Spices Fremont

Food was decent. Service sucked bangcock. And I didn’t even get any FUCKING FORTUNE COOKIES. Waited over an hour on our take out order when they told us 30 mins

Although time listed is 10pm and we reached at 9:32 they refused to seat us. Just poor customer service don’t bother going here anymore. Will never go again

Recommend to go .
The environment and decoration is best of Chinese Restaurant in bay area. We can tell the manager put some thought on it .
The food is good, no worse than some other well-​known restaurants in Bay area.
PS: Need to queue up if you hit the meal time.

A new favorite Hunan cuisine on my list. Only wish it’s a bit closer to my house!
Get the steamed fish with chili peppers, it can fill two people up since there are also noodles come with it. The noodles are very chewy and thick, but they absorb the soup well.
Service is kinda consistenly rude, but it’s not my serious concern.

do not order from this stupid restaurant.
1. extremely slow waited 2hr
2. pubic hair found in the food
3. utensils are dirty
4. chase after for fucking $ 0.50 tips
avoid at all cost.

Uhmmmm Yes please!!! *Insert girl emoji with hand up*
So Yeah, I’m Chinese, and I don’t like Chinese food. Do NOT do NOT like it!. Yea don’t give me that crazy eye, It’s just not my thang ok? Dim Sum is the only Chinese food I eat willingly. So when my buddy decided he wanted Spices as his late birthday dinner, you could just imagine my delight! Yeah right. *Insert Kitty sad face tear emoji*
So after having a glass of wine next door, we walk into Spices and i’m like woah, the décor, how can I even describe this.Inside.there’s a… Bollywood, Mediterranean, Island, Safari theme? Ok… I’m cool with that, Thanks for the effort! We get seated and I leave all the ordering entirely up to my friends since they frequent this place. OK, maybe I did ask for the wontons only. Ok, and maybe the stinky tofu with pork balls as well. Yes that’s really all. Come on, you guys know me right? :D
The Fiery line up:
Wonton in Red Oil
Dry Braised Pot with Lotus Roots
Chicken Wings with Explosive Chili Pepper
Stinky Tofu Braised with Pork Meatballs
Fish Fillet with Flaming Red Oil
My only gripe was that there were a tad too many ground up Schezuan peppercorns in the Explosive chili pepper chicken wings, and it was like a scavenger hunt finding the wings.
The Wonton in red oil and the Fish filet with flaming red oil were my 2 favorite dishes of the evening. Although they both were oil based each had a very unique flavor. The wontons itself had so much flavor, and the oil broth was delicious as well. Don’t be scared to drink some broth guys. Even though the broth is red like oil, its not 100% oil, its actually a flavor packed broth.
Even though all the dishes were spicy, I still wanted some extra hot sauce. Yes, I am a fire eater and I needed some more spice. Yes, I have a problem. The hotter the better! We got lucky while flagging down someone to ask for extra hot sauce. We were lucky to meet Jack, the owner/​manager? Instead of getting offended by my request, he actually offered to make some special fresh made fire hot sauce, just for us! OMG it was so good. so good that.Jack. I’ll be back!
That special hot sauce and accommodation is what made this restaurant a full 5 stars for me. Yes Unilocal,This is as good as it gets! I still do not like Chinese food but this place stands out from the norm and has won me over. *Insert Flame Emoji and peace sign” Deuces!

Ugh, I really like the food at this restaurant, but service needs some major work. My husband and I came in on Saturday at 9:25. According to their business hours, the place is supposed to be open until 10. Seems like the kitchen closes 30 min before actual closing time. We were turned away without being give the option to order to go. Beware late eaters, the operating hours are not accurate. We’ve been able to come here around the same time in the past without any issues before. Strange that it would not be consistent.

We WERE going to eat dim sum but so glad we made a U-​Turn to try this place out.
First timer last night and I was very impressed! First, the ambiance is nice (wish we sat where the fancy pillows were lol)
FOOD-​Yes VERY spicy but it all depends on what you can/can’t handle. My lips needed chapstick lol and I was sweating a tad but the food was delicious! My favorite was their Fish Fillet with Flaming Red Oil!!! I don’t know how many times I kept picking at this with my chopsticks! Everything else was tasty and their Chicken Fried Rice helped a lot with the spicy main dishes. The portions were also huge so we had tons of leftovers!!!
Bringing my family here for sure next time if ever we are in the area!

Took our order, waited for 30mins, asked them if our order is coming, they said «yeah it is, it’ll come soon» without checking anything. And then waited another 15mins and find out they didn’t even input our order. The lady then rudely said I’ll take your order again. We said its fine, we don’t want to wait another 30mins. The lady then just walks away without even apologizing. Needless to say, this isn’t exactly good service.
The waiter who took our order was nice but overall don’t come.

I used to love this place and come once a week but recently the food has really gone downhill. This type of Chinese food is extremely oily by nature, so I was able to get past that despite the fact that my own preference is to avoid greasy food in general. But I cannot even express how SALTY every single dish has gotten. The fried fish was pretty much indelible last time I ordered it. We go through 4 or 5 pots of water and so much rice but every bite just gets worse. I wish I was being dramatic or exaggerating but it really is that salty.
I asked the waitress to let the chef know to please add less salt and all I got was a dirty look and the same salty food.
In addition, the decorations have gotten really over the top lately. There are pots of plants in between every table, random animal statues, plants on the table, a big loosen door structure, bamboo walls etc. Just going to the bathroom is a big mission to have to squish through all the clutter and in between tables.

Here with my love Michael on one of our «Meet in the Middle» weeknight dates. We ordered the string beans with tofu, which was very flavorful and fresh. We also asked for the sizzling veggies, and asked for some extra tofu to be put in for $ 2 extra. That was yummy too.
There are plenty of good vegetarian options on the menu, and for the carnivores the menu looks more authentic in its dish selection than a lot of the Americanized Asian places in this country.
The décor is beautiful, an elegant blend of modern and traditional, with interesting colors.
The service wasn’t very friendly though. The waitstaff didn’t smile much, were slow to take in the requests to alter the second dish, and at 9:30pm they hurried us to pay, saying that the register was closing soon. This was despite the sign out front saying that the restaurant closed at 10pm. We had chosen the restaurant in part because it was listed as being open til 10pm, so that didn’t feel very nice. Hence the four star rating instead of five.

16 years ago I ate at my first Spices restaurant in San Francisco then several others opened in Oakland and Foster City with mixed success. The Fremont location has a better with a more complex menu and vibe. The first time we tried to go without reservations we were unsuccessful with a long waiting list. We went the other day and made reservations. On the new menu there is a cluster of favorite dishes and we just ordered one of each featured picture dishes.
Beef the pickled chili peppers 5 stars
Steamed spicy whole fish 5 stars
Spicy beef rice noodle soup 4 stars
Sour green bean with minced pork 5 stars
La Tze. Chicken 4 stars
Okra with house made fish balls 4 stars
Service was excellent. Plenty of parking the strip center.

Waited for an hour on a Saturday evening, and quickly learned that this place is worth the wait! Upscale, trendy Hunan Chinese food. This is one of those places that have an outdoor area with couches for the long list of loyal patrons. This is the tastiest Chinese food that I have tried. Order a lot of dishes and your guests will be fighting for he leftovers.
Feature item: Flaming shrimp with four seasonal chilies. Amazing flavor and very spicy/​hot!
Spicy sliced lamb, stir fried with chili and cilantro. Paper thin slices of lamb with generous amounts of cilantro. Excellent taste and flavors of the lamb.
Whole fish simmered in tofu soup: incredible broth, light, but rich flavors.
Chicken fried rice dish was the nicely balance in texture and taste.
Dry braised pot, cauliflower dish was prepared in a soy based sauce. We ordered a second dish!
Handmade fish ball squash in white wine sauce– amazing dish!

Sauted Duck Heads with Explosive Chilis $ 12.99 Straight from their menu, I shit you not.
Yes, it is that kind of restaurant. Scurred? Good!
Hunan style Chinese which is uniquely aromatic, bold and undeniably spicy. It is different from Szechwan style, which happens to use chilis a lot also. But I feel Hunan is a little more balanced and refined.
Looking at their site, it appears this may have ties with an Oakland and SF locations. The food looks similar but this one in Fremont has a more formal dining area. It is incredibly stylish, with couch-​style seating, booths separated by bamboo and art pieces Pier One would proudly carry. It is date worthy and you can’t say that a lot for most Chinese joints. But your date better be a hot head, cuz the foods are unapologetically bold.
Won Ton in Red Oil — is a good app. Perfect al dente tiny wontons swim in a broth with a red chili oil slick on top. Really good. But if a seasoned chop stick user can please show me how to pick up these slick mofos, I’d much appreciate it. And I ain’t no slouch either with the sticks, but these challenged me big time.
Ma Po Tofu is legit here. A cauldron like bowl is chock filled with silky tofu cubes, soft minced pork and a complex sauce that is pretty spicy. I couldn’t stop eating this once I started. I had to use 3 napkins to keep blotting my sweating forehead. I’m a sweater and I love spicy foods, so it can get a bit messy on my corner. But I love it.
Vegetarian Fried Rice $ 7.99 — Very unique. Very well seasoned without the addition of soy sauce. Veggies were mostly napa cabbage and may even be pickled. The rice is also on the sticky side which also makes it unique while the wok flavor stayed present. A surprisingly good rendition.
Sliced Lamb with Cilantro and Chili $ 12.99 — Super thinly sliced lamb, sautéed lightly so it maintains the tenderness are tossed with whole sprigs of cilantro, green onions, chopped jalapenos and lots of broken dried chili. This is an awesome dish, very well thought out and nicely executed.
The fifth star is for their service. It is not incredibly timely but it is much more refined than 95% of other Chinese style restaurants. Our server was articulate, runners brought food out and refilled tea and drinks. Just exceeded the norm.
This place is busy. We were the only non-​Chinese in the place. That will not sway me from being a regular. But you knew that already.

Recently been coming back here with my family, and the service has improved a lot! They are attentive and quick to respond. The food is still delicious, well cooked, and SPICY. I love spicy food so the food here is perfect for me.
Make sure you have lots of water and rice to wash down all the spiciness!
This place also gets really crowded during dinner time, like around 6 there is a 40 – 50 minute wait, so I usually come around 5:20 with my family and we’re seated immediately.
This is a great local chinese restaurant

Nicely decorated place. Food was delicious. We ordered the cauliflower and smoked pork spicy pot (spicy!), sweet and sour pork, and pickled vegetable and fish soup.

My new favorite Chinese restaurant in the area!
What I really love is the extensive menu where I can come here multiple times and try something new each time! They’re known for they red peppers that they cook into every single meal. Hence, the restaurant name Spices!
The atmosphere is very modern with modern looking tables and chairs. The restaurant itself isn’t too big so it gets pretty crowded at meal times on the weekends.
Marinated Cucumber in Sesame Oil: A simple yet refreshing appetizer that really cools down your mouth when your eating so much spicy food!
Flaming Sliced Marble Beef: Of course, loved the flavor/​spiciness!
Mixed tofu: A great vegetarian choice that includes bean curd, which was the best part of the dish!
Chef Wang’s Sizzling Fish Fillet with Basil: My favorite dish of the night! The fish was so soft!
I really wish I came with more people so I could get more dishes! The only downside of this place is that it is a little pricy (about average ~$ 12 a dish) and since everything is super spicy… you might get crazy digestive issues the next day!!! Whatevs, I’ll always come back!

I guess this place had been opened for quite some time and I never heard of it until now.
All I can say is that this place is delish and not disappointed at all! I have been getting better in eating spicy food and I am getting to really enjoy it.
So here’s the run down:
Ambience:
— this place is decorated very modern. The entrance is very welcoming as they had arranged a front patio for people who are waiting. The inside is very well decorated and they do have designated tables for large group of people. They also have names to the separated tables and it has that safari names and vibes.
Service:
— now I have had a few bad services with Chinese restaurants but definitely a big difference here. Our waitress was young (do not know how young) but courteous. I can say that our water cups was never empty and she checked on us often. Though a couple of times that the people who served our food thought we spoke Chinese and we just smiled and politely said that we do not speak Chinese.
Food:
— Hunan twice Cooked Chinese bacon with black bean sauce
— the bacon was cooked to my liking and leek (I think that’s what the greens in it) tasted fresh. The saltiness of the bacon compliments the bitter/​oniony taste of the leek.
— Honey Walnut Prawn
— prawns was cooked to a crisp and stayed crispy even with the added chinese mayo. Also, they added a good amount of lemon to it so it doesn’t tasted like it has too much mayo (kind a hard to explain)
— Spicy fish Fillet
— the best dish in our order! I really enjoyed it as the fillet of fishes in it tasted really fresh and flavorful! It does have that numbing spice to it but it tasted really good to me. The added fresh garlic on top that made it all come together. There was plenty amount of fish fillet and also napa cabbage in it.
— Pan fried Lotus
— though it came out as one of the last dish, it was still one of the dishes on our table that was annihilated. It was served as a hot pot style (lit with fire) and lotus tasted fresh. It does contain garlic at the bottom and as it cooks more, the garlic flavor does infuse with the lotus.
As a overall, expect me to come back to this joint. Though my friends and I arrived after 6, place was not too pack nor too empty. Definitely one of my go to places if I do have a craving for this type of food!

This place is good! I came here for dinner on a whim, was not disappointed!
Beware for people who can’t handle spicy well, order everything on mild or lower! I got a dan dan noodle dish, which was labeled as «mild» on their menu. Don’t get me wrong, the dish was great — spicy creamy peanut flavored noodles. However, that dish would probably be rated as medium spicy at most other restaurants. I don’t mind since I love spicy food, but my husband can’t really handle spice too well and he wasn’t able to eat much of that dish.
We also got a non-​spicy soft tofu with mushroom dish in a clay pot. It was a bit salty for my taste, but delicious nonetheless. There was also the explosive fried chicken– just a note, the chicken aren’t wings as they state on the menu. It’s actually chopped up wings, so the pieces are tiny bite sized pieces with the bones still in them. A bit hard to eat, but very flavorful and good.

My grandma, grandpa, and uncle lived in Changsha (the capital of Hunan) for most of their lives. Even though my Grandma is from Sichuan, ¾ of the dishes she cooks are primarily Hunan dishes.
Imagine her excitement when she found out there was an authentic Hunan restaurant in Fremont!
~ Atmosphere:
It’s a bit tiny and cramped, with very modern décor. I liked that the booths had pillows provided for that extra comfort! Even though it’s small, it easily fit our party of 7 so could still accommodate large groups of people.
~ Customer Service:
The one downside in my opinion. Although the food came out quickly and efficiently, the customer service was not great. We had to ask for a tea refill 4 times before we actually got it. Before we arrived, we wanted to call ahead to make sure we didn’t need to make a reservation and the dude hung up on me lol so we just decided to risk it.
~ Food:
Wonderful! As I mentioned, this place is authentic as it gets. We ordered a bunch of dishes, but honourable mentions are:
– Wontons in Chili Oil –
One of my favourite dishes that I always order in a restaurant if it’s available. Spices offers the Wonton not in chili oil, but in some kind of chili soup. The soup was delicious! Even when we were finished with the wonton, we kept the remaining soup to dip other food in.
– Chicken Fried Rice –
Unlike most other fried rice dishes you’ll find in restaurants. They added pickled cabbage for an extra kick in flavour.
– Braised Pork Belly –
Came with Chinese baos and was really delicious.
—
If you or anyone you know is from Hunan, this restaurant is especially a must try. Even if you’re not familiar with Hunan dishes, if you like spicy food in general Spices is for you!