No duck for you.

There are new strip malls rising from the ground in great numbers around here. New office building construction hasn't abated either, in spite of the economic slowdown. They'll remain without tenants for quite some time, I predict.

Near the proposed spot of the new Oakland A's stadium, what used to be acres and fields of dirt and tumbleweeds, there's been steady development with the emergence of big box retailers, chain eateries, auto dealerships and so on. That's where my favorite Costco and In-N-Out are located.

The newest strip mall at a corner behind Costco is the home of an enormous Ashley Furniture store and a bunch of small Chinese eateries - yogurt, noodles, teppanyaki, dessert + meal, and - what's an Asian strip mall without this? - bubble tea.

This evening, mom wanted to introduce us to a place she found satisfactory for a light (as opposed to a banquet style) evening meal.

Food Talk Cafe, serving a mix of Cantonese and Taiwanese dishes in a streamlined menu, was decorated in a contemporary, Asian style complete with black slate floors, cinnamon, gold and black, painted walls, sectional dividers resembling thick stalks of bamboo, and tasteful smatherings of Chinese sculpted art. The atmosphere suited the Silicon Valley 20- to 40-somethings who showed up in numbers on this evening.

I always find a TV screen quite the distraction and an eyesore, depending on the establishment. I think the TV was incongruent in a dining room of a place that, by the choice of decor, wanted to come off as more tony than your usual Asian eatery. However, understanding that this joint was, after all, a cafe in name, there it (the TV) was.

On this evening, a concert performance by some rock band was on display on the LCD. Half the time, all I heard was some droning noises emanating from the speakers, which was completely fine as I preferred not to be assaulted with loud music when the diners were already quite loud (Chinese restaurants are always noisy, aren't they?). Only about halfway through the meal did I catch enough droning to realize the guys on stage were the legendary Pink Floyd. :)

For all their expensive decor and entertainment apparatus, my table "rocked" which forced the waitress to stick a napkin under one of the legs to stabilize it. We also had a chipped plate or two.

Behind me, I found this interesting wallpaper of ancient, Chinese hieroglyphs.


The seating was of interest as well. The round cushion reminded me of the head pillows I'd seen in old movies set in olden China. These seating cushions will eventually get dirty and stained - one reason I don't like upholstered seating.


The restaurant was new so the bathrooms were still in great condition. What is it with Chinese restaurants and their lack of attention to their bathrooms?? That's another subject altogether!

This distinctive sink was in the ladies' restroom. It was about 1.5-foot in width. What do you make of it? I would never let my hands touch the porcelain.


Chinese coins under the satin light-shade.


A galloping horse carved in stone. I'm sure it's a replica of something.


Siu lung bao. A favorite. They could've done a better presentation. Tasted good enough though.


This place specialized in Peking Duck and hainan chicken. The duck had great, crispy skin. Delicious, if a bit small.


Buns for the Peking duck.


In between porridge, fried rice, noodles, boiled vegetables, deep-fried tofu, deep-fried appetizers and fowl, some of us found the menu lacking. The same Cantonese/Taiwanese food in a fancier environment won't entice us back to Food Talk Cafe any time soon.

Thanks for reading.

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