Chang’s Gourmet Asia Resturant

THIS IS OPEN UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT AND IT IS GREAT!
We have found our new Chinese restaurant. And it took awhile to find it! We have eaten here about 5 times so far and have enjoyed it each time. The vegetables are so fresh and not overcooked. The shrimp are a good size. The meat is great and the sauces delicious, the portions big. None of it is oily or too salty. Fresh is the word that comes to mind. We always leave happy.
The staff is so nice though at times a bit slow. That would be my only complaint. But once the food starts to come out, it comes fast.
And best of all, the place is so clean. You know how at a lot of places the condiments that sit on the table are so gross to touch? Not at Changs. I think they use new containers everyday. I love reaching for the chili sauce and not feeling like I need to go wash my hands. I bet their kitchen is clean too!

The phone number listed for this business is wrong — it’s 510−633−1768.

This review is actually for Changs Gourmet — the NEW ownership of Changs. Look under Changs Gourmet, San Leandro and you’ll see that it’s a hit. The Yahoo Groups message board for our neighborhood in San Leandro has also been giving the new owners rave reviews!

So we decided to give the new owners a shot and i have to say – it’s quite good. we tried it out last Saturday and decided to have the hubby’s 40^th birthday dinner last night. there were a few miscommunication errors on the ordering but they are so nice and accommodating and the food was AWESOME. every member of our 15 person party had a lot of compliments and for different dishes! My absolute fav-​the Hong Kong pan fried noodles. YUMMY!!! we also had the traditional dishes-​kung pao chicken, mongolian beef, all were excellent. My favorite thing– they do not skimp on vegetables. Most dishes have beautiful veggies with them. You almost don’t need to order a vegetable plate… but you still should cause their four season’s vegetable plate is delicious too!
they are still working out kinks like no wine or beer and we tried to order salad on both occasions and they didn’t make the dressing each time… go figure. still, like em. glad they are open and i can see my self craving certain dishes every now and then…

We live in San Leandro and try to frequent the local joints, particularly the family friendly ones. We really enjoyed the food and the service at the newly reopened Chang’s.
We didn’t order too much and weren’t very adventurous-​but the Chow Fun (dry-​although our waitress said that their «wet is better!»), chinese greens with garlic and pork potstickers were good. My son loved the salt and pepper crispy fish-​very lightly battered, flakey and not greasy. Glad to have them reopened.

This place just reopened and I am very happy to have access to tasty Chinese food so local (I live in Sheffield Village of Oakland). I tried it for the first time on Wednesday, having the mushu veggies and clay pot seafood. Both dishes were good proportions, and had fresh ingredients and very good flavor! The leftovers the next day tasted even better!
They are working on a liquor license and getting some art on the walls. Once they do that, I’ll be back a lot to dine in. For now though I’ll do pick-​ups.
The service was extremely friendly and I REALLY hope this place succeeds!

OPEN AGAIN… Under New Management and new owners…
Having spent the last year in Hong Kong, Shanghai and various other cities in China my palate has become more advanced in Chinese food. Yes, I’m aware Chinese food is no where near the experiences I’ve had over seas, but it can still be done well. I’m also willing to try a lot more things
Saw the new nice and decided to check out the new owners. We did keep our order very basic as we always do with a new chinese food joint.
PROS:
— Delivery to be offered in the next month, living in San Leandro we are VERY VERY limited on delivery options.
— Ordered for pick up to arrive to a very friendly and attentive woman at the front, who offered me a seat and some water with fresh lemon while I waiting for my order to be done.
— Great Non-​Greasy (very clean) Chinese food.
— Chicken in Lettuce Cups, very nicely done. Pine nuts used, very good for texture and flavor
— Combo Fried Rice, very tasty full of meats and well seasoned
— Shrimp with Asparagus, Shrimp well cooked. Asparagus cooked well, still crunchy not soggy as you often find.
— Prices, much better than previous. We still had the menu from before and compared.
— Wor Won Ton soup, passed the test.
CONS:
–We asked for our Shrimp and Asparagus to be cooked in clear garlic sauce, instead came in black bean (Still very tasty)
–No More DAN DAN Noodles… I may possibly have a an unhealthy obsession with «Dan Dan» or «Tan Tan», so I was a little bummed that option is no longer.
Conclusion, we are very happy with our experience and now can venture out to try some of the less traditional items. If they could offer snap peas as I’d be in heaven.

Bleh. Under seasoned chewy food that costs entirely too much. I expected a lot from this Asian Bistro, but it fell short. Very short.
My food was just not as good as it should have been. I’m pretty easy to please when it comes to Asian foods but the food lacked pizazz. No enthusiasm went into the preperation.
The service was similar, just not friendly at all.

SADLY, OUT OF BUSINESS (1÷1÷2011)
At last, a nice neighborhood upscale chinese restaurant in San Leandro! Great food; friendly service.
Service: Whether my wife and I have walked over to have a relaxing meal in this smaller but tastefully appointed restaurant, or I’m stopping in for a soup and my favorite entrée, Dou Ban Fish, the staff has never been less than extremely friendly, and the owner John (and his family) always greet me warmly.
Food: Smaller menu because they keep things FRESH! It’s not cheap chinese food — but it’s moderately priced, good size portions of quality food, with unusual spices that the owner personally brings in from Asia. Go with anything recommended when you visit — the staff knows what’s freshest, and sometimes special dishes aren’t on the menu at all. (Nice wine list for a Chinese food restaurant, by the way.)
I’ve eaten my way through the menu with no regrets; I’ve brought my office team here for a wonderful lunch; my visitors/​houseguests love the food as well … so unless your idea of great chinese is soggy lemon chicken in a carton, you should love this place too!

1 employee was very nice but seemed abit lost. Waited 30 minutes for our lack luster meal. I don’t reccomend this place.
Slow slow slow

I used to work here and the food is amazing the chef — William is the coolest guy he taught me a lot of Chinese and I taught him english inbetween running around doing my job. The waitress now is really knowlegable about all the menu items and drinks, and shes super friendly :]
As for food, I get the DAN DAN NOODLES!!! If you like some spice in your life. It is really flavorful. I used to get the Kong Pao chicken until I discovered the Noodles. Its not on the menu but get Lemon Tofu (its like lemon chicken except with tofu instead) and or get Brocolli with Egg & Mushroom Yummyyyyy.
The most popular dishes are Walnut Prawns and Dry Braised Beans Dou Ban FIsh.
Enjoy.

I’m not sure about the reviews from a year or so ago but the two times I went to this place — I’m convinced, I might have found one of the best Chinese restaurants in the area. I’m Asian, and love to eat out… and this so far has been the best Asian restaurant yet here in the East Bay. Not having 5 million Kung Pao selections on the menu is great! Plus, they can pretty much fix the food however way you want it anyway… Everything seemed fresh, and the flavors are just great! I’m surprised this place is not packed often. I guess that’s good for me… Only downside… they don’t deliver. I asked the owner about delivery, and she gives a good point. The food is best consumed in the restaurant where it is freshly made. I recommend Chang’s to everyone! I can’t say what my fav is yet — so far, everything I’ve tried has been really good.

There’s a case of ick floating around my office.
It’s trying to attack me, but I’m stronger than it. Or so I thought. While I don’t have full fledged ick, I have enough to just want some soup. I have passed Chang’s a couple times and it looked cute, so I stopped in for take out after going to Target.
I just ordered the seafood wonton soup. Sounded like a nice soupy dinner to counteract ick.
Instead, I’m sitting here with a container of seafood tofu soup. I don’t know if my order was placed wrong or if they thought I wouldn’t notice the lack of wontons but there is nothing even approaching a wonton in my container of soup.
The soup isn’t bad and is attacking the ick — but it’s not the same

I went once – because of the beautiful Foo Dogs out front and the look of the décor through the window.
WORSE DAMN IDEA EVER!!!
I got sick in June! I mean go to the doctor and be on pills and off work for a week sick! And so did my husband… eeeewww.
Mapou tofu DOES NOT have bean paste! I can’t explain the rest. We threw away the rest after the first servings (thank goodness, or it would have been worse).
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO… don’t do it! I want to give ZERO stars, but the system won’t let me!

My mother-​in-​law is a very sweet woman, but when it comes to ordering, she’s a control freak.
My husband and brother-​in-​law share a birthday week, so we celebrated a meal here. Actually, we were supposed to go to Lococo’s but she insisted we had to come here for the dumplings.
Then we went through the ritual.
«What should we order?» we ask her.
«Oh, whatever you want,» she says.
«You’ve eaten here several times. Why don’t you order for us?»
«You should order what you like.»
«Okay, for appetizers, let’s get the vegetable shrimp rolls and the shrimp patties.»
«No, no, you should get the dumplings. They’re good here.»
«Okay, we’ll get the dumplings. The duck looks interesting.»
«I don’t know about the duck. The mu shu pork is very good.»
«Okay, why don’t you just order for us.»
The mother-​in-​law however does not often steer us wrong — but the meal was eh. The plus for her is that it’s cleaner than Chinatown and not so oily, but so is the average McDonalds. The culinary repast provided little excitement. To wit:
–The vegetable shrimp rolls were basically fried egg rolls and ok;
–the steamed dumplings were ok;
–the hot-​and-​sour soup was really really peppery and ok,
–the mu shu beef was ok and was served with tortillas, not the thin Mandarin pancake. A tortilla with mu shu does not a fusion dish make. Neither does…
–a mound of whipped cream with mango in the center of the honey walnut prawns dish. Whipped cream. Lots of it.
The better dishes included the fried scallop, the braised beef and the very aromatic cumin lamb.
Worth a second visit? Eh.

I love this place! You should NOT order the average stuff here. Ask the staff what is good. Heck, ask the owner what is good! He’s very nice, as well as his wife, and knows what is good. Try to order off the beaten path instead of your old standards.
The owner, and his wife, are very nice people and great with wee ones! He has treated us like family from the first time we went in! :) Very warm, good service, great food… but like I said, don’t stick to your old standards at this place. Of course, every once in awhile it has an off night but… what restaurant doesn’t?

I have eaten at Chang’s a few times and have enjoyed my meal every time. The negative reviews already written are ridiculous. Look, if you want «authentic» Chinese food then go to Chinatown and eat all the weird fish and other «authentic» items you want. Most people want basic «American» Chinese food… fried rice, chicken dishes, prawn dishes, etc… These dishes are very good at Chang’s.
The food is very fresh and well presented. The fried rice had fresh vegetables and a nice amount of prawns. It was fresh tasting, unlike some fried rice dishes that taste stale and blah. The Walnut Prawns did not have «whipped cream» on them. It had a cream mixture, not overly sweet, and I thought was a nice compliment to the other items (prawns, walnuts, mangos… a nice touch). Salt and Pepper Prawns were delicious, and the onions that accompanied it were delicious also.
The service was good, and the owner also came out and talked with us. He was unpretentious, polite, and obviously takes great pride in his restaurant. The soft lighting and soft music made for a pleasant atmosphere. We recently dined there on a Friday night and the room was full. I would not be surprised if the restaurant continued to pick up business.
If Andrew L wants to be a food critic/comedian…good for him. Too bad he sucks at it. This restaurant offers basic Chinese food at reasonable prices. Give it a try and form your own opinion, I would definitely suggest checking it out.

Just driving by you would think Chang’s is one of those fusion Chinese Restaurants that charge their dishes an arm and a leg for some okay food you can get at Panda Express. Trying it for the first time I would definitely go back and eat there again. I had their Chef’s special Fried Rice and Walnut Shrimp and it was good. You have the option to tell the waiter how hot you want your dishes. The presentation of the meals were very nice and had good size portion dishes. The Fried Rice can feed about 4 people and the Walnut Shrimp can feed at least 3. For both dishes I spent 23 dollars and some change.
Service:
Though there was only another couple also eating at the restaurant the service was good. The owner and server came to us a total of 3 times during our meal to see if we needed anything and asked how our food was.
I chatted with the owner for a little bit and he mentioned that his thinking of opening up in other locations and trying to make it a chain. I also asked him where he purchases his food like veggies, meats etc. and he said he bought them in Oakland Wholesale.

The Kung Pao — average. As per usual in this part of town, too corn-​starchy and not nearly spicy enough.
Walnut Prawns — Here’s where it got interesting. These were deep fried prawns served with sweet roasted walnuts, cucumber strips, mango… AND WHIPPED CREAM. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that bad, but after awhile, you just couldn’t get around the idea that you’re basically eating a shrimp sundae.
I’ve eaten wacky shit all over the globe, and this may be one of the stranger dishes I’ve ever ingested.
It’s chinese food gone crackers!!!

I have to say, I was really excited when I saw this place getting ready to open right next to the new Starbucks. This is a brand new building and the whole neighborhood is in redevelopment — all new sidewalks and really cool streetlights — potentially very hip.
Plus, the name also heightened my expectation — an Asia Bistro! There is bound to be a wonderful mélange of flavors and exciting combinations of different styles!
When I saw it had finally opened, I went over to see the menu one afternoon around 4. There was a man milling around outside smoking a cigarette and I couldn’t be sure whether he worked there or not. I assumed there would be a menu posted outside, so I kept looking and looking. Eventually the man spoke to me telling me they weren’t open ’till 5:00. I repeatedly asked where the menu was posted. He finally heard me and went inside and gave me a to-​go menu.
Upon first glance, it is not impressive. It’s a little on the boring side. Nothing really jumps out at you like, «I gotta try that!» The descriptions left a lot to be desired. I am a huge proponent of descriptive details that make my mouth water just reading it. Considering the location, the beautiful décor and soft lighting, the menu just didn’t stand up.
Finally, going in on a Tuesday night, it didn’t look promising. For the entire visit, we sat as the only people in the whole place. Considering it’s next to a Starbucks, you’d think that alone would create some foot traffic.
We ordered the meatball soup, some bo bo shrimp, mu-​shu pork and combo chow mien. The Bo bo shrimp had a potentially lovely and interesting sauce, but the shrimp were whole (legs and all) and that just didn’t groove with our palate. Tearing the little legs off and the shells was a messy and gross endeavor. The shrimp also tasted old, very dry and flavorless. Very disappointing since the sauce was so good.
The meatball soup was better, only thanks to the chili-​flakes we added to spice it up. It was very much like a won ton soup without any of the fun won ton stuff.
The rest was just plain average Chinese food. Same as you can get all over the Bay Area.
The service was okay… I somehow felt like a smile or some sort of warmth from our server (the same man who had been outside the first time) would have been in order. Especially since we were his only customer. If that were my establishment I’d be kissing the butt of anyone who walked through the door. But that’s just me.
I’m worried for that restaurant. It needs an edge to stay in competition with the many, many other Chinese food places around here. I really hope they find it.