Ninna Restaurant, Oakland, California Restaurant Details

Food:

Came for dinner with a friend on a Sunday night. We arrived on the early side - around 6 - and had the whole place to ourselves. The restaurant is on the smaller side and by 7 or 8 had completely filled up. The waitress was very friendly and attentive throughout the evening. We had the red curry, jicama salad, and shrimp garlic noodle. Everything was fresh and flavorful. The shrimp garlic noodle was probably our favorite. The noodles were cooked perfectly and there was just enough garlic to provide an oomph, but not to overpower. Glad to have found a tasty, affordable Thai place in the neighborhood.

Food:

What dishes should you get when dining here?
-Pad See Ew
-Pad Thai
-Jicama Salad
-Chicken Satay
-Corn Fritters
-Panang Beef
-Shrimp Garlic Noodle
-House Yellow Curry

If you try any (or if fortunate enough, all) of these dishes it is definitely something that changes one's palate and take on Thai cuisine going forward. The dishes and flavors are a slightly modernized approach on some traditional Thai recipes - the family running this establishment definitely found a perfect balance between leaving roots intact while introducing some "american-ization".

The cozy, hole-in-a-wall environment of Ninna provides some warmth on what otherwise would be a cold and hard-to-approach Piedmont Avenue. Colorfully balanced decor, dark-stained wood furniture and floors, and a smaller seating capacity (~28 people) make it feel as if you are dining in one's home. Walk by the kitchen, and you'll really feel like you're dining at one's home - the kitchen only can fit 2 people at a time; if you visit Ninna it is quite the sight to see how a small kitchen is pumping out such big flavors. The front-end of Ninna is ran by a perky, always-smiling woman who never forgets a regular and is welcoming to any first-timer. This waitress knows the dishes in and out (even the daily specials) and can arrange to accommodate SERIOUS diet restrictions (to you gluten-free dieters,an example of serious diet restrictions are allergies to specific foods - for example, shellfish). ;)

My only advice? Whether you're a party of 2 or a party of 6, make reservations. I say this because there have been occasions where the waitress notes "darn, if we knew you were coming we would've ordered extra lamb shank - it was the daily special and sold out so quickly!". Also, with a kitchen that fits at max 2 people, it's just a common practice of being considerate so that the staff know what they're up against even if it's a random Tuesday evening or a bustling Saturday night.

Food:

I simply love this place!!

Food:

Stopped in for a late lunch during Easter week after shopping and did I ever find something that the Easter Bunny could never have dropped into my basket! A fabulous, fresh and flavorful linguini with spicy chicken garlic and basil became the real treat of the day, week, and month! This little gem of a place is a real secret I have found out from Piedmont residents!
The owners are your gracious hosts, keeping an eye on every detail of a fabulous lunch, and I can't wait to drive over from the Peninsula again for an evening meal in this quaint , fabulous... perfect place, called Ninna'