Draline Tong Herbs

Henry is a douche. He prefers to cater to non-​Asians, probably because he can rip them off.

Henry is excellent. I was treated for really bad poison oak and the herbs cleared it up and stopped the insane itching without steroids :)

This place is great! They have all the herbs you need!

Henry is great with both diagnosis and prescription of herbal medicine.

I woke up this morning and realized I need to log in to Unilocal and thank Henry! He just cured me of a bad sinus infection with herbs… last year, I needed antibiotics for the exact same thing. And the other herbs he has been giving me for more chronic issues (energy, focus, etc.) have made a real difference for me in the last 3 months. I’ve been to lots of acupuncturists and herbalists over 20 years and Henry is clearly among the very best. He is old school Chinese: no appointments, you just walk in and he takes you into the back room, he checks you out and talks, then he gets your herbs. Thank you Henry!

You can tell Henry knows wassup. He’s definitely very concerned to know everything about your condition, as well as being very welcoming and kind. He has great energy and he is VERY affordable. He cured a set of symptoms I’d been suffering for over a month in one boil of the amazing herbs and I haven’t had an issue since. I kind of feel like my Western doctor is a waste of time and money. Any negative reviewers are probably negative people. I saw a diverse group of clientele which lets me know he is one of Oakland’s best kept secrets.

I call this place Uncle Henry’s…because he is the uncle of my acupuncturist and that is what she refers to the place as. I probably shouldn’t call him Uncle Henry as I look super white, but he has that healing vibe that you would want of an herbalist uncle.
It’s still $ 30 for 3 packets and consultation, and that will last you over a week. The last time I went there I was looking for a tea pill blend that my acu was out of at the time, and it only cost $ 6 for a little more than a week’s worth of pills.
I think it is cash only? Maybe I just assume most places in Chinatown want cash only.
Yes, the herbs are from their family in China, and they use the strictest manufacturing processes and I believe I have been told no pesticides.

Excellent resource for accessible and affordable traditional medical care! My consultation was very quick and easy, and I was given a weeks worth of herbs for $ 6! My condition improved after two days and completely resolved before the end of the week. Highly recommended!

I am disturbed to see the petty negative reviews here, and find them to be untrue and disrespectful. Henry is a first rate and respected practitioner of Chinese medicine. He has quickly and easily helped to heal many of my considerable health problems over the years. I have found him to be highly knowledgeable, reliable, and honest. I have used his services faithfully for over 20 years on and off. Please do not be put off. The rates you pay for herbs are ridiculously cheap compared to western medicine and much more effective and holistic. It may take a little longer to treat chronic conditions but it goes to the root of the problem and not just addressing superficial symptoms. I give Henry my highest rating and respect.

I wanted to take time and write a review because I feel so lucky that I found this guy. I use to have very serious migraines on regular basis. The migraine started a few years ago. One side of my head and eyeball would hurt sooooooo bad that I couldn’t do anything all day. I would also get blurry vision on one eye for a few hours, feel nauseous and throw up several times whenever I get migraines. It is just so terrible that I was so miserable whenever I get migraines. I found this herb place and had a consultation, got the herbs. Tried it for a month and my severe migraine has been GONE!!! I had seen other herbalists and got acupunctures before this place and they all didn’t work. I highly recommend this place if you have migraine issue!

Henry & his staff provide a valuable resource to the community. If it’s the weekend, and you’ve suddenly fallen ill and your doctor is unavailable (or you don’t even have one or it takes forever to get an appointment) then you will be glad that a place like Draline Tong exists! While all California acupuncturists are also herbalists, some people are afraid for whatever reason of needles (though most will happily treat you with herbs only) and so this would be another reason to speak with Henry.

My number one source for healing. I’ve used Henry’s medicine for low kidney (yin) energy from being overworked, a strep bacterial infection on my face, general body aches and common colds. Amazing price for amazing wisdom! He will read your pulses, your energetic field and your tongue. Ask questions if you have any! Otherwise he is mostly silent about the whole thing and just makes you what you need.

This Chinese herbal pharmacy is legit. There is a huge selection, and Henry seems like an honest man. I requested a specific formula that he did not carry, and so I asked if he had anything similar. Instead of peddling me something else, knowing my needs he told me I should keep searching for that formula. And even recommended other places to try!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you are taking a huge chance at wasting your money and time here and being ripped off. Henry is sneaky and greedy.
First, the good news and the two stars. Draline Tong (retail outlet of family-​owned Chinese herb wholesaler NuHerbs Co.) generally sells good quality herbs, pills, and other items in the shop. In other words, all items in the shop are distributed there at COST by parent company NuHerbs.
However, getting good service from Henry is hit or miss. If you have a «connection» with him or have enough money to get him excited, you will likely receive genuine help (at least for a short time) from him, who I believe does have substantial and deep knowledge of herbs and Chinese medicine.
If you are going there simply based on Unilocal reviews, you’ll likely get SHAFTED if you don’t know EXACTLY what you’re looking for and how much a fair price is. For example, I have been told by a very reliable source that Henry has regularly written prescriptions for patients (especially non-​Chinese speaking/​reading patients) that are not specific to their situation, whatever it may be. He ends up writing some generic formula that will not hurt the patient, but certainly won’t help the patient. It’s a gray area that he loves to exploit.
When it comes to paying, like with many things in Chinatown, there’s room to negotiate. Anything without a price tag can be and SHOULD BE negotiated. Here was my latest experience with Henry when re-​filling a hand-​written prescription from my acupuncturist. I originally filled the prescription there three weeks ago.
Me: How much would it be for one pack («serving») of (raw) herbs? (I hand him my prescription.)
Henry: (after calculating on the abacus) Five dollars.
Me: Last time I think you charged me $ 4/​pack for the same formula.
Henry: nods his head
Me: Can we do $ 4 again?
Henry: nods his head
Me: Let’s do three packs then.
I leave to do an errand and return.
Me: It’s $ 4 a pack, right?
Henry: nods his head
I give him a $ 20 bill.
Henry gives me change: a $ 5 bill
I wasn’t feeling well, so I didn’t think much of it until I left the shop. I was too tired to go back and ask for $ 3… If he’s this sketchy for $ 3, just imagine what he’ll do for situations that involve even slightly larger sums of money! Like a consultation!
My background: I have been studying Chinese language and culture and informally studying Traditional Chinese medicine for over 20 years. During this whole time I have been dealing with Henry on and off. I banned going to get herbs from him for years and came back to see if anything had changed.
IT HAS NOT.
If you need Chinese herbs, go check out Shen Nong Herbs in Berkeley or the Shen Clinic in Albany. On principle alone, I just can’t go back to Henry or Draline Tong Herbs anymore. You have been warned.

It’s been almost 2 years since my nasal surgery, my surgeon said I needed another surgery, well Per my last posting I have no nasal issues. I didn’t go for the surgery just Henry’s herbs.
I can now say you owe it to yourself Do The Herbs Before You Do The Surgery!!! I can’t tell you how happy I am I tried this because this is the only thing that worked for me, not even the surgery cured the nasal polyps.

I can’t expalin it, but after 4 miscarriages, I thought I would never have another child, after my first child– a daughter.
Henry was highly recommended to me and after 4 months of his magical herbs, I not only held onto my next baby and gave birth to a healthy little boy, I had another boy 18 months later!
I was terrified to use herbs in my first trimester and it was immense trust and belief in Henry to take this «risk». However, Henry is a third generation Chinese doctor (herbologist) and I felt he could help me.
Through his help, Henry made my body strong enough to hold my baby, which I could not do before. Incidentally, this little boy is an excellent sportsperson and a gifted, A++ student (he is now 13) and so the herbs certainly did not effect this child’s brain!
I now use Henry for all my illnesses and I refer clients to him and have heard simialr success stories. I hear he is wonderful for women going through menopause too:)

Until recently, I never had any personal experience with the concept of allergies. Sure, eggplant makes me itch on my forearms, but that’s just a small matter which I sometimes ignore. I didn’t have any familiarity with allergic rhinitis or anaphylaxis inducing agents, except for reading about them and making flashcards in Immunology. Those commercials of people brooding in the corner on a nice spring day while healthy people prance around and hold hands in a verdant meadow never made sense to me. Oh my, has my body changed.
Seemingly overnight, my mast cells, histamines, basophils, IgE antibodies, and all those other fancy immunologic workhorses awoke from a 27 year dormancy and sprung into action like a small guerrilla army. I literally had no idea what was happening, and had to consult with several friends who deal with allergies. Weeping eyes, super stuffed sinuses, sneezing, coupled with a high pollen count. Yep, I was definitely not in Kansas anymore, and I would have given anything to click my red heels to return to my pre-​allergy state. I began taking Claritin and some OTC mast cell inhibitor eyedrops from Walgreens, and while I still endorse the eyedrops, I really hated Claritin. The dry mouth side effect had me feeling like I was hanging with Snoop and Cypress Hill all day, and I didn’t even get the munchies. After finishing my last box of Claritin, I knew I wanted to try a Chinese herbalist and soon found Henry at Draline Tong.
I walked in with pretty bad allergies and really low energy, and had a quick consultation with Henry who asked what was going on, and even had a third eye for some things I was dealing with that I didn’t mention because I was just focusing on the allergies. He examined my tongue (nota bene-don’t eat jelly bellies beforehand Iike I did), and palpated my radial pulses, and soon wrote out an extensive tea concoction which he spent a lot of time both in considering what to put in, and making the sachets themselves. All of this was $ 30 (consultation and six days worth of teas), and the effect on my breathing and other sx was almost immediate, and after about two weeks of finishing the teas, I haven’t had the need to pop any Claritin. So, this was the best money ever I ever spent and most gratifying healthcare experience that I’ve ever had. I am now prancing in meadows again and singing the praises of Henry through my open window (which had been shut to keep the pollen out.)
Really, he’s Oakland’s best kept secret and a lifesaver. See him soon and be well.

I have had chronic migraines for years and thanks to Henry I have been migraine free for 12 days today– getting better every week. I feel like I am getting my life back. Henry is the real deal. He is a third generation herbalist and has been in this location for 35 years. He is convinced he can get rid of my migraines completely… Now, that would be something. GO see Henry.

I been going here for a long time and henry is nice he just ask where I hurt and he give me the herbs

I’ve been going here on a semi-​regular basis (at least once a month) for herbs to help with my severe allergies, cold symptoms, and/​or asthma for almost two years now. Henry’s herbs always do the trick to clear up my symptoms and get me feeling in top shape right away. He will tell you to go to a Western doc if he really can’t help. He wants to see people be well.
Draline Tong has a good selection of over-​the-​counter medicines and various packets of cured herbs for sale, and Henry is always willing to explain what things are for, or make a recommendation if you ask. I’ve also seen students from the nearby school of TCM selecting ingredients and consulting with him, as well as my own acupuncturist. I get the impression that he’s quite well respected in Traditional Chinese Medicine circles.
Prices are reasonable for the quality of herbs plus consultation. Prices start at $ 30 for 3 packets of herbs (6 doses) plus consultation and go up from there. Henry can also provide supplements and medicines for athletes in training as well as the ill (I’ve seen his newspaper clippings).
Parking is available on the street (if you’re really lucky) or at the nearby Chinatown parking garage (right across the street on Webster — $ 1.25/hr).
If you’re looking for quality herbs, or an effective alternative to Western pharmaceutical drugs, I highly recommend Draline Tong.