.Best Southeast Asian Cuisine

Champa Garden

Champa Garden is the best neighborhood restaurant in this pocket of
East Oakland, just on the other side of Lake Merritt. Its existence
amidst apartments and across from a corner store doesn’t make it any
less popular. In what used to be a doughnut shop, this spot will fill
you up with the best of Southeast Asian cuisine at affordable prices
(appetizers in the $6 range, seafood dishes in the $10 range). Their
menu is mostly Lao and Thai with some Vietnamese, Mien, and Lue (an
ethnic minority in Southeast Asia) thrown in. They feature many dishes
hard to find elsewhere. The fried rice ball salad is not to be missed
— fried balls of rice and coconut mixed with preserved pork,
peanuts, herbs, and lime juice that you wrap in greens. The
restaurant’s fine selection of crisp Navarro Vineyards whites serves as
an unexpected complement to the delicate and spicy cuisine. The
restaurant has seen a surge in popularity after its renovation and
publicity in local media, but you’ll still find tables of families from
the neighborhood patronizing this joint. The family-owned restaurant is
cozy, with enthusiastic young servers. Service can be spotty, but the
unique dishes and welcoming feel keep people coming back.

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