We ordered the pork belly in the lotus leaf and a beef rice noodle roll plate. The lotus leaf was…read moredelicious, but wish there were more veggies in it. All of the other lotus leaf dishes that passed by our tabled looked great also -- seems like you cant go wrong with any of them! Its a casual spot in the middle of Chinatown, and its very reasonably priced! A great weekend lunch.

Food- I had a beef flank noodle soup and a hot double layered steamed milk for dessert:) Both…read moretasted really good. Service - was very good. Wait people were very nice and the food came quick. Ambiance - very spacious. I'll definitely go back:)

I think I have a new favorite Korean spot in the Bay! It's a cozy restaurant tucked away in…read moreTemescal. Service was quick and the waiters were helpful. I came here on a really rainy day and this was the perfect place for warm, hearty soup. My boyfriend and I ordered the beef short rib soup and the garlic pork wraps. The portions were massive! We were basically able to make this 2.5 meals and we're both pretty big eaters. The soup was so flavorful despite being light, and the short ribs had a good chew without being too stringy. The garlic pork wraps were also delicious. I ended up ordering the soup again a few days later when I had a stomachache! I'll definitely be back here sometime in the near future.

If you read my previous review of this restaurant, you'll take note that I had never set foot in…read morehere. That's because it was such a convenient food delivery spot for me during the pandemic that I never bothered. This was my first in-person dining experience here. Instead of pouring contents out of takeout containers, Jamie and I were engaged in a very hands-on preparation of our hotpot order. We went with the $47.99 Medium Pork Bone Casserole which served two hearty appetites (Photo 7). It consisted of a mammoth, meaty pork rib mixed with cabbage, potato, and sesame leaf in a flavorful soybean pork broth. For even more calories, we also requested the $3.99 Ramen Noodles (Photo 5). Add the generous servings of Banchan (Photo 4), and we were assured our gluttony remained intact. FOOD - 4 stars...high volume of Korean goodness AMBIANCE - 4 stars...enough space to allow for excess splattering SERVICE - 4 stars...industrious crew here TOTAL - 4 stars...ever dependable for delish Korean hot pots RELATED - Exploring Temescal? Here's my collection of places l've patronized and reviewed: https://yelp.to/F2bQQYNsSK

The food was so good! The ramen broth, amazing. We continue to come back for more!…read more My husband loves the garlic Ramen and I always get the signature. Raman never fails. It's amazing.

So glad I found this hidden gem in Piedmont. I came with two friends on a Friday night around 7pm,…read moreand as expected for a small spot, there was a long wait. We were seated about an hour later, but once we got in, the service was quick and efficient. We ordered a mix of items to share: * Enoki chips - absolutely addicting. Perfectly crispy with a great crunch, and the umami spice on the side took them to another level. * Chicken karaage - tasty overall, but the glaze was poured over everything. I would've preferred it on the side to keep the texture crisp. * Kani hand roll - super fresh and flavorful; didn't even need soy sauce. * Ikura & hotate hand roll - generous portion and very fresh, again no soy needed. * Garlic Knockout ramen - lives up to the name. Rich, deeply garlicky broth that was bold and delicious. * Signature smoked toripaitan ramen - flavorful without being overly heavy (which I prefer). The chashu was tender and the noodles tasted fresh. I was blown away by the food, I haven't had ramen this good in a long time. The restaurant clearly runs efficiently, turning tables quickly despite the wait. I'll definitely be back

Mini Pancakes Bahn Khot -- super fresh, fragrant and flavorful. I love the basil and mint that came…read morewith the roll. Every mouthful had a nice hint of buttery flavor from the pancake and then a hint of freshness from the veggies. Spicy Shaken Beef Pho -- flavorful beef broth, perfect amount of saltiness, lots of fresh beef slices. Super filling and warm! The food was delicious and fresh! Would come back and try their other dishes, their standard pho was yummy and flavorful!

We were in the area figuring out where to eat when a lady eating Bánh Khọt in the her freakin' car…read morecame up on my feed. Eating anything with nước chấm in the car is diabolical. With my luck, my car would smell like hello kitty for weeks. Anyhow, I found Mẹ Và Con on yelp, a mother-daughter owned resto that opened in 2024. They serve bánh khọt and have outdoor seating so we headed over. Thankfully, we arrived before the Sunday dinner rush (~5:45 pm) and before the parking lot was filled. Rezzies are accepted (via phone). M E N U Viet Cuisine with some elevated, modern twists (no specific regional specialty). Smaller menu than your typical hole-in-the-wall with 25-30 items including AZN fusion items like shrimp ceviche, kimchi pasta and tom yum pasta. Beer, wine, and soju cocktails available. F O O D * Bò Tái Chanh: Beef Carpaccio w/ Thai basil, fried shallot, house tangerine sauce ($18): https://tinyurl.com/nhcn9kxw - Served at dinner only Fresh, tender slices of beef carpaccio with a sweetness from the tangerine sauce and white onions. I appreciate their twist (tangerine sauce instead of nước chấm) but it was too one note for me...IMO, it needed acid and herbs. Plus, I miss the texture of peanuts. * Bánh Khọt: Viet Mini Pancakes w/ shrimp, coconut milk batter, herbs, pickles ($24): https://tinyurl.com/34nx7sat - Served at dinner only Fav dish of the night, the savory bánh khọt was delicately crispy and slightly custardy in the center with a snappy shrimp drizzled with fragrant scallion oil. It came with romaine, mint, and perilla leaves neatly layered for easy wrapping. The lettuce was a bit soft and soggy tho, and I think they forgot the pickled veggies. Served with a tiny portion of tangy sweet nước chấm. * Bò Lúc Lắc: Shaking Beef w/ soy, garlic, onion, cherry tomato, arugula ($26): https://tinyurl.com/3rkpukct Meltingly tender cubes of filet mignon but light on the seasoning and aromatics so it was bland. Also, was hoping for more smoky wok hei flavor. * Thịt Kho Tàu: Braised Pork Belly w/ hard boiled eggs, rice ($21): https://tinyurl.com/mr2evryw - Includes bowl of rice A traditional dish served during Lunar New Year, it symbolizes prosperity, warmth, and stability. Chunks of pork belly are caramelized in sugar and braised in coconut soda and fish sauce - rich, savory with a good ratio of lean meat to fat (4 pieces). Wish they used more braising liquid when warming up, as some pieces were a bit dry. S E R V I C E Warm, friendly hospitality. Food does take awhile tho...our first dish took about 30 minutes to arrive. A M B I A N C E Casual, no-frills indoor area with about 10-12 tables. Cute covered patio in the parking lot with 5 tables and fairy lights. Overall, Mẹ Và Con is a great place to introduce people that are new to Viet cuisine and/or you're looking for Viet dishes with different twist.

Went in for a late night dinner, had such a pleasant experience with Brittanny as our host/server…read more She needs to run the whole think honestly. The Ramen is bomb as always.

If you enjoy Ramen.... this is the place for you. It's a wait for seating, but worth every minute…read more Service was warm and attentive. Special shoutout... to the guy handling the wait list at the door. What an engaging sweetheart. He handled the list, waiting people well..a smiling personality and very helpful... thank you . Food was exceptional... I had pork belly ramen which had great flavor. They also had chicken and beef based ramens. Also noteworthy the meat was fresh (taste the difference). Appetizers had gyoza... (nothing special)...and octopus (Amazing delicacy... I'm talking exceptional food). Flashing lychee drink Very good food...a nice treat. Thank you everyone S

This place is great. Very friendly staff. Food tasted really good. Inside looked nice! Prices…read moreseem slightly above average, but if you're getting take out the containers were really good quality and prices are worth it for good food with nice flavors. 5 stars beef noodle soup. Everything about this soup was good. Broth had nice rich flavor. Beef was tender and tasted good. Noodles had a nice chew to it. Yum. 5 stars wonton in spicy chili oil. Good amount of spice. Kind of medium spice level. Good flavor and the wonton wrapper was good. Filling was very tasty. 5 stars salt and pepper chicken wings. Had a lot of flavor like the rest of the dishes. Skin was nice and crispy. Chicken meat was nice and juicy. 4.5 stars Zhajiang noodles. Plenty of noodles. Just the right amount of meet and sauce.

Cute little place in Chinatown. Friendly workers!…read more The broth for both noodles were so good and not too heavy. I really enjoyed the clear broth- very fresh tasting. Meat for both spicy and clear broths were tender. The S&S ribs were very good as well. 100% will get this again! The wontons in chili were ok! Parking - street parking or underground parking at the Pacific Renaissance Plaza~

food was savory, service was exceptional. and the prices…read morewere very inexpensive. Definitely got bang for my buck.

Delicious, fresh bouncy and velvety noodles! We got the eggplant and minced pork noodles, so silky,…read moresweet and savory, and the chongqing noodle soup, which had a nice Szechuan peppercorn kick to it. Easily going to be one of my new go-to spots!

The food is amazing. Best Pho in the east bay and the ambiance is great in the restaurant. The…read moreservice is awesome. The people are very helpful and friendly. This is my go to Pho and Bahn Mhi spot!

Top 3 banh mi I've had!! It's huge, basically a double sandwich. We got the beef and it was…read moredelicious. The spring rolls are fresh and they have multiple options: pork, shrimp or tofu. I got pork today. I love how much this business owner pours into his community. They're always doing give backs, fundraising, and affordable foods All around great place. Next time I go, I'll definitely try the pho, and grab another banh mi!

Soba place located in what seems to be the industrial area of Oakland. (as of early 2026, it should…read morebe noted that a decorated fine dining establishment and a new food hall is also in the area as well - so this feels like an emerging food area, at least to someone who's visiting) We got here right around the time this place opened. You line up and order at a window before getting seated. We were able to get a seat inside. Folks here are very friendly. The menu is pretty streamlined - basically with appetizers and some hot and cold soba options. We ordered the tamagoyaki to share and each got the soba ebi ten seiro or the cold soba dipping noodles served with tempura. The serving size was pretty good and noodles were very chewy. I really enjoyed the dipping sauce where they gave us the items to season or prepare as we like it. I also ordered a shochu on ice to wash it all down. I've been wanting to go here for a while. I took my nephew here for dinner recently (rest of his fam was out of town looking at a school for his sister). It was such a good time and we enjoyed a great meal while making some core memories together lol.

I've wanted to try Soba Ichi for years and I finally had the chance to! I came in on a Saturday…read morewhen it was storming, and I expected it to be packed and sold out (they often sell out quickly). Thankfully, the storm drove customers away and I was able to dine in quickly. When you come to dine here, you are to order first at the window or at the bar, then find seating, and the staff will typically help you find a place to sit. The staff is extremely helpful and kind. Aaron and Kyle made a positive impact on my dining experience. They were extremely helpful in making recommendations for what I was craving and on what sakes I would like better. I tried the Kamo Nanban and a beef/pork cutlet. The Kamo Nanban was delicious. The noodles were cooked to perfection - neither overcooked nor undercooked. The duck melted in your mouth with every bite. I usually find duck to be more tough, but this was so much more tender. There was also a perfect portion for duck to noodles, so there was enough for each bite and to finish the meal. The beef/pork cutlet was really good too. I wasn't sure what to expect but the flavoring mixed with the sauce that it came with, and the crispiness of the breading made it such an interesting combination and I want 10 more! Definitely give Soba Ichi a try if you're craving a taste of authentic Japanese soba!

Came here with a friend Monday night after 10pm. Love that it's open late night (until midnight)…read moreand love the vibe of this space... you walk in and it's pretty decent sized - there are booths surrounding this restaurant; it's nice to have a private space to yourselves. Movie posters are splattered on the walls decorated with vinyl records and the like. Overall, such a cute hole in the wall late night spot. For the record, I eat mostly pescatarian/vegetarian diet. So their menu isn't really catered to that so much minus a couple things here and there, but I managed to order the tofu bibimbap (and a couple bottles of soju). My friend ordered french fries and spicy korean fried chicken. The server that took our order was so kind, thank you for being attentive :) Wasn't able to catch their name, but we really appreciated the service. Overall, food was delicious and we left feeling full. Also the place is super vibey!

What was once a late-night staple has unfortunately become a fading memory. The issue with Porno…read morebar is its inconsistency. Every time I visited over the years, there seems to be an entirely new rotation of staff, yet they all share the same customer service issues. The workers look like they don't want to be there (I get it, it's work), and that disinterest shows a bit more than it should, draining the energy from the room. The food mirrors this inconsistency. We frequently stick to what we consider safe items like the porno fries, spicy fried chicken, and spicy rice cake. However, during our last visit, we decided to try the seafood pancake, the Bulgogi burger, and our usual corn cheese. Somehow, all three dishes were a disappointment. The seafood pancake was dense and doughy, while the Bulgogi burger was a bit of a soggy mess. Even the corn cheese, the coveted item that used to keep us coming back, missed the mark. It was pooling oil that left a greasy mouthfeel. While the ambiance remains nice, the kitchen simply underperforms on too many of its dishes now. With all of the new Korean restaurants and pochas popping up in the area, there are far better options available. Sadly, nostalgia isn't enough to justify coming back when the food and service continue to slip.