Shandong Restaurant

Since moving back to the East Bay a couple years ago, Shandong has been on my long list of classic Oakland spots to try out. I’d found my Chinese place near my house, but needed to branch out and finally explore what Shandong had to offer.
We got in just before the dinner rush, and service was great. Ordering is easy, and the food comes out fast and at just the right pace so you can taste the first dishes while they’re steaming hot, as the rest come out just when you’re ready to dig into them as well.
Szechuan prawns, Szechuan Eggplant, Asparagus, dumplings, all fantastic. But of course, the handmade noodles steal the show. So fresh with full flavor, I’m craving them now as I write this.
Just a heads up: If you’re a group of 4, it can be a bit awkward because they only have the 6 seat round lazy Susan tables available to you. So if you’re on one end of the table, kinda hard to communicate with the other end of the foursome.

Handmade chow mein noodles are amazing. It alway alive out the door when I go but it is worth the wait. Shandong dumplings are also really good. You can see them making the noodles up in front.

Typical dirty Chinese restaurant — the way it should be. Bigish menu. Great fried rice and garlic sautéed pea sprout. Hand made noodles were a bit of a let down but probably shouldn’t have gotten them in the wonton soup which overall wasn’t good. But will be back considering the wait was only 5 min.
Normal price too and surprisingly friendly service.

Food (⁴⁄₅): My bf and I split the honey walnut shrimp (listed as shrimp w/​candied walnut on the menu) and house dumplings. The sauce on the shrimp was more honey mustard-​y than sweet, which I really enjoyed. This means there’s less of that slightly caramelized, crisp crust that some honey walnut shrimp dishes have.
The dumplings were good! I’m not sure why they’re so hyped up though — I didnt think they were hands down the best dumplings I ate or anything haha. The filling tastes less meaty than most dumplings I’ve had at restaurants — I kinda like that meaty taste, but it’s all personal preference.
Service (⁴⁄₅): Pretty hectic around dinner time, but we only had to wait ~10 minutes to be seated (a lot of people seem to put their names down but never come back). Tea is complimentary, food comes out fast, and servers are nice! Water was kinda hard to get refilled, though, since they’re so busy.
Value (³⁄₅): Surprisingly kinda pricey for Chinatown — the dumplings and shrimp were ~$ 30 total after tax/​tip. If we hadn’t eaten a late lunch, probably would’ve been closer to $ 45 for three dishes. Portions aren’t super big either, but they’re fair.

As usual Oakland Chinatown was bustling on a Saturday morning. Street parking was a bit difficult to find but getting a table at Shandong proved to be a breeze. I guess the time to come here is when everyone is having Dim Sum. No line and no wait!
We were here to try their famous hand-​pulled noodles! We’ve heard so much about it. We’ve had hand-​pulled noodles before at MY China in San Francisco, and really liked the texture and taste. There’s definitely a discernible difference between hand and machine made noodles.
Any of their noodle dishes can be made with hand-​pulled noodles, so choose a noodle dish from the long list and specify that you want it cooked with hand-​pulled noodles. We chose the Spicy Shrimp Chow Mein made with hand-​pulled noodles. The noodles were doughy and soft. The dish wasn’t too spicy and thankfully the noodles weren’t swimming in sauce which is how I prefer my noodles. The shrimp was perfectly cooked, not rubbery. It was a really tasty noodle dish and the portion was just enough for two very hungry people!
We also had to try their Shandong Chicken which is chunks of boneless chicken, battered, fried and coated in a sweet, slightly spicy and tangy sauce. It was good. It’s a little sweeter than I prefer, but it was a nice portion. The noodles quickly satiated us, so we couldn’t eat a lot of the chicken. We had to bring most of it home.
We also ordered the House Dumplings. These were quite big and were filled generously with pork and cabbage. They were fine, not the best I’ve had but they would do if you’re craving dumplings. The dumpling dough was quite thick, so if you like your dumpling a little lighter, I would not order this.
The restaurant is not that big, but it’s clean and at least one of the servers speaks English very well. If we’re in the area, I’d definitely pass by and order one of their hand pulled noodle dishes to go!

Put your name on the list, but Chinese food is fast and the wait isn’t too long. We got put in a table in the back, where it was noisy and stuffy.
Green pancake was OK, a bit dry and not as crispy as I’d like.
Beef rice noodles had all noodles and barely any beef, or veggies even. Pretty medicore.
Stir fry rice cake had lots more veggies and pork strips, although tasted pretty similar (OK exactly the same) as the other entrée. Both meals were cooked and sauced with soy sauce fish sauce, stuff I could do at home with more sodium than I’d like.
Fast food and service. I realize this review is based off a poor ordering combination, so I wouldn’t mind coming back to try their hand-​pulled noodles the rest of the Unilocal world seems to rave about.

Gong Xi Fa Cai (Happy New Year in Mandarin)!!!
For the Lunar New Year, took the family on an expedition to where REAL tasty Chinese Food is served — Oakland’s Chinatown. No disrespect to SF’s Chinatown (parking and tourism make it a challenge vs. an enjoyable eating experience, in my opinion). Being a road warrior commuter all week, it takes a HUGE craving for me to drive to the City!
Shan Dong features freshly made noodles and dumplings on premises (observation area up front!). Friendly and hospitable staff! Fast service!
Ordered Shan Dong Pork Dumplings, Shan Dong Chicken, Deluxe Combo Chow Mein, Dried Braised String Beans w/​Chicken, Honey Walnut Prawns, and Steamed Rice. Of course, a pot of Oolong Tea to complement the meal. NO REGRETS! Ordered more to take home! Must go back to explore the menu some more!
The firecrackers, drum beats and roaming lion collecting red envelopes from the businesses added entertainment to our visit!

Everytime we walk past this place when we happen to be in Oakland chinatown, there’s a line of people waiting for their names to be called from a clipboard on the wall.
So we finally made the excursion to try this place out for ourselves, and felt that the hype disappointed us. Never trust the hype, why don’t we ever listen to ourselves :(sigh.
I heard this place is pretty popular for their noodles and their dumplings, but after ordering both, we felt that the dumplings were whatever, and the noodle soup base was soy sauce. Like, just soy sauce and water. I could make that at home.
The only thing I really liked here was their lotus chicken wrap, but after finishing our meal and taking our leave, we came to realize that the food here overall was incredibly salty. I remember drinking a lot of water while eating those lotus chicken wraps…
This place is also incredibly loud and cramped, and if you’re not comfortable in these kind of restaurants, you probably should consider eating elsewhere.
I would come back here again if I was feeling really salty food and Shooting Star café around the corner happened to be closed, but this wasn’t worth the drive.

To-​Date the best Chinese food in Oakland. Place is pretty small, be willing to share a table or get your order to-​go. Haven’t had something on the menu I haven’t liked. Everything is amazing!

After all the reviews and even articles I read online, I decided to give this place a try. Sad to say I am quite disappointed.
Beef broth was bland.
Dumplings were super bland.
Noodles wasnt as chewy as I imagined… it was nothing special.
I won’t come back.

I absolutely LOVE Shandong. Honestly, I have never had such amazing food in such a diversity of flavor. The place is a little small, so there’s usually a line in the evenings (weekend mostly, but some weekdays). However, that line moves quickly, so don’t be deterred. The handmade noodles are a must, and every time I go I get an order of dumplings as well, which are incredible. The texture of the food and the service crew of adorable grandmothers would endear this place even to the harshest of critics. I definitely will try and make regular trips there.
***WARNING, they are cash only***

its something that’s hard to find even in U.S. cities with a high chinese population, handmade noodles on the premise. other cities like vancouver had them everywhere, in california its much harder to find and we don’t know why.
what makes it so amazing is the texture that noodles in a pre made packet can’t duplicate. the density and chewiness is unlike any other noodle. same goes for italian places that make their pasta in house as opposed to a box.
while the noodles are important the sauce is equally so. had their hot and spicy noodles which is like kung pao in flavor, not our ideal sauce for noodles but wanted something different. their dumplings were also good cause of their filling and wrapper which was also chewy and dense, also it’s not xia long bao.
very cool place in oakland chinatown that we wish wasn’t 500 miles away cause we would be regulars.

Rule #18: Handmade anything is worth it.
This is one of my favorite Chinese spots in the world! The handmade noodles melt in your mouth. Delicous sauces, great cuts of meat, and you can’t go wrong with almost everything on the menu. I love the Shandong Chicken, spicy options are on point, and THOSE NOODLE THOUGH!
… because people like lists
1) Get the fresh noodles
2) Street parking can sometimes be tough
3) I only do take out
4) The chicken is bomb

A random trip to Oakland’s Chinatown brought me to this little hole-​in-​the-​wall, and I was NOT expecting to walk into such a beloved and crazy busy business throwing up some of the tastiest handmade noodles I have ever had!
First step: sign up on the sign-​in sheet to get seated. There’s typically a bit of a wait, but luckily I arrived before the dinner crowd hit by 6pm.
Food-​wise: Shrimp Chow Mein made with handmade noodles (+ $ 1 extra) and Dry Braised Green Beans (their pea sprouts in garlic sauce is only seasonal). Get ready for a sodium overload because these dishes (and I’m sure ALL their dishes) are packed with so much flavor, taste and scrumptious self-​indulgent goodness!
I don’t eat Chinese food much, but I was happily pleased with their food. The handmade wheat flour noodles were nice, thick and doughy and made in-​store (think of the in-​between between regular chow mein noodles and chow fun). The vegetables were very generous and fresh and packed with a LOT of flavor, that even non-​vegetarians/​meat-​eaters would still consider it delicious.
One thing: I was surprised to note that while dining, most of the clientele were non-​Chinese. Walking around the entire Chinatown, I only spotted mainly Chinatown regulars, and was a little surprised to see the restaurant was full of people of all nationalities. My point? This place must be popular and loved by many, because people are going out of their ways to catch a seat in Shandong… And I can see why!

Some of the best noodles I’ve ever had in America.
This place has a pretty gross bathroom, dirty floors, uncomfortable chairs, etc… but too me it all adds to the authentic feel of the place.
The dumplings were good not great. The hand pulled noodles were amazing! They were perfectly gummy and chewy, packed with flavor, and just delicious.
Chinese fried chicken and pork dishes could be found anywhere. Their famous shangdong chicken was pretty good but none of the protein stood out.
Go here and get the noodles. You will not be disappointed.

EH… A-​OK but probably not…
This place is pretty dirty. The bathroom… omg, don’t even go there.
The service was pretty nice for a Chinese restaurant bc they don’t yell at you and take time to answer your questions. They’re very patient and kind… which is rare coming from a busy Chinese restaurant in Chinatown.
Food wise, I thought it was OK. It wasn’t mind boggling but it wasn’t bad either. I wouldn’t come all the way to Oakland just to eat here but if there are no other options in Chinatown and I happen to be there, sure, why not. The dumplings and handmade noodles are chewy and tasty but again not mind boggling. I liked their crispy shandong beef but I’ve tasted better at SO in sf.

I will not claim to know whether Chinese food is authentic or not, but this place seems a bit more real deal than others. Their dumplings are a must. Fried rice is the best I’ve had, tastes less greasy than most others. Meats seem to be higher quality than other Chinese restaurants and also not as overstuffed as well. Little pricey compared with other Chinese restaurants, but the quality justifies the price. A neighborhood delivery staple for sure.

When in Oakland I crave the handmade noodles from Shandong. Good portions for a good price.
I recently ordered online from Eat24 through Unilocal and the process was quite efficient. The food was ready within 20 minutes according to my email confirmation and I was happily out of the door with my togo.
My favorite items to get here are their Chow Mein (comes with veggie and choice of meat) with their handmade noodles which are WORTH the $ 1 add on and their Shandong Dumplings. I was really looking forward to their Spicy Meat Sauce over handmade noodles (basically zhajiangmian) but it just wasn’t spicy and I feel like the sauce could have been better.

I was craving noodles, read the reviews and was excited to finally try this place. I had it delivered, parking in that area is usually bad. I’m glad I finally got my noodle fix, yay for me!
*Noodles did not disappoint! I loved the texture. I ordered the chow mein. I would definitely get it again.
*House pancakes stuffed with leeks. The 1^st two bites are good, but then you can taste the heavy texture of the dough. It starts to takes away from the the filling, then all you begin to taste is dough… unless you drown it in sauce. It lost its appeal after that for me.
*Shan dong chicken… I read all these positive reviews for this. I had 2 morsels and that’s all I wanted. It tasted like it had a light dusting of flour.
To sum it up… I would come back for the noodles. But that’s about it. I used the caviar app and my food arrived in 30 minutes, well packaged too.

I’m always happy to find new lunch options in Downtown Oakland, so when I was craving hand-​pulled noodles in soup, I was happy to find Shandong Restaurant. I am a huge fan of hand-​pulled noodles, and sadly Shandong Restaurant does not get my nod of approval.
Shandong Restaurant is a cute little Chinese bistro in Oakland’s Chinatown. At lunch there was an incredibly long wait out the door for customers who were eating in, so if you’re planning on eating at the restaurant, go early. There is also a cool glass window by the entrance where you could see them making their hand-​pulled noodles. This was highly mesmerizing and I spent 10 minutes just ogling the noodles.
Sadly I would have to say the food at Shandong was average at best. I think Shandong gets a lot of its clientele because of the hype about their hand pulled noodles. Sadly these noodles are thick, doughy and lack any flavor. I ordered their spicy noodle soup and while the soup itself was tasty, the hand pulled noodles actually made the dish taste worse because it was so doughy and tasteless. The bowl of noodles set me $ 13 back, which is fairly expensive for Chinatown and felt like a total ripoff because of the lack of meat or vegetables in the soup. I had maybe 3 leaves of vegetable and 3 pieces of beef in my soup.
All in all, if you like hand pulled noodles, going to Shandong restaurant can be a novelty experience, but I highly doubt you will be back after the first try.

Freaking loved this place. My brother and I went there on Thanksgiving morning since we don’t have family here; it turned out to be a great great decision!
We live a couple blocks from Chinatown and we always go to Gum Kuo. Shandong definitely didn’t disappoint. The service was fast, cheap, and friendly unlike many other restaurants in the area.
We ordered the following:
1) Shangdong Chicken: crispy chicken marinated with a sweet sauce.
2) Pork & Leak Dumplings: just get it (12 or 10 pieces). No regrets.
3) Handmade (+$ 1) noodles with black bean sauce and ground beef: it was so much and tasty!
4) Green Bean Sprouts.
It seems like their credit card system doesn’t work sometimes so make sure you bring cash!

3.5 Stars
Texture of the noodles were pleasant and cooked well
Flavors were in the same vein of what I grew up with but reserved
Portions were solid for the price you pay
Seating is good for large parties or small groups as well
Overall Thoughts
With no standouts or flaws, it seems fair to say 3.5 stars is correct

A friend of mine had introduced me to Shandong years ago and I remembered they had some yummy handmade noodles, I had to go back! It’s a small, no frills restaurant but the food is good and the staff is friendly. Be sure if you get a noodle dish you get the handmade noodles. There is a small up charge but it’s totally worth it. We got the sesame noodles, the pork chow mein and the shandong chicken and it was all super tasty! My friend and I both ended up getting an extra order of the sesame noodles to go because we enjoyed them so much. They also do sell their noodles plain if you want to take them home and use them in your own dish.

Shandong is a province in China known for wheat-​flour foods so be sure to try the noodles/​dumplings here!
I always get the spicy beef noodle soup (half beef, half tendon). It’s so warm and filling and I love the QQ noodles! I also love the giant pork and cabbage baozi (steamed buns) and it breaks my nostalgic Chinese heart that they no longer sell it.
Personally, I find Shandong dumplings to be way too doughy. The skin is thick and the filling to carb ratio is way off but some people prefer that.

It was a lazy Saturday night and got a craving for some good (delivery) Chinese. Thanks Unilocal,I was able to order via the app on my phone.
Ordered Hunan Kung Pao Chicken, Dry braised string bean w/​chicken and Veggie fried rice.
I know I should’ve ordered something with their hand pulled noodles but UGH well… next time.
Everything was amazing, not greasy at all. spice was perfect and so were the portions. Delivery came quick.
I will be back for sure.

The homemade hand-​pulled noodles here are AMAZING!
Came here after picking up my boyfriend from the Oakland Airport and was craving some comfort food. A friend of my suggested this place and it was the best advice she could have ever given me. Everything was phenomenal!
After being seated right away, we immediately ordered the Spicy Combination Noodle Soup, Walnut Shrimp, & Chinese Style Chicken Wings. The portions here are big and it was definitely a lot of food for just 2 people. When visiting Shendong, I highly recommend ordering a noodle dish since it’s their specialty. The Spicy Combination Noodle Soup was amazing and the noodles had a nice chewy texture to it. It definitely hits the spot since it was one of those chilly summer nights. As for the Chicken Wings, it tasted similar to the San Tung Chicken Wings. it was sweet & savory. For the Walnut Shrimp, I will have to pass next time since it wasn’t anything special.
We had so much food leftover that I had enough leftovers to feed me at lunch the next day. The noodle soup was still really tasty and surprisingly the noodles were not soggy even though they were soaked in the broth for so long. I will definitely be coming back whenever I’m back in Oakland!

So earlier in the middle of the day i was watching a food blogger on YouTube talk about dumplings… Which got me in the mood for them! So I went on Unilocal and seen this little place come up. Boy im fasho happy i did!!!
Let me just state this im NOT the biggest fan of asian food but this place is just wow.
The place is really a whole in the wall. Super small, not the prettiest on the outside or inside but the food is what matters.
We came at about 12:00 on a Tuesday. Full inside but there was a spot for two which then we were seated. The menu has lots of items plus lots of vegetarian items too!!! We were served hot & sour soup to start. They also have a lunch special but we just ordered from the regular menu.
Soup was awesome i had actually never had it before!!! So glad i did! I added in some of the vinegar and hot oil.
–Then we followed and ordered Shangdong pork & veggie dumplings, chicken chow mein w/​house made noodles and an order of shrimp fried rice. Everything was DELICIOUS !!!
–The dumplings were just perfect and satisfied the craving i had for them. Dough wasn’t too thick and meat & veggies were juicy. Make sure to add vinegar + hold oil to bump up the flavors.
–chicken chow mein was really good too! Make sure to pay the extra $ 1 for the housemade noodles! Makes a huge difference and youll be happy you did.
–shrimp fried rice was soo bomb. The egg really gave it so much taste and shrimp was seasoned nicely.
We had alot! Of leftovers so i took some home for my grandma (whose a huge Chinese food fan) she LOVED IT! She kept commenting on how good everything was.
Overall im so happy I came here. This is my new chinese-​food spot. Happy to return in the future.

HANDS DOWN: Best noodles and dumplings in town. I haven’t been to Shandong in awhile and I was trying to convince Boyfriend (who was skeptical of it’s hype) of their quality and taste. I used to live in LA, where great Chinese food is abundant. In the bay, good Chinese food is a bit scarce. BUT, look no further because this place will knock your socks off (of your taste buds).
We decided to take our food to-​go knowing that there is usually a huge crowd that gathers and waits to get seated in their fairly small dining room. We called before hand and were told that there would be a 25 min wait. We got there in around 30 min and our food was waiting. I was surprised that it would only take 25 min at peak dinner hour on a Saturday, but they were very on-​time.
I had ordered the Beef & Tomato hand pulled noodles, two orders of their Shandong special dumplings and the Combination Seafood. Boyfriend loved the noodles and the hand pulled noodles. The dumplings were just to succulent with a great flavor. Even the sauce they provide is a bit different than other sauces I’ve had and it complements their dumplings perfectly. The beef and tomato noodles were a bit sweeter than I expected, but definitely still delicious. Their noodles are just so thick and juicy. Being a noodle lover I was in heaven. Their Combination Seafood was also very good, but it wasn’t anything too special.
We really enjoyed the meal (sitting at home, on the carpet watching a movie: D) I highly recommend anyone to try their food! The area isn’t the greatest and parking can be tough, so take-​out is a great alternative (esp satisfying for chinese food). It’s a bit more expensive than average Chinese restaurants, but I think it’s worth it.
Ambiance: ¹⁄₅ (it’s not the cleanest and its small, located in not the greatest part of Chinatown/​Oakland)
Food: ⁵⁄₅
Service: 4.5÷5
Overall Experience: ⁴⁄₅ (FOOD TRUMPS ALL)

D’après les commentaires, je né pouvais pas passer à côter sans me commander les fameuses nouilles maison. Alors j’ai fait la queue 20 minutes avant d’obtenir une place sous la lumière blafarde des fluorescents. Bref. C’est bon, mais ça manqué de finesse. Pas de quoi poireauter dehors.