OAK

Oakland Rockridge and Piedmont Avenue areas are good places to hang out. Oakland Coliseum has the Oakland A's. Paramount Theatre shows old movies and plays pipe-organ music. Ying Kee Restaurant serves some really good steamed fish and won't break the bank. Le Cheval Restaurant is a hot spot. Legendary Palace for good dim sum, Hong Kong East Ocean Seafood Restaurant, further away in Emeryville and considerably more expensive, is worth a visit. Emerybay Public Market in Emeryville is also nice to visit.

Quick Tips:

Don't wonder around unfamiliar areas of Oakland, especially come nightfall. Violent crime and murder are still major problems.

Best Way To Get Around:

Soizic Restaurant, serves California cuisine with a French flair; we went there a couple of times. The entrance is actually on 3rd Street, the atmosphere, food, and service were all quite good with white paper top over white tablecloth service.

Lunch: first course items $3.50-7.50, entrée salads $10-14, pastas $12-16, entrées $11.50-18.50, sandwiches $9-10, 3 dessert choices available.

Dinner: appetizers $3.50-11.50, entrée salads $13.50-15, pastas $14.50-18.50, main course $15.50-23.50 and fish of the day, four dessert choices available.

Corkage fee $15 per 750ml bottle, 18% gratuity added for groups of six or more.

I arrived without a reservation during lunch, ordered the "Grilled Lamb Filet Mignon with Madeira sauce, shiitake mushrooms, soft polenta and vegetables" $18.50, requested the meat done rare. It arrived medium-rare, it was pink, tasted very nice, subtle flavors.

Lunch Tuesday-Friday 11:30am-2pm; dinner Tuesday-Thursday 5:30-9pm, Friday-Saturday 5:30-10pm. Street parking, credit cards accepted.

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www.soizicbistro.com

There are only about seven tables on the ground floor. The deli counter has a fair amount of foot traffic and deals with some orders for take out.

Some items are already cooked or can be quickly cooked at the deli counter for quick service: roast duck, roast pork, Chinese barbecued pork, soy sauce chicken, boiled chicken, or wonton can be freshly cooked at the deli counter. Rice plates can be prepared there, too, if you order one of the meats already cooked and available at the counter.

The kitchen can whip up dishes quickly if it's not real busy. One time, when they were training a new cook, our order took forever. We should have picked up the visual signals--there were lots of patrons sitting at tables waiting for their orders also.

If it takes a long time--like more than 15 minutes--and your food hasn't arrived, ask to change your order to something already cooked that can be done quickly by the deli-counter person, like wonton soup or roast duck over rice. You might want to ask if the order will be quick before ordering.

Sun-Thurs 9am-2am, Fri-Sat 9am-3am

BART Oakland City Center 12th St, exit 13th St

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They serve dim sum for a very reasonable cost but I feel the quality is lower and the quantity size is smaller, the place is packed by 11am. If you're a party of two or less, be prepared to share a table to get seated and start eating.

Hours:11am-9:30pm. Credit cards accepted with $20 minimum.

BART Oakland City Center 12th Street station exit 11th St.
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Hours are 8:30am to about 8:30pm, Tuesdays 8am to 2:30pm. Sometimes they close maybe up to half an hour earlier than stated.

BART Oakland City Center 12th Street station exit 11th St.
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There are tables here to sit and eat, but it's not very appealing--mostly to-go for the daytime lunch crowd.

Mon-Fri 7:30am-3pm

BART Oakland City Center 19th Street station exit 19th St.
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They have a mandatory gratuity of 15% if you eat in, so if you like their food, order it for pick-up to avoid the mandatory tip. Credit cards accepted.

Open Sunday -Thursday 11:30am-11pm, Friday-Saturday 12pm-12am

Open Mon-Thurs 11am-9:30pm, Friday 11am-10pm, Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 11am-9pm.

Open later in the summer.

Their California roll sushi is mouthwatering. The sauce on their chicken teriyaki is way too sweet though. Their potstickers are tiny and not worth eating. Their garden salad is very good. I asked for them to give me more salad in place of the potstickers. Their tea is frequently only lukewarm by the end of the day if you can get them to refill your teacup.

BART Oakland City Center 19th Street station exit 17th St.
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Daily 8:30am-7pm

BART Oakland City Center 12th Street station exit 11th St.
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Mon-Tue 11am-7pm, Wed-Thur 11am-7:30pm, Fri 11am-8:30pm, Sat 12pm-6pm, Sun 12pm-5pm

BART Oakland City Center 19th Street station exit 17th St.
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There is a designated lunch special each day such as their clay pot on Friday and Saturday. It was very tasty with shrimp, tender chicken, vegetables sitting on top of rice soaked in too much soy sauce. There's drinks like a mango shake.

Come on a Saturday if you like it quieter as most of the crowd during the week are workers in the area during the weekdays.

Credit cards are accepted with a minimum $10 purchase, which is real easy with their prices.

BART Oakland City Center 19th Street station exit 17th St.
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Their take-out menu includes a coupon for 10% off a dine-in dinner Tuesday to Thursday costing $20 or more.

11am-3pm, 5pm-9:30pm

11am-8:30pm

BART Oakland City Center 12th Street station exit 11th St.
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I had their teriyaki, and it wasn't very good; but it was consistent with their cooking style. They may do better with breakfast, but I haven't tried that.

Kyoto Express is for the lunch crowd, mainly for take out, but you can eat there in their small, cramped quarters. I only went once, and I wasn't impressed enough to want to go back.

Monday-Friday 11:30am-3pm.

BART Oakland City Center 19th Street station exit 17th St.
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I usually order item A9, teriyaki chicken, but their teriyaki sauce is too sweet. I wouldn't bother to sit there to eat if there's a better place.

BART Oakland City Center 19th Street station exit 17th St.
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Breakfast is served till 11:30am. I prefer the breakfast that is available all day.

Their barbecue and honey mustard sauces are really tasty.

There's frequently someone hanging outside the restaurant asking for a handout.

Monday-Saturday 11am-9:30pm

BART Oakland City Center 12th Street station exit 11th St.
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BART Oakland City Center 12th Street station or 19th Street station.
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Open Thursday through Tuesday, 8am-midnight, cash only.

BART Oakland City Center 12th Street station exit 11th St.
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The area doesn't look good or safe, so drive if you go there.

Open Tue-Thurs and Sat 11am-9pm; Fri 11am-10pm

Mon-Sat 10:30am-8:30pm

Mon-Fri 11am-6pm
Buffet: Mon-Fri 11am-3pm

Mon-Fri 11am-9:30pm, Sat-Sun 5-9:30pm.

BART Oakland 19th Street station exit 19th St.

There's also a bakery, as well as a bargain table for older baked goods that aren't as freshly made. I'd say their chicken tastes better than their desserts. I love a great tasting strawberry shortcake, it looks great, it misses hitting the spot for me in the taste.

Sunday-Thursday 6am-1am, Friday-Saturday 6am-2am, credit cards accepted, parking in the lot. Email info@merritt-bakery.com

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The place wasn't good enough for me to do a repeat visit.

Their beef patties are very good quality.

They have one or two tables outdoors to enjoy the sunshine and also for a bit more quiet than inside the restaurant, but outside you have to deal with the traffic noise.

Near the Oakland airport.

I was curious about this place, but now my curiosity is fulfilled, and I never need to come back again. I think you can do much better in Oakland Chinatown on quality, but not quantity. For quantity, I suppose this would do.

Open till about 10pm.

There's also a dim sum bakery, for take out only, adjacent to the entrance for dine in.

BART Oakland City Center 12th Street station exit 11th St.
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We ordered the curry beef stew daily special off the white board located at the entrance, boiled pork dumplings with cabbage, and special chow mein. The quantity was a bit on the smallish side, but it was more than made up for by the quality, which was quite good. The food was tasty, with a good mix of flavors. The dough on the dumplings was thicker dough and chewier than I care for.

Open Tuesday thru Sunday 10am-9:30pm.

Free delivery within a 1.5-mile radius, with minimum order $15, Tue-Sun 5pm-9pm.

Ordered roast duck wonton soup, which was very good, but the liquid was too hot, and the steamed rice noodles with Chinese barbecue pork was also very good.

One of the dishes I like is available after 6pm: You can order three dishes from a choice of 84 items (my usual choices are #16: fillet of cod with vegetables, #24: beef spareribs with honey pepper sauce; and #45: Peking spareribs), for under $20. Eat it there, and it will also include soup, rice, and tea. The meal can feed three or four people, depending on their appetites.

Open till 1am, but try to be seated by 12:30am to avoid disappointment.

BART Oakland City Center 12th Street station exit 11th St.
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Discounts offered excluding holidays are: dim sum Monday-Friday 8am-2pm 20% discount, Saturday-Sunday 8am-2pm 10% discount, daily after 2pm 30%, dim sum to go 10% discount. Service for dim sum is quite good, with tablecloth service. But I noticed that our selected tablecloth was dirty, the manager quickly placed a large square white paper the size of the table surface instead of changing the tablecloth.

Charge for tea by head, choice of tea, service on rolling carts. There are two floors, try for a table near the elevator if you go to the second floor, as that's where the food carts first appear from the first floor or near the service door. The selection is large and varied.

Don't order too many items too quickly, as you won't be able to consume it all. The servers are instructed to sell as much and as quickly as time ticks by, past the point of being assertive and touching aggressive behavior. I was uncomfortable with this behavior, all smiles trying to generate more sales. They are nice people though. Just look, and politely say no if you’re not interested.

Dim sum pricing in order of increasing prices are: $2.69, $3.29, $5.49, $6.58, $8.00.

Chris Huie, 31, head of one of the Bay Area's largest Chinese gambling organizations, was shot to death while dining with friends sitting near the window on the first floor on Tuesday, June 24, 2003 around 11:50pm, a block from police headquarters--making him the 53rd homicide for the year.

Take your time, it's best to go with a party of three or four then you can try out more different food items to share. There's a covered rice dish made with rice wine that's very tasty with complex flavors. The mango pudding with milk at the end finishes the meal quite well.

Best to go early before 11:00am for dim sum before the large crowds appear and finished by 2:30pm if not earlier.

Ballroom dancing with a live band on Tuesday, Wednesday, Fridays 7pm-10pm, dinner & dance $13-16 per person, dance only $8 per person. Credit cards accepted.

Daily 8am-midnight, free parking after 5pm-11pm with Aki Parking.

BART Oakland City Center 12th Street station exit 11th St.
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Steam table service offering items including fried rice, chow fun, chow mein, white rice, deep fried chicken leg (drumstick) and wings, curry chicken, sesame chicken, kung pao chicken, bitter melon, white fish, deep-fried flounder, and garlic catfish that is very tasty but too oily, best to get it when it first comes out. I like their long beans--when they have it--and their chow fun--if it looks appealing. If it's been sitting too long under the lamps, it dries up.

The way to shop is when you appear, quickly scan the steam table to see what looks good, visually appealing, and fresh.

This place used to be Economy Cafe, but was forced out of business from its new real estate owner. This place doesn't offer any atmosphere to speak of, but it offers food for a good price. You'll be full, may be satisfied, and it's easy on the pocketbook. The last few times I went, I wasn't happy with their food quality, tasting more spicy, they've been buying smaller drumstick legs while charging more for them. Try to go after 11am and before 5pm, early they're still setting up and not all the selections are available. Later on they're preparing to shut down so they're only selling what's left on the steam table and not making new batches of food. Try to go by at least an hour before closing, else you get only what's left.

Hours: 8am-6pm

BART Oakland City Center 12th Street station exit 11th St.
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Try to go before 11am or after 2pm, or else give your name and the number of people in your party and wait for your name to be called. Be prepared to share a table during busy periods.

It has changed owners, and the quality isn't as good. The bread isn't made fresh on the premises, instead it's brought in. The sauces used to taste better under the previous owner.

BART Oakland 19th Street station exit 19th St.

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Its food is quite good, though I was missing an orange slice on my combination plate; otherwise, everything else was fine. The teriyaki was tasty without being overly sweet. The batter on the tempura wasn't a light, airy batter, more heavy/dense. The portions were a little on the small side by American standards. However, I felt very satisfied with our meal, which included miso soup, small green salad, white rice, green tea, a large glass of ice water; I felt neither hungry nor stuffed afterward. The atmosphere inside was quiet and pleasant. Credit cards accepted.

Monday-Friday lunch 11:30am-3pm, dinner 4:30pm-8pm call for their current hours

BART Oakland 19th Street station exit 19th St.
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Mon-Fri 8am-2:45pm, salad bar opens 11:15am.

BART Oakland 19th Street station exit 20th St.
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I asked for rice, meat, whole beans (black or pinto), and fresh tomatoes. Avocado is available for an extra cost. I left out the salsa, raw onions, and cilantro, since I dislike those ingredients. My favorite meats are beef tongue, al pastor (pork), and smoked chicken burritos.

There's a shrimp soup listed in Spanish on the menu as "Cocktail de Camaron" I saw someone else order $7.75 that looks worthy of trying. There are also fresh-fruit drinks available when in season.

I've seen many local residents of Mexican descent frequenting the establishment. There are a couple of large television sets overhead with Hispanic programming. Street parking, credit cards accepted.

Monday to Thursday 10am-11pm, Friday and Saturday 9am-12am

BART Oakland Fruitvale station

AC Transit 47, 48, 54, 82, 82L

There's white tablecloth service. Tea incurs a charge per head. Service was terrible and the quality was okay, but not great, and it was pricey. Dim sum comes out on hand-carried trays or mostly on carts. You may order something else off a menu, and perhaps it will arrive before you decide to leave.

For dessert ask for mango pudding with milk. They don't bring this dish out on carts or trays.

Dim sum is best fresh, and it's best to be there before the crowds thin out for dim sum before 2pm or else you'll only get what's left for dim sum. Their BBQ pork buns are overly strong with rice wine.

We asked for two items and neither came. We asked for more hot water for the tea, as it was too strong, but the pot was just refilled with the tea leaves steeping in there even stronger. I've visited this place a few times, each time the service was poor.

Don't bother to tip, as they automatically add a 10% gratuity, even when it's not deserved here. When the credit card was given for payment, the person took it to another place, and it seemed like at least 5 minutes passed by before reappearing for my signature.

BART Oakland City Center 12th Street station exit 11th St.
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Open Mon-Fri 8am-6pm
BART Oakland 12th St./City Center

Item number 25 (pan-fried shrimp with chive dumplings) is very tasty and item number 26 (baked BBQ pork puffs with sesame seeds) is simply delightful to the taste buds. The crust is light, airy, and flaky, as it should be. There's also the foiled-wrapped chicken that's very good. The deep-fried flounder fillet was overcooked, too much coating--not recommended. The food quality in general is very good and the service is very good. Air-conditioned, credit cards accepted.

Daily 9am-3pm, 5pm-9:30pm

Items we ordered are item # 33 Xui Cao (Pork and Shrimp) Soup - XUICAO CAM TU, item # 64 Shrimp Egg Chow Fun, item # 112 Steamed Fillet of Sole with Black Bean Sauce but asked for Garlic Sauce to be substituted.

The dumplings are first briefly flash deep fried then added to the soup are in a word delicious. The shrimp egg chow fun with the eggs soft and runny, the way I like it, not cooked hard, also first rate. If you prefer, ask for the eggs cooked well. The steamed fish, is a whole fish not fillet, was good once the garlic sauce was scraped off as it was far too salty with it on. I went back and ask for it with scallions & ginger. The black bean sauce as was the garlic sauce would be overpowering, the scallions (green onions) & ginger was quite good with a mild taste, not overpowering nor overly salty. The fish was good and was free from a fishy taste.

The complimentary house tea was terrible for my tastes as they soak the tea leaves too long and reuse it causing it to have a bitter alkaline taste. Ideally, for Chinese tea, water should be just below boiling when and the leaves are added, soaked for only a few minutes and leaves removed prior to serving to keep from having a bitter taste.

I ordered beverage item # 10 fresh iced lemonade and it had too much sugar, not enough lemons or too much water and somehow missed the mark for a good tasting lemonade. Great high marks for the food, poor marks for their drinks, service was so-so.

On another visit the tea was acceptable.

Cash only. Daily 9:30am-9:30pm

Hours: Dim Sum 9am-3pm, Dinner 5pm-9:30pm

BART 12th St. City Center, exit 11th St.

Item 33: Xui Cao (Pork and Shrimp) Soup XUI CAO CAM TU $4.60, item 64: Shrimp Egg Chow Fun $5.35, and, item 112: Steamed Sole with Black Bean Sauce $6.99, are good choices.

The dumplings, briefly deep-flash-fried and then added to the soup, are delicious. I asked for the dumplings filled with shrimp only. The Shrimp Egg Chow Fun, with the eggs soft and runny, is the way I like it--also first-rate. If you prefer, ask for the eggs cooked well.

The steamed sole with black bean sauce has a strong, but acceptably salty, taste. I asked for scallions and ginger instead of black bean sauce. The order came out with black bean sauce, topped with green onions, steaming, and the sole was chopped into several sections. The order arrived after about 20 minutes depending on how busy the place is. Be careful of the fish bones, as it's a whole fish, not a fillet. I'd prefer the scallions and ginger be substituted for a lighter, more delicate flavor, as opposed to the stronger, pungent, salty taste.

Complimentary tea, house soup, and in this case, seaweed soup were served. It has a nice, light taste. This place has spoiled me with its dish offerings and raised my tastebuds to a pleasantly happy state.

The service is spotty, so make sure one of the staff knows you're here and where you're sitting. I sat down and waited a long while before the waitress noticed I was there and handed me a menu. But she never came back to take my order. The same waitress also made the wrong change and didn't notice that a hundred-dollar bill was given to her. As the people at a nearby table complained to her and asked if she noticed what was given to her for payment, at least half an hour went by, so I left.

Another visit proved somewhat more successful. I sat at a table adjacent to their service door--not recommended. They use the other end of the table I'm sitting at as a staging area for plates. I asked for item #112, Steamed Sole with Black Bean Sauce, substituted with scallions and ginger with oil and soy sauce, no black bean sauce.

The restroom has separate spaces for men and women, but it can accommodate only one person at a time. The toilet wobbled, and the toilet paper roll sat on top of the toilet tank cover.

Open daily 9:30am to 9:30pm

Fruit Oasis Cafe is located in a very tiny string of shops. It offers light snack food, sandwiches, noodles, rice clay pot (30-minute wait), a variety of Hong Kong style sweets, hot drinks, cold drinks, bubble tea drinks, special teas, fresh juice, ice treats, hot (i.e. steamed white fungus with papaya, taro coconut with tapioca, sweet potato soup) and cold (i.e. mango pudding, mango queendom) desserts, and specials on the wall mostly in Chinese, some in English.

This is a fairly small place, but it's open and shares space with another business of Chinese video entertainment.

It wasn't very busy when we went, a bit on the chilly side of this brightly lit, clean place, with Chinese videos displayed from the adjacent business.

I'd ordered an avocado milk shake that had a mildly sweet, milky taste, and a cold dessert, mango queendom, just because it sounded interesting. It has tapioca, mango, and bits of pink grapefruit sprinkled on top.

Daily 8am-midnight.

Huynh Vietnamese Cuisine serves Vietnamese food in an elegant setting of nice wood furniture. It was full for lunch, but, for dinner, it wasn't very busy when we went. Items number 17 (prawn, crab, and noodle soup) and number 104 (pan-fried red snapper with ginger fish sauce), and beverage items number 1 (French iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk) and number 9 (mango with crushed ice in light syrup) were ordered.

The crab was imitation crab and all right. The snapper was very tasty, but a little hot from the ginger, and be careful of the small fish bones. The iced coffee was very good. The mango smoothie was superb.

This place is very noisy when crowded.

Lunch Monday-Friday 11:30am-3pm

BART Oakland City Center 12th Street station exit 11th St.
511.org or >511 Transit Trip Planner

BART Oakland City Center 12th Street station exit 11th St.
511.org or >511 Transit Trip Planner

You can certainly get full, but after several visits, I got tired of the food choices and preferred to go elsewhere instead.

The place gets quite crowded, which is good for a buffet because the food turns over frequently instead of just sitting on the steam tables. There could be a queue for half an hour out the door to get in.

When crab legs are served, the long lines form for a few minutes until the crab legs are all gone.

I ordered Joe's Special off the white board. When I tasted it, it wasn't to my liking, but I wasn't complaining about it. Barry noticed that by my facial expression that I wasn't really happy with my selection, as I had set in my heart a more traditional type of breakfast but wanted to try something different. Barry took my order away and said to order something else. He wanted me to be happy with the meal. How's that for service?

Their banana shake is quite popular, but too sweet for my tastes. They have a breakfast special Monday through Friday 6am-10:30am of two eggs, hash browns or home fries, and toast for under $4. Try sharing an order of waffles with strawberries and whipped cream with someone, as it was too much food for one person. The waffle came looking dark, but wasn't burnt, which I was afraid of it being. It was quite good, just too much food for me afterwards. That would be my complaint--that some of the food portions are too much.

Barry runs the place like a factory, keeping it running smooth for the customers. You too will want to become a repeat customer and keep coming back for more. Say hello to Barry and tell him that I recommended it. It's how food quality and service should be. Ask your server for what specials are available. He also sells items not on the menu. Vitamins, for example. Just ask Barry. Ask him about Peter Island, also, if it's not busy and you have the time--seldom is it slow for Barry. If you're fortunate to get a window seat, it's also good for people watching during your visit.

Hours are Mondays through Saturdays 6am-9:30pm, Sundays 6am-7pm, credit cards accepted. Two public parking lots are available if you can't find street parking. The first parking lot is off of Santa Clara Ave/Webster St. behind the restaurant. The second parking lot one block over on Webster St/Taylor Ave. AC Transit bus lines 50, 51, 51M, 63, 325, O, W, WA.

The service is good, the food decent, but the background noise is bad. Try sitting up front where the noise level may be lower instead of the larger area near the rear parking entrance. Because the noise is so loud, I am downgrading the recommendation.

Tue-Sat 6am-9pm, Sun 7am-3pm, Mon6am-3pm. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Their pies are good, perhaps very good, but not great as the restaurant's name implies, in my opinion. I like their cream pies and their featured pie of the month.

This location serves breakfast all day, but not all locations do that. It gets very busy around 2am when the bar next door closes.

Hours: 6am-3am

The items I liked are the steamed dumplings with pork and leek; baked curry pork turnovers; and deep-fried, very oily, but very tasty, bean curd/tofu rolls sitting outside on top of the display case.

Be a little more adventurous. Sometimes I will ask them what each item is, and sometimes I ask them to suggest something. I like to occasionally try something I haven't had already; sometimes it's good, sometimes not good. But if you only stay with the items you already know you like and don't experiment a little every once in a while, you could go through your whole life and miss something nice. Expand your horizons. There's always something new on the horizon that may become a new favorite, but not if you don't try it. This place has their dough thicker on their dumplings and a little less expensive than Sun Sing Pastry.

Hours: 8:30am-5:30pm. Phone: (510) 834-9200.

Avoid the custard tarts here; the crust has too much water or has been handled too long, making the crust hard. I recommend Wonder Food Bakery for their custard tarts.

For Dim Sum Online ordering, you qualify for free delivery in the San Francisco Bay area with a $250 minimum, placed three days ahead, with cash on delivery.

There's a couple of small tables to sit and eat, but it's primarily for take out. This place tends to be a little more expensive than Tau Yuen Pastry, but the dough on their dumplings is thinner here.

Hours: 7:30am-6:30pm

This place has the best egg custard tarts, flaky crust, not overly cooked custard, still a little movement in the center when it first comes out hot. These tasty treats are located way in the back end of the bakery counter.

People wait for fresh batches of these coming out of the oven. And they go quickly most of the time. Often enough, I go there and there's none on the counter, or they're gone within 10 minutes after coming out of the oven.

Other items that I've purchased are pineapple bread buns, cream cones (not real whip cream), baked barbecue pork buns, large walnut cookies, cocktail buns, wives cookies, apple turnovers, and almond cookies. Seating is provided, but I usually just buy to go.

Once you taste how good these custard tarts are, you won't walk by the store again.

Sometimes I give one of these custard tarts to my coworkers or property manager--and she's allergic to a lot of foods--but she has no bad reaction to these and loves them, especially when they're still warm and fresh out of the oven. I have a fair chance of still getting some of these delicious custard tarts prior to 6pm, when the crowds have gone and I encounter what is probably the last tray of those custard tarts baked for the day. One time I went around 6:30pm and they were all sold out for that day and I was told to come back another day. Custard tarts don't start coming out of the oven till 9am when there's already a crowd of Chinese customers waiting for just that item.

Other items I liked are wives cookies, ham and corn pastry, ham and egg bread, pineapple bread, cocktail bun, and apple turnover.

Phone: (510) 893-4193

The entrance fee is currently set at $8, unless you preregister and print out their email with the portion for free entrance.

Shows had come around every three to eight weeks, usually on a Saturday, sometimes on a Sunday from 10am to 4pm. An email is sent to registered users three to five days prior to the show.

I personally like to go all the way to the end to check out the oranges there. Usually it's a little less expensive, though Chinatown nearby can often beat their prices. But the quality can be better - since it's direct from the grower, it's fresher. It's also good to just people-watch.

Telephone: (510) 745-7100

Fax: (510) 745-7180

Email urbanvillage@earthlink.net

California Certified Farmers Markets Search

BART Oakland 12th St. exit 11th St.

511.org or 511 TakeTransit Trip Planner

It's an alternative of getting across to the East Bay, and it's more tranquil being on the water. It's getting back to a simpler time. This was the main way of getting across the bay prior to the bridges and BART. When the 1989 San Francisco earthquake briefly shut down the Bay Bridge and BART, this ferry was one of several routes to cross the bay. The other way was by crossing the San Mateo Bridge.

The ferry makes stops at SF Pier 41, SF Ferry Building, SF Pacific Bell Park, Angel Island, Alameda 2990 Main St., Oakland's, and Jack London Square at Clay and Water Sts.

The current fareis $5.50 one way. Angel Island is round-trip $12.50. Multiple 10-, 20-, or 40-ride tickets lowers the cost per ride. Only full fare to Pacific Bell Park from the East Bay.

Telephone: (415) 705-5555

Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm

It's really a nicer, more comfortable way of watching a movie, as opposed to the typical theater, with tight rows and columns of seating and typical, limited menu choices. I did have trouble reading their menu in the dark, and the type-style and setting didn't help. Wednesdays is two-for-one admission.

Telephone: (510) 814-2400

AC Transit: 14, 15

I give a high-satisfaction rating for their great-tasting pastries. You look at the real whipped cream on the strawberry shortcake, and the strawberries are in season--real, sweet berries. You can smell the sweetness in the air, and you salivate in anticipation of tasting such a delight and feeling it in your mouth. You'll satisfy four of your senses.

Mon-Fri 7am-6pm, Sat 8am-5pm, Sun 9am-3:45pm

Telephone: (510) 658-1967
AC Transit 43

The website provides some recipes as well as links.

If you know someone of Scottish heritage and they're yearning for a taste for oat cakes--perhaps something to put on top also--browse through their food selection.

Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-7pm, Sun 10am-7pm

Telephone: (510) 891-9152
Fax: (510) 891-9157
Email

Phone: (510) 451-6157

The plaza was filled with people to enjoy the free concert on a sunny Saturday afternoon on the grass. Many brought portable chairs to be more comfortable than lying directly on the grass.

Nearby businesses and restaurants at or near the plaza provide the crowds with food and beverages. The smell of beer was in the air; someone was seeking signatures for another marijuana initiative.

People were well behaved. There were sponsors with business tents selling/promoting their products and services.

BART Oakland 12th St./City Center

BART Oakland 12th St./City Center, exit 13th St. to City Center.

BART Oakland 12th St., exit 13th St.

It can get pretty crowded, so going early before it gets packed is a good idea.

Fourth weekend of August, Sat-Sun 10am-6pm

Franklin St. from 7th-11th sts, 8th & 9th sts from Broadway-Harrison St.

Parking:
Oakland Convention Center, 11st St. between Broadway and Clay St.
Pacific Renaissance Building Underground Garage, Webster St. between 9th & 11th sts., fills up early

BART Oakland 12th St. City Center, exit 11th St.

Pacific Renaissance Plaza

Oakland Chinese Chamber of Commerce

388 9th Street, Oakland, CA 94607

Phone: (510) 893-8979 fax: (510) 893-8988

email: oaklandctchamber@aol.com

This place is much more pleasant to walk around than the more popularly Pier 39 in San Francisco, which is more like a zoo. If Jack London Square was more successful, it wouldn't be as nice to walk around in. It's mostly quiet solitude.

People jog, walk, and walk their dogs around the lake. There's Children's Fairyland entertainment for young children, $6 admission per person, Friday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm--weather permitting, check their website for current schedule and up to date information, no adult without a child admitted and no child without an adult admitted, phone (510) 452-2259 or general information (510) 238-6876, email operations@fairyland.org.

On sunny days, the lake is filled with boats from Lake Merritt Boating Center, 568 Bellevue Ave., Oakland, phone (510) 238-2196, email driley@oaklandnet.com.

Lake Merritt Rowing Club organizes competitive rowing.

There's a Sailboat House inside Lakeside Park,
568 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland.

There's a ring of lights helping with both appeal and safety for the evening.

Accessible by the BART Lake Merritt or 19th St. stations, or the AC Transit buses. Go to 511 Take Transit Trip Planner for travel needs.

There are lots of brand-name stores throughout the multilevel mall, including Nordstrom's, Macy's, JCPenney, and Sears, along with a multitude of dining places. It's very nice inside, clean, well lit, and just a nice overall experience.

There's a free gift promotion for visitors and their guests showing their photo ID at the information booth, proving they live 50 or more miles away.

Outside, just make sure to note where your vehicle is parked and the entrance into the mall so you can find your vehicle, as there wasn't any lighting in the huge multilevel parking lots after dark, and we spent nearly half an hour trying to find it. Putting outdoor lighting at dusk would be an improvement, also.

Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 10am-9pm, Sun 11am-6pm
Mall walkers: Mon-Sat opens 7:30am, Sun opens 8am

Phone: (925) 463-2778

511.org> or >511 Transit Trip Planner

Sun-Thurs 9am-10pm, Fri-Sat 9am-11pm

Phone: (510) 272-0120

511.org or >511 Transit Trip Planner

They have some really low prices. But this comes at a cost. The workers aren't paid a decent living wage, so the workers may apply for subsidized income through the state. At the same time, some of the richest people are the Wal-Mart family. If you buy here, then you support this philosophy. The lines can be quite long at times.

Phone: (510) 569-0200

511.org or >511 Transit Trip Planner

They offer free food samples at times so you can try and buy if you like it enough. I got hooked on Jimmie's potstickers here by tasting a sample, but then they dropped them because of low sales--never mind that they were superior to Ling Ling potstickers, which they still sell. They're not nearly as tasty and small in comparison, but they sell better.

Membership starts at $45/year.

Telephone: (510) 562-5580

511.org or >511 Transit Trip Planner

Once you purchase your food, there's open seating inside where you can eat your food. There are a few tables outside if you want to take advantage of the sun and the outdoors. This place is most busy on weekends. Good place to people-watch.

Other businesses in this complex include Borders Books and Mr. Wicker's Wicker Furniture.

A shuttle, Emery Go-Round, is available from MacArthur BART station weekdays 5:50am to 9:50pm. The Shopper Express is available Saturday from 9:15am to 9pm and Sunday from 10:15am to 7:30pm. You can take the City Loop Saturday from 10am to 5:30pm. Check the link for current schedules.

Mon-Sat 7am-9pm, Sun 7am-8pm

Telephone: (510) 652-9300

There are system maps in every car to track your progress as you go by the stations. The stations may be underground or overhead, depending on how built-up the area is.

It helps relieve traffic on the overly congested streets and freeways. Some stations offer parking. Cost is based on distance. As fuel costs increase, BART is a viable alternative. Bicycles are permitted within limitations.

They offer a great travel tool for people with PDAs with a downloadable program, QuickPlanner.

The best value of your BART fare is to go to a retail vendor selling blue, high-value BART tickets, such as Long's Drugs and Safeway supermarkets.

Each rider must have his or her own ticket unless he or she is under five years old.

The schedule varies depending on the line and day of the week.

Local service is available to Oakland International Airport via AC Transit Line 50. From BART, get off at Oakland Coliseum Station and transfer onto AC Transit Line 50 for $1.50.
AirBART fare is $2 adult; $.50 children (11 and under), seniors (over 65) and disabled (with ID).

Ask the driver to verify that their destination is the airport. Occasionally, the sign on the bus isn't correct, so it's good to check. The other direction is to Eastmont Transit Center transfer point to another line towards your destination.

There are escalators and elevators available, but they're not always working. For status call: (510) 834-LIFT or (888) 235-3828.

Phone: (510) 465-2278.

Pacific Renaissance Plaza represents the focal point, with several businesses, including Bank of America, Charles Schwab, several restaurants, Asian Branch Public Library at the street level, residential housing above, and a parking garage for the public below.

Pedestrian traffic with automobile traffic was so bad at 8th and Webster streets that the city planners converted the traffic signals so that each signal gives either autos complete right of way or the pedestrians from 7am to 7pm. The pedestrians can cross diagonally and it's the only intersection done this way.

The streets can get very crowded as people go out shopping for groceries, dining, and walking about with family, kids, and seniors all milling about. You can go into one of the places selling food to go - eat as you walk down the street - or choose any of the restaurants available in the area for a sit-down meal.

If you're interested in sitting down for dim sum, some places are more expensive than others and some are better in food quality, service, or both. These places tend to fill up by 11 or 11:30am, so getting seated earlier is recommended. If you go after 1pm, when things may not be so busy, your choices may be limited to what they have left, even if they're still open.

There are stores to shop for food and groceries alongside hardware stores, business and healthcare services, restaurants, pharmacies, residential housing, elderly care services, schools, a public park, the public transportation AC Transit, and the BART 12th St City Center.

Restrooms are restricted to residents with a swipe card for access.

Pacific Renaissance Plaza

388 9th St., 229, Oakland, CA 94607

(510) 251-6440 Construction
(510) 251-6445 Owners Association
(510) 251-6448 Property Management Sales
(510) 251-6449 Security
(510) 251-6450 Parking Garage

There's inside seating as you wait for your train, though not on the old wooden benches of yesteryear where people may stretch our and be able to take a nap. This station was built replacing the old station damaged after the 1989 earthquake and relocated to its current location at Jack London Square, which is a more convenient location and away from its older industrial location where the damage was too expensive for them to restore or repair. The replacement station is designed to not allow people to stretch out and take a nap. I wouldn't want to be inside the waiting area should the next big earthquake hit, as this is a house of glass.

Train travel used to be much more common as a way of transport between cities before the private automobile eroded its ridership. It's a shame that more people don't use this as a mode of travel. I enjoy riding the train in the dining car, especially if the food isn't just pre-packaged and heated in the microwave.

Train service shows three routes: Capitol Corridor, Coast Starlight, and San Joanquins through this location. The train is frequently late, as passenger service doesn't take priority over cargo on the same tracks.

There's public restroom access, public payphone, and assistance with your baggage during the baggage hours of business. There are feeder bus services from other places via Amtrak.

Station hours daily 5:15am to 11pm, ticketing and Quik Trak 5:20am to 10:30pm, and checked baggage 6:15am to 9pm

Public transportation: BART Lake Merritt, AC Transit 72, 72M, 511.org for travel information resource.

245 Second St, Oakland, CA 94607

Phone: (800) USA-RAIL ( (800) 872-7245)

It replaces previous service from the Key System, buses, horse-drawn rail, electric streetcars, and ferries, though ferry service is still available.

Local service is available to Oakland International Airport via Line 50. From BART, get off at Oakland Coliseum Station and transfer onto Line 50.

Ask the driver to verify that their destination is the airport. Occasionally, the sign on the bus isn't correct so it's good to check. The other direction is to Eastmont Transit Center transfer point to another line towards your destination. Lines 40, 40L, NL will go to 14th and Broadway, downtown Oakland. Consult 511.org for current up-to-date travel needs.

Line 805 Night Owl Service to go from Oakland International airport to downtown Oakland during their hourly night service only. It's a very good line for an early morning departure out of Oakland International Airport, as it's fairly quick with limited stops.

Local adult fare is $1.75, local transfer is an extra $0.25; issued at the time, the fare is paid upon boarding and good for one use within 1.5 hours. Transbay fare for an adult is $3.50, while a transfer for Transbay service is free. Check website for current fares and schedules.

Service keeps getting reduced due to budget constraints.

511.org provides travel information resources for the bay area.

Oakland Location
1600 Franklin Street (ground floor)
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: (510) 891-4706 Customer servcie/lost items turned in

San Francisco TransBay Terminal Location
425 Mission Street
Transbay Terminal
San Francisco, CA 94105

Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-7pm, Sat, Sun, holidays—9am-5pm
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day
Phone AC Transit at +1.510.817.1717, or 511 for information, or go to 511 TakeTransit Trip Planner.

It is indeed secondary compared to SFO. It's considerably smaller in size and traffic, and though it's expanded, still doesn't compared to SFO. That said, I prefer to leave out of OAK for its smaller, easier in-and-out facilities, compared to SFO.

It doesn't have a BART connection close-by like SFO, but for public transportation, there's the AirBART bus or AC Transit 50 to connect you to BART or elsewhere. AC Transit 805 offers hourly night service to downtown Oakland.

There are other forms of ground transportation, including shuttle buses/vans, taxis, and car rentals.

The TSA-Transportation Security Administration has stepped up security screening to make travel more of a hassle to get through. My advice is to travel light, with only one or two carry-ons that are within your airline's guidelines of a carry-on. Take all metal objects off your body, including coins, keys, pagers, and mobile phones, as well as your jacket or coat, as you'll need to take off your outerwear and be prepared for additional screenings and general hassle.

If you're going to the airport, get something to eat and drink prior to arriving at the airport, as food and drink at the airport is more expensive. Bring a book to read.