Came here on Monday evening with my son and dad before I headed to the airport. Place was packed, the service was fast and the food was incredible. The serving sizes were so big that I've had my leftovers for the last two days for lunch. We had the roasted pork belly, beef chow mein, combination fried rice and honey walnut prawns. ALL OF IT was phenomenal. We all ate at the table and when we packed my leftovers, the containers were packed to the brim. This is gonna be my new go to food spot before I head home to the airport for SoCal read more

I remember why i have been on a moratorium coming to Chef's Wok. There time estimate has always been inaccurate. This time the wait after I cane to pick up the order was 20 minutes. Not as bad as the worst delay I had (40 minutes). The good news is that they were fairly busy. Maybe the cause of their delay? My order included Chicken Chow Mein and Eggplant with Pork in a Chili Garlic Sauce. The noodles were savory and large chunks of breastf meat. It was OK/good. The second item leaned toward the sweet n spicy side was not my cup of tea. I'll try some place else before coming back. read more

Came here for dim sum on a Sunday at noon. The food was decent, but compared to other locations under the same group, this one was slightly less impressive. The dim sum style also felt a bit inconsistent, and I found myself quite thirsty after the meal. The restaurant itself is outdated, and the restroom was quite dirty, which was hard to accept. On the positive side, the service was good. There is parking available, but very limited--most people will have to find street parking, which isn't very convenient, especially for elderly guests. read more

Went for Dim Sum lunch on a Thursday at the best dim sum restaurant in Alameda. Not the prettiest in ambiance, not the easiest place to find parking, but the best for hot tasty steamed dim sum at reasonable prices. The Siu Mai, Shrimp Rice Roll, Stuffed Eggplant, and Salt and Pepper Fried Tofu are top notch. read more

See all

We had a celebration dinner last night, but somehow it was kind of disappointing. Most of the dishes were heavily salted and we had to return a vegetable dish because the chef was way too heavy handed on the salt. Desserts and service were great! I always enjoy their dim sum, maybe they were too busy or it was just an off night. There were about 2-3 dishes out of all. You would think alcohol would make everything taste better but not! read more

See all

First experience here. I came with three friends for dim sum and it was pretty good for the most part. To start with, they have a parking lot right next to the restaurant; it was really crowded and not all of us got a space, but at least they had *some* parking. We ordered a variety of items and while some were really good, a couple of others were just okay. The chicken feet were delicious; great flavor and nice size feet. The sieu mai and har gow were both amazing, too; big and very flavorful. The pan fried shrimp bean curd rolls and the steamed black bean spareribs were definitely in need of something, though. They lacked flavor and the ribs were way too fatty; the bean curd rolls were also very oily. Luckily, the sesame balls were a wonderful way to end the meal. Even with the minor mis-steps, I'd come back again if I'm in the area. read more

See all

Chef's Wok is a solid choice for Dim Sum, and other authentic Cantonese cuisine classics in the Alameda/Oakland Chinatown area. Humble small storefront, but this is a big restaurant inside with a huge dining room that seemingly goes on for miles once you are inside. Service is good, friendly even during the morning rush. You don't have to wait long between the time you put in your order before the dishes begin to appear on your table. Our favorites amongst the dim sum here include: Shui Mai - you get four HUGE Pork Shui Mai that is at least 1.75x the size of "normal" ones you find elsewhere. Tasty and Good (5/5) XO Noodles: We always get this here. Usually 5/5 here on this given the wok-charred flavor, but on this recent round 4/5 because there could have been a bit more XO chili-scallop seasoning on this latest rendition. I'd still order it again. Braised Greens with Oyster Sauce - Perfectly prepared tender yet still ever so slightly crunchy at first bite. 5/5 Special Chicken Cartilage (deep fried) - this was on their specials menu for Dim Sum, and is typically quite rare to find on most dim sum menus. We order this delicacy whenever we find it! Gently deep fried in a crispy/soft batter, the cartilage pieces were big, and the batter was perfect. 6.0/5! Absolutely the best we have ever had of this dish. Not oily! Hom Sui Gok - Deep Fried Mochi with Pork inside - Not oily, and again, fried gently, petite compared to some monster sized ones out there, but a delicate treat upon every bite! (5/5) Sesame Balls - not huge, bigger than bite sized, yet smaller than the usuals, but super good! Again, perfectly fried! (5/5) BBQ Pork Buns - with a special crispy top - pretty good, but I think they could have been a bit smaller for a better ratio of meat to bun.. Not sure, as I only had half of one to split with my dining mates. I'd try this again just to make sure. Getting Here: It's located just a couple of blocks south of the In-n-Out on the Alameda side of the Webster-Posey Tube between Oakland Chinatown and Alameda. Parking can be a little tight in their small parking lot, but it's not impossible. Street parking can be had in the surrounding blocks. Verdict: This is a pretty big restaurant, and a popular choice amongst locals in the area - and for good reason - the dim sum here is definitely on point with some key standouts to keep you coming back. The overused acronym "IYKYK" comes to mind.. We've come here for many years especially for their dim sum, and we look forward to being back here again soon. read more

See all

When ordering to go, definitely double-check your order--there can be mix-ups. Make sure to point directly at the item you want, because the new staff don't always know the menu as well as regular customers. Service can be a bit slow or inattentive since staffing is limited and many familiar faces are gone. On the plus side, there's a parking lot for customers, which makes pick-up easier. read more

Chefs Wok - Salt & Pepper Pork Chops with clothes pin - Dim Sum Near Me - Alameda, California

This Shiu Mai really better than other Chinese restaurants is really absolutely stunning and delicious the food was amazing too. The service was going fast and mostly easier quicker than the other Chinese restaurants. The atmosphere is nice and warm. Beef Chow Mein 1/10 (I give this a 1 cause they give us a little bit of beef and they should give us more!!!) Shu Mai: 10/10 (this is the best one better than Fusion Delight and Oriental Tea House) Fung Jiao: 10/10 read more

See all

You know, I used to love this place when the chef was someone we knew. We had dinner here and everything was lacking flavor for some reason. We had broccoli shrimp with plenty of each, a half soy sauce chicken was good and our mixed mushroom tofu and pea shoot dish was meh. It used to be our family favorite and now it took was lacking flavor and they added green and red bell peppers. What? Will have to come back and see if the dim sum quality is the same or gone down as well. I'm happy to see they are busy because having a good family dinner banquet spot is getting fewer and fewer. Thank you Alameda for keeping this business going! read more

Chefs Wok - Yum! - Dim Sum Near Me - Alameda, California

See all

Chef's Wok: A Cantonese Gem on the Island For those seeking the true pulse of Hong Kong-style dining without leaving the island, Chef's Wok stands as a premier destination for authentic Cantonese seafood and BBQ cuisine. The establishment carries a prestigious lineage; the owner also operates the popular Pearl Tea House across San Leandro, Dublin, and Fremont, bringing a refined touch to Alameda's culinary scene. Tank-to-Table Freshness The hallmark of Chef's Wok is its impressive live seafood selection. Diners can select fresh catches directly from the tank, including: Fish: Striped bass, rock cod, and snapper. Shellfish: Maine lobster, Dungeness crab, Geoduck clam, and live shrimp. Under the guidance of the new manager, Wendy, the service is remarkably detailed. When ordering from the tanks, guests enjoy dedicated table service complete with both wet and paper napkins--a small but significant touch that elevates the experience. Daily Dim Sum and Signature BBQ The restaurant is a local hub for dim sum lunch, which draws a lively crowd nearly every day. While the midday rush focuses on steamed delights like their famous golf-ball-sized siu mai, the BBQ and specialty promotions are the real draw for dinner. Keep an eye out for their big promotions on staples like: Roasted Duck and Soy Sauce Chicken. Steamed Queen Chicken. Fresh Lobster with Egg Noodle. On weekends, the menu reaches new heights with exclusive promotions on roasted squab and steamed dried abalone, making it an ideal spot for special family gatherings. Atmosphere and Pairings The dining room is spacious and welcoming, suited for everything from casual lunches to large banquets. Unlike many traditional spots, Chef's Wok offers a curated selection of wines by the glass or bottle, with a focus on red wines that pair beautifully with their rich roasted meats. read more

See all

Regular customer here with my family It's practically our weekly take out order with monthly family dinner for different occasions like bday or other celebrations Service is a bit chaotic but very normal Service is still quick and friendly Small parking for a large resturant but there's bunch of street parking Well lit, tables and chairs are clean The dishes are just amazing, just try everything My family and I almost tried everything The food are large in portion and delicious read more

See all

Pan fried chives bun tasty, Sui mai, beef ball and shrimp stuffed chinese donut were the best. Noodle roll soy sauce was a little weak and beef crepe roll needed some cilantro for flavor. Beware of false advertising.The menu said one thing for holiday price, the staff said no all the menus are incorrect and charged regular price. Place has lots of seating but gets pretty packed, so get there early. Real tight parking lot so if you get in, expect challenges on getting out from people blocking you in. read more

See all

Funny how the island's two best Dim sum restaurants happen to be within a block of each other. When you come in for lunch you'll notice the clientele is mainly older Asians. There's limited parking... I'd say if you come during peak lunch don't even try to park in the lot. This place gets extremely busy to the point where if it's after 11:30a on a weekend I'll just goto East Ocean. If an option, this place is cheaper and the main staple items siu mai, chicken feet, ha gow, etc are better than east ocean. If you have guests and want a cleaner and more impressive venue with almost no wait then goto East Ocean. Chefs wok is a dive and has better food but worth it if there's a huge wait. read more

Chefs Wok - Shrimp Stuffed mushrooms during dim sum. - Dim Sum Near Me - Alameda, California

Came at 1pm on a Sunday with no wait. But, the room was still packed, which is a great sign that we missed the lunch rush. They have all the basics here and it's all pretty good. Portions are ginormous. Maybe 1.5-2x the size of other spots around the bay. And prices are very reasonable. The stand out dishes were: Mala cake: one of the few spots that still does it the traditional homemade way with yeast. The bottom has a slightly chewy honeycomb texture and the fluffiest top. Very few places still do it this way. I would come back just for this. Tripe and turnip: large pieces of tripe and intestines stewed in an delicious gravy. The gravy's a bit thick, but pair it with their chili oil and it makes for a perfect bite. Shui mai: giant juicy dumplings. I've never had a shui mai so large! It's lightly seasoned and had a bouncy texture with the chunks of shrimp and pork. Everything else was good. It's a traditional Chinese spot for reasonably priced dim sum. you can't go wrong with anything you order here. read more

See all

Came here today with funeral party for 10-course meal. Great meal and fast staff! Friendly and professional. Would come back again read more

Chefs Wok - Lobster - Dim Sum Near Me - Alameda, California

The food was so-so. We ordered a lot of dim sum, but I wasn't impressed with any of the items I had. An acquaintance was all about the House Special Shumai, which, however, to me was just a normal shrimp and pork dumpling in a bigger size- No biggie. The black sesame rolls were not too sweet, kind of crispy rather than mushy, but lacking the nutty flavor of black sesame. Everything was just very mediocre *shrug* read more

See all

Got chicken and duck to go! I did have to wait 20+ minutes because they forgot about me :( but it's all good read more

See all

Speaking of getting to this restaurant, PARKING was almost impossible. The restaurant challenges you into a game of how far are you willing to park and walk for dim sum? Upon entering, this place is PACKED with families and elderly. When that happens, you know the foods going to be incredible. Anyways, I definitely recommend y'all stop by when you're in the area. read more

Delicious dim sum in the East Bay! It seems the shumai are on steroids! Large interior to the resto with a parking lot. Food is quite authentic and although it was cheaper back in the day, it's still quite affordable. Dim sum service ends at 3PM. read more

See all

I come here regularly with my family to eat dim sum and dinner. Usually there isn't too long of a wait and we get seated pretty quickly. This is a local Chinese restaurant I would highly recommend for the quality of food and price. Everything is good and affordable! They have all the usual dim sum you will crave and a ton of options for dinner. Some of my favorites include the honey walnut prawns, stir fry lamb, fuzzy melon with mushrooms and queen clam! read more

See all

This restaurant is a traditional Chinese cuisine (far from Panda Express.) As soon as we walked through the door we were greeted with an archway & water fountain. For Lunar New Year the restaurant has red decorations on the walls. Fast service, constantly downsizing plates to make room for more food. Good portions and flavor. A very diverse menu and every dish was delicious. read more

See all

Best service from all the staff! They made the birthday celebration memorable. Very attentive and always a step ahead on service. We had the set menu for 2 tables. Food came out quickly and we were able to just enjoy our meal without feeling rushed. Delicious food, great service and wonderful atmosphere. read more

See all

Had a dinner meeting with 14 others and the had the perfect size table for us. Food came out at a great pace. I didn't "love" the fish maw soup, and the jelly fish on their appetizer plate was extremely spicy. The rest of the appetizers were great (but the pork belly and char siu ran out before person 13's turn). String beans were great, veggies and mushrooms great; lobster with glass noodles was different; fish was good. Empress chicken and Peking duck also good. Shrimp balls were one of my favorites! It was coated with almonds in a light batter. Service was excellent. Need to eat here more often! read more

See all

I used to come here a lot in my teens with family and friends. They have a small lot next door of you come early or lucky enough to get a spot, or there's street parking all around. This is my go to dim sum spot in the area. Their prices are cheaper than most places I've been to and the food quality is good. I like to go on weekdays to avoid that weekend wait time which can be crazy, but also tells you it's a good place to go to. Once you're seated, you tell them what kind of tea you want, you're charged for your seat no matter what so you might as well get a tea that you like. It pairs well with the meal no matter what you get. You order from a menu and mark down what you want. They have English translations and pictures of their more popular items. There's also 1 or 2 of the old fashion dim sum carts where they have some food in a cart and advertise it table to table. Those are more for their desserts like egg custard tart or their steamed and baked buns. I love this place. Come try it out and you'll see that the price and quality is worth going for. read more

This is my go to spot for dim sum in alameda. The food is good and the prices are cheaper than some others nearby. There has been some other places where the quality has gone down over the years. Service I would say is good for an Asian place. The wait for dim sum can be quite a while on weekends. Other than that, there's a tiny lot beside them. There's also street parking too. read more

See all

Been here so many times for dim sum and dinner that I don't even remember to check in half the time. I have a love-hate relationship with all Alameda restaurants. Parking sucks and we're never lucky. Prices have gone up but which restaurant hasn't over the years? I also want to say that their service is hit or miss but really it's miss majority of the time. They ain't the only Asian restaurant that is busy but they really don't seem like they care about your money. read more

See all

I dont recall some of the names Everything we got was included in some of bundle Soup: came first I believe its the egg flower soup but im not sure. I really liked this one. Very flavorful, very hot and fresh, the green circles are cooked yet crunchy and the other meats were nice and tender. Still careful dont burn your tongue. Mixed plate; its in my pic, there is charsiu, a type of tofu, roasted pork, idk what the middle is called, and seaweed salad. I only ate the charsiu and the roasted pork. Of course the charsiu was tasty, the roasted pork surprised me as I usually dont like them but this one was nicely tender and of course the top was crunchy and they have a dip for this pork. Roasted duck: is a banger as usual. Too big bones, but meat is tender, fatty and flavorful and the skin was crisp. Beef and tofu?; its in my pic, i only ate the beef part, and it was surprisingly good. Again super tender, and flavorful. Little on the chewy side but more like you will chew a lot but still soft. Sweet and sour pork: classic, I think I prefer orange chicken csuse it doesnt have bones but this one is good too. Nice long pieces and super saucey. Honey walnut prawn: my cousin bashed me for saying this but I thought there was more sauce here than usual. Id say its a step down from the ones I've had in the past but still a classic. Fried rice: I didnt try Sponge cake?; idk the name of it, it was spongey and flavorless Extra My family visits this restaurant very often so it holds a special place in my heart, this is a 5/5 read more

See all

Excellent dim sum. Fresh, high quality and there was no wait at 1pm. The service was excellent and the tea kept coming. They gave us a table for 4, for our party of 2, so we were able to spread out & truly enjoy the delicious food. Yes, highly recommend! read more

See all

Food is good. Service - average. Prices are great!!! Tends to get busy and hectic inside but for good reason. read more

Solid dimsum, with stand outs being the crispy taro, tofu skin shrimp, aaaaand durian crisp. Everything came out quickly and piping hot. Really hit my dimsum cravings! read more

Chefs Wok - Dim Sum Near Me - Alameda, California

See all

My family always comes here for dimsum as well as dinner! It's helpful if you speak Cantonese because the servers here all speak it fluently. The dimsum is authentic and tasty. The dinner is delicious and so presentable! I love coming here with my family for our many celebrations because they know how to order all the good dishes. The service here is also so good! They treat us like family. There's also a parking lot but it gets really busy. read more

See all

Chef's Wok is located on a fairly busy main street. Parking is on the street or if you are lucky to be able to snag a spot in the lot next to the restaurant, which gets packed on weekends. There usually a wait on Sunday mornings when everyone is here for dim sum with their loved ones. This was one of my family's go to spot growing up - with a few other dim sum restaurants in the go to rotation. Dim sum quality and quantity definitely has declined over the last two decades of coming here. Obviously not in the go to rotation anymore because of that disappointing reason. read more

Classic dimsum flavors and ambiance. Def need to balance out the greasiness with a good amount of tea. A few members of our group felt strangely tired after eating there though read more

I'm actually surprised I haven't reviewed this place yet, but here we go. Located in Alameda, after you get out of the tunnel from Oakland, and just a bit down the street from the community college, you'll find Chefs Wok nestled in kind of a weird parking lot, with not a whole lot of parking because the place is pretty big and just doesn't have enough spots to accommodate them when it's full, which is pretty often, so just be aware of parking woes if you're dropping by. Chefs Wok is a dim sum place and one of the few actual ones left in the area, so for those who want dim sum, here's a spot for you. They do the order paper style, so there won't be people wheeling carts around, though, that style doesn't really exist nowadays in any case. It's still in paper format, so get your pencils/pens ready (they will provide you one of course). Their dim sum menu is also a full menu, so they have a wide variety of dim sum dishes, that also include several of the specialty dishes. Lots to choose from. The parts that really bode well for this spot is two things, the price of their dim sum dishes, which if you decide to try one in downtown Oakland not too far away, it's significantly more comparatively to somewhere like Peony, each dimsum dish is a dollar or more expensive, which for us dim sum goers, it really adds up. And the other big upside here is that the dim sum portions are also quite hefty, so you get a lot more portions of things like siu mai or ha gao, etc. Price and portions, always a big plus. Things to note though, the high rating I have is mainly for the food, as the service here is generally hit or miss depending on how busy they are. They have a lot of people working, so you just need to work a bit extra to flag people down because they generally don't actively turn their heads to find people when they're walking around. Some of the regular dishes here are also really good. One of their mainstays here is of course the Preserved vegetables and crispy steak cubes in crispy rice noodles, which is something you will see people order at other tables all the time. It looks a bit weird, like an open hatch, but what's inside is yummy steak cubes and sauce, and matched with the crunchiness outside it's great. The chow fun here is quite good too, and lots of ingredients, which also includes the meat. The fried rice is cooked with a great aroma, and tastes great too. And the main thing, the portions for all of these are also huge, which bodes well for their non dim sum menu during the night time. Overall, Chefs Wok is a great place to eat at. The price is great comparatively, especially for how much food you get as well, from both the dim sum dishes and also the regular non-dim sum dishes too. Their dim sum menu is big, and contains all of the main stuff you would want from it, and perhaps some stuff you don't see on other dim sum menus anymore. While the service would leave things to desire sometimes, especially when they get busy, overall, I enjoy coming here for several other reasons, so it makes up for it. read more

See all

After the closure of Oakland's Chinatown there have been limited options for dim sum that's affordable. They've passed the baton here. Classic busy tea house vibe where you compete to get seated. The service comes quickly and we had chrysanthemum tea and order sheet dropped off within a minute. During our ordering the cart/tray servers brought an assortment of dim sum classics. Since we were a smaller party today, we opted for a single handful of dishes. Each one had their killer attributes that made it stand out. First was taro dumpling that was noticeably lighter and less dense than I'm accustomed. Gave the morsel a better ability for the filling to come through. Second dish was tripe that was perfectly cooked. Next was rice crepe filled with Chinese donut and shrimp. This was a dish I've been craving and it hit all the right notes. Plant was beautiful. The shui mai was huge and meaty. Could have been full with just this order. Lastly the chicken feet were tender and pillowy. Can't wait for my next trip back. read more

Very good dim sum and Chinese menu. Lots of tables and waiters but can be busy. Waiting at front door for table is only situation. It can be windy, there is a blower and people smoke in front of entrance. But over all, you will come back, it's delicious and party atmosphere with family. Parking is a little difficult . Lot is full when we come. It's popular place. Competition is east ocean read more

We walked in on Sunday afternoon and got a number for our party of four. After a 20-minute wait, we were finally seated. The place was packed with elderly Asian folks, a surefire sign of good food. The noise level was high, but that's part of the dim sum experience. The food was delicious! My husband ordered way too much, and we had leftovers for days. My son loves salt and pepper chicken wings, so I asked if they had them. The server wrote it down on the back of the menu, no problem. The service was okay. We got our chrysanthemum tea, but my husband accidentally added too much chili oil to my plate. When the server cleared the table, I think she scolded me in Chinese for the excess chili oil. The dim sum was great, and we loved getting to choose from so many different dishes. However, beware of the special items. My husband ordered fried shrimp balls, which were $12.50 for three! Most of the other dishes were more reasonably priced. This is our new go-to dim sum spot. The other place we used to go to just isn't as good anymore." read more

See all

Chef wok is one of my favorite local dim sum restaurants. The flavors are good, everything comes out piping hot. The restaurant has many large tables to accommodate big groups. They have a parking lot, small but convenient if you come right when they open. Service is sometimes great, sometimes not so much. Their best dishes are the steamed pork buns, siu mai, and chicken feet. It's always done well. I also like the salt and pepper tofu. read more

Chefs Wok - Dim Sum Near Me - Alameda, California

See all

I know nowadays dim sum is expensive... but I think it too expensive.. the portion is huge but 8 dollar for siu mai is too expensive... maybe there alot of rich people in the world but I'm sure I'm not one of them. read more