Lucky & Lucky Restaurant - Lucky me!

My wife and I decide to have dinner at Lucky & Lucky Restaurant in Oakland Chinatown. My folks recommended this place. The worst part was trying to get directions from my mother. She always gives directions from her point of view - she just assumes that you're in her head. She gives no context and doesn't understand why you do know what she's talking about. Here's a snippet of what she told me:

"It's across the street from ABC Restaurant. Just keep going straight and then turn. Wait don't turn. It's actually close by this other restaurant. Actually, not really. Ok, you know where Restaurant ABC is. Just keep going straight and you will eventually see it across the street"

Ok mom, got it. Just to verify. Was that a left or a right on the place I'm not supposed to turn?

Turns out Lucky & Lucky was two blocks north of ABC Restaurant on the same side of the street. Good thing my mom's taste in food isn't as bad as her directions.

Anyways, Lucky & Lucky serves Chao Zhou food. Chao Zhou is the eastern most part of the Guang Zhou province near the border of Fujian province. A lot of the Chao Zhou influence has made their way into Cantonese cuisine as well, so this place actually serves both Chao Zhou and Cantonese food.

Here's what we ordered:

• Chao Zhou Duck (Chao Zhou Lu Shui Ya)
  
• Fish Maw and Egg White Stir Fry (Gui Fei Chao Yu Du)
  
• Fish Soup/Fish Filet and Celery Stir Fry (Shi Jiu Gong Liang Chi)

Forgive the horrible translations. I do not have the slightest idea what the English names for this dishes are since they are not the popular nor standard Chinese dishes found in the states. These are very typical types of dishes eaten in Chao Zhou and Guang Zhou. Nevertheless, my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed what we ordered.

I'm going to describe each one and hopefully you'll get a better idea of whether you'd like to drop in and give it a try.

Chao Zhou Duck

This, I'm told, is a classic Chao Zhou dish just like Roast Duck is classic Beijing dish. This dish is prepared by marinating the whole duck in a dark sauce that consists of soy sauce mixed with a bunch of other spices (called Lu Shui in Chinese). This dish can be served cold or hot, though I believe it's traditionally served cold. I love this dish and these guys do fail to impress. If you enjoy Beijing Roast Duck, you should absolutely give it a try, but know that it is very different in flavor and texture.

Fish Maw and Egg White Stir Fry

This one was my favorite. This dish is a stir fry of fish maw, egg white, and yellow chives. Take this one slowly. I didn't it because it was sooo good and before I knew it I couldn't handle anymore. This is a very rich dish, that's part of the reason why it is so good, but it's also the reason why you should take it slowly or else it's the end of the fun.

Fish Soup/Fish Filet and Celery Stir Fry

This is a two part dish. Part one - The fish soup. It looks like non-fat milk with a touch of parsley. It tastes a lot like clam chowder in the way the clam chowder has a strong seafood flavor. If you like clam chowder, you're going to enjoy this. There's a bonus dish; The ingredients used to make this soup is separated from the soup and served as a separate dish. The ingredients consists of tofu, fish bones, mustard greens, and thousand years old eggs. As you're sipping on the soup, you snack on the ingredients. Just dip them in a special soy sauce that comes with this dish. Part two - fish filet and celery stir fry. It is exactly as the name describes - a very typical Cantonese dish. A good ending to a two part dish.

This place is great. It's on the top of our list now. We loved it and can't wait to go back again and try different things. The waitresses are extremely friendly, warm, and welcoming. It's not fancy. There are no frills. The food is matter of fact and real. It's country cooking at it's best folks!

Address and Contact information:

Lucky & Lucky Restaurant
1116 Franklin Street
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 839-6028