Nunu’s Cafe
1724 Mandela Parkway #3
Oakland
West Oakland is widely known as a food desert, vast stretches of it devoid of any victuals outside of corner-store fare. And don’t get me wrong — as a foot-bound resident I am endlessly grateful to those purveyors of overpriced seltzer water (when it’s in stock, that is) and emergency bags of sugar to feed my Very Hungry Kombucha. But affordable and healthy food is hard to come by on near every stretch that is not 7th and Mandela, which houses the sweetest co-op around.
Small but mighty may be the neighborhood businesses’ calling card, though, as some of these businesses have been serving their publics for 10 or 15 years, in the cases of coffee shop Kilovolt and Mandela, respectively. Give us something good and we’ll stay loyal. Okay, give us something and we’ll be there.
A few years back the (cursed) Milkyway Cafe was replaced by Nunu’s, a charming breath of fresh air after its acrid-coffee-microwaved-mug-cake predecessor. They have no website, are closed on Sundays, when there is a farmer’s market with very coffee options a block away, and the awning-covered plate glass windows make it difficult to discern how open they are. But they boast a menu with an interesting mix of food choices and green juices, and they’re, well, there, so off I set.
Half of the small space lies behind the counter, with a couple of low couches and some window-facing bar stools. After ordering our lunch, my friend and I sat to observe the parkway and its midweek, midday pedestrians while awaiting our food.
Our brightly colored beverages were handed over first, chosen from a limited but more than serviceable, not to mention fairly priced, health-focused juices and smoothies. My “Green Blast” juice required some vigorous mixing to homogenize, which was near impossible to do until I’d taken a few sips, but the kale, celery, cucumber, apple, and lemon made for a gentler kind of green juice. With a light hand on all non-celery ingredients, it was just a hair rounder, sweeter, and more bodied than liquid the stalk alone produces, and quite good. A near-electric color derived naturally never hurts either, and I feel certain I’ll coming running back when the hankering arises — seven bucks per craving is a whole lot less of an investment than a worthwhile juicer.
The “Berry Blend” smoothie, made of fresh squeezed OJ, strawberry, raspberry, and mango, was thinner, tarter, and lighter than either of us expected, but after a few acclimating sips we deemed it delicious. And when I put my finger on what the most prominent, nostalgic flavor coming through was we were confused: we could see a large, clear and colored plastic orange juicer feet away, we could see the lovely pink and spotted seeds of the strawberries, yet the drink’s taste was a dead ringer for a spoon full of frozen orange juice concentrate. This is far from a complaint or accusation, merely a need to share the confusion that has been rattling in my brain for days now.
Soon our food was up too, with equally reasonably priced “deluxe” avocado toast, and everything bagel with vegan cream cheese and more avocado, and a Greek salad. Though their pastries are from Starter Bakery, which makes excellent baked goods, the bagel was … not worth many words. Suffice to say its texture and flavor left much to be desired, as did the unseasoned fruit and tofu cream that managed to give big unbaked Pillsbury crescent roll vibes, in both scent and taste, and that the sum of these perhaps perfectly good parts was less than stellar.
The toast and salad, however, were lovely, if unconventional. The mixed greens were fresh, the cheese soft and bringing exactly the right level of salt and umami, and the vinaigrette tangy and delicious. Thinly sliced apples were a surprise but nice left turn, making for crunchy balanced bites with the red onion, grape tomatoes, and cucumber. No bell peppers or dried cranberries were in sight, nor were they missed, and the black olives, whole and from a can, were a miss but did not taint any of the other ingredients — I simply suggest saving them for the pizzas.
The soft, thick slice of oat-and-groat flecked toast was topped with a generous hand of fresh, lemony avocado mash, sliced radishes, halved grape tomatoes, a fried egg, and nice portion of small sprouts. I prefer a softer, creamy yolk, oozy even, but as I did not specify said preference, this harder finish was fine. The peppery radishes and sprouts were excellent additions, and everyone’s favorite fruit (avocado) maintained center stage in the melange, providing plenty of creamy mouthfeel. Few condiments were available and I would have loved a bit more of a kick, but found this a satisfying slice and excellent, slightly heartier companion to the salad.
Nunu’s Cafe is open Monday-Friday from 7:30 – 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:30 – 2 p.m.
