In the Oakland Chinatown area over the weekend we wanted to grab & go around brunch time. Noticing it had a line out the door, we figured that was the perfect sign that this spot knows what they're doing...so we decided to give it a try. They didn't have dim sum on a Saturday which was a bummer because we were actually craving pork buns, BUT we instead ordered BBQ pork over rice ($12 for the lunch to-go option, paying a couple extra dollars for a side helping of their eggplant dish) and a Coffee and Milk Tea. FYI, I think they have a card minimum so luckily we had cash. This quick-service spot was incredibly solid. It seems like the BBQ or Roast Pork/Duck is the main ticket here and if we're back in Oakland Chinatown soon, would most def come back. There is seating inside, but seems like most grab&go or eat outside in the Pacific Renaissance Plaza by the fountains. Parking can be found underground (pay before you head back to your car), and fyi check the hours ahead of time for this spot, but I believe they open around 9a. read more

I have come here so often with my family throughout the years . I absolutely loved this restaurant until today. I came here with my mom at 4 pm and this server with a short bob comes over and says " you have to give 15% tip for every meal starting now " ( in Cantonese) before we even ordered. She expects us to give a 15% tip no matter how the service is. My parents always gave cash as a tip whenever we dined-in. She said in Cantonese " It's a policy that we always had but you never gave enough tip and we didn't say anything so now if you want to eat here, you have to give at least 15%" It was not written anywhere on any sign, just by her saying it to us. I noticed that on past receipts where it gives you the suggested 15%, 18%, 20% tip. They are not even the correct amounts. It's off of the TOTAL amount INCLUDING the tax. I always had to calculate it myself. We always gave cash. It was never the suggested 15% tip because that was wrong. It was always close to 15% of the subtotal. A few years ago , there was a 15% service charge for every single table. It didn't matter if you were a party of 1 or a party of 10, there was always 15% service charge. UNTIL this past year where the laws changed so they had to remove it. I was a server for 6 years so I always give a good tip IF the service was good. I know everything about being a server. This really bothered me. Her service was ALWAYS subpar. She never smiled, always gave attitude , never filled our water cups, walked over only 3 times just to give us our food from the kitchen . Does she deserve a tip? No, but we always gave a tip. She had the audacity to enforce a 15% tip even before service was given. Ridiculous. Never dine here unless you want surprise charges on your receipt. We went to Sushi House instead and gave a 18% tip to a server that actually deserved it. read more

See all

Had an event at the Oakland Convention Center and was looking for some good Chinese food. At first, we wanted to go to Peony's for dim sum, but it was closed that day, so we ended up at this place for some good food. Walked in and was acknowledged by the wait staff. They quickly asked me how many people speak Cantonese. Got a table fairly quickly, while this place can get very busy. I saw Hainanese chicken with rice and milk tea, so that was a win. I really loved the flavor in the rice they had a hint of coconut. Ambiance is a typical Hong Kong cafe type that I always enjoy. read more

C & M Bistro - Cantonese Near Me - Oakland, California

This is is located inside the Pacific Renaissance Plaza at Oakland. Next to this also sell the similar dishes but this one seems more popular and busy. it sells charsiu, barbeque pork, soy sauce chicken, yellow chicken, roast duck, some veggie and meat. They also serve other chines dishes which are prepared fresh from Kitchen, You can buy rice plate with meat or just the meat. You can eat in as they have table serving. The Service it pretty slow as they the person at the station prepare for to go and eat in at the same time. We bought charsiu and barbeque pork. They are juicy and yummy. There are 2 things I cannot stand. First is the large flies flying around the bbq pork rib and landed on it. The worker either didn't pay attention of just ignore it. I was hoping it doesn't land on other meat which I want to buy. The second one is the worker from the could be kitchen , just go to the station and start scoping dishes into his bowl I think got his lunch. It is not seems hygiene. read more

See all

Hair in food! I came here with my family and ordered our favorite, the salted fish and chicken fried rice. As I was scooping some on my plate, I noticed there was a hair in the rice, and when I brought it to an employee's attention, the response was dismissive despite me clearly showing the hair. Only one out of three employees apologized and offered solutions. I asked for the dish to be remade and left the original plate on the table so it wouldn't simply be re-plated, which felt necessary given how the situation was handled. I'm not sure if the issue was due to a language barrier or something else, but the lack of concern and accountability was off-putting. To make matters worse, an employee took the white pepper from my table and gave it to another customer even though there were plenty of empty tables with condiments. Overall, I left extremely disappointed and upset. read more

C & M Bistro - Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice - Cantonese Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

Fast service. And huge menu. Great lunch deals $11-13 full meals. Try the beef rice noodle soup and the lunch special with pork and chicken rice and soup read more

C & M Bistro - Wonton Noodle - Cantonese Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

ordered off the lunch menu. beef satay with rice and a fried egg. also with lemon tea. the food was pretty straightforward not good not bad. would easily come back as all the flavors were as expected. the place does get busy during the lunch hour. many line up at the take away counter so if dining in, be sure to walk in past the take out counter line and flag a staff member down to seat you. if you don't you may never get seated as all of them are running around doing this or that. he warned, each meal comes out when it comes out and you may have one or two meals from your table come out super late. don't come here if you're looking for a quick in and out. if so, order the basics, roast pork, char siu, etc for easy in and out. read more

C & M Bistro - Satay Beef Lunch Order - Cantonese Near Me - Oakland, California

C&M Bistro is one of my go-to spots, especially for their BBQ pork--tender, flavorful, and always on point. And the best part? The same owner as Peony Seafood Restaurant runs it, so you're getting the same high-quality flavors, but at a much more affordable to-go-style price. I usually pick up about $20 worth of food before heading home, and it easily feeds the whole family. If you were to order the same dishes at Peony, it could easily cost $50 or more, so the value here is unbeatable. The service is great too. The servers are always friendly, helpful, and welcoming--we even joke around sometimes. It makes every visit feel warm and familiar. Great food, great value, and great people. Highly recommended! read more

C & M Bistro - Close Up to my BBQ Pork - Cantonese Near Me - Oakland, California

We went to another restaurant to order take out but it was closed. So we came here to try out their 3 items for $40.95 special to go (close to $45 by the time you add tax and they charge you for the bag). There seems to always be a line for their take out deli. We ordered: chicken, fish fillet with vegetables and green beans with minced , I was disappointed there was so little chicken. Portions for green beans and fish dishes are okay. At least the food tasted okay. The juice from the fish fillet dish leaked out of the container so we had juice all over the bottom of the bag. Service was pretty fast since it wasn't very busy. Not sure we will come back again. read more

See all

Wife and I still like to hop over to this place for the $40 for three items for lunch. Service is always quick and the place is quaint, but not too small. It can get busy, but appears to cycle quickly. The pumpkin and pork, and the sautéed cauliflower are a couple of our favorite dishes. Right next to the elevator so it's convenient for me cause I can't walk far. Good take-out items too. read more

See all

C&M gives me the most authentic Hong Kong diner (cha chaan teng) feeling out of all the Chinatown HK spots. At $13 for a lunch set with a drink, the pricing is very solid. Each set feels well-balanced and hits the notes of nostalgia, you'll walk away satisfied with a reliable, comforting meal. Don't be deterred by the seemingly curt attitudes of the butcher or waitress, they're here to take your order, no more and no less, which is exactly how it is back in Hong Kong. The interior is well-lit but a bit run down, further adding to the cha chaan teng charm. The standout for me is the Cha Siu: perfectly tender, lightly charred, and not overly fatty. The roast meats are done well overall, and the simple accompaniments of rice, vegetables, and soup make it feel like you're eating in HK rather than the Bay. If you're craving a cha chaan teng experience without hopping on a plane, this is a spot worth visiting. read more

See all

We still like this place just their new policy of automatically adding 18% gratuities is a bad move!! Last time we dine in there, one of the waitress took our orders then tells me they will automatically add on 18% tip to the bill, I was not happy but since we already ordered, we don't have much of a choice! I know lots of restaurants started doing that or find creative descriptions to add a surcharge but this is getting out of hand! Tipping should be voluntary and base on the level of service received and should never be mandatory, we always tip 15% which is a fair amount given the lack luster services we get all the time. So now we switch over and order to go only. We still like the deli items but refused to mandatory pay 18% for barely any service provided. read more

C & M Bistro - Daily rice porridge with fried Chinese donut - Cantonese Near Me - Oakland, California

C&M Bistro is a hidden gem located in the Oakland Chinatown Cultural Center Plaza. I came here for the first time on a Sunday afternoon and was impressed by the variety and value. The restaurant wasn't too busy -- just a short line to order -- and the small indoor space looked clean and well-kept. They serve a wide range of Chinese dishes through a steam table setup, so you can quickly pick from a selection of pre-made items. I tried the barbecue pork ($12/lb) and roasted duck -- both were moist, flavorful, and had that perfect salty-sweet glaze that brought me back to the BBQ flavors I had in Hong Kong. They also offer dishes like chow mein, eggplant, tofu, a veggie medley, and chicken wings. There's a great breakfast special from 8-11am -- just $10 including a hot drink, which is a solid deal. I also tried the cold Hong Kong milk tea. It was refreshing and tasty, though a bit on the sweet side and a little pricey at $5. One thing to note: there's no dedicated parking lot. It's mostly street parking in the area, though I think there's a public parking garage nearby. Also, credit cards require a $20 minimum, so bring cash if you're making a smaller purchase. Overall, C&M Bistro offers delicious Chinese comfort food at very reasonable prices. Highly recommended if you're in the area. read more

See all

This is our go to in the Oakland for BBQ items, love their Roast Pork and Soy Sauce Chicken. There's always a line of locals for a reason. Their $40.95 for three items has great selection! We often get the Beef stew w/ daikon, Salt and Pepper pork chops and Braised Tofu, and they've never disappointed. Good taste and nice portions. read more

The food's kinda dry and doesn't taste all that fresh. It's just alright; I was hoping for more since there are so many people. read more

C & M Bistro - Roasted Duck, Char Su, or BBQ Pork Belly - Cantonese Near Me - Oakland, California

Food is pretty good after all those years, they still can keep the quality of the food. But they been increasing the price slowly. I hope they won't decrease the quantity of the food size. Service is ok, depend on busy or not or toward the closing time is little rush. Sometimes it's better deal to order the food outside the table. read more

The restaurant is located at the heart of Chinatown, right next to the parking pay station. A spot where a lot of locals come to get a quick meal or to chit chat with their friends. There is always a line out the door on the weekends. Food: 3/5 - Food is just decent. I do really like the crispy pork since the crunch on the skin is satisfying to munch on. The cuts that I got were on the fattier side so I wasn't a huge fan. BBQ pork was dry. There are better restaurants in Chinatown that serves similar food. Price: 5/5 - Affordable. A lot of special menu and promotional items so you can usually score a meal around $10-15 per person. Environment: 3/5 - My table was a little sticky and there were food scraps on the floor. The restaurant was also really noisy and crowded. Definitely need to use your outside voice in here. Customer service: 2/5 - Minimal. Waited for 15 minutes and the servers didn't even check in on us to take down our order. Couldn't flag down a waiter so I went to the counter to pay. An automatic 15% tip was included in our bill which I didn't notice until I paid. The party next to us pointed it out before paying and the server said it was a "mistake" and remove the charge from their check. Overall, I would not come again to dine-in since there are so many better restaurants in Chinatown. I might order the roast pork to-go but I definitely will check on the cuts first. read more

If I worked in downtown Oakland, I'd be hard-pressed not to come here for lunch every day. It's not getting much better than 6.35 char siu rice in Chinatown. Speaking Canto definitely helps with interactions, though. The meat isn't too sweet; the texture is fine for me but might not be so for everyone, being a bit chewy. It comes with broccoli, and some char siu juice is ladled over everything. There's a credit card minimum of $20, so the siu yuk with rice and broccoli is generously portioned. The meat could be better, being a bit tough and the crust hard, but, again, can't complain. It meets standards for the Bay. Ovaltine is as expected. read more

Nice corner cafe, the elderly seemed to enjoy the generous portions. Chasiu was served in house, wonton soup noodles were a hit, and plenty of seating for an early morning brunch. read more

C & M Bistro - Lunch plate - Cantonese Near Me - Oakland, California

When we come to Oakland C & M Bistro is one of the places we stop at. They have serve/sell some of my favorite foods like Roasted Pork Belly and BBQ pork so good! The service I am not fan of and I can say that because I have been here more than three times and it's always the same. There's always a line, when it's your turn you gotta have your list ready, and if you don't they'll rush you. People tell me it's the "culture" but I guess I am still not used to it. But I keep coming back because the food is good. The restaurant has a few tables so you can actually sit and eat. The place needs a little TLC but it's okay by me. The price is ok. I haven't notice the price go up that much. It's definitely affordable. read more

See all

The quality of the BBQ pork over rice special has significantly declined. Despite the recent price increase, the portion now consists mostly of excess pork fat with very little meat. In addition, their staff is extremely inefficient causing long lines and wait time. read more

I was very underwhelmed by my experience here. I stopped by for a quick dinner Wed evening around 5:30. I was planning to get one of their bbq meats, but I noticed they had some hot food as well, so I opted to go for that. For $13.50, you can get a box with rice, steamed broccoli, and 2 dishes of your choice. I chose the beef short rib and pork blood as my two dishes. It was the end of the day, so I thought they might give me some bigger scoops, but portions were only average. I've been to other Cantonese hot bar spots that are much more generous with their servings. I asked if I could quickly eat in the restaurant, and they told me no. There was still 2 groups that were finishing up their meal, so I'm not sure why dine-in was no longer allowed. The lady serving the food was also kinda rude even though I was speaking to her in Cantonese. After getting my food, I sat on one of the benches outside in the plaza to eat. The pork blood was okay, but I didn't like the beef short rib that much as it was a bit tough and overly peppery for my tastes. The steamed broccoli was cold and so dry I couldn't bring myself to finish it. Mediocre food at high prices and bad service. I won't be back. read more

See all

Ehh this place is so busy on a Saturday, line out the door. 3 waiter working and they speak little English. The food was so bland and I had to add so much chili hotsauce. Definitely need some soy sauce forsure. Heard this place was good but nah, first and last time for me. I had the tender beef ramen stir fried and wtf was that?! Pineapple in it was a no for me with barely any beef. Very stingy beef portion. Look at the pic, does it even look appealing to you?! Of course not read more

C & M Bistro - Tender beef Raman stir fried w/ big chunks of pineapple. So bland , would not recommend - Cantonese Near Me - Oakland, California

Quick, easy, and casual. Don't expect service. The cashier was full of attitude when I asked for hot sauce. Said they don't have any when there are clearly bottles of sriracha on every table. (Not to mention she accidently charged me over $100 on a sub $30 order and didn't even bother to apologize) The food here is great for a work day lunch. It's not the most amazing pork bell, char siu, or soy sauce chicken, but it definitely satisfies the cravings. read more

C & M Bistro - soy sauce chicken, char siu, roasted pork - Cantonese Near Me - Oakland, California

Updating the price of the Anniversary Special, which has been offered daily for ~10yrs- $6.80. 2 layers of char siu, with some sauce ladled over & soaked up by the ample rice, with a good amount of steamed broccoli (add Sriracha or the like for that). Fancier takeout container than most; fast service & quite the deal. A regular member of the rotation read more

C & M Bistro - Anniversary Special, $6.80 - Cantonese Near Me - Oakland, California

5 stars for their delicious crispy roast pork belly and flavorful bbq pork. -1 star for typical Chinatown service. Come here for authentic Chinese food at a reasonable price. read more

See all

A$$holes here , but the food is good though. I came in with no one in line . Walked in to ordered the chopped meats , but no one was assisting me so I went to the cash wrap , she told Me I had to order near the door with the butcher, so I tried, he kept ignoring me and so I just ordered my milk tea, and waited some more. He still just kept doing his thing, until these other Chinese people came in and he assisted them right away!!! Like wtf! I am so annoyed. Fawk them . I used to come here often but f this sh#t. read more

C & M Bistro - Front - Cantonese Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

The BBQ Duck was okay, or even good... but not, as some claimed, the "best." W.r.t. claims of it being the "best": "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." - Inigo Montoya :P read more

C&M is now the best Chinese BBQ spot in Oakland Chinatown with a good sized offering of Chinese deli as well as stir fried items. C&M's popularity is no secret anymore with the lines out the door as soon as they open. Of their most popular is the roasted pork and char siu. Both are done well, with plenty of roasted flavor which are balanced well by the seasoning. Should you choose to dine in, the portions of the rice plates as well as stir fry are above average. Not only that but you also get a good sized bowl of soup with each lunch special order. The service here is no-nonsense. We had plenty of water and tea to start off, but as the crowd grew it became more hectic, although we were able to get everything we needed. If you're ever in Chinatown and craving Chinese BBQ, C&M would be the place to go. Keep in mind the line forms early and a lengthy wait (20+ min) may be unavoidable, but if you have the time, don't hesitate to try! read more

There is always a long line for a reason... they have the BEST crispy pork belly, charsui and roasted duck but it is honestly with the wait! It's located in the heart of Oakland Chinatown. The crispy pork belly is AMAZING. It's so flavorful and crispy. It literally melts in your mouth. The charsui is the perfect amount of sweetness. I'm not honestly a huge fan of duck but I love getting the duck because the skin is so crispy and it's not gamey at all. The food is delicious and the prices are so reasonable! read more

See all

Seating was quick on a weekday. The menu has lots of options to choose from. I for the Peking pork chop lunch special. The portions are large. The pork chops is more on the tart side but delicious overall. I often come here for the bbq deli meats as well and they never disappoint. read more

C & M Bistro - Peking pork chop lunch special. Comes with rice, soup of the day, and broccoli. - Cantonese Near Me - Oakland, California

A very homey eatery, with an actively take out line. Cantonese is being spoken here, adds a little flavor. One girl serves the sit down customers, about seven diners scattered on 3 tables, on a Friday evening. Oakland's Chinatown is like a ghost town due to crime, according to locals ... The service is friendly and quick, food is good: - walnut prawns - good (sweet but I can't resist; walnuts are really good) - salt pepper fish fillet - batter is thick - salty fish, chicken and tofu clay pot - good They don't serve liquor. Bathroom is a trip and I won't let my child going there alone. It's outside of the restaurant, the same passage to the Mail room, garage and loading bays (?) A few (IF not the only) remaining spots that has a decent crowd, very sad. What a terrible scene and horrible situation for the merchants, and customers. read more

See all

I was there last month to order a breakfast to go, I got back to the restaurant after 25mins. I was planning to get some change for the tip and stay finish my breakfast, but they told me not allowed and pay the difference. For what? read more

C & M Bistro - My Breakfast - Cantonese Near Me - Oakland, California

Honestly best roasted pork and roasted duck in Chinatown. You will always see a long line here . My mom always get the whole roasted duck here . You can't beat the price here , a lot of roasted pork with rice and greens for $11.25 ? You cannot find a better deal than this . Another plus is they take credit cards . I don't really care much about service here but the staffs are always nice to me. You can tell them which duck you want to get and how you would like it to be cut. read more

See all

Great place for porridge during winter or a rainy day. Best if you don't customize your food if you don't speak Chinese. read more

C & M Bistro - Chinese doughnut and pork with fermented egg porridge - Cantonese Near Me - Oakland, California

Wow, I brought my grand child and some family members for breakfast. Meal was just okay. The waitress spoke Chinese and very little English that communications were bad. The service was not good. We have to put extra ordinary effort to get tea refills. After we finished the meal, we were playing around the water fountain in the plaza. ONE of servers came to look for us, and demanded MORE TIPS, although my tip was already added on my payment. Very annoying. read more

Came in the morning and already packed. It would be hard to communicate if not speaking the language. Price was affordable and great amount of portion. Noodles were simple with cabbage and meat on the side. Lots of fat in soup so easy to get bored. We were waiting for our tea to help soothing the taste but they forgot about it until we finished and have to remind them again. Roast pork super crunchy but recommend to eat with noodle because of the saltiness. Roast duck were soft and juicy, love the dipping sauce. read more

C & M Bistro - Cantonese Near Me - Oakland, California

I walk by this place all the time in Chinatown Oakland, so I finally decided to come stop by for lunch. FYI this place is not open for dinner, so it's breakfast and lunch only. They serve pretty Hong Kong style food, we ordered 2 lunch specials: one was a mixed roast meat, the other was the sweet & sour pork ribs, pretty traditional fare if you ask me. Each of our food came with a soup, cold steam broccoli, and a side of white rice. For the price of your food, I would say the quality is fare, the roast meat was dry and mediocre, the broccoli was cold and they didn't flavor it with anything, not even salt. The soup was ok, slightly salty for me, but overall, I would say you get what you pay for. read more

Food is good...if you can get it. The first time I came here with my young son, a waitress told me we couldn't be seated because table service was only for those ordering multiple dishes. She said we had to get takeout instead. I was confused but thought maybe it's some Chinese banquet style related thing...I dunno, I was trying to make sense of it. Then we walked by several months later and saw other tables with just 2 people, so went in and were seated. But this time the waitress said they were out of duck lunch special, and that they were not serving dumplings because they had stopped serving dim sum...not just for the day, but that they had stopped serving dim sum for many months. There was duck hanging in the window and the dumplings were on both menus, so this time I knew something was up. I wasn't sure what to order then and she left me because she didn't want to wait for me to choose, and in the meantime another waitress came by and I ordered the duck lunch special without an issue. I don't know what is happening here but it feels discriminatory. My son is Black and I don't know if that has something to do with it, but the blatant refusal / reluctance to serve us is surprising and so wrong. read more

Upgrading to 4 stars. Located inside the Pacific Renaissance Plaza, C & M Bistro is the sister restaurant of Peony Seafood Restaurant. Back in 2017, I wrote about a not-so-good dinner experience I had here. Since then, I've been back quite a few times for BBQ takeout, and thought an update is warranted. Their BBQ offerings are solid and rival those by Gum Kuo and New Gold Medal nearby. My favorite is their BBQ pork. Great flavor with appropriate meat/fat ratio. Roast pork belly and roast duck are great as well. They have high turnover so the items are always fresh. Pricing is reasonable and competitive comparing to the other Chinese BBQ restaurants in the area. They also have lunch specials that are very popular with workers and seniors. A good size BBQ pork rice bowl is just $4.95 and lunch bento boxes are just a dollar more. They take COVID-19 seriously. For safety, a plexiglass shield was installed at the cash register and a bottle of hand sanitizer is available for customer use. The staff all wear appropriate PPE. With physical safety being a concern to many people, Oakland PD has added a liaison officer to Chinatown and her office is in the same plaza. Additionally, private security and volunteers in reflective vests are constantly patrolling the area to ensure safety for everyone. This place gets busy around lunchtime so come early! BONUS MATERIAL: - Cash and major credit cards accepted. read more

See all