Skyview Noodle & Tea

It's been almost exactly a year since we first set foot in Skyview Noodle & Tea, among the elite of great Chinese cuisine in the Bay area. Above: Cucumbers with chiles. Very spicy and throat-clearing.

Lamb & cilantro dumplings, surely house made.

Beef tendon with carrot, chile, cilantro and scallions.

Cold beef shank appetizer.

Wontons in chile oil.

Above and below: Lamb with Shaved Noodles. The broth was particularly superb and rich.

Simmered Beef Shank at Skyview Noodle & Tea.

Superb Chinese regional fare from Anhui, a province just west of Shanghai and south of Shandong, thus noticeable similarities to the Bay Area restaurants specializing in that cuisine, particularly hand-shaved noodles and dumplings.

Yet another extraordinary Chinese restaurant. And another one in the suburbs where the rent is cheap. Mind-blowingly good.Mom and pop type place. Boba Tea galore. Free parking on the street. Great looking brewpub across the street.

Skyview is located in the old downtown part of Pittsburg, close by the Marina, in a 19th Century building that once housed the Liberty Hotel, and more recently, a series of restaurants.

Here we are at table with hot tea, dumplings & noodles. The atmosphere is nice here, and unlike any Chinese restaurant I've dined at. Along with the architectural details of the old hotel, restored to its former glory, the classical music was a nice touch. 

Dumplings stuffed with lamb and cilantro. Hand made & steaming hot.

Dipping sauce for the dumplings.

Inside the dumpling is a mix of shredded lamb, cilantro, spices, and a touch of stock, making each dumpling very moist with an appetizing texture. There's a world of difference between dumplings of this calibre and frozen ones from the supermarket. The red liquid on the plate is a bit of chile oil I poured.

Zha Jiang Mian Pork Noodle (hand-shaven), prior to mixing. Note that there are julienned strips of both carrot and cucumber in this dish, the latter a particularly delightful inclusion. As good as Chinese noodles get.

Green Onion Chinese Pancake. Been ages since I've ordered one of these, clearly made from scratch & in-house. Perfect blend of crisp exterior and slightly moist interior. Great scallion flavor.

And finally the Simmered Beef Shank, a meat and vegetable appetizer, redolent with sesame oil. Tender beef with carrot and cilantro.

This is one of the great regional Chinese restaurants of the Bay Area, on par with the best establishments in San Francisco, Milpitas, Millbrae, Oakland, Berkeley, and elswhere in the East Bay suburbs. Like other Northeastern Chinese restaurants that come to mind, Skyview offers a combination of highly nuanced regional specialties at a price that is surprisingly reasonable. 

Skyview Noodle & Tea

925-318-4580

200 E. 3rd Street, Pittsburg, CA 94565