Oktoberfest season is almost here! 🍺

Check out these 10 upcoming Oktoberfest events along the Peninsula

The 10th annual Mountain View Oktoberfest will be Oct. 11-12, offering yodeling, costume and beer belly contests. Courtesy Mountain View Oktoberfest.

It’s the unofficial start of fall, and with that comes a variety of Oktoberfest events hosted by Peninsula cities, beer gardens and breweries.

Last year, I attended the Redwood City and Mountain View Oktoberfest celebrations, and both were a blast. My favorite part of these events was definitely the contests and competitions (if you’ve never watched a stein-holding contest, you’re missing out.)

Looking for something a little more low-key? San Carlos Farmers Market staple Made Out of Dough opened its first brick-and-mortar store this past weekend, and it’s not your typical bakery – there’s more than 20 vendors selling handmade goods, including mushroom tinctures, pet treats and fused glass pieces.

Stay tasty,
Adrienne

Prost! 10 ways to celebrate Oktoberfest along the Peninsula this fall

Raise a stein for another season of Oktoberfest events along the Peninsula. Expect returning favorites, such as celebrations in Redwood City and Campbell, as well as an all-new event in Menlo Park.

A view of the bar and communal dining area of Wursthall, as seen from a second floor mezzanine. Photo by Veronica Weber.

A San Mateo biergarten created by a James Beard Award winner has announced it will permanently close at the end of the month.
Belmont-based pop-up bakery Made Out of Dough has opened a community hub called The Local Spot that features more than 20 local vendors.
Bonjour Bakehouse in San Mateo, which served customers via a pass-through window for nearly six years, has added indoor seating.
The Mountain View Art and Wine Festival is this weekend, with more than 400 artists and craftsmakers, live music, food and 12 boutique and heritage vintners.
Taste of Los Gatos, a downtown street festival, will be held Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. The event includes live music, a family fun zone with an outdoor rock-climbing wall, Porsche exhibits and a craft beer tap truck. Tickets for food and wine tastings are sold here.
Chinese restaurant No. 5 House has opened in San Mateo, replacing Swing Shift, which closed in March.
Koko Izakaya, offering oysters, noodles, bento boxes and sushi rolls, recently opened in Sunnyvale.
King Katsu Land recently opened in the former Kamameshi House Japanese Cuisine space in Daly City.
Sunshine HK Cafe Express is having its soft opening in San Carlos. The takeout-only Chinese snack shop offers pan-fried dumplings, potstickers and crepes made to order, as well as housemade soy milk.
Jade Xiang Yu e, a Hunan restaurant, recently opened in Cupertino.
Idly Express recently expanded to Santa Clara in a drive-thru format. The takeout vegetarian South Indian restaurant chain has multiple Bay Area locations, including one in Mountain View.

Dinner at Kunjip Tofu

A5 Japanese wagyu tofu soup ($28) at Kunjip Tofu in Mountain View. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

If you’re looking for a restaurant with a beautiful ambiance, Kunjip Tofu fits the bill.

The colors are neutral with natural wood textures, white marble, gold accents and a light touch of greenery. The walls are illuminated behind shadows of mountain ranges, and in front of the host stand the floor is decorated with round pebbles lit from below.

The Korean restaurant opened in Mountain View in October and offers elevated takes on classic Korean dishes. The cost is a bit on the pricier side, with tofu soup ranging from $26-$28, bibimbap from $35-$38 and other entrees from $35-$58.

Still, that doesn’t stop long wait times. The restaurant doesn’t accept reservations, but does have a Yelp waitlist; however, they close it during peak times. You can either call the restaurant to be added to a waitlist or add yourself in person. When I went on a Friday evening, I waited about 90 minutes.

Another rule to keep in mind is that during peak times, all diners must order an entree, and entree portions are large enough to feed two easily. Entrees come with an unlimited selection of 10 unique barchan, including a variety of pickled vegetables, quail eggs and my favorite, a pumpkin-apple-strawberry dish.

Sweet pumpkin sikhye ($10) at Kunjip Tofu in Mountain View. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

I started with the sweet pumpkin sikhye, a nonalcoholic Korean rice drink that’s made in-house ($10). It was served in a plastic cup with an aluminum can sealed top. The texture was very thick, with chewy rice throughout, and the flavor was mildly sweet with a squash-forward flavor. While I found it interesting to try, it’s not something I would crave or necessarily order again.

I tried both the A5 Japanese wagyu tofu soup ($28) and the wagyu bulgogi bibimbap ($35). The tofu soup had a nice smokiness to it and was quite flavorful, but the meat didn’t melt in my mouth and was actually on the chewier side. The bibimbap was chock full of vegetables and flavors, but the rice didn’t form a golden crispy crust on the bottom like I’ve had at other Korean restaurants.

At the end of the meal, a complimentary red bean chestnut dessert bite was served, which was a nice addition.

While dining at Kunjip Tofu was a nice experience, it’s not a place I’d plan on going to again anytime soon. So Gong Dong Tofu House, located just 2 miles up El Camino Real in Palo Alto, has better food and is less expensive (however, it does lack in ambiance). At So Gong Dong, tofu soups come out boiling hot (at Kunjip, mine came out at a moderate temperature), the bibimbap has a crispy crust that adds a lot of flavor and the potato banchan is out of this world.

To watch my review, follow @peninsulafoodist on Instagram.

Kunjip Tofu, 1962 El Camino Real, Mountain View; 650-282-5195, Instagram: @kunjip.tofu. Open Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30-9 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30-10 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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