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It's been years since I've been at peony! Usually we go to fusion delight in San Leandro, but the lines can be so insane, so I've been retrying different spots in the east bay to see if I can find a comparable spot. We went on a Sunday around 12:45 pm, and there was no wait so that was great! We got all the usuals (shrimp dumplings, siu mai, spareribs, chicken feet, beef balls, radish cake, and beef cherng fun), as well as sweet and sour spareribs and mango pudding in the shape of piggies lol. Everything was pretty good. I especially liked the cherng fun and radish cake, which are two of my faves at dim sum. The beef balls were standard. The shrimp dumplings were a bit fishy. Black bean spareribs are not really my thing, and I don't do chicken feet, but I think the bf liked both. I did enjoy the sweet and sour spareribs, which you don't see as often at dim sum. The mango piggies were like your standard mango pudding, cuter in theory than in practice, but that was expected. Overall, another decent dim sum spot in the east bay if I don't want to bear the wait at fusion delight!
I returned here because the delivery order we had from here was so great. My family wanted Chinese food and I told them about the great meal we had when they delivered. We order two combo plates for pick up. One came with rice, beef broccoli and general Zous chicken. The other plate was the same but it had noodles instead of rice. The food was nothing like what we had my first visit. Several of the chicken pieces did not have anything inside the batter, the broccoli beef was overly chewy, the portion of protein was very small, mine a box mainly filled with rice. I was so embarrassed I told my family to order from here, just a few weeks ago in the office the food was so good. We agreed not to return and wished we could have gotten our money back. Maybe this place is for catering?
Stopped by Peony at 5 to celebrate my brother's graduation. For the dinner menu, they unfortunately didn't offer much dim sum; with only shrimp dumplings, shumai, and bbq pork buns being offered. We ordered the peking duck ahead of time. And also ordered some suckling pig, sweet and sour pork, beef chow fun, ginger beef fried rice, and some pea sprouts. The peking duck had really light fried skin, and I liked how it came with rice tortillas instead of the mantou. The pork dishes were really well executed, and not heavy at all. I was disappointed by the fried rice though. It was really lacking in flavor with only a slight ginger flavor.
A huge Chinese banquet hall completely empty on a Sunday evening... I was skeptical... but.... Expensive prices, but good quality stuff! I really enjoyed the Chinese BBQ and beef chow fun especially. I recommend ordering those for sure! We started with the Sizzling Rice Seafood Egg Drop Soup, which was a simple but tasty soup! Thick broth and they did not skimp on the ingredients. It included a good amount of shrimp. A few other noteable dishes were the Steamed Chicken Feet! Can't go wrong with that! Black bean sauce was flavorful and the texture was perfectly gelatinous. We also tried the Salt & Pepper Sea Bass with Green Beans, which wasn't a must order... but yummy! I loved the green beans! Snappy.
Peony is a bit of a drive from where I live in South Bay, but every time I come here, I always find myself asking why I don't go as often. Paid parking is easy to find as it is under the plaza and if you want to shop on the streets of chinatown for groceries, this location is very convenient. Service here is typical for a chinese restaurant and they get busy for dim sum time around noon. A must get here is definitely the green tea mango oat roll. This is my absolute favorite for dessert - it's perfectly sweetened and has the best mochi texture a with the crispy and sweetness of the oat filling, along with the juicy mango. All of their other dim sum items are almost as good as Koi Palace, but better than most places you can find in the south bay. Highly recommend coming here, but definitely try and come earlier before the lunch rush. Pro tip: order their bbq pork buns the moment you get their ordering tablet as they always sell out.
Delicious and not too oily dim sum. The coconut bunnies are more of a novelty item but they're still cute and fun to try out :) I'd recommend the beef tripe w/ ginger & scallions and the bbq pork rice noodles. Service here is fast and friendly. Ambiance is like a typical dim sum spot. Clean and always a pleasure to hang out at. Would definitely come again!
Was easily able to get a reservation for a Sunday afternoon. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Very large restaurant tucked away in a plaza.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They did not come around with carts, everything was ordered on a tablet. Food was hot and fresh.
@peonyseafoodrestaurant in Oakland really impressed us ‼ Their dim sum is super innovative and you can see from the busy restaurant others agree. Our favorites: cheesy shrimp balls shaped like apples, pandan mochi salted egg like pears, sui mai, broccoli, crispy shrimp noodle roll, and chicken curry triangle Absolutely worth a trip to Oakland. Next time we want to check out the @oaklandasiancc #foodie #bayarea #dimsum #delicious #date
Besides Siagon Seafood Bar where I can get Taro Buns, this place is now a Bay Area Favorite for dim sum. I am beyond impressed with this place. First off, they have QR codes at the table so customers can order on their phones. But if customers don't like using that method, then they can ask the service people for iPads. Almost all dim sum is order ahead, but they will still wheel it out on a cart for you to give that feeling. Additionally, I am very impressed with their house special dim sum which I have not seen elsewhere in the Bay Area. The first time that I tried the Ly-cheese shrimp ball, I didn't think it was remarkable, but when someone mentioned that I needed to try it with the basil leaf, I did so, and that is where the combination of the shrimp, cheese, and basil came together. Another good dish was the Panda Mochi, the creamy inside and mochi came together well. I also enjoyed the tofu skins; it's a dish found in other places, but it really stood out here. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance was typical of a Chinese restaurant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]
Sadly not as good as my first experience and the food was drastically different. Maybe my expectations were so high after attending the special YEE... It's my special day in January that I've dubbed as dim sum day every year in memory of a loved one and I decided to come back to Peony after my initial experience with the food came out so positively (also because I wanted more of the Xiao Long Bao and the pan fried pork buns!). This time I sat in the back room. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Though a little smaller, it was just as spacious and decorative as the front room and orderly with tables situated in a thoughtful way.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] There were some differences during this visit compared to the first one though... Such as: 1) They offered the iPad ordering system today (very quickly I may add... last time there was no iPad and initial service took some time and I was able to use the QR code at the table but this table's QR code seemed to be disabled today); 2) the menu options on this iPad differed from what is offered on the online menu; 3) they had a little fancy stand that had a candle inside to hold the porcelain teapot up and keep the tea warm; and 4) they had more tea selections than just two last time (Jasmine and Oolong)... Maybe because the first visit happened to be a special Yelp Elitist dining experience that it had exceeded any expectations I had? I'm not sure... I ordered some standard dim sum items this time: shu mai, beef noodle which were both actually nothing mouth-watering amazing. The shu mai came out rapid fast, even before the waitress came back with the receipt for ordered food. The pan fried pork buns weren't on the iPad - only "pan fried shrimp & pork buns". That was when I thought to look at the online menu and saw the differences. The "pan fried pork buns" were online so I wanted to order some to take home for my child. I should have just put in an online order to pick up on the way out.... but....I decided to ask for it... when I pointed to this item on my phone for the hostess she insisted it was the same as the "pan fried SHRIMP & pork buns" on the iPad menu. There was a little language barrier as she kept insisting they were the same but I specified I wanted to order the one from the online menu. When she said ok I thought we were good until I saw the receipt and saw it said shrimp and pork. My child is allergic to shrimp so I waved her over again and explained I wanted the one without shrimp due to an allergy. She insisted they didn't have one without shrimp so of course I said I wanted to cancel it. She was visibly very, VERY peeved when I said it and walked away. She returned a few minutes later stating they did have it. I still don't know what happened there... The pan fried shrimp and pork buns were definitely not what I expected. The filling was like a steamed or boiled meatball wrapped in a steamed bun that was fried in a pan to brown the outside a little bit. The pan fried pork buns I brought home were definitely not the same as the first ones we tried. Although filling was still pretty good, this one had a much thicker wrapping and the filling was about 80% less. A little disappointing.. Oh, lastly, I discovered their parking validation was only good for after 5pm....
I am generally surprised, in a bad way, that this place has only 3 1/2 stars overall when I found this experience to be engaging, tasty, and all around delightful! Subsequently, I am left with two big important thoughts: 1) do I think I know good dim sum but not really and that is why I found this moderate dim sum so good because I am comparing it to what I thought was good? and 2) What word describes being surprised in a bad way? For instance, in this scenario: Timothy had just sipped apple juice that led him to believe he had tasted the original apple of Eden fame, guilt free, and he was (fill in the blank) when he realized his family members did not agree with his level of like? I know that one wants to say disappointment, to fill in the blank, but I did not feel disappointment when I saw 3.5 stars, I felt more of a sad confusion, that is in other words unpleasant shock. I can no longer distill this feeling to a word. I am a big fan of Dim Sum, and I also love Kung Fu Panda. And, I find it charming and funny, when Po eats Dim Sum. On vacation, I wanted to eat at the Jade Palace, good Dim Sum, like Poh does. I shared with my friend Denise, and she suggested this place. Not because she saw the Jade Palace in this place, but she just knew it to be very good dim sum. I was like ok, let us go! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place is in Oakland China Town. It is not immersive, the town, like I do not feel like I am in the alleys of Hunan Province, but the streets had strung red lanterns that were tired of being hung, and signs in Chinese that advertised bread, meat, and household items for sale.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I do not speak Chinese but signs selling stuff got to be universal in basic intent. The restaurant is in a strip mall, and the strip mall had a branch of the Oakland Library specifically with Asian books. All of this led me to believe that I was going to eat at a Chinese restaurant but not at an eatery that helped me move through time and space and sit at a palace for Chinese royalty. [[HIGHLIGHT]]And then you enter the restaurant and the vibe dismisses my earlier concerns. I was in an authentic Chinese eatery, one where the patrons knew and understood the flavors of red spices.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I was going to eat the flavors of China, and those who knew them best, approved of themI [[HIGHLIGHT]]I was not sat in the dining room. It was replete of full tables. It sounded like a rattle of language I did not know. The voices, the people, the decor, made me feel like I was at a wedding reception, invited by a daughter of a guest.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] It was a moment of life movement that was both familiar and foreign to me. It may seem extreme to say but for a breath I felt that I knew a corner of China, without knowing a pebble of Beijing. And this kind of eating experience, is worth more than 5 stars. The food was not only good, but it was a defining experience. Like I already want to know whereI can eat like this around my neighborhood. I had those breads with a weiner inside, and here the winnie was not a hot dog, it was a thicker sausage. Plus, the bun with a sausage inside came mayo on the side. I never had this condiment in a chinese spot, and it was appropriate and enhanced flavor so I am left wondering why is this the first time this happens in my life? I had three small sides of that mayo. I also ate a shrimp dumpling , that came with its own small kettle of soup. The pouring, the kettlle, the color and feel of the mug all felt ceremonial, like Tigress had poured me a cup of tea, in moves that were ballet but for serving not fighting. Then, my friend Denise ordered some soup dumplings-- Xia Long Bao most likely. You see, I ordered from an IPAD, then she did, and those that she ordered were so intensely good, that it became the best soup dumpling I have had in the sum of my life, and hope that one day another soup dumpling takes it place. I did have some food that I did not like. For example, there was some pork dish that was wrapped in rice, and the rice and pork mixture was wrapped in a green leaf. The meat inside here was kind of icky--- cause maybe it was steamed, instead of baked, or braised, or cooked in some way? I might be wrong. And my friend Denise ordered some red bean or mung paste beef bun, and it was not to my liking because the flavor was too foreign to me. But it was still a pleasure to eat because I tried and knew the line of what was not for me, like I did not eat just because it was there and edible, in context of this exciting eating experience! They also had dim sum in the shape of animals and rabbits. i liked the shapes but not the flavors they promised, and I did not like their design enough to accept the flavors of what was being sold, I would have just ordered them to take a picture and that is wasteful on several layers. Ordering just for the gram, and then not eating, is wrong, I am sure ancient philosophers would agree. However, the swan, was prettty, and was something I could eat. It was some fried bun, or item, with a meat. This place is great!
The better Chinese dim sum restaurant I'd go to. Expansive collection of innovative and classic dim sum dishes. My favorite dish there is the red shrimp rice noodle roll. The dim sum is really tasty but it's not the best I've ever tasted. Service was a bit spotty. One of the dishes only came when we were about to pay for the bill and leave, and not too many waiters were managing the VIP room. Ambiance was definitely lively and well decorated. The VIP room had a lot of families and smaller parties enjoying a nice lunch, with more ornate and classier decorations. It seemed less busier and felt more slower paced so it's easy to enjoy tea. The pro of eating here for dim sum is you can make a reservation on OpenTable, as I hate waiting for a table!
Went here years ago for some banquet dinners but we were in the area and looking for lunch. Their ambiance is better compared to most dim sum places since it's a little more elevated and clean with Chinese paintings on the walls. Dim sum here is definitely on the pricier side now, around $8/dish on average (like for the siu mai). Taste wise everything was ok, I'd say B to B+, primarily just giving an extra star for the ambiance. If you're in Chinatown and looking for a nicer place to relax for a meal, Peony is one place to consider!
Review Insights
2 months ago
What a great dim sum spot! Of all the dim sum places we've been to, this place is the best in terms of flavor. Prices are a tad higher than others, but quality and service makes up for it. Service at a dim sum restaurant? Yes! The staff here are all very friendly and you can tell they're all about hospitality. Overall, every single dish we had was top notch and it's a good thing we don't live that close or we might end up looking like those piggy baos they have on the menu lol. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I also didn't realize how big the place is! So big, they have two sections.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The front is the usual noisy dim sum setting where you'll see the servers carrying trays or pushing carts of items to pick from by your table.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Then you have the "quiet" back section where it's less hectic and offers more tea selections, but you can still order everything from the full menu.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] What we ordered: * Baked Portuguese Egg Tarts * Chicken Feet w/ Black Bean Sauce * BBQ Pork Rice Noodle * X.O. Sauce Pan Fried Rice Noodles * Siu Mai * Shrimp Spring Rolls * Spicy Dumplings in Chili Sauce * Salt & Pepper Calamari * Jasmine Special Tea read more
2 months ago
I've been to Peony Seafood Restaurant multiple times, and it's been a consistently solid dim sum experience overall. The dim sum here is reliable, fresh, well-made, and comes out at a good pace. Favorites like the classic dumplings and steamed items are always satisfying, and it's a great place for sharing a variety of dishes with a group. That said, I did try the animal pudding dessert and it wasn't really my thing. It was more about presentation than flavor for me, and I'd probably stick to the savory items next time. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Service is efficient, especially during busy weekend hours, and the restaurant has that lively, traditional dim sum atmosphere with lots of energy and movement.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Overall, a dependable dim sum spot in Oakland that I'd return to for the classics, just maybe skip the novelty desserts. read more
It's been years since I've been at peony! Usually we go to fusion delight in San Leandro, but the lines can be so insane, so I've been retrying different spots in the east bay to see if I can find a comparable spot. We went on a Sunday around 12:45 pm, and there was no wait so that was great! We got all the usuals (shrimp dumplings, siu mai, spareribs, chicken feet, beef balls, radish cake, and beef cherng fun), as well as sweet and sour spareribs and mango pudding in the shape of piggies lol. Everything was pretty good. I especially liked the cherng fun and radish cake, which are two of my faves at dim sum. The beef balls were standard. The shrimp dumplings were a bit fishy. Black bean spareribs are not really my thing, and I don't do chicken feet, but I think the bf liked both. I did enjoy the sweet and sour spareribs, which you don't see as often at dim sum. The mango piggies were like your standard mango pudding, cuter in theory than in practice, but that was expected. Overall, another decent dim sum spot in the east bay if I don't want to bear the wait at fusion delight! read more
I returned here because the delivery order we had from here was so great. My family wanted Chinese food and I told them about the great meal we had when they delivered. We order two combo plates for pick up. One came with rice, beef broccoli and general Zous chicken. The other plate was the same but it had noodles instead of rice. The food was nothing like what we had my first visit. Several of the chicken pieces did not have anything inside the batter, the broccoli beef was overly chewy, the portion of protein was very small, mine a box mainly filled with rice. I was so embarrassed I told my family to order from here, just a few weeks ago in the office the food was so good. We agreed not to return and wished we could have gotten our money back. Maybe this place is for catering? read more
3 months ago
Stopped by Peony at 5 to celebrate my brother's graduation. For the dinner menu, they unfortunately didn't offer much dim sum; with only shrimp dumplings, shumai, and bbq pork buns being offered. We ordered the peking duck ahead of time. And also ordered some suckling pig, sweet and sour pork, beef chow fun, ginger beef fried rice, and some pea sprouts. The peking duck had really light fried skin, and I liked how it came with rice tortillas instead of the mantou. The pork dishes were really well executed, and not heavy at all. I was disappointed by the fried rice though. It was really lacking in flavor with only a slight ginger flavor. read more
A huge Chinese banquet hall completely empty on a Sunday evening... I was skeptical... but.... Expensive prices, but good quality stuff! I really enjoyed the Chinese BBQ and beef chow fun especially. I recommend ordering those for sure! We started with the Sizzling Rice Seafood Egg Drop Soup, which was a simple but tasty soup! Thick broth and they did not skimp on the ingredients. It included a good amount of shrimp. A few other noteable dishes were the Steamed Chicken Feet! Can't go wrong with that! Black bean sauce was flavorful and the texture was perfectly gelatinous. We also tried the Salt & Pepper Sea Bass with Green Beans, which wasn't a must order... but yummy! I loved the green beans! Snappy. read more
Peony is a bit of a drive from where I live in South Bay, but every time I come here, I always find myself asking why I don't go as often. Paid parking is easy to find as it is under the plaza and if you want to shop on the streets of chinatown for groceries, this location is very convenient. Service here is typical for a chinese restaurant and they get busy for dim sum time around noon. A must get here is definitely the green tea mango oat roll. This is my absolute favorite for dessert - it's perfectly sweetened and has the best mochi texture a with the crispy and sweetness of the oat filling, along with the juicy mango. All of their other dim sum items are almost as good as Koi Palace, but better than most places you can find in the south bay. Highly recommend coming here, but definitely try and come earlier before the lunch rush. Pro tip: order their bbq pork buns the moment you get their ordering tablet as they always sell out. read more
Delicious and not too oily dim sum. The coconut bunnies are more of a novelty item but they're still cute and fun to try out :) I'd recommend the beef tripe w/ ginger & scallions and the bbq pork rice noodles. Service here is fast and friendly. Ambiance is like a typical dim sum spot. Clean and always a pleasure to hang out at. Would definitely come again! read more
2 months ago
Was easily able to get a reservation for a Sunday afternoon. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Very large restaurant tucked away in a plaza.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They did not come around with carts, everything was ordered on a tablet. Food was hot and fresh. read more
6 months ago
@peonyseafoodrestaurant in Oakland really impressed us ‼ Their dim sum is super innovative and you can see from the busy restaurant others agree. Our favorites: cheesy shrimp balls shaped like apples, pandan mochi salted egg like pears, sui mai, broccoli, crispy shrimp noodle roll, and chicken curry triangle Absolutely worth a trip to Oakland. Next time we want to check out the @oaklandasiancc #foodie #bayarea #dimsum #delicious #date read more
3 months ago
Besides Siagon Seafood Bar where I can get Taro Buns, this place is now a Bay Area Favorite for dim sum. I am beyond impressed with this place. First off, they have QR codes at the table so customers can order on their phones. But if customers don't like using that method, then they can ask the service people for iPads. Almost all dim sum is order ahead, but they will still wheel it out on a cart for you to give that feeling. Additionally, I am very impressed with their house special dim sum which I have not seen elsewhere in the Bay Area. The first time that I tried the Ly-cheese shrimp ball, I didn't think it was remarkable, but when someone mentioned that I needed to try it with the basil leaf, I did so, and that is where the combination of the shrimp, cheese, and basil came together. Another good dish was the Panda Mochi, the creamy inside and mochi came together well. I also enjoyed the tofu skins; it's a dish found in other places, but it really stood out here. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance was typical of a Chinese restaurant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more
2 months ago
Sadly not as good as my first experience and the food was drastically different. Maybe my expectations were so high after attending the special YEE... It's my special day in January that I've dubbed as dim sum day every year in memory of a loved one and I decided to come back to Peony after my initial experience with the food came out so positively (also because I wanted more of the Xiao Long Bao and the pan fried pork buns!). This time I sat in the back room. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Though a little smaller, it was just as spacious and decorative as the front room and orderly with tables situated in a thoughtful way.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] There were some differences during this visit compared to the first one though... Such as: 1) They offered the iPad ordering system today (very quickly I may add... last time there was no iPad and initial service took some time and I was able to use the QR code at the table but this table's QR code seemed to be disabled today); 2) the menu options on this iPad differed from what is offered on the online menu; 3) they had a little fancy stand that had a candle inside to hold the porcelain teapot up and keep the tea warm; and 4) they had more tea selections than just two last time (Jasmine and Oolong)... Maybe because the first visit happened to be a special Yelp Elitist dining experience that it had exceeded any expectations I had? I'm not sure... I ordered some standard dim sum items this time: shu mai, beef noodle which were both actually nothing mouth-watering amazing. The shu mai came out rapid fast, even before the waitress came back with the receipt for ordered food. The pan fried pork buns weren't on the iPad - only "pan fried shrimp & pork buns". That was when I thought to look at the online menu and saw the differences. The "pan fried pork buns" were online so I wanted to order some to take home for my child. I should have just put in an online order to pick up on the way out.... but....I decided to ask for it... when I pointed to this item on my phone for the hostess she insisted it was the same as the "pan fried SHRIMP & pork buns" on the iPad menu. There was a little language barrier as she kept insisting they were the same but I specified I wanted to order the one from the online menu. When she said ok I thought we were good until I saw the receipt and saw it said shrimp and pork. My child is allergic to shrimp so I waved her over again and explained I wanted the one without shrimp due to an allergy. She insisted they didn't have one without shrimp so of course I said I wanted to cancel it. She was visibly very, VERY peeved when I said it and walked away. She returned a few minutes later stating they did have it. I still don't know what happened there... The pan fried shrimp and pork buns were definitely not what I expected. The filling was like a steamed or boiled meatball wrapped in a steamed bun that was fried in a pan to brown the outside a little bit. The pan fried pork buns I brought home were definitely not the same as the first ones we tried. Although filling was still pretty good, this one had a much thicker wrapping and the filling was about 80% less. A little disappointing.. Oh, lastly, I discovered their parking validation was only good for after 5pm.... read more
I am generally surprised, in a bad way, that this place has only 3 1/2 stars overall when I found this experience to be engaging, tasty, and all around delightful! Subsequently, I am left with two big important thoughts: 1) do I think I know good dim sum but not really and that is why I found this moderate dim sum so good because I am comparing it to what I thought was good? and 2) What word describes being surprised in a bad way? For instance, in this scenario: Timothy had just sipped apple juice that led him to believe he had tasted the original apple of Eden fame, guilt free, and he was (fill in the blank) when he realized his family members did not agree with his level of like? I know that one wants to say disappointment, to fill in the blank, but I did not feel disappointment when I saw 3.5 stars, I felt more of a sad confusion, that is in other words unpleasant shock. I can no longer distill this feeling to a word. I am a big fan of Dim Sum, and I also love Kung Fu Panda. And, I find it charming and funny, when Po eats Dim Sum. On vacation, I wanted to eat at the Jade Palace, good Dim Sum, like Poh does. I shared with my friend Denise, and she suggested this place. Not because she saw the Jade Palace in this place, but she just knew it to be very good dim sum. I was like ok, let us go! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place is in Oakland China Town. It is not immersive, the town, like I do not feel like I am in the alleys of Hunan Province, but the streets had strung red lanterns that were tired of being hung, and signs in Chinese that advertised bread, meat, and household items for sale.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I do not speak Chinese but signs selling stuff got to be universal in basic intent. The restaurant is in a strip mall, and the strip mall had a branch of the Oakland Library specifically with Asian books. All of this led me to believe that I was going to eat at a Chinese restaurant but not at an eatery that helped me move through time and space and sit at a palace for Chinese royalty. [[HIGHLIGHT]]And then you enter the restaurant and the vibe dismisses my earlier concerns. I was in an authentic Chinese eatery, one where the patrons knew and understood the flavors of red spices.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I was going to eat the flavors of China, and those who knew them best, approved of themI [[HIGHLIGHT]]I was not sat in the dining room. It was replete of full tables. It sounded like a rattle of language I did not know. The voices, the people, the decor, made me feel like I was at a wedding reception, invited by a daughter of a guest.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] It was a moment of life movement that was both familiar and foreign to me. It may seem extreme to say but for a breath I felt that I knew a corner of China, without knowing a pebble of Beijing. And this kind of eating experience, is worth more than 5 stars. The food was not only good, but it was a defining experience. Like I already want to know whereI can eat like this around my neighborhood. I had those breads with a weiner inside, and here the winnie was not a hot dog, it was a thicker sausage. Plus, the bun with a sausage inside came mayo on the side. I never had this condiment in a chinese spot, and it was appropriate and enhanced flavor so I am left wondering why is this the first time this happens in my life? I had three small sides of that mayo. I also ate a shrimp dumpling , that came with its own small kettle of soup. The pouring, the kettlle, the color and feel of the mug all felt ceremonial, like Tigress had poured me a cup of tea, in moves that were ballet but for serving not fighting. Then, my friend Denise ordered some soup dumplings-- Xia Long Bao most likely. You see, I ordered from an IPAD, then she did, and those that she ordered were so intensely good, that it became the best soup dumpling I have had in the sum of my life, and hope that one day another soup dumpling takes it place. I did have some food that I did not like. For example, there was some pork dish that was wrapped in rice, and the rice and pork mixture was wrapped in a green leaf. The meat inside here was kind of icky--- cause maybe it was steamed, instead of baked, or braised, or cooked in some way? I might be wrong. And my friend Denise ordered some red bean or mung paste beef bun, and it was not to my liking because the flavor was too foreign to me. But it was still a pleasure to eat because I tried and knew the line of what was not for me, like I did not eat just because it was there and edible, in context of this exciting eating experience! They also had dim sum in the shape of animals and rabbits. i liked the shapes but not the flavors they promised, and I did not like their design enough to accept the flavors of what was being sold, I would have just ordered them to take a picture and that is wasteful on several layers. Ordering just for the gram, and then not eating, is wrong, I am sure ancient philosophers would agree. However, the swan, was prettty, and was something I could eat. It was some fried bun, or item, with a meat. This place is great! read more
The better Chinese dim sum restaurant I'd go to. Expansive collection of innovative and classic dim sum dishes. My favorite dish there is the red shrimp rice noodle roll. The dim sum is really tasty but it's not the best I've ever tasted. Service was a bit spotty. One of the dishes only came when we were about to pay for the bill and leave, and not too many waiters were managing the VIP room. Ambiance was definitely lively and well decorated. The VIP room had a lot of families and smaller parties enjoying a nice lunch, with more ornate and classier decorations. It seemed less busier and felt more slower paced so it's easy to enjoy tea. The pro of eating here for dim sum is you can make a reservation on OpenTable, as I hate waiting for a table! read more
Went here years ago for some banquet dinners but we were in the area and looking for lunch. Their ambiance is better compared to most dim sum places since it's a little more elevated and clean with Chinese paintings on the walls. Dim sum here is definitely on the pricier side now, around $8/dish on average (like for the siu mai). Taste wise everything was ok, I'd say B to B+, primarily just giving an extra star for the ambiance. If you're in Chinatown and looking for a nicer place to relax for a meal, Peony is one place to consider! read more
Came here for a special event banquet for about 60 people. The package was very reasonably priced given the amount of food, quality of food and private room. The fact that the servers were able to serve that many people all at once with consistency in food temperature and quality is a huge shout out to the chefs and staff. The food was very good. My favorite was the beef with custard tofu. The beef was oh so tender and that custard tofu was very unique. The Empress Chicken was done well too. Cold chicken might not sound appetizing but when done correctly, it's delicious. The sauce made the dish. The Peking Duck was decent but I wish the Baos were bigger. Probably the smallest I've ever seen served with Peking Duck. The rest of the dishes were also good but the Beef and Empress Chicken were the stand out. There is a parking garage attached but they only validate Monday-Friday, not on the weekend. I was there for about 3 hours and parking came out to $12.00. I would recommend this place for banquets. read more
Everything we ordered was great! My daughter and her husband treated me for Easter Brunch!I love the special dessert shapes and everything was fresh and delicious service was especially fast for such a large crowd ! I will definitely come back! read more
8 months ago
What a solid dim sum restaurant! I came by Saturday morning with my family and it was busy, but not so much that it took forever to get your food. The classic dim sum dishes like chicken feet, har gow, shrimp rice noodle rolls, and siu mai are delicious here! My aunt also got the coconut bunnies and mango piggies, which were nice and light but still flavorful, and super cute. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It gets a little nosy inside since dim sum tends to be a family experience, but nothing too distracting.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service was fast and food was great. If I were in Oakland more often, I'd give this spot another try! read more
4 months ago
Thoroughly enjoyed my Peking duck from Peony Seafood Restaurant. The skin was perfectly crisp, the meat juicy and flavorful, and even delivered, it arrived in excellent condition. The side of jus brought it all together beautifully. The Chinese broccoli was cooked perfectly--tender with just the right bite. Paired simply with rice, it was a straightforward meal executed exceptionally well. Bravo, Peony. read more
4 months ago
A+++ great dim sum experience! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Epic vibes![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We were a party of 8 and shared many many dishes! read more
6 months ago
The food is absolutely delicious and delightful I remember watching Check Please Bay Area they mentioned a lot of good Cantonese dishes and cuisine. One of the best thing is the Crab Fried Rice absolutely incredible. Also I do like everything about it. Thanks so much 10/10 will definitely going back next time. read more
8 months ago
Good food & Great Services Yan Yan inside the secial tea room is very attentive and check in with us all the time read more
Date: 2/19/2025. Time: 8:15 PM 63° Cool I'm at the OACC for a band rehearsal. I am hungry, so I decided to get something to go from Peony Seafood Restaurant. I haven't been to this restaurant in ages, like about 30 years ago for a wedding banquet. They have always been pricey. I can only speculate that the restaurant is expensive due to the ambiance and decor. The interior is beautiful. The cuisine is not ordinary typical Chinese food such as chow mein, pork fried rice, sweet 'n sour pork, etc. After perusing the menu, I decided to have a tofu dish filled with baby shrimp, diced chicken, slivered shiitake mushrooms, and zucchini. It was delicious and flavorful. However, the price was $25.56 (tax included). Ai yah...gum gwai. Expensive! The waitress forgot to give me a pair chopsticks for my dinner. I had to go next door to Sakura Bistro and ask the nice employee to give me chopsticks. Return trips? Might, then might not. Too bad Yung Kee was closed. I would've preferred the shrimp with scrambled eggs at the cost of $15. read more
1 year ago
This place hit the spot for dim sum craving! They have a huge menu of dim sum but they also have fried rice and noodle dishes. This is a huge restaurant so there is a lot of seating. We came on a weekday so there wasn't a wait but I imagine they get really busy on the weekends. We ordered our food online through the QR code, which was convenient. However, compared to other dim sum restaurants, the service was noticeably slower. Our desserts were served before the main dishes, and overall, we expected the food to come out more quickly, especially since the restaurant wasn't busy at the time. This is located in a mall in Oakland Chinatown so there is limited street parking. There is also a parking garage connected to the mall. read more
7 months ago
9 months ago
Peony is our go-to spot when we want a real Cantonese food and dim sum. Their dim sum is consistently fresh and flavorful--especially the beef balls, steamed spare ribs, and rice rolls--and all are hand-made. The lobster & noodle combo is a must-order: generous portion, fresh lobster, perfectly cooked noodles, and great for sharing at a big table. We also love the congee and veggie dishes, which balance out the meal and taste just like home-style cooking. Service is efficient, the dining room is perfect for family gatherings and celebrations, and prices are very fair for the quality and portion size. Highly recommend Peony for anyone looking for authentic Cantonese dim sum and banquet-style dishes in the East Bay. read more
2 months ago
I came here with a group of friends today for dim sum and we LOVED our experience. Everything was delicious! We had several dishes- the shrimp dumplings, siu mai, sticky rice in lotus leaf, BBQ pork bun, piggy custard buns (so cute!), stir-fried noodles with soy sauce, and garlic string beans, and more. Everything was flavorful and fresh, and I really did enjoy every single thing we ordered. This is a large restaurant, but I'd recommend making a reservation because it was very busy! There is a parking garage downstairs and a few other garages in the area. The staff members were also very nice and came around often to see how we were doing and take away empty plates. I wish I lived closer to Oakland so that I could come here more often! I can't wait for my next visit to Peony Seafood Restaurant! read more
11 months ago
Very good dim sum and service, Easy parking and worth a try Consistent quality and service read more
6 months ago
Came in with some friends and the food was overall decent. Honestly felt that the price did not match the service and the flavors of the food. The Peking duck sliders were okay, the spare ribs were good on flavor, we had green beans that lacked sauce and flavor, piggy custard buns were delicious and the sui mai was mid at best. We were rushed to place our orders and the service was just okay. It wasn't terribly busy, but we were being rushed to place our orders and to leave. I think this place is pretty over priced for the experience that we had and the food flavors. The piggy buns were the star of the show and we loved those. Overall, don't think we would be back. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant is clean, a bit noisy, and is okay to eat at.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more
1 year ago
Came here on a Friday and the service and food amazing! I have never seen these buns (sorry, kids grabbed buns before I got the pic) but the pork and beef buns are tasty! I've been here before for dinner and it's great! I recommend reservations, this place is IT for Iakland Chinatown read more
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More info about Peony Seafood Restaurant
388 9th St
Ste 288
Oakland, CA 94607
Oakland Chinatown
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(510) 286-8866
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https://peonyrestaurant.com
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Ask the Community - Peony Seafood Restaurant
Where do you park?
Yes, Chris is correct. Can park in the underground parking lot and then take the elevator to the second floor where it's located.
Is the tea lounge section in the back open for Sunday dim sum too? Because if that section is much quieter and less time wait, I am willing to pay a bit more to enjoy dim sum time with my family.
Yes open on Sundays. They charge more for tea per person but well worth not having to wait extra long for seating
How much is a family style dinner?
What hours do they serve dim sum?
11:00 AM - 2:30 PM Monday to Friday. They start at 10:00 AM Saturday and Sundays!
Do they serve dim sum on carts?
both carts and menus. order from the menu for faster and greater variety. carts were slow anyways.
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Peony Seafood Restaurant - dimsum - Updated August 2026
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