Little Skewer 从前的小酒馆

Cuisine Chinese
Price $$$ (31-50)
Rating 5/10
Last Visit Jan. 19, 2026
Location SFBA: East Bay (Other)

General Notes

Chinese restaurant in Fremont focusing on skewers and alcohol. From what I hear, they were originally based in LA area, and have been expanding their locations recently. Funnily enough, a few years back I went to a restaurant called 很久以前 in China, which was also a skewers restaurant; very similar name!

The food is pretty good but not outstanding. Honestly, what stood out to me most was their osmanthus rice wine. It was one of the greatest alcoholic beverages I've ever had. Worth a try if you're in the mood for skewers, and definitely a good option for larger groups.


Positives

> Definitely get their osmanthus rice wine. It is one of the most delicious alcoholic beverages I've ever had. Apparently, they make it in house too so you can't buy it to-go or at a store. I'll definitely try making my own at some point.


Negatives

> If there is a wait (sometimes on the weekends), it can take longer than you might expect to get your seat. Most of the parties that come are groups of 2, but I think all of the tables are configured to seat 4+. So it'll look like there's a lot of empty seats, where in fact they're just underutilized.
> They have a component which you can use to keep your skewers warm, but it just ... doesn't work all that well. It's not quite hot enough, and the skewers definitely get cold.


Dishes Tasted

  • ★★☆☆ grilled scallop -- kind of like the cantonese preparation, with vermicelli and lots of garlic
  • ★★☆☆ grilled oyster
  • ★★★☆ premium lamb skewer -- this was a lot better, definitely get these instead of the (10) lamb skewers
  • ★★★☆ cucumber salad -- very garlicky and very tart
  • ★★★☆ duck blood -- very yummy, quite spicy
  • ★★☆☆ tornado potato -- first time having one of these, fried pretty well but it's a little bit too "airy" for my taste
  • ★★☆☆ chives
  • ★★☆☆ chicken gizzards
  • ★☆☆☆ pork intestine -- actually cooked very well with a nice crispy skin, but I simply do not enjoy the flavor of pork intestine
  • ★★★☆ chicken gristle
  • ★☆☆☆ lamb (10) -- This looks like a steal ($7.29 for 10 skewers), but the lamb skewers are really tiny. The meat is so small that it honestly detracts from the eating experience. It doesn't have that satisfying experience of eating meat. The skewer itself is alright
  • ★★★☆ grilled green beans