Cultured Pickle Shop 800 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94710

"Outstanding rice and pickle bowls in the weekend. Exceptional variety of fermented and pickled vegetables. These people understand pickling and fermentation."

"What a gem! Some of the best fermented foods I've ever tasted, and I regularly go to farmers markets and places like Rainbow for similar products. Glad I stopped by on a Saturday as they were busy with brunch. The owners took the time to explain the items I picked out despite being busy with dining patrons. Unique and photogenic!"

"Brunch here was a magical and delicious window into the possibilities of fermented foods. I may never look at a pickle or daikon the same way again."

"What a hidden gem, absolutely amazing food, make sure to stop by on weekends for fantastic 3-course lunch, so good!"

"This space works primarily as a fermentation/ culturing space but on weekends they host a rice and pickles meal for 22 dollars (as of this posting) with a few additional and delicious add ons. To start, the bowl is compiled of 7-8 different projects each with their own complex flavors and textures. After the bowl, you're served a delicious sweet bite. The owners give you a run down of each item in the bowl so you understand the process and intentionality behind the days spread. We ended up sitting at our table for a while because they had an assortment of fermentation cookbooks to browse while eating. After finishing our meal, we checked out their Deli case which was wonderfully stocked with kimichis, cultured veggies, kombucha, and other seasonal specials. What was particularly exciting was their yuzu koshu and umeboshi! My spouse makes her own kombucha but their flavor profiles here are so unique that we had to buy a couple bottles. The owners are happy to chat with you about any fermenting / culturing questions you have and offered to take us into their fermenting cave (i.e. A walk in fridge set to optimal fermenting temperatures) to show us projects they have been working on (some of them are almost 10 years old!). They've been in the fermenting game for a long time and are a delight to talk to. We loaded up on goodies from their shop and can't wait to come back whenever we can!"