It used to make wonderful clay pot rice and clay pot porridge. Ever since the pandemic, sad to find out big drop in quality. We odered our old favorite of frog leg rice and it came out fishy and stale.Service has never been good even for a long term frequent customer, and, even with the same crew as before, service got worse since the pandemic.Very sad. Really wished they improve again, even amid the terrible conditions of Oakland Chinatown these days.Parking: It's more a problem with Oakland Chinatown than Best Taste. Parking on the streets are high risk. We have had glass broken twice even when we were diligent in keeping absolutely nothing in the car.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Clay Pot Rice Bowls
Zhuo Chen
鳝鱼饭 is amazingParking or even drop off is a night mare though. Hope they provide delivery to further places.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Sammy T.
This place is a hidden gem. Definitely hole in the wall vibes (especially now that you aren't allowed to sit in and just do take out but you see all the chairs stacked lol). I was just finishing a big move with friends and we were starving. This place closes early but we were luckily able to do pick up for 5:20pm (right before they closed). I called over the phone and the lady was very nice! We ordered: 1. Salted fish and chicken fried rice - GET THIS. So flavorful and they packed a ton. This was a favorite amongst my whole group 2. Pork rib clay pot rice - we liked that this has the crispy bottom in the takeout box so it definitely felt like a clay pot rice. The flavor was great! We just wish that they had more pork ribs 3. Preserved sausage medley clay pot rice- this reminds me of HK. It had the dried duck in it too which added to the fragrance 4. Roast pork - I'm going to blame the fact that we came right before closing but this was a let down. The meat flavor was good but the pork skin was so thin and absolutely not crispy 5. Scrambled egg with chicken - a classic Cantonese dish. I wish the scrambled egg was slightly more smooth and less cooked but alas. Overall, would definitely come again and a more authentic experience than places like shooting star
mengzi w.
When heard that they specialized in clay pot rice wanted to try them for a long time. They even have eel clay pot which is rare even in Canton nowadays. However the rice is pretty obvious steamed rather than cooked in a clay pot, the texture and aroma can't be faked with putting steamed rice in clay pot and then topped with usual clay pot rice dishes. Same goes for some Korean restaurant trying to put bulgugi on top of steamed rice and claiming it's bibimbaq.
Xiao L.
Always enjoyed coming here to dine in for their clay pot rice. I always get the it with the meat combo and it comes in some vegetables as well. It's priced pretty well at only 7 bucks. Not sure how much it is now.
Lisa C.
The rating is for the char siu (bbq pork). My husband and I were standing in line waiting to get into the Super Napoleon bakery and I saw some char siu hanging in the window of Best Taste so I went in and bought some, along with the roast pork. The char siu was the best I've ever had, and I grew up in Hawaii where we know where to get the best char siu in Chinatown and even had an uncle who used to make his own over a wood fire once a year and always gave us some, but I digress. This char siu was moist and sweet glaze went throughout the entire piece. A lot of places the glaze is only on the outside, but the inside is bland and unflavored. Not here. I even froze some of it because I wanted to save some for when I make noodles and I defrosted it 2 days ago and used it to make some cold noodles. It was still so flavorful with the sweet glaze going throughout the entire piece. That's what prompted me to write the review. I'm already planning on when I can make it there again to get some more, but this time I'll go earlier so I can get more to eat and some to store in the freezer. It's so good that I can even eat it straight out of the refrigerator. To me, that's the hallmark of good Chinese food, that it even tastes good straight out of the fridge.
Scott Wong
Stopped by the first time for some take out bbq chashu for dinner. It was a Sunday afternoon but the selection was limited. Service was very nice and prices are reasonable. Food was tasty. I’d come back.
Jesus's Brother U.
Roast pork not edible. Had some, almost puked it up. Very foul taste. Gonna have to sample the food before buying if they allow it. Don't like to waste, but going to hospital or throw in trash?
Lucy P.
When I walked past, I wasn't even sure if the restaurant was open (especially given it was Christmas Eve) but I'm glad I stopped by! The doors were open and the open sign was on, but the restaurant was empty. They also seemed to have trays laid out in front for to-go orders but the trays were also empty. I was hangry and craving some garlic eggplant but no other nearby restaurants were open during the holiday, so I popped in and asked for a menu. Garlic eggplant wasn't even on their menu but I took a chance and asked an employee if they offered that at all, and turns out they did! I got my off-menu garlic eggplant for $13, literally made to order, and left pretty happy. Super fast, straightforward service, love that they're open on holidays because I don't really celebrate Christmas, and very accommodating!
Nancy P.
This spot reopened some months ago after almost a full year closure. We come for the yummy clay pot rice packaged in individual to go bowls along with a Meet Fresh drink from around the corner. Our go to is the spareribs and Chinese sausage and it comes with some bok choy. We pay a little more for extra meat. The rice is so fragrant and with the meat juice and black bean sauce seep into the rice and makes it so good! The rice crust on the bottom is my favorite part. Definitely worth picking up for lunch here.
I used to come here all the time every Tuesday night to have their clay pot with preserved meats. Now with less time on my hand, I still come here for their clay pot for take out and it is still delicious.
Norma Bains
These guys are really phenomenal with their service, and I'm grateful because they did it with high quality. Also, the waiters and the waitresses were very pleasant. I loved it!
Mark C.
I lived in Hong Kong for many years so know Cantonese food well. The most prized fried rice dish is haam yue gai lop chow faan (salted fish and chicken fried rice). There are not many restaurants that make it locally and for years we have been eating it at Flower Lounge on MacArthur Blvd. But I have to say Best Taste's version is better. Same ingredients but more of everything and the salted fish is not so salty. They've won themselves a new customer so now I will have to try other dishes to see if they rise to the same level.
Kenneth L.
Best Taste Restaurant is located in Oakland Chinatown. I hadn't been in the area in months due to the pandemic, but I finally made the the trek there. Sadly there was no indoor or outdoor dining, but I decided to explore anyway. I happened upon this place, which had reopened about a month ago. They required face coverings, practiced social distancing, and limited capacity in the store. My eyes were fixated on the Chinese BBQ items. Since it was the Winter Solstice, I decided to try some. I selected the BBQ Pork (Char Siu), Roast Duck, and Chicken. While the meats were getting cut, I converse with the owner/workers. They gave me recommendations on where to get certain things in Chinatown. Soon my items were ready. They complimented the Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls) at that evening's dinner. I hopefully will try out more of their BBQ items the next time I am in the area.
Louise S.
The old man who sells roast duck and barbecue at the door has a very bad attitude. He speaks loudly, as if he doesn't want to do business! I bought some fried chicken legs and wings and the hair on them has not been cleaned. It is visible to the naked eye. It is horrible, and it feels like it has not been cleaned!
It used to make wonderful clay pot rice and clay pot porridge. Ever since the pandemic, sad to find out big drop in quality. We odered our old favorite of frog leg rice and it came out fishy and stale.Service has never been good even for a long term frequent customer, and, even with the same crew as before, service got worse since the pandemic.Very sad. Really wished they improve again, even amid the terrible conditions of Oakland Chinatown these days.Parking: It's more a problem with Oakland Chinatown than Best Taste. Parking on the streets are high risk. We have had glass broken twice even when we were diligent in keeping absolutely nothing in the car.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Clay Pot Rice Bowls
鳝鱼饭 is amazingParking or even drop off is a night mare though. Hope they provide delivery to further places.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
This place is a hidden gem. Definitely hole in the wall vibes (especially now that you aren't allowed to sit in and just do take out but you see all the chairs stacked lol). I was just finishing a big move with friends and we were starving. This place closes early but we were luckily able to do pick up for 5:20pm (right before they closed). I called over the phone and the lady was very nice! We ordered: 1. Salted fish and chicken fried rice - GET THIS. So flavorful and they packed a ton. This was a favorite amongst my whole group 2. Pork rib clay pot rice - we liked that this has the crispy bottom in the takeout box so it definitely felt like a clay pot rice. The flavor was great! We just wish that they had more pork ribs 3. Preserved sausage medley clay pot rice- this reminds me of HK. It had the dried duck in it too which added to the fragrance 4. Roast pork - I'm going to blame the fact that we came right before closing but this was a let down. The meat flavor was good but the pork skin was so thin and absolutely not crispy 5. Scrambled egg with chicken - a classic Cantonese dish. I wish the scrambled egg was slightly more smooth and less cooked but alas. Overall, would definitely come again and a more authentic experience than places like shooting star
When heard that they specialized in clay pot rice wanted to try them for a long time. They even have eel clay pot which is rare even in Canton nowadays. However the rice is pretty obvious steamed rather than cooked in a clay pot, the texture and aroma can't be faked with putting steamed rice in clay pot and then topped with usual clay pot rice dishes. Same goes for some Korean restaurant trying to put bulgugi on top of steamed rice and claiming it's bibimbaq.
Always enjoyed coming here to dine in for their clay pot rice. I always get the it with the meat combo and it comes in some vegetables as well. It's priced pretty well at only 7 bucks. Not sure how much it is now.
The rating is for the char siu (bbq pork). My husband and I were standing in line waiting to get into the Super Napoleon bakery and I saw some char siu hanging in the window of Best Taste so I went in and bought some, along with the roast pork. The char siu was the best I've ever had, and I grew up in Hawaii where we know where to get the best char siu in Chinatown and even had an uncle who used to make his own over a wood fire once a year and always gave us some, but I digress. This char siu was moist and sweet glaze went throughout the entire piece. A lot of places the glaze is only on the outside, but the inside is bland and unflavored. Not here. I even froze some of it because I wanted to save some for when I make noodles and I defrosted it 2 days ago and used it to make some cold noodles. It was still so flavorful with the sweet glaze going throughout the entire piece. That's what prompted me to write the review. I'm already planning on when I can make it there again to get some more, but this time I'll go earlier so I can get more to eat and some to store in the freezer. It's so good that I can even eat it straight out of the refrigerator. To me, that's the hallmark of good Chinese food, that it even tastes good straight out of the fridge.
Stopped by the first time for some take out bbq chashu for dinner. It was a Sunday afternoon but the selection was limited. Service was very nice and prices are reasonable. Food was tasty. I’d come back.
Roast pork not edible. Had some, almost puked it up. Very foul taste. Gonna have to sample the food before buying if they allow it. Don't like to waste, but going to hospital or throw in trash?
When I walked past, I wasn't even sure if the restaurant was open (especially given it was Christmas Eve) but I'm glad I stopped by! The doors were open and the open sign was on, but the restaurant was empty. They also seemed to have trays laid out in front for to-go orders but the trays were also empty. I was hangry and craving some garlic eggplant but no other nearby restaurants were open during the holiday, so I popped in and asked for a menu. Garlic eggplant wasn't even on their menu but I took a chance and asked an employee if they offered that at all, and turns out they did! I got my off-menu garlic eggplant for $13, literally made to order, and left pretty happy. Super fast, straightforward service, love that they're open on holidays because I don't really celebrate Christmas, and very accommodating!
This spot reopened some months ago after almost a full year closure. We come for the yummy clay pot rice packaged in individual to go bowls along with a Meet Fresh drink from around the corner. Our go to is the spareribs and Chinese sausage and it comes with some bok choy. We pay a little more for extra meat. The rice is so fragrant and with the meat juice and black bean sauce seep into the rice and makes it so good! The rice crust on the bottom is my favorite part. Definitely worth picking up for lunch here.
Restaurantji Recommends
I used to come here all the time every Tuesday night to have their clay pot with preserved meats. Now with less time on my hand, I still come here for their clay pot for take out and it is still delicious.
These guys are really phenomenal with their service, and I'm grateful because they did it with high quality. Also, the waiters and the waitresses were very pleasant. I loved it!
I lived in Hong Kong for many years so know Cantonese food well. The most prized fried rice dish is haam yue gai lop chow faan (salted fish and chicken fried rice). There are not many restaurants that make it locally and for years we have been eating it at Flower Lounge on MacArthur Blvd. But I have to say Best Taste's version is better. Same ingredients but more of everything and the salted fish is not so salty. They've won themselves a new customer so now I will have to try other dishes to see if they rise to the same level.
Best Taste Restaurant is located in Oakland Chinatown. I hadn't been in the area in months due to the pandemic, but I finally made the the trek there. Sadly there was no indoor or outdoor dining, but I decided to explore anyway. I happened upon this place, which had reopened about a month ago. They required face coverings, practiced social distancing, and limited capacity in the store. My eyes were fixated on the Chinese BBQ items. Since it was the Winter Solstice, I decided to try some. I selected the BBQ Pork (Char Siu), Roast Duck, and Chicken. While the meats were getting cut, I converse with the owner/workers. They gave me recommendations on where to get certain things in Chinatown. Soon my items were ready. They complimented the Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls) at that evening's dinner. I hopefully will try out more of their BBQ items the next time I am in the area.
The old man who sells roast duck and barbecue at the door has a very bad attitude. He speaks loudly, as if he doesn't want to do business! I bought some fried chicken legs and wings and the hair on them has not been cleaned. It is visible to the naked eye. It is horrible, and it feels like it has not been cleaned!