Are You That Woman

Rearview Images

As we drive away from snow-crested Sierra,
Images of where we're going
Are not so beautiful as rearview images
Of where we've been.

April 2, 2006

Damond Lee: Creating New Memories at Stockton & Broadway

Ori

Originally published January 2020 Stockton Boulevard Partnership directory

A newcomer to Stockton Boulevard, OBA Kitchen was the neighborhood’s only Japanese restaurant when it opened in 2017. Master Chef and owner Damond Lee saw the potential for OBA with its ready-made regulars from Louie’s Chinese Restaurant a neighborhood favorite for 27 years. Damond, along with his partner and Executive Chef Billy Huang, remodeled the interior with wooden floors, rustic Japanese chairs, and colorful murals.

“After immigrating to California in 1992, I began working as a dishwasher at a Japanese restaurant in Alameda. I was mentored by the owner, Master Chef Yamamoto, who taught me how to make sushi. It became my passion and thought if I open a restaurant, this is what I want to do! Start-up costs in the Bay Area were too high – along with living expenses – so we moved to Sacramento. We’ve now owned and operated five successful Japanese Restaurants. I met and hired Billy Huang mentoring him to prepare sushi. An excellent chef, he creates all the Chinese dishes and daily Chef Specials at OBA.”

“When we were looking for another location, we saw that UC Davis was expanding and wanted to be part of the evolution. Stockton Boulevard Partnership has facilitated many improvements along the corridor and around our restaurant. It feels safer now. There’s been lots of support from the neighborhood and UC Davis. We kept some “honor items” from Louie’s, the Chinese restaurant that previously inhabited the space. For their devoted clientele, OBA still has Walnut Shrimp and General Chicken, among other Chinese-American classics.”

Damond Lee has created many memories in Sacramento’s dining scene. Before OBA, two additional restaurants, The Izakaya and Sushi Café, and more recently Shoku Ramen Bar, receive rave reviews. About any other restaurants, Damond says, “It’s about timing and economy – if the location is good – I’ll never shut the door and leave my options open.”

Saratoga Revealed

California byways never disappoint. Interstates and boulevards wind their way through the outskirts of San Jose to Big Basin Way and Saratoga Village. The small-town charm and pedestrian-friendly Main Street beckons visitors to walk and explore Saratoga's finest dining, wine tasting, art galleries, and fabulous retail. 

Close by, performing arts venues provide astounding entertainment including year-round and seasonal top-name performers. Historic gardens, hiking, horseback riding, wineries, and breathtaking views are just a few distractions to bring you back again and again.

Unwind and Snooze
Many years ago, Saratoga Oaks Lodge shed its 1955 motel cocoon and turned into a beautiful butterfly. From a single-queen room to two-room suites, it’s the ideal hibernation destination. Treehouse bungalows accommodate couples or groups; the perfect haven to de-stress following the day’s explorations. In-room whirlpool bathtubs and steam-bath showers help you find your bliss. Shaded by majestic oaks, balconies and garden patios are a joy any season. Amenities include microwave, mini-fridge, coffeemaker, free Wi-Fi, and modified continental breakfast.

Utterly tranquil, pour yourself into village wine tasting rooms Cinnabar Winery, Roudon Smith Winery, Ruth Roberts Wine Collective, and Uncorked.  Walking makes designated drivers obsolete. Nothing goes better with wine than luscious, handcrafted chocolates. Yes, this sinful pleasure is close enough to see and taste at Plumed Horse Chocolaterie by Angelica. Chocolate addicts, this is your new home. Angel’s career as a certified chocolatier was divine intervention. An artist since childhood, she taught herself the fine art and science of chocolate. Delicate works of art, each chocolate gem is hand-painted with colored cocoa butter. Angel created all the recipes - more than 25. Some of the favorites include salted caramel, passion fruit, jalapeno, strawberry, and Sprinkles are for Winners in the shape and flavor of a baby donut. 

Vineyards, Views & Performing Arts Preview
On the edge of the Santa Cruz Mountains, zigzagging and sometimes precipitous roads lead from Saratoga Village to stunning vistas, hidden gardens, and a captivating villa and chateau, vineyards, and tasting rooms. Be swept away by the magic!

Arriving at the regal Mountain Winery, you immediately understand why Paul Masson – the original owner – called it his "vineyard in the sky". Views of the Santa Cruz Mountains and Silicon Valley below are inspirational. A Saratoga landmark since the early 1900s, the world-class wines and cuisine, and summer concert series catapult Mountain Winery to the top of your bucket list! A sacred feeling exudes within the inner sanctum of the winery.   

Just a few miles away, sequestered on a hillside, the Mediterranean-style Montalvo Arts Center is another Saratoga jewel. The 175-acre estate offers extraordinary performing arts programs, year-round concert series, hiking trails, and gardens. Visitors are invited to discover miles of woodland hiking trails, and formal and informal gardens. Go in search of Sculpture on the Grounds – a multi-faceted installation of works of art.

Enjoy the music of waterfalls and Mother Nature at her finest at Hakone Estate & Gardens. Influenced by Buddhist and Zen cultures, this ever-changing 18-acre landscape presents something new each season. In spring and summer, multi-hued wisteria, azaleas, and rhododendron await. Delicate maples show their best fall colors. Winter brings a wall of camellias. The oldest Japanese and Asian estate garden in the Western Hemisphere, it is also a treasure of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Visitors wander the gardens and meditate on benches overlooking the koi pond or bamboo forest. Hakone also conducts several events including tea ceremonies and Maturi (Spring Festival).

Family-owned and operated since 1893, the 28-acre organic and sustainable Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards and Garrod Farms is an experience like no other. Just minutes from the village, enjoy scenic horseback-riding adventures through the vineyards and Fremont-Older Open Space Preserve followed by wine tasting and small bites on the shaded garden patio. 

Feasting
A stunning Victorian houses Bella Saratoga Restaurant. Superbly prepared Italian fare served in an intimate setting makes this a popular destination. Award-winning pastas, local vegetables, fresh fish, filet mignon, and pizzas – plates are bountiful so come hungry. Fronted by a lovely covered patio, ask about dining alfresco in spring and summer.

Haute cuisine! Haute décor! The Michelin-rated Plumed Horse is that. The ambiance exudes chic elegance and comfort. Draped in golden light and warm woods – dining rooms are elegantly decorated – a visual feast. Feel free to roam and ogle the towering wine cellar housing more than 1,800 wines from around the world. But brace yourself! You are about to be treated to gastronomic artistry. Every berry, vegetable, meat, fish, wild game, sauce, and dessert is painstakingly plated. Executive Chef Peter Armellino’s fresh seasonal menus will captivate your palate. Fourteen years on both the tasting and entrée menus, the signature Black Pepper and Parmesan Soufflé, served with uni and Dungeness crab, is the most requested dish. Open Wednesday-Sunday, 5:00 to 10:00 pm. Reservations are available only online and require a three-day advance cancellation. 

One Last Tip
Cyclists adore road trips up Highway 9 into the Santa Cruz Mountains. At Big Basin Café, a wide selection of fresh-roasted coffees and specialty drinks make this a perfect locale for a morning wander or post-bike ride hangout. 

 

Also published: Mountain Democrat and Outdoor Writers Association of California