‘Chopped’ Champ Opens Filipino Restaurant and Food Incubator in Uptown Oakland

After winning the 2017 New Year’s Eve episode of Chopped, chef Charleen Caabay is back in Oakland with Craft & Spoon at 1627 Broadway. (There’s a second entrance to the space, formerly Uptown Juice, at 1634 Telegraph Avenue.) The restaurant tested out a soft-opening menu this past weekend and will be back open for the city’s popular First Friday festivities later this week.

Caabay has already cultivated an Oakland following for her dishes like lumpia and adobo at the now-closed Kainbigan. With Craft & Spoon’s co-owner Christine De La Rosa, aka Miz Chris, Caabay will reprise some of her favorite Filipino flavors. But she won’t keep the spotlight all to herself: Instead, Craft & Spoon will provide space for other food entrepreneurs like Aima Paule of Hey Bü Kombucha to brew and bottle her products.

Friday, July 7 hours are 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., with a full opening soon and regular hours thereafter. A partial soft-opening menu, created by Caabay and Aima Paule (known as Aima the Dreamer), is below. More details on full opening to come.

Craft & Spoon via Facebook

• Downtown's 'Craft And Spoon' To Showcase Local Culinary Talent [Hoodline]
• Craft & Spoon First Friday Celebration [Facebook]