Interviewing the Owner of On Luck Food To Go in East Oakland (San Francisco: home, neighborhood)

[Nineties Flava]

This is an interview I did as part of a larger project on Oakland. For those of you who aren't familiar with this place:


On Luck Food To Go - East Oakland - Oakland, CA


This is easily my favorite restaurant in East Oakland below 580. The amount of food you get for how little and for how good it is... but anyways, watch the interview if you're interested lol.

[18Montclair]

I know exactly where that is but have never eaten there. Will definitely check it out.

I love the small mom-n-pop chinese restaurants all over town.

[Nineties Flava]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

I know exactly where that is but have never eaten there. Will definitely check it out.

I love the small mom-n-pop chinese restaurants all over town.

Yeah... like Howard said in the interview, he only gets by through word of mouth, so this interview is continuing that trend.

[Nineties Flava]

Here's the transcript of the interview:

Introduction

Everything Oakland: We're live from East Oakland, California in the San Antonio District - named after San Antonio Park - and this is an interview about one of the neighborhood's main attractions. It's a small, local chinese restaurant called On Luck Food To Go; it's on the corner of 21st and Foothill. You won't spot it unless you know where to look; most people have been coming here for quite a while.

Q&A

EO: So my first question is, what's your name?

Owner: Howard.

EO: How long have you been here?

H: Since March of 1988.

EO: Is this your first business?

H: Its the first for me, but my family owned another business before.

EO: Was it in Oakland as well?

H: It was also in Oakland, in Oakland's Chinatown.

EO: What would you say is the main reason you've been so successful? While there's no one here right now, usually you have a line stretching out the door.

H: I mean, we've been here for a while. Somehow, the word gets around, so... It takes a little while to get a business started up, but I'm fairly lucky. I can control everything, so maybe that's the reason. The prices are low, the food is good and you get a lot of it, so that's what brings people coming back.

EO: Do you feel like you're unique in that you're the chef, owner, and that you manage the business?

H: Nowadays, labor costs are so high - just among other costs of running a business - I'm sure it helps. It just might be a good idea to know a little about doing everything so you can manage it yourself.

EO: Is this your first location or have you moved around?

H: No, this is the only location we've ever had, besides one my father used to have in Chinatown.

EO: Speaking of Chinatown, this seems a little ways away from where people expect to find a Chinese restaurant. Why have you stayed here the whole time?

H: It was beginning with just a niche, but I guess the word got around just a little bit. (laughs) I came to know a lot of people, so that's what happens.

EO: One of the main reasons I know that people come here, is because compared to everything else, you get a lot of food for a really low price. You usually get a crate-full of this stuff for under $10. How have you been able to make it so cheap since you were talking about labor costs?

H: Well... (laughs) I don't sponsor any Little League team or little soccer team; everything is between me and my customer. That's one of the reasons the labor costs is so low. And there's no hype; I don't spend any money on advertising. (laughs) I don't spend the money on-

EO: Wait, this is your advertising right here. (laughs) This is about to go public so that's about to change. So, what would you say is your signature dish?

H: The shrimp with lobster sauce and my dry fried ribs; that's what I sell the most.

EO: What's your most popular dish?

H: The dry fried ribs, for sure. Yeah, that's... I go through about 100 pounds a week.

EO: You go through a hundred pounds a week?! Wow.

H: Yeah, 3 or 4 cases... about 200 pounds a week.

EO: Do you buy all that stuff here?

H: No, I get it from my suppliers; my suppliers, vendors, whatever you want to call it.

EO: What would you say is your favorite restaurant around here besides your own? Who do you think is doing what you're doing (if anything)?

H: That's hard to say. Usually, when I go out and eat, I don't eat Chinese food, I eat something else.

EO: Wait, what? You mean you make some of the best chinese food in the area but you don't eat it ?

H: Yeah, you want to eat things you don't know how to make.

EO: So what do you eat?

H: Korean food, BBQ, uh... pretty much everything. Burgers, but sometimes you want to step away from what you see all the time.

EO: Are you yourself originally from Oakland since your dad was around here?

H: No, actually, I came here when I was a kid. I came here when I was about 11.

EO: Where are you from originally?

H: Hong Kong.

EO: You came all the way from Hong Kong?

H: A lot of people come even further away than that.

Spectator: Like Bruce Lee.

H: No, actually that's not true. Bruce Lee was born here.

EO & Spectator: Wasn't he born in San Francisco?

H: I think he was born in Seattle.

Spectator: Oh, Seattle?

H: Yeah.

Spectator: But his family's from Hong Kong, right?

H: Yeah, they're from Hong Kong but he was born here
.
Spectator: Alright. But he represents Hong Kong though. All the movies I've ever seen he represented Hong Kong. (laughs) Alright man, I'll see you. (he exits)

EO: Do you feel at home here?

H: I'm sorry?

EO: Do you feel at home here? Is this your home, or do you feel like Hong Kong is?

H: I mean, I rent, but-

EO: I don't mean literally, but do you feel at home here? In this city?

H: I don't get what you're talking about.

EO: Do you feel like this is your community.

H: Oh! I sure love Oakland. (laughs)

EO: What do you love about it?

H: That's where I grew up in... most of the people treat me well. There's always the riff raff but you can't do nothing about it; you gotta roll with the punches.

EO: Alright. Is there anything else you want to say about your business to get people out here?

H: Actually, I'm not bragging but I got more business than I can handle. I just like to deal with the regular people that I know. All my fans... (laughs)

EO: You got a Facebook or a twitter or something? You got any way of contacting you?

H: Actually, I don't do any of that social media stuff. But, one of my customers put me on there (Yelp) but I can't control what they want to do.

EO: So you've just been getting by by word of mouth?

H: Exactly. (laughs) I've been here for 23 years and there's only been one complainer but she still comes back. (laughs)

EO: Alright, thanks for your time.

End of interview

[Nineties Flava]

The next interview will probably be with the folks over at Bay Leaf.

[NorCal Dude]

how come you did not ask him if his food contains MSG? That stuff will get you hooked.

[Nineties Flava]

Originally Posted by NorCal Dude

how come you did not ask him if his food contains MSG? That stuff will get you hooked.

The focus of the interview was mainly on the business aspect and how he feels his business has integrated into the community (or not). What I did mean to ask him was what impact he thinks his business has had on the community since he's been there for 20 odd years but I forgot.

[lmk1707]

Bay Leaf is a good one. Maybe also Merritt Cafe, ask what the deal with those crazy cakes is I remember hearing that his business did an important service for the community, as a place for older folks without family to congregate. Also Woody's Cafe on Park, he's super-involved in the community and I'm sure would be happy to talk to you.

[NorCal Dude]

Originally Posted by Nineties Flava

The focus of the interview was mainly on the business aspect and how he feels his business has integrated into the community (or not). What I did mean to ask him was what impact he thinks his business has had on the community since he's been there for 20 odd years but I forgot.

Ah couldnt tell, especially when you guys were talking about bruce lee. Your last question would have been good.

[18Montclair]

Another walk-up neighborhood chinese institution is that one on 35th right next to Quick Stop..They dried fried pork ribs are kinda famous...really delicious.