Location |
207 3rd Street #110 (Across from Off-Campus Books) |
Hours |
Mon-Sun: 10am-12am |
Phone |
(530) 750-7781 |
Owner |
TBD |
Established |
2006-11-06 |
Payment Methods |
Cash, Visa, MasterCard |
This entry refers to a departed business that has closed or left town. All information here is for historical reference only. |
Yummy Guide has been replaced by Davis Oshio Cafe.
Yummy Guide Cafe is a Hong Kong-style Chinese restaurant that has locations in Oakland and Sacramento. It opened on November 6, 2006 with a very limited menu.
Formica tables, with paper flowers and hearts all around. Recent Hong Kong movie on flat screen ("One Nite In Mongkok", feat. Cecilia Cheung Pak Chi). Heck, even the phone has a Cantopop ringtone! More than any Davis restaurant save maybe Old Teahouse, Yummy Guide caters to the Chinese immigrant students.
Menu combines snack-oriented and simple Cantonese cuisine (e.g. won ton lo mein) with endearing Hong Kong style Western cuisine, strictly from the pre-Julia Child era (baked spaghetti with seafood in white sauce, "curry"). Extensive drink menu including the classic Mixed Coffee & Milk Tea. An alternative to the Chinese American food in most local Chinese restaurants, and to the less-than-glowingly-reviewed fare at Old Teahouse.
The location used to house Mr. Chan's.
Menu
* Note, daily, lunch, and dinner specials change.. daily.
2006-11-08 15:00:10 I ate here for the first time today. If the Teriyaki Chicken lunch special is any indication, this place is pretty good - the food was simple, but it was plentiful, and fresher than anything I can remember eating at a restaurant. The Coffe/tea hybrid drink was good, too. —GeoffJohnson
2006-11-17 19:33:31 I did not like the teriyaki chicken lunch special. Frankly i ordered it because the menu was so limmited. I dont particularly like that dish much, but it was a choice between pork chop, teriyaki chicken or spagetti with meat sauce. I would not go back until their menu size increases. —MattHh
2006-12-08 22:39:41 I ate here for the 2nd time today, the food is very good, quality wise, better than old tea house. Try their bake chicken with rice dish, its good! They have a very big menu, and the number of dishes matches, if not exceed old tea house. The drinks that they have are catered more towards the cantonese population. However, there are a couple downsides. 1. prices are expensive, REALLY expensive. Seafood udon cost 7.00 including tax in OTH, but 7.99+tax in here, and the ingredients don't deviate much. expect to spend 25$+ if you are going to dinner w/2 ppl. 2. Limited seating like old tea house 3. cramped seating like OTH 4. atmosphere not as great as OTH, but they do have 1 TV. They come to you and take your orders (which is good, but they expect tips, thats 3-4 bux rite there, you can get another boba drink somewhere else!) 5. No parking and you will get ticketed by the city cops. They are pretty friendly. But even tho their quality rite now is better than old tea house, i think that over time, their quality + quantity will dwindle (like that of OTH, their dishes, which are REALLY good when they first started). But overtime, they chose to use cheaper ingredients, etc. So we'll see, but definitely, FREAKIN EXPENSIVE HERE!!! —JamesLi
- 2007-12-5 23:21:08 It's been a year since the parent's post above, and I can say their quality hasn't downgraded one bit. Also, they do NOT take your orders where you sit. You simply go up front and order your food, then once it's done they call your number and put it out for you. OTH caters the Taiwanese population while YG caters the HK/cantonese group. If you go to any cafe in HK you'll pretty much get the same atmosphere, so it's all about what you expect before you come in. It's really a whole difference place and is excellent (and authentic) in its own right. Also, how the hell is a big plate of food + drinks for $4.85 expensive?? If paying less than $5 for a lunch + drinks is too much for you then considering bringing your own lunch. Panda Express is way more expensive than this place - it's nowhere NEAR anything that resembles Chinese food either. Scroll down all the way below for my review of this place.—AnthonyLam
- 2006-12-11 23:00:53 I AM DAMNED EXCITED. Only menu in Davis that I'm aware of that features deep fried intestines. For someone who craves Chinese Food similar to some stuff I grew up with, I was overjoyed to see fried intestines on their menu, it made my day. I don't know why the last reviewer complained about parking as the place is located a two-minute walk from the Central Park lot. If someone takes your orders and delivers your food they SHOULD get tipped. The food while expensive if you're using The Bay or Asia as a comparison is pretty standard Davis pricing (which isn't great, but not unique to this establishment). And am I the only person that likes OTH (just don't order from certain parts of the menu, duh)? Take this however you will, but I work at Bistro, I like our atmosphere and design but if it was applied to Yummy Guide I would immediately be suspicious of the place. The actual design of the restaurant is familiar to me, a complete lack of desire or Westernized design that pretty much sums up the restaurants I see in Taiwan/The Bay anyways. —AlvinTsao
- 2006-12-12 08:14:51 You're right, it is close to the MU parking struture. But during the day, if you have a car, no parking permit, are everyone willing to pay at the meters and then walk to the place? ppl are lazy, so they would want to park on the street, but since daytime, there are parking cops around, ppl usually get discouraged (not all, just saying some). Also, I for one like OTH too, so I am just comparing. Like i said, the design of the place, is kinda half-assed, the lights are nice, but then the whole place....just doesn't click , at least not yet, the all white wallpaper, etc just ..... :( Price-wise, i would still say its expensive. Ppl say OTH is expensive, wait till they try here. even though food are really good (for now), prices-wise, i think this place takes the place of "If you have money and would like a lil up-scale OTH", go here kinda restaurant —JamesLi
- 2006-12-13 15:04:58 I don't want this to be a back and forth thing, but I was talking about The Central Park Parking Lot and other street parking (that does not require permits) if you only stay for a certain period of time. I've tried two of their lunch specials so far, Fried Pork Chop with Sliced Onions and The Curry Pork Chop, and recommend the latter. The lunch specials are a decent deal as you get a good portion of the entree plus rice plus a drink. Not exactly 4 star Chinese Food, but really pretty decent for the price and portion size (plus the convenient location for the Young/Wellman set). For those with wireless, the location is close enough to campus where you can piggyback of moobilenet. —AlvinTsao
2007-01-01 16:17:50 i had this fried chicken with some weird sauce ontop of it that gave me a huge stomach ache. it's pretty expensive but it's understandable if it's considered a HK style western restaurant ("gangshi xican"). it's nont terrible, but i've had better. =] —EmilyTung
2007-01-27 01:10:59 This place is really popular and packed everytime I go there. I've enjoyed the cuttlefish soup and the eel on rice. The fish cake udon noodles were pretty good, but it was far too greasy and the fish cake doesn't at all mix with the sauce. The teriyaki chicken is bone-in and has skin, which gives the meat a lot more flavor than your typical teriyaki chicken. I sampled one of the chicken with rice dishes. The sauce tasted identical to Knorr-brand brown-gravy mix. The dish was huge and the flavors were pretty overwhelming— it's best suited to being split amongst a few people. Definitely don't get the kidneys— even for kidneys, they were way too dry and rubbery. —CraigBrozinsky
2007-01-27 10:23:53 Pretty cheap Hong Kong style food since lunch comes with a drink and a meal. No veggies though, so all you health freaks stay away! —AtyNguyen
2007-01-28 04:51:34 I eat here for lunch whenever I can, the prices are cheap (BBQ pork or S&S pork with rice and a drink for less than $4, beats out Teriyaki Express by a landslide), the food is good, it's pretty close to MU/Freeborn, and the cashier is cute. :) —DaiNguyen
2007-02-09 00:35:45 The people who thought this place is good has obviously never had good Chinese food. I had dinner there today, and I had to make a profile here to comment on how disgusting it was. Right now I actually have a stomach ache from the "shrimp dumplins" I ordered. I tried my friend's dishes too (Sweet and Sour pork and Pork ribs) and was not impressed at all. Eat here if you want to have the worst chinese food possible at davis. At least Mr. Chan's food never made me this sick, literally. —JoeXie
2007-02-11 17:00:05 Get the salt and pepper chicken wings for appetizer! I absolutely love it! —KiwiSelina
2007-04-01 13:01:13 we tried this place a couple weeks after it opened, i dont think we will ever go near there again. it was really really bad tasting...i hope other have a better experience... —GarrettGallegos
2007-04-11 21:32:27 The food there is pretty good, its OK for Chinese food. Kinda expensive for the amount they give you. Plus it's not really anything hella SPECIAL for the price. —jes
2007-04-23 16:32:37 food.....not that great... —JamesLi
2007-04-23 17:05:40 i usually go with the shrimp wonton noodle soup. i haven't tried anything else here (the soup is decent). if you are looking to spend 5-10$ on a meal this is a pretty good buy. you will have to wait 10 minutes or so while they cook your food, but you can watch TV in the meantime. —HuiChen
2007-05-02 16:29:48 Being from Southern California where cities like Rowland Heights, Monterey Park, and Alhambra exist, I've been jaded by stupid cheap and extremely good Chinese food. While the lunch specials aren't too bad in terms of price and taste (I had a bowl of mustard greens with pork in broth with rice noodles), that $2.25 menu I feel is a complete rip off. The same day I had the lunch special, I ordered some curry fish balls. For $2.25 I was expecting at least the entire pack of fish balls (which generally has anywhere between 12 and 16 pieces), but instead, I got six. What the heck! I can get a package of frozen fish balls at SF market in Sacramento for $0.99! My girlfriend ordered a plate of fried chicken wings with french fries and a ham and egg sandwich. All far too little food for $2.25. Go in for the lunch specials because you get a pretty large portion, a drink, and the price is fair. If you're tight on money, stay away from the $2.25 menu because you're going to end up paying at least $10 just to get full. —VincentShin
2007-05-17 18:48:15 The Mango Pudding is F-ing good!!!!! —CatLa
2007-06-22 20:21:27 I eat here a lot. It's expensive, but I enjoy several of the items. If you are ever in Oakland's Chinatown, go to the Yummy Guide there—the pig ear is quite good (and different from the excellent pig ear at Hometown). The Sacramento one (near SCC) is fine, too. Why I've eaten at every Yummy Guide is a long and exciting story. —MisterProfessor
2007-09-08 15:49:05 The food here best reflects the hong kong cafe style dishes and appetizers/snacks. Although a bit pricey, it doesn't stop me from coming back —KaiWan
2007-10-12 23:25:14 I did not like their teriyaki chicken, but perhaps it was because it was Hong Kong style and I was expecting something else. The teriyaki sauce was really sweet and the chicken was deep fried. It was not very high quality food, but i'll come again and try something else. —ingrid
2007-10-25 10:18:57 I went to try this place for lunch, it wasn't bad, reminds me of a much better wok'n'roll, it was pretty delicious, for five bucks the lunch special was decent, definitely worth a second visit. On a second visit this place is delicious, definitely a nice replacement for the now departed wok n' roll though a tad more expensive, it is less so than old teahouse for lunch, as far as I can tell. -DavidPoole
2007-11-02 00:28:50 I just ate here for the first time today; got their steamed siu mai and spicy chicken with rice. The siu mai was so-so...I didn't really find their sweet sauce appetizing. Their spicy chicken and rice was okay, too. The sauce that came with it was too sweet in my opinion, and the chicken was not spicy enough. From what I had today, I won't be going here again for Chinese food anytime soon; I'll just wait for my mommy to cook me up some. :) But their milk tea was pretty good. —kthrnngo
2007-11-11 11:12:19 Worst restaurant of Davis. Never come here unless you like eating garbage. Everything here is low quality from the sweet n sour chicken, spaghetti, or thai style chicken steak. Typical platter consists of one overcooked piece of broccoli as garnish, pile of rice, and small portion of bad tasting meat. —chuendogg
2007-11-13 08:24:31 went here at 10:30am on a weekday. There were people there but the door was locked. I knocked and got no response, it seemed as though they were intentionally ignoring me. One of my pet peeves is when businesses do not open on time. —MattHh
2007-12-05 04:19:58 I've been here since last year and HIGHLY recommend it - Every friend (about a dozen) that I bring to this place loved it and returned regularly for more. If you love the same old, tediously UNAUTHENTIC sweet 'n sour, orange chicken, wok 'n roll shit (panda express or great wall anyone? ANY fusion place) then this is *NOT* the place for you. If you wanna get a taste of a truly authentic Hong Kong style cafe (this coming from someone who's lived in HK for half a decade), you'll love this place. If you're expecting Taiwanese food with typical Jay Chou or David Tao's music in the background, head over to OTH... Hong Kong and Taiwan aren't even the same damn places on the map (I love OTH too, don't get me wrong) so don't compare the two. So if you don't mind the rush hours and a relatively crowded place, go for their lunch and dinner specials. They're lunch/dinner specials change WEEKELY, NOT daily from my experience. What they have on the special menu is most often pretty good. If you're not so sure which one to get, go for #1 with lemon iced tea. You probably won't go wrong with that. Also, if you order things from the menu solely based on reading the translated English, sooner or later you'll run into a dish that surprises you - not just in this place but in any Chinese restaurant. If you can't read Chinese, bring a friend with you that does and you'll see the difference. FOR INSTANCE, see that picture of the menu above? Look at the LUNCH SPECIAL section, and compare #1 to #4. If you don't read Chinese you'll think they're both Chicken. If you're familiar with Chinese you'll IMMEDIATELY know that #1 is chicken STEAK and #4 is just chicken (nuggets). Without knowing that in Chinese you'd have no clue that one is a steak (chop) while the other isn't. IMO, none of the translated English do the menu items justice. Finally, they have 2 other locations - one in Oakland and the other in Sacramento. Davis, being their 3rd location in the BAY AREA, is the living-proof of their quality and consistency. Highly recommended. —AnthonyLam
2007-12-07 18:00:08 Dim sum ain't worth s***. Microscopic frozen siu mai wouldn't even be worth $.50. Asked how many come with the order, six sounded fine, but I was surprised those itty bitty frozen shitlings on my plate. Girl was very rude, defensive when I commented on this. Not so good, maybe I'll try once more —TheStomach
-Well, I see your point, but if you eat dim sum often like I do, you'd know not to try dim sum anywhere else other than in the Bay Area or LA. If you want REAL dim sum go to S.F... "Fook Yuen" in Milbrae is good and VERY popular, so is "May Flower" in S.F., 27th and Geary. Highly recommended. A few other places serve "dim sum", but DAVIS??? A college town? for crying out I'm thankful there's an HK style cafe, we might be the only UC with it. It's like asking for sashimi in a Chinese restaurant. Dim Sum don't really belong to HK Style cafes but this one is an exception, I've never seen another place like this. Having said that my point is you gotta take all that into consideration. Honestly I wouldn't fault them for giving you frozen shitlings 'cause well, that's exactly what I'd expect. Hang out with chinese ppl more in the bay and you'll know the real meaning of dim sum. What's more, I've never seen an HK cafe serve dim sum. Real dim sum are meant for a gathering of family and relatives, spending 2+ hours around a table chatting and catching up. Go to milbrae or S.F. for that. I sincerely hope you won't find this offensive as I was just trying to make a general point. There are so many people like you that think of dim sum as STRICTLY FOOD. Almost like orange chicken. Research what dim sum REALLY means and you'll see my point.
2007-12-20 18:11:41 Is this place the same as Oshio Cafe owned by Young S. Oh (2007-11-19)? —SteveDavison
-No, this place is called Yummy Guide. It USED to be Mr. Chan's (Chinese) fastfood nearly 2 years ago. What's Ohsio Cafe? —AnthonyLam
- UPDATE (1/7/08): OK YES, apparently if I'm correct, yummy guide is CLOSED and a new place called Oshio (like you said) is opening up. It's a wine and bar place according to them.
2008-05-04 21:04:57 does anyone know why Yummy Guide closed down? I thought they were a successful business —justinhu
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