Lounge Chinatown 唐人街

This place was an unexpected gem. Very fun ambiance inside transported you to a hip downtown street with neon, lanterns, and cozy wooden booths inside as a rotation of pop music videos played on a tv screen. Had the thousand year egg tofu, popcorn shrimp, salt and pepper tofu, and pickled cucumber. The popcorn shrimp was especially good, with crispy thai basil in the plate. Beer on draft and a selection of liquor, tea, and drinks available. Loved the tapas style menu, allowing us to try a few plates without feeling overwhelmed or breaking the bank. Yum!

Sad that this place went far below my expectations. I was searching for places to grab snacks and drinks with friends and stumbled upon Lounge Chinatown. Looked promising from the pictures online, with the interior decor, a bar and drink options, and food.We went on Saturday night at 8PM. And it was just pure disappointment from start to finish. When we got there, it felt like there was no music or very low volume music, so the vibe was strange. I asked for a drink menu and they didn't have any. They literally said it's only shots ($12 shots). I asked if they can make mixed drinks and they said I can order them separately and make it myself. Bruh.The server helping us also spoke very little English so it was hard to communicate. We asked for hot chrysanthemum tea and he just gave us something from the fridge LOL. The food was pretty okay - popcorn chicken and fried chicken skin would be 3.5/5. We did accidentally order the baked oyster, and it was relatively tasty and doused in jarlic (jar garlic). I'd give it 3.5/5.The vibes weren't there, the service and food was mid, and I don't think I would go back or recommend to friends unless they change to a more effective system (for drinking) and revamp the vibes.

This review comprises two different visits, both for takeout. The first time I went, since we had ordered a bunch of food at once - chicken bento, pork bento, tea eggs, and salt and pepper fried tofu - the staff offered us a deal of jasmine milk tea for $2 each, so we got one of those. The second time, I opted to only get the salt and pepper fried tofu for myself.Salt and pepper fried tofu: It's pretty good, I thought the crispy texture of the exterior of the tofu and the saltiness were yummy. It was kind of spicy but that's mostly manageable/at mild a level unless you try to eat the red peppers, which are very spicy.Jasmine milk tea: It was fine, didn't stand out in particular taste wise but it was a good deal.Tea eggs: they were yummy, but they were still in their shells so it was a bit annoying trying to get the cracked shells off in order to eat the eggs.The food portions are quite generous for the price. The one thing I wish was different was that they offered more vegetarian options. It would be really nice if they offered a bento with tofu or some kind of plant-based protein, as most of the menu is meat-dominated.

Came for lunch recently. It was pretty popping with students eating lunch together and a lot of different demographics of people. The menu was a bit hard to read because I did get overwhelmed lol but after a while it was all good There's one staff working the floor but honestly did really well considering how many customers there were at the time. Food came out super quick too! My favorite was the stinky tofu!! Delicious and loved how it had plenty of pickled veggies on top and sauce on the side. The pork stomach was good but not spicy enough ;)I got the spicy braise noodle soup part of the lunch special but it wasn't spicy. However, the broth is not too salty and tasted pretty good like grandma made it lol! I didn't order any drinks because it is premade and already has sugar added. The music is LIT lol Would come back! Yay!

The service wasn't great, but it's the stinky tofu we came for specifically. It was fantastic, so we didn't mind the service that was overly direct and a bit rough around the edges. I especially liked the fried stinky tofu, which was reminiscent of stinky tofu I got in Asia. The Sichuan tofu was also quite good and a unique take on the classic.

Admittedly, I went here expecting there to be karaoke after doing an online search and was told this was one of the top spots-- there was no karaoke.Since we were there, we decided to order drinks and food. My friend ordered tequila and they gave her Jameson and I ordered a vodka soda but they didn't have club soda, sparkling water or sprite so I ended up with vodka and ice. We both ordered plates but they didn't mention they were so big. One would've been big enough for both of us. They were welcoming and did what they could.

Have been here and ordered take out a few times at this point. Excellent Taiwanese food, relatively authentic flavors and offerings, plenty of items to choose from on the menu. The restaurant has a cool entry design and decor, and is a good place to bring a group for late night adventures (they open until 2:30 AM).For both dine-in and takeout, the staff seem overwhelmed and especially for delivery order, it takes extremely long even though the kitchen seems to be able to put out food pretty quickly. Some items were a miss but most of them were good. To me it's one of those places you just have to know what to order. Another slight complaint is that the restaurant is quite loud with music playing - although it is advertised that they have karaoke available, so maybe that's the vibe you want to go for when that is offered.We also raised a safety issue to the staff last time we visited, after sustaining a minor injury. The staff looked at the issue but did not offer any help or solution. Not a huge deal but does concern me a bit.

I had heard this Oakland Chinatown spot had a cool 'night market' vibe that I had hoped would evoke fond memories of my previous trips to Asia. The stylish decor was effective, in particular, the wallpaper capturing the hectic bustle of a rainy night market. What didn't help was the inordinately curt service from the main server. There was little sense of welcome during my visit.I had arrived late on a Monday afternoon when I was feeling a bit parched. When I sat myself at the bar, I was told they were not serving cocktails even though a vast array of liquor bottles was on full display. If they were lacking a bartender, I wish they would just say so instead of looking offended that I asked. I decided rather impulsively that I should try something from their menu.I selected the $9 Fried Chicken Gizzards under the Salt Crispy Cuisine section. It was an abundant bowl of them, blisteringly hot, too hot to eat upon arrival (photo Check out this photo I saw on Yelp! https://yelp.to/fKUoTtQJO_). They provided the right chew but really didn't elevate my palate. I just needed a Diet Coke to douse the heat. The server never did warm to me, and my departure didn't warrant her acknowledgment. Oh well, I can be a day drinker somewhere else.FOOD - 3 stars...OK street food if you fancy innardsAMBIANCE - 4 stars...nice job on the night market decorSERVICE - 2 stars...not sure what I did to offend her except existTOTAL - 3 stars...nice idea, needs workRELATED - Exploring Oakland? Here's my collection of places I've tried and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2ObVcpQ

It's interesting Chinese spot with a sports bar feel slightly . They has a very limited bar with no mixers. The Sake prices were way too high, so we passed! The food was mid. They give you a plastic menu with a dry erase marker and you have to fill in the circle for everything that you want to order. It's an extremely large menu. we ordered prawns, shrimp, fried rice, fried octopus , and chicken bites.

Two of my sisters and I dined here yesterday for a birthday lunch. I always order the same menu item, ma po tofu over steamed rice. Other items ordered were fried chicken bento box, pork belly bento box, fried green beans and beef tongue. The beef tongue is good, but the beef tendon is better.We do miss Jessica who was our server in the past. It is taking us time to get used to the new server. He is okay. Conversation is in Mandarin, which I don't speak much of in that dialect.Since we come here quite often when we get together for lunch in Oakland Chinatown, I have decided to raise the restaurant to a five star.Definitely there will be more visits to Lounge Chinatown in the future.