Brunch as a Religious Experience Is Disturbing Berkeley's Karma

As Throngs Gather at Temple for Cheap Curry, Neighbors Say They've Had Their Fill

BERKELEY, Calif. -- This hotbed of philosophical debate since the 1960s has a new question to ponder: Can brunch be a protected religious activity?

Every Sunday for nearly two decades, Berkeley's Thai Buddhist temple, Wat Mongkolratanaram, has dished up one of the most popular brunches in town. Starting at 10 a.m., hundreds line up outside the suburban temple, carrying away plates of curry and mango with sticky rice to eat at picnic tables or on the nearby lawn of the city's "tool-lending library."

But last spring, some of the temple's neighbors decided they'd had their fill. They asked the city's zoning board to shut down what they call a "commercial enterprise" operating in a residential zone. At a public hearing, a dozen neighborhood opponents sounded off: Some said they couldn't stand the "offensive odors" of Thai food being prepared; others objected to litter, traffic and clanging pots early in the morning. One compared the temple to a McDonald's.

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I used to attend these weekend affairs regularly in Berkeley because they arguably served the best Thai food in the entire San Francisco area. I can certainly understand the neighbours' objections, on the other hand. Hope they work it out.