Tao Yuen Pastry

Baked bbq pork buns are the ticket here, rest of the food is also solid for a cheap price.

A good place to get your dim sum fix. It’s a «to Go» only place and you’ll have to fall in line to get your favorite dim sum. It;s also a «Cash Only» gig which is also a Con about this place and it’s like a hole in the wall. You get in, you point at what you like and tell the person small or large then you pay and get out. Parking your car in front of this place is None Existent so be prepared to «double park» and probably get a parking ticket in the process because the only parking space in front of this joint is Yellow meaning it’s only for Loading and unloading of delivery trucks. Yuo just might have to park further away and walk a couple of blocks to get to this place. Everything they sell here is good specially the dim sum which the prices are posted on a wall.

I’ve walked past this bakery/​Dim Sum shop numerous times on my way to work, but never went inside because I usually visit the same shop week after week for my pork buns and fried snacks. The other day I tried to follow my usual routine, but instead of aimlessly passing by like I normally do, I instead found myself trapped by a crowd and standing in line with about 15 other people; patiently waiting for a heaping helping of crispy goodness. I tried to leave, but no matter how hard I tried to convince my body that I was going to be late for work; my feet just seemed to remain glued to the cement. I knew I only had a moment to escape or soon I would be inside the doors and trapped forever by the numbing aromas; floating through the air. I attempted to step out of line, but was drawn back in by a persistent elderly man wielding a cane, it was over, no more moves, I made my way to the counter and allowed my stomach to take over all further decision making. I was enthralled by how many items they had, so I carefully looked over each and every one, but came to the conclusion that they all looked excellent. I ended up buying two giant meals that were both busting through the Styrofoam containers, and had told myself that I was going to share this feast with co-​workers, but as soon as I got a taste of the fried shrimp, stuffed peppers, and chow mein; my inner fat kid took over and said, «F*** Sharing.»

This review for Tao Yuen Pastry is for their lai wong bao (egg custard bun) only, as I haven’t tried any of their other dim sum. I was disappointed with the egg custard bun because there wasn’t enough filling inside the bun, and it was mostly the rice dough.
The buns weren’t bad by any means, because the rice dough was soft and sweet and the buns were plump, and the egg custard was also a nice sweetness without being overly sweet — I just wish the ratio of custard to bun was more than what it was.
However, for less than $ 1 per bun — I was shocked to have paid $ 2.85 for four buns! — I am very tempted to go back to Tao Yuen Pastry to try out some of their other dim sum. I’ll definitely be making another stop next time I’m in Oakland Chinatown.

Had to get up early to have breakfast here… the dumplings and steamed BBQ pork buns look delicious in the window. Based on recommendations from another foodie friend, I came here this morning for some breakfast dim sum. A BBQ Pork bun freshly steamed hit the spot, but then I saw the pot stickers and the sio mai… so I had to give them try. My fave was the pork sio mai. I also enjoyed the sticky rice ball… it was like sticky fried rice wrapped in a ball so you could eat it with your hands. Yep! Perfect for a quick meal on the go!
Expect a bit of a wait… this place has good eats, and everyone knows it! SO there seems to always be a line out the door and people coming into buy lots of food. Why would you ever need to cook when you have places like this here in Oakland?!?
The prices here are great for my pocketbook. We ordered enough food to feed 3 – 4 people and spent less than $ 10! I’ll definitely be going back… the chow fun noodles come highly recommended… I think I’ll be giving those a try on my next visit!

Solid 4 Stars:
1. Baked bbq pork buns — decent amount of meat that isn’t fatty. They add in some onion which makes it a little different than most.
2. Good selection of other chinese food — you can make a meal with left overs
3. Parking (street and lots) nearby — although I live closer to SF Chinatown, it takes about the same amount of time given traffic and parking situations.
Will be back!

:o Couldn’t find parking, so one of my buddies stayed in the car driving around while 3 of us gets off to get in line. Wow just standing out side the store window we were already salivating at how good the food looked! Our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomach. Ended up with $ 56 worth of food that lasted 5 of us two meals.
The items that made me like this place were definitely the noodles! The beef chow fun, the thin noodles and the hokkien noodles were excellent! The stir fried eggplant was delicious as well! I may have to pass on the actual dim sum next time I come back, wasn’t quite feeling the siu mai or har gow. The chives dumpling is something that you should try though! Really filling inside. One of the chinese tamales is good itself for a lunch and can’t go wrong buying some bbq pork buns to go as well!

This is another hidden gem of a place I came across a week ago located in Oaklands china town and have come back 5 times already. Its employees are cordial, its pretty cheap, and is mouth watering… at least what i have eaten anyways.
I am a creauture of habit, and the dry fried chicken is soooooooo good, I could possibly eat the fried batter used all day. Their dry fried pork is also pretty good, but I prefer the chicken. They give you really large portions and have plenty of fried, and non fried items… they also have a large selection of desersts I will likely try soon.
They are not stingy when it comes to their portions and their food is mouth wateringly seasoned to perfection. Why wouldnt I advise all to give them a try :)
Cheers to this awesome food joint!!!

It’s like a trip down memory lane. I really should make this trip more often.
Once upon a time my office use to be at the heart of Oakland’s Chinatown and this was one of my favorite places to go. Yes, like most places in the area it’s affordable, it’s cash only, and is a whole in the wall.
I’m not kidding about that last part, this place has no seating area. When you walk in, be ready to order. The place is 2 parts food one part line. So step up, point, and they will hook it up!
They have some of your dim sum staples as well as noodles galore!
Happy Eatting!

Cheap, decent dim sum for take-​out.
Not 5 stars because there are some misses that I was really disappointed about along with the hits.
This place frequently has a line out the door for its variety of take-​out goods: noodles, buns, dim sum items, pastries. The line goes quickly but also gives me time to look through the window and decide what I want. This place is fairly cheap if you’re looking to fill your stomach or just have a snack. BRING CASH.
To be honest, I don’t know what majority of the items are called. There are no labels but, so far, pointing gets me by. Also, they speak English so that helps.
– HITS (personal opinion): the white translucent dumplings (fun gor), BBQ pork buns, sesame balls, flat mochi disks they have on the counter, and the noodles. The noodles are on the greasier side but they pile it on sky high in the box.
– MISS (personal opinion): balls of sticky rice (next to the window) and nai wong bao (egg custard bun) so far.

HELL YEA, I AM A FAN OF THIS PLACE!
A few years ago, one of my old high school friends introduced me to this little shop in Chinatown, and I was immediately hooked. Growing up in SoCal, I was never a big fan of dimsum or of pastry places. My parents took me there all the time, and I never really appreciated these shops. But this place changed my mind.
Though Tao Yuen is small, it is my go to place for dim sum or any simple Cantonese meal. The best part about the shop is their ridiculous prices/​quantity ratio and the food doesn’t taste bad either! The ladies at the counter speak English, Viet, Cantonese, and Mandarin+ other languages, so don’t worry about approaching them.
I have yet to try their entrée items, but I will definitely do it soon. However, I can vouch that their dim sum is probably the best or at least one of the better places in Chinatown. I can honestly get full off of spending 3 – 5 $ and I EAT A LOT. Although the dim sum isn’t super spectacular, if you need a cheap meal, this is the spot.
Though the line can get hella long, just be a bit patient and you’ll make your way to the front. There isn’t any seating area, but there are plenty of places around Chinatown.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to get amazing dimsum. Check it out!
Eat well and prosper,

Tao Yuen is… amazing. When food is good, and fresh, and cheap… you can’t go wrong! For $ 7.50, I had a box of fried rice, 2 really big pork shiu mai, 2 big shrimp dumplings, and a baked bbq pork bun. I mean, if you only had a couple of bucks, you could get a decent meal here.
If I lived near Oakland Chinatown, I would be here at least 3 times a week.

Oakland Chinatown was founded in the 1850s, just after the California Gold Rush. Chinatown consists of 16 blocks and is called home to more than 3,500 people.
My wife and I have been coming to Oakland Chinatown for the last couple of years for their (Annual Oakland Chinatown Street Festival.) There are so many bakeries and restaurants scattered throughout the neighborhood. The restaurant/​pastry shop that we keep going back to time and time again is (TAO YUEN PASTRY). This restaurant/​pastry shop has no tables nor chairs and is very, very small and narrow. They are take-​out only!
This restaurant is located on Franklin Street, Oakland, California. They are well known not only for their (Dim Sum) but also for their many delicious entrees. The long line of customers coming out the door indicated to us that their food was (Delicious!) Sure enough, after devouring 2 pork bows and a small bowl of noodles I can tell you that the food was worth waiting for. As you stand by the front store window, you can’t help but to stare at all the beautifully displayed food items! Everything looked delicious!
I think I gained 5 lbs. just by looking at the food. What more can you ask for!
Delicious food at a very reasonable price.
So if you happen to be in or near the City of (Oakland, California.) (TAO YUEN PASTRY) in Oakland Chinatown is a must place to visit!
This is our hidden (GEM) in the rough! Shoo… Our little secret!

Good dim sum for cheap! This is a popular place to go in downtown Oakland & I stopped by during lunchtime & the line was out the door.
The food is fresh & there is a lot to choose from. There is only one menu on the wall & there is no description in front of each item (which would be great if there was) so unless you know what you are ordering, you are just pointing & ordering what looks good. My boyfriend, cousin, & I ordered 2 of everything of the dim sum & most of it was good, some a little greasy.
Since it is a tiny shop, there is no place to eat so it is a place to just pick up & go.

Tao Yuen is our go-​to bakery in OAK C-​Town but it is so much more than just pastries, they have great dim sum and other Chinese dishes to go as well. All of their items are tasty, fresh, and very reasonably priced and the store is well maintained and clean. The food is clearly displayed behind glass so while the staff is mostly English speaking you also have the option of gesturing to what you want: o)
There is nearly always a line out the door with lots of locals in it– a good sign! Street parking in C-​Town is always sketchy so you may want to park in the Renaissance Center and walk the two blocks to Tao Yuen. Enjoy!

Old school Chinese dim sum, hot food, and pastry shop.
Very affordable with portion size more than ample.
Noodles are delicious. Sesame balls yummy. I can’t find fault with anything.
Always a line which confirms my rating.
Well worth a visit, anytime.

I spotted this place, saw a long ass line, and grabbed an available street parking spot for free. Screw going into a garage for $ 6; my kids and I did have to walk 3 blocks but paying for convenience is not everything.
Two soft spoken ladies handled the storefront; from stocking the food, helping the customers, and cashing them out. BTW, this is a cash only establishment. I believe there are two ladies in the back making everything: har gow, shiu mai, potstickers, chow fun, chow mein, BBQ pork buns, egg tarts, etc.
So many selections for so cheap!!!
My brunch and dinner cost: $ 17.08.
Everything was delicious.
Every single fuckin’ thing!

8÷2÷15: What an amazing find! Back in the day I remember going to my favorite dim sum in Monterey Park and paying less than $ 2 /​dish for the cheaper items. Now, some places up here are approaching double that for the same dishes. Well, my gf and I were just hanging out in Oakland having lunch and we saw a pretty good sized line out the door of this little place, and still a little hungry we ordered a few things.
First thing, I waited outside while my gf ordered cause it’s so cramped in there… and when she came out and told me the price, I flipped! It was like $ 4 for 6 huge special starch-​based transparent and gelatinous dumplings. Great price. Impressive.
How did it taste? – everything was great! I mean, this ain’t the bestest dim sum I’ve ever had, but everything was tasted good and looked great, and as far as I can tell everything is fresh and good quality. They also have some variations that I haven’t seen in any dim sum place yet, including gelatinous dumplings in the shape of a bao. Lots of yummy traditional Chinese snack foods /​dim sum.
So, if you’re looking for a snack in China Town, Oakland, this is the place!
⁵⁄₅
#chinese #dimsum

Finally got to try this place with my husband and daughter. I was pretty much hungry since we had to take the BART here from the San Francisco International airport. It literally took about an hour to get here.
On to the food. I had the fried rice which was flavorful but a little on the dry side since it was sitting under a heat lamp. It had some pork pieces, egg, peas, onions, and pieces of carrots. It was flavorful. I also had thin noodles, chow mein, with cabbage, onions, and carrots. This was a little greasy for me. I can’t stand food that is greasy. Flavor was great but the grease was just sliding down in my throat. I also had shumai which had pork in it. It was okay but it was a little on the pink side which to me is not fully cooked. I wish I had other items that were not greasy or undercooked.
There is no place to sit inside. It literally is a small narrow hallway with the food and servers on one side. We took our food a few blocks down to Jack London Square where there were tables and chairs.
It was a little windy and cold out but it was a cool experience.

My family has been purchasing the shu mai from this restaurant since I was in elementary school, and the quality of the food for me never changes.
The space might be small, but to-​go orders are their specialty so don’t expect to dine in. Everything on the menu is also extremely affordable. I haven’t ordered anything but the dim sum options, but as I’ve observed, they pack your to-​go orders to the brim. So I’m sure you get the most bang for your buck.