Welcome to Camille Restaurant
Nestled in the heart of Berkeley, Camille Restaurant offers a delightful journey through authentic Chinese cuisine. This cozy spot, often praised as a hidden gem, serves generous portions that evoke the comforting essence of home-cooked meals. Guests rave about dishes like the tender Saigon braised lamb shank and crispy tender spicy chicken, each infused with bold flavors and spices. The warm service and quick turnover ensure a satisfying experience, whether dining in or taking out. With a focus on traditional recipes and hearty servings, Camille Restaurant captures the spirit of communal dining, making it a cherished destination for comfort food enthusiasts.
-
2507 Hearst Ave, Berkeley, CA 94709 Hotline: (510) 701-5808
Welcome to Camille Restaurant, a delightful hidden gem tucked away at 2507 Hearst Ave, Berkeley, CA 94709. This charming establishment, specializing in authentic Chinese cuisine, is garnering attention for its comforting dishes that evoke the essence of home-cooked meals. With a cozy atmosphere and friendly service, it's no wonder that locals and visitors alike are buzzing about this spot.
The atmosphere at Camille is intimate and inviting, perfect for both a quick bite or a leisurely meal. While the space may be small, its charm and warmth make up for it, creating a comforting environment that feels just right for enjoying hearty food.
One of the standout features of Camille Restaurant is its impressive menu, which offers a variety of rice plates, tossed noodles, and meal sets that cater to every craving. Here are some highlights:
- Shrimp Fried Rice - A delightful stir-fry with shrimp, peas, and carrots, perfect for a satisfying meal at just $14.
- Saigon Braised Lamb Shank - This whole shank, beautifully braised with five spices, is a must-try at $21, served with tossed rice that perfectly complements its flavors.
- Spicy Mala Hotpot - For those who love a kick, this dish features an assortment of seafood and vegetables, all enveloped in a spicy broth for just $17.
- Fried Pork Ribs - Juicy and crispy, these ribs are served with fluffy rice for just $16, making them a crowd favorite.
- Tossed Noodles with Braised Pork Belly - Tender pork belly, lovingly braised and mixed with deliciously chewy noodles at $16—an experience that resonates with many of our guests.
What truly sets Camille apart is not just the food, but the generosity of portions and value for money. Many diners rave about the sizeable portions that allow for leftovers, making it a favorite for those looking for both quality and quantity.
Customer reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, with frequent mentions of the tender meats, flavorful dishes, and prompt service. Whether it's the roasted chicken leg or a hearty bowl of spicy beef rice, many patrons have expressed feelings of satisfaction and delight with their meals. One satisfied visitor even mentioned splitting their meal into two, marveling at the affordability relative to the generous serving size.
It’s important to note that Camille Restaurant operates predominantly on a cash and Venmo basis, a small inconvenience for the massive delight that awaits you within their walls. This little detail wouldn't deter most, as diners are willing to return time and again, drawn by the warmth of the cuisine and camaraderie of the staff.
In conclusion, if you find yourself in Berkeley craving authentic and soul-satisfying Chinese cuisine at a fair price, look no further than Camille Restaurant. With a menu designed to please and a cozy ambiance to savor, this is a culinary experience you won’t want to miss.
For inquiries, you can reach out to them at (510) 701-5808.
Decided to try this place after craving some Asian food while on the Northside. Place is super small but cozy inside of the Northside Asian Ghetto. While the food wasn't anything incredible, it hit the spot for me in terms of tasting like a comforting Asian home cooked meal. The portion was sizeable as well for $15 and I was able to split it up into two meals. I took it to-go, so while I can't say anything about the dine-in service, the woman who helped me was quick and polite. They take card now it looks like, along with Venmo, Zelle, and cash. Will return!
This is a hidden gem, I had the Saigon braised lamb shank with rice. The shank was to die for, so tender and tasty. I also ordered Spicy beef rice, the beef is so delicious. The amount of food for the price was amazing. This is a wonderful place for lunch or dinner. The staff was really pleasant. I'm coming back next week to try the Fried pork ribs rice and the Chicken leg.
This place is a hidden gem! They have super affordable meals and big portions here. I know this place has 3 stars but I'm pretty sure most of the bad reviews were from a long time ago, back when they served Vietnamese food. I ordered the sesame paste noodles (B4) for $13 and my boyfriend ordered the roasted chicken leg with hand tossed noodles (B3) for $13. They were both good but I recommend B3 because it comes with a huge piece of chicken that's pretty juicy, with better tasting sauce. I still enjoyed my dish though. I would definitely come back and wish I had known about this place sooner!
Four things to know about Camille. 1) It is a Chinese restaurant, not Vietnamese. Maybe it used to serve Vietnamese food but now it serves mostly traditional Chinese food. 2) Big portions. Prices are a little higher than similar restaurants nearby. $16 for a big bowl of spicy hotpot (fish, shrimp, fish balls, tofu, cabbage, mushrooms, broccoli, vermicelli, chili peppers) with rice. 3) The spicy hotpot is very numbingly spicy. And good. 4) Cash or venmo only They're pretty fast too. 5 min wait when not busy. Good for a filling lunch.
Don't be fooled by the 3-star rating! After all, that's how you know it's a good Chinese restaurant. Portions were MASSIVE. Talk about bang for your buck. I got the chicken leg with rice and the meat was perfectly tender and easy to navigate, even with a plastic knife. Their closing hours are probably not accurate. When I went, they closed an hour before Google listed them to. But, they were still taking to-go orders until closing.
Stopped by on a random weekday night. I've passed it a few times before but always on the weekends or when they were closed. I got there just before 7pm and they were beginning to close so only takeout orders. The food took about 15 minutes. The operator gave me a bottle of water since I couldn't dine in, which was nice of them. I ordered the five spiced chicken leg over noodles. The portion was large. I could probably have split it into two meals. The noodles were bouncy and had a little spice to them which was a pleasant surprise (not hot just flavorful). The chicken leg was cooked well. The outer seasoning was good but didn't penetrate deep into the meat. All in all a great meal and service. Not a ton of parking or seating so beware. Also as noted by others, only cash and Venmo accepted.
$18 for a well cooked, well seasoned, fresh whole Lamb Shank over super chewy and tasty Noodles is super worth. Beef stew for $13 is also a great deal! Compared to typical Berkeley prices. Very home-y taste and vibes, and the staff is friendly and warm! They only accept payment by cash & venmo as of now though, no credit or debit cards. Will try their rice dishes (盖浇饭) and hot pot (麻辣烫) next time!
Saw this place when we went to get other food in this plaza and the staff was really friendly. The food was good and you get a lot for the price. The pork belly hand pulled noodles was what we ordered. Pork belly was tender and the noodles were bouncy and it had a nice chew to it. The spicy cumin lamb hand pulled noodles is another one that I wanna try next time. Definitely recommend this cute little hidden gem!