Sun’s Cuisine

San Pablo Avenue, which extends seven miles from Richmond to Oakland, is a treasure trove of Chinese restaurants you’ve never been to. Content to eat sesame chicken, salt and pepper prawns, and chow mein at P.F. Chang’s and Panda Express, you’ve probably never tasted the authenticity of places like Sun’s Cuisine at 10166 San Pablo, which Brisa Bodell, Ren Buress, Annie Chin, Maddie Johnson, and I had the pleasure of sampling.

Initially, we had set out to try Jac’s Asian Bistro, only to find it mysteriously missing. Sun’s Cuisine, the newly renamed yet nearly identical replacement, is located in a small grouping of stores north of Central Avenue. It’s adjacent to Tobacco Outlet, Classy Nails 2, and an unidentified dry cleaner, so you can potentially run all of your errands in the same area.

Strolling into Sun’s, we were greeted by a kind older woman who showed us to our table, complete with a Lazy Susan, which would prove to be too difficult for me to operate. The décor was basic but functional: brightly lit, and completely devoid of art or customers. Admittedly, it appeared that business begins to pick up around 5 p.m.

The menu was colorful and extensive. Indeed, diners can choose to eat a wide variety of animals or their blood. We went with the Concubine Chicken, the Mixed Sources Rice Noodle, Beef Brisket and Wanton Noodle, and the Chinese Donut.

A plus for Sun’s came in the extreme vitesse of the food prep; every entrée was on the table within five or six minutes. The food was also incredibly affordable; our meal cost about $18, and no item on the menu exceeded $7, with most falling in the $4-$5 range.

Unfortunately, a running theme became apparent as soon as the tea came out: Sun’s Cuisine is thermally challenged. The tea was lukewarm at best, the food was generally room temp as well, and the water was well below freezing, despite Maddie’s claims that this is impossible.

The Concubine Chicken was the least appealing offering. It was completely unseasoned and woefully undercooked, with plenty of blood around the bones. It was somewhat impressive how Sun’s laughs in the face of potential salmonella lawsuits. Helping this somewhat was the accompanying ginger sauce which masked the chicken’s rubbery consistency. A little more flavorful was the Mixed Sources Rice Noodle, a bowl of what looked like miniature dead dolphins drizzled in a golden peanut and Hoisin sauce. They were chewy, but not so chewy that the mastication was arduous. The Beef Brisket and Wanton Noodle was even better: juicy and tasty, with surprisingly well-executed bok choy. Its only drawback was, as expected, its lukewarmth. However, the noodles left a very satisfying aftertaste.

The Sun’s Cuisine staff, consisting of the older woman and the chef (presumably Sun himself), seemed eager that we try the Chinese Donut, a large churro-esque dish at a mere $1.25. They provided a bowl of congee, which looked like male reproductive material, for dipping. The donut itself was savory and crispy, though it squirted Annie with grease at one point. The taste of the congee is best described as used, creamy bathwater and salt with lumps. Though not ideally eaten by itself, the congee added a lot of texture to the donut in a positive way.

I was thoroughly impressed with the kindness and consideration of the staff, and the cleanliness of the bathrooms. Though the food left a lot to be desired, Sun’s is a surefire hit for anyone desiring the true Chinese experience. It’s worth noting that Brisa and Maddie felt ill during the meal and were noticeably uncomfortable. It’s also worth noting that they were the most frail-stomached in the group, so Sun’s Cuisine may not be a dream-come-true for the picky eater. In fact, the best aspect of Sun’s may very well have been their bathrooms.