Imperial Soup

Really enjoyed our visit! Maybe family run? They seem to speak Cantonese and Mandarin. The herbal soups were good! We tried #8 and #11 chicken with ginseng. Both tasted healthy but I think I preferred #8 a little more. The soups are in the little cylindrical ceramic containers and make a good appetizer/side dish. Fun to get as a part of one of their special combos. The special dim sum of garlic clams was tasty and pretty fresh. Excellent value for $6.50! Enjoyed the sticky rice too - well balanced flavors and not overly salty. The beef tendon with noodles was tender and had a good texture. A smidge salty for my taste but flavorful and a good size. Fast & friendly service - there was a bit of confusion about how many soups we ordered but got it sorted out. The bathroom seems to be upstairs so might be a challenge if there are mobility limitations. Look forward to trying other dishes next time!

This place slaps my taste buds, I got lamb noodle soup (flavor), beef shank over rice noodles (succulent), shrimp dumplings (delicate), the chicken buns (the best). Get a rice or noodle dish and the all day dim sum

First, even though it feels like a hole in the wall, the service is top notch, warm and friendly. That is rare in this type of establishment and deserves a shout out. I consider this a hidden Oakland Chinatown gem. Second, their food is authentic Chinese and some of it is hard to find. The main attraction is the double-boiled soup (燉湯). Ours was bone and heart-warming. We had the abalone soup (#1) and the black silkie chicken soup (#6). These soups are considered to be extremely nourishing soups - there are ones designated for high blood pressure etc. It's also the kind of soup that pregnant women are told to drink. I come here for soup after surgery. We ordered the set menu for two, which included two soups of your choice, half a steamed chicken, a whole steamed fish, a plate of green steamed vegetable, and two bowls of rice. My 83 year old Taiwanese mom kept saying she couldn't finish her soup because of all the other dishes. But finish every drop she did, and she clearly loved hers! Their set menu is a bona fide DEAL (quality, quantity, and value). We stuffed ourselves so we had to waddle out to our car. Before I could pull out of the parking spot, mom demanded that I bring her back again this weekend before she leaves. We devoured the steam fish so fast that we forgot to take a photo. Not one morsel was left. The steamed chicken was moist and flavorful; the ginger/scallion sauce was great. The vegetable was cooked just right. Their chef is amazing. The steam rice with eel wrapped in lotus leaves is next on my list for my next visit. We almost hijacked another table's order of it. They serve dim sum all day - what?! Yay. Please don't come. We want to keep getting seated with no line.

The variety of the double-boiled soup (燉湯) was amazing. The steam rice with eel wrapped in lotus leaves was great. They also serve dim sum all day. The shrimp dumplings 蝦餃 is delicious. The osmanthus white sugar steam cake (桂花白糖糕) is a delightful surprise!

Very small and friendly soup shop. I had an excellent broth with dumplings for a reasonable price. A great place to warm up after a cold wet day

Great place for authentic Chinese cuisine in the heart of Oakland Chinatown! I especially love their twice cooked pork belly noodle soup and is highly recommended to go with their various varieties of dimsum accompaniments. My favorites are their slow-braised spareribs in blackbean sauce and tripe with chili toppings.

Delicious food. Lots of variety on the menu. Healthful - hardly any fried food on the menu. I enjoyed sharing 8 dishes with 8 friends.

Imperial Soup in Oakland offers a delightful culinary experience. We tried the Hainan Chicken Rice Plate, Curry Beef Flank with Chicken Oil Rice, and Beef Tendon & Flank Over Egg Noodle. The Hainan Chicken Rice Plate was tender and flavorful, accompanied by fragrant rice. The Curry Beef Flank with Chicken Oil Rice impressed with its rich flavors. The Beef Tendon & Flank Over Egg Noodle featured perfectly cooked noodles and tender beef. My Chicken with Mushroom & Herbs soup was comforting and flavorful. The service was attentive, and the restaurant had a cozy ambiance. Imperial Soup is a great choice for a satisfying and tasty meal.

Came here for the first time with a friend visiting from out of town because the name was intriguing and the restaurant was close to his hotel. As the name suggests, this place is known for their vast selection of herbal Chinese soups that are meant to be healing for the kidneys and various other body parts. You can purchase a soup/soups as part of a "Special" or a la carte. They also have other dishes available, including an all-day dim sum menu and various other rice and noodle dishes. They have soup desserts as well! The first time I came here, we ordered two soups to try, one with pork and another with chicken. We also had the garlic shrimp noodle (which was made with vermicelli noodles - not what was expected but not bad either) and tripe and clams from the dim sum menu. The soups were good (my friend said his kidneys felt cleaner afterwards), but the standout were the clams - they're often not found on other menus and the garlic seafood taste is incomparable! Due to the affordability we were able to get a plate each to ourselves. I was impressed by the food here and came again not too long after my first visit for lunch. I would highly recommend the clams and soups, and the other noodle dishes were also good. Service is fast, though not the friendliest, and our server kept coming by to refill our tea, which was appreciated. The papaya peach gum soup (cold) was a nice dessert to round out a good meal. This is a no-frills, casual dining type of establishment in the heart of Oakland's Chinatown. Don't expect 5 star service here but do expect flavors that pop and make your stomach happy (and possibly healthier?).

723 Webster St Oakland, CA 94607 I have found a new favorite restaurant! Imperial Soup is a hidden gem in Oakland's Chinatown. So far, I have been there three times. It has a small storefront, but it has lots of tables. I heard about this place thru Yelp. Honestly, I thought they only served soup. So on a chilly winter day, I had a craving for a hot bowl of soup. So, I went inside Imperial Soup and tried to order Wor Won Ton Soup. The polite young lady said...."We don't serve that here." I asked why. She said..."We only serve authentic Chinese dishes, and prepare them in a healthy manner." So I looked at the menu and ordered: - "Beef Flank Tenderloin, Rice Noodle Soup" Five minutes later, I had a steaming hot bowl of beef noodle soup! Added a splash of soy sauce, and it was perfect. On my second visit, I ordered: - Ginseng Chicken & Herb Soup - Hainan Chicken w/ Aromatic Rice and Chinese Veggies Ahh, their herbal soup brings back memories! My late-mother used make these same herbal soups, except she added a little red wine to hers. The Hainan Chicken dish was so good! Equal servings of rice, chicken and veggies. My third visit, I had to try their Rice in Lotus Leaf Bowl. I ordered: - Steamed Rice in Lotus Leaf w/ Spareribs & Chinese Sausage - Pig Knuckles & Veggies. Okay, you put pig feet on your menu, I will order it at least once. Very tender, lots of meat. Nice presentation with the green veggies, and rich gravy. The Rice in Lotus Leaf Bowl was okay. The rice didn't absorb enough flavor from the meats on top. I added some gravy from the pig feet dish, and it was fine. I picked the basic toppings of steamed spareribs (chopped Chinese style) and Chinese sausage. Also, the Lotus Leaf dish isn't that big because the clay dish is shallow. It's probably enough food to feed two people if you order other entrees. In conclusion, Imperial Soup is a unique restaurant that isn't for everyone. If you like fried rice, chow mein, or deep fried chicken wings....they don't serve that here. If you have dietary restrictions, you might want to try this place. Try an herbal soup. I asked them what is their best dish. The lady told me the herbal soups and noodle soups are their best dishes. Staff is really nice, and knowledgeable. Street parking

Food came so quickly! Service was friendly! I loved the soup here, so hot and tasty! I wished the spicy beef noodle soup fresh noodles were as thick and chewy. It was great, just not my preference. I ordered the minced meat and soup, just tasted like home cooked meal. Really hit the spot, after eating very unhealthy the entire weekend and relaxing on a chilly day. I miss restaurants like this

To cleanse & revitalize your health, Imperial Soup is the place to go. It seems like most people are in tune with this bc it was quite busy on a Friday afternoon. Service is good & fast. Orders: Combo B with chicken & another with pork: both well seasoned with all the juices absorbed into the rice making it even more flavorful. Gai lan vegetable & mushroom was added to give you a well balanced dish. A dish my mom & I re-order. Combo D w.beef flank over steamed rice noodles- a saucy noodle dish w.tender pieces of beef. There are no vegetables included, so I'm not as inclined to re-order. Both Combo's come with a soup. Soup: You can choose a free soup within the $6.50 price range otherwise you pay the difference. This is a great option for a nice variety. Chicken soup w.mushroom & herbs- helps to lower blood pressure & cholesterol. Soothing soup for the soul & filled me up so much that I ate very little of the dish. I wish there were more soup places around, but until there are, I'll be coming back to Imperial Soup.

Delicious soups and wonderful desserts. Their menu has a vast selection of entrees. They even have all day dim sum. The highlights included the double steamed milk dessert. The steamed lotus leaf rice with meat and veggies was fragrant. Service was warm and friendly. Can't wait to return.

Did not have to wait for a seat! Staff are super nice and tries their best with English. The beef noodle soup was my favorite. The spicy lamb noodle was not spicy but was sweet. Maybe it was a mistake but we still ate it lol. The chicken is good too! Would definitely come again to try other dishes.

We came here for our aunt's 86th birthday celebration and the place can seat about 40 people downstairs. This place used to be our aunt's family restaurant, The Great China Restaurant so it was appropriate to hold her birthday lunch there. We started with their delicious and comforting chicken feet herbal soup, very hearty and healthy, then the steamed chicken, tender and moist, curry seafood (with an extra kick to it), steamed fish, mixed vegetables (lotus root with wood ears and more) (tasty), beef tongue (tender and spicy), and for dessert, buttery Portuguese custard egg tarts (melts in your mouth)!

I've been snoozing on Imperial Soup! I thought they only offered various Chinese herbal soups, which I'm not a huge fan of, and didn't realize they have actual dishes as well. I came by for weekday lunch with a friend around noon and it wasn't too crowded. We got seated immediately. We shared two dishes: the Hainan chicken rice plate ($14.99) and the steamed rice in lotus leaf with half spareribs and half Chinese sausage ($13.50). Both were absolutely fantastic! The chicken was juicy and flavorful with an amazing ginger scallion dip, and the spareribs were very tender. I didn't eat the Chinese sausage since I don't like the taste, but my friend really enjoyed them. We were both very satisfied with our meal. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a casual lunch or dinner in Chinatown!

Imperial Soup is a fitting name as I would crown it the king of noodle soups in Oakland. It has become my go to comfort meal on a cold or rainy day (slurp slurp). I almost always order the Spicy Lamb Noodle Soup. The soup is aromatic, flavorful, clean, with a touch of sweetness. Highly recommend getting it with the thick egg noodles, which are plentiful and have amazing chew. I also like how it has both ground lamb and slices of lamb and a crunch from the red onions. And while it is labeled "spicy", I would put it at a 4 out of 10 at most (Asian scale). The Spicy Beef Flank Noodle Soup is also tasty and probably my favorite in Oakland. Echo the same things as above. The beef shanks are very beefy and less fatty / gristly than normal, and I don't think I've ever seen any beef noodle soup with this much meat (meat makes me happy). Final recommendation is the Steamed Whole Striped Bass, which is simply flavored with ginger, scallions, and soy to serve as a complement to the buttery fish. Another plus is that the restaurant never seems overly busy / packed - have always been able to find a table and get our food served within 10 minutes. They also take credit card, though of course would prefer cash. A bit hidden and on the outskirts of Chinatown, but highly recommend getting your slurp on at Imperial Soup!

First, even though it feels like a hole in the wall, the service is top notch, warm and friendly. That is rare in this type of establishment and deserves a shout out. I consider this a hidden Oakland Chinatown gem. Second, their food is authentic Chinese and some of it is hard to find. The main attraction is the double-boiled soup (燉湯). Ours was bone and heart-warming. We had the abalone soup (#1) and the black silkie chicken soup (#6). These soups are considered to be extremely nourishing soups - there are ones designated for high blood pressure etc. It's also the kind of soup that pregnant women are told to drink. I come here for soup after surgery. We ordered the set menu for two, which included two soups of your choice, half a steamed chicken, a whole steamed fish, a plate of green steamed vegetable, and two bowls of rice. My 83 year old Taiwanese mom kept saying she couldn't finish her soup because of all the other dishes. But finish every drop she did, and she clearly loved hers! Their $60 set menu for two is a bona fide DEAL (quality, quantity, and value). We stuffed ourselves so we had to waddle out to our car. Before I could pull out of the parking spot, mom demanded that I bring her back again this weekend before she leaves. We devoured the steam fish so fast that we forgot to take a photo. Not one morsel was left. The steamed chicken was moist and flavorful; the ginger/scallion sauce was great. The vegetable was cooked just right. Their chef is amazing. The steam rice with eel wrapped in lotus leaves is next on my list for my next visit. We almost hijacked another table's order of it. They serve dim sum all day - what?! Yay. Please don't come. We want to keep getting seated with no line.

Located in Oakland Chinatown, this restaurant surely surprised me with its wonderful flavors and variety of dishes! Went to Chinatown to get some usual produce and bakery goods...then came lunch time. I felt like having noodle soup and went to Yelp for help! Noticed this place serves beef noodle soup and that was just what I wanted! Ordered the beef noodle soup and steam lotus leaf rice with spareribs and Chinese sausages. I have to really praise the kitchen staff for nailing the beef soup: full of flavor with a hint of spiciness and I just loved it. It's better than most places I have tried elsewhere, seriously. Comparatively, the steam rice was a bit lackluster in flavor...maybe it needed some sauce to drizzle over. The portion size was satisfactory. The space was open and clean and I enjoyed it. Will visit again.

Food was so good and authentic tasting here. Uncommonly large selection of specialty Chinese herbal soups that are "double boiled" the way traditional soups should be made with a great, clean taste. Steamed lotus leaf rice also had a clean, fragrant aroma. I also haven't had such delicious Chicken noodle soup in a while. Highly recommend the food and hope to try more. Restaurant was full but there was seating upstairs as well. Service is excellent and mainly provided by an efficient, smart lady.

I ordered the lotus wrapped rice to-go and it was seriously delicious and fragrant. The portions were huge and it also came with a drink included as part of the special. Super good and would definitely highly recommend for a full and fulfilling lunch

Still incredible soup, guys. You enjoy some rich, sumptuous broth filled with I don't even understand what kind of ingredients and you leave somewhat healed. It's like imbibing a blue potion, chat. Get yourself a bowl of $6 divinity today.

I love me some soup, and Imperial Soup fed me so much soup I was a bit souped out (it's a good thing!) My mom used to make these soups every day for us kids, so this definitely hit the nostalgia bones in me. Looks can be deceiving - it's a very hole in the wall place. But the food and soups are delicious! If you can speak Cantonese (or broken Cantonese like me :D) when you order, I'm sure they would appreciate it. Go for the soups with lots of herbal stuff in it, like the silkie chicken ones. They can also explain what the soups will do health-wise too. I did notice that a lot of people came in for their rice dishes, so will try that next time I'm in the area!

My first time here with my mom. Service is excellent, the lady explains the menu well, very friendly. Foods are greater than expected. I personally love the rice with lotus leaf, we added chicken. The beef flank is a bit sweet but tastes good too.

This is my new favorite Chinese restaurant. They specialize in herbal soups reminiscent of what my mom would make. I love how the herbal soups are categorized by their health benefits. We also ordered the steamed, whole fish and lotus root with mixed veggies. Reminds me of home cooking. Needless to say, it's comfort food. There are several items we look forward to trying on upcoming visits.

What a gem on the outskirts of Oakland's Chinatown. This is the first authentic restaurant I've found that serves medicinal Chinese soups that truly heal the soul. Whenever I get even the smallest tingle in my throat, I go here to get revived. They truly pack some of the best ingredients in their chicken soups, I'm surprised people don't know more about it. Do yourself a favor and come here, thank me later.

Imperial Soup was such a unique and delicious dining experience! This Chinese restaurant serves soups that are meant to heal and nourish different areas of our body. If your body is need of collagen and glow there is a soup made specifically to help with that. If you need a soup that cleanses your gut, there is a soup for that too. I personally love this concept because it is so rare to find in the states. The soup that I got (I think number 8) had a nice balance of flavor, not too bland or salty. The Hainan chicken was also mad delicious, cooked to perfection. We must protect and preserve this place, 5/5 experience!

I would come back for sure! Quite the assortment of Chinese soups! Brought my mom for Mother's Day since she loves soups, especially Chinese. She only ate about 1/3. It was a huge serving! Definitely a family size portion! All of the food we ordered was good! Our faves were the garlic vermicelli shrimp and beef flank noodle soup! The mushroom soup was good, but not super memorable. The Chinese Unagi was also good, but doubt I'd get it again. The people were super nice and attentive to us. Look forward to come again! Family style place, and busy, even close to closing! Yet, the food comes out pretty fast! Enjoy!

This was absolutely delicious. Now I didn't grow up eating authentic Chinese food but the steamed chicken was tender and soft. The ginger sauce was rich and paired so well with the chicken. I also got the non spicy beef flank soup. Wow!! I was worried it would be bland but it was so savory and aromatic. If you like beef pho, I think you'll really enjoy this soup. I cannot wait to try more.

Two of us came on the weekend of Chinese new year where there was a little event happening in downtown Chinatown so everywhere was pretty busy! It's a pretty small hole in the wall type place so don't expect anything fancy. PROS: the food is solid, it definitely has a really authentic feel, not too spicy but really flavorful, we both got noodle soups so would love to try one of their entrees next time CONS: pretty poor service but it's kind of expected for the area/vibe. For someone who doesn't speak Chinese, the menu can be pretty confusing too. We really had to rely on Yelp reviews and photos to figure out what was good! I highly recommend the lamb or beef noodles! Overall solid weekend lunch or dinner place, very authentic and delicious but obviously don't expect good service.

The food here (rather than the service and ambiance) is what I know the best as a friend brings me take out from here all the time. The food is truly healing. It's the wonderful cuisine that only a loving grandma might prepare for the family. Virtually no American style Chinese food here. I regularly have the lamb broth with herbs and also the vegetable combination with lotus root and lots of mushroom varieties. Most items and entrees are good for two meals. And the prices are very reasonable. I have no doubt I would likely be the only Caucasian in the place if I went to eat at this location. I'm quite lucky to have someone bringing me food from this resaurant. My friend's impression when she gets food for me is that's best if you read Chinese and speak Mandarin. She notes that the people serving treat her very kindly, and she too is impressed by the quality of the food and the low pricing. There's a number of medicinal soups to which I'm especially attracted, and there's also some hearty fare. All of it is made with loving care.

Went past by this place many times over the years and thought this is a hole in the wall. And it is a hole in the wall - in a good way. The food is delicious, different, and reasonably priced. The service was quick as well. This place has rice, noodles, and dim sum. Will come back again to try their different dishes.

This restaurant is one of the best in Oakland Chinatown! It's small but cozy. The inside is simplistic but the food stands out! The food is very cheap especially for the portions of the dishes. The food is really delicious and flavorful. The minced pork over egg noodle comes with a bowl of soup which is both tasty and refreshing! The chicken yellow curry rice plate is also very good and very big. The service is very good and very fast. They get your dishes out asap, the food is fast AND fresh! This restaurant is such a great place to drop by if you're looking for good food without overspending. It may not be a big place but it sure has a lot to offer :)!

I was chilled to the bone from gardening and putting lights out in the yard and this soup warmed me right back up. I stopped by at a weird time around 4 and I was surprised to see another guy in the restaurant. Imperial Soup has excellent food and it's nice and clean inside. They have an extensive soup menu so I went with a yelp recommendation of the Spicy Lamb Noodle Soup. Not too spicy and the toppings were generous. I'd love to try another selection as this one was perfect!

This place is very good! A bit pricy compared to other Chinatown restaurants but it is worth it because the quality is there and the service is amazing. Since it was my bf and my first time coming here, the owner (I think) gave us a breakdown on what to order and what is in each soup. We ultimately ordered: * "combo c" with the Hainan Chicken plate & #8 soup - really good! * double-layered steamed milk - very authentic! * HK milk tea - on the sweeter side but make sure to ask for less sugar. I'd definitely come back here & recommend everyone else to try this place!

Authentic, little hole-in-the-wall soup and traditional Chinese food shop in the heart of Oakland Chinatown (very close to the shopping center with the underground parking garage). In terms of convenience, this should not be hard even for those of us who live outside of Oakland! The little shop wasn't busy right before 5pm on Monday after work, the woman who warmly greeted me in Cantonese was very friendly, even after I told her I could not understand Canto. She quickly took my order (Number 19 Chicken Soup with Mushrooms for Immunity Boost) and returned with my soup not even five minutes later. You can pay by cash or card, luckily then $10 in cash I had was enough for one order of soup. The menu is in Simplified Chinese as well as English, though the menus on the walls throughout the store are almost exclusively in Chinese characters. It was a lovely combination of feeling the comfort of the Motherland's soup and taste while still feeling welcomed. I enjoyed my takeout thoroughly and would like to try their limited dessert bites and noodle soups in store the next time I'm in the area. From what I can tell from this first experience, their soups are worth getting when you're feeling under the weather or when you're craving a little bit of home, while far away from home. I will be back!

I stopped by Imperial Soup yesterday afternoon for lunch with a group of friends. I was a bit surprised there wasn't a line since it was lunch hour. However, once we sat down and placed our order, it all made sense. The kitchen brings out food fast! I ordered a bowl of their Spicy Sesame & Peanut Paste with Rib Eye Thick Noodle Soup -- extra spicy, and it exceeded my expectations. The broth was spicy enough to make me sweat, but not so spicy that the flavor of the soup base was lost. There is plenty of beef and noodles in the soup, so you can be sure this bowl is extremely filling. For a little over $10, I thought it was excellent value. I was shocked this place accepts credit card too! Great place to get soup on a cold day.

This place has been on my bookmark list for many years since we seldom trek out to the East Bay. We arrived at 2:30, thus avoiding the crowds. They are famous for their double boiled soup (dun) which involves submerging a ceramic pot of soup inside another pot of boiling water for many hours.  Double boiled is not boiling two times. I decided to choose a kidney nourishing soup, Chicken with Morel Mushrooms and Herbs.  The herbs were not overwhelmingly medicinal, just a hint of herbiness.  I felt healthy eating it. I also had some desserts: Steamed Peach Gum with Papaya & Milk hot - it was good also great, first time eating peach gum (learned that it is also good for you) Double-Layer Steamed Milk hot - it was creamy and delicious, but wished it had ginger in it. Steamed Tragacanth gum & Sweet Olive cold - this was just OK. At the end, I looked around and saw several tables ordering Hainan chicken (poached) as well as steamed rice in lotus leaf so maybe I will get those next time.

Seriously delicious food - the silken tofu and scallops was decadent and luxurious. I highly recommend. This is a smaller restaurant but they were very nice and accommodating of a baby. Home style atmosphere.

After a few days of wine tasting and fine dining, we are craving for some detox healthy chinese food. This is the perfect spot. Amazing selection of soups- most I'm not familiar with and chose two on the safer side (don't want to agitate the stomach during the heat wave). Chicken feet and chicken mushroom were both great. Also got the lotus rice with spare ribs, hainan chicken was everyone's favorites, steam fish was well done and many veggies are just what we needed. Not a fancy restaurant but good hearty authentic food. Glad we found it.

oh.my.goodness. This gem of a place warms my soul from head to toe. Their soups are DIVINE. It's like what you would expect a grandma or mom to cook at home for you. It's so authentic I'm already thinking of when I am going to go back next. The soups come so quickly; they have combo meals (some type of rice dish + a side of soup). You can choose any soup that is priced at $4.99 (there's a ton of options) or you can upgrade to the soup of your choice and pay the difference. I love this place so much I'm ready to go again tomorrow, the day after, and every other day. I cannot wait to try their full soup menu. This place is divineeeeee. It's definitely the spot to impress any canto speaking family b/c they'll think you have good taste. P.S. the desserts here also taste super legit. I got the red bean hokkaido milk and it was delicious too.

Love this place! If you're looking for something not overly salty or oily like a lot of Chinese foods these days, this place is the one to go to! They have a limited menu which mainly consists of herbal soups and clay pot and some other signature dishes but they all taste super flavorful! Ive gotten things numerous times and probably have visited like 5 times in the past month I've moved to Oakland. My favorite thing to order is the steamed lotus leaf rice (preserved meat or eel are my top two) with one of the herbal soups. I also like that they have super Asian desserts that are hard to find elsewhere! Staff is also super hardworking and super nice. Def stop by in the area if you're looking for Chinese food that won't break the bank or make you feel disgusting after! Prices are cheap too. Oh! Forgot to mention their lamb noodle soup (I don't have a pic) is HELLA good. I don't even like lamb at all but this soup is so well flavored and a must for people who like lamb! (And also good for ppl who don't as well)

Delish food w/ great service at an unassuming location in Chinatown. We both loved our entrees. Hainan chicken was flavorful while the lotus rice was loaded w/ savory meats. The soup selection, however, was the main reason for stopping by. I was craving soup and we were thoroughly impressed w/ the many choices. Loaded w/ herbs and meat, the #3 and #7 were both winners. Can't wait to come back and try more of the dishes and, of course, the soups.

*3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars* This is a small storefront tucked into Oakland Chinatown, but actually had lots of tables for indoor dining and got pretty crowded during lunchtime on a Friday. We were lucky to get there earlier (around 11:20 PM) to beat the crowd. I got the Special B combo ($13), which is the soup of the day and steamed rice in lotus leaf w/ spare ribs as my topping of choice. For the soup, they said I could choose any on the menu and if it was greater than $4.99, you would pay the difference. It's never too early to lower your cholesterol, so I got the chicken & herbs soup (#8). The soup was definitely my favorite part of the meal -- it was well seasoned, light, and had a nice balance of herby flavor. The steamed rice in lotus leaf w/ spare ribs was just okay. The spare ribs didn't have too much sauce on them, so the dish was overall pretty bland. I also wish it was more of a sticky rice in the lotus leaf. My boyfriend got the lamb noodle soup ($9.50) and it had a really nice lamb flavor. Only problems with it were that it wasn't salty enough and the meat wasn't consistent (some were thin, hot pot lamb slices that were more bland and some were chunks that had been stewed for longer and had much more flavor). Lastly, got a Hong Kong milk tea that was pretty good (got less sweet as you got to the bottom). Rounding up to 4 stars because the service was fast and all the food was on the table 5-10 mins after ordering. For $32 with tax and tip, I think it was a really good meal and would come back again, especially for the soup.

This is one of the best spots in Chinatown. They serve delicious soups which taste homemade. They are also very nourishing and rich. I can't imagine going wrong with any of their dishes. Service is friendly and quick. I try going to this place maybe once every couple of weeks. Highly recommend if you're in the area and want some bomb Cantonsese food!

First time visiting and was a little disappointed. Overall the food was decent but there could be some improvements. Hainan chicken rice plate - Forgot to take a picture, but this was easily the best thing we ordered. The texture of the chicken was perfect, with bouncy skin and meat that wasn't dry. The rice and Chinese broccoli included in the plate were both great as well. Would come back and just order the Hainan chicken next time. Chicken with mushroom and herbs soup - Soup tasted great with the chicken and herbal flavor, but I wish there was more mushrooms. Chicken meat pieces were quite dry. Lamb noodle soup - Not my favorite. The soup was a bit too sweet, the lamb was pretty dry and not tender, and I personally didn't like the texture of the thick egg noodles. Beef flank and tendon over egg noodles - The meat was DELICIOUS and the tendon melted in my mouth. My issue is that there was just way too little meat, with too much noodle. Also would have preferred some kind of sauce to go with the noodles as they were quite plain, or even a noodle soup version of this dish. Would have been nice to include some kind of veggie as well.

Little hole in the wall restaurant with seemingly simple food, but do not be fooled because the tastes are so complex. I believe that they've mastered their dishes well. The Hainanese chicken rice was packing some flavor! The texture of the chicken, served chilled, was elastic but tender. I loved it. The chicken and morel soup had a simple but deep flavor. The chicken in the soup looked and felt as it had been simmering for a week because it was so hard and dry however the broth itself was the star. The morels unfortunately had a bit of grit. I was so curious about the steamed milk custard that I had to try it and I was happy I did. It had such a pure taste! Subtly sweet and incredibly smooth.

Spicy beef noodle soup please my soul. Tiny place in a packed part of town. Here are more words, but really I've said what I need to

Traditional Cantonese meal. Most foods are steamed, with "nourishing" ingredients, flavors are on the light/sweet side. Very homey tastes! Very reasonable prices. Waiters mainly speak Cantonese but also speak mandarin and English. Menu is in Chinese and English, though some items may be hard to decipher from the menu, looking at the food pictures help. My first time here I had the steamed garlic shrimp with ginseng chicken soup combo meal.

I love how imperial soup specializes in soups and noodle soups. The healing properties are written in the menu per soup. My favorite here is the lamb noodle soup. I tried the beef noodle soup this time, and though I liked the thin egg noodles (I swapped it from the thick egg noodles), the meats were all really tough. There's around 4-5 choices for the type of noodle you want. I haven't tried the clay plot rice myself but it looks pretty good from the photos.

Four years ago versus now, I asked them why so few and they said it's always been like this. Idk what to say y'all. Absolutely rude. I found the pics from yelp and asked that bitch what u gonna say to me, always been like this huh? Then she rolled her eyes and schooled me with the person next to her in Cantonese that I didn't understand.‍ Like who the fuck can stand it so I schooled her back‍ I've eaten here for four years and have never had anything like this, Absolutely won't be back AT ALL.

Covid Dine in available till 7pm and take out till 8pm. Love the variety of soups in this shop! And the soups are not overly salted, no hint of MSG after taste, very reasonable price with hot much ingredients are loaded in the soup! Their sets are good in price as it includes any soup that is priced 4.99, or you just pay the price difference. The meal/food itself is just ok but with the soup it makes the set good value and good nutrition. Definitely will come by if I'm around the area.

This is a hidden gem in Oakland Chinatown! The soups they serve are hearty and reminds me of my Grandmother's soup cooking. The rice dish in bamboo is very flavorful, and their chow-fun dishes are unique. Since we eat Chinese food at home, we tend to go to place that typically do not do the run-of-the-mill Chinese food (I.e., fried rice, chow mein, sweet & sour pork, etc.). This place is a pleasant surprise since the dishes and flavor variants are unique, and which I would pay for in a dining experience. Thank you Jesus!

Back to one of our favorite Hong Kong style food, love their soup, steam dessert and rice plate or noodle

Amazing food, great service and such a pleasant staff. Everyone I know i have brought here and all have loved it. My go-to is the Spicy Lamb Noodle Soup with Thick Egg Noodles. One of the best Meals I have ever had in my life. Also the dim sum selection is crazy good too. One of the hidden gems of the Bay for sure.

One of my favorite spots in Oakland's Chinatown. It's a little hole in the wall that you really have to look out for, but there will be a good amount of people inside when you walk in. They specialize in soups (duh, ha) and hot pot. Their broth is simmered for hours for that home cooked taste and OH SO good for you too. Whenever I'm feeling under the weather, I crave one of their herbal soups. The only thing I wasn't in love with was their chicken noodle soup, which reminded me of pho ga but without the accompaniments. I would rather just have pho. But their rice dishes are all solid too. Go directly to their website to order if you're planning on takeout. They'll get you in and out within 15-20 minutes of the order. Just enough time to drive over and park. I'm glad to see they're still busy despite the pandemic. They are definitely one of the more special spots in Chinatown.

Open for takeaway during COVID-19, I have dreams about my favorite dish so far from Imperial Soup - the sliced lamb noodle soup! It makes me so happy that I was introduced to tiny restaurant in Oakland Chinatown by a Taiwanese friend. The menu is expansive so I'm slowly working my way thru, and always dreaming about that lamb noodle soup. Call ahead to place an order for pickup, or use the Hungry Panda app if you can read Chinese...