Mr Liu Noodle House — Restaurant in Oakland

My friends and I found this place on Google Maps randomly and I’m so glad we did!! As soon as I stepped into the restaurant, I had a good feeling because the place smelled right - the aroma that’s so fresh and crisp that it can only be they are cooking spices and chili crisps in their own kitchen. You’ll want that in a great Chong Qing restaurant. The place is also very clean and bright.

When I was growing up in China, I ate Chong Qing Xiao Mian, chili oil wontons and chili oil dumplings ALL the time for dinner in high school. The dishes at this place is so authentic that they sent me back to those happy memories 🥹 We overorderd and got 7 dishes, and our Asian stomachs rejoiced 🕺💃Everyhjng was delicious and authentic chef kiss💨 The only photo I have is a table with almost empty dishes because they were so good.

I asked the owners of the restaurant how they made the wontons and dumplings because they are amazing and the sauce is SO on point! If you aren’t familiar with these two dishes, just know the Chong Qing wontons and dumplings require a specific, regional method of making them and the authentic chili oil sauce has a complex soy sauce and chili crips in it. The owners said they made everything in house - the wrapping, the filling, the chili oil crisps (I knew it!), etc. And the spices were sourced and shipped from Chong Qing, China 🤯 We would definitely come...

My new favorite noodle restaurant! I rarely write reviews, but this place truly deserves it. Delicious, authentic dishes packed full of flavor. We got the special original beef noodle soup, the pickled veggies shredded pork noodles, sichuan cold noodles, special zhajiang noodles, and the shredded pig ear. Everything was delectable and the portions are very generous. The homemade noodles are the perfect toothsome texture, the broths are incredibly rich, and the meats are melt-in-your-mouth tender. The interior is clean, sleek and comfortable. Service was great too. It’s a lovely family establishment — Mr. and Mrs. Liu handle back and front of house respectively, both are clearly passionate about their work and food and are absolutely killing it! This might be my new go-to spot to take friends for a meal. I can’t recommend this place enough, and I hope this new restaurant sees the success it deserves so I can keep coming for...

I visited this restaurant after seeing some great reviews, but my experience didn’t quite live up to the expectations. In our group, we tried dishes #4, #6, and #8. #4 was quite spicy, which might appeal to some, but for me, it lacked other flavors to balance out the heat. #6 had a very large portion, especially of noodles, but the flavors felt too bland, and there were just a few small pieces of beef. Overall, while the portion sizes were generous, especially for the noodles, we felt the dishes could use a bit more balance in both flavor and ingredients. Given the disappointment, I don't think we will be returning...