Chinese for ~10 Berkeley/Oakland - need recs
Our book club dinners usually rotate among the members. But for our Feb. meeting, we're reading a short story collection by a Chinese author and want to eat at a Chinese restaurant in the Berkeley/Oakland area. We're open to cuisine from any Chinese region. We're not seeking a Chinese banquet, but will eat family style, and would order for the table ahead of time. Food is more important than decor for this crowd, but we are looking for a place that has a big round table that could seat all of us (11 max). The restaurant would have to be the type that wouldn't mind having us around for 2-3 hours. (Start with nibbles on the table at 7 while everyone gathers, than dinner starting at 7:30, wrapping up ~10 PM). We're meeting on a Monday night. Looking forward to your suggestions!
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klyeoh
Jan 18, 2008 08:27 AM
If you're thinking of doing it in Oakland Chinatown - Peony's the best restaurant there. It's huge and have lots of large tables as their largely Chinese clientele liked to dine in big groups. And they won't mind your being there as long as you want.
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re: klyeoh
Thanks for the suggestions. I've loved Peony's for dim sum, and it sounds like a good choice for dinner, too. As for Little Shin Shin, I have to say I'm a bit leery, since I've had both good dishes and decidedly mediocre ones. China Village appears to be another very promising choice, although I was a bit concerned when I looked it up on the older posts and noticed that the chef left in Oct. to open up his own restaurant, Sichuan Fortune House in Pleasant Hill. Ridge reports today, however (http://www.chowhound.com/topics/48102...) of another good meal at China Village. Has anyone else noticed change -- good or bad -- since Oct. at China Village?
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re: Food Fiend
JasmineG
Jan 19, 2008 09:56 PM
You must have missed the China Village Chowdown report: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/457185 No need to be concerned!
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re: Food Fiend
Ruth Lafler
Jan 20, 2008 09:38 AM
China Village has had a couple of chef changes over the years, but the owner, Mr. Yao, always recruits and/or trains top notch replacements. Although when the chef changes, the specialties/strengths of the kitchen change slightly. There have been two enthusiastic reports on crab dishes recently, which I don't remember from the past. Don't hesitate to discuss your order with the staff -- if you let them know you're interested in their "authentic" dishes, they will steer you well.
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re: Food Fiend
bbulkow
Jan 20, 2008 10:16 AM
Chef changes at CV seem to matter only slightly, and it's still, by far and away, the best chinese in the greater berkeley area.
The width of the menu is just stunning - so many small gems, like the beer sauce duck, the sauce of which is native of guilin / yangsho but typically cooked there with snails. Anywhere else, it would be a house specialty, not just another item on the menu.
If there's a fault at CV, it's the lack of speciality. Their village lamb isn't the best around, but it's darned good, similar the boiled beef; the beer duck is very good but not up to chinese standards, but they're the only restaurant I know which has outstanding of all three.
Thus the comments on navigating the menu - but all the food's good enough that you can't *mis* navigate. There's adventerous, and "standard", and it's obvious what is what, and the waiters are good at conversation ("you like it SPICY? Order this!") - as mentioned by Ruth. If I have one suggestion, it would be to eat a meal there before your group gathers, and after dinner, talk to the hostess about what you're interested in.
If I had a second choice for berkeley chinese, it would be Kirin, but no good for OP's desires. Liu's, Taiwan, King Yen are solid and I would eat there, but I would (and have) driven a few hours to get to CV.
I haven't eaten at little shin shin for 10 years, but when I lived a few blocks away it was a charming, solid, tame neighborhood joint far over-hyped by locals.
I ate once at Great China, based on its astronomical Zagats number, and found the entire experience lacking. The food was sub-par (just the standards, lots of gloppy corn starch), the service slapdash. While I might have been there on a bad day, Zagats-rated 25 places (or whatever it was) just shouldn't have days like that. I can only assume another example of nostalgia over discrimination.
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re: bbulkow
Ruth Lafler
Jan 20, 2008 10:35 AM
At Great China, you really have to order off the page of the menu that says something like "Chef's Specials" -- there are some really good dishes there (double skin, crab with buns), and they do one of the best Peking ducks in the area. I don't know about the rest of the menu, though.
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I don't know how they would feel about the 2-3 hours, but Monday is lightest night so why not?? Not sure if all these below have private banquet rooms or big enough tables.
Renee's Place 1477 Solano Ave. Albany. Great food and presentation. Low - moderate prices. Nice.
King Yen 4080 Piedmont Ave. Moderate prices. Good service. Good flavor. Not big portions. I like their dry cooked string beans.
Liu's Kitchen 1593 Solano Ave. Berkeley Great flavors, cheap, large portions. Usually one woman waiting tables, so I dunno. Ginger-garlic string beans, yum. Fat potstickers. Has brown rice and vegi-meats.
Little Shin Shin 4258 Piedmont Ave. Spicy, not sure if they have a banquet room or table big enough. Good service, moderate-low prices, GREAT dishes if you like a little spice. All around winner/ Mmmmmmm.
Trader Vics in Emeryville - Watergate. Expensive. Best service. Ethnically "undefined"
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re: john1953
susancinsf
Jan 17, 2008 09:03 PM
Little Shin Shin's food is not particularly spicy, and I don't think it is very good. (well, at least it wasn't the last time I was forced to go there, perhaps two years ago. I was with a group then too, and service was not good, ) Apart from that, the only tables that are big enough are in the middle of a small room, and it can be (inexplicably) crowded even during the week.
Trader Vic's doesn't even bill itself as Chinese.
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New Gold Medal in Oakland Chinatown has an upstairs that can be very quiet in the evenings. Usually we are the only table.
Once we ate on the third floor at Great China and it was very quiet, almost a private room, although they did not have a round table -- it was a long table as I recall.
China Village is a good idea, the tables in the back are fairly quiet if the place is not full up. Wherever you go, tell them you want a quiet place.
Peony might have a Chinese wedding going on, you never know.-----
New Gold Medal
389 8th St, Oakland, CA 94607›1 Reply -
Ruth Lafler
Jan 17, 2008 12:24 PM
I think China Village is a great choice, but you should read some of the many posts about navigating the menu here. Among other things, I realized on the last visit that in the current incarnation of the menu, the Chinese-American standards are indicated by the word "classic" in the dish name. This is helpful whether you want to order those dishes or avoid them!
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lexdevil
Jan 17, 2008 08:35 AM
China Village is a great suggestion. You might also consider Great China in Downtown Berkeley, which has a small room up on the third floor that might provide a quiet place for discussion. Much of the menu is pretty standard, but the Peking Duck, Double Skin, and a few other dishes really stand out.
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China Village
1335 Solano Ave, Albany, CA 94706Great China Restaurant
2115 Kittredge St, Berkeley, CA 94704›3 Replies -
bbulkow
Jan 17, 2008 06:58 AM
China Village. The big tables in the back are rarely used, and I've seen things like you're talking about happen there. I took a family group of about 12 people there and had a grand time --- many of the diners were less adventurous, and some ordered the "standard chinese" dishes (even, so help me, lemon chicken) and all were happy. The lemon chicken was pretty good.
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