Iconic Vietnamese Food in Oakland in Little Saigon - My Oakland | Did You Eat Yet?
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- čas přidán 30. 06. 2024
- I'm Victor and I grew up around different parts of Oakland, CA. In the "My Oakland" series, I highlight a few areas of the town I spent a lot of time in, and of course, that means eating a lot in these areas.
In this episode, I highlight Oakland's Little Saigon, also known as New Chinatown or the Eastlake area. As of 2019, business owners lobbied for the town to officially recognize the area as Little Saigon, as many major cities with big Vietnamese communities have done as well. There's a lot of staples here that have been around for longer than I've been alive. Please excuse my poor Vietnamese pronunciations too lol I've been eating Vietnamese food my entire life but have never been able to pick up some of the language. Enjoy!
Spots highlighted:
• Bui Phong Bakery
• Banh Mi Ba Le
• Pho Ga Huong Que Cafe
• Pho Ao Sen
• Pho King
• Thanh Ky
• Cam Huong
Did You Eat Yet? is a short video series by Victor, highlighting food and the stories that come from food.
Collection One: Where I'm From highlights Victor’s roots: A first generation Chinese American, born in Oakland, and raised around the entire East Bay. We highlight traditional Chinese recipes, hear stories from friends and family, explore the Bay Area, and share the most quintessential Oakland taco tour ever captured.
New episodes will be released soon.
Please like and subscribe to our channel for more!
Links:
Instagram: / hididyoueatyet
Merch: hididyoueatyet.com/
Special thanks to:
- Tyler Coolidge for the episode music (IG: / tylercoolidge )
- Miguel for the intro music (IG: / mrvilifier )
- Megan for the Did You Eat Yet? design (IG: @ / mighty.moody )
- And everyone who helped me out with shooting and producing and eating with me!
My wife’s parents were the original owners of Banh Mi Ba Le in San Francisco in the early 80s. They moved it over to Oakland in the 90s but sold it soon after my wife’s uncle was murdered at the shop during a robbery. They still make the best Banh Mi sandwich but sadly the restaurant is now open only a few days a week. Apparently they can’t find enough workers due to fear of daily crime in the area. The neighborhood has never been great, but now it is truly dangerous. My wife finally managed to move her parents near us in Walnut Creek after living on Foothill Blvd for 30 years.
Wow thanks for sharing some of that history. It really is unfortunate how much worse it’s gotten in the area.
@@HiDidYouEatYet After they moved I had to train my wife’s parents on how to call the police. They never called OPD for anything due to lack of response and fear of retribution from criminals. I told them Walnut Creek police are bored and will respond if you call them! 😂
I am sorry.. most of us Californians can't even get ahead of bills. So, to hear you speak of how your parents worked their heads off, only to have to give it all up in the end.. is heartbreaking. Makes you want to not even try.
I worked right across the street from their spot in Oakland for years and would eat there 3-4 times a week. Loved the bahn mi, bahn xeo and the avocado smoothie with boba. I moved out of the area but I miss that spot so bad.
I use to go there as a kid all the time. I lived a couple blocks away. That area is getting worse thus why we moved to WC area as well.
Bruh this list is LEGIT. My Vietnamese family only went to these spots growing up. Banh Mi Ba Le for lunch, Pho King for dinner, and Pho Ao Sen on the weekends, Cam Huong for every snack in between. This video warmed my heart ❤️
Really appreciate that, thanks for watching!
Dude I just want to say my wife and I have been loving all of your videos! I grew up in Alameda/Oakland with practically the same environment as yours it seems. I've been showing my wife your videos and explaining how it was going to these places growing up. I also think its amazing you sharing the love to these businesses that mean so much to us. Keep it going man!
Appreciate the kind words! I also spent a lot of time in Alameda too, and I think there's a ton of us with these shared experiences growing up over here
It’s a shame the city of Oakland is failing these businesses and the people. They contribute so much to the city through taxes, culturally, food but the safety concerns, the neglect from leaders, are unacceptable. saw all these businesses get started and thrive only to be disappointed by the city.
Le Cheval is closing because of the crime out, its been there for years.
Asians has become 2nd class citizens.
Drop Pamela Price!!!!
Keep voting democrat. I miss the big Orange meany. Business was doing good $$$. Hopefully we get trump Back in 🤙🏾
@@hvega8199delusional he’s the biggest criminal
@@hvega8199what are your sources on business doing well under Trump?
Never was able to make friends growing up in Oakland but I’m glad that your view of Oakland is so close to my own experience. Thanks for making heart warming views of our hometown
Thanks for watching!
I think that is just how it is in Oakland, you know people, but you don't get too close, you know.
I live in St. paul MN and we have a ton of Vietnamese stores and restaurants here too, which I love. I am not Vietnamese but I have fallen in love with their foods and grocers. There’s a store here called Little Saigon actually, several Bahn Mi places and large grocers selling all Asian products.
A Vietnamese friend showed me how to make my own Bahn Mi, pickle daikon and carrots, where to buy Geo Lua, how to make egg yolk Bo, and I learned how to make Bahn mi vegetarian with pink mushrooms. The hardest thing I have seen is finding the exact correct bread for them. A lot are not right but are sold as the right baguette but it isn’t
@AKayfabe I'm also from the twin cities, grew up frequenting the grocery stores and restaurants on University Ave. If you're looking for a good french baguette for banh mi, check out trung nam french bakery. They offer the classic banh mi with the cold cuts and other baked items. Their hours are limited!
just remember one of the rules of vietnamese spelling is N before H, the opposite of German.
bánh mì (wheat bread), hành (onion), lạnh (cold), đánh (fight), banh (ball), anh (honorific for older male), and a whole lot of other words end with N-H.
This hits home for me so much! Thank you for sharing some of my favorite spots and more, I can’t wait to check out some of these spots and revisit the places I’ve eaten at
Thanks for watching!
I just speed-ran through these videos and loved them. As someone who grew up right off High and Mac as a kid, I share a lot of the same core memories especially surrounding food. Great stuff would love to see more like this. Best of luck on all your future endeavors
Shoutout to you for putting the town’s gems and my childhood on full display 🙏🏻
My childhood in a video! You guys absolutely captured every aspect of why this part of Oakland is just so special. I hope more people can see the beauty and history of theses areas and establishments ❤
Appreciate it! Thanks for watching
Great video capturing Little Saigon! We love all of these spots! 10/10. Great video capturing Little Saigon! We love all of these spots! 10/10.
Love the format of your videos! Your story telling is really good keep up the good work!
Appreciate that, thanks!
Yes!
100%
Great video! Looking forward to more content! I just moved to Oakland a few months ago and it's great to see some positive content about Oakland for a change! ❤ I'm gonna go explore Little Saigon this weekend!
Always good to see positives but also important to not ignore the negatives as well. Thanks for watching!
Respect. I worked in Louisville Kentucky and visited Japanese restaurant and meet the owners, I remember being invited to their family party, they were Vietnames, I asked why not sale pho and boba. He said, out here people only know Japanese food. 2012 to 2018. I am glad to be back home Surfer Frank Downey California
Great video capturing Little Saigon! We love all of these spots! 10/10
Thanks a lot!
Yo my guy, appreciate this video highlighting the culture and food in Oakland. There's too many dope spots to even list in one video.
Cam Huong and Ba Le were the spots for lunch. On occasion I’ll go on a lunch run and pick up orders for my coworkers at the hotel I worked at in Emeryville. I hope they continue to stick around. Thanks for sharing with everyone how special this place is to a lot of us.
thank you for making this video and encouraging ppl to shop here! i grew up going to little saigon/e 12 all the time and my aunt has a hair cutting shop there so this video was super nostalgic to me :') i hope we can continue to encourage folks to shop local and keep family owned businesses alive in spite of all the gentrification and safety issues happening in the neighborhood 🧡🙏🏼
Appreciate the kind words! Really appreciate it, and thanks for watching
SHOUT OUT TO CAM HUONG!!! one of the best in the bay. A true staple. I go there so often. Big love to Pho King and Pho Hoa Lao too! This video warms my heart.
appreciate it!
Thanks for showing love to this area ❤ I’ve been to every spot since I was a kid. 😊
Thanks for watching! Appreciate it
while im still young this video really hit home for me and really made me appreciate my childhood, great video and especially love cam huong at the end, my dentist is right next to it so i have millions of memories going there after everytime with my family, keep up the great work
Appreciate it, thanks for watching!
I'm inspired by Oakland's Asian community and their resourceful responses to COVID-19. Beautifully done! 👍
I’m Mexican but I love Vietnamese food. It was the only thing I could eat while pregnant and my now 7yr olds fav food is Pho! 😊
Haha that’s amazing. The area has such good food of all types
Keep these vids coming dude. Love your recos.
Thanks!
Cam Huong's fried rice and chicken legs were and always will be GOAT. The Oak location was the first time I ever experienced and fell in love w/ banh mi. Great content as always!
Appreciate it, thanks for watching!
Yeah i love the vibe and format of these videos keep on doing your thing. Had to sub.
Appreciate that, thanks for watching
Bro I used to go to the Cam Huong in China town all the time back when I went to Laney. Miss that place so much and I was so bummed to see it gone.
Awesome video bro. Makes me wanna explore my back yard even more.
your video brought back so many memories from when my kids were younger at the park picking up snacks at the best and cam huong. i hope the city can reconstruct the playground soon!
Thanks for watching!
the day after i commented, the city tore out the old burnt up playground! i hope you keep doing what you’re doing!
I still remember Cam Huong when they first opened in the Oakland Chinatown location. It was my go-to lunch place as I worked in Chinatown and sometimes I would get a takeaway box of something for dinner before heading home. The place was always busy b/c it served good food and cheap. Back in the 80s, a banh mi cost $1.25 to $1.50, so was a box of bbq chicken and fried rice or noodles. The family is from San Jose.
@@sunnydayx55 It's $9-12 where I am when it was $4-5 pre-Covid time.
Great walkthrough and show of Oakland’s little Saigon
Appreciate it, thanks for watching
🔥🔥🔥🔥 solid documentary format and storytelling 🤩🤩🤩
Great run down. Fast and sweet. Thanks!
Love your series man
Live in DC now, Berkeley High ‘96 . You brought back big memories from the bakery. The Bay has bread on lock.
Great vid man, can tell how much you care about the town! Subscribed 🔥
Appreciate it!
Just wat i needed, taking notes. Everytime i have frends over we barely know where to go cus ive only been here 2yrs & im always working but im saving all these locations!!
great video and thanks for highlighting Oakland
I love this. I have watched so many good videos but never found anyone talking about Oakland/Alameda. So many great spots!! Thanks for representing, and if you haven’t already try tacos el pasia in Oakland. Best tacos I’ve ever had.
Thanks for watching! I love El Paisa too
I grew up in Oakland and ate at all those spots all the time. Cray, your vid brought back some memories yo, sick
Love this. Great tour on point.
Okay I need to get over to Oakland more for lunch. Excellent recommendations and love the history lesson too.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you for shining light on our Asian community through these dark times brother .
Much love n respect from the Asian communities in southern Cali salute 🫡
Appreciate it!
good video bro. im from Elk Grove and have always enjoy local shops in Oakland
Nice to see videos covering Little Saigon, Oakland. However I felt Chai Thai Noodles and The Best Dim Sum & Pastry was worth mentioning, they’ve been around for so long. Also, our local bobas and che shops, Quickly’s and BAMBU is a sweet addition to our town.
I love Chai Thai, and still go all the time. Used to stop by Best Dim Sum all the time too when I was younger. This video just barely scratched the surface, but might revisit again with a part two later on!
quickly's and bambu are both franchise expansions. quickly started in socal. bambu started in san jose.
Moved from the city to Oakland and this was exactly what I needed for the good spots 🥰and thank you for the history lessons!
Thanks for watching!
Thanh Ky is my favorite spot when I go to Oakland, hands down. Hu Tieu Trieu Trau w/ extra Tep Mo + Cha Gio combo hits so hard.
My family used to shop there a lot. It is a nice little community area. I no longer live there anymore but do misses the restaurants and shops
Great video. U mentioned a lot of my favorite places 😇
That Pho Ga place is one of the best in Oakland. Love the bone in chicken with noodle soup. Ask for chicken on the side won't regret it. It's gives the meat more texture instead of the being soggy unless you like it that way.
this just brings back all the nostalgic memories growing up in that community.
That’s awesome, glad they can do that for you
One of my fondest memories was going out to lunch from work (12th & Broadway), heading down to Cam Huong on Webster and getting some delicious food. People are missing out on Oakland eats.
TK is my shit. For first timers you’ll get used to not needing the menu. Super fast paced but DELICIOUS food. Shout out Champa Garden too even tho it’s not Vietnamese food.
I've been missing Cali for a minute, thank you for the content
More to come!
yoooo love this video! thanks for putting a spotlight on these local favorites, and highlighting their role in history and the community!
Glad you enjoyed!
Oh hell yeah Victor! I didn’t know you had a CZcams channel. Subbed my guy. I love Oakland foods.
Just started it a couple months ago! thanks for watching man
Wow great videos!!! Keep doing them please. Will get big..
I grew up on 19th Ave and went to school in the San Antonio District. Still go back often and volunteer at the local school on occasion. So amped to see places I’ve been to on your vid…. Keep up the calm smooth talking reviews with subtitles and bits of history. Would you believe there used to be a dairy plant on E14th in the 60’s? Was located near Banh Mi Ba Le…..also the Laney College parking lot used to be Frank Youell Field, original home of the AFL Oakland Raiders. Keep up the reviews….
Thanks for watching! I spent a lot of random time when I was younger in San Antonio district cuz my family worked over there by the park too
Pho ao sen was bomb at the old spot. Dope video but you ran through at the top spots in one video! They deserve their own show
this first collection definitely only scratches the surface! we may go back and do deeper dives
I love this! Thank you! Hometown Love O
Excellent !! Thank You for this !!
Your videos are next level please don’t stop making these ❤❤❤❤❤❤
That means a lot, thanks for watching!
Bro, great video, I grew up in Santa Clara but never ventured up to Oakland, I’m going to have to now.
Thank you for making a video of Little Saigon in Oakland
Appreciate it!
Yes please Support 🙏 They are great places to eat well!! Thank you for sharing this with us!!
Thanks for watching!
Vietnamese sandwiches 🥪 very tasty. Thanks for sharing my dearest friend
Im going be out that way later today. Thanks for your video, i know where to eat. Your video come right on time. Great video, drop a like. Keep up the good work.👍
Thanks for watching!
Damn, this hit home. I have eaten at every single spot you listed. Im Filipino but my favorite food is Vietnamese. I just moved to Pacifica and damn I lowkey shed a tear watching this. Oakland is home and the food is what makes it so comforting. I really do hope all of these businesses are here to stay till when my daughter reaches my age.
Thanks for the kind words, really appreciate that!
Love your channel and contents. Good job brother
Glad you enjoy it!
fond memories of eating at a lot of these places with my mom ❤
Keep up the good work!
I pass by this area a lot but I have a hard recalling if I entered them. Will definitely check them out when I'm free.
Pho Hoa Lao was always my go-to when I came back to Oakland to visit my mom and uncle. I could never interest mom in going there, but I took my uncle, and he loved it as much as I still do. They’re both gone now, but whenever I am back in Oakland, that’s where I go for my pho and my avocado shake.
That was one of the first spots my mom ever took me for pho when we were kids. Love that we all got these memories at these places
Nice video and the food looks good. There's no way I could convince anybody to visit Oakland right now though.
Bro thank you for this Im going to make a trip out here asap with pops and my son
of course bro stay safe out here!
Awesome vid brotha, please keep ‘em coming. New sub let’s goooo 🙌
Appreciate it!
Your wife is spot on with Ba Le's meatball & egg banh mi! My favorite. Combo is solid (as is just about any banh mi they have).
Can't go wrong with anything there tbh
Keep it up these vids are great.
Glad you like them!
Growing up in Oakland I can totally relate... It seem like there were a lot Chinese families from Vietnam in the area. The conversations you sometimes hear in the background are 50/50 Canto and Viet. The Viet style Cantonese takes a little getting used to... But anyways.... It's funny you use the Cantonese pronunciation for Cam Huong. lol
Hahaha cuz I can speak that I guess, thanks for watching!
@@HiDidYouEatYet I think i can too if I tried... and Taishanese. I was a confused kid... lol
Yummm. I'm in the East Bay (Walnut Creek area) and still make the drive to Cam Huong any time I want some good vietnamese food.
Banh Mi is one of the great sandos of the World. In LA, I hit Sandwich Express in the Valley. Their pork meatball banh mi is BOMB. Thanks for posting these spots in Oaktown. I will hit them up when I head up there.
Rarely in the valley but just bookmarked if I’m ever in the area. Really like Banh Mi My Tho in the 626 and THH in Westminster too
I'll have to check those out. Thanks!@@HiDidYouEatYet
Town bidnassssss. What a gem! Keep up with God’s work Sir. This was amazing!
Appreciate it!
Excellent episode and content, more please!
More coming!
Excellent ! a former e14 and alice resident @@HiDidYouEatYet
30 years pho, still love it.
I miss this place! Used to go there all the time.
when use to live in the bay area for schooling, i occasionally traveled to Oakland for research i was always strapped before heading there.
All of my favorite food spots 😋
Thanks for watching!
Yooooo. JL Jupiter did not do Oakland justice! Great Content Bruh.
Appreciate it!
Great video, will you make any videos about other bay area cities too?
Eventually probably. I’m starting off with sharing my own experiences, and I’ve lived around a few different cities in the East Bay, so I think I’ll eventually get to it, but for now, these are more limited collections of videos with specific stories I wanna share. Thanks for watching!
Miss going to this huge Pho place in Oakland Chinatown back in the 90s and 2000s.
My favorite thing about cam houng is that I would stop by every once in a while after classes before they close, they would always sell their rice plates at half price, as most of the leftover food was either going home with the workers, or tossed out. Thanks cam houng! For hooking up a poor college student back in the day lmao
yeee that’s sick lol appreciate the story!
Grew up in Alameda going to all these places. Nice video man.
Thanks for watching!
You should do a series where you travel to other citys near or in the Bay and put on the best spots.
I got a ton of future collections planned, and I'll definitely get there eventually
Man I used to hit up all those Pho places in Little Saigon when I worked at my Brother’s liquor store(Jackson’s Liquor). Never had Pho until I started working in that area. Now Pho is one of my favorite foods to eat especially on a cold rainy day…only Beef combo will do.
Some of the best comfort food you can get
@@HiDidYouEatYetFACTS
The new Pho King are the newer owners that took over the original space for a couple years, then they moved. The old owner came back from Vietnam and decided to reopen. They are not affiliated.
Thanks for the clarification!
Cam houng was my main spot pre-pandemic. Prices was unmatched, top tier.
Awesome content, Brother.
Much appreciated, thanks for watching!
Champa Garden is so good too, sad it couldn't make it in. Good memories
Love me some Champa, maybe we can get em in a future one
Pha and bahn mi are my favorite Vietnamese food!
U hit up all the spots. 🔥🔥
town staples
Great video, I am a professional photographer who has spent much time in Vietnam. My go to spot for decades is Tay Ho at 12th ave and Webster. But recently I have found a new favorite restaurant is Dan Nang Quan on East 12th st. Best pho bun bo Hue!