Tao Yuen Pastry — Restaurant in Oakland

Prices went up. Bought over $40 in dim sum, the clerk short changed me and didn't give change even when I asked. Before I got to the counter, an elderly Chinese woman was complaining that they overcharged her too. Count your change before you leave because it seems they are keeping the change lately.

Dim sum is good. The glutinous rice skins are thicker if you are watching your carb intake.

I don't order the Char Siu Bau/Pork Buns anymore because they use fatty pork. I would find pieces of char siu that was pure fat in the bun. I used to love this item.

The dumplings are large.

Har Gow - I used to love these but they had a practice of mixing fish paste as a filler for years that I stopped ordering them. In the most recent visit, I accidentally ordered it and the filling is better now back to shrimp and bamboo shoots--more consistent with other recipes. Good but the quality might fluctuate on this depending on the chef.

I usually order steam dumplings.

Shark fin dumpling - Good. There is no shark fin in it, but they put in clear noodles to mimick shark fin after a customer complaint. The folds on the top resemble a shark fin. Ground pork, mince carrot.

Chives dumpling - ground pork and chives. Ok.

Spinach dumpling - spinach and ground pork. Ok.

Pumpkin dumpling- kobucha squash & pork with a glutinous rice shell. Round shaped. Slightly sweet. OK.

Siu Mi - Pork. Ok. Like a big meatball.

Fun gow - Good. Ground pork, shrimp, green onion, wood ear, carrot, cilantro. Crescent shaped. Skin is thicker than i have seen relative to other estabslishments.

Taro dumpling - Good. Ground pork, taro root with a five spice seasoning. Triangle shaped.

Scallops dumpling - Good. Real scallops with a glutinous rice shell. Triangle shaped.

My favorite is the taro root dumpling with the fun gow a close second.

The Siu Mi and Shark Fin are similar in texture and taste.

Dried shrimp chong fun - Good. this used to be a $1 a roll but has gone up to 2.50 each. It has bits of green onions, dried shrimp, green onion and turnips in the rice noodle. Turnips make it slightly sweet crunchiness to it.

Chow mein - too greasy for my tastes. It is hearty and comes...

CASH ONLY! (There is a Wells Fargo and a Bank of America as well as another local bank ATM nearby, but best to come prepared!)

Now on to the review... I cannot get over how delicious the food here is. EVERYTHING. Whether I recognize it or not, the absolutely heavenly smell makes me want to try every and anything in front of my eyes. I particularly like the fried shrimp dumpling, incredibly crisp with juicy, sweet, yet savory filling. I also recommend the BBQ pork bun... the tops of the buns are just sliiightly sweet and sticky and it is SO worth getting your hands a little messy for this. The fried sesame rice balls with bean paste inside are the best I have ever had. Just... that absolute symphony of crispy, crunchy, sweet, savory, soft, chewy... what can I say - perfectly balanced, as all things should be. Best orange chicken of my lifetime, chow mien is phenomenal. There honestly isn't much more I can say. I can't wait to try everything here.

The staff is very nice. You may feel a little rushed, especially when (and there often is) a line, but personally I felt it was part of the experience. The ladies will hear out your whole order even as you're desperately trying to decide what you want, and if you forget cash (as I have), they will wait with your to-go bag for you to saunter off to the ATM or wherever/whomever your cash salvation may be. And let me tell you, they do NOT skimp on giving you what you order. They fill those plastic containers to the brim and I am so grateful for this. Optimization at its finest.

But yeah. Come here. Unless you want health food, then go someplace else. I excitedly anticipate...

As always, it is best to get your dim sum in the morning, when things are fresh. The same goes for this place. In the morning, the line wait isn't so bad here. I feel that waiting in line gives me ample time to decide what I want. However, I end up ordering my usual - ha gau, siu mai, rice crepe rolls, potstickers, steamed pork buns, and rice cake. And most importantly, the deep fried minced meat dumplings. They make them pretty big here, and they're soo good.

One thing I wish they could provide was little to go dipping sauce cups, especially for chili sauce. The soy sauce packets are okay, but I'd rather have them in dipping sauce cups. What if I wanted to take my dim sum on a picnic? I would have nowhere to pour my soy sauce into. That sounds ridiculous, but I have actually taken dim sum on picnics many times, and some dim sum takeout places provide me with those cups. Also for rice crepe rolls, some places provide that sweet soy sauce dip. Sadly, this place...