Ark Chinese Restaurant

Judging by its name you can't really tell what kind of Chinese food Ark Chinese restaurant offers. I think it was probably a noodle restaurant focusing on items from northern China. However it seems that the new owners have hired a cook that can also make Cantonese dishes. As a result the menu is more extensive and there are quite a few selections to choose from. We ordered the pan fried green onion pancake, hand pulled beef noodle soup, tomato beef chow mein, beef stew noodles and sweet sour ribs. All were fairly good but I should note that the flavors were quite intense...as in too much salt or too much sugar. If you do pay a visit, keep that in mind. You may want to tell them to cut back on the salt and spices. More importantly the prices are quite reasonable for a restaurant on Park Street in Alameda. Entrees, dinner items, generally run around 15 dollars or so. The decor is ho-hum but the dining room is certainly quiet....perhaps too quiet , or maybe we were there too early. They could use some flowers or some paintings to liven up the place. Maybe play some K pop or something. The wait staff are friendly and helpful though. if you're looking for an inexpensive place to eat before you see a movie or just in the area, give Ark Chinese restaurant a try. The food might assault your taste buds but the prices won't assault your wallet.

Fried chicken IS SO CRUNCHY, somehow they increased crunchy by 3x over other fried chicken. A++++++ ate many and will again

Simple, fresh, and tasty dishes in a modest reastaurant where the emphasis is on the food. Well prepared and good service. Two dishes were the tiniest bit on the salty side but were still delicious. Reasonable pricing also a bonus. We would definitely visit again.

The three dishes we tried were pretty good. The dumplings' skin were not too thick and the hand pulled noodles were really good! I love congee/porridge and theirs were made exactly to my liking.

My go-to spot in Alameda for beef noodle soup! I also highly recommend the egg tofu. This place is consistently good, except the last time I went, the food came out only warm, which was a bit disappointing.

Great spot on Park Street. The hand pulled noodles are fantastic as well as the sweet and spicy chicken wings. Other highlights include the beef noodle soup which is great on a cold night and the xiao long bao. There are so many Chinese restaurants in Alameda but, the noodles and wings make Ark standout amongst the rest.

The best hot and sour soup I've ever had, made even better by the addition of hand pulled noodles. I've been all over the Bay looking for the best dumplings and the XLB at Ark is my favorite. Their chow mein is also fabulous. Ark is definitely a hidden gem.

I don't know why I haven't tried this local restaurant before. The food was really good! It's reminiscent of the mom & pop Chinese cafe comfort food of yesteryear. It's a bit greasy like it too. The customer service was awesome. Very friendly. They do have more vegan options than other Chinese restaurants. The prices are relatively cheap compared to other restaurants. I'll be going back for more!

Service is excellent. Food are delicious with traditional traditional taste. Prices are reasonable. Would recommend this family runs restaurant. Don't forget the public parking building is just right around the corner of the restaurant.

If you're in Alameda and haven't hit up Ark Chinese Restaurant, you're seriously missing out. This place delivers flavor bombs straight to your taste buds! First off, their fresh hand-pulled noodles are an absolute game-changer like, who knew dough could be this magical? Every dish here is packed with incredible flavors that just hit different. The Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings) are Perfection. Bite into one, and it's a steamy, juicy explosion of deliciousness. Pro tip: Don't burn your mouth in your excitement (we've all been there). Now, let's talk about the real MVPs the chicken wings. These bad boys are crispy, flavorful, and basically what dreams are made of. I don't know what secret ingredient they use, but they might as well be coated in happiness. Honestly, every single thing I've eaten here has been on point. Whether you're here for a casual meal or a full-on feast, Ark does not disappoint. Just be warned once you eat here, you'll start craving it at the most random times (midnight noodle cravings are real). If you love amazing food, get yourself to Ark ASAP. You can thank me later!

As promised, we did repeat - and it was just as good as the first time, if not better. The staff was pleasant and efficient and made us happy that we happened upon this place.

I can't believe I've never left a review here!! My family has been coming here for years now - we used to watch the guy physically hand pull our noodles. I'm someone that sticks to my favorites and I have never been let down here! Chicken Wings with Special Sauce: This is my favorite favorite fried chicken of all time!! The sauce is sweet and the chicken is perfectly juicy and crunchy! Beef Stew Noodle Soup: The hand pulled noodles are the perfect texture!! I've gotten the beef noodle soup a couple times but the spiciness of this one really adds to the flavor. Ark Braised Egg Tofu: The texture of the egg tofu is unique and this is my mom's favorite dish here! Green Onion Pancake: It's been a while since I've ordered this one but their green onion pancakes were always really satisfying.

1405 Park St Alameda, CA 94501 I enjoyed a nice bowl of Wor Won Ton Soup at Ark Chinese Restaurant for lunch. It was 12 noon, and I just finished up my doctor appts nearby. I had some time, so I popped into the Ark restaurant. I asked for "Wor Won Ton Soup for here, " and a glass of water. The place was busy with takeout orders. I had to wait about 25 mins. By this time, the place started filling up with students on lunch break. My Wor Won Ton Soup had a rich broth, 9-10 dumplings, shrimp, chicken, beef and some veggies. The plump dumplings were the star of the show. Price: $11.95 + tax. Service was fair. She was very busy with takeout orders. No frills decor.....it's all about the food. Good food, at fair prices. Street parking and parking lots.

The service was fine since the waitress quickly got us seated and food was also hasty. I would say the ambience is pretty quiet since it's not very busy either. The food was not as good as my parents remembered and I would sadly have to agree. There are probably better items that are on the menu that they can cook better, but the Beef Noodle Soup and Tomato Beef Chow mein were not up to standards. The noodle soup had no beef flavor at all. Most of the beef flavor came from the beef slices itself. The broth was light and noodles were tender, but it just wasn't enough to fulfill what its name suggested. The tomato beef chow mein was too sour. It didn't have the balance of sweet and sour from the tomatoes and vinegar. It was also too wet for a chow mein. The noodles were fine, but i just couldn't bring myself to finish it. Some of the bell peppers were also undercooked. Overall I would recommend giving this place a try, but I would suggest avoiding the tomato dishes at all costs.

We had no idea what to expect. We were looking for a lunch spot after going to the movies. Decent yelp reviews and kid wanted dumplings after Kung Fu Panda 4. For sure, this place is about the food. Not fancy- definitely no frills decor. But, wow are the soup dumplings and wonton soup amazing! Pan fried also really good. And they were so nice. No pic of soup dumplings bc they were gone in 5 min. My daughter and I give two thumbs up.

Came here after the Xmas faire on park with friends and it's really great authentic Chinese food. If you crave really good noodles, keep this place open for the locals!

Everything was really good first time trying to egg flower soup it was delicious even the hand made noodles

Still one of my favorite spots in Alameda for Chinese food. Xiao Long Bao soup dumplings and spicy beef stew noodle soup (made with hand pulled noodles) are my staple menu items. Prices still remain very reasonable too. Located right in the middle of Park Street and Central Ave, around the corner from the movie theatre.

My wife and I used to come here every year for Christmas before having kids. Now that the kids are older we wanted to take them to this incredible spot. The food was as good as I remembered, if not better and the service was lovely. Everyone there was warm and welcoming. Our server even spent extra time going through menu items to make sure our allergy-laden son was taken care of. It was a great experience and we will definitely be going back.

Good authentic chinese food, love the basil chicken and garlic noodles Fast and great service Tracy is very nice and friendly

It's been a while since we've been to Ark Chinese Restaurant. The food is flavorful and delicious. They don't skimp on serving size which I have seen at many restaurants. I asked Andy, the owner, which soup I should try and we decided on the Beef noodle soup, it was delicious and lots of flavor. Good choice. There were plenty of tables open. This place is casual to don't worry about getting dressed up. I'll definitely be back for the hand pulled noodles and egg tofu.

This place is amazing! The food is incredibly good and the prices are low. The ambiance is terrible, but it is comically charming when contrasted with the outstanding food and service. I've never been disappointed with an order here, but some favorites include won-ton soup, mu shoo pork, garlic pumpkin, hot and sour soup, and green beans.

Amazing food, great prices, great, friendly service. The Cumin Lamb was delicious and the Mu Shu pork lovely!

Ordered for pickup for the first time ordering from this restaurant! Super fresh and flavorful food! Highly recommend them.

Yummyyy!!! the have huge fat egg tofu which is my favorite and I loved the dish! the sizzling beef is my family's favorite and they get it every time!! we also got the noodles and the beef was a sooo tender

Simple and unassuming. Never crowded, I guess because it's not very snazzy. But the food is authentic and not-your-usual-Cantonese menu. Great change of pace.

So good, i came in at dinner time but they let me order the General Chicken over Rice from the lunch menu. I must've inhaled my meal, because when I caught my breath it was all gone.

Came here as a kid alot growing up and their food was pretty good. Decided to check this place out again and would say their food is still pretty decent. I ended up picking up 2 wontons and a braised egg tofu dish. The total came out to $36 dollars which is definetly a good deal IMO. Both dishes were yummy but my favorite was the egg tofu dish. Their tofu is fried but super soft in the inside mixed with sauce and veggies. The food also only took 10 mins which was a plus too! Definelty would come back if craving some food in the area!

The food can be good, but don't expect consistency in the food, which drops it down to three star rating. Have had food here many times, because it can be good and prices are reasonable for small plate size . It seems it is cooked by someone different or the same cook is distracted. The amount of seasoning is very wide, from under to over seasoned. The quality of meat protein is variable from good to gristle, but on the whole more good than bad. The fish protein is consistent, likely due to using frozen prepackaged fish, but have no issues with consistency in this protein. The noodles, which they are known for? Try it and see for yourself, it's fairly consistent, but hand pulled noodles is just not my thing at any restaurant I've tried that has it whitch include the two other noodle places selling hand pulled noodles on the same street as this restaurant.

Love this place - awesome team that works there - I honestly have to say the food is excellent . This is now my favorite Chinese food restaurant in Alameda - you will love it!!

Very authentic Chinese Food. Very fresh meat and good size of the portion. Extremely nice staff.

Love this restaurant. The food is delicious and the owners are lovely people. If you are on Park Street in Alameda. The Ark is another must.

Very good food here, a good place for takeout. The inside is cool but less and less people seem to have been dining in.

Food was fantastic. The staff was very friendly. Was looking for a small family owned experience just like it, and it totally fit the bill. I will be back.

Wow. Everything was fresh, seasoned perfectly and delicious Chinese food. They don't take Apple Pay so make sure to have your card. Ordered: Basil eggplant, garlic noodles, braised egg tofu, and Chinese broccoli in garlic sauce. Everything really good

My friend & I had lunch here on a rainy day; we had the hot & sour soup, Mongolian beef/lamb. It was delicious to say the least! Service was great & the vibe inside was pleasant.

Hand-pulled noodles, dumplings & other Chinese favorites provided in a simple, cozy dining room. One of my favorite restaurants in Alameda. I'd go with my mom, my husband, and friends. Nothing has or should ever change because it is so lovely! Tracy and Andy are really kind and courteous to the customers, always with a smile, and interactive plus the food is family style, bonus! Thank you:-)

Highly recommend this Chinese restaurant. The service was great. We were seated quickly. They took our order right away. The food came out pretty fast (kind of all at once but that was ok). It was hot and delicious. We ordered a variety of dishes and enjoyed each of them. We walked out full with leftovers. The prices are fair and the food is of excellent quality.

Ark has and always will be a favorite when I'm in town. I love their garlic noodles and they treat their customers really well. We called 15 mins till closing and they got us a togo order so quickly without hassle. Haven't had a dish here I don't like, but it's all about the garlic noodles or any of their homemade noodles. Parking in this area sucks though, so to go has been how we've done it.

I was taking an afternoon stroll down the ol block when I ran into this restaurant. To distract myself from my wife leaving me, I decided to get some food. I got their famous beef noodle soup. All really good flavor and and the noodles are all handmade there! The baked chicken was also top notch. The workers were all really nice. Much nicer than my ex wife that's for sure. I would definitely recommend this restaurant as it is one of the better Chinese restaurants in Alameda. What to get: Beef Noodle Soup or any other of their noodle soups What to avoid: My ex wife if you see her

Came in for some to-go super helpful and friendly front desk service food was mad exceptionally good and tasty and looks just like the description

The food at this place is ghastly. We spent $50+ for an inedible meal. It was served cold, the sizzling rice soup was nothing more than water with a thin film of oil atop it and the rice just plopped and sank to the bottom. The dinner portion is smaller than any lunch portion and they forgot the streamed rice entirely. I/we will not ever go there again. Trust me, save your money and go to some other restaurant.

Just came back from a brief LA visit. I was lamenting the quality of the Chinese food in the Bay compared to LA's SGV consistently tasty Chinese food scene. My friend recommended we catch up over hand pulled noodles at this restaurant. The food was so delicious! I recommend the seafood chow fun with gravy and beef stew with lo mein noodle. Incredible food at reasonable prices.

Returned to in-person dining after a rough couple of years for this restaurant. It was as good as we remembered, especially the hot & sour soup, pan fried dumplings, and beef noodle soup. Hopefully, more people will come back and visit them and dine in-person!

Its TS2uesday again! I went to a family party in OAK, but dropped by this Chinese place on Park St in Alameda first. It was recommended by my ABC friend. The experience was less than satisfactory. We ordered green onion pancake, XLBs, won ton soup, beef & broccoli, chicken chow fun and peking pork chops. I don't remember all of the prices but each dish was about $7.99, and the total tab was $53 before tax, including a Tsing Tao that was room temp. First of all, the pancake did not have much green onion. In addition, for the price you normally receive two pancakes: 2 Stars. Secondarily, the XLBs were okay. I prefer the ginger separate from the shoyu, but in this case it was mixed in: 3 Stars. Thirdly, the won ton soup contained chicken vs char siu, and the broth wasn't that warm. The menu didn't offer your choice of protein, so I was very surprised to see chicken: 2 Stars. I didn't eat the beef & broccoli (American), but it looked very pedestrian: 3 Stars. Lastly, the pork chops were too sour and the meat was fatty. This was one of the worst versions of this dish I have ever had: 1 Star. Regarding the ambiance, its basic Chinese. There were a few tables of two and four, and two large round tables; 3 Stars. On the other hand the service was too Chinese. It took me a while to get someone's attention to take our order. Additionally, my beer took a while to arrive as did my request for water. Another patron received his beer before me - I hate when that happens. In summary, the staff wasn't rude, they were just very inattentive. Nonetheless, the food came out quickly: 2 Stars. I can't believe my friend who lives in Alameda recommended this place (and he is Chinese, albeit ABC). The food is bad to mediocre, the service is inattentive, and the beer is not cold. I'll go to the West side of town and hit East Ocean or Chef's Wok next time.

Surprisingly good. Had the Ark Braised tofu, Walnut Prawn, and west lake soup. All 3 dishes were top notch, the braised tofu and west lake soup especially. Since I live very close by, I just walked in and ordered to go, the wait was a little longer than they said, but It wasn't horribly long. I like how they have a fish tank in the front. I am looking forward to getting the braised tofu again, and want to try the chow fun with gravy. They did tell me that they no longer have rice porridge, Im not sure if they were just out that day, or they simply no longer have it despite still being on the menu.

The food was very mid, just okay nothing great. I got the green beans , kung pao chicken and wonton soup. I feel like everything needed more flavor.

Ordered Dad's favorites and were not disappointed. We had the barbecued pork chow mein, sweet and sour pork and the walnut prawns. Good quality ingredients, on the small side servings and pricey but I think worth it. Customer service was just okay but all in all we will be back. It tasted that good.

Located on Park Street in the main downtown business district in Alameda, Ark Chinese Restaurant is best known for their Xiao Long Baos, the little soup dumplings, which originated in Taiwan, and has now become the latest and greatest food trend in Asian cuisine in the U.S. Credit has to be given to Ark Chinese Restaurant for stepping up their game and meeting a food trend before there even was this burgeoning food trend, but now it is as if time has passed them by and sadly the quality and service at Ark Chinese has gone down in recent years. I have known about Ark Chinese for years, when crowds were standing outside for hours on end as foodies all had to grab this delectable soup dumpling that we had never tried before. Now that time has passed there are many, and I do mean many a restaurant that provides these delicacies, so the sheen my have worn off at Ark Chinese Restaurant to make it less special than it once was. We came on a warm Saturday evening and had no problem getting a table for our party of four, which just goes to show how things have been going here of late. Don't get me wrong all of the same menu items that we were are still familiar with are still here from the hand pulled noodles to the juicy steamed dumplings. We decided to focus our meal on the appetizer section of the menu, ordering an order of their Juicy Pork Steamed Dumplings, an order of their Fried Pork Dumplings, their Onion Pancake, their Spicy Chicken Wings, their Shrimp Chow Mein and their signature ARK Braised Egg Tofu. I thought their Spicy Chicken Wings weren't too spicy and were a slippery gooey mess which of course many of us preferred them this way. Their Chow Mein, despite the alleged appearance of their house made noodles, didn't feel as fresh or special to me this time around. I thought their braised egg tofu served dripping in gravy was still a decent highlight as I would totally order this dish to-go along with a box of steamed rice and consider this a decent meal. Of course we came for their dumplings and I am so glad we ordered both the juicy steam version and their pan fried version. Their traditional soup-style version was lacking in texture and overall flavor, while their pan fried version were only fried on the bottom side and the best thing about those was that you get ten dumplings versus the eight soup dumplings. The question remains would I return to Ark Chinese Restaurant after being here for so many other times in the past? I would have to seriously consider it, as so many other local restaurants now serve these delectable dumplings and quite frankly make them better both steamed and pan fried. It seems like time has passed Ark by as so many other places prepare the traditional soup dumplings and the pan fried versions with more thought and care as those dishes are the star of their respective menus, while at Ark is seems like an after thought. Service is always decent if not very remarkable as this is a mom and pop restaurant to its core and they have no problem staying that way. This is just the kind of restaurant that will stand the test of time in an old-school kind of city that Alameda is and Ark is a testament to the strength and continuity that this city represents.

I called in first to double check that the veggie chow fun was vegan and the person who answered was very helpful, she even listed out the ingredients for me to confirm it wasn't made with oyster/fish sauce. I tried the chow fun, vegan lemon chicken with rice, and spring rolls, and all of them were delicious!

I've been here multiple times now and you can't really go wrong in my opinion, but here are some memorable items. The egg tofu: amazing, flavorful, a little on the salty side, best eaten fresh. melt in your mouth amazing tofu. enoki mushroom and some chicken :) Tomato Beef Noodle: with hand pulled noodles! no words, just delicious. Green onion pancake: not too oily, on the thick side. good. Decent serving sizes. Admittedly, the service is not the best. The spacing is crowded. The place can really fill up during dinner around 6ish, so choose the time wisely. All in all would highly recommend it.

This place is wonderful. It's a smallish restaurant run by good honest people. The food is excellent and the prices are reasonable to inexpensive. I've never seen it full so no waiting and always special service. They do a lot of takeout. People come in and leave with large trays of food. You cannot go wrong stopping in for dinner. I wish I spoke Chinese just to properly thank them for serving me such great tasting food and their sweet personalities.

The weekday lunch special at the Ark is a great deal. You pick an entree from the list, they bring you tea, rice, and hot & sour soup as well. PRO-TIP 1: If you ask, they will often allow you to do a lunch special that is not on the list. For example, if you want meatless sweet & sour chicken, they will do it. Just ask! PRO-TIP 2: The Ark has an interesting elective option on the chow mein dishes. You can ask for the noodles to be homemade. If you do this, they will use a slightly larger and chewier noodle that is delicious. You must ask for it though! The service here is attentive but a bit rude. This is cheap Chinese food, so you need to keep your expectations in check on the service front. The menu is incredibly extensive. Its about 10 detailed pages long. If you want a certain Chinese dish, they will have it! Lastly, it has a great location in the heart of the Park Street business district. Parking can be tough at lunch and dinner rush times.

Been going to this restaurant for over 10yrs! We go there for food...excellent beef noodle soup, chicken wings (whow must try!!!), and the pan fried dumplings too (we always double order).

Always good food, friendly service, and the braised egg tofu is my kid's favorite. Ark Braised Egg Tofu

This is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in the Bay! Ark is so underrated. I haven't dined in since before the pandemic, but they're great for takeout! I absolutely love their hand-pulled noodles and dumplings; they're both handmade in house and never disappoint. The xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) are genuinely on par with some of the ones that I ate in Shanghai, even at the places known for their XLB. The dough is delicate and the inside fragrant and almost bursting with savory soup. I could wax poetic about it alllll day. I do also enjoy their tofu, cumin lamb/beef dishes, and green onion pancakes, but would recommend skipping the standard menu items like stir fry unless you're really craving them, because while they're all decent (and man, are there a lot of menu items to choose from), nothing here is better than their spicy beef stew noodle soup and dumplings. As takeout, the soup and other components of noodle soup (meat, veggies, etc.) are in a separate container from the noodles themselves, which keeps the noodles from getting too soft or mushy. Portions are quite large and filling--easily one of the best places in the area for comfort food!

Best Chinese food around. Hands down. They hand pull their noodles and make juicy dumplings on-site. The fam loves the onion pancake and chicken fried rice. Also Mongolian beef, all the soups and pot stickers. Basically the whole menu. ‍