The Thai Buddhist Temple Mongkolratanaram somewhat ingenuously dubs its wildly popular weekly chowdown a "food offering" and a constitutionally protected religious practice, though if you "offer" less than the suggested amount for your curry or pad thai you're quickly set to rights. Proceeds benefit the temple, and hundreds of diners show up every Sunday.
People line up for tokens as at any church food festival, then queue a second time (in vegetarian and non-veg lines) for the delicious Thai food. If you get addicted to the little coconut-rice pancakes, the temple will sell you a special pan and a kit to make them for $35. Eat alongside a sunflower garden (in season) or on the South Berkeley Library's lawn.
In response to this residential neighborhood's concerns, the temple has arranged parking in the lot of Any Mountain nearby; public transit (Ashby BART is a few blocks away) is another option. The neighbors we spoke to were chill about it -- "Festive," said one -- and some have begun holding plant and garage sales to benefit from the crowds.
