Oakland: Eden Silk Road

For my birthday last year, VN and SY met me in downtown Oakland for dinner.  I wasn't craving anything in particular, so a quick Yelp search turned up Eden Silk Road:

Even though the door was open, we weren't sure if the restaurant was open.  None of the lights were on and the place was completely deserted.  Just as we were about to leave, someone came out of the kitchen.

He explained that he was the only one working that day.  Pandemic cuts and all that.  He warned us since he was both server and chef, service might take a bit longer than usual.  He also warned that a lot of the menu was unavailable.

We didn't mind.  But after picking a few things that weren't available, we finally just asked our server/chef to just point out what was.  

There was the big plate chicken ($13.99):

The noodles were nice and chewy, while the chicken stew had a numbing spiciness that grew with time.

We also ordered the stir fried noodles ($13.99):

It usually comes with a choice of lamb, beef, or chicken.  Since SY doesn't eat red meat, we asked for chicken.  Our server/chef was very apologetic when he told us they were out of chicken (apparently the cut is different from what is used in the big plate chicken).  He was very surprised when we said we were okay without the meat.

Even though SY doesn't eat red meat, she let me order a goshnan ($13.99) as it was my birthday:

The meat pie was crisp on the outside and filled with savory lamb and onion:

This entire dining experience reminded me why I love my girls so much.  They're both just so chill.  Limited menu?  That's fine.  Longer wait?  No biggie.  Eating without the lights on?  We like natural light.  (Our server/chef did rush over partway through our meal to turn on the lights when he realized we were eating in the dark.  We shared a good laugh with him over that.)

Because we were the only party in the restaurant up until the end of our meal, we were able to interact quite a bit with our server/chef.  He was very personable without being overwhelming and obviously a very talented chef.  Everything we had was very delicious.

Sadly, I just found out while typing this post that Eden Silk Road is now permanently closed (including its location in Fremont).  So sad.  I was actually looking forward to getting lunch there once we stop working remotely...whenever that will be.  

The pandemic has definitely taken a toll on businesses in Oakland Chinatown.  Hopefully when things go back to normal, Chinatown will regain its prior vitality and then some.

Eden Silk Road

366 8th St

Oakland, CA 94607

(510) 817-4884

https://edensilkroadtogo.com/