In this edition, a new noodle joint debuts in Chinatown, a Mexican restaurant rebrands, a popular Vietnamese restaurant calls it quits, and a former music store sees some movement.
Chinatown
R'noodles (930 Webster St.)
A new noodle joint, called R'noodles, has taken over the space formerly occupied by Chan's Kitchen, which had only been in operation since last summer. (Before that, it was Shanghai Restaurant, which shuttered in June 2018.)
Veteran Hoodline tipster Al M. says that R'noodles has roughly the same interior layout as its predecessor, but now specializes in Liuzhou-style noodle dishes from the Guangxi Zhuang prefecture in China. Dumplings and rice plates are also on offer.
Al M. said the menu is still being streamlined, with most dishes in the $11 range. "I tried the sirloin rice noodle soup," he said. "Very tasty and fresh, came out piping hot."
Laurel
El Loro (3811 MacArthur Blvd.)
Next, Al noticed that Gerardo's Mexican Restaurant, which Yelpers report has closed, has reopened under the name El Loro.
So far, there doesn't appear to be a website for the new business. However, prolific Yelp reviewer Victor G. wrote that Gerardo's former "food station" is gone, and has "been replaced by tables throughout the dining area."
On the menu, expect to see traditional dishes like beef or chicken sopes with beans and rice; fish tacos; burritos and more.
East Peralta
The Temple Club (2307 International Blvd.)
Next, Al M. reports that Asian fusion and Vietnamese spot The Temple Club has permanently closed its doors. Named one of the San Francisco Chronicle's top 100 restaurants after it debuted in October 2017, the popular eatery is owned by chef Geoffrey Deetz, who returned to his East Bay roots after 15 years cooking in Ho Chi Minh City.
There's no mention of the closure on Temple Club's webpage, and its Facebook page has been removed. A phone call to the restaurant revealed that its number has been disconnected as well.
Al M. asked around about the impetus for the restaurant's closure, but the rumors he heard were unverifiable. However, Tablehopper has reported that Deetz and his wife Quynh Nhu are looking for a new location, suggesting the restaurant may return elsewhere.
As always, we'll keep an eye out to see if we can learn more.
Downtown
Commons (1716 Broadway)
Finally, Al spotted some movement in the long-vacant Broadway space once occupied by Best Musical Instrument Company, which has been closed since 2014.
An application for a Type 47 liquor license, which allows for the sale of beer, wine and spirts at a restaurant, indicates that a new eatery, to be called Commons, is in the works.
A search of public records reveals that the new business comes from Binta Ayofemi, whose work has been presented at SFMOMA and the Yerba Buena Center For the Arts, among other local art spaces. We've reached out to her to learn more and will update if and when we hear back.
Thanks very much to Al M. for the tips!
Have you noticed a new addition to (or subtraction from) Oakland's food landscape? Text a tip and a horizontal photo to (510) 757-9959, and we'll look into it.
