Chef Lin Top Cafe

I dove in this place today, as I literally had the «shakes» and needed a quick lunch meal. The char-​siu won ton mein was basic and satisfying, although the salt level made me feel my own veins constricting. Thoughts of a boba-​tea appeared. The price was reasonable for this bowl of eats. The place is semi-​clean. There is nothing overtly special about this place, except it got the job done with my food intake.

Came here to get takeout for dinner, and was in and out in less than 10 minutes! The waitress was also very nice and gave me a cup of tea to drink while I waited.
The food is pretty average. Wasn’t too greasy, but wasn’t super impressive either. Ordered the walnut prawns, and though they were pretty cheap (only $ 7!), there was a little too much mayo on the shrimp for my taste. The prices were very cheap though, at around $ 7 an entrée, and if you come here for lunch, the 3 for $ 16.99 deal is even better!
And they use biodegradable packaging, which is a nice gesture!

Been back a couple times. The oyster/​roasted pork clay pot was mostly tofu unfortunately. The mixed vegetables was 90% bok choy. Also they give you a menu at dinner time with 3 dishes for $ 16.99 but after you order the waitress tells you that the 3 dishes are for lunch time only. Really?

Went for takeout craving walnut prawns.
The prawns are quite good and a large portion for only $ 7. I’ve paid $ 11.50 at many other places for a nearly identical plate. The price alone is enough to bring me back.
I also ordered garlic bok choy that was not very garlicky, but good anyways, and a very large portion for $ 6.50.
The wait was less than 10 minutes, just long enough for me to drink most of a cup of hot complementary tea and notice how clean the dining area was.
Over all an excellent experience. :-)

The lunch menu is amazing! 3 full size entrees for $ 15 (shared family style, of course). I recommend the fish clay pot, oysters (steamed and topped with scallions and black bean sauce), and fried rice. Nothing is greasier than it should be, and the tastes are right on. If you’re eating solo, there are also single lunch plates for $ 5 – 6.
At first glance, the restaurant seems a bit run down, only slightly above par with other hole in the wall type places in Oakland’s Chinatown, but further inspection reveals well-​kept seafood tanks, and clean tables. The food comes out quickly and piping hot, and the service is exceptional.
Come with some buddies, and you’ll roll yourself happily back to work afterwards.
ps — If there’s something you want that you don’t see on menu, just ask and they will accommodate.

Ran in here after a last minute Unilocal!check and saw some decent reviews.
I was running late to my Christmas party and i was bringing the rice plate!
I called in earlier saying that i will be in at noon, yes they had my ticket ready to go and had my 3 orders of fried rice to go in 10 minutes.
After looking around, i saw that this place was pretty nice. Fresh sea food, fish and dungenes crabs in a tank.
while waiting, they gave me a bowl of hot and sour soup. Pretty good, not all loaded with msg, as some times you can taste it.
My rice came up and i was out the door.
The rice plate was tasty and had everything in it, shrimp, calamari, and others tasty things. A good decent dish.
I’m coming back with my wife to see what else they got cooking in the back.

Good no nonsense eats here. My server had great advice and was very pleasant. I went in at dinner time, and there were lots of tables to be had. I bet they are busy busy at lunch time.
Good hot/​sour soup, beef and ginger lo-​mien and chicken w/​string bean. (see pics) ;0)
Next time I will try the lo-​mien with wonton.
Oh ya, and the portions are hugemoungous! Dinner and lunch for the next day.

I have been here a few times, and I am pleased with the food. I have tried the Mongolian beef and the lemon chicken. Both were great, and came with rice and soup. The price is very cheap, with the lunch specials ranging from 5 – 6 dollars.
I will be returning here.

Had an interesting experience at this place with some friends this past week. At the end of the meal we boxed up our leftovers, but when we asked for a box for the rice, the server said that they did not charge for the rice so we could not take it. We left with 2 questions: (1) What do they do with the leftover rice? (they can’t serve it to someone else — can they? I think the health dept. would have something to say about that. (2) I wonder where the rice we were served came from? This was plain WEIRD. I have eaten at hundreds of Chinese restaurants and this has never happened before. The sad part is that the food was very good and the prices were very reasonable. One friend thought they might use the rice for staff meals? I hope this is the reason. I don’t think I will be ordering fried rice if I ever go back.

I think that my review may be influenced by their AMAZING service.
The food… NOT bad either =)
No, actually the food was quite good.
Here is the scoop, our waitress worked so hard to meet out need for dumpings (no they didn’t have any on the menu) she kindly suggested the wonton soup and other items on the menu.
Enter the black pepper squid, beef chow fun and braised veggies. We did not even miss dumplings! Two pots of tea and a surprise dessert later, we were full to the gills.
Thank you, thank you Chef Lin for a filling and satisfying meal.

I came here for my pre chinese new year dinner with my family. We were the only table here that night which was extremely awkward. Albeit, we would have better service and better quality food since there is no urgency to serve others but still… weird. I didnt pick this place so whatever.
The dishes were all ok and I particulary enjoyed their chicken and string bean, and seafood (catfish and tofu) that night. The other dishes were all ok and up to par. Its a bit secluded here since this is outside of chinatown where all the business is so if you prefer a quiet dinner and some decent chinese food this is an ok place.

This place was highly recommended so a group of us went for lunch. I asked for «low oil». The green bean and pork dish I got was anything but – super greasy. My daughter’s dish was no better – a noodle dish, very oily and bland. This place is no better than any Chinese restaurant in a mall – it’s greasy and bland. Save yourself $ 10 and a stomach ache and walk on past this restaurant.

Went here with 5 other coworkers for lunch today. Pretty standard menu (unless you read the other Unilocal reviews), but EXCELLENT SERVICE for a Chinese restaurant. Huge portions. Our group was in and out of there in under an hour and everyone took leftovers home.
I had the lamb clay pot and it was as good or better than when I had it in China. Lamb was tender and not too strong and perfectly cooked. The broth was wonderfully spiced with star anise and … not sure what else, but it was damn good. The napa cabbage in the bottom of the pot was cooked perfect — cooked, with some crunch and not stinky at all. I sorta wished there was more, but then again you always want more of a good thing.
Also got the hot and sour soup as part of the lunch appetizer thing. One of the better ones with very, very good tofu in it.
Can’t wait to go again!

Best Chinese food in the Bay Area, no doubt.

Walked by this place and figured that I was hungry, I love beef and I was in a fun mood so why not try their BEEF CHOW FUN!!! Ok. that was a lame joke.
Attempted this place twice and ordered the same thing, Beef Chow Fun. Chinese food is always mediocre to me, so I didn’t expect much from it.
Wait for the BUT…
BUTTTTT this place is a bit different. First time I came in, I ordered to go and sat down and waited for my food. The waitress actually served us water while we waited. This might not seem like a HUGE deal, but I cannot recall the last time I got a REFILL on water dining in, in an ASIAN restaurant– let alone a drink while waiting!
Second time I came back, my friend and I counted 8 tables and 1 waitress. We got our water/​tea, food, and bill in a timely manner. I asked for extra peppers and she got it for me right away. I wanted to shake her hand because she took care of everyone with ease. What a trooper.
Oh yea… LUNCH MENU is only FIVE BUCKS! Can you say. «Winner Winner, BEEF CHOW FUN, DINNER!!!» Woo hoo!

Talk about big portions and good service! Most cheap chinese restaurants in the Bay can provide food but their services suck! Not Chef Lin Top. Not only was I greeted with warmth but they also catered to my request in a timely fashion. When my cup of water was low, they immediately filled it up. I didnt even have to open the lid on the tea pot for them to refill!
Their portions are ridicously large. The best thing to order on the menu would be their $ 16.99 special which includes 3 dishes (from 48 items) with soup. Rice is an extra charge. I ordered the fabulous trio which consist of:
1. Roast pork belly with preserved vegetables (#46 written in Chinese)
2. Crispy Chicken with Garlic
3. Combination (1000yr old and Salt) eggs over spinach
With a limited lunch hour during work, I received my orders in matter of minutes. Everything was SOOOO delicious that I ate so much I had to take a nap after lunch in the server room.
I will definitely be back for a fabulous tasting.

I wanted to have Chinese for lunch to celebrate the New Year. My coworker and I decided to try Chef Lin Top Café since it’s a few blocks from the office. Of course, I read my fellow Unilocalers reviews. I was excited to try a new place, and was hopeful it wasn’t going too crowded.
Upon walking in, we noticed several tables available. I was suprised that it wasn’t packed with people, but am not complaining since I was starving! We were seated right away, and upon looking at their menu, there were many $ 5 lunch specials (egg roll, cup of hot and sour soup, and main dish). Our server came by to take our order, and I greeted her with ‘Gung Hay Fat Choy.’ She was surprised by the greeting, but she smiled and greeted me right back. We were in the noodley, long life mood, so we chose the beef lo mein (crispy noodles, adequate and tender slices of beef, and a few greens) and the chicken chow mein (garlicky white sauce, which wasn’t too creamy or garlicky, and chicken was very tender and flavorful). Generous noodle portions (so we took the leftovers home) and neither dish was uberly greasy and did I mention that each dish was only $ 6.95!
This place is small and pretty clean. Service is good and efficient. Prices are very reasonable! I’ll definitely be back to Chef Lin, and try a lunch special!

Now I’ve got to admit, this is one of the few places in Oakland’s Chinatown I’ll still eat. I’ve encountered too much crap at some of the other spots…
The reason I don’t give this place 5 stars is cuz I’m not a fan of their misleading menu. The 3 item menu shows a special price of like $ 16.99; but that price is only valid for lunch. At dinner, each item is like $ 6 or something. While the price difference isn’t very significant, I still felt gypped the first time. Oh, and NO ALCOHOL served! My bro tried to get a beer one time and was told he could go pick one up from the liquor store on the corner and bring it in… LOL!
Anyway, aside from that, the food is fantastic! Friendly staff, fairly attentive service, and phenomenal portions! It is definitely worth the price. And while Chef Lin Top Café may be slightly more expensive than your typical hole-​in-​the-​wall Chinese restaurant, the portions and flavor clearly make up for it. You definitely can’t go wrong with their Bay Fung Tong Shrimp; that’s definitely my favorite dish there! Location is okay — right across the street from that sketchy ‘adult book store.’ But at least the restaurant is always nice and clean!

I pass by this place all the time but finally decided to venture in when our group of 4 needed a lunch venue. Always eager to try something new we were pleasantly surprised by the clean well lit décor (you never know what you’ll get in OAK Chinatown).
We went family style to take advantage of the 3 dishes for $ 15.99, and includes soup. The selection was quite extensive unlike other places that limit you to kung pao chicken and beef broccoli. We tried the Honey Walnut Prawns, Green Beans with Chicken, and Seafood Claypot.
The prawns were decent — I think everyone got at least 4 or 5 shrimps. The green beans were a big plateful and cooked to still give a little crunch. The Claypot was the surprise favorite though. It was saucy, with tofu, mushrooms, scallops, shrimp, squid and cabbage.
I would definitely go back for lunch. 3 dishes, 4 people, and everyone left satisfied.

when i entered this restaurant, an hello kitty greeted me while the «waitress» slept at a side table. the cooks were leisurely reading newspapers. this was 4:30ish. was going to order take out but the 3 dish special is now 16.99, up a buck.
i noticed the $ 48 wor choy had 2 seafood items, the rest being meat and veggie. (fortune has at least 4 seafood itmes, including crab for $ 48).
tried the seafood chow fun (3.99) special 3 – 6 and the hong kong tea (1.25). the tea was pretty good. the bland chow fun had 3 pieces of tasteless scallop, 3 large tasty shrimps, some pieces of squid, and several large pieces of bok choy. there are 5 varieties of chow fun/​chow mein (3.99) to choose from. there are also noodle dishes (2.50) regular tea was comped. fwiw. the chow fun was the soupy style, not the dry fried (greasy) style.
the bathroom was clean as was the dining room.
3 star rating for value only. blandness curable by adding chile saue & soy sauce.
con:
meter persons are very active in downtown oaktown. make sure your meter has been fed before you stuff yourself.