oken’s kitchen. Each is labeled with a name—Melon and Pickle. Their regal heads are framed, bearing the same quizzical expressions as B. Kliban’s comic strip cats. Oken spelled backwards in Japanese (neko) means cat. After a recent Saturday night dinner there, I began to envy Melon and Pickle. Those beloved felines must get to chow down on all of the uneaten leftovers once the restaurant’s closed for the day.
Albert Ok, the chef behind Ok’s Deli, has created a magical menu for Oken. One that draws from and honors several different cultures at the same time. For a restaurant to execute such a clear point of view from its inception is a remarkable sleight of hand. Additionally, and not incidentally, the second we arrived the staff were engaged and welcoming. They seemed excited to be working there which, in the hospitality industry, is understandably not always the case. Our server was attentive and knowledgeable about every dish and genuinely interested in our reactions to them. Finding exceptional dishes to eat in the Bay Area isn’t unusual, but pairing them with a group of happy employees is a laudable achievement.
This first iteration of the menu is divided into three categories: cold appetizers, hot appetizers, and soups and entrées. The wine, sake, soju and beer options are listed with the names of their producer, style and price. Baechu, or Napa cabbage, salad ($17) is the first cold item listed. Before we ordered it, I watched it pass by and land at the table next to ours. A cabbage salad sounded unremarkable until I took a good look at it. It was piled high with crispy curls and whorls of burdock root, onions, garlic and potatoes. A few shungiku—edible chrysanthemum—leaves added a pretty, decorative touch to all the layers of crunchy vegetables.
A tomato salad ($17) with an attractive crown of crispy wonton slivers followed. The tomatoes were quartered and arranged in a circle on top of a roasted tomato and tofu spread. Chives, sesame seeds and a sesame ginger dressing finished the dish. Where the baechu salad made cabbage into something daring, the tomato salad landed in more familiar and comforting territory. We should have ordered a hot appetizer, the crispy potato or sichuan popcorn chicken, to contrast with the first plate of greens.
For entrées we tried both the broiled ocean trout ($32) and kalbi ssam, or marinated short rib ($46). The trout, glazed with gochujang, or red chili paste, was a perfect dish to split between two people. It was seared hard, skin-side down, until the fish easily flaked apart with the tines of a fork. Grilled zucchini, fresh cucumber and sprigs of green onion all melded together with the trout under the influence of a tangy citrus soy vinaigrette.
The short rib was boneless and came with a bountiful array of leafy sides to assemble as a lettuce wrap. Four small bowls were filled with kimchi, pickled daikon, a house-made ssamjang dipping sauce and confit garlic. A mini hambaga steak was even served on top of the length of ribs. This entrée should become an Oken signature dish, never to be removed from the menu.
To end the meal we also greedily ordered tsukune dumpling noodle soup ($25). Made with a chicken dashi broth, it was brightly laced with hints of citrus and a massive amount of green onions. The soup was also filled with tsukune dumplings, a soft-boiled egg and housemade egg noodles. The poached chicken was tender and elegantly sliced. This was recognizable as a bowl of ramen but totally reinvented.
Chef Ok has found a way to mix together flavors that he loves without destroying the meaning of the original dish. It’s as if his kitchen runs in a parallel universe in which traditional dishes take on startling new meanings. They won’t replace the old, comforting recipes but they do suggest Oken is making a compelling host of alternative options.
Oken, 6200 Claremont Ave., Oakland. Open Fri-Sat 5–10pm, Thu and Sun 5–9pm. 510.844.4130. IG: @okenoakland. okenoakland.com
