Top Pan Asian Restaurant in Oakland
Saucy Oakland
468 8th St, Oakland, CA 94607, United States
I have been to Saucy twice now and I cannot stop recommending it. The staff are truly welcoming and make great recommendations.The ambience is ideal for friend night or date night. Great wall art, music, lighting and general decor.The drinks are fun and phenomenal. We had the passion fruit Sake and the guava/strawberry Sake. These were so fresh and well mixed.The food.Oh my goodness, the food! The Himachi spoon shooters cannot be overstated- so much flavor; a must! The pork belly lettuce wraps are also one of my faves- so tender, juicy, and fresh. The Crab cakes, dear God those Crab cakes! You want fresh Crab cakes come here. They are beautifully served with a delicious sauce on top- such fresh crabeat meat.The garlic noodles are to die for. These are my favorite garlic noodles I have had. They will not disappoint.We also got the prawn pumpkin curry. This curry was so creamy and perfect for a cold night.I had some kind of bread pudding here that blew our minds!Honestly I cant wait to eat there again. Highly recommend!
Viridian
2216 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612, United States
Ive been to this spot many times throughout the few years theyve been open. Recently stopped by a week ago with a friend during a bar hop, and thought itd be time to post my experience below:Ambiance - a clean, neon, cyberpunk-like lounge is how the interior looked. Music was not only a great selection, but did not overwhelm our conversation. It is a small area, so I wouldnt recommend bringing a party bigger than 6. It was already pretty packed, even on a Wednesday night when we went.Drinks - Menu is online. You start a tab via the QR code on your assigned seating. Signature cocktails were distinct & delicious, but there are also seasonal drinks like the Red Letter event, per talking with the bartender. I enjoyed the White Rabbit cocktail, whereas my buddy trusted the bartender to make something that turned out to be tart, but refreshing! Prices are standard Bay Area-wise ($5-7 for beers, $12-18 for cocktails)Food - solid lineup. They have an assortment of Asian fusion dishes, which have changed annually whenever I visit. Standout dish for us (if its still there) is their interpretation of the Pajeon (or Korean pancake), but with seafood. Surprisingly filling too!Service - staff, from bartender to host, were friendly throughout our time here. The host notified us in advance that we could only stay 1.5 hours, but none of the staff were ever on our backs regarding that time limit until the last 5 minutes or so.Overall, Viridian is a great spot to bring friends or dates to, or even a first stop on a bar hop like we did!
Top other services in Oakland:
Joodooboo
4201 Market St, Oakland, CA 94608, United States
I got to visit Joodooboo in Oakland and it absolutely deserves five stars! This bustling yet efficient deli, run by renowned local chef Steve Joo, offers a delightful culinary experience rooted in local farms and traditional diaspora.The concept of serving Korean small dishes, known as banchan, made from fresh produce sourced from local farms, including the famous Cannard Family Farm, truly impressed me. I opted for the 6-pack banchan, which showcased the intricate flavors and labor that went into each dish. Despite not eating fish, I was thrilled to find an array of delicious options that catered to my preferences.Among my favorites were the soy-picked carrots and the DooBooMooChiim, an assortment of vegetables with tofu bits. The simplicity of the dish was heavenly, and the balance of flavors was impeccable. I also had the pleasure of trying their squid and crispy rice lunch special, which was simply magical. The accompanying picture shows a double portion as I shared it with a friend who also marveled at the flavors.Joodooboo offers subscriptions for those looking to enjoy a larger variety of their healthy banchans and fresh tofu throughout the week. Its a fantastic option for those seeking convenient and wholesome meals.My only complaint is the limited opening hours, which makes it a bit challenging to visit more frequently. I do hope that Joodooboo expands its hours soon, as the experience and flavors they offer are truly exceptional.In conclusion, Joodooboo in Oakland is a hidden gem that combines delicious and clean dining with a hospitable atmosphere. The dedication to sourcing fresh, local ingredients and the intricate flavors of their banchans make it a must-visit for anyone craving a unique culinary experience. Even if you dont eat fish, like myself, youll still find a delightful array of options to enjoy. Five stars without a doubt!
Good To Eat Popup Eatery At The Original Patter...
292 4th St Suite #1, Oakland, CA 94607, United States
The FoodGrabbing lunch with a friend, and the desired choice was dumplings. Good to Eat Dumplings seemed like an interesting new place, so we decided to give it a try. We ordered their Pocket Dumplings (Pork) plus Spicy Noodle Set and Spicy Sauce Wontons. The Pocket Dumplings had a unique shape, but is your typical pan fried pork dumpling. My friend and I liked the Spicy Noodle, it wasnt super spicy, but had a nice chewiness and flavor. The Spicy Sauce Wontons is Hong You Chao Shou (紅油抄手) with the same sauce as the Spicy Noodle. The food was not bad, but also nothing special.The MiscellaneousThe restaurant, or I guess you can also call it a popup, is right outside of Original Pattern Brew Company. You most likely can spot it on the road as you drive by. Seatings are mostly outdoor, but there are a decent amount. The menu has a split between the beers of Original Pattern Brewing Company and a small selection of food. The price is expensive for what it is, and the quantity is also not much. I would say this is one of those interesting places you might try out once.
EM Deli Catering
6119 La Salle Ave, Oakland, CA 94611, United States
Personally, I was initially most interested in EM Deli and Catering for getting ingredients for preparing Korean food. I am a newby learning how to cook Korean food, and EM Deli has so much available in their small well-organiser space.Their store is sparkly clean, and everything is easy to find. There On the left, when entering their store are small containers of ready to eat single servings of delicious dishes that they have prepared. Personally, I got seaweed salad, and squid salad—both were absolutely fresh and delicious!Besides a refrigerated case that included some important veggies, sauces, and tofu for preparing your own dishes., They also have frozen commercially packaged food for using later. They have dried goods like rice, soy sauce, noodles, and seaweed. They also have lots of Korean cuts of meat, and can get you fresh fish from San Francisco.If you just want to get what they have already prepared, you can go down to actually see what they have. You can order online. We had a small dinner party of four and got carry out. When it was brought home, we ate it so quickly that i forgot to take pictures.
Dumpling Hours - Oakland
3331 Lakeshore Ave, Oakland, CA 94610, United States
I love a good dumpling venue!!!! However this is not the one.Didn't care for this one. They are very stingy with napkins, water refills and condiments in general. I was bypassed when the server gave out water. Very cold restaurant!!! The sticky chicken appetizer did not come until I completed my meal and so had to remind the server to give it to me. Then it has an excessive amount of honey and batter. I know why!!!! Chicken was old. I told the waitress that 1 piece was old but it was too hot to test the rest plus I had an appointment. The noodles with chives and ginger were good. The fried dumpling was very greasy and not drained but yummy. Small red dish was dirty and the waitress just wiped it out instead of providing a new one. She was not friendly until it was time to pay the bill and tip. Before then she didn't understand what I was saying.Too bad!!!!
Lion Dance Caf
380 17th St, Oakland, CA 94612, United States
Warning: Extremely expensive for the experience and tiny portion sizes. Be prepared to spend well over $150 for 2 people. First of all, its reservation only and they charge $20 per person plus a dollar service fee just to make a reservation. My boyfriend and I paid $41 just to reserve a seat. That is not a deposit. It is misleading from their site. We were charged full price for all the dishes we ordered.We were told that most people order 2-3 dishes per person because its tapas style dishes. They mentioned we should order 5-6 dishes for 2 people. We felt pressured to order because of that recommendation. It was way too much food at the end and we really only should have ordered 3 dishes max. We ordered 4 appetizers, 2 entrees, dessert, coconut water, beer and our total was $155 plus 20% tip brought us to $186. Add the $41 reservation fee and our grand total was $227!!! How does that even make sense. Ill add pictures and see if it makes sense to pay that much. Dont be fooled, I zoomed into the food so it looks big but in actual reality, its miniature.When we arrived they were short staffed so there was no greeter. We sat indoors but it was extremely cold outside but also inside. There was no heater and I faced the kitchen and I can see staff doing the dishes right in front of me.For utensils, we got 1 fork and spoon each with chopsticks but no knives. We also received only 1 paper napkin each.We asked for rice to balance out the heat and spice but they said they dont offer rice which is extremely strange if you say youre an authentic Singaporean restaurant. We asked the waiter and he said its too overwhelming for the staff to manage a rice cooker. We were then suggested to get their sesame bread instead for $16. Even offering noodles would have helped balance out the super spicy food.The only dish that was worth it as far as taste in my opinion was the Laska noodle soup. Still steep for $25 given that the protein was tofu and not a lot of it either. We got like 3 pieces of tofu.The decor was of a hawker center in Singapore which weve both been to. The high price tag was out of touch from the service, tiny portions, and experience we got. Most of the dishes are extremely spicy and you should be cautious because my boyfriend and I both got stomach aches at the end of our night and the next day. We love spicy food and we eat most of our meals with hot sauce but this is not for the faint of heart. My boyfriends taste buds were fried to the point where he couldnt taste anything towards the end of dinner and I was choking up from the spices. Theres no reason to charge $16-25 per dish if the portion sizes are of appetizers. Flavors were good but nothing out of the ordinary that you wouldnt get from a Chinese szechuan dish.If they charge $41 just for the reservation, at least deduct that from our food bill. Its price gouging at best and we felt robbed at the end of our experience.We wont be coming back unfortunately. Unless they get rid of their expensive reservation system, add rice to their menu, add a heater to their building, give bigger portion sizes and or lower their food prices, you can count us out.
Lin Jia Asian Kitchen
3437 Lakeshore Ave, Oakland, CA 94610, United States
Came here due to the excellent reviews. The food we had - lamb dish and scallop dish with fried rice was very tasty but as warned the prices are high.A half dozen scallops, some lamb and spices with a smattering of scallions ($20), and a bowl of friend rice ($15) plus only water to drink came to $60 after taxes but before tip. Ouch.For sure food in the Bay Area is expensive and this is a nice safe location and the food is good quality but is it $30 a head nice? Unfortunately itll make us think about coming back.And in case you think we just picked expensive dishes - there were plenty much more than $20 a dish, and most if not all that werent appetizers were $15 or more. Maybe weve all been conditioned to think this kind of dish should always be cheap, or at least cheaper? I dont know.Anyway, no regrets on the food. The place is a bit loud - youll hear and see the kitchen busy making your food. The waiter was friendly and efficient. Only $$ is my concern.
Cafe Dareye
2504 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94612, United States
The store looked wonderful, clean, and had a great variety of Ethiopian groceries which is what drew me inside. But after the way I was treated today, I will never come back. I was looking for berbere and there were some unlabeled bags with red spice mixture inside that seemed to be it. I asked the lady at the counter if she could tell me what it was. She stared at me first like I was something dirty, then bites her nail and LITERALLY spits off to her side. As if thats not weird enough and definitely not sanitary, she then tells me Its too spicy for you. I tell her I dont mind and ask her again if she could tell me whats in it and she responds back I dont explain. Too much, too spicy for you. Lady, Im Asian, we also eat pretty darn spicy....but okay, I know when Im not wanted. I should have taken the hint after the spitting.I did nothing to offend her and nobody should be treated with that level of disrespect. I would not recommend anyone to come here, which is a shame because it actually looks like a lovely store.