Step inside and you'll believe in Unicorn

by Sierra Filucci

   I'm guilty of being enticed by a book's jacket, the label on a bottle of wine and the exterior of a restaurant. Thankfully, a more open-minded friend tried Unicorn Pan-Asian Cuisine on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, and passed along the good news to me.

   The garish sign, the corny name, the dry cleaner next door -- all these things say no to me. But as I step inside, the yeses begin: warm yellow walls, white tablecloths, jewel-toned napkins. The intimate dining room feels toasty and welcoming on this rainy evening.

   Our server, who will usher us gently through our meal, senses our indecision; we're faced with an extensive pan-Asian menu. He tells us about new dishes, including the salmon seasoned with Baba curry, a spice newly imported from Malaysia; and popular items such as the spicy mango prawns with eggplant. His knowledge of the menu is so extensive, I suspect he's more than a hired hand. I find out later that he's the owner..

   Kiet Truong opened Unicorn two years ago with his mother, Kim Truong. Kiet's parents owned a restaurant in Vietnam years ago, where they specialized in Southeast Asian cuisine -- a blend of his mother's Chinese Chao Zhou cooking (which Kiet characterizes as lighter than Cantonese), and his father's experience with Malaysian and Singaporean flavors. Kiet continues his parents' Pan-Asian tradition, focusing on different regions of Asia depending on the availability of ingredients.

   But before we can focus on food, my husband and I need to get warmed up. A pot of organic ginger lemon tea ($4.50) from the carefully selected tea list hits the spot. Suitably warmed, we order two appetizers. The Unicorn Roll ($5.50) is shredded taro, bits of fried tofu, julienned carrots, and a swatch of brilliantly fresh mint leaves wrapped tightly in rice paper and served cold with a slightly spicy soy dipping sauce. So simple and delicious.

   Crispy Mango Prawns ($9) are up next. Ground chicken and a jumbo prawn nestle together with a small strip of mango inside hot, deep-fried won ton wrappers. The thick, pleasantly sweet mango sauce served on the side pulls the tastes and textures together nicely. Switching back and forth between the clean and cool flavors of the taro roll and the hot crispness of the prawns revs up our taste buds for what's to come.

   We take our server's advice and order the Cubed Mignon ($13), which arrives sizzling in a miniature cast-iron pan with thick slices of caramelized onions and firm-cooked green beans in a light oyster sauce. The meat is perfectly seasoned and buttery-tender. Dips in the citrusy salt-pepper sauce only intensify the meat's delectability. I wish we'd thought to order the Coconut Forbidden Rice along with the meat. But our server has thoughtfully brought out the tasty, thick garlic-tomato noodles from our next course to give us a starchy accompaniment.

   So far, everything about Unicorn has been delightfully lush -- from the attentive service to the sensuous flavors -- and we are starting to feel something close to culinary elation when the crowning glory arrives: a huge Dungeness crab (market price) smothered in toasted garlic and buttery scallions. It's simply gorgeous. We begin slowly with the crab, prying sweet flesh from the pink shell, and soon we're so immersed in picking and licking that we've stopped talking.

   Kiet tells me later that he picks up three crabs daily from Oakland's Chinatown. He also shops for vegetables at the farmers market when possible, and hand-picks spices and other ingredients from local merchants.

   He's clearly put an enormous amount of energy into the menu, including the tea and wine selections, so I'm disappointed to see the dessert menu doesn't receive the same attention. Our choice of fried banana with coconut-pineapple ice cream ($5) from a list that includes cheesecake and key lime pie seems like the best match to the food. Kiet explains later that he'd like to hire an in-house pastry chef when the business can support it.

   As we rise to leave, our server gallantly opens the door for us and wishes us a warm goodnight. We're a little giddy from the meal, and this final touch of service seals the deal. Unicorn has thoroughly seduced us.

Sierra Filucci is the food editor at Kitchen Sink Magazine.
Reach her at: sfilucci@hotmail.com.

Unicorn Review visit on November 3, 2003

WHERE: Telegraph Ave., Berkeley

HOURS: 11:30am to 3:00pm and 5:00pm to 10pm
Monday - Friday
12:30pm - 10pm Saturday
and 5pm - 10pm Sunday

PARKING: Center for Independent Living next door is avaialable after 5pm and all day on weekends; validated parking at nearby garage; street parking somewhat difficult.

CONTACT: (510) 841-8098

DATE OPENED: October 30, 2001

CHIEF: Kiet Truong, owner; Kim Truong, chef.

RESERVATIONS: Not normally Necessary.

PRIVATE PARTIES:Call for details.


SERVICE/AMBIENCE

NOISE LEVEL: Very Quiet.

MOOD: Intimate, tranquil, romantic.

RESTROOMS: (including accessibility): Clean.

SPECIAL AREAS: Truong plans to open a lounge in the back room in the next few months.

TIP: $13.20 percent.

SERVICE POINT: Exceptionally knowledgeable and courteous.

FOOD

4 forks (overall value rating of our visit out of a possible 5)

CUISINE: Pan-Asian.

RICES: $8-25 (entrees).

HOME RUN: Dungeness crab.

STRIKEOUT: None.

VEGETARIAN: Good choice of vegetarian and vegan dishes.

KIDS MENU: Will cook to order.

DESSERTS: New York cheesecake, Florida key lime pie, other outside vendors' desserts.

FREEBIES: None.

BEVERAGES: Wine, specialty teas, Illy coffee, Vietnamese iced coffee.

CHECK: $65: two entrees, two appetizers, one dessert, one pot of tea.

The Wine List

The wine list is simply laid out with a diverse but modest selection of well-appointed wines. With the Pan-Asian menu, it appears there has been some thought into selecting the appropriate wines to match the food. The white section is chardonnay-deprived (yeah!) with only three, focusing on the "other whites" -- pinot blanc, pinot gris, riesling, viognier and even a unique Basque white, Getariako Txakolina -- a crisp, dry white with a slight spritz. It sells at double retail for $28. The red selection is oriented toward "food-friendly" wines: Pinot noir, syrah and grenache-based reds work best for this type of cuisine. Pricing on all wines is reasonable and corkage is a mere $8.

-- Jim Meyers