Vien Huong is a chinese restaurant in Chinatown, Oakland.
Vien Huong on Franklin in Oakland Chinatown cooks Chiu Chow Cantonese-Vietnamese plates breakfast through lunch. Quietly the corridor's best hu tieu.
Must order: Hu tieu noodle soup.
Why locals love it: Chiu Chow Cantonese-Vietnamese fusion that even locals overlook for the more famous dim sum houses.
Tip: Breakfast and lunch only; cash only at the register.
Address: 712 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94607
Snail Bar on Shattuck in Temescal carries a Bib Gourmand and a natural wine glass list. Six-top max, no reservations and a quiet off-strip surprise.
Order: Daily oyster pour and the chalkboard veg plate.
Why locals love it: Six-top walk-in only; few diners outside Temescal know it carries a Bib Gourmand on the Michelin Guide.
Tip: Arrive at 5 pm sharp to get a seat without a wait. No reservations of any size.
Cafe Gabriela in Old Oakland is the queer Filipino cafe that has poured small-batch coffee and pulled pork adobo sandwiches since 2010 on Broadway.
Order: Pulled pork adobo sandwich with house coffee.
Why locals love it: Queer Filipino cafe quietly running since 2010 on the Broadway corridor's edge of Old Oakland.
Tip: Weekday morning only; closed Friday through Sunday. Adobo runs out by noon.
El Huarache Azteca on International Boulevard in Fruitvale is a Mexico City huarache counter from a mother-daughter team. Press-quiet for years.
Order: Huarache with chicharron prensado.
Why locals love it: Mother-daughter team running a Mexico City counter on a stretch of International Boulevard most visitors never walk.
Tip: Salsa bar has six options; ask for cebolla curtida on the side.
Wahpepah's Kitchen in Oakland's Fruitvale is a rare Native American restaurant. Bison, rabbit and squash tacos by Kickapoo tribal member Crystal Wahpepah.
Order: Bison taco with native squash.
Why locals love it: First Native American restaurant in Oakland, steps from Fruitvale BART. Crystal Wahpepah was first Native chef on Food Network's Chopped.
Tip: Lunch service is quicker; the kitchen sources greens from a nearby rooftop garden. James Beard nominated.
Cenaduria Elvira in Oakland's Jack London district makes Jalisco-style tostadas with Mexico-imported shells. Quietly off the tourist radar for now.
Order: Tostadas Jalisco with shredded pork.
Why locals love it: Tucked behind the Jack London warehouse district; tostada shells flown in from Mexico make it unlike any other Bay Area Mexican spot.
Tip: Order three different salsas to compare; the kitchen will let you sample.
Geta on 41st Street is the small sushi counter that quietly runs a ten or fifteen-piece omakase, hidden behind Piedmont Avenue's higher-profile rooms.
Order: Ten-piece omakase at the counter.
Why locals love it: Small Piedmont Avenue counter overshadowed by Commis nearby. Quietly serves the East Bay's most-trusted neighborhood omakase.
Tip: Tuesday through Saturday only, lunch and dinner. Reservations a week ahead for the counter.
