Fabulous food. Great service. Chill ambiance. Highly recommend and will be back regularly. You get both traditional Szechuan and Japanese food in one! And both are done well.

We've been here a few times now and every time has been great. We've ordered from both the Japanese and the Chinese menus, which makes for a fun, delicious, and varied dinner. All the rolls we've had have been tasty. The best dish we've ordered is the dry pot-- it's so flavorful and comes in a very large portion. I think next time the dry pot and a roll will be our perfect amount of food (for two). The service has also always been great. Very friendly and attentive servers.

The dumplings are excellent. Truly authentic and service was attentive. I recommend for a quick lunch or snack

Date: 11/12/2024. Time: 7:50 PM. 56°. Cool I'm at the Pacific Renaissance Center, OACC, for a band rehearsal. Okay, I'm hungry and the closest restaurant is Chuan You, which is housed in Sakura Bistro. Gum Kuo and C & M Bistro are closed. Sobo Ramen would have been nice, but they are on the first level. Since I am on the second level, I decided to stop in for take out order of seaweed salad (wakame) and vegetables tempura. It is one of those nights that they are not busy. There is hardly any restaurant customers at the time. Service is quick and I did not have to wait long. I chose not to order a bento box. All I want is mentioned above. Besides the wakame and veggies tempura are my go to items regardless the restaurant. Both items are on point and delicious. Cost including tax and tip is about $27. Yep, it is a tad pricy. Price is what it is. I would not doubt that the location and the ambiance are part of the factor in their menu prices. Specialties: appetizers, ramen noodles, donburi, bento box lunch/dinner, teriyaki, an excellent selection of sushi rolls. Employee is helpful and approachable. Location of garage is in the basement level of this building. Return visit? Depending on my mood and what I want, I might return. If Gum Kuo does not close at 7:00 PM, I would hitting that place for the chicken and double mushroom congee (jook) with the Chinese donut strip.

I ordered ma po tofu from here for delivery. For a price of $20 for ma po, I expected to have white rice with the order; I paid less for more. The tofu was okay, and could have been firmer.

Ordered this to go, but I literately just remembered to take picture when I'm eating the last piece of the fish Pickup was really quick and service is good! I love the fish fillet in chili oil here, ordered mild spicy, not quite spicy next time if I get it I might go medium spicy. Not too numbing. Pretty good portion, it comes in three boxes, but I opened only two and shared with my husband. We ordered the wrong eggplant, but this eggplant with basil is not bad at all, it's actually even better cus it's something different! The basil smells so good and tastes good too!

Half Japanese menu and half Chinese- this place has everything to fit what everyone might be in the mood for. I had their tempura udon- it was okay, I think the broth could be more flavorful, but I really enjoyed the portion of tempura. We also ordered a roll, seared salmon on top - it was good but was too saucy on the bottom for my liking.My partner like their niku oyako don. I like the quiet environment, the soft instrumental music, bright lighting and clean establishment. Open to trying more things on the menu.

Last review... of 2022... Chuan Yu! This is the place to go in Oakland Chinatown if you're eating late and indecisive between Chinese / Szechuan or sushi. You can get the best of both worlds! I always get the Spicy Dry Pot as a main. You choose a base flavor (garlic or three levels of spicy), a protein base (e.g., beef, chicken, pork belly), and four additional toppings that include a wide variety of veggies, noodles, or extra protein. I love the flexibility of options and that you can double or triple-stack proteins. Both garlic and spicy flavors are solid. If dining in, they'll bring the dish out over a burner, which keeps the food hot and full of aroma. Another staple is the Shanghai Pan Fried Soup Dumpling, which I have yet to come across elsewhere in Chinatown. I also enjoyed their Chongqing Fish Filet in Chili Oil and Beef Brisket with Bamboo Shoot. Big portions, very well seasoned / spiced, and not too salty. Three entrees should be enough to comfortably feed a party of four. Last food-related note is that the space is a dual restaurant: Chuan Yu is paired with Sakura Bistro, which gives you the amazing ability to order sushi as well. What I also love about Chuan Yu is that it provides a later-night Chinese dine-in option. It's also great for groups as there is always plenty of available seating. Servers are nice and attentive, and food comes out quickly. Anddd that's a wrap! I'll see you in 2023 - both Yelpers and Chuan Yu!