All. The. Spices! I…read moremay have temporarily lost my sense of smell while so, so excitedly sniffing ALL the scents, but I finally made a decision (with a little help from the nice employees). My favorite so far is the smoked salt because it's so versatile! I also bought a guava jam that looked so divine, but sadly the airport trashed it (I am convinced they just ate it because again...it looked so yummy), so maybe one day I'll try again! I will be back next time I'm in the bay to stock up on more spices.

You'll know you're right at home as soon as you walk through the door. For anybody that's wondered…read morerows of disorganized shelves of stuff all over the place or spots that are less than well kept, look no further. Oaktown Spice Shop is immaculate, well organized, and staffed with folks that are quite passionate about the goods! Also helps that it smells amazing, but it really speaks to the quality of their stuff. If you had any doubts about them, put that to rest and just visit or use their online store! Any foodie worth their salt (hah get it) will be able to appreciate what this place has to offer.

Nice selection of good smelling handmade soaps - I enjoy just looking around here as well as…read moreshopping. They organize their herbs and teas by intention and I find that logical and accessible. Friendly service and tasty tea, recommend coming in if you're looking for a healthy looseleaf tea blend.

I've been shopping at this place for years, and they have had some lovely products. They…read morediscontinued a lot of them recently because of changing laws around certain herbs, but my review today is specifically about their Solomon Islands kava. I bought a bag of it the other day, and I brewed it a couple different times. Times. First I used the blender method and I added some coconut milk and sunflower lecithin because it can increase the extraction of kavalectones. I then then did the traditional hand kneading method, and I started off also using the coconut milk and lecithin, and some warm but not hot water, and I needed it for a good 30 minutes after letting it soak for a half an hour beforehand, and I did get a little bit of the numbing sensation in the mouth from it, but other than that I felt absolutely nothing from it. From it. I go to kava bars regularly and the kava I get from there even from just one shell/ one beverage gives me a stronger feeling than drinking. What would be the equivalent of a tanoa bowl of twisted thistles kava. When I was doing some research on it, I also noticed that it's not listed as a noble kava variety which usually indicates a higher quality product. Their product is clearly very low quality! It's really disappointing. I bought this specific variety too because it's good for helping relax the body and muscles, more so than being heady like other varieties, but it did none of that, and just in case it was only me and my body chemistry having this experience, I also shared it with a friend who had the same lack of feeling from it. From it. Again, both myself and my friend go to kava bars regularly, and definitely can tell the difference! So if you actually want quality kava, you should probably order it directly from the kava bars or find another seller who can guarantee the quality of their product and also sell the noble varieties. Don't waste your money on their kava. I can't speak for a lot of their other products which I'm sure are just fine, but I'm frustrated that I wasted my money on something that is basically useless powder.

Really good prices and everyone is really helpful at the store. If I lived closer I would get a lot…read moreof my dry goods from here! I got a jar of honey and its soo good.

What a disappointment. This used to be my "go to" for food and health supplements, but no more. The…read morecustomer service has really gone downhill (rude and unhelpful and suspicious staff) and they're selling food that is NOT FRESH. Let me start with those sunflower and date cookies that are supposed to be "freshly baked." Not so. Stale as can be! And the store refused to take them back or offer a refund or store credit. The "organic" white and yellow popcorn. STALE! I tried 3 different methods of popping with stale results all 3 times. Staff's reaction? Defensiveness and no offer of a reasonable solution...had to "match" the price to another item of the same value. Ridiculous. Honestly, I thought I was in Farmer Joe's for a minute! Finally, that bulk "large flake" yeast can be sketchy looking. Strange dark blotches of who-knows-what mixed in. This I did not take back...I just threw it out. Never shopping there again...I detest rude and unfriendly staff at a business where I'm spending my sparse, fixed income money!

My kids friends and family we have been seeing him for the last 40 years . The western medicine…read morefound a little bump on my sons neck and told our they have to take it out , I refused to do that . I took my son to Darline Toung chines herbal doctor he gave us some herbs and after 3 weeks the bump was gone .

After spending 60 bucks and having my Prescription translated ? I was not given any help or…read moreproduct for my number reason for coming in He should have just said , sorry can't help you But I got herbs and such for health condition that has long been handled . Won't he gong back .

People, People, People. I got some exciting news. "BEEF…read moreBACON'" is back on the shelves!!! If you remember my last review about a couple of years ago when I had to break the sad, sad news that they have discontinued carry beef bacon. I don't think I ever shopped here since. Then the other day a relative I went visit for brunch served beef bacon. I asked where do buy there's from and the said. We forgot to tell Whole Foods is carrying beef bacon again. So now all is good with world again.

Heard about their $1 oysters in Fridays and finally had a chance to try. Service was great and the…read moreguy is excellent chugging them for us. He deserves a raise and praises. Was lucky enough there were Kumamoto Oysters available which were fresh and creamy. Great Friday purchases with cheese and wines.

Best chicken is juicy and the best And it hits the spot and…read moreit's hella cheap with and yea it hits M

February 2026 On the second day of Lunar New Year, I…read morevisited your wholesale location in a festive and sincere spirit. I had prepared red envelopes to express appreciation for your hardworking staff, reflecting our long-standing business relationship. Upon arrival, I was pleased to see that your company had arranged a small buffet for employees. The warehouse staff were polite and exchanged festive greetings, creating a positive atmosphere. This reflected well on management and is worth acknowledging. However, an incident that followed severely disrupted what had been a pleasant morning. I must clearly identify that the staff member involved is the senior female employee from the back department responsible for vegetables senior lady ! This day she was standing their cut pork for customer and employee! she refused to provide proper portions to my employee, who was waiting in line appropriately. Instead, she directed her to take leftover scraps filled with excessive bone fragments. When I calmly asked for clarification, this staff member responded with a cold, impatient, and hostile attitude, demonstrating a complete lack of professionalism and basic respect. My employee feels like homeless need get her food ! As long-term customers and fellow business owners who consistently support your company, we expect fairness and respect, particularly during a festive occasion meant to reflect goodwill. As business operators ourselves, we understand that management culture directly affects reputation. What we witnessed today raises serious concerns regarding internal service standards and supervision. I respectfully request that management review this matter seriously and reinforce professional training to ensure equal and respectful treatment for all customers moving forward.

Best place to get injera. I bought two huge packs of it for $12.35 total. It was very fresh and…read moreperfect to serve with the Ethiopian dishes I made at home. It's very time consuming to make, so I'm happy I found a place I can pick some up. Staff was friendly. I asked her about a couple spices from the recipe I had, but unfortunately they didn't carry them. The store is small but has a large table in the center with many spices and red and yellow lentils.

Long story short, last year, I got some Mareko Fana seeds from a work-related source. These are the…read morepeppers used to make Ethiopian Berbere spice blend. Raw, they were terrible--so much so that I was skeptical--but we dried them and used them to make homemade Berbere spice. The homemade Berbere spice was fantastic with complex layers of flavors from the pepper and different spices. We've been using it ever since to make Ethiopian food at home- sadly, we just finished the last of it. I enjoy going out for Ethiopian food, but making it at home has been a revelation. The flavors are incredible, especially Berbere red lentils, which are easy to make and very delicious. But we are not ambitious enough to make Injera from scratch. Luckily, we stumbled upon Abyssinia Market in Oakland, which makes and sells Injera. It's inexpensive, delicious, and keeps well in the fridge. To warm it up, we just put it on a plate, cover it with a damp paper towel, and microwave it. Beyond Ethiopian food, we've found that Injera pairs well with all sorts of dishes--everything from eggs in the morning to Middle Eastern and Greek dips. Tonight, we had it with roasted Japanese sweet potatoes and Aji Verde sauce. If you haven't tried their Injera yet, I highly recommend it!

Chinese Ginseng and Tea shop in Oakland Chinatown. You walk in and immediately the rich smell of…read moredry mushrooms, ginseng, and other vegetables hits you. Big barrels of dry veggies line the aisles. However, I went there looking for packaged teas, and the selected seemed limited. I think they want you to buy from the bulk teas, and not the pre-packaged tea bags. Staff was very nice and had alot of patience Street parking

Wing Fong Ginseng replaces KV Mart. quite a few ginseng stores in area now. average sized store…read more offerings: ginseng, dried seafood, herbs, chinese medicines. buys: chinese meds when the need arises. shopping notes: -no food related items noticed on a look see.

Stepping into Man Must Wak must be like using a teleporter into South-Central Africa. Mere moments…read moreafter being on an Oakland sidewalk I was staring at canned, bottled, and dried products from Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Guyana. Not only do the dry ingredients seduce one into cooking a wider menu, but there's a large amount of prepared food that can be a shortcut. The ambience reminded me of my time in Africa, between the variety of languages being spoken, the music from the radio, and the smells. The service was spot on and helpful, and the few questions that came out of my astonished face were answered. Next I'm going to have to search through some cookbooks...

Came here to buy supplies for egusi. Store is very neat and got a bunch of supplies . Clerk didn't…read moreknow what went into egusi and just said to search internet. I saw they have a lot of frozen prepared foods which I would love to try but no ingredients listed on the packaging. I would love to try if I knew what was in it.

Wow!!! I am obsessed with this place. What a wonderful store and resource in our community…read more The store itself is wonderful: Not too big with a lovely, curated collection of kitchen supply items, a few cute gifty things (tomato shaped candles, for example), and lots of kitchen needs and resources for fermentation, canning, and all kinds of food preservation. The educational component is amazing, too! The classes, community demos, and more, are all phenomenal! Such great education, access to answers, and more, that have helped me become a more confident and safe fermenter. Truly a gem. Come here for gifts, supplies, and classes!!!

I've been a really big fan of Strong Arm Farm's/The Sonoma Coast Seaweed Company's seaweed since…read moreour visit to Point Reyes, so when I saw that Preserved carried them, we stopped right in. Parking is a bit of a fight, but I loved that they carried an array of fermentation items for things like kefir, bread, and cheese. They had quite a few kitchen supplies and books, and I was able to clean them out of the Kombu seaweed they had. All in all, Preserved's service as incredibly friendly and helpful, plus they have a great selection so we will absolutely be back.