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    Best Taste Restaurant

    3.7 (233 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese, Barbeque, Noodles
    Closed Closed
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    BEST TASTE RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials
    Good for groups

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    Char siu, roast duck (custard pies from Tao Yuen)
    Larry M.

    Great roast duck, siu gai, char siu. Always worth making a stop, walking in the door, the smell of crispy roast pork will knock you out!

    Steve D.

    Best Taste Restaurant is right next door to Tao Yuen Pastry! I came to Best Taste Restaurant to try their roast duck to-go. It's a no-frills old school Chinatown restaurant with tables for sit down meals, and a chinese deli counter with cooked foods. The man behind the deli counter doesn't speak English. But that's okay, because I don't speak Chinese! I wanted a whole roast duck, and have it chopped up. You just say some keywords, point, and use hand gestures. So just say....."One duck, chopped up." He will ask...."chopped up?" Just nod yes and say "Yes, chopped up." The price is on the menu board. A young lady came over and took my money. How was the duck? Fairly meaty, nice flavor, not salty. Roast duck is fatty and greasy. Try zapping it in the microwave to warm it up. They give you some sauce to pour over. The price ($30) was fair compared to other places in Chinatown. Located on Franklin St between 8th and 9th Streets. Street parking and parking garage nearby

    Shrimp steamed rice rolls
    Donna T.

    Usually this place is packed but I've never had to wait more than 10 mins for a table. (If you're open to sharing a table with another party, you can get seated faster.) Love coming here in the mornings for their breakfast deals! Most entrees come with a drink like the milk tea or coffee for a great price under $10. My faves are the toasted pineapple bun with butter (sooo yummy), the rice rolls or the congee with Chinese donut. The bbq also steals the show as you walk in. I do find that their bbq is a little salty for my liking but still good. Portion sizes are always generous here. The servers are friendly and quick. I like bringing guests here when they visit me in Oakland. It's also conveniently located near other tasty spots like Tao Yuen (pastries or dim sum) and Napolean bakery. Best Taste remains one of my fave spots in Oakland Chinatown!

    Sweet and sour pork to share - 3.75/5
    Cheryl M.

    Small, old-school hole-in-the-wall spot that offers Chinese BBQ, roast meats over rice, clay pots, noodles and simple soups like congee and won ton/noodle. This spot has been around at least 30+ years and is very no nonsense and not fancy. You'll have the local seniors sitting around drinking tea or reading the paper so you may be sharing a table. Popular items: :: Rice plates with roast duck, roast pork, bbq pork :: Noodles like chow mein and chow fun :: Fried drumsticks and wings :: Congee and soups like won ton noodles Ambiance...there isn't any unless you like to people watch and seeing the steady flow of locals getting Hong Kong-style BBQ (roast pork, duck, bbq pork), service minimal and to-the point. Prices very reasonable which makes this place popular along with the simple menu of items Metered street parking which may be hard to find. Garage parking 2 blocks away at the: Pacific Renaissance Plaza Parking Garage (between 10th/11th, entrance on Webster

    Chris Y.

    Located in the Oakland Chinatown area, you will find Best Taste Restaurant located next to quite a few other busy spots as well, but one of the only ones that are actually a sit down restaurant for those who are interested (though beware of timing, as I will speak to this more later). Best Taste is usually the busiest earlier in the day as they have breakfast specials that are very affordable, and for the older crowd in Oakland Chinatown, they are pretty much packed all the way until the breakfast specials end. It's not a large establishment, but can sit a fair number of people albeit, very cramped up front because lots of people waiting for takeout, getting the different cuts of meats through the looking glass, and will cause quite a bit of traffic when it's filled sitting and standing. They serve a variety of food here, from juk to chow mein to roast duck and many more. Price wise, they're not bad overall even when not the breakfast special. The breakfast special is mainly just juk anyways, so if you want anything else besides that it's not going to work for that special. Their meats, menu items when compared to other spots just down the street, are going to be slightly cheaper for the same thing. They will have some more less common but very traditional cuisine dishes that they do very well here and its tasty. One of the things about this spot too is that portions are good for what you order, and it tastes good to great depending on what you get. I don't think I've had anything here I've hated yet, so that's always a good sign. They certainly don't skimp on ingredients with their dishes and everything is flavored well. The only downside here is that the service is pretty hit or miss. They're not great, but they will do their job. When it gets real busy though, this is when the service really suffers from okay to ignored unless you make it known you need to order something or waiting on something to remind them you're still waiting. The sit down service is a bit better even when they're busier, so if you're looking primarily for takeout just keep this in mind. Overall, Best Taste is a great place to be if you want some quality Chinese food in Oakland Downtown.

    Mike L.

    Update of a previous review since it has been a few years since I've been to Best Taste Restaurant. I'm assuming, I don't know for sure if it's the same ownership, but the food is solid. I recently went for a Chinese Breakfast, the have a Breakfast Menu from 8:30am-11am which comes with a milk tea or coffee. I ordered the Preserved Duck Egg and Pork Porridge/Congee with Chinese Donut. I also ordered their BBQ pork rice roll. The order came out fresh given the place was packed for sit down and takeout/BBQ. The Congee was good with pretty good amount of duck eggs and pork. The rice roll was pretty flavorful. When I was there, there was a long line for the BBQ line. The prices seem a little lower for the pork products than other places in Oakland Chinatown (BBQ pork, roast pork, spare ribs), but there wouldn't be a big line if it wasn't good. I used to go to Best Taste for the Claypot Rice which are still on the menu, I'll have to check them out again sometime.

    Silky egg and beef over rice

    I always come here for breakfast after driving my kids to school at CT... Breakfast price is cheap that come with an hot drink but can add a dollar for iced coffee or lemon iced tea or so... For lunch if you want the BbQ item beware of the old chopping in the front gave small portion.. if that day you were lucky you will see an lady chopping meat give a little extra meat to your dish... the clay pot price is very fair and good but I always order something different ... the silky egg beef or shrimp over rice... make sure to let them know I want it watery and it's one of the best dish ever in this place..

    Dianna H.

    I've been sleeping on this Oakland Chinatown spot! I've walked by many times and saw the barbecue meats hanging in the window, but didn't realize there was an attached restaurant as well. I came by for lunch with a friend on a Tuesday afternoon around noon and it was popping with locals. It's not a big restaurant with only a couple of tables. We got our own table initially but ended up sharing with an older couple once all the tables were full. The menu is straightforward with two pages. I got shrimp wonton with ho fun (rice noodles) for $10.49 and the beef stew rice noodle roll for $7.50. Both items were good! The beef stew rice noodle roll came with a generous amount of flavorful beef and the rice noodle roll was silky smooth. I just wish it wasn't sitting in so much oil... The wonton noodle soup really hit the spot as well. I didn't count but there were probably 5-6 generously sized wontons in there. I wasn't able to finish all of it, so I took my leftovers home and enjoyed it as a snack the next day. My friend got the roast pork / siu yuk over rice for $9.99 and enjoyed her dish as well.

    Special pork belly and braised tofu clay pot
    rugbarn d.

    Came here as a "treat" for my elderly dad after he did a blood draw (fasting) so we were very hungry. Had take out roast duck and roast pork belly (w crunchy skin) here once and it was delicious. This visit we tried one of their specials that has a photo on the wall, it was pork belly w braised fried tofu clay pot and another rice plate dish. It would've been even better if the pork belly was added last so the skin was still crunchy. Both were very tasty and savory. It's a hole in the wall kinda place so we shared a table with another elderly couple and had good conversation

    Dharma M.

    Good place to stop by if you are in the area. They have breakfast deal which mostly the one on breakfast menu is less than 10 dlr and it comes with free milk tea and the porridge come with free chinese donut. When we arrived , the restaurantbis pretty full but we get seated right away. They have breakfast menu from8 to 11 am. They also have bbq stuff which looks yummy like chicken, pork and duck. They also have lamb dishes. We ordered porridge, braised beef noodle soup, bbq pork rice roll and chinese donut rice roll. The noodle and porridge are about $8 which hard to find the price anywhere else. The portion is also generous. The noddle is also yummy. The rice roll is unique as it is thicker than regular rice roll at other places. There is min of $25 if you want to pay with card. Overall is is good meal.

    Ja leung
    Michael L.

    Although one can often walk by a bbq deli in every corner in CT - delicious char sui, roast duck, bbq pork, & whole soy sauce chicken beckoning hungry diners to gastronomy heaven, I have my favorites & preferences, and Best Taste is the place to go for deli meat takeout when I am in the neighborhood. I love their soy sauce chicken & roast pork. Mmmm mmmm goooood stuff. The chicken is juicy, not salty, the skin beautifully flavored with aromatically sweet soy that makes it mouth watering that I can't wait to get home & share the food with the GF for dinner

    Lav L.

    This is our go-to restaurant in Oakland. As usual, we ordered the beef stew rice and roasted pork rice. Today we tried something new - eel clay pot rice. The eel is pretty tiny but the taste is still good.

    Clay pot menu!
    Whitney T.

    Came here for clay pot rice! We got the preserved meat one that is 11.99$ each. It takes 20-30 min for then to make it so i recommend calling and ordering so it will be a shorter wait when you dine in! Love the crunchy rice bits at the bottom! Wish it was a bit more crunchy but it was still pretty good!

    Roast duck and chicken rice

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    Ordered won ton and wonton with Noodles with a side of duck. Everything was tasty, the duck was nicely, flavored and moist. Will come again.

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    Shan Dong

    Shan Dong

    4.2
    (4k reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    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!

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    Dinning area
    Dinning area
    Shan Dong Chicken
    Shan Dong Chicken
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    Mensho

    Mensho

    4.5
    (650 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    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.

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    Waiting area
    Waiting area
    Spicy garlic karaage fried chicken
    Spicy garlic karaage fried chicken
    Hokkaido Uni Mini Rice Bowl

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    Elephant Trunk Hill Guilin Rice Noodle

    Elephant Trunk Hill Guilin Rice Noodle

    4.5
    (19 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    I LOVE Guilin noodles and this place was a gem! Luckily, I found parking right in front of the…read moreentrance. We were quickly served and enjoyed the tasty Noods and all the tasty spicy toppings! Will be back soo soon!

    I wanted to grab lunch somewhere near my hotel. I wanted something easy, and this place popped up…read moreas a suggestion, so I walked over. First of all, this place is sparse. The restaurant maybe had 8-10 tables, but had the space to add 3 or 4 more tables. But it was clean, and that's more important to me. I ordered the A1 House Special. It came out in minutes. The crisp pork was exactly that - thinly cut and very crispy. The rest of the topping were fairly typical, as were the noodles and the soup. It was what I wanted - something similar and not too heavy. Service was a lackluster. Friendly enough, but once my food was delivered, I never saw the server again for at least 20 minutes. While I ate, a customer came in, waited 5 minutes and left because no one was there to seat him or take his order. After I finished my meal, I waited to see if the server would come out to give me the bill, but it didn't happen. I had to go to the front counter and get her attention to get the bill. She was busy in the kitchen eating her lunch, I suppose. Overall, a decent visit. I was happy with my meal. I wasn't in a hurry, so I didn't mind the disappearance of the server. But I wonder how much business they lose when no one is around to serve customers.

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    Self service on table
    Self service on table
    #2 on the menus.
    #2 on the menus.
    Menu (Part 2)

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    Menu (Part 2)
    Me Va Con Vietnamese Kitchen

    Me Va Con Vietnamese Kitchen

    4.5
    (262 reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$

    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.

    Photos
    Counter
    Counter
    Bò Tái Chanh: Beef Carpaccio w/ Thai basil, fried shallot, house tangerine sauce  ($18)
    Bò Tái Chanh: Beef Carpaccio w/ Thai basil, fried shallot, house tangerine sauce ($18)
    Mini pancakes

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    Mini pancakes

    Best Taste Restaurant - chinese - Updated June 2026

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