38 Essential Restaurants in the East Bay

"Chef Nora Haron places Nusantara cuisine front and center at her Walnut Creek restaurant SanDai, where she showcases her take on dishes from the Malay archipelago of Southeast Asia through the lens of Northern California produce. Diners can’t go wrong with the satay options to start, though Haron’s seafood preparations are also packed with flavor such as the recent ikan pepes, a whole rainbow trout wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. The adjacent Kopi Bar is also worth a visit if you have less time to sit and eat, with pastries made fresh daily, plus a selection of specialty coffee and lattes." - Dianne de Guzman, Eater Staff