Thanh Ky Restaurant

I haven't been here in a couple years since I moved out of Oakland, but went back with my brother recently. They don't give you any sauces or condiments on the table anymore. The portions have gotten smaller. And they've raised prices about $1-$3 on most things. The food was still good but certainly not the budget bite to eat it used to be.

Consistenly fast efficient, with excellent food. Long waits some days. Avoid peak hours. Usually packed. Street parking only. Noodle soups here are the best! Grandpa was a Oakland local that loved this place.

I always find myself craving some jew chow ho fun from here! They've their raised prices a bit over the past years but it's still worth every penny! They offer pork rinds with your noodles which adds an extra crunch. Ask for soup on the side and mix your sauces in. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

This place is definitely a hidden gems in Oakland Vietnam town. There is another place called Vien Hoang at Chinatown, they used to be good, but now what left are overpriced, small portion and omitted ingredients. For example, fried fish cake, Thank Ky is still keeping the great quality, but the other Vien Hoang place is much thinner and overcooked liked fish jerky.

They have one of the best number 2 thick egg noodle with crispy pork skin and assortment of meat with soup on the side it was the best I have ever tasted in the Bay Area. You know when a Chinese restaurant is good when there is a statue in front of the restaurant and atmosphere reminiscing of HongKong or Southeast Asia with your favorite auntie or uncle that knows your noodle orders. Well that reminds me of home and though it might not look like the cleanest place it have great food and even better service. Must try and eat.

If you are from Oakland, you’ve probably heard of Vien Huong, which has been my go to and I’ve been going there since I was a little kid. However… my friend recommended me to Thanh Ky and I was reluctant at first to cheat on Vien Huong but… I’m glad I did. They offer the same type of noodles but.. the taste is totally different. I usually get the combination with the fat egg noodles and soup on the side. Vien Huong: their egg noodles are different, a less eggier. The price is about $3-4 dollars more than TK. Their bowls are bigger and you get more food Thanh Ky: their egg noodles are very yellow and contain much more egg. Sometimes they don’t cook the egg noodles enough and it’s a little gummy. Bowls are cheaper in price but are smaller. However, the overall flavor has more oomph than VH. It’s more flavorful, a little saltier, more garlicky and the fried pork skins are a nice guilty touch. I’m a big fan of TK now but I still go back to my roots at VH but I find it’s less often. Total meal for two combination noodles at TK is around 35 dollars and at VH is almost 43.

Order (love potion) #9. "House Special Ho Fun" with extra pork rinds. The broth is so beautiful I almost feel bad telling you that the chili sauce they serve on the side is amazing for sipping your noodles in. (You'll definitely want extra.) #7 Duck noodle soup but ask for Cambodian rice noodles.

Best simple Chinese/ Vietnamese noodle soup. I usually order the appetizer fried fish cake with pickled cabbage n carrots with my Hieu Tieu Nam Vang with egg & ho fun noodles.

This is the restaurant to take your Asian grandma or grandpa out for lunch. It is affordable. The staff are pros and can help you order. It is secretly satisfying. Definitely a place for close friends and family and not a first date. It's a dive. Go during daylight hours.

O boy, Oakland. It has gotten really bad since the late 90's when I took a few classes at Laney College. Thanh Ky is known for hu tieu, chieu chau dry noodles. I opted to go for their #47 House Special Crispy Noodles $15 instead. This was delicious. So good. I asked them to make it a bit drier with less sauce. My personal preference is a more crispy noodles. Too much gravy will ruin this dish. Service was excellent. They speak Cantonese as well as other languages. The kitchen was fast. I was in and out in 30 minutes. This was a great meal. Thank you everyone at Thanh Ky.

Friendly owner and staff. The food was tasty and reasonably priced. Thumbs up!

Nancy C.

I've been coming to Thanh Ky since forever. You'll always see OG's eating here. And yes, this is a hole in the wall spot. The staff are nice and the owner is always friendly. The noodle soup always hit the spot when I'm craving for noodles! 😋 They accept cash only.

シュムキース

This place is definitely a hidden gems in Oakland Vietnam town. There is another place called Vien Hoang at Chinatown, they used to be good, but now what left are overpriced, small portion and omitted ingredients. For example, fried fish cake, Thank Ky is still keeping the great quality, but the other Vien Hoang place is much thinner and overcooked liked fish jerky.

A K

Friendly owner and staff. The food was tasty and reasonably priced. Thumbs up!

Allen Feliciano

They have one of the best number 2 thick egg noodle with crispy pork skin and assortment of meat with soup on the side it was the best I have ever tasted in the Bay Area. You know when a Chinese restaurant is good when there is a statue in front of the restaurant and atmosphere reminiscing of HongKong or Southeast Asia with your favorite auntie or uncle that knows your noodle orders. Well that reminds me of home and though it might not look like the cleanest place it have great food and even better service. Must try and eat.

T W’s

If you are from Oakland, you’ve probably heard of Vien Huong, which has been my go to and I’ve been going there since I was a little kid. However… my friend recommended me to Thanh Ky and I was reluctant at first to cheat on Vien Huong but… I’m glad I did. They offer the same type of noodles but.. the taste is totally different. I usually get the combination with the fat egg noodles and soup on the side. Vien Huong: their egg noodles are different, a less eggier. The price is about $3-4 dollars more than TK. Their bowls are bigger and you get more food Thanh Ky: their egg noodles are very yellow and contain much more egg. Sometimes they don’t cook the egg noodles enough and it’s a little gummy. Bowls are cheaper in price but are smaller. However, the overall flavor has more oomph than VH. It’s more flavorful, a little saltier, more garlicky and the fried pork skins are a nice guilty touch. I’m a big fan of TK now but I still go back to my roots at VH but I find it’s less often. Total meal for two combination noodles at TK is around 35 dollars and at VH is almost 43.

Dave Young

Order (love potion) #9. "House Special Ho Fun" with extra pork rinds. The broth is so beautiful I almost feel bad telling you that the chili sauce they serve on the side is amazing for sipping your noodles in. (You'll definitely want extra.) #7 Duck noodle soup but ask for Cambodian rice noodles.

maria tran

Best simple Chinese/ Vietnamese noodle soup. I usually order the appetizer fried fish cake with pickled cabbage n carrots with my Hieu Tieu Nam Vang with egg & ho fun noodles.

Jeff Ho

O boy, Oakland. It has gotten really bad since the late 90's when I took a few classes at Laney College. Thanh Ky is known for hu tieu, chieu chau dry noodles. I opted to go for their #47 House Special Crispy Noodles $15 instead. This was delicious. So good. I asked them to make it a bit drier with less sauce. My personal preference is a more crispy noodles. Too much gravy will ruin this dish. Service was excellent. They speak Cantonese as well as other languages. The kitchen was fast. I was in and out in 30 minutes. This was a great meal. Thank you everyone at Thanh Ky.

Fiona C

Great food and portion size

I love Thanh Ky! I've been coming here 10+ years and counting. I love their special Hofun noodle with soup on the side🤤🍜 and the Cambodian noodle soup. The best and authentic Chinese/Vietnamese fusion restaurant in Town. Thanh Ky is definitely in my top 3 comfort spots and always satisfy my cravings! The employees are very hard-working and kind. I could eat here everyday (Note: They are cash only. The closest ATM is at Jackson Liquor across the street)

If you're local you know about this place. Literal hole in the wall with soul soothing soups. Don't forget to ask for extra crispy pork skins for your soup. Real ones know about adding a fresh prawn cracker to any soup order!

Jen Hinh

If you're local you know about this place. Literal hole in the wall with soul soothing soups. Don't forget to ask for extra crispy pork skins for your soup. Real ones know about adding a fresh prawn cracker to any soup order!

Kayla Huynh

I love Thanh Ky! I've been coming here 10+ years and counting. I love their special Hofun noodle with soup on the side🤤🍜 and the Cambodian noodle soup. The best and authentic Chinese/Vietnamese fusion restaurant in Town. Thanh Ky is definitely in my top 3 comfort spots and always satisfy my cravings! The employees are very hard-working and kind. I could eat here everyday (Note: They are cash only. The closest ATM is at Jackson Liquor across the street)

#1 wet or dry with crispy pork bits is the best. I tried #2 with has wontons but the wontons are just ok. Shrimp rolls were just ok. If you like pork kidney, then sauteed kidneys is super good. Service can be spotty depending on the day, but the food is solid.

My friend and I wandered in here because the restaurant we wanted to go was closed. We were immediately seated and the waitress asked what we wanted to order. We were a bit confused and asked for a menu. She looked startled then brought it to us. Looking around, we realized that everyone had plate of egg rolls and either a noodle soup or yellow rice with roasted chicken. Basically, everyone comes here to eat couple of house specials. We pointed to the egg rolls and the house special soup without knowing what the house special is. :-P We were then asked what kind of noodles, i.e., egg or rice and if rice then thin or thick. OMG, we loved the eggrolls. I believe it's tofu skin fried with shrimp and something else. We also loved the soup, which contained shrimp, fish balls, beef balls, ground up pork, bean sprouts, and kidney in a clear broth. Next time, we're going to check out the rice and chicken dish. We're thrilled to have discovered a new lunch spot.

This restaurant has been around for years. Always maintain best quality at very reasonable prices. Their best item is dried Tieu Chau noodle, broth on the side, choice of thin or flat big noodles.

The soft shell crab was very good. But the woman running the place was very chatty. It was interesting listening to her as she shared her Vietnamese background. She shared with me that Vietnamese returning to Vietnam are expected to bribe the officials.

The famous neighborhood hole in the wall that serves up good tasting, moderately priced, sizeable portions of local asian/southeast asian comfort food dishes. Place gets busy. Some tables you will be sat at are definitely better than others. Service is so-so, but thats not what keeps people coming back.

Solid, great for the price but I prefer vien Huong. You need to request for the kidneys because they don’t automatically include it in your noodles. Cash only.

This place has been around for decades. Food is still delicious after all these years, not lacking any flavor. Recommend A try if ur in that area. Parking could be challenging. Cash only.

The place is unkempt at times, yet I still find myself coming here a lot for their fried chicken dinner meal. Delicious, it also comes with some in-house made venegrate/pickled veggies, which reminds me of the shops on the countryside of Vietnam, delicious. Their other dishes are great too.

Really good food for a hole in the wall. First time there and was recommended to order the chicken roti with egg fried rice and an order of fried duck leg on the side as well. Everything was good. Both duck and chicken were moist on the inside and a light crisp to the skin on the outside was just perfect. But don't come too hungry because it is a small restaurant and there is typically a wait. The biggest table there only accommodates 6 people.

We visited Thanh Ky Cafe for an early brunch to beat the lunch rush. Since it’s similar to another spot we frequent, we were confident the noodles would be good—and they did not disappoint! We ordered the #9 “House Special Ho Fun,” which includes pork kidneys. The standout surprise was the addition of fried pork skin, adding a delicious crunch and depth of flavor to the dish. If you’re in the area, it’s worth stopping by. Just be aware that the surrounding neighborhood can feel a little sketchy—after all, it is Oakland—so take a few extra precautions. Overall, tasty food and a satisfying experience!

This place smell so musty the moment I walk in here. They need to leave the door open, or install a few ventilators or something. I ordered number 14 hu tieu nam vang, with the soup on the side, a dry noodle style, plus the fried pork fat. The meat + the addition of fried pork fat was tasty, but the noodle was a bit overcooked so it was on the soggy side. The meal was 15 buc, it came with a diluted hot green tea, the portion was a bit small, but everything is curently more expansive due to the tarif. It was still an enjoyable meal, wish they have lime wedge here though.

First time there. They helped me pick out something to eat. Was very good. Will come back again.

I have been coming to Thanh Ky for years and they never disappoint. They serve one of my favorite versions of salted fish and chicken fried rice. Their gravy egg over rice is delicious as well. Friendly reminder that they are cash only.

want authentic canton chaozhou style dishes? yes. don’t expect anything other than food and you will be fine.

I go here at least once every few weeks on the weekend. And today I found myself here on Christmas morning before everyone wakes up. (Edited) The order I always get is the combination chow fun noodles with the fried pork rinds. Delicious!

Kao Saephan

We visited Thanh Ky Cafe for an early brunch to beat the lunch rush. Since it’s similar to another spot we frequent, we were confident the noodles would be good—and they did not disappoint! We ordered the #9 “House Special Ho Fun,” which includes pork kidneys. The standout surprise was the addition of fried pork skin, adding a delicious crunch and depth of flavor to the dish. If you’re in the area, it’s worth stopping by. Just be aware that the surrounding neighborhood can feel a little sketchy—after all, it is Oakland—so take a few extra precautions. Overall, tasty food and a satisfying experience!

K DN

This place smell so musty the moment I walk in here. They need to leave the door open, or install a few ventilators or something. I ordered number 14 hu tieu nam vang, with the soup on the side, a dry noodle style, plus the fried pork fat. The meat + the addition of fried pork fat was tasty, but the noodle was a bit overcooked so it was on the soggy side. The meal was 15 buc, it came with a diluted hot green tea, the portion was a bit small, but everything is curently more expansive due to the tarif. It was still an enjoyable meal, wish they have lime wedge here though.

Michael Chang

I have been coming to Thanh Ky for years and they never disappoint. They serve one of my favorite versions of salted fish and chicken fried rice. Their gravy egg over rice is delicious as well. Friendly reminder that they are cash only.

Donna Fong

This is one of my to go places for Asian comfort food. The chicken is delicious but today we ordered the duck over their rice, combo noodle soup, fried tofu skin over shrimp cake and water chestnut and an egg soda. The fried rice is very simple but its flavor and chewy texture is the stuff I've bern wanting all my life without realizing it. Try the sweet and spicy sauce. It was so good that I figured out the source and bought several bottles in a nearby neighborhood store. Sweeter than most hot sauces and less spicy. Use it generously. The egg soda is sweetened condensed milk, soda and a raw egg yolk. Delicious and refreshingly sweet and smooth. Give it a try as long as you don't mind going to a dive. This place has a steady stream of customers regardless of day or time.

Zack Y

want authentic canton chaozhou style dishes? yes. don’t expect anything other than food and you will be fine.

Nai Saevang

I go here at least once every few weeks on the weekend. And today I found myself here on Christmas morning before everyone wakes up. (Edited) The order I always get is the combination chow fun noodles with the fried pork rinds. Delicious!

Food is good and well priced, they however do not option size options so if you want more you would just have to order another bowl. The service here is also supremely slow. Your order may be incorrect if ordering in a party larger than six. Once the food is ordered though, it isn't long before food is served to you.

Here, it serves popular Chinese Vietnamese noodles 🍜 in Cholon and around Saigon in the past. It's hard to find a small restaurant that still serves this type of noodles in Oakland and vicinity. However, the foods' look and taste are simple and uninteresting. So is the service. The door is also covered by a big bus station in front.

Really wanted to like this place, as I love Chinese-style Vietnamese food. But not sure how an $11.50 bowl turned into $16.25 after tax. The noodles were good, but the broth was a bit bland. No herbs and bean sprouts were served. Roast duck was good. Cash only!

For the craving it was ok but the soup is not as flavorful as another place we know in SF. The Eggrolls were fried too long and dried out. The soup needed a bit more flavor and was on the bland side

Keith Van

Really wanted to like this place, as I love Chinese-style Vietnamese food. But not sure how an $11.50 bowl turned into $16.25 after tax. The noodles were good, but the broth was a bit bland. No herbs and bean sprouts were served. Roast duck was good. Cash only!

Kim Castellanos

For the craving it was ok but the soup is not as flavorful as another place we know in SF. The Eggrolls were fried too long and dried out. The soup needed a bit more flavor and was on the bland side

Thanh Ky's food was just alright. Fried duck leg was seasoned but cooked to the point of practically very dry, the skin the dark meat. I could see that it's overcooked, dry when it was brought to my table, it made me think that's not the best way to present duck at it's best, which to me is succulent, juices oozing out. Not here, yet I see quite a lot of customers ordering their fried duck leg. Their Vietnamese Iced Coffee is good and strong.

I used to love this restaurant. Today though, dude charged me an extra dollar because I asked for some pre-packed caps of jalapeños and saté. He even had an attitude about it. Then!, he tried to short me $50 in change and acted like I was wrong. Also, they were working on getting a new door installed and he told us to walk around to the side entrance, which was no biggie. However, other folks were walking in and out of that front door even when the guy installing the door had his ladder in the way, and the dude didn't say a thing. Must be an ethnic thing. I used to leave a decent tip every time, but since he CHARGED me 1 measly dollar for some jalapeños and hot sauce, I didn't leave a dime. Their attitude changed recently. They used to be real nice, even if in a "not so nice" way.

I have had better noodles, this place doesn't have any customers service, the people have no manner and they are rude..I wouldn't go back unless I'm very hungry and at that general area..

Last year gave 4 stars and reviewed. My next paragraph is an update. Best combination fried rice!!! Ate half and saved half for dinner since I am trying to diet 😂 As of 10/14/2018 I don't write unless it's really bad experience and this is one of the rare times. I am really easy going, but this made me write and sadden the rest of my day. Wasted 1hour here which could have been avoided. This place has good food. But it wasted almost an hour of my family time and in the end we didn't even get to eat because we would have had to wait another 30 minutes. Keep in mind we were already hungry since we planned to eat here. So we signed in as family of 5. They did offer us a table of 4 but add a seat on the side. We declined and wanted the big table since it's tight and packed there if u add a seat. We gladly wait our turn. As time goes by a few lines below our name is a group of 10. We still wait. Then I noticed they called the group of 10. I approached the man and asked we haven't gone yet. His reply was they called in before you and made reservations. I told him, but you didn't list them on the list beforehand. If we had know we could have at somewhere else. Ive been eating at thanh KY for over 10 years. Took all my family and business people to eat there. I would not have mind to eat else where just don't waste my family's time. He told us wait 10mins. So he just gave our table to a group of 10 and the only other big table has a group that just ordered from him. So how can it be less than at least 20 mins. Mind u he could have asked the group of ten to wait for that table but made us wait instead. This all could have been avoided if he wrote the group of 10 down so we could have came next time to eat. I also didn't know a packed Asian place lik this took reservations. We all would do it if this was true. It would be chaotic. I don't know if he was telling the truth or not but it could have been avoided if he let us knew inadvance of waiting almost 1 hour for a table and then wanting to make us wait more. Needless to say u can go here with 4 or less people. There were many flaws before but u can overlook it with good food. But this one wasting my time was over it. I will not take my family here or any of my business vendors/ clients anymore. If u are 5 or more ask multiple times before are committed to waiting or u might end up wasting multiple people's time while hungry and feeling pushed away by their employees close friends or family members who want to eat before you. Not a good feeling for the rest of the day. I hope that after this review they will strive to improve and it will be a better experience for others to come, I wish them the best, but it looks like we are fated to never experience this place again.

My family and I when this restaurant for breakfast the waitress was very very very bad it's one of the worst restaurant I ever went to the waitress was rude and when they bring out the food they miss our order this restaurant do not deserve a one-star this you deserve a 0 star it is so bad that I think 3 person to make one cup coffee. And when they bring out the food they eat all the food on the table we are paying customer we're not begging for the food I don't understand why they treat people like that

Really bad service, even for Asian hole in the wall standards. Overcharged me and 3 ppl started yelling at me loudly when I asked them to explain the charges. Left rather than argue over $3. Also pricey for what it is. Maybe it used to be good value but now it’s $15 for a small bowl. In Oakland

I came here years ago and I returned to be disappointed. I love to support local businesses! We had the egg noodle with the wonton and that was okay, but the chow fun flat noodles are usually 3/4” wide at other restaurants. Ours were like left over thin pieces?

Very disappointing experience at Thanh Ky. Not once, but multiple times, I've been overcharged on my takeout orders. Each time, I brushed it off as a mistake, but after the latest incident, I decided to double-check the prices. It appears the cashier has been shortchanging me consistently. I'm talking about $10 here, not just a dollar or two. Needless to say, this was the final straw. I'll never be back. I'd advise others to be cautious and verify their orders before paying.

Nicky

Very disappointing experience at Thanh Ky. Not once, but multiple times, I've been overcharged on my takeout orders. Each time, I brushed it off as a mistake, but after the latest incident, I decided to double-check the prices. It appears the cashier has been shortchanging me consistently. I'm talking about $10 here, not just a dollar or two. Needless to say, this was the final straw. I'll never be back. I'd advise others to be cautious and verify their orders before paying.