The lack of HK cafes in the area already earns Garden Cafe a 5 stars in my book. To add to their rightful keep of their stars, they also offer online ordering AND are opened late! Venus Cafe closes by 8/9pm, so times are extremely different. Also, online ordering (same price as in person). Parking here can be a pain, especially if you're coming in the evening when The Doolittle is opened. On the bright side, you can park along the street and parking is plenty. You don't need to trash your tires with the messed up concrete and rocks everywhere. Seating for single, doubles, groups, and more. It has a good amount of space and you'll see a lot of to go orders, as well. HK cafes if you don't know is not just baked spaghetti and other Chinese dishes. They also have a full menu of family style entrees you can order from, so if you're craving Chinese food, Garden is a great addition to the East Bay to get your fix. They even do sweets and desserts, here. Oh the best part, they take credit card with no additional fees and have bathrooms. I don't know how many asian places are cash only, or fee for cards, and the bathrooms are unavailable. Now onto my favorite things to order: Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings (12.95): ALWAYS crispy. Beef Chow Fun (16.95): the wok hay is unmatched. Onions outweighs the beef, but not the noodles and always perfection each time. Bean Sprout Soy Sauce Chow Mein (15.95): I mean, what is more perfect than a traditional dish like this? You don't even need proteins and it just feels like eating endless noodles. Seafood Chow Fun (18.95): there was a gravy seafood chow fun in the beginning when I first started going, but they seem to have taken it off the menu. Dried Scallop & Egg White Fried Rice (17.95): Absolutely delicious, but I wish they would use less cilantro in this. Ying Yang (1/2 HK Milk Tea, 1/2 Coffee) Iced: The name should already tell you this is the best of both worlds. Service is quick and the servers are friendly and can take your order in English. The menu is HUGE and they are always adding different things. Love that they are opened everyday and I can always count on Garden Cafe to get my HK Cafe fix! read more

This has become my favorite Chinese restaurants in Castro Valley. I went for the first time in feb during the soft open and have came back about 5ish times. Sometimes ordering just take out via on-line. Down fall - I have learned that when you are on-line, it always says 15mins wait for the food no matter the time or how much you order. One time, I ordered for pick up on a very busy saturday night and went to the restaurant at the time it told me the food would be ready. But it was not. He said 15 more mins. Then after that, another 10 more mins. Slight frustrating. Anyway, my family and I went to eat here last night. The parking lot is tiny and it is always a hassle to find parking. The restaurant is pretty decent size. Seems to always be pretty full during dinner time. The inside was just what i expected a Hong Kong Cafe to look like. We got seated right away. People are friendly here. Refilling our water without asking. Each dish we get, it is always very tasty and lots of flavor! The salted fish fried rice comes with a good amount of salty fish and big pieces too! They do not skimp out. One of my favorite dishes is the stir fried udon with black pepper sauce. Noodles cooked to perfection and the black pepper sauce is so flavorful. I also like the salt and pepper chicken wings a lot. It is very crispy on the outside, but so juicy in the inside. Beef Chow Fun was great here too! Noodles is not as wide as the typical one, but the taste did not disappoint. Filet fish with sweet corn sauce is also a favorite. I always like to eat this over some rice. Con about this restaurant is that I feel like it is a bit pricey that I would like. Especially since it is a Chinese restaurant, you would think prices are usually on the cheaper side. However, each dish is about $16-23. read more

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Good food. Good service. Good location. Comfortable seating. Fair price. Headache parking.

It's hard to find parking during peak hours. But food is good overall, the portions are big.

This is the second time and last time for me to eat here. The ground beef was terrible, the tomato sauce was bad, pork chop was okay. Service was good. read more

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The fried tofu, chow fun, teas and several other dishes here are very well made and scrumptious. Interior is cute and is usually quite busy in the mornings and on weekends. Parking is a struggle though as it's small and shared with several businesses.p read more

We went during lunch and very busy for a weekday lunchtime. We were quickly seated and the service was fast to order. Ordered the fish filet with sweet corn over rice and it was very tasty. It tasted like the sweet corn soup. The beef stew Lo mein was delicious with tender beef! read more

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The restaurant is tucked in so we almost drove past it. There's a small parking lot. I'm so happy to have a local HK Cafe style restaurant. The breakfast combo was pretty good. I really liked the beef brisket noodle soup, I think I will just order that as a full order and not the combo. I also had a hot milk tea with condensed milk, it was pretty good too. I will definitely be back to try more things. read more

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Let's start with the parking lot, it was very small with only a few parking spaces. We came early for dinner time and there was only 1 spot left open and I'm pretty sure it was because it was hidden behind a big truck. There's only 1 way in and out so you have to bust a U if you can't find a spot to get out. Or if you meet inconsiderate people that is posted in the middle of the small parking lot, you're stuck. When you walk in, you definitely get a cafe type of feel. Small tables but there's a lot of seating. Food came out fairly quick with a lot of options to choose from. The food was average to me. The price is ok for what you get. My satay beef soup with ramen noodles was lacking in presentation. I normally don't judge a book by its cover if it's delicious, but it tasted like one of the beef flavored instant noodles you can get for 75 cents a packet. It was only elevated with green onions. There wasn't anything else in there, no bok choy, no nothing. The pork chop was under a layer of cheese but over a layer of rice. This was pretty good but the cheese layer was so thick that I was over it after a few bites. The eggplant in claypot dish first of all came out in a metal skillet, not a claypot. It was very flavorful but overly sweet. This dish was perfect with the cheesy rice and pork chop because the flavors balanced out. The salt and pepper tofu was also average. It wasn't crispy even tough it came out last, I'm assuming because of the frying time. Or it was sitting there as the restaurant got busy. It was just an average cafe experience. Nothing to brag about. It did get busy closer to dinner time by the time we left so I'm glad we got here a little bit earlier. read more

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Delicious! Love coming here. They have quite a lot of tables and also booths for big parties. read more

Garden Cafe - Beef Chow Mein, Sauteed Bak Choy with Garlic Chef Special, C. Macaroni Soup with Ham - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Castro Valley, California

came here for breakfast after church and was hoping we can order lunch menu item but unfortunately the lunch chef was not there yet. We ended up ordering Wonton Noodle soup, Brisket Rice Noodle Soup, and lemon iced tea. the brisket with rice noodle (hor fun) -- the broth is good and the briskets were soft but the rice noodles were a disappointment. They were all broken pieces of noodles. short and just absorbed so much of the broth that it was mushy. Not one strand was long. it was just not pleasant to eat. the wonton noodle soup was bland and the wonton tasted funny. To me it was not fresh, to my husband he thought it was okay just a different taste. i'm not sure how to describe it but i just did not like the filling of the wonton. not a true HK style wonton taste. If you really want to eat good wonton, may i suggest S&J BBQ in livermore? the lemon iced tea was also mediocre. the tea wasn't the tea i'm used to. it didn't have the deep rich black tea. Even my 9 yr old tasted the difference between this tea and other places we've tried. i see a lot of good reviews, perhaps breakfast item just wasn't their thing? maybe i need to visit them when they're serving lunch/dinner. read more

We ate there last week , they gave me two cups of tea . The cups were smell a little musty, I told them about that the they gave us paper cups ! The chopsticks were also sticky so we use the tea to wash it b4 used I ordered Hainan chicken rice , the chicken isn't fully cooked , it still had blood ! My friend ordered a Singapore fried rice noodle！The wontons only had an overly strong chicken powder flavor! read more

Garden Cafe - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Castro Valley, California

The food is delicious. The service was great. We have eaten in and gotten take out. The staff is so kind.

Ok I have ordered to go many times but this is the first time dining there Place is big with two sides of dining hall but lacks a bit of service Good portion sides when dining in vs take out The steak was served on a hot skillet but with a thick cut of meat which was a battle to cut through . It could be better if it was a thinner slice the black pepper sauce is good. Their menu is extensive that you will find your favorite dishes read more

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Wow, I m impressed with this place! It was on a Sunday night and this place was packed. Service was great and they refilled the water throughout the night. Also, great portion size and value. I had the baked seafood rice with cream sauce and it was delicious. Although it'd be nicer if they accompanied it with fried rice vs plain white rice and added a few more chunks of seafood. :) The baked curry pork chop was flavorful, with a slight kick at the end. Would definitely come back again. read more

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Saw Garden Cafe on the gram and wanted to check it out. I had the cravings for some HK food. Love that this place opened up in CV so it's closer for me, don't have to go all the way to Shooting Star. Especially love the fact that they stay open late (til midnight). So now I know, when I got the cravings where to go to. The space is pretty big, bigger than expected. However, the parking lot is pretty small. So that part sucks hopefully you're lucky and get a spot, if not there's street parking. Service was good, staff was nice and refilled water pretty quickly. Food took a while to come out, but least I know it's fresh! Portion size was good too, more than I expected. Food quality is fair, again just think Shooting Star type spot. Menu is huge, got everything from breakfast items to lunch, dinner, late night snacks, boba, etc. It has it all! Will definitely be back to try their HK Milk Tea and their baked stuff. read more

Garden Cafe - Chicken Pan Fried Noodle - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Good was very flavorful. Portions are big so plan to share. The have great breakfast too. Another good option outside the normal places in town. read more

Came in for early dinner during the July heatwave. The AC in the dining are was too weak to handle the weather. It really felt like I was eating in Hong Kong during the summer. Such an uncomfortable and sweaty dining experience. Service was decent. One of our noodle dishes came with a hair and it was quickly exchanged no questions asked. Baked Pork Chop and Baked Chicken took about 30 minutes which was way too long to wait given the dining room temperature. The tomato sauce tasted better than garlic sauce. Black pepper sauce was ok. Was it as good as other HK style cafes in LA? No. Will I give them another chance? Yes. read more

Garden Cafe - Baked Chicken Steak - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Garden Cafe is a new Hong Kong Style cafe located right across from Eden medical center. It shares a shopping center with a liquor store and a laundromat. The interior is divided into two sections with larger tables, booths and TVs playing K-pop videos. The menu has a ton of Chinese / Western items including breakfast and drinks. I met up with black badge Yelper Cheryl M. for lunch and take out. All the dishes served have generous portions. Take out Clams with black bean sauce 5 stars Beef pan fried noodles 4.5 stars Eat in Salt and pepper squid 3 stars Black bean sauce beef chow fun 5 stars Corn and chicken over rice 3 stars Honey stir fried beef 5 stars Drinks Iced lemon tea Service was ok as they got busy hard to flag down the servers. Parking is a premium with parking in front and the side of the shopping center. Street parking on Lake Chabot Blvd are hard to come by. read more

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Came on a Saturday afternoon and had a small wait. It's crowded for a good reason. HK style food done well and service is fast after you're seated. First heard of this place on IG! The milk tea is not too sweet, authentic HK style. The fried flounder was crispy and the Singapore noodles were addicting and light. The green beans and eggplant were standard, a bit on the oily side. Curry fish balls were standard (pro tip add some hot oil to it!) but the sauce was great to dip the scallion pancake into. The fried squid was delicious - fresh and super crispy. The baked pork chop was done better than other HK style places in the area in my opinion, not too sweet, tender meat, and didn't have that strong ketchup flavor. The toast wasn't sweet at all which was fine since they gave us syrup, but I honestly wish it could have been a bit more sweet since the syrup was a bit too thick and difficult to pour out of the jar. All in all, great HK style food! Parking can be a bit hard if you don't find a spot in the lot. read more

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Service was friendly, not too pushy or sparse. Looked very clean and American diner like than HK. Hence more American than HK. For breakfast we had the hot milk tea with condensed milk. It was a bit over done because it tasted a bit too dense and the tannins came out, so it was not smooth and nuanced flavor covered up. (Water temp maybe too high or steeped too long) Pork chop were thick, crispy, and tender but a bit dry (maybe brine or Sous vide it). Flavor was good. Sate Beef noodles was very big but flavor was not as rich as I expected. Good value for the portion. Toast was good but a bit week. But if you visit, definitely try the Waffle. It was very crispy but it was not a normal Brussels waffle. I believe it was a mochi waffle. Very fluffy and not too chewy. With minor upgrades to the drink and food, it could be a place not to be missed. I have been to worse, but they usually had a crowd of local regulars which makes the atmosphere better (like "Cheers"). Hence 4 out of 5 stars. read more

Exquisite CUTLET PORK CHOP , EGG FRIED RICE W/mandir sauce & VEGGIES on side!. I enjoy dining in , customer service is always Amable food is hot and in timely manner so if your ever in the area and devour Hong Kong style cafe garden is enjoyable all around read more

Garden Cafe - CITLET PORKCHOP W/ Mandi's sauce EGG FRIED RICE & veggies - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Food was tasty and at reasonable prices. Service was meh, we had to track waitress down to order but the parking situation sucked!

My friends recommended this new Hong Kong cafe to me. I know I have to take my family there when I am in town. Let just say it was a great additional in the neighborhood. Took my family here on Friday's dinner and then back again on Sunday's lunch before flying back to Vegas. That's how good it was. This will be new go to spot when visiting back home. So far I have tried creamy corn fish filet, string bean with egg plants, seafood clay pot, baked pork chop over rice, sweet and sour pork, baked fish with macaroni over black pepper sauce, Hong Kong style French toast, Singapore rice noodle, curry pork chop, string bean with fish filet, and baked fresh eel over rice. They were all so tasty, but I think my favorite so far would be their baked pork chop over rice, curry pork chop, creamy corn fish filet, and the baked fresh eel. They had cooked the pork chop & fish filet in perfection. Especially the fish filet. melt in your mouth and the pork chops were so tender too. I already know I will be ordering those when I am back. Dining room was a lot bigger than expected. When you walked in you think its quit small but there's a bigger dinning room space in the back. Service was great and attentive. Definitely a plus. Only complaint I have was the parking lot. It's quite small so street parking would be the way to go. Can't wait to come back and try their other entrees. stay tunes read more

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This place is authentic. Servicing size is the right size for us; if you're a huge eater you might find the size small. Beef chew fun was yummy; the beef cut was a thick cut. Baked Chicken was delicious and highly recommended. Black beans clams were perfect. Go give them a try. Plus they open to midnight if that's of interest. read more

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First time trying ... found it on a vid about CV eats. Overall legit Hong Kong style cafe and will come again. It's located in a small strip mall so it was a bit hard to find. Look for liquor hub (which is next door) There's parking lot on 2 sides of the mall as well as street parking. When we arrived on a Sunday afternoon, there were people waiting outside (a good sign & unexpected). Inside was very busy and a bit chaotic. I found the waitlist clip board and put our name down. There were 5 groups ahead of us so we took time to study the extension menu and checked Yelp reviews. we waited about 30 minutes before being seated and the place is quite large bigger than expected. After ordering drinks/food, it took 20 minutes but the drinks were cold and the food piping hot. We ordered - beef chow fun 4/5 - baked pork chop over spaghetti 4/5 - fried chicken wings 5/5 - fujian fried rice 3/5 - HK lemon tea, milk tea 5/5 read more

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Heard about the grand opening of a HK cafe in Castro Valley so my parents and I decided to come for breakfast! We miss going to Chinatown for the set breakfasts so we were excited to try this place. It's located on Chabot Lake Rd and across from the Sutter Hospital. Parking is very limited in their lot but we managed to find one easily. Not sure how the parking status will be during peak hours since they do share the lot with The Doolittle Bar. Street parking is available. We each ordered a noodle soup with a side of toast and an egg with a hot drink. Wished it came with two eggs but that's ok! I ordered the satay beef ramen noodle soup and that was tasty. My parents both likes their noodles as well. Portions could be slightly bigger. Prices are reasonable. Can't wait to come back to try their lunch/dinner plates! read more

Garden Cafe - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Garden Cafe opened in Dino's vacated space. Interior modernized, seating upgraded. Parking lot still very small. Flatscreens in both rooms showing k-pop. Audio was low. Didn't hear music. Offerings: fried noodles, chow fun, pan fried h.k. noodles, lo mein, fried rice, baked rice/noodles, toasts, Charcoal grills, sizzling plates, chef specials, drinks, Sandwiches, soups & salads, appetizers, Greeted upon entering, assigned a table, gave order. Got hot tea. Food came 15ish minutes later. Got one check-in, never saw server again. It soon became apparent the kitchen was understaffed, the waitstaff either same or dysfunctional. Baked Pork Chop with fried rice (15.95) in black pepper sauce. Not typical fried rice, means steam rice baked with pork chops enabling sauce to be mixed with rice. -pork chop semi juicy, slightly dry. Overcooked? Not the usual thin serving size in many h.k. eateries. These were 3/8" thick. Sauce nicely done. Everything mixed well. *my usual bake is tongue which isn't served anymore anywhere...chops were aplenty. Had leftovers. Drink: h.k. Milk tea (4.50) + condensed milk (.50) -actually bold flavor the way i like. Authentic h.k. Style. 4.5 stars: approached person making drinks to get take out box. She only spoke Mandarin. No problem, i'm bi/tri-lingual. Directed to cashier who gave me check. *pricing reasonable, similar to other new h.k. Eateries. Diamond in the ruff. Some kinks need Teaming. Best to go during off hours. read more

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Came with a party of 5 and was seated immediately. Seafood crispy noodles! 10/10 Beef noodles 10/10 I'm so glad this spot opened! This parking is shared with a liquor store and two other stores. It's a small parking lot which tends to get full by the customers at the liquor store. Place is nice with plenty of tables. Love their menu options, can't wait to come back and try other items. It's a great place because there is always an option for everyone even our pickiest kids. read more

Garden Cafe - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Castro Valley, California

DELICIOUS!! First timers- placed a phone order for pick up and they had my full name (phone number ID??- weird but good). Was told the order would be ready in 20 min. and it was right on time. All of the food was piping hot and fantastic! Black pepper pan fried vermicelli had a perfectly crunchy top of pan fried noodles over soft noodles beneath filled with beef, peppers and onions in a delicious sauce. The bok choy with garlic also perfectly cooked and seasoned. The honey walnut shrimp equally delicious. Highly recommend! read more

A good neighborhood staple for ease and convenience. Food is comfort and when you don't want to travel far.

Today I have visited the Garden Cafe and ordered the following: satay beef ramen, wonton noodle soup, deep fried chicken leg, lychee flavor slushy for lunch, and then we return for dinner to try other dishes such as XO sauce stirred fry rice noodle, breast, beef, brisket with rice noodle in soup, hot chocolate, cold lemon tea, and mango coconut pudding. All the dishes and drinks are great, but the wonton noodle soup needs some improvement. The shrimp inside the wonton is not fresh and the wonton is tasteless because it didn't have the dried founder powder and the wonton wrappings are torn due to overcooked in hot water. read more

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I come back in second time the food total different I don't understand why. The service is different too and they give me the wrong bill suppose for the different people. read more

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Omg What a Gem of a Place!!!!! I love this place and I hope to tell you all about it!!!! I rolled there in my Whip Old Blue and parked in their Parking Lot!!! And walked in like a Boss!!! I went to Sign in and a Server said no need to do that and showed me to a Table. She Proceeded to provide me with a Menu , Tea and a Glass of Water!!!! I perused the Menu and Ordered the Wor Wonton Soup and Salt and Pepper Calamari!!! Tables are Clean !!! Interior is Brightly Lit and Clean!!! Several LCD TVs Playing K-pop Videos !!! My Food Arrived in a Timely Manner Piping Hot!!! The Wor Wonton's were Fresh and Packed full of Flavors!!! Soup Broth was Tasty and Hearty!!! The Salt and Pepper Calamari was Light and Airy and Delicious!!!! My Server was very Attentive and Friendly!!! I felt like a VIP my Server the MvP of Servers !!!! This is A Baller On A Budget Approved Establishment!!!! I'll be Back!!!! read more

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The latest Hong Kong-style cafe that recently opened in the former, Dino's Italian restaurant. Place is 2 weeks new but already bustling so visit with patience as they get into a groove with service. Hong Kong or Cantonese-style Chinese food is simple, homey, light on seasoning but not on flavor. So don't expect bold, a lot of spice, or chili peppers at this spot except the hot sauce/condiments on the table. Items ordered this first visit: :: Beef Chow Fun - nicely prepared noodles with bean sprouts - good flavor but will opt for the fermented black bean next time. Meat is tenderized so has a bouncy texture so generally, not a fan of getting beef at Chinese restaurants :: Fried fish with sweet corn - simply that... cream corn over fried fish - batter wasn't heavy or oily and good - 4/5 stars :: Egg puff - Hong Kong style waffle - crispy exterior and fluffy... slightly sweet, pull apart snack - 5 stars Overall, good portions and hit the spot. If you're familiar with Shooting Star Cafe in Oakland Chinatown, you'll enjoy this spot. Various menu options of snacks, drinks, noodles, rice dishes and specialty items...with K-pop playing on the screens. Service is basic: get seated, place your order, get your dish with limited interaction so you'll have to wave down someone to get their attention. Walk up to pay your tab. Credit card accepted Small parking lot shared with the liquor store so during the weekend it fills up quick but plenty of street parking. Located across from Eden Hospital. read more

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New HK café in Castro Valley! This has long been an underserved area for HK and Chinese cuisine in general, so Garden Café is certainly a welcome addition! The location itself is a bit odd, as it is surrounded by a liquor store, bar, and hair salon with a run down parking lot chock full of potholes, but being on a semi-major thoroughfare right across from Eden Medical Center should help with the visibility. Castro Valley hasn't traditionally been a hotspot for Chinese/Asian cuisine, but it has been blossoming like wildfires in the past few years, and the boom shall only continue. No longer do residents have to trek out to San Leandro, the Tri-Valley or Tri-Cities for decent Chinese fare! I only found out about Garden Café through acquaintances who are residents of Castro Valley, and excited about this new spot. I paid a visit on their third day of operation, and waited to write a review until I returned two weeks later. Visit Details: Date: Sunday lunch in early Feb and Saturday dinner in mid Feb Time: 3 pm and 7pm Guests: 2 and 5 Food: Baked Pork Chop over Rice with Black Pepper Sauce - Since this is a staple dish at HK cafés, it is my measuring stick when I try new places, If they can't make this decently, it doesn't bode well for the rest of the items. Well, let me tell you... Garden Café passes with flying colors! Portions are super ample, juicy, and meaty, with no bones! Best of all, they let you choose your sauce base, from tomato red, white cream, black pepper, teriyaki, garlic, and curry, among others. Most places don't really give you a choice. Fish Fillet in Sweet Corn Sauce - Fresh fish with light batter, and not overdoused in sauce. I liked this one so much on my first visit, I ordered it again the second time. Spicy Eggplant with Garlic & Chili Clay Pot - Flavorful and generously packed without being overly greasy. Many places pour more oil into this than the Exxon Valdez, but thankfully not here! Honey Walnut Prawns - Shrimp is fresh, and sauce is not overpowering. It's not soggy like elsewhere, and shrimp retains crispiness. Singaporean Style Fried Vermicelli - Flavorful, but not excessive with the yellow curry powder. Noodles are light and fluffy, and the amount of meat is quite generous. Hainan Chicken - Honestly, this isn't really all that "Hainan" style, which should be more light colored, with minimal sauce, but this appears a bit darker. Perhaps it is "salt baked" (鹽焗) chicken? In any event, it's not bad at all, with an ideal amount of tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. HK Milk Tea - Silky and smooth, but portion is slightly small. The menu is quite extensive, but not excessive, and offers a good blend of HK café style food with normal Cantonese cuisine. Many places typically specialize in either or, with a sprinkling of the other, but it seems to be a 50/50 split here. One drawback is the lack of "afternoon tea" or "latenight snack" menus (similar to "happy hour"), which are commonplace in most HK cafés. If implemented here, it would certainly draw in more business for the slower times of the day, and also for those who don't want to splurge on a full priced meal. Prices are also slightly steep, as being the only game in town, there really isn't any competition. Service: During my first visit, the owner constantly came by to ask for feedback, of which I was happy to provide. Overall, the wait staff is extremely friendly, and also quite fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. They are all attentive, and come by the table frequently. Food also comes out of the kitchen rather quickly. Atmosphere: Don't let the outside fool you. This place is absolutely massive for an HK café! From the exterior, through the big windows, you can see a decent amount of tables, but there is also a back room with more than double the space. Decor is bright and airy, with neon throughout. The beautiful Hong Kong skyline is prominently featured as the theme. Seats are light and comfortable, and there are also booths in the back. Most of the tables are not particularly large though, so bigger groups may not be able to all sit together. Location: I was a bit puzzled when I first located it on the map. This area doesn't seem particularly Chinese/Asian at all. It's not close to any of the other Asian restaurants or businesses in downtown CV, but perhaps that is the point. It's close enough to the populace without being surrounded by it, so residents likely wouldn't mind trekking out in this direction, which isn't that far away anyhow. The main deterrent is the parking. The lot itself is somewhat small, and shared with a liquor store, hair salon, and a bar! Luckily, both times I visited, it was off peak hours, so I was able to secure a spot, but I can imagine it getting quite slammed during prime time. Furthermore, the pavement in the lot could use a little TLC, as potholes are plentiful. There is also a bit of street parking if necessary. Ran out of space! Just come on down to Garden Café! read more

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I've been here twice now. Once for brunch and once for dinner. Friends who are from HK appreciate the menu options, and the space inside is huge and accommodates large groups and families. Service is quick and courteous. If you're not familiar with HK food, the items on the menu might feel all over the place, but if you read up on the history of HK, you'll see why that is. One advantage of a menu that has a lot of different items is that there's going to be something for everyone. read more

My husband stopped by the soft opening today and scored some awesome to go for a Fri-yay of amazingness! We ordered: - pineapple chicken curry fried rice -lemon chicken - sweet and sour pork - green beans in black bean sauce -honey walnut prawns -shrimp egg chow fun Everything is delicious. My favorite is the rice with a nice blend of sweet and savory. The green beans are perfectly sauced and still slightly crunchy which I enjoy. I'm so glad this new place opened up in our town. They did a great job with the remodel and I look forward to returning! read more

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My family and I like this new addition to CV. Located in a small parking lot next to the liquor store and haircut spot on Lake Chabot Rd next near Eden. There are actually quite a number of tables inside. It was busy and constant flow of customers coming in on a Saturday night. The Baked Pork Chop - let me tell you I've never had such tender pork at a HK cafe ever! The rice was also fluffy. Tomato beef pan fried noodles - my fault for ordering the same sauce as the baked pork chop (tomato sauce) but this was still good. The beef was not that that great though, tough and inferior to the pork. The Singapore noodles were good. Just the right amount of curry and spice level with shrimp and char siu. Overall, we will be back to try other dishes. They also have an afternoon tea time 3:15-5:30pm (it's a HK cafe thing but pretty much happy hour) that looks very promising! read more

Garden Cafe - Tomato beef pan fried noodles - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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New Hong Kong cafe with ample seating and a nice bright lit setting in the former Dino's! We were promptly seated and service was relatively attentive. Dishes were good. The corn fish maw soup as expected! The seafood pan fried noodle decent as well. The fried flounder was a good size and nicely fried. The grilled steak was a little bit lacking in seasoning and texture - came with spaghetti or rice. The HK milk tea - yummy! Overall, a good experience for Castro Valley and a local HK cafe being the first in this small town. We are a fan, and we will be back. Sign says soft opening, so I'm guessing they working through all the small kinks and operational processes especially when they are crowded (from reading other reviews). We didn't notice that going on a weekday, but hopefully those will improve over time! read more

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