Dining Out

Go East, Restauranteur!

Levende East Brings an Upscale S.F. Lounge Vibe to Oakland

    If you’ve got three of something, so the saying goes, you’ve got a trend. And while journalists are sometimes too eager to declare the existence of one, in the case of new Oakland restaurants, it’s not a stretch to say the movement of San Francisco restaurants to this side of the Bay is a trend. Maybe it’s cheaper rent, better weather or easier parking, but by my count, there are now four new restaurants that have either relocated from San Francisco or opened second locations in Oaktown: B, Somerset, Wood Tavern and, now, Levende East, a hip supper club that set up shop in the increasingly appealing Old Oakland neighborhood in June.
    The restaurant took over the space formerly occupied by the Rex sports bar, but you’d hardly recognize the place now. With its graffiti-style art on the walls, spindly chandeliers, dark hues of brown and maroon, and DJs spinning tunes on a resonant sound system, Levende East reprises the loungey vibe of the original San Francisco location. A long kiri-wood bar, soaring ceiling, exposed-brick wall and big windows complete the look.
    The food is an eclectic mix of Asian, Latin and Mediterranean. For the Oakland location, executive chef Arren Caccamo reduced the number of small-plate dishes and added more entrees. But given the nightclub feel of the place and the party people that populate it, the small-plates-and-drinks concept seems a better fit. And on my two visits, it was the small dishes that stood out.
    The mini lamb and tuna burgers ($9) are great cocktail food: The lamb burgers are generously seasoned with cumin and served with an onion chutney, and the tuna burger packs a little heat from Sriracha chili-garlic sauce and wasabi oil. Beet and goat cheese salad has been done to death, but Levende East’s version ($12)—with its pecan-crusted baked cheese, al dente chioga beets and haystack of green beans and mizuna—still manages to be fresh.
    The heirloom tomato and mozzarella panzanella ($10) is another good nibbler because late summer tomatoes are so delicious. The dense, house-made cheese pairs well with the tomatoes, but when I think of bread salad, I imagine rough cubes of toasted—but still chewy—day-old bread rather than the thin slices of crisp bread served with this salad.
    The sweetness of lobster and coconut milk are a good match in the coconut-miso soup ($8). Silky lobster ravioli float in a light broth that’s enlivened with snap peas, green onions and daikon radish sprouts. My only quibble was the soup wasn’t hot enough.
    The crisp and light spice-dusted Kennebec fries ($7), served with a chive and smoked cheddar dipping sauce, are a winner, too.
    Bigger plates didn’t fare as well, however. The guava-glazed baby back ribs ($17) were unimpeachably tender, but the fruity sauce coupled with the mashed plantains served underneath made the entree too sweet by half. Tamago sautéed halibut ($22) was fresh and perfectly cooked, but it was hard to find any tamago—Japanese for egg—in evidence. Perhaps it referred to the tobiko (flying fish eggs) and sesame aioli served with it? In any case, it’s a decent but less than exciting dish. The same goes for the roasted pheasant ($22). I don’t often see pheasant on a menu, but unfortunately, this heavily crusted bird and gummy, flavor-challenged porcini rice cakes added up to a mediocre dish.
    Desserts are big and bold. The chocolate peanut butter pie ($7) is essentially a monster-sized Reese’s peanut butter cup, except it’s armored with a thick Oreo cookie crust. This rich and intense dessert is definitely for two to share. Or three.
    Freezing the toffee mousse ($7) made it strangely dense for a dessert known for its loft, and the macadamia brittle scattered on top was uncharacteristically soft. In addition to the odd textures, the combination of the two made for an overpoweringly sweet dessert. Other choices include chocolate-covered strawberry cheesecake ($7), caramel banana French toast ($7) and Key lime chantilly ($7).
    In addition to the list of specialty cocktails (including a full page devoted to the mighty margarita), Levende East has an extensive and well-selected wine list that goes beyond the same old Chardonnay, Cab and Merlot. Given the sweet-and-spicy slant of many dishes, the off-dry Dr. Loosen Riesling ($11 a glass) was a perfect match for my tuna burger. The short but descriptive blurbs under each selection make choosing easier.
    Some servers were well versed in the wine list, but others were easily stumped by questions. That on-and-off competence characterizes service at Levende East in general.
    Call it a trendy restaurant or just a cool place for food and drinks, Levende East hits more than it misses and is a welcome addition to downtown Oakland’s growing food scene.
    Levende East. Eclectic. Serves lunch 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Mon.–Fri. and dinner 5 p.m.–11 p.m. Mon.–Sat. 827 Washington St., (510) 835-5585. Credit Cars accepted, full bar, wheelchair access, $$.