Musings of a Solo Diner: Sirene (Oakland, CA)
Because the best mermaids are in Oakland.
With the rainy season upon us here in the Bay, it’s easy to waylay the desire to take an impromptu stroll into some of the restaurants that recently opened in Oakland, but with my hunger and curiosity peaked on a random Thursday evening, I found my way into Sirene (pronounced “suh-ren,” per one of my foodie friends, and translated to “mermaid” in French), happy at having been able to snag a same day reservation.
Whenever I walk into a dining experience and there’s exposed brick and a wood-fired oven, I instantly feel at peace, and this time was no exception as I settled into my little table with a full view of the space. Inside was dimly lit, and framed, handwritten notes of odd little messages adorned the walls; because I’d made an early reservation, I could see across the room all the way through to the bar area in the rear. The ambiance felt warm, brown, and tavern-esque. Let the Rosé flow.
Sirene’s focus rests squarely on two things: seafood and fried chicken, but not in the way you might imagine. Their menu is well suited for adventurous diners with its inclusion of sea urchin (both red and purple), shellfish and leek terrine, duck and lobster mortadella, and abalone (which I’ve actually never had and didn’t try during this meal either). Because of what I believe is a burgeoning seafood allergy, I decided to leave the adventure of testing that theory to another time and place, and instead opted to start with a dumpling appetizer which featured lamb and uni. It was portioned like an amuse bouche (which was fine with me), and was a pillowy, soft parcel served in a shallow dish of savory broth, filled with a tender, braised lamb that gave the mouthfeel and richness of oxtail.
Ok, so now onto the fried chicken, interestingly subtitled “choose your own adventure.” As a lover of both fried chicken and adventure, I was excited to see what this was all about.
While not a traditional Southern fried chicken (think more of a light, airy, battered crust), the tower-style presentation impressed me, and it was served piping hot and juicy on the top level. Choosing your own adventure in this case meant determining how many pieces of chicken you wanted to indulge in (I went with two; a leg and thigh), and how many of the side items you wanted to accompany it; you can go a la carte, or you can order “All Them Fixin’s” (that is literally how it’s named on the menu, which made me laugh); of course, I made the only acceptable choice and ordered them all! My thoughts on each were:
Scallion Biscuit - layers on layers on layers of fluffiness, with a four-sided crust that made pulling it apart as much fun as eating it.
Mashed Potatoes - these potatoes were clearly riced within an inch of their lives because they were some of the smoothest mashed potatoes I’ve had…not a chunk to be found. Just creamy, traditional goodness.
Braised Collard Greens - Loved the visible slices of garlic throughout, as well as the larger pieces of greens (versus a chiffonade).
Octopus Kimchi Sauce - I was totally unsure as to what to expect here! Be ready to stretch your palate a bit for this salty, briny taste! I didn’t know at first how I‘d purpose this in the meal, but once I added some to my forkful of collards, it immediately reminded me of the flavor profile of those jarred pickled peppers that are always served with greens that add a vinegary balance.
Mushroom Madeira Jus - full of big pieces of a variety of different mushrooms, the roasted flavor really came through here, as did the flavor of the wine. Dip your chicken in this one for sure.
Andouille Gravy - THIS IS NOT TO BE MISSED, do you hear me?? Yes, I am shouting at you. There is nothing I wouldn’t pour this all over. I added some on top of my mashed potatoes, put a little bit on my chicken, but my favorite home for it was on that Scallion Biscuit….sopping and mopping it up, ok??
I ended my meal with their Chocolate Cake which was served with Buttermilk Ice Cream (and was very similar to a dessert I've had at Burdell, but I’m definitely not complaining!). This is what cakes all over dream of growing up to be; rich and chocolatey. Hell, it's what I wanna grow up to be too!
I’d love to come back here and try the mussels and the abalone, and they also operate as a cafe during the early part of the day, with a full menu of coffee, tea, and pastries, so I feel like I don’t have a full opinion to express before I go back for a daytime experience, but if i’m just going by the dinner service, so far, so good.
And if biscuits and andouille gravy are somewhere on that cafe menu, let’s just say I’ll suddenly be spending a lot more time on Grand Ave.
Kahja Elliott is a digital creator, food enthusiast/traveler, and podcaster in Oakland, CA.
What a beautiful food and experience! I felt like I was right there with you 🤎