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    Happy Garden

    3.9 (207 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:15 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Order Happy Garden Takeout or Delivery

    Happy Garden Photos

    HAPPY GARDEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Happy Garden

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    Fried won ton soup
    Sammi L.

    Happy Garden is our go-to spot for Chinese in Oakland. We go so often that staff recognize and welcome us like family. We always enjoyed sitting inside before they moved to take-out. The women are so friendly there - we return for the service. The food is great for take-out and dine-in (before). We get our regular dishes like green beans, salt pepper pork, beef scramble, fish tofu clay pot - but we always enjoy trying new dishes. We always look forward to the next time we'll be greeted by staff like family and pick our favorite orders.

    Laurel Neighborhood of Oakland
    Steve D.

    4112 MacArthur Blvd Oakland, CA 94619 Happy Garden Chinese Restaurant is located in Oakland's Laurel District. I was here on a Saturday evening around 5pm. As I walked in the door, I noticed the dining room was blocked off. The lady said I have to call ahead if I wanted to eat there. After a brief discussion, I got a table up front. Okay, originally I was just going to have a nice bowl of Wor Won Ton Soup. But then I saw something interesting on the menu.....claypots. I ordered "Braised Rock Cod Filet With Tofu" claypot, Eggrolls, and small steamed rice. I ordered the eggrolls, so I had something to munch on while my claypot was cooling off. You see, the claypot is a "fire to table" dish. They cook the food in the claypot, and bring it to your table bubbling hot. I usually stir it up to even out the temperature. The claypot had nice pieces of breaded fish filet and large pieces of tofu all soaked in a rich gravy. Dried tofu sheets lined the bottom of the pot. I ate it with chopsticks and a bowl of rice. When you eat in a chinese restaurant, you eat chinese style. The lady who served me was very chatty. We talked about growing up in the bay area, and how the Chinatown has changed. I told her it was odd that they didn't offer a small dinner soup like other chinese restaurants. So she offered me "house soup" of dried bok choy and meat in a light broth. Total bill was less than $30 before tip. I will return and try the other claypots. Maybe I'll call ahead and reserve a table.

    General Chicken Deluxe Lunch Special

    Discovered this place about a month ago. If you're craving American Chinese, this place nailed it with their General Tso's and Fried Rice. I've also had the combination Fried Rice which was phenomenal. Service is fantastic with Sally, who was attentive through the whole lunch. Sweet lady really checks in throughout at just the right times. While this is no a fancy sitting place, it holds true to a solid Chinese restaurant you'd expect to make your standard watering hole. Absolutely happy with it.

    Norma L.

    I was going to order lunch from another place, but they were closed, and then remembered seeing this while at my Tailor who is two doors down and was on my mental list to try. I thought I'd have a quiet sit down to decompress, but they still don't have dine option. That's ok. The woman is super friendly and when I told her it was my first time said to take time no rush. I ordered something not usually on the menu. Combination Chow Fun w/o gravy. And since my stomach was talking, ordered hot and sour soup. It took all of 10 mins. Got back to office and dug in. Soup was so good. Usually its just got bamboo shoots, eggs, and I think they are earwood mushrooms. But this had that plus slivers of chicken, beef and a couple shrimp. The chow fun was not chewy and the meats were cooked perfect. The amount of food was enough for two sittings.

    Hung Tao Yee Fu wonton

    It's really hard to find a place that still does the old style Cantonese dishes like Yee Fu wonton. The one here is excellent and satisfies my craving for wonton that I remembered when I was growing up in Oakland

    Wonton Noodle Soup Fried Rice Sweet & Sour Pork
    Chris B.

    Solid classic Chinese offerings. Not a destination restaurant, but as the closest Chinese option to me it more than hits the spot when the craving strikes.

    Jan. 9th, an assortment of food & beverages
    John D.

    We live & eat in The Laurel... Happy Garden became our go to restaurant years ago when the one that we went to in Chinatown was sold & the new owners went for cheap ingredients and poor service. Happy Garden is a family owned business that has always done very good food & service. They even stayed open during the Pandemic and made sure that everyone could get a fresh meal from them! Many neighbors of various cultural backgrounds came to eat here and continue to do so now. Their pot stickers are fresh & tasty.. Their salt n pepper prawns are outstanding! During Chinese New Year's they stock lots of fresh crab & fish in the tanks. They do King Do ribs & have many rice, noodle & veggie dishes. Sallie, the co owner & hostess, will go out of her way to accommodate food ingredient issues-like vegetarian, vegan & allergies. Her husband, the chef, makes sure that they have a well stocked pantry.. And did I mention Peking Duck with all the trimmings? We highly recommend them and appreciate their dedication and community support!

    BBQ pork fried rice
    Alicia C.

    This is my neighborhood chinese spot and they provide decent food. There is no dining in at the moment, though there might have been in the past. I have had their potstickers, BBQ pork chow mein and BBQ pork fried rice, salt and pepper fish, and tofu and cod clay pot. The pot stickers are great. Homemade and thick with a tasty filling. Chow mein is ok. I'd like to try it with another meat. Fried rice is good. The salt and pepper fish was great. Perfectly coated with not too much breading, crunchy on the outside, and moist on the inside. I was surprised by how tasty because they did look a little pale. In fact, by whole recent order was a little pale looking, but everything still tasted great. Been here already three or four times, and will continue to order and be happy with some good food.

    Beef chow fun

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    4 months ago

    Great food authentic Chinese dishes to discover in their menu good location, great service just a cozy place

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    1 year ago

    Excellent shrimp, fried rice, and prawns comparable to what I eat out here in Washington state in the Seattle area and it was better

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    2 years ago

    Food was delicious as always, we just didn't care much about the general chicken, but we love it here.

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    2 years ago

    好好味,always quick, fresh and yummy ... my always go to Chinese food when I am in Oakland ...

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    Page 1 of 6

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    Shan Dong - Sesame Paste Noodles

    Shan Dong

    4.2(4k reviews)
    4.1 miOakland Chinatown
    $$

    My friends and I decided to order delivery from Shan Dong, which is one of my favorite places in…read moreOakland Chinatown. This time, we ordered a few dishes to try - the classic sesame paste noodles, Shan Dong chicken, the fried rice with shrimp, and the hot spicy eggplant. Since we did order delivery on a busy Saturday night, it took a little over an hour for our food to arrive. The food was expertly packed and we were given plenty of utensils and napkins. The sesame paste noodles are one of my favorite dishes here, there's a balance of sweet and salty offered in the creamy sesame paste sauce that's so addicting. I've always been a big fan of the hand-pulled noodles which are thick, bouncy and chewy. The Shan Dong chicken is deep fried and coated in a delicious sauce. It is more of the sweeter side if you're looking for something that's spicy. I appreciate that we were given large pieces as well! The fried rice with shrimp is amazing - I love the crunch of the green onion, the softness of the fried egg, and the texture of the rice and veggies which weren't soggy and still held a nice bite. Last but not least, the hot spicy eggplant was a great choice because it's usually the trickier dish to cook as eggplant can turn really soft and mushy. I was delighted that with the way it was prepared, the large eggplant pieces still held a tender texture that did not fall apart. I also enjoyed the sauce that was paired with the eggplant, which is oyster-sauce based and added a pleasant sweetness as well. I'm always looking forward to my next visit and I love supporting Shan Dong!

    This place is just as un-fancy as it is delicious! Come mentally prepared to be kind of cramped and…read moreto eat in a somewhat chaotic atmosphere. Who cares though, because once you get your food, nothing else matters. The service is fast and efficient. The prices are super reasonable and portion sizes, generous. The noodles, dumplings and everything else we ordered was incredibly tasty and had that wok-infused flavor. This place is no frills and all taste. We ordered noodles, dumplings, some cold dishes and omitted egg in the veg dishes for the vegans. Everyone had something to eat and honestly for how much we ordered, it's tough to say there's anything you might not want to order. Just go with your gut! We came here after running the Oakland Marathon and left very happy and satisfied. (apologies for not being specific on what we ordered. I'll have to update later once I dig up the photos to post here.) Just come eat here, you'll be glad you did! My only gripe is that I don't live closer!!

    Photos
    Shan Dong - Dinning area

    Dinning area

    Shan Dong - Shan Dong Chicken

    Shan Dong Chicken

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    Gum Kuo Restaurant - Egg White Dry Scallop Fried Rice

    Gum Kuo Restaurant

    3.9(1.2k reviews)
    4.2 miOakland Chinatown
    $$

    The duck noodle wonton soup here is worth the trip. Honestly, everything here is delicious. They…read morehave fantastic ricerolls, too. A huge assortment. They close super early, so get there in time for take out for dinner (I think they close at like 6?) Parking is an actual nightmare unless you're willing to pay or walk. But that's China Town for you. Service is fast and friendly. I like that they let me practice my Mandarin. It can feel a little crowded at times, but that's the price you pay for really good food.

    Getting right to it, 4 stars because it's so affordable! However, there are some things I want to…read morepoint out that would actually make this spot more of a 3 star visit. 1. The attached parking garage charges $2/every half hour. Granted, this is no where near SF parking rates, it's still an additional fee. Street parking is super hard to find, and the streets are hectic, but you can test your luck (and patience). They use little tokens now that you have to pay for before exiting. Make sure you hold onto it because a lost token will run you $48 for the day rate. 2. The spot is poppin. It's not a complaint, that's a great thing! However it's really small inside so if there's a wait, you do have to line up in a single file line along a divider wall, where you can watch diners eat. Right next to you is the take out line for BBQ orders. It can get really claustrophobic. Tables do move fast as they're quick to bring out food, however you may be asked to just share a table with someone else. They have a couple round tables for the communal dining, or larger groups (up to 8). This is an ideal spot for 2-4 people. 6+ may cause you to wait longer for seating. 3. The tap water tastes kind of weird. They bring you a hot cup of tea too but the herbal taste is a bit too strong for me. 4. The bbq items are just okay :( I did a 3 item bbq combo with rice for about $21. You get a generous portion of meat, rice and a few pieces of steamed Chinese broccoli (gai lan). No sauce to dip or anything, but they do have a black bean sauce on the table to use. The sauce is pretty salty though, so just keep that in mind when you're adding it on. No spicy condiments on the table unfortunately. The duck was decent, but the bbq pork was a bit too lean for me. It wasn't overly sweet though so that was nice. The roast pork wasn't crunchy at all!! For some reason, they thin sliced it, instead of cut it into cubes. I love roast pork for the crunch so this was disappointing. The skin was more chewy than crunchy. All of the meats were tender though! 5. Fresh shrimp rice roll was hot and steamy and the price is cheaper than some dim sum spots ($7.50 for this one i think). However, you also get less shrimp. The sauce poured on was also kinda thin, and not sweet or umami enough. The rice roll itself had a good chew though, silky but a little thick. It holds up well while eating. The proportion go shrimp to rice noodle is waaaay off though. 6. Wonton noodle soup was good! This seemed like the crowd favorite as most everyone ordered this. The noodle could have had a bit more chew to it, but the wontons were bouncy and the broth comforting. You get a couple pieces of chinese broccoli with this too which is nice. The service was efficient and our main server was nice. She spoke english and actually smiled back. They take card payment too, so that's convenient. You really get some bang for your buck here, but I'd probably stick to taking food to go.

    Photos
    Gum Kuo Restaurant - Inside full crowd

    Inside full crowd

    Gum Kuo Restaurant - Beef Chow Fun

    Beef Chow Fun

    Gum Kuo Restaurant - Rice Noodle Wrap with Chinese Doughnut

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    Rice Noodle Wrap with Chinese Doughnut

    Ming's Tasty Restaurant - Happy Lunar New Year

    Ming's Tasty Restaurant

    4.3(699 reviews)
    4.1 miOakland Chinatown
    $$

    This past weekend (Sun 15 Feb2026), my sister, niece and I went out for a dim sum brunch for an…read moreearly celebration of Chinese New Year. My sister had remembered an article in the SF Chronicle's Food section which ranked Misty's Tasty as "top-ranked" and "best, authentic dim sum in the East Bay". Behind a graffiti'd exterior, you enter a smaller restaurant than most and it was definitely buzzing. We got there early-ish(btw 1030 & 1100) and there was already a short waitlist. There is nothing fancy about this place and don't expect white table cloths and napkins. Once seated, be ready to order off a paper menu which also doubles as their to-go menu. Our selection consisted of * 2 orders of snowy Baked BBQ Pork buns * Pea sprout dumpling w shrimp * Steamed Shrimp dumpling (Har Gow) * Steamed spareribs in black bean sauce * Preserved meat w rice in a claypot * Rice noodle roll w beef cilantro *Bean curd skin rolls (Fu Pei Guen) * Chicken feet w Peking Sauce * Deep fried meat dumpling (Ham Sui Gok) * Deep Fried Taro dumpling (Wu Goo) * Pork and Shrimp dumpling (Sui Mai) The service was fast as each dish came out "piping hot". Each dish is categorize under Small, Medium, Large and X-tra Large. When we were leaving, there must have been 20+ folks waiting We will definitely return to try other options. Each item is priced appropriately, good portions and tasty!!

    I was on a grocery shopping run and read about Ming's Sui Mai. I had lunch with a friend of mine at…read moreanother restaurant in Chinatown before we did our shopping. We both ordered one dish of Sui Mai to go so we could try it out. My wife and I actually liked the taste, texture and flavor. The dish includes 4 Sui Mai for $7.99 but the menu shows $6.45 for the dish so a bit confused on the price difference. We plan to go back but dine in next time so we can try the other many dishes. Based upon the Sui Mai, this is definitely worth trying out for Dim Sum. I forgot to take pictures of the Sui Mai but I did take pictures of the menus and restaurant. Review Update Paragraph: Correction to my original post, I can't do math in my head. We paid $14.99 for two orders which comes out to $7.50 each so I'm guessing the difference between the Owner's response and what we paid might be for using a credit card.

    Photos
    Ming's Tasty Restaurant
    Ming's Tasty Restaurant - Snowy Baked BBQ Pork Bun

    Snowy Baked BBQ Pork Bun

    Ming's Tasty Restaurant - Interior Glimpse

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    Interior Glimpse

    Happy Garden - chinese - Updated May 2026

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