Stopped in to pickup some bites. Got a "small" clamshell container of salt & pepper shrimp, 1 fried sesame mochi ball with red bean filling, and 2 steamed chive & meat dumplings. Total was about $24. The shrimp were huge and very tasty. I recommend you eat them right away so they don't get soggy in the unvented container. Even though the container is small (about the size of a pint), they really load up and fill it. I think they fit more than a pound of shrimp in there for me. Hence why it contributed to my surprising total cost coming out to be $24 for this + only 3 other single items I got. Their steamed dumplings are also about 25% larger than your typical dim sum dumpling. I tried the round and crescent moon shaped ones. Both had a good ratio of filling, the dumpling skin was not too chewy, and tasted pretty good too. The fried sesame ball was also sizable, but really doughy and not my favorite. Had a thick mochi skin, compared to the red bean filling inside. It was pretty crowded on a weekday at 10:30am but the line moved quick. Also this is CASH ONLY payment. read more

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When I was growing up, my parents would usually surprise us with dim sum on the weekends and it was always from Tao Yuen. They have the longest lines and with the steady business, you know the food is fresh and they're constantly churning them out. It's definitely old school dim sum though, so prepare to feel heavy and a little sleepy afterwards. My favorites are the har gow (huge shrimp), sticky rice balls, leek and pork dumplings, rice cake and pork buns. We also grab the fried rice or chow mein if it's a fresh batch. We are usually in Chinatown every weekend, so it's nice to continue the tradition. read more

They stole $10 from me. I gave them a 20, they claimed I gave a 10. I remember specifically wanting smaller bills so I deliberately gave them 20 to do that. Yes, I'm sure I didn't misremember. No, I don't think it was an honest mistake. Yes, I think it was just one of the ladies randomly stealing money here and there. Be careful of this scam, folks. read more

Honestly love this spot! Its cheap, fast service, & big portions. My favorite is the rice rolls here! The salt and pepper shrimp is delicious. Chow mein is alright. The siu mai is not my favorite. The shrimp har gow is pretty good and have lots of filling inside. There is no seating inside so its all take out. Make sure you bring cash as its only cash only. There is so many options here I want to try, but this is now one if my go to spots for cheap lunch. read more

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Still ad good as ever, been. Coming here since the early 1970s. Only issue is the chicken buns... my daughter only eats fowl and fish, but these buns have SAUSAGE in them!! read more

Tao Yuen Pastry - Selection of Dim Sum, har gow, siu mai, shrimp rice noodle, chicken wings, chicken buns, custard pies ... - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

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My first time trying Tao Yuen Pastry this morning. I'm Asian, but didn't know what anything was called so I appreciated their friendliness and ability to describe what each item was in English despite their long lines. Everything was a 100,000x/10 Their chicken feet perhaps some of the best I've tried since moving back to the Bay. There's not a single item I didn't like. Will definitely be buying from again. read more

Tao Yuen Pastry - Fried Shrimp, Large Noodle Chow Mein, Chicken Feet, a mix of other items - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

Wow - how did I not walk an extra half block over the last 6 years working in Oakland to find Tao Yuen?? What a great find for a HUGE takeout lunch? Food is fresh and hot, and the line moves fast. It's a takeout only place. No frllls. Nothing fancy. Cash only. Prices are comparable to other places on dim sum orders but the real deal is with the noodles. $16 for a large container, which is packed full of goodness. It is easily 5-6 servings in it. Coming back for sure! read more

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Was craving some Lunar New Year eats so popped in to my fave dim sum shop in Oakland Chinatown: Tao Yuen. Maybe they're not the most refined or delicate dim sum in Chinatown, but for value and getting filled-up, nothing beats their selection. I was craving some pork shumai (siu mai) today, and rolled in around 5pm. They were just reloading their steam pans with fresh potstickers and noodles for the dinner rush. I picked up a dozen pork shumai, and headed straight home. As usual, the shumai were massive, golf ball sized balls of ground pork with the perfect ratio of fat to meat. Very juicy and well seasoned. More meat by far than dumpling wrap. Mixed-up some hot mustard, a little soy, and then went to town. Tao Yuen has far more than shumai on their daily offering, so don't be afraid to sample their menu. Even when busy, they're also always super nice. Happy Lunar New Year of the horse! read more

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Edit - bumped the rating up to 4 stars for the roasted pork bun; one of the best ones I've ever had, with juicy filling distributed evenly throughout the bun. I had it a day later and it still was delicious. The food satisfied my cravings, but I wish there was more salt on everything. Definitely worth a stop for the large portions and wide array of dim sum. I will be back to try other items! Note: the box combo with two items is $18, but they do load it up Salt and pepper shrimp 2.5/5 - cooked well, but needs more flavor; it just tasted like batter Salt and pepper chicken 4/5 - large chunky pieces of dark meat fried nicely with the perfect amount of salt and pepper flavor; would recommend Chow fun 3/5 - noodle texture is perfectly bouncy, but needs more soy sauce Pork and shrimp dumplings 5/5 - my favorite item of the lot, well-seasoned pork with whole small shrimp and some veggies; the skin is thick but the filling works well with it. Definitely a must try. read more

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Been coming to Tao Yuen for more than 25 years now and while it may not be the best for every type of dim sum, from our perspective, it has one of the best baked BBQ pork buns, especially when you catch a fresh batch that comes out. Soft fluffy dough with a shiny sweet glazed browned top filled with a classic Cantonese BBQ pork filling, it is nostalgia in your palm! Parking around this small Oakland Chinatown storefront can be tricky at times, and remember to have cash on hand, but don't miss out on this tasty, inexpensive breakfast or snack! read more

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When I go to Chinatown, Tao Yuen is the bakery I go to for my Baked Char Sui Bao. A family friend loves this bakery so I always pick-up a dozen for them and some for me to eat. They also have steam table food for take-out, steamed dumplings and other baked goods. I usually go to three different bakeries for my Chinese pastries dependent upon the item. Tao Yuen makes a very good baked pork bun. It is huge compared to other bakeries. The bun is light, little chewiness, good flavored bbq pork, minimal fat and good filling portion all for $1.90 which is about the same as other bakeries. If in Chinatown, stopped in for a pork bun that is enough for a filling snack or get two for a meal. Also, try some of the hot food or other pastries. Of course I'll be back for more excellent pork buns. Sorry, I forgot to take pictures of the current price list and the food, next trip. read more

Tao Yuen Pastry - Four huge Baked Char Sui Bao - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

Food - this is my favorite pastry store! Their rice cakes are fresh and so delicious! Rice rolls are pretty good, too! Service - very nice. They take cash only Location - 5 min walk from 12th st, BART. I highly recommend pastry at Tao Yuen!! read more

Tao Yuen Pastry - Rice cake - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

Tao Yuen Pastry is located just a few blocks away from the main Chinatown downtown center in Oakland. It's right down the street from where there used to be a dim sum place on the corner at the end of the street. It's wedged in-between quite a few other eateries, such as restaurants and bread place, and I feel the best way to describe Tao Yuen Pastry is that it's a combination of various restaurants and bread places, but to-go and on the cheap. Just to re-iterate, it's a takeout only spot, and also quite snug once you get inside. Their menu is pretty large, as they have some stuff on the menu that won't necessarily be in the trays up front that are primed and ready for takeout. As mentioned before, even though they have pastry in their name, they basically do almost everything except pastry, though they do have some stuff on that front, but not as many as actual dishes, dim sum, and other more normal entree food options. The selling point here really is just how cheap everything is, and they're one of the takeout places that aren't afraid to pack your box nice and full for the price either. While the taste of the food here will be hit or miss depending on what you get, the overall food quality, even though it looks super old and rundown of a spot, is on point. Some of my favorites are the fried chicken which is just thigh and drum stick meat fried together. When you eat the chicken it's not just minced meat that's been mushed together, but actual chunks of thigh and drunkstick meat. Quite rewarding. Some of their dim sum stuff here are actually pretty good too. While the thing to note though is that they generally don't have great portions of the dim sum stuff like they do with the dishes, chow mein, fried rice, etc. And the expensive ingredients like shrimp and stuff aren't necessarily the biggest selling point in some of the stuff, but the other ingredients they add into them actually makes them somehow taste better than some of the stuff at the actual dim sum places nearby. Honestly, if you're looking for the best bang for your buck, price and quality wise, you probably won't be able to do better than Tao Yuen Pastry. Yes, you can find better food elsewhere. Yes, you can find cheaper food elsewhere. But very few places in Oakland Chinatown nowadays does both, and a to-go only place to boot, definitely a good spot for those on-the-go and don't want to spend too much. read more

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I feel like I overpaid. I bought the thin noodle chow mein, eggplant and tofu, and chicken and broccoli for $34. Is that right - about $12 each for large container? There's no prices posted for the items in the window. They gave a lot of chow mein, but the other two items were barely filled to the top, unlike when I go to other restaurants where it's filled past the lid and it can barely close. The chicken and broccoli had about a tablespoon of cut up chicken, and the rest was broccoli and tofu. The food didn't have much taste. Chow mein and eggplant and tofu was mushy. read more

Tao Yuen Pastry - Eggplant and tofu was mushy. - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

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Don't want to put this place on blast but it's delicious, authentic, dim sum. They pack your to-go boxes until they burst. Cash only and no sitting down. Fast and yummy! read more

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My carpool buddy needed to stop at Napoleon Bakery next door for pineapple buns and the delicious smells coming from this place had me parking my car and ordering immediately! I got chicken chow fun, sesame balls, steamed bbq pork buns, and shu mai. There is NO substitute for the delicious food that comes out of Tao Yuen Pastry! I had to share pics with my family and friends and they are headed there right now to grab some goodies for their families too! I happily went into a food coma after smiling and walking down memory lane with these delicious treats! So glad I found this place! read more

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Tao Yuen Pastry always has quite the line outside! While I haven't tried their savory foods that people eating lunch and dinner, I have tried a couple of their pastries. Most recently, I got one of their sweet sesame balls and a savory BBQ pork bun. While the pork bun was quite oily, the filling was delicious, and there was a good proportion of filling to bun. I have been craving a sesame bun with green bean filling recently, and the Tao Yuen bun filled that craving! The filling was not too sweet, and I enjoyed the chewy and fried sesame bun. I'm excited to try some of their lunch/dinner foods in the future! read more

Tao Yuen Pastry - BBQ Pork Bun & Sesame Bun - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

This spot was a great grab-and-go option for takeout dim sum in downtown Oakland. The shop itself is quite small, but that makes sense--it's clearly designed for quick takeout rather than sit-down dining. You order, pick up your food, and get on your way. Since it was my first time trying this place, I wanted to sample a variety of items. Of course, I had to get the classics--pork shumai and shrimp dumplings--because it just wouldn't be true dim sum without them. I also ventured out and tried some other items like the pork and leek dumpling, shark fin dumpling, and pumpkin dumpling. Overall, everything had great flavor, but my main critique is that the dumpling skins were a bit too thick. This was especially noticeable with dumplings made from tapioca flour; the texture became chewy. One standout item was the fried garlic, scallion, and dried shrimp rice roll. It was pillowy soft, and the dried shrimp flavor really came through--it was a pleasure to eat. I'd definitely order that again. From the steamed dim sum lineup, the pork and leek dumpling and the shark fin dumpling were the highlights. I'd happily get those two again as well. The pumpkin dumpling was the most intriguing, mostly because I'd never seen it before. It turned out to be a meat and pumpkin filling--unexpected, but enjoyable. My breakfast came out to just over $16, which felt fair given the portion size and variety. It was definitely a filling, satisfying meal. Next time, I'm planning to try their fried noodles and Chinese-style fried chicken--both of which the customers ahead of me were raving about. read more

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Service was super fast, and they plate everything generously. The only downfall is that it's cash-only, so make sure you bring some bills. Overall, great spot if you're craving classic Chinese comfort food with quick service and big portions. I'll definitely be back! read more

Tao Yuen Pastry - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

This small food spot has been here for years. Timing is everything I came around ten am and and was able to walk right in. I ordered the delicious fried rice and a custard tart with pork buns. The location is very small with limited customer entrance. read more

Tao Yuen Pastry - Bbq pork bun. - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

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I found myself in Chinatown, and the neighborhood looked very familiar. Ye, I'm near Tao Yuen! I checked my review, and it's been a good long while since I visited. Haha! The Aunties remembered me. Same great memories, same courteous service, and still cash only. Nine dumplings for $18, including tip. And still delish! read more

The service was quick and we paid in cash. It's a takeout place, so you just wait in line to order, then leave after. The dim sum was alright, not the best but decent. The har gow had too much of the wrapping paper around it and the shrimp was flavored differently than I'm used to. The shrimp were tasty though. read more

Love this place for quick to-go dim sum! My favorite was the pumpkin and pork dumpling. It was delicious! Service was quick and there was a short line. I didn't like the shrimp or beef rice noodles as much because it was more noodle than filling. I would come by again if I ever crave some quick dim sum! read more

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Food's in big portions. Always crowded, this is probably one of the two last standing dim-sum to-go shops in oakland chinatown. Although be warned, in recent years there are always panhandlers and homeless lookin for a free meal or money right outside the storefront. This place only accepts cash. There's barely any standing room in front of the cashier. The lighting is minimal indoors. The ambiance is that of a barely surviving post-pandemic deli. In my experience, the people waiting in line can stand awfully close to you, enough to rudely rub against you. I refuse to accept that to be the norm, just the abundance of hungry people without manners or proper hygiene. The employees are socially passive, so you're own your own. I've tried most of the items on the menu, but I keep going back for the egg rolls and chow mein. My coworkers like the fried beef/chicken. read more

Tao Yuen Pastry - Menu as of August 8, 2025 - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

The best dim sum place in the whole bay area, with prices you can't be anywhere else especially in SF. I come all the way from the North Bay to just come and get dim sum from this place and I've been going here since I was a child and since my dad was a child too I usually get the Hargow, and shu mai and the best noodles to get here are the soy sauce, chow mein noodles or the ones that are super thin. The fried tofu is super crispy and the chicken wings have so much flavor that you could taste the MSG on it The ladies that work there are super nice, and the service was super fast . It's a very small environment which sucks. I feel like they should move to a bigger place and the line can run as long as two stores down, but the whole interaction from being in line to paying is less than 10 minutes because of how fast they're working. read more

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Always go here for the dim sum dumplings. Always good! Today, we got green bean zhong (the banana leaf wrapped one) and three white sweet sponge cake (bak tong goh). Total amount was ~$14. read more

Tao Yuen Pastry - Zhong - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

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Delicious food all around! My friends and I decided to come here AGAIN to order. Emphasis on again because we love the food here and wanted more! WARNING CASH AND TAKE OUT ONLY! We easily spent $100 total for the three of us. Not only is the food amazing but they are also generous with the portions! What else can you ask for especially in this economy! There's a lot of dishes to chose from, but my favorite is the fried shrimp! Can't go wrong with any of the other dishes tho! read more

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All the dim sum we ordered was delicious and service was very efficient. We showed up early on Sunday morning and there was a big selection of baked, steamed and fried items to choose from. They also lunch selections at that time too- chow fun, chow mein, fried prawns, rice, deep fried pork, tofu, etc. Cash only and street parking might be challenging. read more

I love coming to Tao Yuen Pasty. I love their Chow Mien Noodles. Their noodles is so good I always get both thick & Skinny noodles haft & Haft. That place is also located in Oakland Chinatown in Oakland. But too bad it's cash only to buy their food at. And I wish they could take debit or credit card at that place so people doesn't have to go withdraw money out of their account. Anyway that place is always crowed to get your Chinese food at. read more

Tao Yuen Pastry - Gotta love the chow mein here - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

Very disappointed. I'm convinced the people leaving 5 stars are bots. I couldn't even enjoy the orange chicken. I got the chow fun, orange chicken, and shumai. Nothing was good. I left it on a stack of boxes hoping that someone else would find it to their liking. read more

Got 14 dumplings for $23 but they were so big and juicy and fresh I couldnt complain. I would come back to try their other fried menu and dishes because these thangs were PHAT AND THICC read more

Tao Yuen Pastry - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

Loved the salt and pepper shrimp here! It was very flavorful and the shrimps were huge. The siu mai had a bit of the old meat smell and the har gow's dumpling wrapper was very thick. The ratio of shrimp to wrapper tasted a bit off so not sure I'd get it again. read more

Tao Yuen Pastry - Menu - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

My most favorite is the rice cake as well manapua pork hash soo Ono! Right downtown China Town in Oakland read more

Tao Yuen Pastry - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

816 Franklin St Oakland, CA 94607 In the heart of Oakland Chinatown, the popular Tao Yuen maintains its reputation of serving up takeout chinese favorites at fair prices. I was there on a hot July 4th day, around 5pm. I wasn't in the mood to cook dinner, so where can I get some favorite foods? I go inside Tao Yuen and I see: - a mountain of chow mein - big prawns - boneless fried chicken - har gow, siu mai , sesame balls! - pork buns....cheung fun Everything I like to eat.....in one place. I don't speak Chinese, so I use the point method and hold up fingers to denote quantity. Smile alot and laugh. I asked for: - Medium order of mixed chow mein ( regular and thin noodles) - 1-lb fried chicken (boneless) - 2 sesame balls Total $23. OMG, what a generous serving of chow mein! Nothing skimpy here. Tao Yuen, the Chinatown version of fast food! On Franklin St between 8th and 9th St. read more

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Amazing, reasonably priced dim sum, fried chicken and chow mien. Only down sides are parking and the long lines. But you can avoid the long lines by getting there early! read more

Probably the best option for steam table dim sum. If you're trying to figure out a meal get a no mai guy, chow mein, or chow fun with 3-4 pieces of dim sum. It'll cost you around $13-15. Make sure they add it up right because they do it all by hand at the register and could charge you extra by accident. read more

Online people are saying a big combo box is $18, I ordered a medium one, they charged me for $20! I don't want to hold the line up there but definitely felt I got over charged! read more

As an SF native, my dad is pretty picky when it comes to dim sum. Tao Yuen is his go-to since moving to Oakland, and it's always a treat when they bring TY home (which is often). We regularly order their Chinese-stle boneless friend chicken for parties and family events - so salty, crispy, juicy and delicious. Our relatives always ask us to bring it whenever we get together. Our favorite dim sum items are the shrimp dumplings, rice balls, beef balls, siu mai and "shark fin" dumplings. As with any Chinatown, parking is a clusterf***, so get someone to drive and drop ypu off to pick up, or park further and walk in. Lines/wait times vary, so we always order ahead for larger orders. And cash only! read more

Tao Yuen Pastry - Variety takeout dim sum - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

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Tiny hole in the wall with sometimes grouchy, sometimes friendly staff. I like everything they have, even the enormous shu mei, which I am usually not a fan of. Generally, their dim sum are massive! And the prices totally fine. Last time I went, I got 5 pieces of fried chicken, 6 assorted dim sum pieces, a small box of flat noodles and two sesame balls for around $20. Easily enough for 4 people. Parking is a nightmare, but IO like to walk through Chinatown, so I usually park three or four blocks away. read more

I love how fast and convenient this is. The salt and pepper tofu was good and the shrimp dumplings were great too. Cheap prices but parking can be hard. I've been back twice! read more