As it turns out, reports on the demise of Ben’s, a spot I once called “the best Chinese restaurant in Oakland that you haven’t heard of,” were a little bit premature.
Local news outlets reported that the Jack London staple had closed after a Reddit poster found the restaurant shuttered unexpectedly last week. A sign in the window read, “Since 1986, thank you for a great 40 years.” There was no previous warning that Ben’s had been planning to close.
When reached by phone, however, second-generation owner David Fung clarified that Ben’s wasn’t closing permanently after all. Instead, the restaurant will be taking extended break with the goal of reopening in two or three months…