Stan’s Maple Cafe
Ukiah’s Breakfast Hot Spot
by Geoff Thomas
We English have a reputation for taking our breakfasts seriously. We’ve named our go-to breakfast “The Full English,” and when not politely pondering the weather, we spend a rude amount of time arguing about what a Full English should actually include. Opinions differ, but every variation basically describes a heart attack on a plate. So when I was asked if I’d like to sample an American breakfast at Stan’s Maple Cafe, I was eager to see how a “Full American” would compare.
The sign on an unassuming building at 295 South State Street, Ukiah, says “The Maple Restaurant.” There’s no reference to Stan. There’s also no mention of it being established in 1922. But from the moment we crossed the threshold, we were cosseted in an atmosphere of warmth. The welcome was swift and sincere, and despite arriving at a visibly busy time, the unflappable service staff were instantly circling to help.
It was early Sunday morning and all of the tables were full, but as we settled down in our seats by the window, there was absolutely no evidence of the diners who’d been there before. The turnaround of tables was brisk but also totally unnoticed, and when a service team can achieve that little miracle, you know that they’re all on their toes.
With that same instantaneous ease, our menus arrived and were swiftly followed by coffee and tea, and even though there isn’t a “Full English” on the menu, there’s certainly something there to please everyone. In fact, by using the additions and variations on the section marked “Traditional Breakfast,” I could’ve designed and then trade-marked a “Full American.” To say that I had no desire to do so is certainly a compliment to The Maple.
On “The Light Side” of the menu we found Granola, Fresh Fruit, and Old-Fashioned Oatmeal, and for those with a craving for international cuisine, American Pancakes, French Toast, Belgium Waffles, and good old English Muffins. Of course, there was also the traditional Biscuits & Gravy—which are unlike the biscuits and gravy that we Englishmen know—and Three-Egg Omelets served with a choice of house potatoes, hash browns, or fresh fruit, showcasing a selection of fillings that would make even the most experienced of short-order chefs tremble.
From the section “Traditional Breakfasts” there were, well, traditional breakfasts including vegetarian options, but as we were dining at Stan’s place, we thought it rude not to go for one of his “House Specialties.” Choosing between the State Street Skillet, Joe’s Special, and Huevos Rancheros was difficult, but after skipping past the inviting option of Eggs Benedict from the “Specials Board” and ordering the Fresh Corned Beef, I wasn’t disappointed with my choice.
Atop a generous bed of house potatoes sat The Maple’s deliciously seasoned corned beef with green onions, two perfectly fried eggs, and a masking of red and green chili sauce. It arrived at the table piping hot, wonderfully seasoned, and perfectly cooked. With the last morsel of home-made biscuit, the final drop of deliciousness was mopped from my plate. Washed down with refilled mugs of coffee, it was the perfect start to my day, and the only thing left to do was to find Stan and learn more about his long-established Maple Cafe.
Unfortunately for me, Stan wasn’t there to enlighten me, having sold the restaurant in 2022 to move to Santa Fe with his family. Fortunately for me, The Maple Cafe’s current owner, Judy Hyler, was more than happy to help.
In 1922, brothers Ted and Paul Poulus established Redwood Empire Confectioners on the corner of State Street and Perkins, where they served homemade ice cream and candy to the growing population of Ukiah. After thirty years as confectioners, they transitioned to serving American diner classics and changed the name to The Maple Cafe, a reference to the maple sugar used in their confectionery.
In the succeeding years, ownership of The Maple passed down through the Poulus family, the cafe was relocated to its current location in the 1970s, and in 2012, it was bought by Stan Sangley, a Ukiah native with more than forty years of restaurant experience behind him. When he decided to sellten years later, he had already identified the best person to continue the legacy.
Working as a server before the arrival of Stan, Judy Hyler had never considered a future career in restaurants, let alone taking on the responsibility of ownership. A bundle of smiling energy, Judy told me, “Being a server for the Brown family was fine, being a manager for Stan was fine, but I’d certainly suffered from fear of ownership.” Fear or not, in May of 2022, Judy took over the reins of Stan’s Maple Cafe, which she described as “a diner where the menu’s evolution is really dictated by the customers.” She goes on to explain, “We prepare as much as possible from scratch, and use local grocers for daily delivery of perishables, plus Schat’s for our daily bread [and] Black Oak for our coffee.”
Despite her misgivings, Judy has adapted well to her role at the head of Stan’s Maple Cafe. She is continuously busy, doing five things with her hands and ten things in her mind at the same time, and although she rightly credits each member of the team for making the cafe run smoothly, it’s clear to see that the flow of actions and attitude all stem from her own infectious approach to the challenge.
It’s also clear that Judy values the support of every member of her team, local producers and suppliers, and of course, the eclectic mixture of customers. She’s full of praise for all who make the daily operations possible, and brushes off her own role in the success story as being “somewhat inconsequential.” But as she calmly conducts the kitchen and dining room like an orchestra, it’s evident that the audience members are just as happy and in-tune as the musicians.
Serving breakfast and lunch from 7am to 2pm seven days a week, The Maple is constantly busy. But when the last customer leaves and the team finally retire for the day, Judy’s work continues. “As a business owner, you can’t always control, but you can always create.” And although becoming the owner just as the world began emerging from lockdown hasn’t been without its challenges, Judy and her team have created a business that clearly appears to be thriving.
As for Stan, he now owns and manages another group of successful restaurants in his new home in Santa Fe. As an Englishman whose favourite meal of the day is breakfast, I’d like to thank him for recognising the attitude and abilities of former server Judy, and allowing ownership of his Maple Cafe to pass into her more than capable hands.
Stan’s Maple Cafe
295 S State St., Ukiah
(707) 462-5221 | Stans Maple Cafe
Open daily 7am - 2pm
Geoff Thomas is an English writer living in Anderson Valley. His book, Ashes to Boonville, shares stories from his round-the-world travels by motorbike.
Wild Fish: Restaurant
by Sara Liner / photos by Ree Slocum
Many chefs and ardent home cooks dream to own a little bistro where the focus of the menu can be placed entirely on the seasonality, locality and integrity of its ingredients. For Liz and Kelvin Jacobs, it was a dream over twenty years in the making, but the precise concept of their restaurant, Wild Fish, came to be by complete accident or, for those of us more romantically inclined, by many acts of fate and faith.
Kelvin is an award-winning chef who has built his career championing small farmers and independent fish mongers. Liz is a linguist, illustrator and passionate food writer, whose culinary pedigree has its roots in New Orleans, Portland and Italy. The two met and fell in love in Devon, England, where their shared passions fueled their partnership in a critically acclaimed inn and restaurant. Liz ran the front of the house, while Kelvin helmed the kitchen.
When the global recession hit in 2008 and food prices soared, while discretionary income shrank, independent restaurants suffered worldwide. Restaurants famously live or die by razor-thin profit margins, and mom and pop operations either adapted or perished. It was an opportunity for Kelvin and Liz to downsize from being an inn and restaurant, and start anew, as a bistro. An artist really just wants to focus on their art, and who are chefs if not artists?
In a leap of faith, they packed everything up and moved from the U.K. to the Mendocino Coast, without the safety net of deep pockets or outside investors. “Kelvin’s favorite memories were of his time spent on holiday in California, and I am a U.S. citizen,” explains Liz. “We didn’t have much money to do research in person, but we did have Google.”
One day after months of searching for the right spot, they stumbled across the petite restaurant with a million-dollar ocean view that would become Wild Fish, whilst stretching their legs in the parking lot of the Little River Market.
Kelvin peeped in the windows and knew it was the perfect place. “I was dubious at first, this little space adjacent to a post office?” recalls Liz. “But then we could really see it, and we put in our application.” The landlords had several suitors for the space, but liked Kelvin and Liz, and granted them the lease. Wild Fish opened on Thanksgiving Day of 2011.
Kelvin and Liz are deeply committed to showcasing seafood local to the Mendocino and West Coast: sablefish, salmon, rock cod, oysters, and mussels, whose source point are always given on the menu. Noyo Harbor, just ten miles north, is featured heavily. Liz and Kelvin have been given a special commendation as “Local Seafood Heroes” by the Fort Bragg Groundfish Association, an organization committed to sustainable fishing and to advocating for the rights of independent fishermen who work out of the Noyo Harbor. Fishermen like Scott Hockett of Noyo Fish Company, makes deliveries to Wild Fish up to three times a week, often delivering live fish to the kitchen door.
The seafood isn’t the only menu item sourced locally—the produce for the starters and entree accompaniments is provided by Gowan Batist of Fortunate Farms, and their olive oil and wines come from the surrounding appellations of Anderson Valley and Redwood Valley. Accordingly, their menu is subject to change, depending on what looks best on the market that week. No hocus-pocus or gimmickry. The Wild Fish team put forth simple, exquisite food that shows a masterful restraint and showcases the character and quality of each lovingly sourced item on the plate.
Kelvin has fallen in love with a lesser known local delicacy—sablefish—a sumptuous, oily whitefish, which is served with the skin perfectly crisped with blackening seasoning, the flesh underneath perfectly tender. Like the sablefish itself, the accompanying creamy polenta (a nod to Liz’s time in Italy) and braised Easter egg radishes, sugar snap peas, and mustard greens served with brown butter sauce, are modest, yet delectable. A cedar-plank roasted chili pepper rock cod is presented whole, stuffed with aromatics and served with jasmine rice, mustard greens and a red Thai curry sauce. Half the joy of fish is its texture, and there is something delightfully intimate and rustic about getting a whole fish in a restaurant, the way one usually only does at backyard barbecues.
The main courses are the stars, but the other courses are enticing in their own right. Shaved asparagus salad with mixed baby lettuces, tossed with a tarragon-buttermilk dressing, is enlivened with edible flowers and bright herbs. Yorkville Cellars 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, which gives all of the citrusy and mineral notes one expects from that varietal, is a nice pairing. For dessert: sticky toffee pudding with pecans, and lemon pot de crème give a nod to the proprietors’ time in Europe. Wild Fish is a must for anyone coming to the Mendocino Coast in hopes of truly exquisite cuisine.
Inspired Vegan Food at Jyun Kang Restaurant at the City of 10,000 Buddhas
by Caroline Radice | photos by Ree Slocum
Vegetarian restaurant Jyun Kang is nestled back in the grounds of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in the Talmage area just southeast of Ukiah. Jyun Kang means “to your health,” a philosophy demonstrated in their menu of vegan stir-fries, noodle soups, curries and more. The food is nutritious, fresh and vibrant, and a lunch at the restaurant is the perfect antidote for a rainy spring day.
The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, a Buddhist community and monastery, is one of the largest Buddhist communities in the Western Hemisphere. “The City” is comprised of around 700 acres of land with about 80 developed acres, which includes the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas, the Dharma Realm Buddhist University as well as elementary and secondary school programs, and a nine acre CCOF-certified organic farm. The farm has walnut trees, grape vines, and an organic vegetable garden. During the summer months, some of the food for the restaurant is sourced from the garden, where the community grows winter squash, beets, potatoes, eggplant, taro, goji berries, and much more. Many of these crops, plus vegetables from the winter garden are used in the dining hall where the residents of the community eat every day.
The farm promotes sustainable agriculture that cherishes the land and all life, from the many peacocks that roam the grounds to wildlife like deer, who find ways to get over and through fences here, a universal challenge faced by many farmers and gardeners. At the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, the gardeners look for ways to coexist peacefully and don’t resort to violent or harmful practices when they’re faced with the challenge of wildlife in the garden. The farm has a large composting operation, and works with a nearby vineyard to utilize the waste stream of grape pomace, a byproduct of pressing juice for wine, to improve the soil. Rich in nitrogen, the pomace, made up of the skins, pulp, seeds and stems of the grapes, is an excellent soil amendment. One of the most remarkable sights on the farm is the hanging garden, where kabocha and butternut squash are grown up off the ground on sturdy metal trellises, resulting in high yields of excellent quality vegetables. The kabocha squash is a popular variety, with rich, flavorful flesh that’s delicious in stews and curries.
Whether you’re vegetarian, vegan or an omnivore, the emphasis on fresh, organic vegetables at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and Jyun Kang Restaurant is inspiring and thought-provoking. There are certainly a lot of reasons to consider vegetarianism, like a desire to practice compassion for animals and to support a movement away from factory-farming. There are also many health benefits to eating a plant based diet, and numerous advantages to the environment as well. If you’re not ready for a full-time commitment, a meal at the restaurant can serve as inspiration to eat vegetarian food more often. Food writer Mark Bittman wrote: “Part-time veganism is a strategy for integrating the reigning wisdom—eat more plants, less hyper-processed stuff, fewer animal products— into lives that have, until now, been composed of too few of the first and too many of the second and third.”
Philosophy, health and environmental issues aside, though, you really have to try the dumplings. They are filled with vegetables and nuts ground almost like a paté, full of wonderful flavors and surrounded by dense but not heavy dumpling dough. They are especially good with the light vinegar available on each table. Another favorite is the lightly sautéed eggplant, cooked to perfection and accented with fresh basil. The vegetable curry showcased a medley of fresh vegetables in red curry, creamy and not too spicy (our spice level request was “medium”). The house tea was a gentle sipping tea and rounded out the meal beautifully.
Life is too short to eat boring food! If you’re not excited about your lunch today, change your plans and go get a seat at Jyun Kang. You’ll be happy you did.
THE PIG is loose in Anderson Valley’s Deep End
by Torrey Douglass
Photos by Mimi Giboin
Janelle Weaver grew up next to a lake in Southern Michigan. Seven days a week, three times a day, her mother cooked meals for “the ladies”—six residents living with them who needed extra care because of illness or age. Janelle and her little brother grew up pulling fish out of the lake, trekking veggies in from the garden, and canning in the fall. She learned early that the best ingredients can be right outside your kitchen door.
So it makes sense that today finds Janelle cooking in her own restaurant, The Bewildered Pig, down in Anderson Valley’s Deep End (just south of Navarro). Janelle and partner/landscape designer Daniel Townsend strive to give “a premium experience without pretension” in a space where “flip flops are ok, but you also want to come back to celebrate your ten year anniversary.” Servers are expected to treat guests like the friends or family of someone close to their heart. Come as you are—all are welcome. (Like church, but with better snacks.)
Inside, a mix of elements capture the Pig’s eclectic style of 19th Century Hunting Lodge meets French Country Farmhouse meets Middle English Pub. An antique farming poster in ornate gold frame, old wooden apple drying trays, weathered cleavers and cast iron pans all decorate the plain white walls. (For me it’s the cast iron that really makes an impact. Throw in some touches that are black, spiky, and dangerous looking, and you’ve got my attention.)
And then there’s the food. The thing you need to know about the food is this: when Janelle says “local”, she means it. Rose sorbet is flavored with essence derived from the rose outside the door. Greens come from Blue Meadow Farm down the road, fish is wild caught by Princess Seafood in Fort Bragg, even some of the dishware comes from the Pot Shop run by Alex Moyer outside of Philo. This is not someone who makes sure their crate of tomatoes was grown somewhere in California so they can slap “local” on the menu. This is local food for real.
The emphasis on local sourcing is reflected in The Pig’s experience with Frank Hartzell of Guthrie Ranch. Just outside of Fort Bragg, Frank grows an impressive variety of hard-to-find heritage poultry, and his deliveries contain birds of various sizes. It’s hard to serve a uniform cut of meat when one piece comes from a partridge-sized bird and another from a turkey impersonator, so initially Janelle asked Frank to send birds of similar weights. She withdrew the request, however, after realizing that prioritizing uniformity was one cause of the industrialization of poultry production and lack of breed variety common today. She didn’t want to be part of that.
Rather than specify the bird weight Frank would deliver, Janelle got her culinary creativity cracking. She created a double dish that doesn’t rely on serving the bird in discreet pieces. Dish One is a pan-seared boudin sausage made from the bird’s breast and puréed with eggs, cream, and lemon zest. Dish Two features cured dark meat with seasonings, slow cooked in duck fat and compressed in the pan, sliced and seared before serving. A pretty delicious solution.
Prior to coming to Anderson Valley Janelle worked at Kuleto Estate, a largely self-sufficient farm and winery founded by San Francisco restaurateur, Pat Kuleto. Besides a small selection of wines, the property produced its own olive oil, boasted a fish pond, extensive vegetable gardens, two acres of fruit trees, and a variety of livestock. As executive chef, Janelle’s job was to feed Kuleto and his family, and put together food and wine pairings for the winery throughout the week, all with the bounty provided by the estate. She lived in an uninsulated redwood cabin on the property and loved the peace and essentialism that came with living rurally. Life was pretty sweet.
But as the years went by growth and gridlock changed Napa and its approach to food. Restaurants became myopically infatuated with celebrity chefs and Michelin stars. Ostentation and a “rat race” element crept in, and eventually the live-off-the-land lifestyle of the estate seemed out of step with the Napa beyond its borders. When the property sold to a bigger winery in 2009, Janelle and Daniel knew the time had come to move on.
The Pig inhabits a long, low building that sits alongside Highway 128 surrounded by an expansive packed-dirt-andgravel parking lot. A new redwood fence has transformed a portion of the lot around the restaurant into al fresco gathering spaces—think patio, fire pit, and water features, with lots of seating and drought resistant plants, all beautifully designed and executed by Daniel. Besides expanding the usable space for the restaurant and keeping runaway toddlers off the highway, the fence prevents the headlights of departing cars from blinding diners seated inside. But Anderson Valley is notorious for its resistance to change, and locals have been heard grumbling about “Fort Pig.”
There’s more change on the way. A new back garden is in the works, occupying a grassy knoll that’s typically 10 degrees cooler than any other spot on the property. The plan includes a small outdoor theater, sunken firepit, and a (cigar) smoking zone. On the other end of the restaurant you’ll find the Towns End, a retail, meeting, and catering space that will soon be available for rent. It’s outdoor/indoor areas can host a yoga retreat (catered, of course), winemaker dinners, corporate retreats, or pop up wine tasting for local wineries that don’t have their own retail spaces.
Regardless of new plans and projects, food made with love and integrity remains at the heart of The Pig. I joined three friends for dinner there recently, and as we passed our entrees around the table round-robin style there was no clear winner, and no repetition of flavors. Dishes included the Herbed Gnocchi Parisienne, Covelo Ranch Braised English Shortrib, Peppercorn Seared Rare Fort Bragg Albacore “Nicoise”, and a Beef and Wild Mushroom Loaf. Each dish was unique, beautifully balanced, and cooked to tender perfection in order to let the freshness of the ingredients shine through.
I’ve been known to resist change myself, so I understand why some might look askance at all the changes Janelle and Daniel have brought. For anyone tempted to grumble I have this advice: sit down and have dinner. It’s a lot easier to welcome something new when it tastes this good.
All Hail The Chief
by Ree Slocum
Going north along the 101 in Mendocino County a half hour beyond Willits is the little town of Laytonville. Like so much of our diverse county, Laytonville’s farming, food, and drink gems are scattered in the hills, tucked among derelict buildings along the highway, near other thriving businesses, or in long-ago homes of ranchers or loggers. Nestled off the road, next to the laundromat, just before the bustling town center is the Big Chief Restaurant.
The restaurant originally opened sometime in the mid ’60s offering the usual drive-in fare of hamburgers, french fries, and shakes. Through its six owners and fifty-year history it’s been a stop for travelers and had (still has) a devoted local following. In its new incarnation, New Orleans-connected owners Clay Carpenter, chef and butcher; Mat Paradis, all around PR man, chef and bartender who also raises pigs for the restaurant; and Troy Terrill, draft beverage curator, continue to serve popular hamburgers and fries as well as other favorites. The trio has a ten-year history of fine creative cooking for community events and fundraisers. They decided to honor their roots and originality by serving the food they’ve learned to love and cook: New Orleans Cajun.
On the new menu (they’ve been open since January) you’ll find the very popular Po’boy sandwiches with choices of fried gulf shrimp (“We just had to use the gulf shrimp,” Mat said almost apologetically), hot roast beef (Covelo grass-fed), fried chicken (locally sourced when available), house-smoked and locally grown ham, with gruyere cheese and house- pickled onions, and a fried shitake mushroom choice. There are Caesar, garden, and beet salads. Clay said they obtained permission to harvest beets from the high school’s green- house because they weren’t being harvested in summer. There are always specials during the week such as Baja-seasoned ling cod (harvested from Fort Bragg) on a brioche bun with cabbage slaw.
What to drink at the Chief? None of the three was interested in serving milk shakes, much to the disappointment of several local children. In New Orleans, Troy Terrill studied food and beverage in college and worked at a beer bar. Although he learned about wine in France, he became more interested in the extensive varieties of microbrewery beers he enjoyed when visiting friends in Laytonville, so the restaurant features the Draft Punk bar. Everything is draft, including the Clearly Kombucha and Nitro Iced Coffe, “because it tastes better,”
Troy asserts. He should know: he has cultivated relationships with many breweries. In some cases they know him so well they send the newly kegged brews directly to him, which soon become the next unusual offerings posted on the boards hanging above the bar. Want to try something way out of the ordinary? Ask Troy, Mat or Cody about Shot in the Dark or the Cee Shandy and maybe there will be another new and amazing combination when you visit.
After concluding my interviews and photography, I treated myself to a late lunch and ordered a beet salad with house- pickled onions, walnuts, and goat cheese (not goat-y) on a bed of organic greens with a fabulous, house-made vinaigrette. It was large and filling and one of the best beet salads I remember eating. Earlier in the day, while inter- viewing Troy, I ordered a kombucha with essence of Asian pear. Very refreshing. A wonderfully mild flavored kombucha, which begged me to purchase more to take home; I did, and enjoyed it immensely as I wrote this article celebrating the genius of the Big Chief’s three owners.
Café del Mar in Fort Bragg
As I sit at the Café del Mar in Fort Bragg,
the building begins to rumble slightly. The building, shaped as a long triangle, has the Skunk Train tracks near its northern border, hence the gentle shaking of my house-made drink, a Champagne shrub cocktail as the train trundles past the window. A shrub refers to this type of drink, usually an infused mixture of fruit, vinegar, or spirits.
I know I made a good menu choice when my Caribbean Plate of Cuban beans and rice, grilled local rock cod with pico de gallo, braised greens and fried plantains arrives. This modest restaurant was previously a tacqueria and still has a bit of the causal burrito shop vibe. Local art adorns the walls and the small bar is packed with regulars.
The menu and drink selection is night-and-day different from the previous ownership. A high-quality selection of beers includes North Coast Brewery (their next door neighbor), Ballast Point, and Eel River Brewing Company to name just a few.
My shrub cocktail pairs Tanglewood brut with a slightly fermented concoction of citrus, ginger, mango, and cider vinegar –– refreshing and tart with the perfect amount of sweetness.
Café del Mar has been open for nine months and the word is out. This is the place for healthy local food prepared with an eclectic flair. Owner, Isael Alcala, is originally from Guadalajara, Mexico. He and his family have lived in the U.S. since 1988. “My father died of cancer when I was three from being overexposed to pesticides while working in the fields,” Isael remembers. This experience and the commercialization of the food industry is what prompted him to pursue having a healthy restaurant. “The menu is a combination of things I always wanted when I was traveling around the world,” and his menu reflects that vision.
I’ll tell you it was hard to choose between my entree and the Blackened Portabella (gluten-free) or the Chicken Sofrito with cabbage and pickled onion. The house-made pickles, shrubs, and sauces are the magic of Naka Hassel, business partner in Café del Mar. Her culinary expertise lends itself to piquant pickles, creative shrub concoctions and sauces like the spiced tomato juice used in the Michelada, mixed with lager and the glass coated with house-dehydrated chili lime salt. Naka’s culinary handiwork is evident in the unique drink offerings; she also has a hand in the visual ambiance of the restaurant.
Unable to polish off the generous portions, I took the rest home for the spouse. I smiled when my bill arrived tucked into a spaghetti western paperback. Café del Mar has character I will not soon forget. Next time I will get that sofrito.
Bowled Over
Oco Time Noodle House in Willits brings their A-game Japanese dish
by Maureen Moore
It’s Time, the sushi and noodle bar in downtown Willits, received a makeover recently, morphing from a drop-in, grab-and-go, do-it-yourself lunch spot to a more refined full-service ramen restaurant.
“We wanted to do something new and special and fun,” explained Yoshiki and Naoko Sakane, owners of It’s Time Noodle House, and the popular It’s Time and Oco Time in Ukiah. “Ramen is very popular in Japan, and noodle houses in San Francisco and New York do very well. We wanted something fun and special for Willits – and something different than what was available in Ukiah.”
Ukiah will retain the grab and go sushi, the noodle bar, chicken soup and the like, and Willits will be billed as the destination for the new ramen selections. Non-broth and wheat-free options are also available in addition to the traditional choices.
Several dishes are available to choose from including options like Willits Veggie, that has homemade roasted vegetable miso paste with dashi broth and black garlic oil and is topped with avocado, pumpkin, ni-tamago (a marinated boiled egg), radish watermelon, bok choy, beet bean sprout, tomato confit and kaiware daikon sprout. Another includes the Coconut Red Curry Ramen: a coconut red Thai curry broth with cage-free Rocky Jr. chicken wing, crunchy fried ramen noodle, chopped tomato, beet bean sprout, red onion slice, cilantro and lime.
Bowls and salads are also on the menu, including the Wild Tuna Poki Salad including cube-cut Butsu wild-caught fresh tuna with Ocotime poki sauce mix with organic green salad mix, Masago fish eggs, fried tortilla chips, cucumber, kaiware daikon sprout, sesame seed, green onion, carrot and beet. Another offering is the Pork Char Siu Bowl with Salmon Creek farmer-raised Yongen-Buta (pork), prepared with ramen char siu and teriyaki sauce with ni-tamago, Japanese pickles, kinpira burdock root, bok choy, green onion and sesame seeds, over your choice of white rice or organic brown rice.
Side dishes of edamame, shrimp and veggie tempura, miso soup and spicy fish sticks are still available, and the cooler will be stocked daily with a fresh selection of grab-and-go sushi. Special sushi requests can be placed a day in advance for pick-up the following day.
It’s Time Noodle House is also extending its hours: Monday through Friday from 11 am to 8 pm and Saturday from 5 to 8 pm. They are located at 35 West Commercial Street and can be reached by calling 707-459-2621. See the full menu for all three restaurants online at www.ocotime.com, or check out the “It’s Time Willits” page on Facebook for the latest updates and specials.