I’d been going to Gum Wah since as far back as 1987. They were destroyed in a fire as far as I know. Where should I go now in Oakland Chinatown. I have only visited twice in the past year to buy fresh noodles at Yuen Hop.
Overall for Chinese roasted meats we like C&M Bistro or New Gold Medal.
At C&M Bistro we especially like the char shiu (half lean, half fatty) and the roasted pork belly.
Roast duck is good at both places. I don’t find one much better than the other.
I really liked the roast duck from New Tin’s Market I had a while ago, but that was from a friend who knows the owners pretty well. It seemed better than ones we’ve bought ourselves in the past.
We don’t buy roast pork that often as we’re pretty picky and only like it when it’s pretty fresh from the oven.
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I haven’t been since lockdown but check out Gum Kuo as well in the Pacific Renaissance Plaza.
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I’ve tried the box lunches at Big Dish at 339 9th Street which probably has the lowest prices in Oakland Chinatown. Barbecue or roasted pork over rice and steamed cabbage for $7 including tax and is very tasty. The roasted duck lunches were hit-and-miss with some portions being more generous than others. I do like their stuffed tofu skin rolls and chow mein. They sometimes do have a woman working the chopping stand, the only female I’ve seen do this work in the area.
C&M in the Pacific Renaissance Plaza does have a bargain box lunch of barbecue pork over rice and broccoli for $5 including tax which I would then eat on one of the benches surrounding the fountain in the center of the plaza.
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I like the BBQ/Roast Meats at Gum Kuo as well.
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Gum Kuo is good. They do turkeys for Thanksgiving.
Also Sun Hing, 386 8th, across from New Gold Medal. Mom and Pop shop, I think it’s a father and son operation.
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Luke Tsai just posted an updated listed of 26 Outstanding Chinese Restaurants in the East Bay and they are numbered according to their location from north to south, not numbered according to quality. The ones in Oakland Chinatown that are noted for their roasted meats are:
- Gum Kuo
The menu is unreasonably long at this Chinatown classic for Cantonese comfort food, so stick to the best stuff: congee (with doughnuts, of course), rice noodle rolls, roast pork, and roast duck.
- New Gold Medal
This is the most reliably excellent all-purpose Cantonese restaurant in Oakland. It’s open late (albeit not as late during the pandemic), and there are few duds on the menu despite its daunting length. Go here for classics like beef chow fun, crispy Hong Kong-style chow mein, barbecued meats, and shrimp over scrambled egg.
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I was in Oakland Chinatown this morning buying BBQ pork buns and walked by Gum Ko in the Plaza and show a window full of wonderful items. Did not buy any but I have before and found them good. I did not noticed if New Gold Medal was still open but there Roast Duck was one my favorites.
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On a recent Sunday afternoon, I got the roast duck box from C&M Bistro for $5.99 available from 4-8 pm.
Roast duck box lunch from Big Dish at 339 9th Street in Oakland Chinatown, $8, including tax, cash only. Also roast pork, bbq pork, soy sauce chicken for about $7 or so. There is a separate line for dim sum, including a solid small plate of 3 stuffed tofu skin rolls
I got the duck box at a little before noon on a weekday and there was no line. The box comes with protein, rice and cabbage with the option of adding a sweet sauce but I usually ask them to skip the rice and scoop some extra cabbage so I can cut down on the carbs and load up on the cruciferous.
The duck was tasty, the portion generous with hints of 5 spice but this particular bird needed more time in the oven to better render the fat and crisp the skin. Otherwise, my previous meals at Big Dish have uniformly satisfying. Their pork dishes have been pretty consistent. For what you get, Big Dish may be the lowest cost deli in the area.
Big Dish
339 9th Street (a few doors east of Webster St.)
Oakland
open everyday 8 am - 5 pm
(510)839-3188
cash only
Here is a 2-minute slideshow made with photos that I took:
