Soba at lunch or soba at dinner; take your pick. At O Chame in Berkeley, these unparalleled soups are the bedrock of the menu. The noodles can be topped with tofu skins, smoked trout, duck breast or local sardines, among others. Chef-owner David Vardy opened the cafe 20 years ago, blending the best California products with precise Japanese techniques. At dinner he features three main courses, such as grilled rib eye with green chard, edamame and portobello mushrooms. The stucco walls, willowy flower arrangements and softly lit soffits give the interior a serenely upscale look.

 
Specialties: Soba or udon noodles (with pork tenderloin and mustard greens, or smoked trout with spinach); seared tuna sashimi with braised leeks; mushroom and green onion pancake; sherry custard; caramel-balsamic gelato.

Hours

Lunch 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. daily, dinner 5:30-9 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., until 9:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat.

Cuisines

• California
• Japanese

Features

• Beer and wine
• Corkage ($10)
• Credit Cards: Accepted
• Delivery/Take out
• High Chairs
• Outdoor Seating
• Parking: Free Lot
• Reservations: Accepted
• Seating (50 (plus eight at the bar and 20 on patio))