Little Shin Shin

I ordered take out last night. By the way, you can only order out. They have no indoor dining at this time.
They have a barrier at the door that does not allow you to come in.

I ordered the Salt and Pepper fish, Shrimp and Chicken fried rice and Chicken with string beans.

Even though I haven't been here in a while their food is still continously good. Really good!

If you're ever in this area of Oakland, call in your order, visit some local shops then go and pick up your food and enjoy
Thanks Little Shin Shin

Little Shin Shin is a traditional Chinese Restaurant on Piedmont Ave in Oakland. It serves Cantonese, Hunan, Mandarin & Sichuan foods. It's been around for decades, and has been voted "Best of Oakland" a few times. It was even featured on "Check Please! Bay Area." The other day, I was wondering if Little Shin Shin is still good even after the Covid-19 shutdown. So I ordered a few items thru the Caviar App: Won Ton Soup, Shin-Shin Spicy Beef, and Deep Fried Chicken Wings.

Won Ton Soup, Grade (4/5): this is plain won ton soup, just like my Mom used to make. Avg sized won ton with not alot of filling, asian greens, and a mild broth. If you want the fancy version, you have to order Wor Won Ton Soup.

Shin Shin Beef, Grade (5/5): is really good. It's thinly sliced and has shredded cabbage. The beef is mixed with a spicy sauce.

Deep Fried Chicken Wings*, Grade (5/5): Sooo good! Meaty wings and drums, coated with a sticky spicy garlicky sauce. If you eat them with your hands, you better have lots of napkins ready.

*Note: On the menu for Deep Fried Chicken Wings it says "Lollipop Chicken."
These are not Chicken Lollipops. Chicken Lollipop are drumsticks where the meat is cut and pushed to the end. Battered and fried, and they look like Lollipops. Then you dip them in sauces or eat them plain.

So in general, Little Shin Shin is still serving up good traditional chinese food. It's served family style, in a no-frills restaurant.

Enjoy, and Support Local Business!

** The following review reflects my delivery experience DURING the COVID-19 pandemic. **

This was my go-to Chinese takeout spot throughout the 1990's because I lived about three minutes away off Piedmont Avenue during the Bush-bookended Clinton years. That was way before DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats entered our culinary lexicon. It was when I could flip my phone open, talk to the manager about her family, and actually got it myself. I left the neighborhood ages ago, but it surprised me when I realized I hadn't been back because (gasp) I never Yelped it.

Quite by accident, I saw Little Shin Shin on DoorDash, and despite an exorbitant delivery fee, I decided to rekindle my memories of what I thought was a world-class Hot & Sour Soup. Guess what? It still is. To me, it's their key signature dish even at $14.05. Ingredients like mushrooms and ginger are used subtly, and the result is really delicious with just the right kick to go with the heat (photo: https://bit.ly/3mJBoeV). To go with that, I ordered the $14.05 Chicken with Double Mushrooms.

They just do better than similar spots where they treat their sesame oil like a varnish (photo: https://bit.ly/32dFAKo). Balancing the meal out for Jamie W. and me, I also ordered the $12.05 Shin Shin Special Vegetables to get some fresh produce into our meal. It was a nice mix of broccoli, baby corn, and carrots lightly sautéed with garlic bits (photo: https://bit.ly/2RpdKIW). It was all tasty and reminded me why I kept coming back, and it's quite a testament to their consistency that I wasn't disappointed.

FOOD - 5 stars...freshest tasting Chinese food on this side of the bay
AMBIANCE - n/a...just delivery but I recall it as a no-frills spot
SERVICE - 4.5 stars...timely delivery but the fee was on the high side
TOTAL - 5 stars...my palate wasn't disappointed, neither was my stomach

RELATED - Exploring this part of Oakland? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2I0RAHj

Bummed to find out they've closed. They should've reopened the dining room instead of just doing take out for over 2 years.

Anyone know where Dennis is? Long live shin shin, been going here for 30 years! My review needs to be 85 characters

Great food! Lunch specials are the best! Great customer service! Wish dinning room was open but To-Go will have to do!

Consistently solid Chinese food. No frills, not fancy or exotic, just consistently good. Been going her for years and years. Always impressed that they have diverse clientele - not true at many Chinese restaurants that I frequent.

The hot and sour soup is my standard but this time I went for War Won Ton. It was full of won tons and meat. It won't replace hot and sour as my favorite but good to know this is another option.

Chicken fried rice - always good. Egg rolls - excellent. At lunch they provide a nice little salad, which I don't generally associate with Chinese restaurants but it was a nice, light and fresh supplement to an otherwise greasy (though not overly greasy) assortment.

Gai lan was very very good - love it!!

Servers are nice without being intrusive or overly friendly. Hot tea - very good.

Ask for chili sauce if you like it - they keep hot oil, soy and vinegar on table but have chili sauce upon request.

Generous portions - decent value.

I enjoy eating here. Good soups and great noodle dishes. Some of these folks who smash the place are entitled Bay Area snobs who've never been truly hungry. Good food and prompt service. Will return. Those of you who use delivery services- Door Dash, etc, are fools and lazy.

One of our go-to's on Piedmont Ave. Always friendly with consistently good food.

They are only doing take-out and I believe you have to order via phone, even if that means standing out front and calling them. You pick up right at the door, no indoor seating or even indoor pick-ups.

I've been saying for 20 years that they're not as good as they used to be, but I've been coming here for twice that long including a ridiculous number of birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions.

Went tonight for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Found out in line that tomorrow is their last day.

Just a heads up in case anyone wants to go one last time before they're gone for good. To Go only, phone in orders.

We will definitely miss this Piedmont Avenue institution. Lots of good memories.