Taiwan Cafe
34 Oxford Street
(between Beach St & Essex St)
Boston, MA 02111 (617) 426-8181
- Nearest Transit:
Chinatown (Orange, Silver)
Boylston (Green, Silver)
South Station (Silver, Red)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner, Late Night
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
80 Reviews for Taiwan Cafe
Authentic Taiwanese food! They have all sorts of home cooking dishes. Very very yummy food. Prices are great. $5.2 for a giant bowl of beef noodle soup (can easily be dinner for two)! So cheap so good so much leftovers! :) And they open till 1am! If you are in the area late night, it's a good place to get some midnight snacks.
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Definitely a cheap eats place! Rarely do I go to a restaurant and consistently get the same thing but at Taiwan Cafe, my two favorites are the fried pork chop over rice (comes with a tea egg and pickled cabbage) and the beef and tomato over rice. The size of the pork chop has gotten smaller over the years but is still huge so you can only imagine what it was like before. It's probably the size of a man's hand! :) The beef and tomato looks overwhelmingly red at first, but has the right amount of sweet and salty taste to it if you like tomato-y things.
We often get steamed dumplings here too, but keep in mind that those can take longer so if you're hungry, you should definitely order other things to supplement.
As Alex pointed out, my favorite part is the melamine dishes they serve the rice plates on . . . they have teddy bears and ABC's all over them. But for less than $7 or so for a hot cooked meal, I really wouldn't care what childish pattern was on the plate. Well, unless it was Barney . . . then I might have to order noodles or soup in a bowl instead. :)
If I worked near Chinatown, I would be hitting up Taiwan Cafe everyday for lunch. If only . . .
I admit, I am not a big fan of Chinatown (in any city). I know, I know - it's blasphemous. It's just that Chinatown is never all that clean and it smells funny. Furthermore, I don't really like to see what I'm about to eat hanging from a ceiling. And well, I think dim sum has the consistency of wet bread. Now, add in the fact that most restaurants don't serve alcohol and they all seem to use bright neon lights in their dining area and well, now you know how I really feel.
So, when my friend's boyfriend suggested this place the other night I was a bit skeptical. As I suspected, it was really bright in there. And, while we were eating dinner, so was the staff. Practically right next to us. They were sitting in the dining room eating a huge platter of chicken feat. I know that's what they were because I asked. Yeah, I'm that girl.
Now, after all of my bitching, I'll admit, the food was actually quite good. We had salt & pepper calamari, a noodle & beef dish, braised eggplant with basil and littleneck clams. Although it was mighty tasty, I wasn't crazy about the little oil slicks left on the bottom of each plate when we were finished. So, I had a good time, and the company was great. I just wish I liked Chinatown more.
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I've been a patron of Taiwan Cafe since about a month after it opened. My college buddies and I used to frequent this place because of the great food and fair prices. I remember that their rice plates were about 6 dollars and used to be piled high with porkchop/chicken with marinated egg, sour cabbage, and vegetables. This was like a Godsend to college students. We also became quite familiar with the staff and owners as well. Owners are super friendly and will remember you if you come in twice a week with a crew of 5-10, lol.
Over time and rising food costs have kind of cut back on the portions and quality now. I would have given TWC a solid 4 stars back in the day but regretfully I can only give them 3 now. The food is still very, very good and authentic. I love their Sa-Cha Fried Beef Noodles, Taiwanese Style Noodle Soups, Fried Pork Intestines, Steamed Dumplings, the list goes on and on. The great thing about TWC is they serve Taiwanese style breakfast in the weekend mornings where you can get staples like Warm Soymilk, Radish Cake, Fried Taro with Pork Filling, again the list goes on and on. I can't say enough good things about TWC and the food.
Note: If you order one of their rice plates. There is a good chance you might get a kiddie plate with teddy bears, ABCs on the brim, etc.! This is unique to say the least.
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If you are looking for authentic Taiwanese food, look no further. This is fantastic food! I'm not talking about General Gau's Chicken, or whatever other crappy Americanized Chinese food you've had lately. I'm talking about the delicious steamed pork dumplings with the soup inside, like you can get in New York if you venture to Flushing. I'm talking about some serious Mapo dofu.
Don't show up at the Taiwan expecting world-class service or anything like that. The restaurant is cramped, it is often crowded and the wait staff is courteous at best. What you can expect is a delicious culinary experience.
Next time you go to Chinatown, do yourself a favor and slip into the Taiwan for a meal...you will not regret it.
I'm not Taiwanese. I didn't grow up in a Taiwanese family. In fact, I've never been to China, Vietnam, Laos, or any of those places. But I think I can spot authentic, and Taiwan Cafe is it.
The place gets randomly mobbed at lunchtime, but with good reason. This is the real deal- no fake Americanized combo options. If you go here, you must try the basil eggplant. It's so delicious I'm having trouble finding words to do it justice. Maybe there's a Taiwanese word for it.
The lunch specials (basically rice and soup with your meal) are reasonably priced, but don't expect much from the soup... it's usually just a bone and some seaweed in hot water. But if you order the hot and sour soup, it can be a meal in and of itself. Maybe two, if you choose to carry it out.
There's tons of stuff on the menu I haven't tried yet. Give me time... I'll get to it!
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Two stars is generous. I was appalled on several fronts. Allow me to enumerate:
1. The service was neither bilingual nor friendly
2. The salt and pepper shrimp was HANDS DOWN the WORST I've tasted in
life.
3. The basil eggplant swam in a pool of oil
4. The space was not particularly clean.
I'm exhausted, listing these appalling things. Perhaps we didn't order the right dishes but, really, I don't care. The dishes we ordered should not have been so terrible. Period. I know there are dishes they're famous for, I just don't know if I can go back to try them. I was just so disappointed. The extra star is because the eggplant wasn't absolutely horrible, just greasy.
Deeelicious, wholesome, rib-sticking homestyle cooking. We had the scrambled egg with beef and tomato and the fried porkchop over rice, which were both great. And a lovely, fresh bright green dish of kai lan sauteed with edamame and tofu. The eu char kway was as wonderfully crispy and greasy as hoped. And the panfried dumplings were to die for.
The only thing is that the xiao long bao, albeit spectacularly juicy, were definitely too thick-skinned.
Best of all, the six of us ate until we almost passed out, with lots of leftovers, and the bill was $43! Whaaat!?!
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YUM.
If you can get over being served food on children's plates (literally, the indestructible plastic ones with abc's along the border) and the somewhat drab decor, the food and serving size is awesome. Actually, their pork over rice is the best I've had anywhere.
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All I gotta say is... mapo tofu is the bomb. Order whatever you want, can't really go wrong with this place.
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I enjoy a quality Taiwanese-style beef noodle soup, which this place supplies at a decent price. Also, the complimentary oolong tea is good. A Boston local recommended this place to me as one of the best restaraunts in Chinatown. However, it's usually too loud and crowded at lunch for my taste.
Ambiance: Go up a flight of stairs and you'll reach Taiwan Cafe. It's located in a diagonal alley next to an underground Chinese pharmacy. Weird smells yo.
Food: I really like their brunch menu for Sat and Sunday. The crab and pork bun is my favorite. Unfortunately, it gets sold out often. I really enjoy home cooked meals so I like the fact that they have the $1.50 porridge with yam. This meal is actually in stock, unlike Gourmet Dumpling House's advertisement of their porridge and eight treasure porridge. From their appetizer section, I also like seaweed salad. It's got tons of garlic though so prepare some breath mints. Also, their peanuts are very light. It's definitely wet. Definitely come here for Sat/Sun brunch.
Service: Only your waitress will serve you. If you ask another waiter for something, he/she will acknowledge it in front of you and properly ignore you.
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I have been coming here for at least 8 years or so, maybe when they opened, I'm not sure what year it was. I'm so used to the staff and every little tick of the place, like how the tea cups float on the tables because the bottom heats up and the air is trapped under the cup as it expands. I'm vegetarian but there is plenty for me to eat, and the meat dishes look and smell amazing. (I have tried some of them anyway.)
Basically, everything is great, the taste is unique in Chinatown, and they are extremely consistent. It's in my all-time Top 10 Boston Restaurants, certainly.
They do a brisk business and have good hours. You can't beat this place. Some places you worry about, but Taiwan Cafe is going to be around for a long long time.
Taiwan Cafe is pronounced "Taiwan Cafe' ".
Food (8.0/10)= What I enjoy the most is their breakfast/brunch which is only served Sat. & Sun. from 11AM-3PM.
Breakfast/Brunch:
1 & 2) "air-pop fried dough" and "sweet soy bean milk"=Always a great cheap and tasty combination. TC does a very good job with the fried dough. Other restaurants in Chinatown often over-fry the dough causing it to harden and lose the desired soft chewy texture in the inside.
3) "sesame pastry with beef & veg"=Not worth ordering. The pastry is too thick and each pastry only comes with one thin slice of beef, causing an imbalance of flavors.
4) "shredded daikon & dried shrimp pastry"=My favorite item on the brunch/breakfast menu! If you like daikons and a little sweetness to flaky pastries, you will certainly enjoy this dish.
5) "mince pork & crab pastry"=My #2 on the breakfast/brunch menu. The pork and crab filling is flavorful and well seasoned. The pastry has a flaky crust making the dish even more enjoyable to eat.
6) "steam fried pork & veg buns"=This dish was just so-so for me. The flavor of the filling wasn't that great.
Some thoughts on other TC dishes
Appetizers:
1) "Chilled sponge tofu w/ mushroom & bamboo shoot"=A cold refreshing dish. If you want to try tofu with a different texture from tofu commonly served in dishes like "ma po tofu" and "pan fried tofu," give this dish a try.
2)"scallion pancake"=A popular appetizer at most Chinese restaurants. TC makes large pancakes without sacrificing soft interior texture.
3)"Taiwan style pan fried dumplings"=A bit greasy but certainly delicious. Beware; it takes 20 min. for TC to prepare this dish.
4)"Mini-steamed buns with pork & crabmeat"=If you really like this dish, I suggest you go to Gourmet Dumpling House. For some reason, TC forgot that the name of this dish starts with the word "mini." Considering the way they are usually eaten, the buns are too big. The size of the buns makes the dough more prone to tearing as you pick one up, and thus losing all the precious soup in the inside.
Vegetables:
1) "Home style braised eggplant w. basil"=This is my favorite veggie dish at TC. If you like eggplant as well as the popular "yu xiang qie zi" dish (often translated as "garlic flavored eggplant) definitely try this dish.
2) "Sauteed string bean w/ dried shrimp"=The difficult part in preparing this dish is getting that crunchy texture for the string beans. TC does a great job in achieving the desired texture as well as flavor.
Entrees:
1) "Sauteed eel w/ yellow chive"=This dish is a bit greasy and in my opinion, they have more yellow chives than eel in the dish. Gourmet Dumpling House does a better job with this dish.
2) "Sauteed shrimp with chinese zucchini"=Like the "sauteed eel with yellow chives," TC swamps the dish with the cheap ingredient and adds very little of the more expensive ingredient. In this case the more expensive ingredient is the shrimp. There were 4-5 pieces of shrimp. That's ridiculous considering the price of the dish ($12.95).
3) "Braised tilapia w/ spicy bean curd sauce"=This is a great dish with a bold flavor. It's also a great bargain if you order it off their lunch menu. You still receive the whole fish during lunch, and you pay half the price.
4) "Braised bacon-cut pork with soft bean curd" = One of my favorite dishes at TC. The flavor is a bit heavy, making it more appropriate to eat during the cold weather. The "soft bean curd" is actually "tofu skin," not the soft texture tofu.
5) "Sauteed pork & bean curd w/ yellow chive"=Not worth it. Once again TC is cheap on this dish and swamps the plate with bean curd, and adds little pork and yellow chive.
Chef's Specials:
1)"Steamed taro over bacon-cut pork in special house sauce"=One of my favorite dishes at this restaurant. However, Pearl Villa (on Tyler St.) does a far more superior job with this dish. TC's version has a unique flavor though, which is basically created from "fu lu" (fermented tofu sauce).
Service (6.0/10)=They are a bit slow with refilling your tea. During busy hours, they can be rude by rushing you to pay and leave.
Ambiance (7.0/10)=It's what you should and would expect from a Chinese restaurant.
Overall Opinion=For those of you who have eaten at TC and Gourmet Dumpling House (GDH), you probably have noticed that both offer many similar dishes. Ever wonder why? Well it's because the chef at GDH used to work at TC. The chef wasn't happy with the treatment received by the owners of TC. Basically the owners of TC are one of your money hungry cheating FOB Chinese, and they don't treat their employees that well. As I have pointed out, their "cheating" behavior can be seen with their food (see comments for Entrees #1, 2, 5). TC's "cash only" policy is also a bit annoying. Other than the Chinatown drama, the majority of the food is delicious and satisfying. If you love Taiwanese cuisine, TC may be the best Boston has to offer.
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Loved the authenticity of the Taiwanese cuisine.
Incidentally, not open before about 11a on Sundays.
Went in, had the great brunch pork chop over rice (great five spice on top), the sauteed nappa with that, and a soy-sauce egg. The soy milk was good, although they didn't stir the sugar in too well, but the oily fried dough more than helped make up for it anyway. Nice and hot food, and a place I'll have to try dinner at some day.
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I looove Taiwan Cafe. I've eaten here at least five times and loved about 99% of everything I've ordered.
The best things I've eaten here that I can remember are: the eggplant with basil, pork chop over rice (it comes with a tea egg and is cheap, too!), cong you bing (scallion pancake), tilapia, and dou miao (sauteed pea sprouts with garlic). The Taiwanese-style dumplings are also really good, too.
Once we ordered the duck with taro. The dish came out cold and wasn't that remarkable. The xiao long bao (soup dumplings) aren't really that great -- the wrapper's too thick as other reviewers have said, and the soup seems more oily than soupy. Regardless, I still love this place for its other dishes. I wish I could try everything on the menu, but it's too big! Yummy!
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They have awesome and cheap lunch specials. Authentic Taiwanese cuisine. I have had the tilapia and the pork with taro for lunch, both were very good. Not your typical lunch specials at all - but it is always packed for lunch time.
Haven't tried to come at dinner time.
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When most of Boston is shut down and you're looking for some place to go after hitting the bars or dancing at the clubs, Taiwan Cafe does not disappoint!
While the decor of the restaurant is typical for most restaurants in Chinatown, you won't be concentrating on it too much as you wolf down delicious, authentic Taiwanese food. The scrambled egg with beef and tomato over rice, crispy chicken quarter leg on rice platter, and mini steamed buns with pork and crabmeat can never go wrong. I have yet to find a place in Boston that makes these dishes just as well (and any place in Boston that makes siu loong baos so good).
Overall: cheap and delicious food, and a never-ending supply of tea tops the cake.
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Braised eggplant with basil -- smothered in spicy sauce, perfect to help you gulp down a generous bowl of rice.
Pork meatballs with mixed vegetables in clay pot -- a bit of a misnomer since it wasn't actually served in a clay pot, but still good. Several giant meatballs and loads of veggies in a flavorful broth. Warning: the portion size is gigantic. I kid you not.
Sweet and sour chicken with vegetables -- good, but nothing special.
In short, a solid place for Taiwanese food.
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I've now been to Taiwan Cafe a couple of times for both dinner and lunch, so I feel somewhat more qualified to add my voice to the devotees who have weighed in on this Chinatown establishment.
As someone who loves his xiao long bao, or soupy dumpling, my complaint is that the Taiwan Cafe version has too thick of a wrapper, which lends itself to weighing down the dumpling and thus tearing the skin, causing the bao to lose its precious soup. My xiao long bao ritual is to pour a bit of vinegar through the hole in the top of the dumpling and to eat it all in one bite, letting the flavors explode and blend together in my mouth. This works only if none of the ingredients are too overbearing or heavy. To their credit, the xiao long bao came to the table scalding hot inside, so when I tried this at lunch on Sunday my mouth had a little four-alarm fire.
One thing I can consistently count on Taiwan Cafe for, however, is the sauteed Chinese watercress (kong xin cai), which is best done with the fermented fuyu sauce. The sweet soy milk, paired with the fried dough stick, is also a home run.
As for ambience, what better way to enjoy authentic Chinese cooking than in the company of complete strangers? Expect to share tables at busy times unless you bring a big group. But hey, the more the merrier!
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I have some confessions to make. 1) I have stalked this place for almost a year and FINALLY tried it. 2) whenever i go to a place, and KNOW they have crazy things on the menu, i always go alone on my first visit so i dont offend my friends who are less adventurous than I am when it comes to food. After taking one glance at the menu, i smiled and knew this would be a solo adventure.
I knew exactly what I wanted. 27.Sauteed Duck Tongue with basil. Fuck yes. I have wanted to try this for a while. I also ordered the Duck with pickled mustard green soup. I was hoping that MAYBE one of the tongues I was about to eat belonged to the duck in the soup, and they could be reunited...in my stomach. Also, if the tongues turned out to be a HUGE mistake...id have something else. Not only am I compassionate to the animal world, I am smart too!
So my soup arrives...really hot(temp wise) and really tasty. And the...finally...i get my plate of tongues. Ok...there were A LOT of tongues. Seriously they were the ugliest things I have EVER seen. They look like aliens with these two pointy things at the back of the tongue itself that were used to connect it to god knows that. The tongues got the same reaction i gave durian melon the first time I had it. Interesting. Not something I would eat regularly, but would not be opposed to eating again. Crunchy, sinewy...i dont know what I was expecting really.
Now that my solo experience is over I am SOOOOO ready to go back and eat my way through the menu.
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My family went here today for an early lunch. The place was a bit empty - a rainy Thurs, but that changed quickly once we were there for about 20 minutes - then it was packed. We ordered the pork chop on rice, chopped pork on noodles with beans, mini pork buns, and pot stickers (based on reviews read here). Who cares if the stuff is served on kids' plates. Everything was *fabulous*. WOW! We loved it!! The pork buns were as described - there was a nice soup broth in those buns! The pot stickers had a fresh spinich/egg/rice noodle filling. Unusual, but oh, so good. The pork chop came with a brown colored egg and some cooked cabbage. Again, terrific. YUM! A different sort of menu - not your typical Chinese restaurant, which made me very, very excited. The prices were great too. Big portions. All that food for $28.00 (including tip and tax). We will be back again and again to try more of the menu. The reason for the 4 stars instead of 5, is that the place could be a tad cleaner.
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Finally, after thinking for the longest time -- "I should try that place some day" -- I went in and ordered the House special pork chop on rice platter. Four words to describe it:
Out Of This World
It came with egg drop chicken corn soup. This lunch dish can feed two people. Huge portions and delicious to the last bite. What more can you ask for? Cheap! It was only $5,50!!
I'll be back. This time, I'll try something else. I'll need to bring my family and friends so we can share several dishes. Want to join me?
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I walked by this place many times, but I didnt go in because I dont know what to order or what it's like. So after I read reviews from here, my bf and I went. The place wasnt too small like I thought it would be. We ordered pickled spinach soup, calamari, oyster pancake w/ gravy, beef with long horn pepper, and fried tofu....They're soooo good, and cheap too. Service was nice. We'll come back again
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Wow, this restaurant just blew my socks off. I don't really know what was ordered since we have a friend who's an expert at ordering in Chinatown. I recall tasty dumplings that contained soup in them! Ya, crazy! IN the dumpling. There is no doubt this place ranks up there among my favorite places in Boston. I've been twitching to go back asap.
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I finally came here on thanksgiving of all days and I now think I have a new favorite eatery in Boston.
It's super cheap, quick, convenient and full of plastic tables just like a true cafe (pronounced 'Caff' in England) should be. The menu is almost endless and more than anywhere I've ever been did I get that urge to try every single dish. The choice is insanely varied and as many have pointed out before it contains plenty of freaky foods for the not-so-faint hearted. This is the place to impress your foodie friends. This is where to go to eat food that you boast about. CHECK ME OUT.
My actual meal here was a tame combo of fish ball soup and fried pork rib rice special - both outstanding, particularly the first. But where things got interesting was that evening, when I joined a potluck thanksgiving dinner and my roomie unveiled her contribution - Stinky Tofu from Taiwan Cafe. Have you ever tried this? Do you dare?
It was hands down the most horrid disgusting thing I've ever eaten. Unlike no food I've ever had before it actually made me gag. Amazing! So for that I love Taiwan Cafe. 5 stars!
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Before I start, I should note that I am biased towards Taiwanese food, having spent my childhood on the fair island of Formosa.
Taiwan Cafe reminds me of home: the food, the staff, and the atmosphere. It is truly a Taiwanese-neighborhood-restaurant, with none of the fancy tables/chairs, matching plate-set. Prices are inexpensive, with a wide selection of dishes and many hard-to-find options that freak out the unadventurous eaters. Getting hungry just thinking about it.
Lunches/dinner times are super busy. When busy, they will try to seat you at a table with people you don't know. This is also normal -- the U.S. culture tends to require more personal space. You might argue "Well, your restaurant is in the U.S., so get with the times," but I like it just the way it is, it brings back memories.
Last time I reserved a table, they seemed a bit unhappy with me because a few of my friends were running late. I think I got away with it because I'm Taiwanese, and you know, 'family.' When I went with my brother, the staff turned on their motherly instinct (Bro was blessed with this baby-face, Taiwanese mothers generally like to feed their young until they bust), and we were basically pampered through the whole meal with questions like "everything ok, mm?"
Sounds like I love the joint, yes? So why the 4-stars and not 5?
The staff. Yes, they're efficient. Yes, they're generally friendly. But man, when they're pissy, they really let you know it. There is one particular lady, who is either the manager or a co-owner, she has never smiled at me, no matter how often I patronize the restaurant and how polite I am toward her. Once, she seated my party, and must have decided we'd get in the way of the staff as they move between tables. She then practically yanked the chair from underneath me, demanded "You sit here," then moved the chair to a less obtrusive place. Just a little more courtesy from her would be grand.
So, be aware that they're not going to go out of their way to make the customers happy -"Customer is always right" isn't something I recall as part of the Taiwanese culture. But Taiwan Cafe definitely is one of the most authentic Taiwanese restaurants in the Boston area, in more ways than one.
Go with a group, try a bit of as many dishes as you care to order, eat them family-style. It's the only way to have a Taiwanese meal.
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Dishes in photo:
A: chilly spicy beef tendon
B: spicy salt & pepper (braised w/scallion) pork
C: chilled jellyfish w/garlic
D: Taiwan style fish cake
E: Oyster pancak w/gravy
F: Steamed taichung style meatball w/gravy
G: Taiwan style hot & sour soup
H: spicy salt & pepper calamari
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I went with my friends a few weeks ago...nothing spectacular really. The rice was cold and the food was too oily. However, the beef with long horn pepper was tasty but REALLY oily.
The worst part was that we were rushed throughout our dinner as the waitress kept rushing us to order and rushing us with the bill.. Anyway, if you like oily food with cold rice and rushy service...then this is your place.
One star is too high - this place only deserve half a star from me!
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This place has been reviewed so many times I'm not gonna spend too much effort here.
The food is good, the service is fast. I wish I could give it 3.5 stars. It would get 4 if the bathroom area wasn't so grimy and the the sink wasn't outside of the bathroom. I also think those weird saloon doors going to the bathroom are a little tack.
My friend, B-Boy, brought me here today for lunch. I'm unemployed and he only has an hour lunch. In essence, we needed someplace cheap and fast. In comes the Taiwan Cafe. It was my first visit, his second. He got the beans with beef and I got the spicy salted shrimp (which I regret, but I'll explain later). Anyways, we were promptly seated. The waitress was very helpful in helping us to decide what to order. And out food came out quick. Well, first they brought us a bowl of soup that I know has lemon in it and what I assume to be gelatinous substance which I assume to be tripe. Our food was great! I certainly will be back.
Now, on to the regret, the reason why I regret my order was that it's the same thing I order all the time. And as I look around, I regret that I was not more adventurous and tried their other dishes, which looks just so yummy!
The food here is good. The service is not so good. We did not even finish eating and they were trying to get us out of there.
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The best Pork Chop on Rice in town.
The owner (who looks like Scotty Nguyen from World Series of Poker) is very nice.
Even though this place doesn't have parking, the atmosphere is wonderful.
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I know I've given a few places five stars, but that's because I've been mostly reviewing the places I like the most, and since I've been here for 20 years and I'm a pig, there's a lot to cover.
I eat lunch at Taiwan Cafe at least once every other week for the last four years. I've tried much of what's on the menu, from the popular (beef and bamboo shoots, eggplant with basil, ma po toad food) to what many gweilo might find challenging (beef tendon, thousand year old eggs, pig intestine) and I have yet to have a bad meal. Spice levels are moderate, flavor levels are high. Portions are large.
You won't find any sesame beef or general gau's chicken here and thank gawd for that! This is not Fortune Panda or P F Changs--this is real Taiwanese food (or so my friends from Taiwan tell me). Anyone want to join me for some spicy salted eel anuses or crispy pig's souls, let me know.
The service is good. You have to rely on street parking, so take the T. Cash only!
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What is all the fuss? I must not of gotten the right thing. I got a big bowl of udon noodles with nuggets of beef that looked dodgy. HOWEVER (in your best stephan a smith voice) the pork buns were money - you know the won ton like things.
EAT THIS!
It's cheap, it's open late and it's authentic. All good points.
Taiwanese food is definitely different than generic Chinese food, so you'll get lots of unique choices here.
Try the "soup dumplings" which are a Taiwanese favorite. They're actually called something else (in English) on the menu so make sure to ask for them.
Also good is the scallion pancake and a beef with Chinese watercress dish. The service is usually quite helpful if you don't have a guide to help you through the menu.
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This is the best place in Chinatown-hands down. You must try the #1--sauteed julenned beef and peppers. It is SPICY and delectable. If you don't like spice, LEARN to. Order the traditional style taiwanese dumplings as well--but share them. They are enormous and plentiful and don't usually take as long as they say they will. Everything else I've tried is fabulous as well. The lunch menu is your best bet--it is less expensive and fast, but be prepared for a bit of a wait. If you go after 1:00, it has usually cleared out by then. A must try!
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For all you people who don't know what Taiwanese food is, don't compare this to the regular americanized cantonese style cuisine you usually find. This place is great - it offers a large selection of traditional Taiwanese dishes that you don't find elsewhere. I give it 4 stars for being one of the few Taiwanese restaurants in the area, and I haven't had a bad experience yet. It's not quite the real thing, but close enough to satisfy my cravings!
Atrebor, good call on the eggplant and basil. it was one of the best chinese eggplant dishes I've ever had. Really flavorful, saucy, and lots of basil.
Al tough the food was good, my dinner date agrees on this, I thought the waitress was a serious snob.
She was so unpleasant and unfriendly.
But that will not stop me from going back for that eggplant.
While we had dinner, there was also dragon dance going on outside which was really nice.
That's what makes chinatown one of the best place to eat in the city :)
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I went here once and was expecting something awesome.. it was good but just not food that I am used to. I am more of a fan of... Cantonese styled Chinese food I guess... which is what they serve at most Chinatown restaurants.
The dishes I think are kind of small in my opinion. The taste is okay.. but nothing that I would run back and eat again.
This is a good place to get some authetic Taiwanese food. Some dishes are pretty good. When I miss rice ball (breakfast), this is the only place I can get some. However, I feel that their menu are quite diverse. I guess they have to cater to everybody. If you want some great Taiwanese food, go to Taiwan. But if the plane fare is too expensive, then you can always settle for some okay food here.
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