East Ocean Seafood Restaurant — Restaurant in Alameda

We finally made it here for dim sum the other week and it mostly didn't disappoint. We sat down at almost 2pm to avoid any possible lunch crowd. The restaurant is huge, one can see it hosting wedding banquets no problem. Perhaps going closer to lunch time there would not be much of a wait. I thought that the interior seems a little dated and could use some refreshing, but David with the East Ocean clarified in his reply to this review that they had recently painted and installed new carpeting opting to stay with the traditional colors since they have loyal customers who have been coming for years if not decade(s).

Biggest tip is that if you don't eat during peak times when dim sum is freshly made/made often, stick to ordering dim sum choices that are likely to be steamed to order. We were VERY happy with such dishes (in pics, they are the 3-4 pieces of dumplings steamed in round metal tins) - they came out steaming hot and delicious! The shell was thin, not thick and gummy. We were a little disappointed by the dishes we ordered served on plates - they came out barely warmed and the texture of the white shell/exterior gave you the impression it was made hours ago and sat around (little chew when you bite into them).

There's probably no better place for dim sum within 30mins of this place so we would go again. We tried Ming Tasty in Oakland Chinatown weeks before and they aren't as good as East Ocean (Ming also had a limited menu and far fewer tables so expect a long wait if you go at peak times, prices at both places are comparable).

We saw East Ocean also has reasonably price lunch menu deals ($10 or less) that we would like to try in the future. Keep up the good work East Ocean - just try to keep the dim sum that's not steamed to...

My last day in Oakland, I decided to bring my pops to dim sum. It was my family tradition growing up, to have dim sum every Sunday morning. And so what better than to bring Dad here to relive old memories?

Unfortunately, we came on a Monday so we didn't have the hustle and bustle of carts all around us. Instead we got to order directly from their limited dim sum a la carte menu.

We had...

Green Tea Egg Custard Fried Mochi Chinese Broccoli w/ Oyster Sauce Steamed Shrimp Hor Gau Dumpling Steamed Beef Tripe Golden Shrimp Rice Noodle Crepe Pea Sprout & Shrimp Dumpling Steamed Shrimp with Crab Meat Dumpling Steamed Cilantro Dumpling Steamed Chiu Chow Dumpling w/ Jicama & Peanuts Steamed Chicken Feet w/ Black Bean Sauce Pan Fried Shrimp & Chives Dumpling Pan Fried Turnips Cake

Everything was good. The only thing I would have gone without is the tripe. I thought we were ordering the steamed tripe with ginger and scallions. This is the cold dish version which isn't one of my favorites. All the dumplings were well made, perfect amount of dumpling skin and the filling is generous and delicious.

We may have gone overboard. Our bill came out to around $80. So dim sum here is on the more expensive side. But you are paying for what you get.

Also, you are charged for each tea. So if you don't drink tea, make sure to let them know or else you will be charged per person.

The restaurant is clean and very spacious. Perfect place for large groups and parties.

Service is good. And yes, many employees don't speak English. Be patient with them and you won't have any issues.

Parking is easy. They have a rear lot as well as plenty of...

This is my favorite dim sum place in the bay area, and it's a few min drive from the office.

Every dish that I tried from this place is delicious. The ladies who push the carts around are nice. The wait staff are also nice and attentive. This place is huge but even on weekdays, during lunch time it gets packed. They serve diff kinds of dim sum and are always warm and fresh. They also have a regular menu of chinese dishes but we've never tried because we always go here for the dim sum. The prices are cheap, but the quality of the food and service is excellent. We always get the fried calamari, chicken wings, crunchy shrimp rice roll (not sure if that's the name), sui mai, har gow and steamed buns.

I've only been here twice on a weekend but it sure is packed and there's a wait if you don't get here early. There's more selection in the carts on weekends and more carts being pushed around because they open the private room to accommodate more people. Parking is twice as hard so consider yourself lucky if you get one right away. They also charge you for tea on weekends, so just drink water if you don't want to pay for tea.

Parking can be a challenge during lunch time. They have street metered parking in front of the restaurant and a small parking lot at the back that can probably...