This has been my fav go to for nutritional soup whenever I'm in Oakland. Love their wide variety of herbal soups and how they make it easy for patrons to choose by grouping the soups by : body detox, beauty care, healthy liver, nourish lungs/kidney etc. We had the Chicken with Morel mushroom & herbs soup (羊肚菌石斛炖雞) along with the traditional silkie chicken with dried scallop & herb soup. For main dishes couldn't resist their delicious wonton noodle soup as well as Their steamed rice with dried shrimp/fish minced pork served on lotus leaf wrap which added nice touch of lotus leaf fragrance to the steamed rice. And ended with another nutritious dessert - steamed chick pea & peach gum with dried rose. 玫瑰花冰糖炖雪蓮子桃. Love how it's not too sweet with nice rose taste to it. read more

See all

We ordered the pork belly in the lotus leaf and a beef rice noodle roll plate. The lotus leaf was delicious, 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. read more

Imperial Soup 皇帝湯 - Pork Belly in Lotus Leaf - Chinese Near Me - Oakland, California

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

Imperial Soup 皇帝湯 - Beef Flank Noodle Soup 清湯牛腩河 - Chinese Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

Normally when I eat at a Chinese restaurant I expect the normal stir fry dishes which uses a lot of oil. I did recall seeing them advertise on the Chinese TV channels while back and many people from San Francisco make the trip across the bay just to eat here. I was actually driving past Chinatown and coincidentally pulled over and parked in front of this restaurant. Why not give them a try, as I got lucky with the parking meter being fed already on a Sunday. It was already noon and it was lunch time, so the timing was perfect. I got their Chinese with Mushroom and Herbs Soup and Hainan Chicken Rice combo. The soup was doubled boiled for hours in advance and was reheated with steam, hence the short wait for the soup and food to arrive. The soup was very clear and the double boiling extracts the flavors of the ingredients naturally without the use of any oils, salt, or MSG. The service was friendly and they are fast with your order. You don't actually need to order food and some customers just come for a bowl of soup for $7-10, the staff will usually try to help customers save money by recommending the combos. Would highly recommend for Cantonese style, especially younger folks don't know how to make soup this style or lack the patience. read more

Imperial Soup 皇帝湯 - Chinese Near Me - Oakland, California

723 Webster St Oakland, CA 94607 I have found a new favorite restaurant! Imperial Soup is a hidden gem in Oakland's Chinatown. So far, I have been there three times. It has a small storefront, but it has lots of tables. I heard about this place thru Yelp. Honestly, I thought they only served soup. So on a chilly winter day, I had a craving for a hot bowl of soup. So, I went inside Imperial Soup and tried to order Wor Won Ton Soup. The polite young lady said...."We don't serve that here." I asked why. She said..."We only serve authentic Chinese dishes, and prepare them in a healthy manner." So I looked at the menu and ordered: - "Beef Flank Tenderloin, Rice Noodle Soup" Five minutes later, I had a steaming hot bowl of beef noodle soup! Added a splash of soy sauce, and it was perfect. On my second visit, I ordered: - Ginseng Chicken & Herb Soup - Hainan Chicken w/ Aromatic Rice and Chinese Veggies Ahh, their herbal soup brings back memories! My late-mother used make these same herbal soups, except she added a little red wine to hers. The Hainan Chicken dish was so good! Equal servings of rice, chicken and veggies. My third visit, I had to try their Rice in Lotus Leaf Bowl. I ordered: - Steamed Rice in Lotus Leaf w/ Spareribs & Chinese Sausage - Pig Knuckles & Veggies. Okay, you put pig feet on your menu, I will order it at least once. Very tender, lots of meat. Nice presentation with the green veggies, and rich gravy. The Rice in Lotus Leaf Bowl was okay. The rice didn't absorb enough flavor from the meats on top. I added some gravy from the pig feet dish, and it was fine. I picked the basic toppings of steamed spareribs (chopped Chinese style) and Chinese sausage. Also, the Lotus Leaf dish isn't that big because the clay dish is shallow. It's probably enough food to feed two people if you order other entrees. In conclusion, Imperial Soup is a unique restaurant that isn't for everyone. If you like fried rice, chow mein, or deep fried chicken wings....they don't serve that here. If you have dietary restrictions, you might want to try this place. Try an herbal soup. I asked them what is their best dish. The lady told me the herbal soups and noodle soups are their best dishes. Staff is really nice, and knowledgeable. Street parking read more

See all

Yeah this place is authentic and really tasty. Servers are super friendly. Came here for lunch by myself... got 1/2 a steamed chicken and wonton noodle soup (thin egg noodles). Looking at their menu I def want to come back. They also have an option to bring your own fresh seafood and have them steam and serve for you! :) read more

Imperial Soup 皇帝湯 - 1/2 steamed chicken - Chinese Near Me - Oakland, California

Came here for the first time with a friend visiting from out of town because the name was intriguing and the restaurant was close to his hotel. As the name suggests, this place is known for their vast selection of herbal Chinese soups that are meant to be healing for the kidneys and various other body parts. You can purchase a soup/soups as part of a "Special" or a la carte. They also have other dishes available, including an all-day dim sum menu and various other rice and noodle dishes. They have soup desserts as well! The first time I came here, we ordered two soups to try, one with pork and another with chicken. We also had the garlic shrimp noodle (which was made with vermicelli noodles - not what was expected but not bad either) and tripe and clams from the dim sum menu. The soups were good (my friend said his kidneys felt cleaner afterwards), but the standout were the clams - they're often not found on other menus and the garlic seafood taste is incomparable! Due to the affordability we were able to get a plate each to ourselves. I was impressed by the food here and came again not too long after my first visit for lunch. I would highly recommend the clams and soups, and the other noodle dishes were also good. Service is fast, though not the friendliest, and our server kept coming by to refill our tea, which was appreciated. The papaya peach gum soup (cold) was a nice dessert to round out a good meal. This is a no-frills, casual dining type of establishment in the heart of Oakland's Chinatown. Don't expect 5 star service here but do expect flavors that pop and make your stomach happy (and possibly healthier?). read more

See all

Very good Chinese herb soup Good food, affordable price Food are all freshly made, ingredients are simple you can tell that they don't put too much salt or msg I love their steam fish read more

Steamed rice in lotus leaf with pork belly 4.5/5 - wow this is amazing. Melt in your mouth pork belly. Minor critiques - it is definitely fatty. Wish there was more meat to fat ratio. And more meat to rice ratio lol. But for the price totally worth it. Rice noodle rolls with beef flank 4/5 - very tasty! Thin silky rice noodles. Wish there was more beef but again a steal for the price. Sauce was a touch on the sweet side Silkie chicken with dried scallops and herbs 4/5 - great Cantonese home style soup. Nice and light. Very pricey. Steamed garlic razor clam 3/5 - I always love this dish but this one is not as flavorful as I expected. Pork & shrimp dumpling aka siu mai 3/5 - this was decent. Smaller side. Probably wouldn't get again though. Mings tasty is 100x better. Shrimp dumpling 2.5/5 - small, and very thick wrapper. Skip. Food is well balanced and on the less salty side which is nice for a change! read more

To cleanse & revitalize your health, Imperial Soup is the place to go. It seems like most people are in tune with this bc it was quite busy on a Friday afternoon. Service is good & fast. Orders: Combo B with chicken & another with pork: both well seasoned with all the juices absorbed into the rice making it even more flavorful. Gai lan vegetable & mushroom was added to give you a well balanced dish. A dish my mom & I re-order. Combo D w.beef flank over steamed rice noodles- a saucy noodle dish w.tender pieces of beef. There are no vegetables included, so I'm not as inclined to re-order. Both Combo's come with a soup. Soup: You can choose a free soup within the $6.50 price range otherwise you pay the difference. This is a great option for a nice variety. Chicken soup w.mushroom & herbs- helps to lower blood pressure & cholesterol. Soothing soup for the soul & filled me up so much that I ate very little of the dish. I wish there were more soup places around, but until there are, I'll be coming back to Imperial Soup. read more

See all

We came here for our aunt's 86th birthday celebration and the place can seat about 40 people downstairs. This place used to be our aunt's family restaurant, The Great China Restaurant so it was appropriate to hold her birthday lunch there. We started with their delicious and comforting chicken feet herbal soup, very hearty and healthy, then the steamed chicken, tender and moist, curry seafood (with an extra kick to it), steamed fish, mixed vegetables (lotus root with wood ears and more) (tasty), beef tongue (tender and spicy), and for dessert, buttery Portuguese custard egg tarts (melts in your mouth)! read more

See all

I've been snoozing on Imperial Soup! I thought they only offered various Chinese herbal soups, which I'm not a huge fan of, and didn't realize they have actual dishes as well. I came by for weekday lunch with a friend around noon and it wasn't too crowded. We got seated immediately. We shared two dishes: the Hainan chicken rice plate ($14.99) and the steamed rice in lotus leaf with half spareribs and half Chinese sausage ($13.50). Both were absolutely fantastic! The chicken was juicy and flavorful with an amazing ginger scallion dip, and the spareribs were very tender. I didn't eat the Chinese sausage since I don't like the taste, but my friend really enjoyed them. We were both very satisfied with our meal. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a casual lunch or dinner in Chinatown! read more

See all

First, even though it feels like a hole in the wall, the service is top notch, warm and friendly. That is rare in this type of establishment and deserves a shout out. I consider this a hidden Oakland Chinatown gem. Second, their food is authentic Chinese and some of it is hard to find. The main attraction is the double-boiled soup (燉湯). Ours was bone and heart-warming. We had the abalone soup (#1) and the black silkie chicken soup (#6). These soups are considered to be extremely nourishing soups - there are ones designated for high blood pressure etc. It's also the kind of soup that pregnant women are told to drink. I come here for soup after surgery. We ordered the set menu for two, which included two soups of your choice, half a steamed chicken, a whole steamed fish, a plate of green steamed vegetable, and two bowls of rice. My 83 year old Taiwanese mom kept saying she couldn't finish her soup because of all the other dishes. But finish every drop she did, and she clearly loved hers! Their $60 set menu for two is a bona fide DEAL (quality, quantity, and value). We stuffed ourselves so we had to waddle out to our car. Before I could pull out of the parking spot, mom demanded that I bring her back again this weekend before she leaves. We devoured the steam fish so fast that we forgot to take a photo. Not one morsel was left. The steamed chicken was moist and flavorful; the ginger/scallion sauce was great. The vegetable was cooked just right. Their chef is amazing. The steam rice with eel wrapped in lotus leaves is next on my list for my next visit. We almost hijacked another table's order of it. They serve dim sum all day - what?! Yay. Please don't come. We want to keep getting seated with no line. read more

See all

Did not have to wait for a seat! Staff are super nice and tries their best with English. The beef noodle soup was my favorite. The spicy lamb noodle was not spicy but was sweet. Maybe it was a mistake but we still ate it lol. The chicken is good too! Would definitely come again to try other dishes. read more

See all

Food came so quickly! Service was friendly! I loved the soup here, so hot and tasty! I wished the spicy beef noodle soup fresh noodles were as thick and chewy. It was great, just not my preference. I ordered the minced meat and soup, just tasted like home cooked meal. Really hit the spot, after eating very unhealthy the entire weekend and relaxing on a chilly day. I miss restaurants like this read more

Located in Oakland Chinatown, this restaurant surely surprised me with its wonderful flavors and variety of dishes! Went to Chinatown to get some usual produce and bakery goods...then came lunch time. I felt like having noodle soup and went to Yelp for help! Noticed this place serves beef noodle soup and that was just what I wanted! Ordered the beef noodle soup and steam lotus leaf rice with spareribs and Chinese sausages. I have to really praise the kitchen staff for nailing the beef soup: full of flavor with a hint of spiciness and I just loved it. It's better than most places I have tried elsewhere, seriously. Comparatively, the steam rice was a bit lackluster in flavor...maybe it needed some sauce to drizzle over. The portion size was satisfactory. The space was open and clean and I enjoyed it. Will visit again. read more

Imperial Soup 皇帝湯 - 20. Steamed Rice in Lotus Leaf - Chinese Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

Food was so good and authentic tasting here. Uncommonly large selection of specialty Chinese herbal soups that are "double boiled" the way traditional soups should be made with a great, clean taste. Steamed lotus leaf rice also had a clean, fragrant aroma. I also haven't had such delicious Chicken noodle soup in a while. Highly recommend the food and hope to try more. Restaurant was full but there was seating upstairs as well. Service is excellent and mainly provided by an efficient, smart lady. read more

See all

Imperial Soup is a fitting name as I would crown it the king of noodle soups in Oakland. It has become my go to comfort meal on a cold or rainy day (slurp slurp). I almost always order the Spicy Lamb Noodle Soup. The soup is aromatic, flavorful, clean, with a touch of sweetness. Highly recommend getting it with the thick egg noodles, which are plentiful and have amazing chew. I also like how it has both ground lamb and slices of lamb and a crunch from the red onions. And while it is labeled "spicy", I would put it at a 4 out of 10 at most (Asian scale). The Spicy Beef Flank Noodle Soup is also tasty and probably my favorite in Oakland. Echo the same things as above. The beef shanks are very beefy and less fatty / gristly than normal, and I don't think I've ever seen any beef noodle soup with this much meat (meat makes me happy). Final recommendation is the Steamed Whole Striped Bass, which is simply flavored with ginger, scallions, and soy to serve as a complement to the buttery fish. Another plus is that the restaurant never seems overly busy / packed - have always been able to find a table and get our food served within 10 minutes. They also take credit card, though of course would prefer cash. A bit hidden and on the outskirts of Chinatown, but highly recommend getting your slurp on at Imperial Soup! read more

See all

Wow. We were visiting in Oakland for New Years and were struggling to find an open coffee shop. They had a delicious coffee/tea mix and we decided we had to try their soup! So glad we did. They were very friendly there too! Perfect flavor and tender meat. We got the number #9 and it was the perfect sharing size! read more

Imperial Soup 皇帝湯 - Spicy Beef Flank with Thick Egg Noodle Soup - Chinese Near Me - Oakland, California

I love me some soup, and Imperial Soup fed me so much soup I was a bit souped out (it's a good thing!) My mom used to make these soups every day for us kids, so this definitely hit the nostalgia bones in me. Looks can be deceiving - it's a very hole in the wall place. But the food and soups are delicious! If you can speak Cantonese (or broken Cantonese like me :D) when you order, I'm sure they would appreciate it. Go for the soups with lots of herbal stuff in it, like the silkie chicken ones. They can also explain what the soups will do health-wise too. I did notice that a lot of people came in for their rice dishes, so will try that next time I'm in the area! read more

Imperial Soup 皇帝湯 - Silkie chicken soup - Chinese Near Me - Oakland, California

I would come back for sure! Quite the assortment of Chinese soups! Brought my mom for Mother's Day since she loves soups, especially Chinese. She only ate about 1/3. It was a huge serving! Definitely a family size portion! All of the food we ordered was good! Our faves were the garlic vermicelli shrimp and beef flank noodle soup! The mushroom soup was good, but not super memorable. The Chinese Unagi was also good, but doubt I'd get it again. The people were super nice and attentive to us. Look forward to come again! Family style place, and busy, even close to closing! Yet, the food comes out pretty fast! Enjoy! read more

See all

Still incredible soup, guys. You enjoy some rich, sumptuous broth filled with I don't even understand what kind of ingredients and you leave somewhat healed. It's like imbibing a blue potion, chat. Get yourself a bowl of $6 divinity today. read more

I ordered the lotus wrapped rice to-go and it was seriously delicious and fragrant. The portions were huge and it also came with a drink included as part of the special. Super good and would definitely highly recommend for a full and fulfilling lunch read more

Imperial Soup 皇帝湯 - Steamed Rice in Lotus Leaf - Chinese Near Me - Oakland, California

Two of us came on the weekend of Chinese new year where there was a little event happening in downtown Chinatown so everywhere was pretty busy! It's a pretty small hole in the wall type place so don't expect anything fancy. PROS: the food is solid, it definitely has a really authentic feel, not too spicy but really flavorful, we both got noodle soups so would love to try one of their entrees next time CONS: pretty poor service but it's kind of expected for the area/vibe. For someone who doesn't speak Chinese, the menu can be pretty confusing too. We really had to rely on Yelp reviews and photos to figure out what was good! I highly recommend the lamb or beef noodles! Overall solid weekend lunch or dinner place, very authentic and delicious but obviously don't expect good service. read more

Imperial Soup 皇帝湯 - 12a. Lamb Noodle Soup (spicy) - Chinese Near Me - Oakland, California

Went past by this place many times over the years and thought this is a hole in the wall. And it is a hole in the wall - in a good way. The food is delicious, different, and reasonably priced. The service was quick as well. This place has rice, noodles, and dim sum. Will come back again to try their different dishes. read more

Imperial Soup 皇帝湯 - Steamed rice in lotus leaf with eel - Chinese Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

This restaurant is one of the best in Oakland Chinatown! It's small but cozy. The inside is simplistic but the food stands out! The food is very cheap especially for the portions of the dishes. The food is really delicious and flavorful. The minced pork over egg noodle comes with a bowl of soup which is both tasty and refreshing! The chicken yellow curry rice plate is also very good and very big. The service is very good and very fast. They get your dishes out asap, the food is fast AND fresh! This restaurant is such a great place to drop by if you're looking for good food without overspending. It may not be a big place but it sure has a lot to offer :)! read more

Imperial Soup 皇帝湯 - Thai curry chicken rice - Chinese Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

Delish food w/ great service at an unassuming location in Chinatown. We both loved our entrees. Hainan chicken was flavorful while the lotus rice was loaded w/ savory meats. The soup selection, however, was the main reason for stopping by. I was craving soup and we were thoroughly impressed w/ the many choices. Loaded w/ herbs and meat, the #3 and #7 were both winners. Can't wait to come back and try more of the dishes and, of course, the soups. read more

Imperial Soup 皇帝湯 - Chinese Near Me - Oakland, California

Imperial Soup was such a unique and delicious dining experience! This Chinese restaurant serves soups that are meant to heal and nourish different areas of our body. If your body is need of collagen and glow there is a soup made specifically to help with that. If you need a soup that cleanses your gut, there is a soup for that too. I personally love this concept because it is so rare to find in the states. The soup that I got (I think number 8) had a nice balance of flavor, not too bland or salty. The Hainan chicken was also mad delicious, cooked to perfection. We must protect and preserve this place, 5/5 experience! read more

See all

My first time here with my mom. Service is excellent, the lady explains the menu well, very friendly. Foods are greater than expected. I personally love the rice with lotus leaf, we added chicken. The beef flank is a bit sweet but tastes good too. read more

See all

This place is very good! A bit pricy compared to other Chinatown restaurants but it is worth it because the quality is there and the service is amazing. Since it was my bf and my first time coming here, the owner (I think) gave us a breakdown on what to order and what is in each soup. We ultimately ordered: * "combo c" with the Hainan Chicken plate & #8 soup - really good! * double-layered steamed milk - very authentic! * HK milk tea - on the sweeter side but make sure to ask for less sugar. I'd definitely come back here & recommend everyone else to try this place! read more

See all

I stopped by Imperial Soup yesterday afternoon for lunch with a group of friends. I was a bit surprised there wasn't a line since it was lunch hour. However, once we sat down and placed our order, it all made sense. The kitchen brings out food fast! I ordered a bowl of their Spicy Sesame & Peanut Paste with Rib Eye Thick Noodle Soup -- extra spicy, and it exceeded my expectations. The broth was spicy enough to make me sweat, but not so spicy that the flavor of the soup base was lost. There is plenty of beef and noodles in the soup, so you can be sure this bowl is extremely filling. For a little over $10, I thought it was excellent value. I was shocked this place accepts credit card too! Great place to get soup on a cold day. read more

Authentic, little hole-in-the-wall soup and traditional Chinese food shop in the heart of Oakland Chinatown (very close to the shopping center with the underground parking garage). In terms of convenience, this should not be hard even for those of us who live outside of Oakland! The little shop wasn't busy right before 5pm on Monday after work, the woman who warmly greeted me in Cantonese was very friendly, even after I told her I could not understand Canto. She quickly took my order (Number 19 Chicken Soup with Mushrooms for Immunity Boost) and returned with my soup not even five minutes later. You can pay by cash or card, luckily then $10 in cash I had was enough for one order of soup. The menu is in Simplified Chinese as well as English, though the menus on the walls throughout the store are almost exclusively in Chinese characters. It was a lovely combination of feeling the comfort of the Motherland's soup and taste while still feeling welcomed. I enjoyed my takeout thoroughly and would like to try their limited dessert bites and noodle soups in store the next time I'm in the area. From what I can tell from this first experience, their soups are worth getting when you're feeling under the weather or when you're craving a little bit of home, while far away from home. I will be back! read more

I was chilled to the bone from gardening and putting lights out in the yard and this soup warmed me right back up. I stopped by at a weird time around 4 and I was surprised to see another guy in the restaurant. Imperial Soup has excellent food and it's nice and clean inside. They have an extensive soup menu so I went with a yelp recommendation of the Spicy Lamb Noodle Soup. Not too spicy and the toppings were generous. I'd love to try another selection as this one was perfect! read more

Imperial Soup 皇帝湯 - Spicy Lamb Noodle Soup - Chinese Near Me - Oakland, California

This place has been on my bookmark list for many years since we seldom trek out to the East Bay. We arrived at 2:30, thus avoiding the crowds. They are famous for their double boiled soup (dun) which involves submerging a ceramic pot of soup inside another pot of boiling water for many hours.  Double boiled is not boiling two times. I decided to choose a kidney nourishing soup, Chicken with Morel Mushrooms and Herbs.  The herbs were not overwhelmingly medicinal, just a hint of herbiness.  I felt healthy eating it. I also had some desserts: Steamed Peach Gum with Papaya & Milk hot - it was good also great, first time eating peach gum (learned that it is also good for you) Double-Layer Steamed Milk hot - it was creamy and delicious, but wished it had ginger in it. Steamed Tragacanth gum & Sweet Olive cold - this was just OK. At the end, I looked around and saw several tables ordering Hainan chicken (poached) as well as steamed rice in lotus leaf so maybe I will get those next time. read more

Imperial Soup 皇帝湯 - Chinese Near Me - Oakland, California

This is my new favorite Chinese restaurant. They specialize in herbal soups reminiscent of what my mom would make. I love how the herbal soups are categorized by their health benefits. We also ordered the steamed, whole fish and lotus root with mixed veggies. Reminds me of home cooking. Needless to say, it's comfort food. There are several items we look forward to trying on upcoming visits. read more

What a gem on the outskirts of Oakland's Chinatown. This is the first authentic restaurant I've found that serves medicinal Chinese soups that truly heal the soul. Whenever I get even the smallest tingle in my throat, I go here to get revived. They truly pack some of the best ingredients in their chicken soups, I'm surprised people don't know more about it. Do yourself a favor and come here, thank me later. read more

See all

oh.my.goodness. This gem of a place warms my soul from head to toe. Their soups are DIVINE. It's like what you would expect a grandma or mom to cook at home for you. It's so authentic I'm already thinking of when I am going to go back next. The soups come so quickly; they have combo meals (some type of rice dish + a side of soup). You can choose any soup that is priced at $4.99 (there's a ton of options) or you can upgrade to the soup of your choice and pay the difference. I love this place so much I'm ready to go again tomorrow, the day after, and every other day. I cannot wait to try their full soup menu. This place is divineeeeee. It's definitely the spot to impress any canto speaking family b/c they'll think you have good taste. P.S. the desserts here also taste super legit. I got the red bean hokkaido milk and it was delicious too. read more

See all

The food here (rather than the service and ambiance) is what I know the best as a friend brings me take out from here all the time. The food is truly healing. It's the wonderful cuisine that only a loving grandma might prepare for the family. Virtually no American style Chinese food here. I regularly have the lamb broth with herbs and also the vegetable combination with lotus root and lots of mushroom varieties. Most items and entrees are good for two meals. And the prices are very reasonable. I have no doubt I would likely be the only Caucasian in the place if I went to eat at this location. I'm quite lucky to have someone bringing me food from this resaurant. My friend's impression when she gets food for me is that's best if you read Chinese and speak Mandarin. She notes that the people serving treat her very kindly, and she too is impressed by the quality of the food and the low pricing. There's a number of medicinal soups to which I'm especially attracted, and there's also some hearty fare. All of it is made with loving care. read more

*3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars* This is a small storefront tucked into Oakland Chinatown, but actually had lots of tables for indoor dining and got pretty crowded during lunchtime on a Friday. We were lucky to get there earlier (around 11:20 PM) to beat the crowd. I got the Special B combo ($13), which is the soup of the day and steamed rice in lotus leaf w/ spare ribs as my topping of choice. For the soup, they said I could choose any on the menu and if it was greater than $4.99, you would pay the difference. It's never too early to lower your cholesterol, so I got the chicken & herbs soup (#8). The soup was definitely my favorite part of the meal -- it was well seasoned, light, and had a nice balance of herby flavor. The steamed rice in lotus leaf w/ spare ribs was just okay. The spare ribs didn't have too much sauce on them, so the dish was overall pretty bland. I also wish it was more of a sticky rice in the lotus leaf. My boyfriend got the lamb noodle soup ($9.50) and it had a really nice lamb flavor. Only problems with it were that it wasn't salty enough and the meat wasn't consistent (some were thin, hot pot lamb slices that were more bland and some were chunks that had been stewed for longer and had much more flavor). Lastly, got a Hong Kong milk tea that was pretty good (got less sweet as you got to the bottom). Rounding up to 4 stars because the service was fast and all the food was on the table 5-10 mins after ordering. For $32 with tax and tip, I think it was a really good meal and would come back again, especially for the soup. read more

See all

Seriously delicious food - the silken tofu and scallops was decadent and luxurious. I highly recommend. This is a smaller restaurant but they were very nice and accommodating of a baby. Home style atmosphere. read more

Imperial Soup 皇帝湯 - Tofu 10. Spicy Mince Pork Over Scallop and Tofu - Chinese Near Me - Oakland, California