Friday night date night at Lucuma was a win. We arrived right on time for our reservation and were…read morepromptly seated at the bar, which ended up being one of the highlights of the evening. The mixologists were friendly, professional, and impressive to watch. Everything was done with care - clean, sanitary, efficient, and clearly well-practiced. A lot of places could take notes. The cocktails were vibrant, fresh, creative, and genuinely delicious. The food somehow topped the drinks, everything came out quickly, hot, and packed with flavor. The standout for me was the mushroom empanadas. I still can't stop thinking about them. The mushrooms were incredibly tender and flavorful, and the pastry was perfectly flaky. 10/10 would recommend and can't wait to come back.

** 4 - 4.5 stars ** Visited for lunch and had a nice dining…read moreexperience. Traditional Peruvian with a bit of California-fusion is how I would describe Lacuma Kitchen and Bar. When you walk in, vibrant colors, plenty of greenery and a bright space with friendly and welcoming staff. Even the bathroom has a vibe. This visit I ordered: CEVICHE VERDE with Fish of the Day of rockfish. Fresh, raw white fish with great texture from the choclo (large-kernel Andean corn), toasted cancha (corn nuts), and slices of sweet potato. Dish is served raw, lightly marinated and made to order in a cilantro-based sauce with citrus with a bit of heat from aji limo (Peruvian pepper) - good but a tad salty. Served with plantains but unfortunately, not crispy and more soft and chewy. The trio of empanadas: chicken, beef, mushroom was accompanied with an aioli. Tasty! Friends enjoyed their dishes with no complaints. Lacuma Kitchen & Bar also has creative and quality cocktails/mocktails. Ordered the refreshing cucumber drink (recommendation by our server) as I didn't want anything with alcohol. Bright, fresh with some sweet from sugar and slight sour from the lime juice. Leo, our server was friendly, made suggestions and attentive. A great spot for date night, special dining event and lunch. Located on the corner of 17th/Franklin in Downtown Oakland. Would return to try their entrees.

OMG..... Looking for the best Chinese this side of the bay…read morego no further. Where do I start? The dumplings oh my God, the dumplings are top-notch. I used to live in Los Angeles and they're known for their dumplings up in the Pasadena San Gabriel area and these ones reminded me of that.. Next stop, the shandong chicken a.k.a. crack chicken It's sweet and savory think orange chicken on steroids Braised green beans , eggrolls are next level. The homemade ham torn noodles cannot be beat in any of their configurations, especially the spicy. Just try it already!!!

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!

woot woot, I am reviewer #100 :))…read more Straight up, parking sucks, it's by a large hospital so no surprise there. But once you've circled around multiple times (unless you get lucky), your stress levels will subside looking at cute cartoons of the owner's sheepdog Gurumi. She even showed me real life photos of him and his hair tied back because it was so long it covered his eyes. This dog also reminded me of Max from the Little Mermaid. Anyway, what a cute logo for the coffee shop! Sunlit windows are my favorite spots in any cafe, so I found a bench by the window inside and waited patiently for my hojicha latte with oat milk ($8). I wanted to try the savory pastries but they had run out. I chilled for maybe 30min enjoying my hojicha. I liked their hojicha but tbh there hasn't been a hojicha I didn't like. I think roasted teas have just the right amount of savoriness. FUN FACT: I learned recently that hojicha lattes have more caffeine than loose leaf teas because lattes use crushed whole leaf powder, so you're consuming the whole leaf rather than steeped tea leaves. If only I worked nearby, I would be a frequent customer. But because it's a ways away from me, I'll stop by on occasion.

The service was amazing, everyone was nice and welcoming! The vibe and interior of the cafe was so…read morecute and I really love the mascot :) I got the Vanilla Cream Iced Latte (oat & nightfall (dark roast I think)) And my friends got the Banana Matcha Iced Latte and a chocolate imperial. I personally don't enjoy sweets so I thought the chocolate imperial was a little bit too sweet for me, but the garnish and preparation of the sweet was so cute! Their drink presentation was really pretty! The vanilla cream iced latte was really good, it had the perfect amount of bitter and I liked the roast that they used!

Mensho is a very popular restaurant. This was my first time visiting, and I had a great experience…read more The food was delicious! The standout dishes for me were the Calamari, Karaage, and Daikon Salad. The Calamari was perfectly fried, and the seasoning was well-balanced. The Karaage was also perfectly fried, and the sauce was flavorful. The Daikon Salad was light and refreshing. I would like to thank our server, Noah, for his helpfulness in choosing our dishes and for the prompt service. I highly recommend it!

Unpopular opinion: wasn't my favorite. But that's all due to personal preference (aside from…read moreservice and a rocky start). The good: fresh, quality ingredients The bad: started with the host/wait list. I accidentally added my name twice for a solo diner. Host thought it was a mistake and completely removed me from the wait list and seated other parties that came in after me. Thoroughly confused - she didn't even call my name to confirm so I had to go up to her and ask. No apology either. Was seated at the counter where solo diners usually sit. Service was non existent. Server came up to me and ask "what would you like to order?" I've never been there before. No "hi my name is ... I'll be your server" nada. They're just a machine - people in people out. The ramen - broth was fine. The squiggly noodles aren't my favorite. Expected to have kernel corn but had corn ribs instead (good thing I'm good with chopsticks!) The charshu was just okay. Enoki topping was just ... aight. The nice touch was that they didn't put it in the ramen and served it on the side to preserve its crunchiness because it definitely needed the texture! It was loud, busy, and nothing spectacular about the dining scene here. $55 dollars later (ramen, 2 additional toppings, one box of sake) ... I sadly don't think it was worth it.

Still one of my favorites. Last time I reviewed RnR was…read moreover 9 years ago so time for an update! I've trekked across the bridge to come here a zillion times now. I have learned which sushi to order and I always get the tempura too. I have recommended this place to a lot of friends who are now regulars. Just saying

I had the spicy teriyaki chicken bowl with rice and salad, and it was good! I think I liked the…read moresalad better than the chicken. The dressing on the salad should be bottled and sold. I would be first in line. The greens were delicate and fresh. Delightful! The chicken according to the menu was supposed to be thigh meat however it resembled breast meat due to the taste and texture. It was dry and overcooked. The sauce was pretty good after the initial bite. At first bite however it was fishy tasting. It had nice heat (pepper). The food temperature was perfect. Although served in the same bowl the chicken and rice were hot and the salad was cold. The service was fine. The wait wasn't bad. The restaurant is intimate but spacious enough to enjoy your meal without being a part of the next table. Parking can be challenging on the street. Definitely would eat here again but will try the regular teriyaki next time since my guest stated that one doesn't taste fishy.