The chef and staff come and go. You can never know what quality of food you get when you walk in. But most of the time, not good. Very salty. The menu has so many items that their own staff would not be able to remember them. This only tells me that they are not specialized in any kind of dishes. read more

So I ordered food over the phone and told the person working there I wanted to order 3 orders of prawn with scrambled egg well done, veggie chowfun, and a bake chicken steak. The person who was taking the order kept repeating the order wrong and after a few minutes on the phone finally took down my order. I go to pick up my order the 3 prawn with scramble orders were wrong and instead of fixing it they just canceled my order and didnt give me any of the food I ordered. I've been here before and ive had no issues so far and the food is good but that was really frustrating. I could tell the person who answered English wasn't their first language which is fine but I do know for sure there are workers there who know English better. read more

Terrible customer service. There was a lady at night with a Colorado hat on she was horrible extremely rude! I will never come here again the level of rudeness was unacceptable! If you're a person of color stay away from this place! She was extremely aggressive and loud when we were super friendly!!!! Please stay away from this place the owner should really provide additional training or find someone else to replace her this can't be good for business!!! This was my first time and last time here!!!! read more

Due to the pandemic, I will be removing criteria that I had added to my reviews, such as restaurant ambience, mood, and wait time. This review will only focus on the dish. Quick Summary: - Large portions, one will leave full - On initial entry, you will be asked either water or hot tea and this was refilled - Lots of food to choose from, deciding on a dish might take some time - Accepts some cards but not all - Coffee is sour We entered around dinner time, after some walks around Jack London Square. I was attracted to the huge menu and food options that was listed on this website. How, is what I wondered, how is so much food in wide categories made? Pondering about this still remains a mystery to me. We ordered three dishes: beef with tender green pan fried noodles, the pickled cabbage with shredded pork with rice noodles soup. The third dish was from the lunch menu (yes, the lunch menu is available until dinnertime). This was the prawn and egg dish. It comes with the daily special soup, a choice of a drink (here I chose coffee. This dish is poured over on rice or pasta, so we opted for the rice. I selected coffee. The three dishes arrived in medium sized plates and bowls, and upon my first impression, it looked like we can finish it and then could order dessert. This was surprisingly not the case; all three dishes were heavy and packed with volume. The meat in the pickled cabbage or the pan friend noodles were very tender; no knife required. I also liked the shrimp too, very plump in the prawn and egg dish. Personally, I never tried the prawn and egg over rice before, and it was almost like a fried rice with a viscous sauce. I'm okay with fish, but for some, like my relative who isn't fond of seafood, the seafood taste might come out strong. The daily soup was good. It contained greens and a meat. It looks like either chicken or pork, and this was the main flavor in the broth. I liked it; it was a meaty broth that also cleansed the palette after eating a spoonful of the prawn and egg dish. Sadly, the coffee was not my type. Upon first sip, it was sour, and it was the type of coffee that if left cold the acidity increases. I tend to leave my coffee alone, so when it was time to sit down and drink the rest, the coffee was very sour. I might revisit here again try other dishes such as the fried rice and the hot and sour soup. The image in their menu looks really good. Also, some of the desserts from the sweets menu. I mean, I feel like I only explored a spec of dust from the gem. There's like over four hundred items to try! read more

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The Shooting Star Cafe is a super popular chinese restaurant in the heart of Oakland Chinatown. It is so popular, that when I sometimes drive thru Chinatown at night (around 9-10pm), police cars are double parked as they wait for food orders. They serve a wide variety of items, and that's probably why they're so popular. However, I am mainly concerned with authentic chinese food. I have ordered from this place a few times, and they make my absolute favorite.... Salt and Pepper Prawns, Cantonese Style.....Fried and in the Shell. There's many versions and recipes, but this place makes it right.... Fried, salted, chopped peppers added. Just rip off the head and eat it whole! Yes, I know.....people will say I should peel off the shell first. But the rich flavor is in the shell! I've been eating them this way for over 30 yrs, and I'm still around. So, when I'm in the area, and the line isn't too long......I'm getting .... Salt and Pepper Prawns, Cantonese Style! And maybe a bowl of Won Ton and Noodles to wash it down. read more

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Shooting star is a classic place to go to in Oakland if you're craving a late meal or dessert! Pre-Covid, there would always be a long line, since Shooting Star really is a classic! They have a variety of food options, but my favorite and the most popular is definitely the baked steaks. I always get the baked chicken steak with white sauce over white rice. The sauce is so creamy and rich (like an Alfredo Sauce), and the portion is huge! It's one of those meals you crave late at night - and thankfully Shooting Star is open late! I'm a huge sweets person, so I always order a dessert at Shooting Star! Sometimes I go here and only get a dessert! My favorite is the mango sago because the mango is sweet and refreshing, and I love the sago texture. There's a lot of choices for desserts, so it'd be a great place to share a few with other people! read more

Order Process/Wait Time: I called to put in my order, and it was ready in 20-30 minutes for pick up. Baked Pork Chop with Rice ($10.95): This was the best & most addictive item we got from this place. It was so good and different from what we usually eat that I couldn't stop sneaking additional bites even after I was full. Would definitely recommend this item Popcorn Chicken ($7.25): It was just okay. Duck Roll (8.95): These were really good but a bit greasy. Still would order it again as it satisfies the craving lol read more

Shooting Star Cafe - Duck rolls, popcorn chicken & baked pork chop over rice - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

Whenever I am in Oakland Chinatown, I need to stop by shooting star cafe!!!! Street parking nearby can get busy, but right now (covid) there's a decent amount. They have a little window for pickups and ordering although they seem a little short staffed so there will be a bit of a wait. I called in on a Saturday afternoon and they told me 25 minutes but I had to wait for maybe almost 40 minutes for the food to be ready ): So if you're picking up maybe come a bit later than what they say. My favorite dish is the baked pork chop over rice, although they have a huge variety of good Hong Kong café dishes on the menu! The lunch deal is really nice because they give you a free drink with your entrée (I love the lemon iced tea)! A large portion for a good price! They are also open very late which is rare especially during these times. read more

Shooting Star Cafe - inside - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

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During my battle with COVID, confined to a room and accompanied by a partner with zero culinary skills, I found myself resorting to ordering my favorite comfort food--congee with pork and century egg. Through a DoorDash delivery, I was introduced to the incredible congee from Shooting Star, packed with flavor and generously portioned enough for two meals. Alongside the congee, my partner swiftly devoured their red bean smoothie, proving to be quite the glutton and expressing genuine surprise at its deliciousness. I've had the pleasure of dining in at Shooting Star before, where the spacious tables allow for ordering a variety of dishes for sharing, and any leftovers can easily be taken home. read more

I've been coming for years now. The food is always on point and service is quick. They have a HUGE menu. The "lunch specials" run till about 8:30 and come with a hot beverage (cold for $1). It's Hong Kong style cafe so definitely unique blend of Chinese and Western items. There's a large dessert and drink menu in addition to entrees and apps. Worth coming at different times to explore different menu items. read more

Shooting Star is located in the heart of Chinatown. I have been coming here on and off for at least the last 12 years, if not more. Parking is always bad here, usually when I come here for late night eats, there is usually street parking in the front or around the corner. Be careful of lurkers, there are always some around ready to break your window(s) if they see any valuables being store away or in plain sight. These are the spots where you do not come for the service because it is mostly terrible, but you come here for the late night food runs. I usually play it safe and get my usual - either the roasted duck over rice or with lai fun noodles in soup. Most of the time when the duck is meaty, it is tasty, but some nights - they give me the bony parts of the duck. I alternate between the noodles and rice, depending on my mood. I am curious about their frog clay pot rice though, but I have had bad experiences with frog over rice at other restaurants, so I am a bit cautious. read more

Terrible food and over priced. The service is terrible, I ordered pork scrambled egg and they gave me a bowl of gravy on rice so I asked if I can just have scrambled egg but gave me a the gravy again. Paid $15.95 for this, please go somewhere else. read more

Shooting Star Cafe - Pork with scrambled egg - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

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Century egg and pork porridge and HK milk tea. Good portion of century egg! I've only done takeaway- not really interested to dine in. It seems like they nickle and dime you for everything - from takeout containers (25 cent surcharge even if you're ordering to-go), and minimum surcharge if you use a credit card. It feels strange that they're so reluctant to go digital during the pandemic. read more

Whenever someone mentions going here, you can see the shooting stars in my eyes. For the past 4 years, I have been going here for midnight munchies, drunchies, dinner, and just because I missed it. They have around so much variety that the entire menu takes up 10 pages. They have at least 1-2 pages for appetizers, 4-5 pages of entres, 2-3 pages of beverages, and 2-3 pages of desserts. Most of the stuff I tried (appetizers, baked rice, noodles, drinks) have all been muy delicious. Don't get me wrong, it's not gonna be the best thing you ever had, but the food tastes so good with good company and i always recommend anyone visiting the area to stop by. There's a lot of street parking nearby and a garage accross the street. Just remember to not leave any valuables in the car. read more

I've been coming here since college days for those late night munchies since they close late. Affordable prices, big portions for delicious food, and lots of food/desserts option to choose from. Came back here again during Covid time. I called to put in an order and was ready about 15 min later. Their baked pork chop with spaghetti was so delicious and creamy! The portion was big for $10.95 price and would recommend this item. read more

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When it comes to the food, it isn't amazing but it gets the job done for the price that it charges. Fair. The restaurant itself is nice and well maintained. customer service could be better. Please keep in mind it is very difficult to find parking. You'll most likely have to walk after parking to the restaurant. Overall, in this economy with inflation kicking butt, this would be a budget friendly place to grab food. read more

This is my favorite place to get congee/jook because their century egg congee is delicious and comforting. It always warms my soul eating it. I love that they give a lot of egg in one order. I order online and pick it up so it's always quick and easy to get. I have never sat inside, but the pick up front county is easy and even when busy, I don't have to wait in a line. read more

Now living on Kaua'i, this place is always on our bucket list whenever we visit family in the East Bay. My daughter likes the "galaxy" looking drink which I don't remember the real name. We also ordered the mango pudding dessert and that was also very good. read more

Shooting Star Cafe - Kid approved - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

Came back to this old stomping ground of mine and I'm just so sad to experience what I just had. Canto cafes are never really known for finesse or presentation, so I'll say I came with appropriate expectations. But there were some serious quality deficiencies today. We had the mixed steak special and a Portuguese chicken but had substituted the (usual) rice for Macaroni. I can overlook lack of sauce on the dishes, too much pasta to meat ratio, iced tea not sweetened, and poor service. But one thing really stood out in a not so good way. There were chunks of peanut butter in the Portuguese chicken... like I don't think it's supposed to be there. Not sure if they just didn't cleaned the utensils properly between prepping different dishes. But this raises an allergen concern for me. Flavors and textures of things were off. It was so disappointing. And the fact that there is a mandatory 15% service charge almost just added salt to injury. This is not how I remembered this place to be years ago. I want to say I didn't order the right things. I gave two stars because everything was still edible (at least my chicken was cooked through!), however to be completely frank, my experience had much to be desired. read more

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I've been coming here since I was a child! Their menu is expansive so it's a great place to bring folks with different taste buds. Tons of drinks and desserts. Lately I've been ordering off of their lunch menu to-go. The Mongolian beef was ok, the onions were on the raw side which I didn't like very much. But the baked pork with rice is good! read more

Shooting Star Cafe - Mongolian Beef - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

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The food here was quite decent until I found out that the chicken was completely raw. Told them about that and they gave us a complimentary tea. I hope the tea would help would help us with our salmonella later on. read more

Shooting Star Cafe - Sautéed chicken.. Didn't expect to eat raw chicken. - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

Looking for a late night dessert spot? Shooting Star Cafe has got you covered. They have a HUGE menu with so many options to choose from! With such a cute interior to yummy desserts, I always go back for a late night snack:) Milk Snow Flake Ice with grass jelly and strawberry ($6.95) // The flavor reminded me of Milkita milk flavored candies from my childhood. Unlike a normal shaved ice, this dessert has a very unique texture and the toppings made it very enjoyable. Strawberry Snow Ice with red bean and banana ($6.95) // The same concept as the Milk snow ice! Lychee smoothie with boba ($4.75) read more

Shooting Star Cafe - Snow ice strawberry - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

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My ratings start at 5 stars; here's why I docked 3. The vibe and staff are nice. I like their menu and creative constellation teas. However, the actual food doesn't like up to how good it looks on the menu. The salad is delicious! The soup is hearty. That's all the praise. -1 The mapo tofu was SALTTTYYYY. It was like eating a spoonful of salt. It tasted like it came out of a box. We also had hot milk tea but it was the thai powder packet. But they make milk tea drinks here! I don't understand why they didn't serve us the real tea. -1 The food isn't hygienic. My stomach began hurting immediately and it's been an hour after eating. -1 This is not authentic mapo tofu... not even close. No ground pork, not mala spicy, no peppercorn. TLDR: Although shooting star cafe had its glory days, I do not recommend. I am canto. This is sad canto. One word to sum it up: deceiving. . . . . Also the egg puff. Sigh...If it's advertised to look nice on the menu, please tell the chef to give back the other half of the ingredients. The price does not justify the batter, five puffs of canned whipped cream, and diced strawberries plated separately flat on a PLATE. Egg puffs are meant to be heldddd and bitten into. What is this waffle read more

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I wasn't planning on going to Shooting Star Cafe but I just had to when I saw a sign outside that they were having $1.99 drinks as part of their anniversary special. You can upgrade to their super size for $1 more and toppings are $1.25 each I think. I can't even remember ever seeing milk tea for $1.99. I don't know when this promotion started or when it ends so take advantage of it while you can. I got the super size Hokkaido milk tea for $2.99 and it was really good. This is the first time I've had it where it was just a full liquid drink. It was sweet and I liked how it had this creaminess taste to it. I'm glad I got 2 of these drinks. I've tried the itea version but they have creamy chunks which I don't like. read more

Shooting Star Cafe - Super size Hokkaido milk tea - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

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I'm going to say that this place is really delicious and I really do think that you guys should try this place out because of how much the portion is and how nice the people are. Definitely recommend and hope you guys enjoy yourself there. read more

This is my FaveRel and My fave Chinese Resto in Oakland Chinatown. It has a kitschy decor of Faux ballroom elegance of velvet backed chairs and shooting star decorations on the ceiling, and 3 television screens on 3 different walls. The blue Shooting Star awning outside is how you can spot it, on Webster across from the Chinatown plaza with it's underground parking and Oakland Public library branch inside the plaza. The menu is huge, with colorful pictures, but the menu is in English. There is a separate laminate lunch specials menu, too. We usually get the lunch specials, which are essentially rice plates, but with soup (usually a Chinese taste bone broth with bones in it) and a small garden salad with Thousand Island dressing. You rice plate, which can be beef, chicken, pork, seafood, veggie, is coupled with a large inverse bowl of white rice. The standard suspects are in the line up, aka Kung Pao, Mongolian, Ginger, Sweet and Sour, and other quickly wok-fried staples you have come to expect in your Chinese diner experiences. They do have some less Americanized offerings, too, on the wall, but you have to read Chinese to order them. They have a huge assortment of creative beverages in a mocktail/ milk tea kind of way. Check the big menu for their "Horoscope"drinks. (FaveRel likes Aquarius, I think, even though they are a Sagittarius ). I usually get a Mango or Watermelon Slushy or hot tea. These drinks may add 4-$6 each to your bill. Portions are large, lunch special prices are in the $15 range (remember when lunches were $10? Wasn't that long ago, my inflation battered friends!). The food comes out quickly and the service is serviceable, even better when the owners are around. Caution: they automatically add a 15% service charge to your bill, and post that in the booths, so tip accordingly, I just hope they don't take that all for the house and only give the workers the amount over 15%? I wouldn't like that one bit! In fact when I found out that is what a resto in downtown Chicago did, I went and called out the owner on it, face to face, loudly so others could hear it. Now if they used that to provide employee benefits, I am ok with it. read more

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Quality's gone down- around 9pm. Several things wrong with the food and drink. Didn't offer to fix it, told me that's how it is. Noodles super bland. Hot milk tea was gross. Used to be the spot, not worth it anymore. read more

We had not ordered from Shooting Star since last year and wanted to order some take-out food for my daughter and her husband so we asked them to pick something from the menu. They have a pretty extensive menu. I don't know of any other restaurant that serves such a huge variety (american to asian cuisine) from clay pot dishes, various porridge, baked entrees such as pork chop, seafood dishes, spaghetti/macaroni, noodle and raman soup, sandwiches (even condensed milk and butter toast), french fries, green salad, even french toast and the typical asian food (walnut prawns,etc). With the huge variety, they will have something you want depending on your mood and craving. (It's kind of bizarre how their menu has such a huge range.) To use a charge card, they require a minimum of $20 or they charge you an extra $1. They also post on the wall in the restaurant that they automatically add 15% service charge to the bill when dining in. (Note the bill when you get it so you don't end up over tipping.) We called in our order and they said 20 minutes which is pretty fast. Per request from the family: we ordered salty fish and chicken fried rice ($14.50), beef chow fun ($15.50) and chicken and sweet corn soup ($12.25). The salty fish and chicken fried rice was a good combination (and not a common combination found in many restaurants), tasty and was good old comfort food. The soup was good, satisfying and soothing - almost like good ole chicken soup - especially great when you're not feeling well. Since it was take-out, they plastic wrapped the top of the container, then placed the lid over it to prevent spillage during transit - which is very helpful. The beef chow fun was a decent portion, reasonably good and just a little oily. The family enjoyed it - so when the family is happy - I'm happy. read more

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Food is average but I like the soup specials. They are good and for $9 bucks worth it. read more

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SCAM: this place is a piece of scam! 1) We order pork chopped spaghetti - the waiter told us that it was a combo so we could choose whatever we wanted to drink. I told him milk tea. He asked if I wanted hot or cold. I told him cold. As we were getting ready to leave and got the check, I noticed that he charged us for the milk tea so I asked him why he charged us when he said it comes with the spaghetti. He told me it's free if it's hot but since I wanted cold so they charge. I told him that we shouldn't be charged since he was not upfront about it and we were given an option. Then, he proceeded to ask if I wanted him to take it off... and in my mind, I'm thinking, "what kind of stupid question is that?! Of course! It's your fault so do your damn job the right way. I shouldn't have to tell you what to do." Luckily, my boyfriend was there and didn't want trouble so we just gave it to him. You're probably wondering why I'm mad over $1 but the fact is, that's not even the point, I'm mad bc of his dishonesty and lack of customer service. If there's gonna be an additional charge, he should at least inform the customer. Simple as that. 2) This place add a service fee without informing their customers as y'all can see on the receipt. There is no where on the menu or in the restaurant indicating that a service charge would automatically be added. So just make sure y'all check your receipt. My boyfriend and I have always been genuine about tipping 20% if the service is great so we don't have a problem tipping but to have these hidden fees and tricking customers into paying more is just not cool. 3) Overall, I would give the food a 3 out of 5. Will not be returning. read more

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Shooting Star Cafe is a Hong Kong diner located in the heart of Oakland's Chinatown. They are open daily from 7am to 1:30am. They have a wide variety of items for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert & late night meals. They also have TVs in their restaurant, so you can ask them to have whatever sporting event you want see; whether it's the Warriors, Giants, 49ers or A's games. I came here twice after the Warriors had their World Championship parades, so my friends & I were able to dine here and watch their celebration speeches. My honest review is that their food is below average, but I love their low prices, quantity & variety of items. They are good for large groups and it's terrific that they are opened early & late every day. You get what you pay for; but what they lack in quality & service.., you gain in its quantity, prices & variety of items. read more

Shooting Star Cafe - Their Lunch Menu - Set Meals served 11am-8pm daily. - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

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Discovered this place over a year ago and we made sure to come by again for late night eats! __ FOODS: - great snack options ( desserts, drinks, snacks ) - the strawberry virgin mojito I got was SO GOOD!! - fries are the perfect shape and crunch -creme brûlée was not too much of the base - noodles are good seasoned __ SERVICE: - pretty good service!! __ AMBIANCE: - I love the ambiance of this place, such a chill spot to hang around at night. Overall: I would come here again if ever in Oakland because the variety is endless and I love that about this place!! read more

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I liked the interior decoration a lot and have been wanting to check out this cafe for a long time! I have heard a lot about it from my acquaintances and I like how large the menu is! I also like how I can choose what sauce I want for my baked dish The negative parts of my experience: - I pointed out this insect in my milk tea (you can literally see it's legs) and the waitress asked my Mandarin bf in canto what my question was and he responded in Mandarin she brought back a new drink. -the portion of pork chop meat:rice was not so even, I can't justify the price as I did not finish all my rice but I finished my pork chop. Solid 3.5/5, I wouldn't go out of my way to go back but it was good! read more

Shooting Star Cafe - Baked pork chops - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

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Great late night spot on a Sunday! Ordered so many dishes I can't remember all of them. General chicken, sweet and sour shrimp, Chinese broccoli, beef chow mein, hot and sour soup. The sweet and sour shrimp and hot and sour soup were my favorite but everything was so good. Our waiter was very attentive and accommodating on some food substitutes for my vegan friend. This is downtown so parking can be hit or miss. The decor on the inside was beautiful. read more

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this place really blew me away. fire dessert fire food and a good vibe all for a fair price. there sre a lot of chinese restaurants but this one takes the cake and my wish upon this shooting star is that u try this place right now‼ read more

Shooting Star Cafe - Choice One Topping Egg Puffs Salt & Pepper Chicken Gizzard Pork Spareribs Clay Pot Rice - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

Authentic HK food with great wok heat. We got beef ribs with black pepper sauce and baked Portuguese chicken over spaghetti. The beef ribs portion was a tad bit small, it was very delicious. Baked Portuguese chicken was a good size portion. We ordered 2 lunch specials for 3 people and we were filled. They come with drink, soup and salad. read more

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Be careful!!! This restaurant makes a trap by secretly add 15% tip without telling us. We only have 2 people... The server is a guy who can't speak any English. Food was served without cutlery, we had to wait for someone to bring us the cutlery. Wrong order and long wait. read more

Shooting Star Cafe - Secretly add 15% without informing me. - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

Friends of mine from Hong Kong highly recommended to me go here. That's why I got to try but I think it's average Hong Kong food for me. Pork chop was too salty for me but then wonton noodle soup was too plain. Beef pan fried noodle was good. Hong Kong style milk tea was okay. It's too plain. Nothings wrong it's just not my type I probably won't get back here again. read more

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Jeffery was an amazing server and despite it being 10:37 pm he was super helpful and helped me choose this beautiful drink!! it was very delicious and he was very attentive and patient! thank you Jeffery for so much help! shooting star is the best!!!! the vibes here are modern and i love this place! read more

Shooting Star Cafe - sea world drink - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

I am a true believer in difficult times we must come together as a community and support our local business. So here we are Shooting star in Oakland Due to the shelter in place take out is the safest option and these guys are great I love this place because they have a lot great options that are like Hong Kong style very delicious If you call ahead it's great you don't have to wait long Let's talk about the staff super nice Parking meh but worth it Now the good good food Pictures worth a thousand words enjoy read more

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