#oakland-chinatown

#oakland-chinatown

Before last year's inaugural Oakland Chinatown Night Market, community leaders had long dreamed of hosting a big, rollicking night market event - the sort of outdoor bash you'll find in cities across Asia. Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council (OCIC) Executive Director Tony Trinh says the hardest part was getting the Chinatown shopkeepers and restaurant owners themselves to believe such a thing was possible.

My go-to order is the ho fun ($6.62), or as my Cantonese-speaking partner likes to call them, drunken noodles. Bouncy rice noodles, thinly sliced cabbage, caramelized onions, and marinated beef are stir-fried in an umami sauce for the dish. It's topped with sesame seeds, chopped scallions, and a smidge of cilantro, creating a symphony of savory and fresh flavors. Tao Yuen is known for its heaping portions, so even if you ask for a small box, expect the server to fill it to the brim.