Looking for a Chinese banquet restaurant near UC Berkeley.

[cookstr]

We are planning a wedding rehearsal dinner for 20 people in the East Bay area and need a Chinese restaurant that has a banquet menu. Any ideas?

[wolfe]

Have you asked at Great China?
http://greatchinaberkeley.com/reserva...

[Ruth Lafler]

What area are you realistically looking in? You heading says "near UC Berkeley" but your post says "East Bay area" -- and the range of answers is different. Also, what price range and atmosphere are you looking for? The food at Great China is good but the atmosphere is somewhat lacking.

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Great China Restaurant
2115 Kittredge St, Berkeley, CA 94704

[cookstr]

The wedding will be on the UC Berkeley campus on a Saturday with the rehearsal the night before. The groom's family live 7 hours away and have no idea on Chinese restaurant quality. I guess that we should limit the area to around 20 miles with a nice restaurant with great banquet food and atmosphere. The highest prices doesn't necessarily command the best food either, so we are looking for a nice setting with great food if that help everybody. Thanks.

[Sarah]

East Ocean Seafood in Emeryville -- don't know if it meets your 20 mi criteria -- but I think it's what you are looking for. Depending on time of day, it can have a nice view, and most importantly, plentiful parking. And good food (I've only had their dim sum).

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Hong Kong East Ocean Seafood
3199 Powell St, Emeryville, CA 94608

[Ruth Lafler]

Twenty miles will give you a lot of choices. Some to check out would be Daimo, Asian Pearl and Saigon Seafood Harbor in Richmond, Hong Kong East Ocean in Emeryville (great setting, only okay food), East Ocean in Alameda (not related to the one in Emeryville -- I really like the atmosphere here), Finally, if the groom's family likes spicy food, China Village in Albany.

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Daimo Chinese Restaurant
3288 Pierce St, Richmond, CA 94804

China Village
1335 Solano Ave, Albany, CA 94706

Saigon Seafood Harbor Restaurant
3150 Pierce St, Richmond, CA 94804

East Ocean Seafood
1713 Webster St, Alameda, CA 94501

Hong Kong East Ocean Seafood
3199 Powell St, Emeryville, CA 94608

Asian Pearl
3288 Pierce St, Richmond, CA 94804

[Chandavkl]

I'll second Asian Pearl in particular, since I think its menu and layout are most conducive to wedding related events. Also all the Asian Cal students are very familiar with the Pacific East Mall in which it is located.

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Asian Pearl
3288 Pierce St, Richmond, CA 94804

Pacific East
3288 Pierce St # M126, Richmond, CA

[bbulkow]

I went to a wedding meal at Asian Pearl and found the atmosphere rather dull. There were only two tables and not as much banquet - more like just ordering food. If it were me, China Village - the big tables are in that extra room and there can be much milling about.

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Asian Pearl
3288 Pierce St, Richmond, CA 94804

[ernie in berkeley]

Second China Village. I've been to spectacular banquets there.

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China Village
1335 Solano Ave, Albany, CA 94706

[Ruth Lafler]

I haven't been to a banquet there since the original chef left -- what are their current banquet offerings like?

Here's a thread from last year with some useful info -- you'll notice this topic has generated a list of related threads at the bottom of the page: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/709750

[jason carey]

Great China,, they also have a mind blowing wine list.

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Great China Restaurant
2115 Kittredge St, Berkeley, CA 94704

[kmah]

I believe Great China has an upstairs private room- 20 might fill it in a nice way. Still not the nicest atmosphere, but at least it's private.

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Great China Restaurant
2115 Kittredge St, Berkeley, CA 94704

[wolfe]

That was a problem in the link I gave above
"We offer a banquet room on our third floor which seats up to 50 people
and requires a minimum of 40 people to reserve exclusively.
We are happy to accommodate smaller groups in the banquet room however you will not have the room all to yourselves."