east ocean seafood restaurant

the best old school chinesefoodi have had for the longest time! bar none. i drove from berkeley due to a huge amount of people recommending it and it was well worth the drive. everything is fresh and delicious. very courteous staff as well.

we were there last week, expecting the usual “chinese “ food. pleasantly surprised,foodwas great, place was clean, great experience. will definitely go back.

this is a must visit restaurant in the bay area.
super authentic dim sum and hong kong style cuisine, with great decor and friendly service.
greatfoodfor a very modest price.

the service was good, thefoodwas not. there were 3 of of dining. none of us are super fussy but none of us enjoyed our meals

perfect balance of cleanliness and authenticity. alameda: home of st. george's spirits, ferries, and really good dim sum.

i have tried a few dim sum places in the east bay and until today never found one that i loved. legendary palace in oakland chinatown has the right atmosphere but thefoodis too oily and parking is hard to find. hong kong east ocean seafood restaurant sits on the emeryville marina and is as picturesque as it can get. thefoodis great as well, but the prices are about twice as much as ordinary dim sum, averaging about $25 a person. the old place seafood teahouse near lake merritt in oakland looks just as it sounds. the space is drab, even for a chinese restaurant, with fading paint, hideous carpeting, and debris blown in from the wind on the floor. thefoodis decent enough, but the morgue-like atmosphere, even on a saturday, kills the experience. today, i went to east ocean seafood restaurant in alameda and knew i found a spot i could recommend to anyone without reservations.

if you measure how good a chinese restaurant is by the wait or the number of elderly chinese people there, east ocean will not disappoint. it took a half-hour to get a table, and we saw plenty of grandmas and grandpas. once seated, we immediately got our first cart. shrimp rice noodles, crispy shrimp balls, shu mai, har gow - all the standards are delicious. i never order the banana leaf sticky rice because it can be hit or miss, but east ocean was on such a roll that i tried it and was not disappointed. moist and flavorful, the sticky rice may just be my favorite item there.

service is also rather prompt for a chinese restaurant. the carts kept coming and when we did not see what we wanted, we just asked and they brought it to the table. everyone, including the cart ladies, speaks english well enough that you can order safely and will not be surprised with what you get. at the same time, thefoodis delicious and authentic enough that i can bring my parents.

the price is also on par with what you expect for dim sum. we ordered a few of the pricier specialty dishes, but the meal was still a great deal with 15 plates for $50 (including tax and tip), or $17 a person.

east ocean is definitely worth the wait, so do not be scared of the crowd gathered outside.

lacklustre service,foodis spotty but can be great. sunday pre-rush dim sum. overall, the ordinary dim sumfoodmakes service the decision point.

the cart drivers were adequate, but the rest of the waitstaff was inattentive, so even before the rush, it proved impossible to get a tea refill or a glass of water.

the best of the food...surprisingly, the shu mai. i use shu mai, har gow and char shao bao as the three indicators, not because they are any restaurant's most remarkable dishes, but like the cornbread at a bbq joint, they indicate to me how the kitchen chooses to handle the ordinary.

the kitchen chose to make perhaps the best shu mai i've ever had. for texture and flavour, pretty much the tops. the har gow and bao were generic.

some famous dishes, the chive dumplings, for example are fine...nothing special, but enjoyable.

if the service is the distinguishing factor for a restaurant of this unremarkable quality, the place falls somewhat short.

simply the best in town. there is not a restaurant that i have found whose dim sum compares with east ocean. on saturday and sunday the carts are moving quickly in and out of the kitchen and the restaurant is packed. from shiu mai to cold chicken claws they have it all.

the quality of thefoodis wonderful and the prices are competitive.