James Syhabout has been one of the most talked about Bay Area chefs over the last two years. The praise among peers, diners and critics for Commis in Oakland has been fairly overwhelming.

He has been named a Rising Star Chef by the San Francisco Chronicle, Best New Chef by Food and Wine Magazine and Commis received the only Michelin Star in Oakland in 2011.

Now, he is going back to his roots with the opening of Hawker Fare in Uptown Oakland.

Focusing on Asian street food, the restaurant will feature lunch service this week, with dinner service slated to begin sometime next week. The environment is very welcoming with a mix of Asia and Oakland all wrapped into one. There is graffiti-like art on the walls, along with posters ranging from Bruce Lee to Green Day.

The menu features a number of smaller items like beef larb salad, roasted peanuts and green papaya salad. The main dishes are very traditional rice bowls such as kao mun gai. Everything is priced under $10 and the best two words to describe the food is satisfying and comforting

While this is Syhabout’s restaurant, Justin Yu, who has worked at Momofuku and Quince, is heading up the kitchen.

This week, Hawker Fare will be open from 11-6, but you can follow them on Twitter to learn about dinner hours next week. Another welcome addition to Uptown Oakland.

• Tag: Asian Street Food, Hawker Fare, James Syhabout, opening, Restaurants, Uptown Oakland