The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) is teaming up with Chef Nora Haron to re-launch Kopi Bar and Bakery within the museum's walls. The San Francisco Chronicle once called it "one of the best coffee shops in the San Francisco Bay Area." Now, Downtown Berkeley will get to savor its unique Indonesian-Californian café culture. The café will be open to the public, with no admission needed to enjoy its culinary delights, and it's set to start serving up this fall, according to a statement obtained by BAMPFA.
Having attended the San Francisco Baking Institute and flexed her culinary muscles at various prestigious Bay Area establishments, Haron is a force to be reckoned with. She's bringing her ten-year sourdough starter for that deep flavor and locally-sourced ingredients that are both sustainable and richly flavorful. The menu promises a taste adventure with dishes like the Calamansi Olive Oil Cake and the Mushroom Melt Sandwich with House Sambal. The café plans to create dishes and drinks that artistically sync up with museum installations, ensuring there's "always something new to discover," BAMPFA’s Executive Director Julie Rodrigues Widholm shared in the announcement.
The café’s anticipated Wednesday-through-Sunday schedule will align with BAMPFA's operating hours, meaning you can plan a visit around both the art and the food. Moreover, visitors can expect a menu that corresponds with specific exhibitions and film programs, bringing an added layer of immersion to the museum-going experience, as Chef Haron noted in a recent Instagram post. "See you this fall… come for the exhibits, stay for the kopi," she teased her followers.
