New fav! Attentive and friendly service which is hard to come by in Chinatown. PEOPLE, take advantage of the authenticity of this place and order something other than General Tso's chicken! Sanbeiji and black bone chicken and clam soup were both delicious.
(5)
Stuart S.
Just ok, pretty plain and mediocre service. Seems like a low price take out place that has a few tables. They did have some unique menu items like a frog meat dish but I couldn't summon the courage to order it. I probably won't be back.
(2)
Rachel C.
XLB are legit and very soupy. I've had more flavorful ones though. The scallion pancakes wrapped around beef are super greasy, chewy, and a little too thick for my taste. The Sha cha noodles have great flavor and the veggies are done well in there, not overlooked and still have a crunch. Solid late night eat
(3)
Katie W.
You absolutely MUST get the braised eggplant with basil. This is the one dish that turned me around to eggplant even though I had previously hated it my whole life. It's intensely flavorful and addicting. They also have good soup buns and soft-shell crab. It's kind of hard to remember what else we ate because the eggplant was just that good. Most everything is great though. It's one of those places where I've ordered loads of things at one time and never had a bad dish. Service is your typical Chinatown deal--brisk and impersonal. It's a tiny restaurant so don't be surprised if you end up sharing a table with another party, but no one much cares because the main attraction is the great food!
(5)
John H.
Tucked away into a corner of Boston's Chinatown is a Taiwanese restaurant that doles out consistent Taiwanese food that is about as authentic as you can get. That includes both the west coast and the east coast. That does that means it's good? Most of the time. Some of the dishes can be hit or miss but mostly hit and they hit when it counts. Their pork chop rice uses a light crisp batter and contains a lot of meat. All of their rice and noodle dishes are pretty reasonably priced. BUT, the family style dishes steer toward the more expensive side, IMO. All in all, a good restaurant if you want some Taiwanese food in Boston
(4)
L L.
Came here for lunch, not impressive by the 3 dishes we ordered: calamari, mapo tofu, stir fired green beans. Tofu was plain and calamari was barely cooked... Portion was ok for lunch. Won't be back for lunch for sure.
(3)
Alon L.
I'm a fan of Taiwanese food. So, on a trip to Boston, I decided to take a break from the seafood routine and give Taiwan Cafe a try. I wasn't disappointed! We ordered the often mentioned Xiao long bao (for ease of reference, this is number 46 or 47 in the dumpling area of the menu). Great! Perfect ratio of filling to soup. Highly recommended. We also had the eggplant with basil, which i also recommend. Lastly, I couldn't pass up a try for the Taiwan beef stew noodle with spinach. Well, this was a let down. The noodles are clearly not handmade, and the beef wasn't thick enough nor "tendony". Also, needs to up the spicy level. Pass on this dish, unfortunately. Next time, I'll go for the scallion cake... just couldn't fit it this time. Decor. About what you'd expect, i.e., dinky. Expect to wait a bit for lunch or dinner. That's okay though. Worth it for the xiao long bao! We ended up sharing a larger table with a few other parties of two. Kind of weird at first, but then you don't even care when it's time to eat! Be warned/aware that this might be offered to you especially for party of two or three (you can turn down the offer but then you'll have to wait longer). Service was fine. We had no problems, and were served promptly even despite our multi party table. Some other reviewers state rude service. It definitely wasn't touchy feely, but i didn't mind the quick no-nonsense service. Price is great! Hard to find a more reasonable price in Boston. Overall, recommend!
(4)
Brendan O.
Excellent taste favorites meat seafood noodles stir-fry or soup Don't know about apps. But Entrees great for 1-2 people! OPEN 7 D 1 AM 5 star cheap on price NOT on flavor! Yummy Stomach smiling. Oxford & Beach I will come back 100 X before other C-town places when I want cheap and satisfying Yummmmmmmmmmm
(5)
Emily L.
Soup dumpling fans - this is the hidden gem! I'm serious - I have tried Dumpling Cafe and Dumpling House and both of them do not add up to the soup dumplings in Taiwan Cafe. The dumpling skin is perfect enough to hold the mouthful of soup that you'll be surely to experience in every dumpling! The price of these gorgeous dumplings is not absurd in the same way Dumpling Cafe is. Also, the place is not as packed as Dumpling House and Dumpling Cafe can be. Aside from the soup dumplings, Taiwan Cafe offers a huge menu for their patrons to chose from. For those that are on a tight budget they offer a lunch special that goes from 11:00 to 4:00 PM. The menu offers lots of variety and a lot of the lunch options includes rice and soup. If you can't make it to Taiwan Cafe before 4:00 PM, they also offer a rice and meat dish for about three bucks. I have visited the restaurant on three different occasions and we have always been satisfied with our choices. They don't always have the veggies that they offer on the menu and so usually they'll offer something that is similar (Chinese Spinach instead of Watercress). If you want a spicy dish, I would definitely recommend the Szechuan Style With Fish With Veggies On Spicy Broth - super super delicious!
(5)
Shawn W.
I went here for on a date last week. It was then it dawned on me that I had been before; possibly six or seven years. Seating is a little tight, and it can get warm in there, but the authentic food is worth the possible claustrophobia. Friendly, fast and flavorful are the ONLY "F's" this place gets. You may want to brush up on your chopsticks capability however. Great place!
(4)
Leo F.
We visited this place for dinner last night. The food was good and my wife absolutely loved the Asparagus w/ Chicken in Sa-cha sauce. The steamed dumplings were also very good as it was a good size and sturdy enough to hold the tasty soup. The only flaw with one of our dishes was one of the appetizers involving taro nuggets. I had no expectations so I thought and still think that it's pretty good. However, it was supposed to have an egg yolk in the center of eat nuggets and it took quite a bit of searching to find it.
The soup dumplings are the star here. Plenty of flavorful soup inside, the meat was tender and the skins not too thick. Service was fast and friendly. My only regret is not having a long enough stay in Boston to eat there again.
(5)
Tina W.
Well, I came all the way from NC to have some great food. And here it is. I came here and ordered several tradition chinese food which tasted awesome. I really would like to come back again
(4)
Ada C.
Please don't ever get the beef noodle soup! These people have no idea how to make Taiwanese beef noodles. They used the wrong type of noodles (the noodles they use is some generic noodles that can be bought from a grocery store for 99 cents). They even used the wrong type of beef? The soup base is not broth, it's just a big bowl filled with spicy red oil with no flavors to it. We also ordered the oyster pancake, and its very mediocre. The stinky tofu is O-K. I guess our favorite out of all dishes was the ground pork over rice. Definitely not authentic Taiwanese food, not even close. Maybe I just had really high expectation based off the reviews. All I can say is, this place doesn't live up with my expectation.
(2)
Deborah H.
Really incredible lunch specials: $7.25 for rice, soup, and a full serving of whatever your heart desires (as long as it's on the list of 55). A little secret I have is that I buy a bunch of food for lunch and then save it for dinner. If you're doing take-out during peak times, call ahead and order since it gets really busy during lunch. Service, from what I can tell, is a little ornery and huffy. Would like to eat in sometime and try the dishes that don't travel or reheat well (oyster pancake, breakfast items, etc).
(4)
Wesley H.
Great place for a late night meal or a post-hangover one at that. Has pretty decent Taiwanese food. The xiao long bao is good too.
(3)
Sean M.
They have up'd the game since the remodeling. I think many people are disappointed because they order their favorite dish or a random dish and feel frustrated. My gold standard on the East Coast is the enclave in Flushing, Queens, NY. NONE of the Boston Taiwanese come close. I've been going to TWC since they opened, that's a long time. I think it's a value especially at lunch. The spicy bamboo/beef tendon here is decent, I also like the Taiwanese noodles and the Sha Cha noodles. Hot Pots/Casseroles can be good. For a Chinatown restaurant the service is steller. Dumplings: I do like xlb and the veggie. Spicy Beef Soup, my fav Taiwanese dish is 3/5 here. They do a decent job on the duck tongues and sea cucumber. * go with 2 or 3 if you want a quick seat. * go with a big party if you want to sample. * parking, fa-get-about-it. Pay lots. * seating is extremely close.
(4)
Bill L.
Was cold and wet in boston. headed to chinatown to get great cheap food. found it in taiwan cafe. ordered rice cake with preserved vegetables, jing du pork chops, eggplant with basil, fried vegetarian rolls, clams, belt fish, bean curd with preserved vegetables and edamane. winners: jingdu pork chops - done very well - pork was tender and juicy. sauce was mild and not overly sweet belt fish - have not had this in a very long time. was just like how mom made them. brought back great memories eggplant with basil - great great great bean curd, was tremendous average - fried vegetarian rolls and the clams. it seems that everyone comes here. you are often asked to share tables as was the case for us. the couple who sat with us were friendly and helpful.
(4)
Andrew M.
Came here with friends for a late-night snack after seeing so many positive reviews on yelp. Ordered several dumplings, beef with crispy yellow noodles, sesame chicken, and scallion pancake. Food is average at best, definitely doesn't warrant a 4 star rating on yelp. Service was even worse - the waitress ignored our table all evening until we were ready to pay the bill. Try the gourmet dumpling house down the street for much better food and service!
(1)
Heather S.
Just ok, based on reviews I expected much better. There were a lot of options, but the dumplings and noodles were greasy. We might just not have ordered the right items, it seems people around us had interesting dishes. Not sure I would go back, so many other places to try.
(3)
Marilyn T.
Taiwan Cafe is more like a crowded taiwanese place than Jojo, which is quieter and less crazy. There's little standing room to wait at Taiwan Cafe, tables are very close together, and sometimes you even get seated at a large table with multiple other parties, but that's how Taiwanese places go. Dishes to get: - Beef noodle soup: not as greasy as some other places, and I like the Chinese herb flavor in the broth - XLB: it's no Din Tai Fung, but it has lots of pork soup goodness inside, good house made skin - Chinese sausage fried rice: nothing like Chinese sausage, scallions, and rice - better with chili sauce - Seafood rice cakes: good bite, lots of seafood - Shrimp and vermicelli hot pot: lighter dish with a bean based wide clear noodle, shrimp is cooked in the shell, which is annoying to peel, but it keeps it from getting dry. Gravy has good flavor, the dish is good on a cold day - Taiwanese fried dough (shao bing + you tiao) on weekends - Scallion pancake with beef rolled inside Portions are good, service is quick, food is cheap. It's not like Taiwan or California, but it's pretty authentic for New England. It's definitely LOUD inside, slightly chaotic, not fancy. And like all good Taiwanese places, they do have Tsing Tao beer.
(4)
Lorraine O.
A very great place for Asian Taiwanese food!for a foreign student, the food they provided kill homesick. Great customer service! Must come!
(4)
Lily T.
This is a decent Chinese place to go to in Boston. Keep in mind that the Chinese food and Chinatown in Boston is pretty disappointing to start with. Anyway this place is pretty much the same as Gourmet Dumpling House. Sticky menus, minimal service (for all the people complaining about poor service...this IS a Chinese restaurant...what did you expect?). The food comes out really quickly and never in "order" (eg appetizer vs main). I didn't leave this place gasping with thirst or waking up the next morning dying from dehydration...so I guess their MSG use is low to minimal. Overall I'd recommend going here if you're after a pretty tasty low key Chinese food experience.
(3)
Joe L.
best XLB I had outside of Asia.
(5)
JieHeen Y.
Its good. I like the way they make beef and fish dishes. Very soft and chewy beef and tender and juicy fish. Fish also comes in big pieces with nice flavor inside. The spicy boiled fish pot was great, spicy pepper potato, and spicy pepper beef are fantastic. Pots keep the food very hot. The chicken dishes are just fine. Its often crowded and can feel cramped. You might have to wait outside a few minutes to get in, but its very nice that they will take your number and call you when your table is ready (perfect opportunity to get some Chinese bakery perhaps at Eldo, or bubble tea). Also require at least $20 to use credit, but debit always accepted.
(4)
Karina L.
***CASH ONLY!**** * Also, another warning: when you look up 34 Oxford Street, Boston, MA, google maps spazzes out and sends you to an Oxford Street in Allston. It also thinks that that address is Taiwan Cafe (it's not!). This place is in Chinatown/near South Station. Hallelujah! I've finally found my soup dumpling fix in Boston. The six of us ordered 2 orders of soup dumplings, scallion pancakes with beef, and 4 entrees...and it came out to under 15 dollars each (including tax & tip). You can't get any better than that. We got soup dumplings with pork AND crab (I've never had them together!) and they were piping hot and full of soup and flavor. While different, it is definitely comparable to the soup dumplings you find in NYC. The scallion pancake with beef (split into 6 pieces) was a great pair to our dumplings. The pancake wasn't overly oily and the beef wasn't overly salty -- big no-nos that I've encountered a lot at other places. I would say that the price for this ($7) is a little steeper than I'm used to, but they make up for it in the quality and quantity of the appetizer. For entrees, we got beef with peppers, spinach sauteed with garlic, braised eggplant, and sauteed calamari. All were great -- and this is coming from a person who doesn't normally like eggplant. Each entree comes with a free bowl of rice. My only gripe was that we wanted to order watercress too but the waitress told us they didn't have it because it was "out of season". This didn't damper our experience at all since the spinach was so tasty. Service was prompt and polite as well.
(5)
Eric S.
I've been eating here for years. The food is still decent although the quality has declined somewhat from what it used to be. Beware: This place is not handicap or fat-people accessible. There's a rather long flight of stairs up to the restaurant, and it's quite crowded in there as if they tried to cram as many tables and chairs as they could into the place.
(3)
Christine L.
LOVE THIS PLACE!!! FAST service, KIND servers, YUMMY food. Things to Order: Zha Jiang Mien - SO GOOD. SO fast, They make it delicious. Not too much sauce, not too heavy either. Has bamboo in it (which I just pick out) but good for those that like bamboo. Meat is good quality too, includes tofu, lima beans, carrots, etc, everything that zha jiang mien should have. Only downfall is not shredded cucumbers, but I haven't been able to find any place in the northeast that serves shredded cucumbers on their zha jiang mien. OAJIAN - Oyster Pancake. So good. It's LEGIT here! Lu Ruo Fan - shredded pork rice. Its pretty good here. Only downfall is that they don't give you as much meat, and they also dont give you a tea egg that comes traditionally with the pork rice. Fried Pork with Rice - SO GOOD. Any other of their noodle dishes are AMAZINg. Iv'e tried like 10 other ones, and I don't have a bad thing to say about any of the. FISH BALL SOUP - Really well made. Comes out piping out, with alot of fish balls. Tastes amazing. KONG XING TSAI - best kong xing tsai in my opinion in boston. I love this place. Highly Highly recommended!!
(5)
Vivian H.
It was Taiwan's National Day so I dragged my boyfriend to the most suitable place I found on Yelp. We ordered an oyster pancake, which wasn't great but I was just happy to find it on the menu. The fried large intestines were disappointing, as they were kind of stale (if fried intestines can be stale), like not fried enough. The fried pork chop was great though, and super cheap at $5.50 (comes with minced pork, rice, veggies, egg). So I guess it's kind of hit-or-miss but at these prices you can afford to experiment a little. And where else can you find these Taiwanese dishes so close to my heart?!
(3)
Andrew M.
Really excellent authentic Taiwanese food. A bit crowded, but the wait is never too long.
(5)
Christine K.
This cafe alone increases my likelihood in moving to Boston by 20%...(I was previously at 60%). I'm so glad there is a legit taiwanese restaurant in Boston with beef noodle soup, oxtail soup, and a variety of asian veggies. Service was decent too. Will definitely be back.
(4)
Robert A.
Yum. I'm stuffed and feel good which is how I want to leave a restaurant after a meal. Not sure what happened with some of the other reviewers but our service was sweet and quick. We were seated at a communal table and was able to see other dishes...a neighbor even offered for us to try something. My partner got the soup dumplings (pork and crab) and I started with a calamari fish drop soup. Both were great starts and almost a meal to itself. Next he got beer braised duck (which was okay) but I got the calamari in mild spicy sauce and boy was it good! I could have eaten more but they would have to roll me out. Anyhow, the menu is super long and I can't wait to come back and keep trying different dishes. My co worker who is Taiwanese American told me to come here and I am so glad she did!!!
(4)
Tammy L.
Braised beef noodle and sticky rice sausage with peanuts. That's literally what I order every time I come here. It never gets old, though I think I should start trying other items on the menu too. Dishes arrive in children-themed plates. They're actually quite amusing to look after, especially after a long day at work. Service is good. I've never had anyone give me dirty looks whenever I ask for a few more minutes when looking at the menu. For me, that doesn't happen very often in Chinatown. Sadly. This place is cash only but it doesn't bother me. It's Chinatown, and being Chinese myself, I think it's normal.
(4)
Pete L.
When the line is too long at the Gourmet Dumpling house I head for the Taiwan Cafe. The food isn't as good, but it's still delicious, certainly much better than most things outside of Chinatown.
(4)
Ambrose C.
This is a great alternative to predominantly Cantonese Chinese cuisine restaurants in Chinatown that I have eaten in throughout most of my life. I have been here a few times, and I generally felt that I have got the most out of my money and enjoyed the food here, especially during lunch. Although I am not too familiar with Taiwanese Chinese cuisine, this is the restaurant that a couple of my Taiwanese Chinese friends like to eat at. At the first two times I have been here, I have had the Hei Jiao Niu Rou Fan (Hei Jiao means black pepper in Mandarin Chinese, Niu Rou means beef, and Fan means rice). This is the Veal Chop with Black Pepper Sauce over rice in English, but it's not really veal. The dish was pretty good as I can recall, and had a lot of spice to it, thanks to the black sauce. It also tasted really good with the rice. Another good choice is the Hong Shao Niu Rou Mian, which is the Beef Stew Noodle Soup with Spinach. This is a great choice to warm you up during a really cold day. I came here recently with a friend, and on a whim, I decided to order the Suan Cai You Yu Fan, which is the Sauteed Calamari with pickled mustard Greens over rice. I ordered that dish on a whim mainly because I like Calamari, and to see how they do with that dish. It was surprisingly good. The vegetables had plenty of spice, flavorful and went really well with the rice. The Calamari was also good and it was really chewy. My friend ordered his favorite dish, Zhao Pai Pai Gu Fan, which is the House Special Fried Pork Chop on Rice platter. This dish comes with not only the Pork Chop, but also some Chinese vegetables and a boiled egg. I was able to sample a few pieces of the pork chop. It was really tasty, crispy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. One thing that I found (and liked) about every visit is that all the dishes were able to get my stomach really full, and I usually spent less than $8 on a dish. Keep in mind that the place is cash only. Service was sufficient, they made sure that our big cups were full of tea. The next time I come, I would like to see how their Xiao Long Bao is and how they do compared to other restaurants that make it in Chinatown. Xiao Long Bao means "Little Basket Bun" in Mandarin Chinese, and they are called the "Mini Steamed Buns" on the menu. I would also want to eat some of the clay pot dishes are as well. Overall, this place has become one of my primary choices for the alternative to Cantonese Chinese cuisine in Chinatown and also for an inexpensive meal.
(4)
Avigail C.
The following rating is based on the food's taste and the service. The food was great, but my flavored vegetables ARE NOT the same price as my boyfriend's meat meal. The fact that they charge the same for both is just plain unfair and wrong. They really need to change this.
(4)
An N.
we had the braised eggplant - decent but not super special the salt and pepper soft shell crab - recommended! the fried pork with minced meat on rice - really delicious the pork and crab soup dumplings - as good as any soup dumpling I've had in NYC, if not better. soup is really flavorful.
Perfectly adequate. A lot of the stuff appears to be finished to order, rather than made to order. Whatever. The staff is impressively rude, which earns points in my book. Two things I really like are pickled mustard greens and Taiwanese fried chicken. I had a world class version of the latter dish about seven years ago in Arlington, VA, at a place that's since closed. After years of looking, I sort of already knew that Taiwan Cafe wouldn't be the place to replicate that experience. I was right. The mustard greens were fine, too. They were sort of bright and pretty flavorful. Not complaining. In the end, three stars seems fair, if generous.
(3)
Amy S.
The best food in Boston's China town. I love this place!
(5)
Hannah M.
And still stellar. I love sitting at tables with other parties because you can sneak a peak at what they're eating and get ideas for next time (or part 2 of your order!). Steamed buns are still probably my favorite and the scallion pancakes are always awesome. Taiwanese wonton soup was great and made awesome left overs too. Pickled cucumber is spicy, but so good. Pan fried dumplings were pretty oily, probably skip those next time. Watercress looked quite good and will definitely be on our list next time. We happened to be there in the midst of Chinese New Year celebrations and got quite a show, complete with dragons and firecrackers.
Food was absolutely delicious. We had pork buns, mapo tofu, egg/beef and tomato over rice, and szechuan beef in spicy broth. Everything was hot and delectable. The restaurant itself was very clean and the staff was friendly and particularly attentive for a small place. The waitress was very grateful for our tip, which was good to see. All in all, dining here was a great experience and I'm thinking Taiwan Cafe is going to become my go-to spot in Chinatown.
(5)
Mahina K.
Oh I enjoyed them. Extremely full restaurant on a Friday but seated us immediately. We had the Taiwan Style noodles w/ chicken, you're allowed to substitute pork for beef or chicken, without charge. (I'm not going to lie, I totally looked up what Taiwan Style noodles are, they're long flat egg noodles with sauce and beansprouts and chicken stirred in). My conclusion is that they were amazing. Soft and very tasty. We also had the scallion pancakes, I don't like scallions but I could smell the garlic and it smelled delicious. And the General Gao's chicken, crispy, spicy and pretty perfect-I do wish there was more pineapple. Rice comes separately. I'm super looking forward to going back. Everytime I think about those noodles I just want them again.
(5)
Adam M.
My friend and I stopped in here specifically to get the Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings). They are a treat we find all over the NY metro area but really didnt find many places in Boston who have them. The bao here were good. They were flavored perfectly and were nice and fresh and soupy. We'd def come back for more next time we're in the area, this dish is a great treat esp after a night of drinking!
(3)
Shannon D.
I love Taiwan Cafe! The service is really quick but it does get very crowded at lunch time. The seating can be slightly squished, sometimes you even get to make new friends because they pretty much seat you at a table with other people, Fun! But, despite all this I love it here and the food has never disappointed. I can't say I've tried a lot because once I had the fried pork chop and soup dumplings I couldn't bring myself to not order them. I'm not even Asian but somehow soup dumplings have become my ultimate comfort food. They're so amazing and Taiwan Cafe does them the best. The fried pork chop makes you feel like a fat kid but again, its become a staple comfort food for me. I've also had some sort of sausage dish before that was equally good, I just can't remember what it was. The a great place for a quick and cheap meal! Nothing too fancy just simple and delicious Taiwanese food.
(4)
Barbara L.
I typically almost never deviate from what I eat here. White rice with minced pork simple but delicious and cheap , beef with some type of green veggie, the fantastic basil eggplant always cooked perfectly so it's tender and soft but not soggy, it also has a nice bit of kick to it but definitely not too spicy. This time I was with a friend so we went with seafood pan fried noodle, I probably would have liked this dish better but it was ruined by the very obvious imitation crab meat that didn't mix well with the real seafood in the dish. I would be fine with them leaving it out or better yet bumping up the price of the dish(about eight dollars) and putting real crab meat in there. Scallion pancakes were too crispy over cooked/fried for my liking. The soup dumplings were pretty good, but I had it better at other places. The waitress was pretty efficient, with seating us, getting our order, although we were practically abandoned after that, and I had to flag someone down to get water and our check. The servers are efficient and fast, and seat and serve you quickly even when it's packed in there as it's a popular place that is pretty small. Even if some dishes were a bit of a disappointment if you have the eggplant here it's worth the trip.
(4)
Alex T.
I used to go to this place way-back when with my fam, and came back recently. Some new things to note: 1. New renovations - the size is about the same, may have added a few more tables but aesthetically, it's a big difference! It just feels less cramped there now and the bathrooms are entirely renovated. I wouldn't be as terrified if I had to go. 2. Credit Card - They now accept it as long as your order exceeds $20 or more Otherwise, it's overall a pretty solid place for traditional taiwanese fare. Highlights include the green horn spicy julienned beef, oyster pancake, scallion pancake, and the sa-tay beef noodles. Fried pork chop isn't bad either although sometimes the pieces have quite a bit of fat. If you're looking for stinky tofu, I would say that it isn't the best here. It's not bad but definitely not as "stinky" as other places. I would suggest Dumpling Cafe as a better option if that is what you're looking for. I think the best time to come here is for brunch. It's fairly cheap and the typical taiwanese breakfast here is solid. If you want to order something to go, I would suggest calling ahead of time -- it can take a while. Learned the hard way.
(4)
Joanne K.
Can't WAIT to go back, even if the B-line will take me an hour to get there. The food is ridiculously affordable (huge plus for poor college students like me) and will delight your taste buds to no end.
(5)
Larisa T.
Fantastic! I came here with a group of friends after we had been out drinking. Chinese food is perfect for sobering up...the food is oily, salty, and the lights are bright in here. We ordered a bunch of dishes, family style: --My friends raved about the soup dumplings. I don't eat pork, but they looked really good --We got a beef dish on top of crunch noodles --Bok choy and mushrooms --Spicy tofu Everything was flavorful and fresh. The place seems fairly clean too. They replenished our water glasses generously. And the bill was about $12/person. Can't complain. I'll be back.
(5)
Liliana C.
The scallion pancake-wrapped beef was delicious. Other than that, our meal was so-so. The dumplings were good, too. The fried pork was greasy and lame. The spicy beef stew with noodles was way spicy and the noodles were really disappointing. Overall, the restaurant seems overrated.
Ok, I'm now a regular here for dinner after work. Again, very friendly staff, good food. I think this is definitely a hidden gem for authentic Chinese food.
(5)
Vishal S.
This is your quintessential Chinese restaurant in a typical Chinatown - low key; no nonsense decor; "Asian" style service - efficient without the show of courtesy and palaver of an American restaurant; but good food! And that for me is what matters the most - good food! This place does have plenty of that at a reasonable price and good serving portions :) we ordered a bunch of dishes and here are my rating on that - Spicy Soft shell crabs - excellent fried crab dumplings (if you will) with perfect amount of flavor. String beef with long pepper - spicy and flavorful! Chili shrimp - not too spicy but with intense sweet and sour flavor. Definitely a must go place when looking for authentic Chinese food!
(4)
Isabella C.
Delicious! We ordered chicken w string beans which was quite good. The string beans could have been cooked a little more but the chicken was shredded and sauce was tasty. Their ma po tofu is yummy but the only thing is they don't have any meat in there. Haven't tried their soup dumplings yet but will be trying that next. Food is much better than gourmet dumpling house and is much more spacious. They kinda rush you a bit though when they get busy, which most places will do anyways. Highly recommend though!
(4)
Susan K.
Good Taiwanese food but I've had better. It was still satisfying but I wish I bought along one of my Taiwanese friends to order quick, fast, and order the right stuff. Tip: If you go to a restaurant in Chinatown, bring one of your Chinese friends along. You want the real good stuff. Anyway, the food we ordered was still delicious. Place is small and tight like a lot of the restaurants in Chinatown. Also, like many Asians restaurants, service stinks. My friend asked a question about a dish a waitress was serving at another table and she gave him an answer and he asks to quickly describe it but she just stares at him and walks away. Very rude. Granted, this lady probably had a bad day (you can totally see it on her face) but in any customer service business, you're working to serve the customer. But I already have low expectations in terms of good service in Asian restaurants. So a good attitude to have when you go to an Asian restaurant is to quickly go in, order your food, eat, and bounce. Don't expect to be treated like you're a King or Queen...which also means, don't tip too generously.
(3)
Sophia M.
I always overlook Taiwan Cafe for whatever reason but the two times I went, I always came out happier than before. Beware: If you are looking for a quiet lunch place to discuss intimate or things that require your full attention... DO NOT GO TO TAIWAN CAFE. Me and my co-worker made the mistake of going during lunch hour and ended sharing a table with two other groups which wasn't as bad as you would think. Everyone was nice, considerate, and well, there to eat. But if you are just looking for a place with minimum quality service, amazing food, and no elbow room (almost every restaurant in ctown) then this is the place for you. We ordered the soup dumplings with crab meat and it was delicious. A rice plate with duck, beef and a tea egg. And some kind of noodles. We ended up with a small take out which was surprising because the portions weren't super, crazy big.
(4)
Emily H.
I've been craving some good small eats ever since my boyfriend and I got back from Taiwan/Japan in early July. There are tons of good Chinese & HK places to eat in San Francisco, but the Bay Area is kind of lacking good Taiwanese. Lo and behold, there is Taiwanese food in Boston! I love that the restaurant itself is clean, bright, modern (enough) and the staff are extremely nice. It was extremely busy when we went in (around 2pm on a Saturday) so I assume that business is good. Lots of Asian patrons = a good sign. We got beef noodle soup (extra spicy), salt and pepper chicken wings and a...beef roll? Not sure what the actual name of it is in English, but its marinated beef, sliced and rolled up in a scallion pancake-type thing. The beef roll was AWESOME. Its one of my favorite things to eat, EVER, so I may be biased, but it was a nice generous portion of beef slices with crunchy cilantro and scallions. The pancake was chewy and fresh. The beef noodle soup was meh. The broth was lacking the right spice (star anise, mostly) and the beef wasn't cubed, it was in slices, so it really confused me when I got it. No soy egg or sour cabbage/pickles either. The bowl was mostly noodles, and not quite enough beef and veggies. Would not get again- I make a beef noodle soup that would kick its ass ( bit.ly/SnxCRz , apologize for the weak soy egg, but I made the soup in 2-3 hours). Since I gorged on the beef roll, I didn't have room for the wings, but boyfriend said they were great!
(4)
Michael D.
yayy for family run asian restaurants open WAYY when their working children should be asleep. I came after a night of bar hopping.. the place was empty except for two underaged-looking waitresses who were bored and waiting for customers. My brother and I got the two things I saw that yelpers recommended, and the waitresses gave us complimentary tea (with a fly on it) as we waited for our meal ( yelp.com/biz_photos/MnA_… ): Beef noodle soup with spinach ( yelp.com/biz_photos/MnA_… ): DEFINITELY not what I expected. I guess I've never had legit taiwanese food before.. I grew up with my mom making vietnamese pho so I automatically assumed the beef broth would be clear.. not A DARK RED color. but eh, it really wasn't too bad. Flavorful with just the right amount of spiciness Crispy Fried Pork ( yelp.com/biz_photos/MnA_… ): Pretty good, I have to admit. Fixed my fried-food craving from all the beer I had previously. The pork was actually CRISPY and not soggy, and it was semi-sweet and semi-savory. Marinated perfectly. It was served over rice with a hard boiled egg on the side.. The only complaint I have about this dish was that the rice was pretty cold. Oh well, not expecting too much for $6. Overall, I might be coming back here to try some of their other dishes, but I say the FRIED CRISPY PORK is a winner!
(3)
Edwardo C.
Back home for the weekend; speeded downtown towards Chinatown- just randomly walked in this joint of the Chinatown strip=amazing! Menu has a lot to choose from; so it will not get boring. Super authentic!
(5)
Miel L.
I went to this place again but was, on the whole, very disappointed. The gao kao chicken was too sweet and the taiwan style noodles were flavorless. The only thing we liked was the beef and pepper sauteed dish. On the whole, disappointing dinner.
(2)
Diana Y.
-------late night only------ Came here with a group of friends for a late night "snack" and ended up almost ordering the entire menu (overeager friend). Everything was good but the highlight was hands down the oyster pancake. Probably the best I've had on
(4)
Carla N.
In search of an alternative to Dumpling Cafe (some nights you're just not in the mood for the rough service), I decided to give Taiwan a try. We has a bowl of dumpling and watercress soup, yung chow fried rice, a variety of pan fried dumplings and the xiao long bao. Although I slightly prefer the taste of Dumpling Cafe xiao long bao, Taiwan Cafe wins out in that the food not only tastes fresh, you dont feel the same heaviness as a Dumpling Cafe or Gourmet experience. The restaurant was clean and pretty quiet for a Saturday night and the service was prompt and friendly which wins this place extra points. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and this will be my go-to late night Chinatown fix.
(4)
Pink Peony P.
My favorite go-to restaurant in Chinatown! They have the best soup dumplings and I love their House Special pork chop, that comes with veggie, tea egg, and a bit of pickled green. I haven't found better pork chops that are drool-worthy like from Taiwan Cafe's. Every time I need go with friends for catching-up conversations or for a hearty-fill dinner, Taiwan Cafe is always my top choice. The restaurant just did a renovation. The tables are now black granite and the chairs are nicely cushioned. They now take credit-cards! This is the best upgrade since it makes it life so much easier and convenient to enjoy and pay for dinner. (Try the eggplant basil! It's one of the best in town.)
(5)
Jill J.
A disappointing experience in general. Went in purely because of the good rating on Yelp, but food was greasy, smelled not too fresh and was not well prepared. The waitresses were also not friendly or helpful. There are certainly better restaurants in Chinatown. Will not return.
(2)
Deng X.
I don't even want to give them one fucking star. People who working there said go fuck yourself about we complain about their food! Even we gave them 10$ tips! Also the a lady who in charge pretend nothing happened . My friends and me have five people had dinner . We have ordered 7 dishes,one of the ordered spicy fish, The soup taste funky and the fish still have blood inside. Other dishes are Sucks also. Oyster pancake has plenty of oil under. They got oil for free??? The egg plants, I have no idea how them made it. Over cooked,it Taste like sh*t!!!! Finally, We tell a waitress about the fish, she tasted it and she said its good. If you don't want it , don't order it next time .she Said! That's ridiculous ! We only took few bites and left almost all the food inside plates ! And we left, when I went out my friend told me she heard one of the waitress said go fuck yourself . If I hear that , I will go back to take the money back. Beware !!! Don't go there to embrace ur self!
(1)
Max L.
Very good, fresh tasting Chinese food is what you'll find at Taiwan cafe. I ordered two dumpling dishes, the Taiwan pan-fried dumplings and the steamed pork/chive dumplings. Both of them were delicious and came with 8 giant dumplings each; very filling. I had several left to take home afterwards. I recommend giving this restaurant a try; the food is tasty and the prices are reasonable.
(4)
H H.
Grand re-opening this week! A much more modern and brighter look than before. The menu looks roughly the same, but I think the food has gotten better! Went tonight and got the typical Chinese veggies, pork dishes -- it was quite good, not too greasy or salty. Will go back and try more Taiwanese dishes.
(4)
Cassy H.
I'm still a fan, but I would be a bigger fan if Taiwan Cafe was open! I went by today (May 2, 2012) because this Taiwanese transplant was craving some Taiwanese food. I walked up to the street and noticed brown butcher paper taped on the window. I knew that was a bad sign. However, I proceeded further and saw a huge notice posted in English and Chinese.. saying how they are closed for renovation. Please come back soon! I miss you, TW Cafe! =/
A dinner for eight... 3 orders of xiao long bao Salt and Pepper Calamari Stinky tofu Basil Eggplant 3 cups chicken Beef noodle soup Braised Tilapia with spicy bean curd sauce Awesome service, they all spoke English pretty well which was great! We were given the table with the lazy susan, so we were able to rotate the dishes amongst ourselves pretty well. The big winners: Basil Eggplant Braised Tilapia Seriously - that basil eggplant is like crack. SO GOOD. And the braised tilapia was done with a sauce that tasted like mapo tofu. Delicious! The table wasn't too thrilled with the stinky tofu, so I was able to down the entire plate on my own (I LOVE IT SO!), and it felt so homey to devour the food of my childhood with some old and new friends. Taiwan Cafe was pretty empty while the Gourmet Dumpling house just around the corner was hopping! I've been to both, and I have to say... I pick Taiwan Cafe. Their xiao long bao was just as tasty (and a bit bigger than what I'm used to)! I can't believe it's taken me this long to try this place out, and I'll definitely be back soon! Oh, and at a per person cost of $13 (including tax and tip!), it's a STEAL.
(4)
Allen Y.
Pros: -Tasty food (try the 'lu rou fan' with whatever you're getting) -Fairly authentically Taiwanese, to boot (Chinese sausages with raw garlic anybody?) -Fast service -Large menu Cons: -Small and a bit cramped (but it's Chinatown)
(4)
Nancy C.
I've been wanting to try Taiwan Cafe for awhile, after seeing it so positively reviewed on Yelp and after it was recommended to me by some Chinese (like, actual Chinese not ABCs like me) friends of mine. So we went relatively early (like 5:45-6pm ish) and there was no line. We did have to split a big table with 2 groups though, but we didn't really mind. We ordered the xiao long bao (to compare with the ones from Dumpling Cafe), as well as the beef noodle soup that everyone seemed to get, along with the pork meatball soup with mixed veggies. The food came pretty quickly. Personally, I liked the xiao long bao here better than the ones at Dumpling Cafe, but that might just be because they came with a vinegar-ginger dipping sauce that I liked. They were juicy and pretty good. The beef noodle soup was ok. Not bad, not great. The noodles were pretty generic; stuff you can buy yourself at a Chinese market and make yourself. The soup wasn't even spicy. The spinach was, well, spinach, and the beef, which I expected to be in cubes and braised or something, seemed to be stirfried and put on top. Our pork meatball soup was a HUGE surprise. I personally liked the soup because it reminded me a little of my mom's cooking, but apparently it's not what the dish usually is. It was a huge bowl. Like, literally we probably could've ordered that between the three of us and not had to order the noodles at all. Which, considering it was about $20, makes sense. It was about 6 huge meatballs that were lightly fried in a soup with taro, mushrooms, Chinese cabbage, tofu, and other stuff. The meatballs were largely disappointing. Considering that they've been in a huge bowl of soup for awhile, they were quite dry. Surprise- they had egg yolk in the middle! I actually didn't mind this, because I like egg yolk, but my friend didn't like it at all. It is kind of weird, now that I think about it. The best thing about the soup was the mushrooms (they were shiitake mushrooms that seemed to have absorbed so much juice and flavor- yum!) and the Chinese cabbage, which I haven't had in a long time. Personally, I think that this place would be good to eat at, but maybe not the particular things we ordered. The bill came out to about $36, which made it $39 with tip, so $13 per person. Not bad, considering how much food we got. The service was nicer than at the Dumpling Cafe, but I don't mind brusque service because I got used to it after being in China for awhile.
(3)
Jay S.
Most horrible waiting service I've ever experienced. If you want to meet rude waiting staff, you've come to the right place. This place was horrible and shocking. I came to this restaurant with a family of four and the waitress did not greet us nor smile when she approached us. She then told us to sit in a crowded table in the early afternoon that already sat two other people. There were three other empty tables in the restaurant that could seat four people and I asked that we sit at those tables instead. She then proceeded to shout at me to say that those tables were only for 6 people even though it was clear to me that there were no other people waiting in the restaurant to be seated, nor were the tables reserved. We all tried to explain this to her, but she then proceeded to shout more, insisting that we sit at the table she wanted us to sit at! This was extremely rude and shocking given the fact that the customer should always be seated where he or she would like to be seated if those seats are reasonably available. She would not budge and so we left the restaurant in search of better waiting service. I have not ever experienced such rude service at a restaurant and STRONGLY suggest not visiting this restaurant. I believe that this restaurant needs to make much improvements in treating their customers respecfully.
(1)
Tom L.
Stopped by here on our way back from Portland. Saw the good reviews and decided to try it out. Ordered the Fried pork over rice, Smelly Tofu and soup buns. The soup buns are your standard fair nothing special. The smelly tofu was okay but (just my preference) the picked cabbage was cut in pieces that were a bit too big. the pork was good
(4)
Akira O.
According to Yelp this place was the best rated Chinese restaurant in Boston. I know Boston has some really good Chinese restaurants but I have to say I had better in this city. The food was tasty, but was greasy and made me nauseous at the end of the meal (or maybe I just ate too much). We had pork and crab dumpling (very good), deep fried lobster (very good), oyster pancake (slimy and greasy, not so good), sauteed Chinese vegetables (good), shredded pork and pepper (very spicy, very good), noodles with shredded beef and bamboo (ok), salt and pepper calamari (no good). The food here would be great if they used much less oil.
(3)
Sue H.
I love Taiwan Cafe! It's my go to place in Chinatown for great Taiwanese food and quick service. I don't think I've ever ordered anything here that I didn't like, and I've been tons of times. Hmm, let me think... You should definitely get the soup dumplings here, they're the best in Boston! I'd also recommend any of the rice plates or soup noodle specials. They're super cheap -- $5 for a whole plate/bowl of food?! Umm, yes please! My favorite is pork belly over rice, which is a very typical Taiwanese dish, but Taiwan Cafe does it very well. I also really like the julienned beef with watercress and beef with tofu and bamboo. These two dishes come out in heaping plates, and they're perfect for sharing family-style or for one with a bowl of rice. If you're thinking about ordering some appetizers, I always get the tofu with preserved egg and the oyster pancake. Yum! Taiwan Cafe is always jam-packed during the lunch and dinner rush, so if you're thinking of coming by, be aware of what time you're going in. Once you're seated, food comes out really quick, so don't be too worried. Then again, I'd say Taiwan Cafe is worth the wait anyways.
(5)
Peggy L.
Delicious, authentic Taiwanese food. Amazing beef stew noodle soup, xiao long bao, and green onion pancakes. Absolutely satisfied after my meal and prices are extremely reasonable. Wish I lived in Boston just so I can regularly dine here!
(4)
Lynn C.
I've been here twice now. The first time I was here, I probably might given this place a three, or even a four star, because I thought the food is pretty good. But I didn't feel like I had enough to say to update. This time around, the food was pretty awful, and the service is questionble The first time I came with my friend I-Chun (who gave the place a two star) and we had oyster omelet (she got sick from it), chinese watercress (very awesome), 3-cup chicken (meh), and pickled mustard green with pork intestines (great!!) This time I came with a different friend, we got marinated seaweed (meh), mustard green (einh), and cuttlefish paste cake soup noodle (einh). All of it was lacking flavour and the fish cake was so soft and fell apart. It was just not good. I've had better Taiwanese food even in Toronto. All the servers seemed to desperate to get us out even though the place had a lot of empty spots and we haven't been there for long. Maybe I'm mistaking their keen service attitude for rudeness. Who knows. All I know is I'm gonna go wait in line at the Gourmet Dumpling House next time I want to have some Taiwanese.
(2)
John Y.
Before I explain my one star review, I do have to say that the food here is good. It gets one star because of the hostess was incredibly rude. She was intentionally sitting other parties ahead of me and my girlfriend even though they did not have reservations. When I asked the hostess why, all I got was a curt and rude "not ready yet" reply. Maybe it was because many of these parties were Asian, and I am not. Please consider going to Gourmet Dumpling House or Best Little Restaurant instead of this place. Those two places are better than Taiwan Cafe, and you will be treated fairly.
(1)
Priscilla Z.
I don't understand why there are so many ppl coming. Maybe there are too limited choices in Boston Chinatown, or maybe b/c I'm too picky. But I've definitely experienced sth better! The only different about the lobster from the ones I had in LA, is that here, it is bigger. I had a lot of the lobster, tho it wasn't that tasty. The beef with pepper, I don't like, but it was really spicy! The sole tofu bowl was awful, I wouldn't prefer a dark color of it. Nothing to expect here, except for their cheap price. And they only accept cash. I was really disappointed by the New Year dinner.
(2)
Serena L.
My friends and I decided to check out this place after their recent remodel. Evidently, everything looks much cleaner! And they accept credit cards now, with a minimum $20 charge. The 8 of us entered at about 6:45 pm and were seated immediately at the only big table. The rest of the tables were 2 and 4 tops. Our dishes that arrived within 10 minutes of the waitress taking the order. There was a roll up of some sort that was made with something similar to the scallion pancake but had greens, sliced beef, and hoisin sauce. I think that was my favorite of the night. The lobsters were good also! The oyster pancake with gravy was rather yummy but soggier than I expected. We also ordered the eggplant with basil that disappeared quickly. All in all, I really don't think that you can go wrong with anything here! Service was quick but it does get packed quickly, even on a weeknight.
(3)
Kara H.
It reopened last July. I still love this place and come here every 2 weeks before my chinatown grocery shopping trip. We usually get the bamboo with pork, and white fish with lily bulb and vegetables. One time we were here, a bunch of white people at a table next to us decided to copy our ordering exactly. They seem to love all of our selections so don be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and order something other than the dumplings/buns/beef noodles. And as usual, totally better than Gourmet Dumpling House. I am still puzzled as to why the line of that place is always out the door. Their soup dumplings/buns are really only okay and nothing special.
(5)
Mickie N.
Dont let your tip dollars ruin your business! We were 5 people came to the restaurant, but there were only 4 of us had dinner here. At the first beginning, the way of the waitress told us to sit at the table were really rude. Her job was only bringing the food to the table and never came back again. Good server always come to ask the customer if they need anything else. Or AT LEAST they will come back to refill the water for the customers. After the waitress brought me the credit card receipt paper to sign, she stood in front of me and kept staring at the paper while I was writing down the tip for her. She took the bill back and did not say a word "THANKS" to the customer. As we stood up and walked to the door; the waitress who is skinny and wear glasses, she came to ask me to pay her 18% tip. She told me that 5 persons who sit at the restaurant have to pay 18% tip, even though they do not come to eat. ????? At first I gave them $6 ( as 15% of the bill), and they did not feel satisfy , so they forced their customer to pay them two more dollars? Are you serious? How could you ask people to pay you 18% tip while you treat them trust like sh**? People who come to the restaurant not only to eat good food, but also receive the good service from the server. If you did not treat the customer well, how could you expect them to pay you more money? If you dont like to deal with people, you should find another job that help you to earn money in the faster way as you wish. Don't stay there and ruin people's days. ps: Dear Owner , I don't know if you have time or not to read all these comments about your restaurant, you may end up to ruin your business in one day. Your restaurant does not have really good food that make you have no care to the customers. If there are no more customers come there, your business just opens for nothing. You don't like to please people, so you should never expect to get more money to your pocket. Good luck:)
(1)
Jessica W.
This Jessica Wang from Taiwan Cafe. Thanks for all your reviews on Yelp ! 5 Stars for everyone! We try ours best to bring you the favor from home as Taiwan Cafe since 1998, and introduce the first Soup Dumpling, Stinky Tofu, Oyster Pancake, Beef Noodle Soup, Fried Pork Chop on Rice, Beef with Long-horn peppers, and etc. to the people in Boston for more then 13 years. And now, in order to bring you better dinning experience, we will be closed for renovation for a month starting March 1st. Thank you for your continuous patronage and deeply sorry for the inconvenience that will cause you during the construction, but we look forward to serve you soon. You can also check us up on Facebook for new updates on the progress .
(5)
Corona W.
But for the rude, middle aged woman who always has on her "stinky face," ( I think she's the owner) this place serves large portions of pretty good food. Pros: I love their basil eggplant dish and their peapod shoots. When I ate meat, I also loved the pork cutlet plate that is served with rice and a brown egg. Cons: The vegetarian dumplings here are not good. The skin is too thick and the filling isn't that great either. In addition, they take forever to steam. If you're planning on ordering dumplings, order them when you get in so you'll get them with your meal instead of after. The owner -- seriously, this woman does not smile. She always has her stink face on. Anyways, whatever, I go for the food and I'll just attribute menopause to her unpleasantness.
(3)
Nita P.
i really love this place, but the quality of dishes is inconsistent, so it drops a star. you really need to know what to order. the three things i always get - veggie dumplings, braised eggplant with basil, and scallion pancakes. I don't eat pork, so no comment on the soup dumplings, though other friends seem to either really like or dislike them (and they're taiwanese, so... i'm staying out of that debate). another tip: always ask for their spicy sauce. mixed in hefty quantities with their soy sauce, it's the perfect accompaniment to the pancakes and dumplings. other dishes for consideration - some of my veggie friends rave about the sesame tofu. it's not my favorite, but if you like sesame tofu, maybe try it here. spinach with garlic is fine, nothing to write home about. had the spicy chili shrimp on bok choy last night. beautiful presentation, but needed to be much spicier. the shredded beef on spinach that my friends ordered was basically gone by the end of the meal (that's a good gauge of quality, right?), as was the oyster pancake. people also loved some sort of a sauteed chicken dish where the chicken looked a lot like noodles. Not sure what it was called, but it was gone by the end of the meal. Happy eating!
(4)
Daina L.
I've ate here twice and done take-out once. Great food at great prices. Super quick service and great for groups. The single room is a little small, but the restaurant size fits the whole dining experience. Fav. dishes: -steamed mini-buns (sooo juicy) -won-ton soup (they must put something extra special in their broth, because it is divine!) -homestyle braised eggplant -black mushrooms over greens Only con: sometimes there is a wait, but the service moves quickly. Go during the week to guarantee a table.
(5)
Thai-Anh H.
I love this place. I been a customer since my days in college. Their house special pork chop is to die for. I think everything else is just ok.
(5)
Nashrah R.
Fresh, delicious and authentic Taiwanese cuisine! I haven't gone wrong with any of the dishes I've tried at Taiwan Cafe, but that said, I would definitely recommend the braised eggplant and roast beef scallion pancakes (think scallion pancakes and beef wellington!). The service is also brisk and more on the polite lines than other places in Chinatown.
(5)
Michelle T.
Beggar's can't be choosers I guess. There is literally, no other Taiwanese restaurant in Chinatown so Taiwan Cafe will have to do. I wasn't blown away at all with the food, but it wasn't bad either. I can definitely say for a fact that the owner needs to retrain their servers to be a little more polite and a little less catty. The menu has a good selection of typical and traditional taiwanese foods (like oyster pancakes, though i can't say it's authentic), beef noodles soup, and taiwanese sausages. They have a good number of other Chinese dishes as well (I have a suspicion that the chefs in the kitchen are not actually from Taiwan). Oh, and they need to start accepting credit cards.
(3)
Lily X.
We came here on the day of mid-autumn festival for the lobsters and soup dumplings. The lobsters were awesomely flavored, but the portion was a little bit less compared to the other seafood restaurants nearby. The best part, the two lobsters for $25 were very fresh! We also ordered soup dumplings and garlic seaweed. The soup dumplings were above average. Great taste but very greasy. I don't want to disgust you, but there was definitely a lot fat blob floating on the juice coming out of the dumplings. Eating more than two for a meal is very much lethal. The seaweed with garlic was also decently prepared. It was a very refreshing appetizer. Overall, it's a very nice restaurant for Chinese food and seafood!
(4)
Wesley C.
So my friend brought me here because he said this place is one of his "favorite" restaurants in chinatown. okay - let's check this place out. one look @ the appetizers and this place sounds like a legitimate taiwanese restaurant - oyster pancake, stinky tofu, fried sausages, pan-fried dumplings, fried intestines, the list continued . . . i went with the oyster pancake (oh-a jian), spicy cold beef tendon, and green onion pancake (cong you bing). we also ordered a fried egg, tomatoes and beef on rice. oyster pancake - although it isn't exactly the same as what you get on the streets or night markets in Taiwan, it was surprisingly good! It was so fried that it was crispy - that was a very unique and delicious characteristic of their rendition. The combo of starchy/gooey-ness and eggs, and oyster was near perfect - maybe could have used some more oysters, but man - this was pretty darn good. Their red sauce was sweet and tangy and again, although not exactly the same traditional sauce that you would get usually, it was good. 4.5/5 stars. spicy cold beef tendon - spicy? not really - but Taiwanese food isn't really known for being spicy, so . . . meh . . . okay. could definitely use some peppercorn to kick it up a notch. flavors not so bold but it came with a good dipping soy sauce mix w/ garlic and green onions. 3/5 green onion pancake - crispy on the edges, but kinda soft in the middle - not sure if it just could have used an extra minute frying. also, flavors were not as bold as i would have hoped for, but the texture (multiple layers) was good. 3/5. fried egg, tomatoes and beef on rice - definitely an upgrade from your faux chinese take out menu. reasonably well-seasoned with a brown sauce. the beef was tender, juicy and flavorful, and they had ample amounts of tomatoes and eggs to pair with. 4/5. would definitely try some of the other things on the appetizer menu next time . . .
(4)
Rinda K.
I always see a huge line of people waiting outside of Gourmet Dumpling House and think about how much they are missing out when Taiwan Cafe is literally right around the corner and so much better. No waiting in line to sit in a cramped restaurant where you constantly feel like you're rushed to finish your food and leave. No elbowing the stranger next to you by accident as Taiwan Cafe is actually spacious and has a real dinner atmosphere. Their soup dumplings are superb, as are their regular pan fried or steamed dumplings. They also have this delicious roast beef wrapped in scallion pancakes--just ask for the scallion pancake sauce to go with it. Their noodle are also a must order. A gem in Chinatown for sure!
(4)
Mike D.
I went here with my girlfriend who is Taiwanese and she did all the ordering. We ordered 3-4 dishes and it was all excellent!! The space was clean and the food was very good! I will be back!!
(4)
Lily H.
I've been to Taiwan Cafe on multiple occasions and each time the food has been consistently delicious, or maybe even better each time I visit. Sometimes there's a short wait around peak dinner hours, but once you get seated and place your order, the food comes out almost as fast as the speed of light. It makes you wonder how fresh the food is, but the dishes come out piping hot and you can tell it they're prepared to order. They're just that fast so more customers can get in and get out. No rush while you're eating though but if you've already paid and are just hanging around, they may ask you to leave if there's a wait. If the restaurant fills up and the only seats left are the ones at the big round table - don't be surprised if you're having dinner sitting beside strangers! This is not the place to have an intimate date, but it is the place to have great food with fast table service at reasonable prices. Btw, it's cash only. Some of my favorite dishes are spinach stir-fried with garlic, roast beef scallion pancake, and soup dumplings (very plump, juicy, and flavorful). Enjoy!
(5)
Mer C.
This place is ok. I've had better. A good choice if you are in the area but don't go expecting the taste of Taiwan. Oyster pancake was probably the best dish we tried. Everything else was mediocre. But the prices are reasonable.
(3)
Ella D.
We tried eating here twice but were not able to find a seat due to the poor customer service on the part of the manager. The latest episode involved her saying that she would call us when a seat was available (est. 10-15 min wait), telling me to "get out" when I asked for a seat after 20 mins, then never calling us in the end. I cannot comment on the quality of the food as we never got past the front desk, but I will not support a business whose owner does not value respect for her customers.
(1)
Jingya L.
Food are excellent but the waitresses are awful. That's why I didn't give them a four star.
(3)
Alex C.
On the strength of fellow Yelper reviews, I ventured under the blue awning for an early lunch, and ordered the Szechuan Spicy Beef in Broth and pork soup dumplings. Although the beef dish appears to be a soup on the menu, it is instead a combination of thinly sliced beef with stewed cabbage in volcanically hot looking broth shimmering with red-tinted hot oil, heaped high with stir fried chopped red chilies and strongly fragranced with Szechuan pepper. My idea of heaven, really. It was simply delicious and the strong spices somehow did not overpower the taste of the beef but instead harmonized with it. The heat of chilies are mellowed a bit by being fried and develop more flavor in the process, and the Szechuan pepper slightly numbs the palate. This dish is very hot and needs the small side dish of white rice to balance out the heat. Definitely an adventure and perfect for a cold winter day. The soup dumplings came out next (they take some time to steam), were very juicy and flavored with sesame oil. While these were good, I prefer the more meaty flavor of the soup dumplings that can be had around the corner at Gourmet Dumpling. The restaurant is a good size, neat and clean, and the wait staff quick and responsive. This place is the real deal, and I will be back to further explore the offerings.
(4)
caley t.
Probably my favorite restaurant in Boston. This place is definitely a dive. In the middle of Chinatown, on dark Oxford Street, you walk up some stairs into a tiny restaurant ,decorated with shiny paper chinese rabbit decorations, and likely filled with a large crowd of people, very few of whom will be speaking English. It's all part of the experience. The menu is in chinese and english, and you will probably not be sure exactly what you are ordering- Don't worry, it doesn't matter- It's all delicious. Keep in mind, these dishes are not individual meals. Everything is served family style, and comes out in the order that it is ready. Order all at once, and it comes out in a different order every time, but always very quickly. Definitely start with the hot and sour soup- one order comes in a giant bowl, and you serve yourself. Easily enough for 4 or 5 people to have a few bowls each. A whole pot of some of the best soup around for only about 4 dollars! The dumplings are also a win- I have only tried the vegetarian ones, but they are great, even to the meat eaters. I usually order the Taiwan style noodles with seafood and veggies. It comes with scallions, crab stick, squid, shrimp, and a few other things. I don't know how to describe them exactly, but they are great, and you literally get enough for 3 meals (and I'm a big eater!)(and it only costs 7 bucks!) The szechuan style white fish is also super tasty, and very spicy, with strong ginger flavor- order rice with it to sop up the sauce! For a more exotic fish dish, try the braised tilapia- served as a whole fish in a giant plate of spicy sauce with soft tofu chunks- absolutely delicious! Make sure to order one of the giant Tsing Tsaos with your meal, and if you bring a big enough group, try to get one of the big spinning tables so you can try everything!
(5)
Tammy K.
Taiwan Cafe has *the fastest* takeout ever. Within 10 minutes of placing my order, I'm chowing down on basil eggplant (greasy decadence), pork chops (meaty goodness), and noodle soup with pork and mustard green (I heart soup). Soup dumplings take a little longer, but that's just the nature of cooking these difficult dumplings. +1 star for having special takeout containers that keep the soup dumplings intact.
(4)
Bobby F.
One of my very favorite places to eat. Service is great, prices are FANTASTIC, and the food gives the prices stiff competition. The thick bacon-cut pork over rice platter is my signature dish there, along with the mini steamed pork buns (soup dumplings). The rice dish comes with cooked lettuce, preserved vegetables, an egg hard boiled in the braising liquid, and a layer of stewed minced pork between the pork and the rice, just in case you were low on pork. On top of all this, and plenty of tea, $7 gets you a 22oz. bottle of Tsing Tao, for those so inclined.
(5)
Daniel L.
Taiwan Cafe is the go-to restaurant in Chinatown for quality Chinese food. No takeout crap food here! I have a friend who takes the train from NYC up to Boston solely to eat here, and I don't think he's crazy for doing so. My usual order includes bamboo tips with julienned pork (extra spicy), watercress with garlic, sauteed squid with pickled mustard greens, and ma po tofu. I've also tried their fried oysters and steam taro and duck, which are possible not on the menu. The food is glorious, the service sucks, and it's cash only. Everything is totally worth the inconveniences and hurry-hurry attitude of the staff.
(5)
Josephine L.
This is the most authentic Taiwanese restaurant you'll find in Chinatown. Okay, it's the only Taiwanese place you'll find in Chinatown. But it's still good and if you can't make the trek over to Allston for more modern authentic Taiwanese (Jo Jo Taipei), you'll do just fine coming here. Things to know beforehand: it's cash only, super casual (i.e. bare bones) decor and gets crowded fast. Being proudly Taiwanese thanks to mommy dearest, I knew I'd found the real deal in Chinatown because 1) The staff actually speak Taiwanese Mandarin--not Mainland Mandarin (like British English vs. American English) or Cantonese, which means 2) They're actually from Taiwan (huzzah!) and the menu offers Taiwanese staples like: - Beef noodle soup: Taiwan Cafe's is pretty good. The beef is properly stewed in tender chunks, not thin cutlets (as some horrible pseudo-Taiwanese places do). The noodles are thick and chewy, not stringy and limp. And it's served with pickled greens, a staple Taiwanese garnish. - Taiwanese sausage: You really just have to try this for yourself. There's nothing like it. - Ma Po Tofu: Oh my God, like mommy makes! Except I have to pay for this dish. Seriously, though, TC's is pretty good. - Taiwanese hot and sour soup: Where the stuff originated. Thick, flavorful, heavy on the spice, loaded with veggies I can't translate into English. Ahhhh, so good on a cold day. - Stinky tofu!: Except....*sniff*....they steam it instead of fry it. I like my stinky tofu deep-fried, drizzled in chili and sweet soy sauce, with a side of pickled cabbage. Like what you get off the street stands in downtown Taipei. Still, I'm just happy to find this period. Points to Boston for this and Jo Jo Taipei. Couldn't find anything remotely this good in Chicago, which is a far bigger city.
(4)
Kevin C.
The Boston Chinatown averages a big ol' 'meh' on a scale of 'this fucking sucks' to 'Christopher Walken.' On the whole, it's pretty cheap, but there's not much else going for it. Taiwan Cafe's not a whole lot different. Their oyster pancake and the fried large intestines were underwhelming, but their fried pork chop almost converted me. It was a huge serving of pork, vegetables, rice, and an egg, and I was instantly transported back to a simpler time, where men were men, and women couldn't vote. It's very cheap, very fast, and they do offer a ton of traditional options of the menu. Stick with the staples though.
(3)
Tinna H.
The best xiao long bao I've ever had. Seriously. We didn't even order the one with crab.
(4)
Tuan P.
Great food for a low price. This place has the best soup dumplings in Boston and the Taiwanese style pork chops were delicious. Crispy, slightly sweet and some deep fried fat pieces with white rice = big win. I am going to say that this is my new goto place in Chinatown. Can't wait to try some of their other dishes. Only problem is this place gets crowded and sometimes you end up setting with strangers....maybe that can become a good thing though ;)
(4)
Huong P.
Taiwan Cafe has now been updated to Taiwan Cafe 2.0. This means that henceforth they will shed their old ways of only taking cash to now taking credit cards (Visa and Mastercard). The quality of the food is the same, if not better. I think the new renovations look great, though I find the place to be a bit tighter in space than before. Despite the many positive changes, I would also like to note the negative changes as well. First off, because of all the new business, the place is now usually packed. This results in having to be placed on a waiting list, and a waiting list entails the hostess rudely telling you to get out of the restaurant into the freezing cold until you are called to come back. I wouldn't have minded so much if they didn't sneer at my mother trying to sit at the one available chair at the front. Secondly, when we were seated, we were offered with dirty cracked dishes and plates instead of presentable dishware. I know I am not at a three-star or four-star restaurant but I would at least like some of the basics such as cleanliness and appearance covered. Overall, however, the food is still as good as it was before and can rival Gourmet Dumpling House and the other Taiwanese establishments in Chinatown anytime. It is still my favorite place and I can't wait to come back for more soup dumplings (the best in Boston!).
(4)
Tiffany C.
I really give this place a 2.5 star, not 3. We were visiting Boston and found this place with high reviews so we tried it. Who wouldn't want some good Taiwanese food? The environment is good - place is super small, so get there early - and the staff/service was only average. We tried the traditional Chinese veggie dish (only know the name in Chinese.. sorry), Oyster Pancake, Vermicelli Oyster Noodle Soup, and a rice dish covered in meat. The only thing we liked was the rice dish. I am Taiwanese and don't consider this place authentic at all, so not sure how this place was rated so highly. Seemed like it was ran by Cantonese. Perhaps we didn't order other dishes that might have tasted better - but the items we ordered are the traditional and more popular among Taiwanese. Just disappointed...
(3)
Hannah K.
For the money, this place is simply amazing. Both me and my boyfriend decided to get some safe dishes. My boyfriend got the chicken and broccoli and it was honestly as good as chicken and broccoli could be. It also came with a little soup as appetizer, which was good. I got the Taiwan style tofu, which had a deep fried exterior and a soothingly soft interior. The scallion pancake appetizer was a little thick, but had a great depth of flavors. Definitely a great option for an inexpensive night out that tastes like a fancier restaurant.
(5)
Sasha C.
i have aboslutely NO CLUE what everyone is raving about here and on yelp. the four of us ordered a BUNCH of food to sample and boy were we let down. BOY OH BOY. then we looked around and realized people weren't doing family style dinners. they were all ordering single platters with rice and fried chicken. i guess we missed the memo but we also asked the waitress to suggest something to us in which she did, and left out the single platters! also the stinky tofu.. we had as well. all i can say about that dish is it literally tastes liek GARBAGE+SMELLY SOCKS. GROSS !!! try it for the experience lol.. but it looked and smelled nasty!! oh and their bathrooms were tiny but amazingly clean! granted, i'd probably give taiwan cafe a second try and order the single platters instead of doing family style.
This Place is great. Amazing food and very friendly staff. Basil Eggplant is a must try.
(5)
Ninja M.
3.5 stars. Food is decent. Recommend stinky tofu and fried pork over rice. Noodle was American style. Too oily and salty. Place gets backed. Employees need to work on customer service so that's why one less star.
(3)
Maddie C.
Love this place. Great vegetarian options. Be prepared to sit at a huge round table with people you don't know if you come as a small party. I recommend the Ma Po Tofu and the eggplant!
(5)
Fawn Q.
I am giving this place a 4 solely on how much I love their beef pancakes. BEEF and fried Chinese pancake and hoison sauce and green onions....nom nom nom nom Most of the other dishes are pretty good as well but pales in comparison with BEEF pancake
(4)
Irene Y.
Cheap, convenient and fast. :) Recommendation *get the pork cutlet rice, it's the best deal and you get a soup! *sausage fried rice was standard *portions are generous, so be prepared
(4)
Yenling C.
Great food and huge selection, highly recommended Taiwanese dishes
(5)
Karen N.
Went last night after reading positive reviews, and we loved it. Food very fresh and delicious. Roast beef scallion pancake was very good. Also enjoyed the Taiwan style sauteed noodles w/pork and veggie. Mini steamed buns with pork were tasty, but hard to eat with all the juices inside. Sauteed shredded beef with long horn pepper good and spicy hot, but peppers were a little overpowering. Very nice and attentive waitstaff. This will be one of our new favorites in Chinatown, where we dine fairly often. Very reasonable and we took home enough for second meal. Place was packed shortly after we arrived, which we took as a good sign.
(5)
Juliana N.
Beef noodle soup with spinach with chow fun noodles :-) The food here is so good. They actually serve some authentic taiwanese food. Taste like home cooking. Love it. The only thing though is that service can be questionable.i came here once and saw a waitress stop a customer and tell her that she didn't give enough tip....? Odd. Otherwise.food is delicious. The fiance loves the chicken cutlet dish and never orders anything else haha
(4)
Eva H.
The food is alway's delicious, fast, and cheap! Authentic Taiwanese. The service is okay, but I guess that's what you get in Chinatown. Among my favorites are: Beef noodle soup Eggplant with basil sauce Fried pork chops But everything I have tried there is delicious!
(4)
Yoonie C.
Very good rice with duck and cold cut beef with soy sauce hard-boiled egg and pickled cabbage/ green thing. Good tilapia with soy sauce and scallions.
(4)
Christina K.
Do I care if I have to sit next to strangers? Not if it means I get food from this place -- I come here often after having been introduced to this little gem about a year and a half ago and I have NEVER been disappointed. Authentic food, some of the best xia long bao I've had, way better than dumpling house. Get over the small dining area and dig into the menu. They have a whole fish for very inexpensive and it's served on a tray that cooks it while you're eating -- delicious! Everything here I've ever ordered was awesome, so highly recommended.
(5)
Laura T.
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 $43! Whaaat!?!
(5)
Alexis C.
I don't have a lot of experience with Taiwanese food so when my Taiwanese friend and I come here for delicious breakfasts, I sit back while she gets to work ordering. The food does seem sort of unhealthy (fried dough? fried sausages?) but so does American breakfast food (pancakes, fried eggs, bacon). She also ordered a whole bunch of stuff that wasn't on the menu, all of which was delicious but none of which I can tell you the name of. Maybe the lesson from my review is that if you're Taiwanese and/or know what's what, you can get a pretty sweet meal here.
(4)
Diane H.
Have I really never written a review for this place? HMM. Okay I love the oyster pancake..around 6-7$, I order a bowl of rice..they only come in small bowls..and then I get some xiao long bao (soup dumplings) 8 for around 8-9$ I mean..I'm probably biased..cause i just came back from Shanghai and all..so of course it's not that good compared to that..but I'm pretty sure it was pretty good before I went..to asia...and ate a load of good food..so I'm gonna say that it's still good compared to other places here. Oh the "choys" are good..the green leafy stuff.... I think they ..either overpriced my food or....the dish of "choy" was legit 12$ OUCH. oh and the fried squid thing is pretty good..$12, i'm not sure what its called on menu as my friend js ordered it by mouth. no boba shakes..... :( Usually packed during dinner time..
(4)
Albert L.
I got back a few days ago from a vacation in Taiwan. Each night I ate at the night market in Shilin, down the street from my grandparents' home. I went to Din Tai Fung twice. I hardly remembering doing anything else besides eating. But, despite having spoiled myself rotten lately with authentic Taiwanese food, if someone told me another Taiwan Cafe were opening up in the Bay Area tomorrow, I'd be the first person in line. There will always be a niche for place like this. The combination of a low-key -- but not dirty -- feel with the excellent prices was the charm back when I was a college student in the Boston area, and by all accounts (my sister is a senior in college there now) it remains the charm still. Where else can you find a well-breaded, well-fried pork chop with rice on a plastic plate with the alphabet encircling the rim? And then their tomatoes and beef over rice -- DIVINE. For just $4.99, it's still the best deal in town. My one complaint back when I was in school was that the food wasn't always consistent -- sometimes it'd be lukewarm, or sometimes the vegetables would come out a little soggy. But the service was never terrible, and unlike at Jo Jo Taipei, the portions are consistently generous.
(4)
Megan D.
This food. Amazing. The soup dumplings may change your life. I may come back and up my rating to 5-stars, but I've only been once and I need to do more research.
(4)
Cindy W.
Not bad...Not bad at all. Its a great place for lunch. The prices are VERY reasonable and you get allot for your $$. Go for their pork chop on rice. Its one of their signature dishes. My favorites are their scallion pancakes, Taiwanese hot and sour soups (tastes just like the night markets in TW), 3 cup chicken dish, and of course their skinky tofu. Yum!
(4)
Rafa R.
This place serves great food! I don't think I've had better mabo tofu in the Boston area. If you have, please tell me where. I can also recommend the duck cooked in soy sauce, the hearty seafood soup, the dumplings and the greens known as hollow vegetable. I'm kind of getting the feeling you can't go wrong here. My only complaint is that they don't give you your copy of your credit card receipt unless you request it -- why???
(5)
Archana V.
Six hungry people split six huge dishes. - Scallion pancake - Soup dumplings with pork - Soup dumplings with pork and crabmeat - Sichuan style white fish cooked in a spicy broth (A-mazing!) - Sauteed shrimp with scallions - Mabo tofu We had a delicious meal and ended up paying $10 per head (tips not included)! Enough reasons to make me a regular here.
(5)
Allyn H.
Oh Taiwan Cafe, I love love love your three cup chicken. This restaurant was my first introduction to Taiwanese food and I loved it. If I cant get taiwanese food at home,( because my wife is from taiwan.) then I go to Taiwan Cafe to experience the great food. Actually, the owner is from the same town as my wife, so the place is legit.!!!! I've actually never Ordered from this place since my wife speaks to the owner and the waitresses, and *poof*.... out comes 5 dishes of food.
(4)
plz h.
This place is OFF THE HOOK. The eggplant & the vegetables are amazing at this place, SO GOOD, SO GOOD. Figures that the best Chinese food place in town is, uh, Taiwanese. I can't speak for the meat dishes, but I've had half the vegetarian items here and none of them have disappointed. Nom.
(5)
James H.
Such excellent food! I wish they would wipe the teapots off occasionally, however.
(5)
Dennis L.
I have eaten here a good number of times, enjoying a variety of their dishes while standing their quirks, but there are certain items on the menu that pique my curiosity... but I fear I will never order. The food is alright, that's not a question for me... However, Taiwan Cafe seems to be the best choice of restaurant I have seen in the Boston area... to freak someone out. This re-review is based entirely on the ability to go to Taiwan Cafe and squicking someone with a blind taste test as a form of entertainment, rather than as a restaurant. Some of these dishes, I do enjoy, but for the uninitiated or sane, this might bring them a few rungs toward worshipping Cthulhu. As I flip through their menu right now, here's a listing of dishes that you can introduce to your dare-taking friends: Blood pudding rice cake w/ gravy Thousand year egg w/ chilled tofu Fried pork intestine Chilled spicy pork ears Chilled five-spice duck tongue Chilled jellyfish w/ garlic Poached pork intestine with dipping sauce Sauteed escargot w/ soy and basil Sauteed pork kidney with sesame oil (chili sauce) Taiwan-style sauteed pork lever Pickled mustard green w/ intestine and blood pudding Sauteed pickled mustard green w/ pork intestine Sauteed pickled mustard green w/ pork tripe Sauteed duck tongue w/ basil Beer braised pig's feet Fish head w/ mixed vegetable in clay pot Sauteed pork intesting w/ chinese leek Soup w/ pork intestine and blood pudding Soup w/ spinach and pork liver And seemingly not so gross, but this line says: "Steamed fermented tofu w/ minced pork & broad bean sauce (take-out only)". Just what would relegate a dish of stinky tofu to 'take-out only'... Hrm... So the next time you're planning on doing a home edition of Fear Factor or scaring the in-laws, dig into the menu! Also, Taiwan Cafe is open late! So it can be a wonderful life-changing experience to drag your friends in after hitting up the nearby dives and clubs! Their hallitosis and pictures put up on Facebook the morning after make wonderful presents! P.S. I am being very facetious. The food is alright, see prior review for real details. I'll... go stick to the julienned meats with vegetables.
(5)
Jeff C.
This place was good. Expect to see people waiting outside for a table. Usually packed during dinner time. Every dish we tried was good. Came here with like 12 people, so I don't remember exactly what dishes we ordered.
(5)
Anna L.
We order lunch there all the time! 3 dishes for 19.95 and it comes with rice and soup! We get julienne peppered beef all the time and it's been great! So far, everything we've ordered except for soy bean milk (tasted a lil powdery and stale) and chicken leg over rice (chopped up fried leg, which you can't tell is a leg anymore and the flavor is not savory enough - they didn't marinate it long enough), everything else on the menu is really quite delicious!
(4)
Trevor S.
Being down a little side street, up some stairs, and fluorescently lit like a photo shoot in a morgue, this place fits the description of little-find-in-Chinatown. The salty cod hot pot is super good. And the XLB were filled with hot soupy goodness, if the skin was a bit thick. Is it "authentic"? Not being born or raised in Taiwan I couldn't say. but it's super good.
(5)
Zizzles A.
I remember my mom dragged me here once 5, maybe 6 years ago because of some recommendation she received from a co-worker about their sheng jian bao, buns that pan fried raw, then water is added, and the whole thing covered so that it's steamed and pan fried simultaneously. At least, That's how the shanghai version goes. The skin is thick, made with risen dough instead of the flat dough of XLB, but the filling is usually more or less the same. The version we got here was chocked full of bitter cabbage, and not at all like the shanghainese version. And so for 5 or 6 years, I've avoided this place. But I could only stay away for so long when every asian person I know who goes to chinatown with any semblance of frequency raves inceasantly about this joint. So I went for Taiwanese dimsum and now I swear, this is one of my favorite restaurants in Chinatown. I went for their Taiwanese dimsum, and had some northern favorites along with XLB. My two favorite items were the mini beef sandwiches, niu rou xian bing, which is on the dimsum menu, and the pan fried taiwanese dumplings. The shao bing is a comfort food I miss from beijing, and the version here is a little lighter than what I'm used to, with a less pronounced crust and less oil in the dough, but it was tender and soft as shaobing should be, and delicious. It was filled with hoisin, cold cut beef, and some veggies (cabbage or lettuce of sorts). It's definitely something most people would enjoy, but I think my love for it stems a lot from the my deprevation of northern chinese food. The pan fried dumplings are now my favorite in the boston area. I have yet to try jojo's and wisteria's dumplings, but I doubt they could be significantly better than Taiwan Cafe's. The skin is a little thick, but not like a peking ravioli. The filling is well, but not overly seasoned, and most importantly, the cabbage inside is not overcooked! That is so, so rare! Dumplings, especially the pan fried kind are often too heavy because not only are they fried, but the cabbage is totally wilted and flavorless, so you get basically a fried pasta wrapped around a pork meatball, but TC's version has a light bitterness and some texture in the cabbage, making it the first time I've had dumplings in America that were better than homemade dumplings. Forget gourmet dumpling house. As long as the ingredients aren't rotten, I'd say XLB are always a safe bet, but they're definitely not that special here. The skin is a little too soggy, and the filling is a bit dark, heavy with soy sauce. I'd order them again if I had the sudden urge, but it wouldn't be an xlb destination for me. It's not like the shanghai style XLB, but not as good as Jojo's for Ding Tai Feng style XLB. Beef and Sha Cha fried noodles were good. The noodles were flat and shaped like linguine. The sha cha wasn't overpowering, the beef tender, and some nice veggies (kong xin cai i believe) in the mix. Fried noodles are inherently pedestrian, and I doubt it gets too much better than this. The eggplant with basil was pretty good as well, though I prefer Jojo's version. They both have a very pronounced basil flavor, but Jojo's is lighter. I was a little miffed at first because the thick sauce was really sweet in the TC version, and a little sour as well. If the eggplants were floating in the bottom where the brown sauce pooled, they were a too salty/sweet. As I ate more of it though, the heat seemed to help balance the sweetness, and more rice helped with everything else. The pork feet noodle soup had super thin, angle hair like vermicelli in a sweet soy sauce based broth. The meat was pretty good, and the soup was tasty as well, but the vermicelli was a bit over cooked. Wow there is some great food here, and I still haven't tried the 3 cups items or many of the other sha cha stuff. I will definitely be coming back, probably very often.
(4)
Cassandra M.
I first visited Taiwan Cafe when my boyfriend's Kung Fu school asked me to go out to lunch with them after weapons class. Now, my boyfriend takes his kung fu seriously, even more seriously than the food he eats. This was the perfect combination for him, and since moods are contagious, it made me feel very happy to have a happy beloved. We sat down and his Sifu ordered all of the special stuff that you only get if you know it and can speak Chinese. No white treatment here, nope!! We got duck and taro in this strange cinnamonish sauce - it tasted like breakfast. I love breakfast! Duck breakfast is a little strange, but I'm open... The crown jewel in my opinion was the shredded pork with dried bean curd. So super good and satisfying, a little spicy with lots and lots of flavor. I now use this dish as a comparison to judge other Taiwanese restaurants.( I'd say Mulan over in Cambridge is very similar for yumminess factor.) The literal meaning of "Kung Fu" is to "put effort into." I'd have to say that Taiwan Cafe's kung fu is STRONG.
(5)
Kay C.
service is whatever. I ordered chinese water spinach with garlic, and chicken pot, which is slightly salty to me.
(3)
Ben L.
I have one HUGE regret about Taiwan Cafe. It's quite simply that I haven't found very many Taiwanese dishes that I really enjoy. For preparation and sticking to the style of food they are simply amazing and their most incredible factor is their staff. The last time that I was there I went in to order some food for take out just when there was a bit of chill starting to rustle up in the air out side. While I was waiting for my food to be prepared multiple members of their staff came up to me trying to convince me to sit and have a cup of tea during my wait. I mean really, do people have to be that nice!! Simply the best place around if you dig the style, however if you are like me and you are still trying to find the perfect dish it may take a couple of visits. But hey, at least you'll enjoy going there.
(5)
Rajiv R.
Hidden in the corner of Oxford and Beach street, Taiwan Cafe, modest in appearance is easy to miss by many a passerby. However, it is truly one of Chinatown's hidden jewels. With a variety of many interesting dishes, Taiwan cafe is not your typical Chinese restaurants. I have been here several times while attending MIT. However, this was my first visit in a long time. For appetizers, we savored the beef tendons served cold with soya sauce and delicious Peking ravioli. For dinner we had three entrees including the delicious sauteed beef with long horn pepper. The other two dishes we had were Jumbo shrimp with chili sauce and the simmered chopped chicken leg with three essences in a hot pot. Both had their own special flavor and were unlike any dish I have ever tasted. The quantities were ample and Taiwan cafe was indeed worth the visit.
(4)
Art W.
First meal after moving to Boston, and I chose a winner. Ate by myself so could only try the tsung yo bing (scallion pancake) and three cups chicken. Both were solid renditions. The tsung yo bing were not too greasy and were really flaky. I also like that they serve it with the sweet soy sauce. Yum! I may become a regular.
(4)
Lisa H.
This rating is for their fried pork rice plate. Cheap and delicious. My friends always get this dish without fail whenever we come here for lunch and I decide to be different and order a noodle dish. Fail. I always regret my decision because their pork dish just tastes so much better. All kidding aside, for Boston, Taiwan Cafe has good Chinese food. (although it doesn't compare to Houston or California's Chinese food).
(4)
Minnie M.
A friend brought me here recently and I have been raving ever since. The M-F lunch specials are a great deal- 3 dishes plus soup and rice for 20- We got Chinese mushrooms and bok choy, ma po tofu, Kung pao chicken. Everything was amazing. Can't wait to go back to try other dishes.
(5)
Chika M.
Great food with great price! Stir fried eggplant, water crest, and scrambled egg with beef and tomato over rice (don't know the official name on manu), spicy chicken, noodle soup, and lobster... the list goes on. There is no bad choice at this restaurant!
(5)
Meghan S.
Fresh, delicious and fast. Perfect for lunch and with rather large lunch portions for only $6.65. I love the braised eggplant with basil and can not stop drooling over mustard green with edamame and tofu, where the tofu is cut like thin noodles. You won't run into a greasy, western-style Chinese dish here
(4)
I-Chun C.
I'm going to have to give 2 stars for this one. I was so excited to eat here because I've been missing Taiwanese food since last time I was in Taiwan (August '09). I went with my friend Lynn (also Taiwanese) who's become my Chinatown partner in crime. We got 4 dishes: oyster omelette, kong xin cai (Chinese spinach? Chinese watercress? I don't know if it has an official English name), 3 cup chicken, and suan cai da chang - pickled mustard greens with pork intestine (DOESN'T THAT SOUND APPETIZING?). Yes, that's too much food for 2 little asian girls, but we wanted to get a good variety - the way a Taiwanese meal is supposed to be. The mustard greens and intestine was definitely the best dish (you must be shocked). Really good texture, and plenty of meatiness. However, we both found the dish a little sweet for our taste. The Chinese spinach was delicious and simple, just as it should have been. The 3 cup chicken was nice but not the best I've had (my friend didn't like it). My friend doesn't eat oysters so I got the oyster omelette for myself. I simply did not enjoy it. Way too crispy on the outside while somehow being way too gooey on the inside. The consistency was all wrong. It tasted OK, but the sauce was also all wrong - it was a dark brown color instead of the light pink chili sauce it's meant to be. I wish I hadn't ordered it because right when we left the restaurant my stomach started turning. I was supposed to go to my friend's house in Cleveland Circle but I barely made it home east of Washington Square without throwing up all over the C-line travelers. I don't think I'll go back - then again I might be moving to Taiwan soon so I won't have to!
(2)
E K.
Decent food at good prices. Quick service, but it is sometimes difficult to get the attention of servers. Will go again!
(4)
Tara T.
Omnomnomnomnom. That's what I have to say for this place. Cheap, tasty, comfort food for those who LOVE all things Taiwanese. The Lu Rou Fan is so good and so much like what you would get on the streets of Taiwan - the only complaint is it's missing the boiled tea egg that typically comes with the dish. Soupy dumprings with crabmeat on top - done to perfection and they RARELY break on me. (One of the most frustrating things is to have a delicious soup dumpring only to have the skin rupture and the soup runneth everywhere.) Almost as good as Din Tai Fung's dumprings. And the oyster pancake! Oh my God, oyster pancakes - omnomnom. Not too much sauce, tons of oysters and spinach, fried to oily perfection. So good. I'm so glad they opened up again, because I have sorely missed Taiwan Cafe in the last six months.
(4)
Anita D.
After a long day of sightseeing, my bestie and I ended up in Chinatown. What better way to experience Chinatown then trying their food? So we quickily yelped a place to eat and decided on Taiwan Cafe. For the most part the waitresses are obnoxious here and could careless with the exception of one. She never left our water glasses or tea empty. She was very accomodating when we asked for more utensils and such. The portions here are huge! I ordered the chicken with vegetables and could barely finish half of my plate. My friend had some hearty noodle soup and i really liked that as well. They added white pepper and it gave the dish an extra kick.
(3)
Huan z.
It's always so crowed here during lunch time. Their best dish is a traditional Taiwanese dish, called Three-Cup Chicken. I am not usually here for the food. I am usually here in the summer for the Chinese style shaving ice. It reminds my old summer time in Shang Hai. My favorite choice here is ice with green bean. Yummy!
(3)
Claudia S.
The food is to die for! Addicted to their fried tofu with the garlic sauce. Kids love the dumplings, scallion pancakes. Everything we tried is soo good. Very cheap too, 4 of us eat and took home leftovers for under $30!
(5)
Opal L.
It is very rare to find food this good and so cheap. For only $5.50, I got a deep fried quarter chicken leg, cabbage, rice with braised pork topping (the stuff made with pickled cabbage), hard boiled egg cooked in some kind of sauce, and soup. I think it was more than just the quarter chicken leg because there were some extra breast pieces too. The flavors make the chicken so much better than KFC. The dish is called "Crispy chicken quarter leg on rice platter". There's a chicken cutlet on rice platter too if you don't want to deal with bones. I got it for take-out and the bag felt so heavy as I carried it home. About half of it is still in the fridge after I ate so much that I fell asleep. The food is so good at this place! However, if you're looking for fancy tables and stuff like that, this is not it. Go there for the great food in a very casual place.
(5)
Francine W.
It was okay. The XLB were decent for Boston.. scallion pancakes were good. The salty/pepper fried squid was mediocre. The flavor wasn't that strong and the squid itself could have been higher quality. I'd like to come back and try some other dishes though because I glanced around at other tables and their food looked pretty decent!
(3)
Lily L.
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.
(4)
Charles T.
Decent food priced well. Recommend the house special pork chop rice plate.
(3)
Terry L.
Like many other restaurants in Chinatown, Taiwan Cafe is unassuming from the exterior. It fits into its surroundings. A slightly dirty, hole-in-the-wall joint. There ain't nothing fancy about it. Taiwan Cafe is all about the food. It is really stellar. The menu is authentic. The flavors are authentic. If you want to take a culinary adventure, you can order some of the more unique dishes such as intestine or chicken feet. I wasn't feeling my Andrew Zimmern on the evening I went, so I stuck with a fairly safe mix and was pleased from start to finish. The tea is excellent, the seafood is fresh, the eggplant is sublime, and the flavors are truly wonderful. If you are wandering around Chinatown looking for an authentic and flavorful experience, don't get turned off when walking past this place. Go in, sit down and enjoy. You won't regret it.
(4)
Shuan L.
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.
(4)
richard s.
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.
(4)
Michael Y.
Everything I've had here is great. The stuff that's traditionally street food isn't as good as it would be in Taiwan, but I chalk that largely up to the cooking facilities that would be impractical to have in an indoors restaurant. My go to place to eat when I'm hungry and in the area
(5)
Q S.
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.
(4)
David S.
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!
(5)
M. Deloris D.
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.
(2)
Mark Z.
From San Francisco. The pork and crab dumplings were really good! Never had it before.
(4)
Sand R.
My friend loves this place. We were visiting Boston last weekend so I was very excited to try it, but it was closed for remodeling...So cannot judge the quality of their food. Just want people to know that the store is going to closed for a while.
(3)
Ben W.
Great REAL Chinese Food in Boston!
(4)
Esther W.
So I've only eaten here once for lunch so I don't think I can give a fair review yet but I was very happy with my meal and I will definitely go again to try other dishes in the future. Based on recommendations, we ordered the fried pork chop over rice (which comes with a soy sauce egg and some cabbage) and the eggplant with basil. All dishes come with mediocre egg drop soup. Both dishes were really good and filling and BIG, and the food came out super quickly. My friend and I shared two dishes, ate until we were stuffed and still had enough leftover to take home (my lunch the next day!). And the best part? Each dish was about $5-6 each. Not bad at all for a filling, yummy, quality meal~!
(4)
Meg B.
The food here is awesome. Very different from Cantonese-style that is more readily found in most Chinese restaurants in town. Many of the dishes are what can be found in parts of mainland China--the most similar we have found to authentic Hunanese cooking. The atmosphere is very cramped, but the staff is great and the prices are very reasonable. Grab an ice cold Tsingtao to go with your meal and enjoy!
(4)
Jon L.
Came here for late night snack with some friends and ordered way too much food. To be honest, I really don't remember most of what we got, though the best was these fried sweet taro dumpling thingees. So yummy. The other food was alright, though nothing spectacular. On a side note, I went with a couple of people straight from Taiwan, who said the food, while okay, was not particularly authentic. Pricewise, it was pretty cheap, lots of food for something like 10 bucks a person. Something that was neither particularly good or bad, the owner of the place seems somewhat sketchy. He came over to our table and was being chatty, though he seemed to think he was some sort of big shot that we should have heard of. Um no. Owning two Chinese restaurants in NY does not make you a superstar. He also was unwilling to help out at all...refused to take our orders or to take a picture from us, motioning over the wait staff to do all this stuff. I have never once been to a Chinese restaurant where the owner was so stuck up. Usually, they're really schmoozy and willing to do anything to make you feel welcome. So he sorta sucked. Bottom line, relatively good food, silly owner.
(3)
Cathy L.
Highly highly recommend this place. Pretty authentic (though Americanized in a few ways). Loved the crispy tofu, braised eggplant, watercress with garlic, and vegetable steamed dumplings. And somehow with drinks, we only paid $15 each...an amazing deal for very yummy food!
(4)
Yvonne W.
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!
(4)
Ian S.
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!
(3)
Will N.
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.
(4)
Tom E.
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!
(5)
Jack C.
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?
(5)
Chris T.
friday night arrived, i was hungry for somethin' i headed to China Town, with a cravin for dumplin's! taiwan cafe had great reviews, so i gave it a try the wait wasn't too bad; about 10 minutes outside typical bustling asian restaurant, lively and fun dumpling-items on the menu? we only saw 1 the waitress claimed they only had ones w/ vegetables oh well, everything on the menu seemed perfectly edible the chicken w/ sweet & sour was enough to feed an army it was a tasty entree, and the place was charming i'll definitely be back again, as the food was fantastic oh, and they only take cash; sorry, no plastic it was only $20 for 2 people, and i leave you w/ one thing: it was very enjoyable, and i'll be back to find the dumplings
(4)
Jo-Anna L.
Overall, very pleased. Delicious watercress and beef dish and a crispy noodle dish. Ordered the steamed dumplings with the broth inside. Very good, but not as good as I had in China. The only annoyance here was the cash only policy, had to run out and find an open ATM at 10 o'clock at night. Guess that's my fault for not reading the cash only sign on the door. I'd go here again, most certainly.
(4)
CharlCharl C.
I went to this restaurant on a saturday night around 5 o'clock. The food is nothing special and some dishes are tasteless. The price is quit cheap, ranging from $5-$10 per dish. However, the service was really bad. The food came out 5 minutes after we ordered, after eating for half an hour, the waitresses came around twice to ask if we were done with the food while I was still chewing on my food. Me and my friend ordered 1 noodle, 1 rice plate, and a specialty dish. Our dishes were still full of food and I was still holding on to my chopstick. I will not come here again. When I go out to eat, I expect quality service because I will sure pay tips at the end of the meal. The restaurant was not even busy when the waitresses came to rush us. I WILL NEVER RETURN TO TAIWAN CAFE EVER AGAIN. If you do not want waitresses to rush you out twice within 5 minutes, don't come here.
(1)
Erdan L.
First time we tried it it was so-so. Maybe we did not order the right dish. Then we tried again and the food is much better. We will come back soon
(4)
Betty P.
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 . . .
(4)
cassy f.
Super yummy food. Quick service. Make sure you bring cash. (suggestions: eggplant with basil, tomato/egg/beef over rice, long horn pepper with beef, silken tofu, bamboo shoots with pork)
(5)
j e.
I went here exclusively to try their soup dumplings and I can say that the bar was set low, but these may be the best soup dumplings I've had in Boston. Definitely better than tea house. Certainly not Din Tai Fung but totally adequate.
(4)
Vanessa L.
This place is great, cash only, but you don't need too much because it is pretty cheap. We had spicy eggplant, scallion pancakes and a bean curd edamame dish and it was all amazing. The place is pretty hoppin on the weekends, friendly staff, hot tea, cheap prices, I'd go again.
(4)
Kris M.
Both of my Chinese instructors (xianzai wo xuexi Hanyu!) reccomended this place to me as probably the best Chinese food in Boston's Chinatown, so naturally I had to try it. The menu is long and impressive, and full of delicious sounding things. I opted for the Taiwan style duck for takeout, and it was very well done! A bit boney, but duck can be at times. The restaurant itself seemed well decorated and decently sized, and the waitresses were attentive. All in all, a solid place for Chinese, though perhaps not my favorite.
(4)
Al N.
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!
(5)
Cathy L.
Yay for Taiwanese food! I absolutely love this place because of the delicious and gigantic portions. Two orders of noodles will feed about 4 people. The green onion pancake isn't the best but will curb my cravings if I am ever in the mood for it. Great service with even better prices.
(4)
Joshua K.
I haven't had a ton of dishes from this place, but every noodle dish I've tried has been amazing. The prices are quite reasonable and the portions are plentiful. Its about as authentic as it can get (take the word of a white jewish kid for what its worth). My favorite place in Chinatown. One downside, the only beer they have is Tingstao...
(5)
Dawen H.
Surprisingly close to authentic! Not bad.
(4)
Kit Y.
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 :)
(3)
Will C.
whenever I'm either flying into or departing from Logan, I always make a pit stop to grab some taiwanese style pot stickers. juicy meat, thin dough = a real crowd pleaser ;) i don't even know what else to eat here, because I only get the pot stickers! parking can be a pain in the okole, but that's to be expected.
(4)
Brendan H.
The best Chinese food in Boston, as far as I'm concerned. Ambiance is nonexistent and service can be a little slow, but the food is authentic Taiwan Chinese and as good as it gets around here. And, also, just incredibly cheap. The 7 dollar lunch special is an unbeatable value. I like the eggplant with basil, the ma po tofu (not strictly authentic as it contains no park, but I don't mind since I'm a vegetarian) and the mustard greens with edamame. Freaking awesome, and it always brings me joy to eat here.
(5)
Karmic B.
We were in Boston for a conference, and boy I was glad to find this place to indulge. We tried dumplings house first, not impressed. The second day, we stumbled on Taiwan cafe and had much better experience. The food is good; we tried different small plates, from spring onion flatbread ( some call it pancake), watercress stir-fry, basil clams...and of course the soup dumplings. Yes, the place is small and crowded; but I find the servers friendly and accomodating. The kitchen and waitstaff are efficient! When you eat out in a busy eatery, either in Boston, Mexico City, Paris or Hong Kong, make sure to make eye contact with the wait staff, give clear order, be friendly and patient, and thank them when they do a good job. By the way, if you try to be adventurous and order something "unusual", then learn from the experience. Stinky tofu is supposed to have strong flavor and fragrance (doesn't the name give a clue?) and soup dumplings do have hot broth in them (surprise!)
(4)
Ashley J.
I heart Taiwan cafe. The food here is fantastic and so fairly priced. I love that there is never a huge wait. Some people complained about the service but I found it to be average which was fine. I dont like super chatty clingy waitresses. We had the salt and pepper crab, the beef with longhorn peppers, clams in black bean and basil, and the soup dumplings. The crab and clams where out of this world. I am sad again to say the dumplings were average. If anyone knows a good soup dumpling place in Boston please PM me because I have not liked any of the standard places yet. The beef was very traditional and super spicy and tasty but I felt the 70% peppers to 30% beef was a little to strong for my taste. Even 50/50 would have been OK. All in all this one of our go to places.
(4)
Kendra M.
By far my favorite place to go in Chinatown; so authentic, so cheap, so yummy! My favorite dishes there are the eggplant with basil, and the shredded beef with egg and tomato. Seriously, I don't know why I can't make eggplant that tastes so buttery, and the beef just tastes like everything that is good with the world! Portions are huge, and you can expect to spend about $10 for a mountain of food which would include leftovers. If you've got some time, try the Taiwan-style dumplings; because the make them from scratch when you order them, they will probably come after your entree, but are SO worth the wait! Ooh, keep in mind also, it's a cash-only affair!
(5)
Mimi W.
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.
(3)
Alex B.
When did all the white people find out about this place? I can hardly get a table anymore... not good. Dc: Favorites: Pork w/ bamboo tips Beef w/ longhorn pepper Eggplant w/ basil Steamed Sea bass The first time we ordered the fish I was a little surprised to see it arrive with head, skin, and eyes intact! The waitress was very sweet and she stayed with us and served the fish as we ate. If you show up late the owner will be playing a dice game with all the waitresses. I think they play with their tip money. He was a real character and gave us some complimentary desert for hanging out late. Unfortunately he wouldn't let us get into the dice game as I can't speak Taiwanese there is no way that would have turned out well.. Update: Life is good. Last night I was taught the dice game by the owner. He was letting me bet with his money (how does that make sense???) and made me keep my heafty $3 winnings. ^_^ Another update: Today I went to get brunch, and they have a completely different menu. I had delicious fried dough dipped in warm sweet soy milk and some meat and vegetable buns. Will be going back for that asap.
(5)
Jeanne L.
Read all the reviews and decided to try this place out while we were visiting. The good was delicious and the service was surprisingly friendly. Only one minor downside was that they don't have any highchairs, only booster chairs.
(4)
Riem K.
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!
(5)
Lewis L.
Greasy Taiwanese food... I don't know why this place is so popular. My friends always wanna come here, but I don't see what's so good about it. I like their cold 5 spice beef and duck tongue, but not much else interests me. Too much msg and oil.
(3)
Lisa C.
Frankly, I was a little skeptical because the outside of this place looks skanky. However, what this place lacks in atmosphere, it certainly has in value and service. I was just going to order the minced pork over rice, which at less than $3 seemed a steal, but my friend encouraged me to try a few other things - so I paired it a red bean bun. Everything was delicious. All in, lunch was like $8 per person (sake included!). It was a fantastic bargain and we found the service to be excellent. We were seated right away (at around noon) but by the time we were leaving, there was a line to get in, so you might want to get there early.
(4)
jack p.
This place is way beyond anything you'd expect from Boston's chinatown. It's really, really fantastic. You should go and eat family style and order fewer dishes than you have people because the portions are very large. The braised eggplant with basil is amazing. Amazing stuff always happens here, too--I always meet interesting people or find some fantastic new dish. Once when I was getting take-out they served me tea while I was waiting! How many places do that? Answer: none that I am aware of! Just go and try it. It has no atmosphere at all, but doesn't need it.
(5)
Jeni Y.
no, no, it wasn't because it was one in the morning and we were starving. This restaurant had the typical Chinatown eatery look, its decor complete with random red and gold trinkets, an out-of-place calendar, and plastic tablecloths. But the dishes here more than surprised me. Not only was everything we ordered (um, 5 dishes for the 3 of us) completely authentic, a lot of the menu contained dishes that I didn't think ever made its way out of Asia (styles of dishes, not miscellaneous body parts - geez). Too bad I don't go to Boston often (actually, I don't really mind), but next time I'm there, I'm here.
(4)
Raymond W.
Mmmm mmmm meals following manual labor are great, Meals following manual labor on the parents dime and at a good establishment are even better. I ordered the childhood favorite chicken cutlet on rice. The chicken was thin, crispy, and juicy. The rice and meat wasn't that greasy, and didn't have too much fat. The cabbage was flavorful and melted in my mouth and the rest followed. My sister got noodles with eel which was also tasty, but really oily. My dad got a fish with spicy chili sauce and tofu which was huge and delicious. This may possibly be one of my rotating go tos in Boston's Chinatown when all else fails. Take that DC Chinatown.
(5)
So S.
Ever had steamed pork/crab buns/dumplings that oozes amazing juices when you bite into them? Believe me if you have never tried this dish then you are missing out. It is very UNIQUE and you won't find anywhere else in Boston. Also, have hot soybean milk on weekends. Very good Tawainese and Shanghai food in a clean nice enviroment in Chinatown. If you get a chance, try to go to Joe Shanghai in NY 'cause they have the BEST buns/dumplings around. It is very famous and even celebrities have been known to go there. Just hop on any of the $15 buses that will take you straight to chinatown in NY!
(4)
Lisa P.
I've had the dumplings, the beef noodle soup, the oyster pancake, the fried rice cakes, and the meat sauce on rice- all pretty tasty but a little greasy. What I was really looking forward to and ultimately disappointed in were the dumplings. I love dumplings and I've made a habit of actively seeking them out. The filling in their dumplings just wasn't good- it was too salty and had a weird flavor and texture. My friend Jess and I ended up picking out all the meat and eating only the skins. I like the rest of their food ok though.
(3)
Mike C.
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.
(4)
Dennis C.
NOM NOM NOM...this place is definitely best Taiwanese food in Boston that I've found in my 4 months here. I think any good measure of Taiwanese food is how good their pork chop rice is and this place definitely delivers! Their stinky tofu is also is the best/stinkiest you'll find in Boston. Good portions for a single rice dish as well as reasonably priced family style dishes. I come here whenever I want good Taiwanese food...highly recommended!
(4)
Kevin W.
This place doesn't take credit, what year are we in?!
(2)
H T.
Where else can you find dishes like pickled tripe sausage and blood pudding?? Though, I've never tried the latter. This is very authentic chinese cuisine. Have you watched Fear Factor and thought that you could eat those similar types of food? So if you're feeling adventurous and curious enough to try some real un-Americanized food, head out to Taiwan Cafe. But if you're not into "strange" foods, don't let that deter you from this place either. There are plenty of more conventional options that are just as good. Five spiced braised beef w/ noodles in soup, house special pork chops, fried noodle dishes, steamed dumplings and buns, noodles with pork and vegetables are just some of the choices.. If you're vegetarian, my fav veg dish so far is the spicy sauteed eggplant with basil, served with rice, very spicy and so good.. but you can adjust the heat. Cons- Cash only and server speaks limited English, but friendly and helpful. Parking is hard around Chinatown, so take the T. ......................... Update (5/9/07): Still love the eggplant basil dish. Other foods not as good. Rice a bit soggy, too much water.
(3)
Cecilia Z.
Best Taiwanese food in Boston. Having grown up in China and lived in Flushing, New York, I have always found the Chinatown in Boston quite pathetic. None of the dim sum places does chicken feet right, none of the bakeries serve the real array of Chinese pastries, none of the bubble tea places in Chinatown is worth stepping in (no, Tea stop is only alright by American standard, don't say I'm judging until you have had Tian Ren in New York). All these negative vibes I had from Chinatown are exactly why I marveled at Taiwan Cafe. The oyster pancake is exactly how it should be, the beef brisket noodles are almost on par with the famed Taiwanese night market taste. Almost everything I order here comes the way I expect them to. Notice that I said almost: stinky tofu never satisfied me, stir-fried bean-curd with veggies had a weird bitter after taste the two times I ordered it. It's weird since I suspect that the place is owned by the same guy who owns the Taiwan Cafe in Flushing but some how it fails to deliver the exact same taste on some signature Taiwanese flavor. In terms of the crammed space and quality of service, I have no idea why some people would expect so much when the check for a family style huge meal for 3 would only comes up to around $50. Seriously, go to PF Chang's and see what you will get over there.
(4)
Doris K.
Two people TEN BUCKS! What a steal! I have been here twice, both times in the morning on the weekends. The "small lion buns" #35 were amazing and almost as good as the ones that I've had in Asia. The scallion pancake was a little bit too thick but still very crispy, and the steamed/fried pork buns (4) were huge and filling. I have also had so many of their noodles dishes that it's too many to name but each one has been great in it's own way. Now as a warning I didn't order all these items at once but a combination of two items was certainly more than enough to feed two people. As for service it just depends on which waitress comes to you. Some are nice but there was one grouchy person at our last visit. Overall this place is a great find and don't be afraid of trying new things because if you don't really enjoy what you've received, things are so cheap that you could try again!
(4)
Rob Y.
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.
(4)
Sean C.
One of the best Taiwanese style restaurants in Boston. The food is really tasty and unique. It is really hard to find Taiwanese food in Boston, the Taiwan Cafe is just The One and the Best One. It will be very crowded during the lunch and dinner time.
(5)
Jon S.
More than four stars, but not five. My second favorite place in Chinatown, and less crowded than Gourmet Dumpling House. Ma po tofu, sauteed mushrooms, and pork with taro are my favorites.
(4)
A D.
Ok - this place is definitely in Chinatown. Anyways - the service is terrible. Our waitress misunderstood our order, got it wrong, brought it to the table, and then argued with us for several minutes insisting that we were wrong. After telling us we were wrong she insisted that we take the wrong order anyway and had a terrible attitude. We took the wrong order anyway, an oyster omelette, and it wasn't that good. I ordered a noodle soup with flat noodles and vegetables. The noodles were not that great. I've had several much better noodle soups before. Other friend ordered wonton/noodle soup which he wasn't a big fan of. Other than cheap prices, there are much better place to eat taiwanese food than here. I will never go back.
(1)
Christine W.
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.
(5)
Anthony L.
good for genuine taiwanese food. i came while i was craving jellyfish, and their jellyfish disappointed me a lot. everything else was very good though
(4)
sato h.
The service is great, everyone is so nice. And their xiaolongbao is awesome. but it takes about 15 -20 min to cook them so i always order as soon as i sit down, before looking at the menu!
(5)
Shuo S.
Most of the Taiwanese people I know in Boston say it's one of the two great Taiwanese restaurants around (the other being MuLan in Cambridge). For the price, there's not much to complain about (~$12pp for dinner) - you get your standard-issue greasy Taiwanese food (pretty authentic, so a lot of the menu choices will not satisfy Americanized palates) along with a cup of tea. If you're going for the first time, try the shiao long bao (pork buns) if you go in a group. Those are really authentic and tasty...getting them into your mouth without having them come apart is something of an art form. The other favorites include fried pork chop, hollow veggies, beef with tomato and egg, to name a few. Try it if you're feeling daring and wanna do cuisine that's not been changed to satiate American taste buds.
(3)
Phoebe S.
I haven't really had a wide range of dishes here - I'm pretty stuck on the fantastic beef and long-horned peppers, and the spicy salted fried calamari - but most things I have had are delicious, including the following (I don't have the menu in front of me, so I'm guessing at the names): Pan fried Taiwanese dumplings (they tell you this dish will take 20 minutes, but it never does) Bacon cut pork Eggplant with basil sauce Clams with basil sauce Sa cha beef with watercress Mustard greens, tofu and edaname (amazing with a little bit of salt) I could do without the Taiwanese wonton soup, but that's about it for cons. Very quick service, reasonable prices!
(5)
Hans M.
Maybe it's good enough for Boston. But this Taiwan Cafe isn't great. The price is expensive. West Coast has much better Taiwanese food. Having said those, Taiwan Cafe does offer a very "homie" Taiwanese feel on its food. They have many loyal Taiwanese customers (which is always a good sign). Try it, maybe you will like it better than I do.
(3)
Spencer N.
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.
(5)
Dorothy C.
Thanks, fellow-yelpers, for tipping me off to Taiwan Cafe - otherwise, I'd never have taken my step-dad and mom. They LOVED it, and are pickier than anything. Awesome noodle-soups [get the "hearty" ones for more noodles], home-made dumplings [just ask for them, we couldn't find them on the menu, and they made them from scratch, just for our 3 year-old son], and the crispiest yummiest scallion pancakes we've ever encountered. The crispy-fried tofu was silky, delicate, and yummy. The sticky-rice with mushrooms and pork with gravy is cooked in a bamboo-shoot cup, and tastes just like a zonsu [those things cooked in babmoo leaves] - and the favorite of our 3 year-old. Cash only, filled with a mix of chinatown-inhabitants and asian people who trek in. NOT A TOURIST ATTRACTION. Sodas are only from a can... No Diet Coke [Only Pepsi Products], but we love it here.
(5)
Hiroko S.
When I was attending the English summer course, some Taiwanese students took me here. According to their comments, some dishes were better than Taiwan restaurant. However I didn't feel it special. Go there with lots of friends otherwise you miss lots of good dishes. Sharing is Taiwanese foods mind.
(3)
D H.
I would really recommend going there on a weekend to try their Taiwanese brunch. I especially like their salty soymilk, which is much better than it sounds. It's more of a soup, filled with many goodies. Their braised pork with mustard greens and cilantro sandwiched in a rice cake was also not bad at all, and almost as good as ones I've had in Taiwan.
(3)
Eric P.
I found this place first through a mention in Rough Guides Boston (I live here, but a good tourist guide is still a great start sometimes), then confirmed it by checking Yelp, then visited in person. One visit so far, hopefully many more to come! It's a good thing I checked it out through reviews, because there is nothing about the location, quality of decor, service, cleanliness, signage, etc. that sets this place apart from any other in Chinatown. What does set it apart is the food. Go here to try a large selection of unusual, regional Chinese food. We had some soup dumplings (5 Stars - yay!), pork liver (4 stars), and pork with mustard greens (3 stars - menu said spicy, but it was actually quite bland, not a hint of spice at all). Again, if you love Chinatown dives with fantastic food and so-so everything else, this is your place. If you're looking for a place with all the accouterments of fine dining, look elsewhere.
(4)
missy J.
The space is tiny but the food was very yummy. I ordered scallion pancakes, and pan fried dumplings. And they were pipping hot very our the pan which I love. The food tasted very fresh. The only thing I would like is for them to have better descriptions of items on the menu. I ordered the taiwan dumplings thinking it might just have meat in it. It ended up having shrimp in it and one of my friends is highly allergic to seafood. Thank goodness I ate it first and was able to warn him! :)
(4)
Byron M.
This is a good taiwanese restaurant that offers a wide assortment of food. The prices are reasonable and the service has been good each time that I have been there. I enjoy the pork chop rice dish as well as the edaname beans. Soups are also good here. Most of the customers order the steamed Shao Long Bao which is a dumpling that has a soupy filling inside. Really good.
(3)
Tiffany D.
I haven't had good Xiao Long Baos in awhile (outside of Taiwan) so if you're in Boston, I recommend this place for them! While the other dishes are pretty good, I usually just order a whole batch of the baos home to eat for a quick meal! I also recommend the Pork Chop Rice dish (comes with a soy sauce egg too!!!)... the duck tongue appetizer, the Taiwanese dumplings and the Taiwanese Sausage are all delicious as well!! I love their soups and noodle soups!! Also try the tofu w/ duck egg (thousand year egg/preserved egg -- ask for cilantro!!!) which is my absolute FAV!!! AND their tomato/egg/beef over rice dish!!! The spicy pepper beef dish is AMAZING too...... GAH!!! So much to talk about, so much to eat -- seriously you CAN'T go wrong!!! It's cheap and YUMMY!!!
(5)
Joshua D.
This place serves delicious regional Chinese food, which is always well-prepared, and is one of my mainstays whenever I am in Boston. Be sure to visit the ATM before you go, because this place is cash-only. The waiters bring your food as soon as it is ready, so it is never cold. However, you might get your appetizers after your entree.
(5)
Aimz P.
good taste and not pricey like another restaurant
(4)
Marietta A.
mmmmmmmm.....pork dumplings.. mmmmm.. soupy pork dumplings and tea. Yet to have a bad meal here. The prices are fantastic, the food is tasty. A few things have been a bit on the oily side, but I can overlook that. Went here with a group of about 8 people, and it was great. Everyone was really happy with their food. Have been numerous other times and always just really good. Cash only people!!!!! Know before you go!
(4)
John C.
Visiting Boston and went based on reviews here on Yelp. Good food! I liked their Chinese sausage fried rice, oyster pancake and 3 cups chicken. Well done!
(4)
Emily C.
Awesome Taiwanese food. Was definitely the place to go when I was craving food that reminded me of my mom's home-cooked meals. The breakfast food is awesome. It feels like you just walked in off the streets of Taipei with your first bite. They also have shaved ice for dessert with all the traditional toppings. Delish!
(4)
Michael B.
This Taiwanese restaurant is one the best I've been to in Chinatown. The signature dishes that I go for are the pork chops with rice (great value, very large portions), fried pork intestines, rice with shredded pork (can't think of a proper translation from chinese), the seafood pancake.. Prices are very reasonable, and it's great for lunch specials or a quick meal.
(5)
Ryuji S.
Taiwan Cafe is a good place to know when you don't have many dining options, like after 10pm, day after snow storm and what not. Their menu is good, food is good, price is good. If they fixed the broken ceiling and a improve some little things like those mentioned in other reviews (waitstaff is often rushing and forget things), they will surely earn one more star.
(4)
veronica c.
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!
(1)
Blake V.
This is great asian cuisine. I'm a fan of the beef with poblano peppers (long horn peppers), the fried dumplings, the mini steamed pork buns, and the amazing crab with ginger and scallion (difficult to eat, but worth every messy bite.) I also dug the oddly named Oyster Pancake, which was actually an omelet loaded with oysters and topped with a red, bean-paste sauce, Better still was the "Steamed Taichung Style Meatball." This is not your nonni's meatball. It has a gluey, gel-like shell filled with bits of chopped mystery meat and topped with the same red bean sauce that's on the oyster dish.
(5)
Anonymous P.
I'm not a huge fan of Taiwan Cafe. I've been here twice, and haven't really enjoyed either meal. The biggest complaint I have is the gummy, watery rice. Rice is really important to me and this doesn't cut it. The chilled appetizers I've tried have an unpleasant refrigerator tinge to them. Everything is spiced crudely, except for one mixed seafood dish that had no spice at all--not even soy sauce. Service has been rude. The place is uncomfortable cramped. And it's cash only. I don't intend to go back. I prefer Peach Farm 20 seconds away.
(2)
cj m.
I tried the taiwanese style stir-fried noodle with pork. It was average. Each time I eat here, I always feel that the food is slicker than usual (e.g., maybe it has more oil?) The portions are huge though. Each serving can easily feed two. Prices are affordable and the wait time is around 5-10 minutes during lunch time.
(3)
Ting Ting W.
If they have negative stars I would have given this place negative 5! That's how bad this restaurant was. Since I was traveling in from Orange County I'm used to great Taiwanese food and since I was in Chinatown here in Boston I had to try one of the restaurants here. From the 4 stars that yelp viewers gave to this restaurant, I decided to come here. The restaurant was super small, there was hardly anyone there. They were super rude when I walked in and just threw a cup of tea on my table. I read the yelp reviews which raved about the beef noodle soup. So I had to try it. When it came out, I couldn't believe that was it. It was a large bowl of noodles in a thick layer of oil that was supposed to be the soup. It was disgusting...I couldn't believe they would serve something like that. I took a bite of the noodles because I was starving trying to wipe off all the access oil and the noodles were soggy. They couldn't even cook the noodles right! I ended up just eating the few pieces of beef that was in it and left the rest of the untouched bowl of noodles there. The waiter even came by after he saw the bowl untouched and asked me how it was. When I told him it was super greasy he just walked away. I was shocked! Why ask me how it was if you don't even care. I ended up just paying for the noodles and left right away. I can say that Taiwan Cafe is the worst restaurant I have ever been to. Do not even bother to go. I passed by tons of other Chinese restaurants before that one and should of chose one of them instead. The bowl of noodle was $6.50. They should of paid me for eating that bowl of noodles!!!
(1)
ER D.
Nice place. The food is authentic, the portion is big, and the price is very affordable. I came here during a trip to Boston Conference and I ordered the Pork Chop rice that yelpers praised about. It did not disappoint me! IF i have more time in boston, i'll try other dishes, but for now, I think it gets a 4 star from me!
(4)
Anne W.
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.
(3)
Sarah M.
Was hungry for something quick and cheap and filling. The stewed minced pork over rice fit the bill exactly. That much deliciousness for $3.25? Yes please.
(4)
Yiling W.
Delicious soup dumplings! Go for the soup dumplings, stay for the beef noodle soup (I hear). Things I actually tried, which were delicious: tofu, fried crullers, ..and more soup dumplings. Brunch menu only goes to 3PM, so hurry, now!
(4)
Princess M.
This is still my favorite Taiwanese restaurant in the Boston area. I always tend to order their chicken chop on rice and 3-cup chicken. The chicken chop always turns out very crispy and nicely. The 3-cup chicken is also super savory and mouth wateringly delicious.
(4)
Mi L.
Cheap prices for large bowls. And the taste is good. Two of us spent around $30 including tax and tips here for tonight. There is no need to queue. They have quite cheap lunch specials too, worth trying definitely.
(4)
Melissa L.
Having grown up in Chinatown, I have probably passed by Taiwan Cafe a million times on my way to China Pearl, Sun Sun Market, Crown Bakery, without noticing it at all. Being Cantonese, my family only went to Asian Garden, Ho Yuen Ting, and other Cantonese Restaurants in the area. It wasn't until recently, when my Taiwanese girlfriend took me to Taiwan Cafe, that I realized what I had been missing. I didn't know how different the cuisine could be from what I was used to. We were, after all, all considered Chinese. My girlfriend ordered everything and I fell in love with the food instantly. Among my favorites are the fried pork intestines, perfectly crispy and rich in taste, and the braised pork with bean curd. The pork was sweetened just right and is the perfect accompaniment to white rice. Also delicious are the vegetable dishes like "tung choi" which is dripping with flavor, and the clam and winter melon soup. Unfortunately, I don't know exactly what all the dishes are called, since my girlfriend orders in Mandarin, but there's this one dish with shredded pork and bamboo shoots that is to die for as well. Brunch there is excellent, with salty soybean milk and fried dough, flaky pastries with minced beef, and an assortment of congees and noodle soups, my favorite with pickled cabbage. Prices are low (standard in Chinatown), with your entire meal (soup, entree, veggies, rice) between $20-$30. The only problem is, bring cash, because they don't accept credit cards. I don't speak Mandarin or Taiwanese, so it's hard for me to order the good stuff. Otherwise, service is excellent and the food comes out really quick. One of my favorite places to eat in Chinatown!
(4)
Kat C.
In what universe do you find better Taiwanese food in Boston than in San Francisco? It blows my mind. As does Taiwan Cafe's pork chop rice.
(4)
Chris C.
Like any good trip to Chinatown, a trip to Taiwan Cafe is best described as a tasty exercise in calculated risk. Their menu features authentic chinese dishes, most of which I know nothing about, but also look pretty good based on the english descriptions. I found the food to be pretty accurate in its authenticity (I've had taiwanese food straight from the source, so I have some standards) and fairly tasty at that. The pork dumplings were quite flavorful and the stinky tofu a sobering reminder of why I avoided it in Taiwan (it's the tofu you love to hate, really). We also had a fried rice dish, featuring a generous amount of egg and oily vegetables, but unfortunately not a generous amount of flavor. My favorite of the main dishes was a pork noodle dish very similar to pork lo-mein (in fact, hardly distinguishable), featuring a nice mix of noodles and crispy vegetables in a soy-esque sauce. On a friday night, we (2) were seated within 15 minutes and served tea immediately. The menu was large, but we managed to order fairly quickly. The food arrived probably between 5 and 8 minutes after our order went in, which we thought was surprisingly fast. Our waitress was nice and accommodating and the dining room was pretty standard for a restaurant in chinatown. Finally, we found the portion sizes so large that we couldn't finish nearly 70% of it all, so we took quite a bit home with us. Best of all, the prices were phenomenal, totaling about $20 for the two of us. I would recommend Taiwan Cafe for anyone seeking an authentic, cheap meal in Chinatown. The service is quick and reliable and the food is solid. For the price, it's worth checking out...and bring some friends with you.
(4)
Carol W.
Maybe I'm not ordering the right things off the menu, but I've never really been that impressed with this place, especially given the two other similar type restaurants in the neighborhood. What I do notice though is that it's the cheapest of the three. I've been here 7+ times, each time getting different things, and nothing really stands out to me. When I worked in Chinatown, a coworker told me about a lunch special called the "Durian Special". I saw her eat it a couple of times, and it looked tasty from afar. It came with a pork chop, a tea egg, pickled veggies, and white rice. So, I finally ordered it, and it was literally a package of oil. It was the most disgusting thing that I've ever eaten in Chinatown. I ended up throwing out half of it. I will only come here if a friend insists upon it. Otherwise, i feel like there are way better options close by.
(2)
Michelle K.
It is a tradition for me and my girlfriends to come here after shopping in downtown crossing. The food is always fresh and delicious. The beef noodle soup is great in the winter as well as the fresh bacon with taro. In the summer, I always order the peashoots with garlic. Just don't be squeamish. I have seen many silverfish and cockroaches roaming around the restaurant.
(4)
Frank T.
The food is acceptable and price is good. The service..... You better be prepared. Not all the waitresses or waiters are of bad attitude but some of them could really piss you off... I went there very often before but stop going there after having several arguments with them. Last time they served me a dish that I didn't order and I told them I didn't order it before the waitress put the dish down. She complained that I was mean on my face.... I know the service of Chinese restaurants in Chinatown is not great. I don't care about it that much normally. This place.... I have to say... the worst one....
(3)
Hung L.
Since 2008, I've always thought the best soup dumplings came from Joe Shanghai in NYC because I thought the only soup dumpling in Boston was the Dumpling House which everyone I knew who tried both said it was nothing compared to Joe Shanghai. Well, I can definitely say, Taiwan Cafe's soup dumplings are by far better if not the same as Joe Shanghai's. Their broth was much tastier than Joe's. Now when we have that craving for soup dumplings, we got Taiwan Cafe's right here at home. Found out about this place because I happened to talk to one of the owners when I was working and was talking about NYC and how I loved the food there, after talking to him, he raved about the soup dumplings at Taiwan Cafe for a while before he told me he was one of the owners. At first I thought, yeah yeah, of course he would speak highly of this place its his, but I knew I had to try it, and I'm glad I did, no more having to drive 3 1/2 - 4hours for Joe's when this is wayyyy better. One of the other owners recognized me when I walked in with my wife and made sure we tried the Szechuan Style White Fish and boy was it definitely good. Spicy as hell (not a big fan of spicy lol) but I would definitely get it again. We also got the salty and peppered calamari and seafood fried rice, both are excellent. Been living here forever and for some reason never noticed this place. Definitely a new place for us to hit up whenever we are in Chinatown.
(5)
Kimberly H.
It's always a sign that you picked the right place, when you walk past a handful of empty restaurants before walking into your dining destination. Walking in I was greeted with full tables and plenty of steaming options to peek at before we got our table. Since the weather has been steadily cooling, I wanted something warm and filling. I decided on the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup with Spinach. When the massive bowl arrived at the table it was hot enough to give me a facial, just the way I like it. All scalding fears aside, I dug in. The noddles were tender, the beef was flavored well with a kick of spice and the spinach gave the perfect contrast of flavor. But that was all minute details compared to the delicious broth. I could have drank a bowl of just that and been happy. I would definitely order it again and plan to when the snow hits the ground and it's time to hibernate.
(4)
Wayne T.
Come here often, like to get take out because service is lacking compared to service. Food is great, like to get noodle soups, pork chop rice plate, & other taiwan specials. They're busy all the time. Dumplings good as well. Min on credit cards, also can't seat till full party there.
(4)
Nicole B.
After an exhaustive search on Yelp for the best soup dumplings in Boston, I excitedly made a pilgrimage to Taiwan Cafe this weekend. My mouth was watering as I put down my name for a table and then sat with my friend (and 8 strangers) at a huge circular table by the window. We ordered soup dumplings, General Gau chicken and scallion pancake. The chicken came out first and tasted like it had been made hours ago and then refried to become reheated. Very odd flavor and texture. But the star attraction: the soup dumplings! Sadly, they were not very good. Completely salty and very bland, with a watery soup inside that had no flavor. The scallion pancake was the only redeeming part of this meal, and I could have eaten 10! Overall, the price was incredibly cheap and the atmosphere had a great aroma and authentic feel. They serve tea at the beginning of your meal, but it tastes and looks like dishwater.
This is such a gem. The soup dumplings are probably THE BEST I've ever seen in the states. They are exactly like the ones in Anhui, China (famous for its nice, juicy, big soup dumplings with really thin bun wraps) and they taste delicious! The other dishes are great as well but I am so blown away by the soup dumplings!!!
(5)
Janet H.
Omg. The scallion pancakes are SO good!! Also, xiao long baos. Good luck trying to to-go them and walk them back in the rain... about 1/3 of them got smooshed :(
(4)
Janet Y.
Their food here is great, we always get the xiao long bao with crab meat on top, some type of pan fried dumplings, the eggplant, and their beef noodle soup with spinach. Their XLB is pretty good, pan fried dumplings are always oily, noodle soup is good and not too spicy for my tasting. I've been here a few times, most of the time with poor or terrible customer service. I had always charged my credit card and able to write down my own tip amount. This last time we went here to eat, we couldn't get a waitress to take our order for over 5 minutes, and when I did get the attention of a waitress, she just ignored me! So we were joking about the tip amount in correlation of their poor service. They must've heard us (speaking in English) because after we charged our credit card, they came back with the tip charged in with the total. WHAT KIND OF ESTABLISHMENT WRITES DOWN YOUR TIP AMOUNT FOR ONLY A PARTY OF 3?? For almost 20% as well!! I would understand if we had a large party.. But seriously?! I should be able to write down how much I want to pay for their service. It's not like we are going to write down anything less than 15%, (I wasn't paying but we generally tip a fair amount). This just proves that they are not having an honest business with their patrons. I like their food but unless I'm paying with cash, there are other restaurants that offers similar food. Patrons beware!!
(2)
Olivia J.
Must gets: - Szechuan fish (in a stew... I pick out all the pepper flakes though, they're too spicy) - eggplant with basil - soup dumplings! - Any kind of noodles I also tried their mapo tofu but thought it was way too salty. Go with a group of people (max 4 though, space is small and during prime meal hours there is usually a line) for family style to enjoy a variety of dishes at once. In a group, they take two credit cards max so be sure to take some cash.
(5)
Arthur C.
YEAH! TAIWAN FOOD! If anything. Scallion Pancakes. There's a few versions of it, I got the beef and it was faaaaantastic. "Nyo Row Jyuen Bing" for anyone who wants to attempt the mandarin. Flavourful and crisp. Perfection. My order also consisted of 2 order of buns, string beans, and tofu. The menu is really extensive. Allocated yourself some time to read the menu before you plan to eat. And don't be afraid to ask the servers for any recommendation if you can't pick a tofu dish out of the 30 or so that they have. We came just before six so it was alright to get a table but come any later and you could be asking for trouble. Oh and complimentary tea of course!
(4)
Philip C.
Great authentic food. Open real late. I read about waitstaff being rude but I didn't have too much of a problem with that. They did however forget to put in our order for soup dumplings but it worked out since we over-ordered food anyways. We did get scallion pancakes, fried pork chop over rice, and pork belly, and pea-tips with garlic, pickled cucumbers. Everything was fantastic and delicious. The pork chop over rice was a extremely generous portion and came with cabbage ad some pickled vegetables. One of the best fried pork chops I have ever had in the US. The outside was crispy and sweet and the meat was nice and tender. The scallion pancake was amazing too, with a nice deep green onion flavor in it. Lightly fried and a seriously delicious midnight snack. I really really wish we got to taste the soup dumplings because thats what everyone raves about in the reviews... guess it will have to wait till next time I am in Boston.
(4)
Tiana C.
Best food I have had in Chinatown. I wanted pork soup dumplings and after Yelping a ton, this seemed like the place to get them. Completely accurate. Absolutely. Delicious. Awesome service, very clean place, friendly staff. I did not love the beef scallion roll as every one else on Yelp did, but everything else I had was delicious. We played too safe and had the General's chicken and Sesame chicken. Next time I will definitely step out of my box more. And there WILL be a next time. Try this place out!
(4)
Skye W.
I love chinese food and this place served some of what I thought were really authentic dishes (I've never been to Taiwan, so I'm just making assumptions). Their menu is overwhelmingly huge, but everything we got was delicious. Soup dumplings, snow pea shoots, seafood noodles, sooooo good. Chinese food is really good in Toronto and i felt like this was on par.
(5)
Alice S.
I came here for dinner with a couple of friends, and I was really surprised to find out that we cannot be seated until every single member of our party has arrived (some people were running a bit late). This was a slight bummer since there was no waiting space for me to wait for my friends. When we were finally seated, the waitress definitely wasn't the friendliest waitress around, but she wasn't rude either. I'm not sure if these waitresses look after certain tables, but I definitely never saw her again. When our tea ran out it was another server who helped us refill. As for the food- it's pretty good. The menu is HUGE and overwhelming, and a pain to browse through. That's my least favorite part about most Chinese restaurants - their menus. I settled with some simple Taiwanese noodles with seafood, and soup dumplings and fried mashed taro with eggs for appetizers. The noodles were pretty good, nothing spectacular though. My favorite part has definitely been the appetizers - the taro snacks were amazing. The soup dumplings were good as well.
(3)
Angela M.
I was excited to try this place only to be disappointed. Food was bland and the waitress kept rushing us. I might come back only if I'm starving and this is the only place open. Might.
(3)
Ben S.
This is one of Chinatown's many gems, although not as hidden as some. I'm not as much of an authority on Taiwanese food as I'd like to be, but for what it's worth, this is the best Taiwanese restaurant I've been to, and the cheapest to boot. The Spicy Salt & Pepper Fried Chicken Wings, general gau's, and all the other stuff white people order in Chinatown after a night of drinking were all perfect. My Girlfriend insists I try stinky tofu, and I won't, because names of things matter to me, but apparently it is very good here.
(4)
Shin L.
I've been here multiple times and have never been disappointed. The food is good and very affordable. They also have an extensive menu, and serve authentic Taiwanese fare. My favorite dishes; best soup dumplings in town, beef noodle soup is yummy, and their rice dishes are delicious and affordable. This place is always busy and many times you have to wait for a table. However, you will be able to get a seat usually within 15 minutes.
(4)
Lauren B.
I'm a huge fan of this place because (1) they have a bajillion menu options, and don't look at you weird if you just want to get the 5.95 dumplings which are crazy filling (2) per point #1, their food is really inexpensive (3) everything I've tried there has been yummy and flavorful The pan fried pork buns and soup dumplings are super good. My friend got a scallop dish and was impressed by the number of scallops he got for the price - and they were all melt in your mouth cooked to perfection. The service has been extremely fast all the times I've gone, which is a major plus. Extra perks: they're open until 1am on weekends (and some weekdays I think) and they give you free tea to start the meal with. Maybe the only con is that the space is a little cramped and not impeccably clean, but w/e
(4)
Fangning H.
Food is good. But the service is bad. We asked the waitress to recommend something to us. But she just said no. It's so rude. Bad experience.
(1)
Dan K.
I've been ordering food from Taiwan Cafe for nearly two years. It's usually adequate and sometimes inedible. Lately, the food has been sub-standard. In the past, I would order the wonton soup and black mushrooms over greens, which had been decent. Recently, I strayed from the tried and true and had the oxymoronic "jumbo" shrimp with with yellow chives. There were 6 small shrimps and as many chives. The dish was 90% sliced onions. The sauteed shrimp with Japanese yum root and soy beans comprised of 10 tiny shrimps (and I mean the smallest shrimps possible) followed by a pound of edamame and 6 slices of yam. Tasteless and overpriced. The black mushrooms over greens was equally tasteless and overcooked. The Republic of China should sue this restaurant for defamation of character.
(1)
Peifang H.
A great little place for food. All the food we ordered are delicious. The place is pretty small, so there is always a line to wait. But it's worth waiting
(5)
Damien S.
It's hot out. Summer is quickly approaching, the mercury is rising and the window units are popping up like whiteheads at a high school prom. Still, I would wrap myself up in a patchwork blanket of Taiwan Cafe's roast beef scallion pancakes and steam until pink in the fatty, aromatic broth sloshing around their soup dumplings. Order two of each, take the next day off work and let Calgon the Cholesterol-Powered Comfort Demon take you away. And if you need to justify something to your dietician, they wok-fire a mean side of cabbages, chiles and dark, bitter greens.
(4)
Andrea P.
Taiwan Cafe never gets old! The food just hits the spot every time. It's definitely a great place to take visitors and make them feel like you took them to a hidden gem in Chinatown. The soup dumplings are a MUST. Not only do they taste amazing, they're just fun to eat! You usually get the whole table laughing if there are any first timers at the table. Another favorite are their rice cakes with pork (you can sub with any meat but pork in my opinion is best). The rice cakes hold in so much flavor and has a texture that you can't get enough of. I also usually get Julienne beef with chinese watercress- it's a spin off of the tradition beef and broccoli that is also delicious. I can go on for days because their menu is huge and there are a TON of options but don't be too overwhelmed! The only reason I need give them 5 starts is their service. It's hit or miss. Sometimes they are OK, other days, they are horrible. Staff can be very abrupt and annoyed when you ask for anything. But hey, you're in Chinatown and they are certainly not known for service.
(4)
Marc B.
My first visit, second for my guest. Basic impression was very positive. It's not fancy or spacious, but it's definitely a notch up in decor and cleanliness from the other Boston Chinatown storefront restaurants. A little less crowded, less worn, better tableware and a much cleaner bathroom (though I can't for the life of me figure out why they're playing country music over the bathroom loudspeaker). Hostesses, bussers and waiters were MUCH more pleasant than most of their Chinatown brethren. Service fast and efficient. Every dish was properly made, served piping hot. Taiwanese Dumplings had a moist, flavorful filling. As good or better than version at Gourmet Dumpling House. Beef with Longhorn Peppers featured crisp capsicums and clean, not oily, flavor. Taiwanese Hot and Sour Soup was nuanced, with a moderate level of white pepper heat and vinegar. It looked like a lot, but we finished everything with ease. Nothing was too hot, drowned in soy sauce, nor too oily. Clean flavors, and we left feeling healthy and refreshed. Which you can't say about every Chinatown restaurant. Prices ridiculously reasonable. Three dishes, $24!. We'll be back.
(4)
Vassiliki K.
Great place for lunch with a friend. I've come here a couple of times, and both times found the food to be really good. We ordered from their Lunch menu, (Sesame Chicken, Rice and Scallion pancakes) and found that the portions were very satisfying. Be aware that it can get extremely crowded and busy, so don't expect the service to be stellar (hence the four stars) but if one is looking for a good place to grab food in the early afternoon, they should definitely give Taiwan Cafe a try.
(4)
Eddie K.
Food and service was pretty good. Restaurant is small, so get there early if you have a large party. We ordered the XLB and Crab XLB. The skin was perfect and the dumplings were very juicy. I would go back here just to eat the dumplings. We also got the twin lobster - while they were good, the ones at Ocean East are a lot better. The rest of our dishes were just okay. We got some noodle dish with minced pork - it was okay, a little bland. See my pictures. Next time I have to try the pork chop over rice and beef noodle soup and get the soup dumplings again!
(4)
Steve T.
Super crowded, we had to sit with other folks so we wouldnt have to wait 30 mins. Ordered: Soup dumplings pork+crab meat but didnt notice any crabs in there. But still quite juicy and good Spicy White fish soup - did not know what kind of fish but was yummy Environment: 3, old and dirty and crowded. I sat next to the fish tank and i think they splashed water on me. Food: 8, cant have everything, its always the hole in the walls that have good food Service: 4, typical chinese services, nothing like PF Chang
(4)
Jenny S.
This place is beyond awesome!! Here for conference for 4 days and I come here three times, my cousin here 5!! Very authentic, remind me of home. Everything we ordered was good. Wish I have time to try every single thing on the menu however their menu is very extensive with over hundred items on them. Soup dumplings, oyster pancake, Taiwanese style wonton soup, tapioca meet ball. I have not have restaurant that taste like home outside of NYC Flushing for awhile and this place is so good I'm sad I'm leaving town tomorrow.
(5)
Julie B.
I ventured into Chinatown with the hopes of getting some delicious noodles, and Taiwan Cafe delivered. The flat noodles with beef and vegetables in shacha sauce were delicious. Definitely something I will return for! I wasn't crazy about some of the other dishes we tried. After reading through reviews we decided to get the scallion pancakes with roast beef. While I loved the idea, there was some sweet, bitter taste in them that I just could not get over. It may have been the raw white onions, not sure. We also ordered the salt and pepper basil chicken, which was decent, but nothing special. I'm not a huge fan of steamed pork buns to begin with and these were just okay -- they were very light and fluffy with a good dough to pork ratio, but the pork was a little to strange of a consistency for me. I wasn't expecting 5-star service but I didn't like that everything came out at completely different times (the noodles, then chicken, then appetizers in that order). Not sure if this is typical but I would have liked to have everything at once or to have had the appetizers come out first. Taiwan Cafe has a giant menu with some very unique items. I'm sure I'll be back for some more noodles and when I'm feeling especially experimental!
(3)
Will S.
Went for lunch. Long wait and congested space but food and portion was awesome! Steamed pork dumpling is a must try. It was the best I had out of the three restaurants in Chinatown that offers it as an appetizer. Liked their fresh and crunchy green string beans. The tofu and pork stir fry was good too, but slightly too spicy for my taste. With 3 dishes and 2 bowls of rice, my friend and I spent about $14 per person after tips and tax. I'll be a returning customer.
(4)
Kevin C.
Unfortunately, this place does not do any justice to true taiwanese cuisine. And it's even more unfortunate that this place's misrepresentation of taiwanese cuisine has made one of the reviewers here to mistakenly believe that he/she does not like Taiwanese cuisine. I think I had a good sample size of food ordered: potstickers, beef stew noodle, and the beef roll that everyone is raving about. This place definitely filled my cravings for Taiwanese food but the quality does not even come close. The beef noodle soup uses strips of beef, something I have never experienced. Soup base was ok, but the noodles were overcooked. Potstickers were mediocre at best, their filling and wrap could definitely use some work... And the beef wrap... Probably the worst I've had in the states. I don't think they used the right type of beef nor did they use the right type of wrap. The result is a bland and overly greasy beef wrap. Bottom line is: please don't let the name of this restaurant fool you into thinking that you're tasting Taiwanese food, because you're not. This place certainly beats Panda Express and scores itself as an above average place for the common tongue; however, if you're coming here hoping to find traces of what you're used to eating from Taiwan or other authentic Taiwanese restaurants in the US, you will be disappointed. I guarantee it!
(2)
Stefan B.
Eh it's okay. At least we didn't have to wait. We got... Oyster pancake Sichuan wonton with chili oil and peanuts sauce Xiaolongbao Shuizhuyu (sichuan boil fish) The oyster pancake wasn't terrible but I never had a good one on the East Coast, so I can't really knock them too hard for that. Wonton was okay. My boyfriend liked it but I was eh on it. Xiaolongbao was terrible. This is one of my favorite foods but I couldn't even eat barely two. My boyfriend had xiaolongbao with me in San Gabriel valley in California and he thought it was better there at Mama Lu's. I'd say it's Din Tai Fung, then Mama Lu's then Dumpling Cafe then these. The worst ones. Even Dumpling Cafe is better ! Shuizhuyu was good but I wanted it spicier. It was at an ok level for my white washed boyfriend but not for me. But it worked out!
(3)
Marvin P.
This place is simply amazing! The food way better than any other Chinese food you will find around Boston!
(5)
Nik A.
Awesome restaurant. Very authentic Chinese food. Huge selection. I had the pork buns with the slab of roasted pork. Also had a side of chicken tongues which were really good with sauce.
(4)
Will C.
I love eating here. Great value, great taste. Favorite dish is the chicken cutlet with the tea egg, ground beef and cabbage over rice. for like 6 bucks. (* mind explodes from great taste and great value *) Only issue is that it is always packed so you have to get here early if you want lunch or dinner.
(4)
Rachel L.
Came here after work one night and an extra star for it being opened late. Scored a parking spot and was planning to go to the Dumpling House but they locked their doors and so Taiwan Cafe we went. Entered and the place was still thriving with people. Sat down and was given an extensive menu. So many selections, didn't know where to start. Got some pork belly with complimentary sauce to start off. Didn't expect it to be a cold app, but it was good. Had a lamb hotpot with broth, which also was really good. And a plate of rice cakes with preserved greens. Portions were generous and even had leftovers to go.
(4)
Jenny S.
CHEAP TAIWANESE FOOD.... but unfortunately not up to par! the dishes we ordered were as TYPICAL taiwanese as you can get... perhaps that was our mistake & we should have gone w/ that basil eggplant everyone raves about ---Beef stew noodle soup with spinach: flavorful broth but the noodles were OVERCOOKED & too soft (although my boyfriend said they were chewy the week before) ---Pork chop over rice: not bad but LACKING FLAVOR... although you get BANG FOR YOUR BUCK since the plate comes with veggies, a tea egg, PLUS minced pork over the rice FREE hot tea w/ your meal!! NOTE: MIN $20 credit charge
(3)
Jessica W.
My husband and I just moved to Boston and were so excited to find this little joint in Chinatown! We came here on a Friday night and waited about 30 minutes, but it was well worth the wait! We ordered the beef wrapped in scallion pancake, soup dumplings, and fried chicken over rice. The beef wrapped in scallion pancake were to die for!!! They were definitely heavy/oily, but abs. delish! The soup dumplings were better than the soup dumplings at gourmet dumpling house.. and the fried chicken over rice was yummy too! Can't wait to stop by again!
(4)
Ben G.
Really fantastic lunch. Ordered snap pea shoots with garlic, beef with bamboo shoots and yellow chives, and Taiwanese hot & sour soup. The shoots and beef were just fantastic, as good as food gets; the shoots were hands-down the best I've had anywhere. The hot & sour soup was also quite good -- very peppery, not too thick.
(5)
Sarah W.
This place never disappoints, especially if you grew up with Taiwanese food. I lived in the Boston area for 10+ years and this is the one place I kept going back to over and over again. The appetizer tapas (stinky tofu, oyster pancake, etc) are very authentic and portions are fair. Granted, it's a small place in Chinatown so it could be crowded and sometimes you're forced to literally sit next to complete strangers seated at the next table, so if this is not your scene, don't go during busy hours. The service is not particularly great either, but that's pretty standard for Chinatown restaurants anyway. I can handle all those less-than-ideal elements, since it was the best Taiwanese food in Boston. Even though I now live in San Francisco, Taiwan Cafe is the one place on my bucket list that I have to visit whenever I visit Boston.
(5)
Alice K.
One of Chinatown's truly authentic restaurants. From the marinated and battered pork chops to the slightly bitter greens (whose presence in my childhood I can recall far better than their English name) the plastic-sheathed menu is cut and carved out of Taiwan. Their renditions of classic Taiwanese dishes are first-rate and *not* for people seeking out nice familiar wontons and fried rice. Courageous folks seeking out new tastes should bring along someone who knows Asian food for real. Highly recommended: aforementioned battered pork chops and any of the steamed buns- both ooze with flavor.
(4)
Melissa B.
Love their dumplings and spicy eggplant with basil. Try the pork belly that comes with preserved egg, or the sardines and hot pepper. Rice plates are cheap and the food is great.
(4)
Wil C.
Ahhhhh.... this is the place me & my cousin go everytime I visit her on my business trip to Boston. This place is probably as authentic as you can get for traditional type of Taiwanese food & other Chinese food like Sha-Lon-Bao, etc in Boston, which among other things like the service etc. are just somewhat decent. & to remind you, IS CASH ONLY!
(3)
Joseph Y.
I've been coming here for 8 years now and at first it was absolute delicious because it was so different than other restaurants in town. The quality of service and food gradually declined over the years. There no doubt in my mind that this is the one of the best Chinese restaurants in town but unfortunately it surely isn't what it used to be. Nevertheless, the prices are very very reasonable (best lunch deal in Chinatown), the food flavorful, and you know what type of quality you're going to get when you stick with what you want. I don't think you can say that for about 95% of the Chinese restaurants in town.
(4)
Jos L.
Pretty authentic Taiwanese food in Boston's largely-Canto Chinatown. The stinky tofu is the only good one I've found in the area, so that's a huge plus. The dishes are all reasonably priced, and pretty solid fare, for the most part. I like the soups and noodle soups, and the combos are good. Only weaknesses I've noticed are that some of the fried rice dishes are way too greasy for my taste, and the non-soup noodles are nothing special.
(4)
Jason R.
Rich, flavorful authentic food. Went here on a whim with a few friends late on Monday night passing through Boston. We were all extremely impressed with fast service, complementary appetizers and huge portions. We each ordered a main dish and they were so large that we ended up sharing everything. The waitress came out of the kitchen as soon as we had ordered with a plate of hot and sour raw cucumber salad for us to share. Then came a bowl of hot and sour soup that was big enough for all of us to have a small portion. I ordered the szechuan white fish and it arrived in a boiling steel crock with a burner below that kept it hot for the whole meal. It was a favorite among the group. The broth was spicy and rich with a huge amount of small fish filets. Fresh chopped chili were in a mound on top and added more spice as they were stirred into the still-cooking crock. Our only problem was that we didn't have a way to take the leftovers away with us since we were on the road and had no way of keeping them. Next time I am in Boston I would love to go back and try something different from the extensive menu.
(5)
Shruti V.
Loved it!! went in here for a hurried meal and it was totally worth it! The quantities of food are HUGE and the food it self is really good. Def hitting this place again sometime soon cause it's fantastic! This place get's five stars because of the quality of food, excellent service and the great prices. They also have a LOT on their menu, so I'm really looking forward to exploring it. Oh and the only problem we had was when we realized that they only accept cash here.
(5)
Ben W.
I used to go to Taiwan Cafe more often than I do now. From what I heard, the chef of this restaurant is now with a competitor. The quality has been affected somewhat, but I still go there sometimes. It is cheap, quick, and relatively authentic Northern Chinese food.
(4)
Jordan G.
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.
(2)
Alisa S.
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!
(5)
Eric Y.
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.
(3)
Atrebor B.
For us cash-strapped college folks; eating out can really add up - especially when you don't have a kitchen. That's why I recommend the lunch specials here for $6.65. I had #22 (Homestyle eggplant with basil) and it's a vegetarian's dream (although I'm not one) with its ability to fill and fulfill. The eggplants were deceptively spicy and flavourful, with an almost meaty quality. However, it was a bit on the tangy side and I found it difficult to finish my rice with eggplant alone. Adding basil to this equation was an act of genius since it soaked up the tasty sauce while maintaining its own distinctive herby flavour. Lunch comes with rice and seaweed soup with eggdrop. Portions are large so be prepared for leftovers for another meal at home. Check it out if you're in the area for this cafe which specializes in "Taiwanese-style" eats.
(3)
Ann C.
cheap, quick and no frills type of place. it offers variety but i always end up ordering the same dish- the fried pork chops. i will venture out soon...next on the list: beef and tomatoes they have cute alphabet plates.
(3)
Steve N.
simply super! my son and i are now regulars and quite frequently the only caucasions in the place. love the beef w/longhorn peppers, the clams with basil and the sweet and sour chicken which is NOTHING like you get in any americanized chinese place, itz actually SOUR! our standad plan of attack now is to get two of our favorites then scan the other tables and point, i know its maybe rude but it gets the job done. some winners have been the duck tongue and pork tripe. too good.
(4)
Matt S.
Solid food. My friends from Taiwan are divided (but most of my friends from Taiwan, while I love them, are bourgeois, and this is really a Taiwanese "diner"), but none denies that this is really quality Chinese style food. Among the best in Boston. I love being able to walk into a place and ask for liver without getting a wide eyed giggly response (often from an Asian American server [you know what I mean, Shanghai Gate in Allston, or Lao Szechuan in chicago for that matter]). My ONE complaint (beside I'm unsure of whether I can get bijiu) is that once when I and my fiance (who still lived in Boston till quite recently, and misses it almost as much as I do) ordered squid, it was a bit overcooked. But the soup dumplings with crab and pork and the kidney and the pork and dofu skin with mustard greens more than make up for it. I'll even forgive them for serving Mainland beer instead of Taiwanese beer (or even a GOOD Mainland beer like Blue Sword). Good, clean place with good, hearty food. The only better Taiwanese you'll get in the Boston area is if my friend and her husband invite you over and cook for you. Fantastic.
(5)
M C.
Fried Chicken Leg Rice platter. So good. And I love the giant soup dumplings. They are so soupy. I love drinking the greasy rich broth. That probably sounds disgusting. But its so amazing. The breakfast is blah, maybe it depends on what you order. But I got the sesame bread with the sliced beef (I have no idea how to say it in English), and it was awful. It was bland, and chalky. The fried calamari is good, and so it the pork with tofu and chinese celery (mmm spicy). They have a lot of hits, and some misses. But the hits are so satisfying.
(4)
Mo P.
Finally tried Taiwan Cafe, which is the favorite place of a friend who eats out every single day and is a pretty discriminating foodie, with Chinese as his favorite style. Funny, I just met someone recently who is from the Nanjing area and lives right in the city and agrees that this is her favorite place, too. I know others who'd been there and loved it. They were dead right. I want to go back, just thinking about it. It's a small, non-fancy, authentic, non-expensive place in Chinatown. Even on a busy Saturday afternoon, service was the fastest I've ever seen. Honestly, I don't even remember the details of the dishes since it was three weeks ago, but everything was outstanding. We had some egg dumplings for appetizer, great. I like to start with something fairly standard, and when they dropped a dish of diced chicken and vegetables in front of me, I knew instantaneously that something was special. The freshness and lightness of the aroma was fantastic and the taste matched. We had some seafood and other meat dishes, all fresh and outstanding. Nothing greasy, heavy, or boring. I ate a lot but felt energized by it all, not weighed down. As soon as my Chinese companions and I set foot out the door, we were talking about when to return. Note: cash only, and don't expect to park anywhere near it, which is typical of Boston's Chinatown.
(5)
Ellen L.
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!
(4)
E C.
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.
(3)
Juggy W.
Best place in chinatown if they can stop the price hike. They have lunch special dishes to be shared family style for less than $7 each on weekdays, and a small selection of taiwanese style dim sum brunch for weekend. Price is very reasonable but I have to say that their prices have gone up more than other comparative restaurants in Chinatown.
(5)
Ryan T.
Probably the best Taiwanese food in the Boston area. While they don't get everything right (stinky tofu sucks here), their pork chop rice certainly tastes of awesomeness and the 'wu jing chan wan' is spicy deliciousness as well. Also, I love the jiou huang shiang gan rou shi and the sauteed spinach. This place is great especially late so check it out if you're in need of some cheap Taiwanese eats.
(5)
jenilee p.
it's snowing outside. you're cold. you're just on the verge of morphing into the winter-hibernating new englander. do as i do. get to taiwan cafe. order the most unusual items on the menu, because they'll be cooked with love, and you may be surprised at what you find you like to eat. so, for me? one order duck tongues, crab and pork mini dumplings (soup dumplings), and an order of taiwan style noodles. i enjoyed each course, and they certainly don't skimp on the servings. while i ordered the duck tongues to try something new and see if i liked it, i was pleasantly surprised to see that i truly did. these little gems were presented in a metal hot pot with a delicious ginger-flavored sauce that tasted wonderful with white rice, and while the little bit of cartiledge that you spit out after sucking out the meaty, juicy portion may bother some, it's an easy thing to get over quickly when savoring the flavor of the duck and the sauce. the taiwan style noodles, particularly that with julienned pork, is wonderful, and a great sharing dish. and who doesn't love soup dumplings? (if so, you ahh no friend o' mine!) while the dumplings offered at taiwan cafe are bit more delicate, and easier to puncture and loose the precious liquid filling (fail!), they are just as delicious as those served at gourmet dumpling. even with the 15 minutes required to prepare, i urge you to order the mini crab and soup dumplings. i might also add that the setting of this restaurant is nice, especially for chinatown. servers are quick to bring some hot tea and a smile to your table, and this is yet another chinatown restaurant that is easy on the wallet.
(4)
Serena W.
I don't usually like to go to Taiwanese or Chinese restaurants because they always seem so "Americanized" and usually disappoint me. Taiwan Cafe is a place that I have gone to many times. I know some people aren't a big fan of Chinatown in cities because they think it's dirty and smells funny... that part doesn't seem too far from a lot of places in Taiwan to me. On a similar note, Taiwan Cafe is not fancy or modern but it has some pretty good food. Their dumplings are amongst my favorite (and I have tried A LOT), so that's always a plus. In addition, I really like their beef noodle soup and scallion pancakes. The only thing is that sometimes the dishes I order with sa-cha sauce has TOO much sauce and becomes too spicy. Their service is very good from the many times that I've been there. Overall, I would say the food is great!
(4)
Heidi C.
definitely the best Taiwanese food in the area... i wish i can eat there everyday.... it is very affordable too!
(4)
Lala L.
They have a good five spiced braised beef w/noodles in soup. The Peking meat sauce noodles are just ok. The steamed dumplings are alright. Do try this small bowl of rice with greasey minced pork in gravy served with pickled veggies - very Taiwanese.
(3)
Joe B.
Ever since I traveled to Hong Kong a few years back I have been dreaming about Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings). I had them at the Jumbo Floating restaurant which has some of best and elaborate Dim Sum according to some. The Jumbo is just that...huge and there I was introduced to dumplings filled with crab and pork and magically: Hot Soup. Genius! In a tour of the kitchens I learned that a soup stock is cooked down until very concentrated then chilled until it gels into an aspic. When wrapped inside the bao with the filling then steamed the soup reconstitutes. To eat the Xiao Long Bao one must pick it up in a spoon and with chop sticks balancing the bao, daintily bite off a small corner and suck out the soup without causing a geyser o'broth. Fun and flavor adrift in HK. So where do we get em' round here? Joe's Shanghai in New York does them but until I had them for lunch today at the Taiwan Cafe no bao has come close here in the Hub. There was a short wait but the friendly hostess took our order and it flew onto the table as we sat and went something like this: tea a clear soup Crab Xiao Long Bao (bigger than your standard bao, hot and delicious with a perfect blance of crab and a flavorful but not too greasy broth. Run don't wok.) Grilled Taiwanese sausage (sweetly spiced lap cheung w/lettuce and whole garlic cloves) Sauteed Little neck clams w/basil and black bean sauce (nice'n spicy over white rice) Oyster Pancake w/gravy (a little sweet but a perfectly fried crepe with plump oysters) Pea tendrils stir fried w/the free world's supply of garlic (like butter) Taiwan style flat noodle w/seafood & vegetables (caught enough of the wok fire to be fresh and tasty but get that bit of char.) Tall Tsing Taos Although Taiwan Cafe was very busy the service was cheerful, helpful and efficient. A perfect lunch on a beautiful day. Let's always go here. (Note to self: Find a friend from Taiwan and return and really crack this gem open)
(4)
Henry P.
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.
(5)
Ligaya T.
during my stint in boston i was mostly a seafood & veggie eater. even so, i hit up taiwan cafe on the regular and found some delicious, reasonably priced dishes. i even took my taiwanese mother there and she was pleased! i would recommend the kong ching tsai (or chinese watercress), salt & pepper calamari and loh boa gao. so yummy and as a testament to its authenticity, always packed with chinese. the environment isnt too interesting, but go to grub and no doubt you will leave content!
(4)
Brendan M.
Very authentic Taiwanese cuisine -it's not often one finds pickled tripe sausage on a menu. Note of warning: when they say hot and spicy, they mean it.
(4)
Cindy L.
I'd been to Taiwan Cafe twice. I think this place is awful. It's not authentic Taiwanese food. The food tasted totally different from what we have in Taiwan.
(2)
Kristina M.
I'm torn between 3 or 4 stars, as the food is not super-great, but certainly authentic and tasty and the portions are huge. You will definitely have some leftover to take home (and this comes from someone who can eat A LOT), or you should - as suggested previously and as many of the Asian customers do - just order less and share: it's much more fun! This especially recommendable if you go with a larger group. The restaurant definitely has this homey feeling and there are plenty of choices if you feel adventurous (warning: not only do they mean spicy when they say it, but when they say "stinky" - as in "stinky tofu" - they REALLY mean that, too! My partner was so brave as to order that dish and ended up not being able to finish his delicious eggplant dish either because of the awful smell.) There are, however, also plenty of choices for the less adventurous taste. So give it a try and see for yourself!
(4)
Brandy S.
GREAT food. It is a small place that is always packed - not much atmosphere, but you will find yourself among the crowds that know where to find authentic Aisan food. This is not just your "sesame chicken and fried rice" restaurant - look for items with ingredients that you probably never thought of eating (fermented tofu anyone ((BTW, that dish is NOT for the faint of heart)). My favorite dish is their calamari - perfectly crispy with a salt and pepper coating. It is so good that dipping it in a saunce would be criminal.
(4)
Michael G.
This place has awesome, authentic Taiwanese food in the middle of Chinatown. It's clean, the service is fast, and the food is cheap. It's a little crowded, though, on weekends for dinner. I personally like ordering one of the many noodle soups they have here, which are possibly the best in town.
(4)
monkey l.
after moving out to sf, i still miss this place. it's the first place i hit up when i'm back in beantown. for a little bit of authentic taiwanese fare, try the pork chop, the "xiao long bao," -- or steamed pork buns, the oyster noodle soup, or the "chi ga mi", just like you get in chia yi. even the little taiwanese shops out in cupertino can't beat this place. i miss you, taiwan cafe! be careful though, this place only accepts cash. and it's not for those seeking americanized asian food.
(4)
S L.
Fairly authentic Taiwanese food. It gets crowded, especially on the weekends. Their house special pork chop is good and costs about $4.50, and they give you soooooo much food (including lots of tasty pork chop, a side of cooked vegetables, rice topped with the Taiwanese minced meat, a side of this other Taiwanese vegetable, a tea egg, and a big bowl of soup).
(4)
Juliette V.
Very authentic food in the heart of Chinatown. If you like adventure this is the place for it. I like their fatty pork as well as the vegetable plates.
(4)
Aldwin A.
The only good thing here is the minced pork dish. Both fried chicken cut let and leg quarter dishes are very greasy. Service is terrible too and the servers seem to hate their job. I get it it's busy. If ever I would come back, I would have to order the minced pork rice bowl dish to go.
(2)
Chenkai L.
This place has amazing food for amazing prices. Their soup dumplings are authentic and cheap. My favorite dish is their 'Blood pudding and intestine with picked mustard', which sounds really gross but if you are okay with the ingredients, the flavor and broth is absolutely delicious. Their spicy fish is also really well made, this place is highly recommended for people that like authentic asian food for a bargain!
(5)
Jack L.
Do NOT expect 5 star service here, but do expect fantastic food. As for the service, they've returned a wrong amount of change to me from my check and did not apologize one experience. Annoying? Sure. Was it the end of the world? No. They gave me the right change and that's all that I really cared about. Once you have it in you to look past that, oh man the food really makes up for it. My favorite is the general gao's chicken over a bed of white rice. Wow, the chicken was mouth watering, well crispy, excellent amount of spice, and overall really pleasing to throw down the gut. Oh, and one way you know how this place is legit is when the chicken is consistent with my explanation, with every visit! I order this item frequently. This place is incredibly authentic as it can get to that of legitimate Taiwan cuisine. One of my top favorite joints in Chinatown.
(4)
A. C.
So much food with affordable price! Roast beef scallion pancake rolls were great! My husband and I had to take pork and veggies stir fry and ma po tofu in to go containers as the rolls made us full. Spicy dishes are actually spicy (different from American 'spicy' level), so be prepared if you want to try some spicy food here.
(4)
Edgar L.
always good! there are so many delicious options, and it is always very filling. i haven't had to wait long for a seat any of the several times i've been here. they do take-out, accept credit card, speak English. they have a great little brunch menu on weekends that everyone needs to check out - sampler-sized items including scallion pancakes, buns, soy milk, etc. cheap and delicious.
(5)
Kejian W.
Food quality 5 stars, service 4 stars, environment 2 stars, therefore an average of 4 stars. In China town, service and environment are usually not expected to be good so if you want delicious Taiwanese food, this is definitely the destination in Boston. the soup dumpling is excellent, actually is as good as Soup dumpling in Shanghai, my home town! I also ordered beef with small chili pepper (pretty spicy but delicious) and thin rice noodle with livers. They are really authentic! I highly recommend this small restaurant located in the heart of Boston China town. I probably will come back again tomorrow as I am going back to San Antonio in 2 days. I will miss this place!
After I heard all the great reviews about how great this small restaurant was, I decided to go there with a group of friends. The hostess wasn't very inviting and seemed uninterested in our presence. She acted almost as if we were bothering her. Ehh...I guess that wasn't too big a deal. I also noticed that half the tables were taken up by the employees, leaving about 5 tables open to customers. To me, that's a bit odd considering the restaurant is small enough as is. Once we were seated, we were given some waters. I was a bit unsettled when I glanced into my water and noticed a dead gnat floating right on the surface. Instead of complaining, I simply asked for a different cup of water, which they quickly gave me. As for the food, it was okay. Nothing really spectacular here. Pretty much the typical Chinese food you would find at any other restaurant in Chinatown. But it was good nonetheless.
(2)
Austin A.
Soup dumplings, wonton soup, house special fried pork chops, kung pao chicken. We ate like royalty when we are lunch here a few Sundays ago. Those fried pork chops were insane.
(4)
Daphanie I.
This was my first time visiting and the service was terrible. They refused to seat us because our one guest had not arrived. It was three of us and our fourth person had not arrived but they would've sat us at a table of four anyway since it was three of us there. So we waited 30 mins to be seated while they sat other people. Once we were seated no one came up to us to serve us drinks, or even acknowledge us. We had to flag a server down to take our order. The food was ok but the experience was just less than. Once we paid our bill and sat there to finish our tea a server came to clear our table and asked if we were leaving because they needed to seat other people. so rude. Needless to say I won't be going back.
(1)
Susan X.
Soup dumplings-pretty impressive, juicy and tasty. Oyster omelette-average. The sauce is too sweet. Can't really tell if the oysters are fresh or not.
(3)
Poe Poe K.
I would totally give at least a four stars for the good food for all the times I have been at Taiwan cafe until yesterday. Yesteday, the bill came down to 39 dollars and we had them a solid 15 percent tip. However, the waiter called us back and forced us to pay 18 and said 18 percent is the minimum. I am fully aware that waiters get the tip money but it is very rude to call back a customer to force them to give 18 percent tip. How they run business is very unethical. Even when you go to an western restaurant they would only charge you 18 percent gratuity if your part size is greater than 6. I won't go back there again!
(1)
Christina P.
Best crab and pork soup dumplings in Boston. When I'm visiting the west coast and get din tai fung, I miss these dumplings a lot.
(5)
Liana K.
came here for brunch, ordered a bunch of things with names I can't spell or recall. My favorite was this tofu dish with veggies in sauce. I know real detailed. Least favorite was the sesame pancake. I don't have anything to compare it to so maybe that's just how those are but I found it thick and dry. Service was quick, maybe too quick as we ordered more dishes than our table could fit, but that's our own fault. Only problem with quick service is that once you're done and paid you basically get kicked out so they can sit the next group down. Fair enough, it's a busy place and this made our wait on a Sunday afternoon only a few minutes. Overall, I'm looking forward to trying this place again for lunch or dinner.
(4)
G U.
Do not go on the weekends or Friday night. You will have to wait for a table and everyone in your party has to be there to be seated. When they are busy, i found that the food always seems more greasy and portion size is smaller. Like any other Asian restaurant, service here is poor. After a couple of minutes of being seated I wanted to ask for some ice water, the waiter gave me this glaring look when I just said I wanted water and that we were not ready to order. You constantly have to flag the waiters down if you need something and it usually comes a couple of minutes later. I would say that this place has been our favorite restaurant in Chinatown but after our last few experiences we probably won't be back for awhile. Most recently when given the check, the waiter said it is customary to tip 18-20%. We took this into consideration and decided to leave less because of the service. As we were leaving the restaurant, they had the nerve to chase us and tell us to increase our tip. First of all, with the poor service I didn't think that such a high tip percentage was necessary. But we did end up increasing it a little just so we can leave the place.
I wished I could eat delicious tw food in NY without hiking to flushing. Love this place! Only downside is that it feels cramped and not enough table space to order an even larger spread of food!
(5)
Josh S.
Food was alright but I think my expectations were higher given the ratings. The menu is big and overwhelming and there's really no suggested way to handle it. Just get whatever. We tried several dishes and they were all good (except the pork buns) but nothing was particularly amazing. Decent portion sizes for the price though - you can go a long way on a budget
(3)
Raymond M.
I've been here a bunch of times in the past. This is a nice place to go eat. Sometimes its really crowded here so be aware of that and see if you're willing to wait because I don't feel like its that worthwhile to wait more than 10 minutes. Now they have a very extensive menu. However keep in mind this is a Taiwanese cafe. Hint: don't order the schezwan and food from other locales and expect them to be anything fabulous. Keeping this in mind I picked out the Taiwanese stuff and it was good. I wasn't blown away but it was good. I would not recommend the Taiwanese pork and fish drop soup though. It was basically a hot and sour soup with chunks of meat in it. Overall I would recommend he place to try something new but its not my regular place to go to. So try it out for yourself if you haven't been, plenty of things to get!
(4)
Terry H.
Lunch menu has great selection. my bf and I are regulars here usually for the lunch special during weekdays. Taiwanese fried pork chop is awesome, very authentic, remind us of the food back home. The spicy fish is season to the right amount of spiciness, spicy enough to increase the appetite but not so spicy to a point where you have to keep chugging down water. We always order the same dishes and they are always consistent with great taste, never fail. However, i am sure other dishes are great to try also. Place is a bit cramp, so not great for large party.
(4)
Brittani K.
Taiwan Cafe is a good bang for your buck. I was overly satisfied with the roast beef scallion pancake- every bite was so flavorful that I just didn't want it to end. I also enjoyed the soup dumplings where as my friend thought they were a bit more on the bland side. I often find myself day dreaming about both and would definitely recommend them to anyone!
(4)
Sarah S.
Ask for the soup dumplings!
(5)
Ramsay S.
Very reasonable prices, although some of the food is very greasy.
(4)
Vivian C.
I haven't tried many items from the Taiwan Cafe menu. But that's mostly because it is really hard for me to drag myself away from my favorites. My gotta-haves are the House special fried pork chop on rice platter $5.95 (oh, so good! Tasty, tender fried pork with the day's stir-fried veggie, a soy egg, and meat sauce covered rice... what's not to like?), and the Homestyle braised eggplant w/ basil $7.25 lunch special/$9.95 vegetable item. Also highly rated for me is the Roast beef w/ scallions roll in scallions pancake $7.25 off the Appetizer section, although the version made by Jo Jo Taipei is so much better. I also like the Preserved mustard greens w/edamame & fresh bean curd $8.95 here, but I wouldn't go to Taiwan Cafe just for that. And the Fried chicken cutlet on rice platter $5.95 and Crispy chicken quarter leg on rice platter $5.95 seems to be a favorite of others, but I haven't tried them yet. One thing that makes me smile is the way the tea cups tend to coast along the table of their own accord. After the restaurant underwent renovations this past summer-autumn, they reopened not too long ago with the ability to accept credit cards, but only for charges of $20 or more. *** 12/2012 visit *** In addition to my two favs, we ordered a bunch of new-to-me dishes. Steamed Pork, Mushroom & Sticky Rice w/Gravy $3.75 - tasted better than it looked Taiwan style pan fried dumplings (8) $6.95 - big, fat, thin skinned, and fried Sole Filet in sweet & sour sauce on Rice $7.25 - the filet pieces were a bit small, but still pretty tasty Simmered chopped chicken with 3 essences in hot pot $10.95 - meaty chunks of chicken in a tasty sauce Taiwan style sauteed noodles with pork & veggie $6.50 - pretty simple but good Nothing knocked my socks off, but I'd be willing to get everything again. *** 8/2013 visit *** The Tofu & Vegetable Miso Soup is portioned for sharing. Yes, quite generous, and for a very good price. A friend commented that the siu long bao never disappoint her here because the skin is always thin. They were reluctant to seat us till our entire party arrived. Just fyi. *** 9/2014 *** Busy, busy! This place is busy. We had to wait for a table on a Sunday afternoon for lunch. We ended up getting 3 items priced at $6.95 apiece - the House special fried pork chop on rice platter (my pick!), xiao long bao (aka soup dumplings, or, as they are called here - Mini Steamed Buns with Pork; a friend's pick, but I heartily agreed), and Taiwan Style Noodle Soup With sliced pork, fish cake, egg & bean sprouts - for the three of us to share. Terrific meal! The first two items were great as expected, but while the noodle soup was a bit light on the protein fixings, the noodles were smooth and tender. *** 12/2014 *** Don't know when they made the change, but you can no longer order luncheon portions that come with rice and soup on weekends. Sad. But I still swooned over the fried pork chop on my House Special Fried Pork Chop on Rice Platter $6.95. The dough was a bit dense at the top of the Xiao Long Bao $6.95 this time around, which made for a tricky pick up, but still they tasted good.
If it weren't for the Xiao Long Baos this would be a 2 star review. I ordered several basic Taiwanese dishes like Spicy Beef Noodle soup, Scallion Pancake with beef, and Salt and Pepper Chicken with Basil. Lets get through the negatives first: Pancakes were way too thick and doughy. Almost a half inch thick! It's a giant biscuit at that point. The chicken was bland despite the seasoning and it being white meat didn't help. I was disappointed to find thin slices of beef used in the noodle soup. The kind used in hot pots. The only dish that I liked was the XLB. Although it wasn't the best I've had, the filling and soup was no doubt comforting. The wrappers were a little on the tough side but it at least held together without ripping. All in all go elsewhere for your TW food cravings but do come to stuff yourself with Xiao Long Baos.
(3)
Alexander C.
Normally on point, their customer service was just god awful. They were slow and mistaking and even when calling people to their tables they were sloppy and unorganized with their hostess being particularly rude. Made me annoyed to the point of considering not coming here again.
Greeting - 3 stars. Food - Beef, scallion pancake. I was so excited to order this after reading the reviews and viewing the uploaded pictures. My first bite - bliss; what have I been missing; I'm so thankful to be living in Boston. The scallion pancake was moist and flavorful and the cilantro was on point. My third bite - I spit out a huge chunk of beef fat! Then another in the second half. I can't This was around noon. Come on! Y'all basically just opened. No excuse. Too early for this
(2)
Ryan M.
I went to Taiwan Cafe on Friday night and it was pretty busy. We didn't wait long for a seat though which was nice. We ordered sesame chicken, roast beef scallion pancakes, and soup dumplings. The soup dumplings were my favorite even though all the food was great. I liked the roast beef scallion pancake but it had a little to much cilantro in it. This place is a nice find in chinatown. I recommend it to anyone looking for authentic Taiwanese/Chinese food.
(5)
Irene C.
Authentic Taiwanese cuisine in an intimate, crowded, but delicious environment. FOOD: In my 3 visits here, I've had the pork chop rice plate ($6) multiple times. Fried pork chop, minced pork topping, sour vegetables, tofu, and an egg topping a generous portion of steamed rice. Get it and I promise you won't regret it. Other dishes including the green beans and the infamous soup dumplings are on point and make me miss Taiwan. SERVICE: Brusque, efficient, polite sometimes. Small groups are often seated at larger communal tables, but you can choose to wait for your own tiny table if you choose. The waiters are quick to refill your glass, take your order, or bring the check if you make eye contact and the right charades sign. WAIT: The wait is pretty long, especially on weekends or other busy times. Take a number, and they'll call you. The waiting section in the restaurant is nonexistent, which is why you see the large crowd outside the restaurant. TIPS: - Not a place to bring strollers and small children as the place is tiny. - Credit cards (not all accepted) for orders $20 or more - Rice plates give you enormous bang for your buck. - Ask the waitress for recommendations or look around for ideas. The menu can be quite overwhelming!
(5)
Mo S.
Dont go here for the looks,but the szechuan fish was mind blowing! Really authentic food!
(4)
Willa D.
I came with a group of friends a few months ago. The place was packed, and we waited about 15 minutes to be seated. The service was a bit unfriendly and down-to-business but I wasn't surprised by that. Their menu is a bit daunting and disorganized, but the food is amazing. The Beef Scallion Pancake was so delicious and worth noting-- spicy, hot, crispy, flavorful. Also tried dumplings, which were good. Hearty Chilean Sea Bass soup was great as well.
(5)
Annette N.
My favorite Chinese/Taiwanese restaurant in Boston! I would order from them every week at one point :P The hubby and I first ate here back in 2013, but the only reason I see now to dine-in would be the xiao long bao, which don't transport well at all for obvious reasons. The skin is certainly a little too thick, but good enough to beat the craving when I get it. My go-to dish here is the sauteed shredded beef with long-horn peppers (i.e., jalapenos)- it's so delicious but can also really upset your tummy with all the heat, so a word of caution. Scallion pancakes are also well executed and another favorite. Service is not too bad for Chinatown(!) and that goes for the cleanliness too. All in all, a solid restaurant for when you're craving authentic Taiwanese/Chinese!
(4)
Dung L.
Bad service!!! i read a lot of comments and then decided to go. So disappointed!!! The food is not very good. Highly not recommend
(1)
Christina H.
My mom's favorite go-to place in Chinatown (Boston). The Tawain style pan-fried dumplings and roast beef scallion pancake are great appetizers. Got the duck buns one time, but the filling was barely warm; neither my bf or I enjoyed it. The soup dumplings are okay here. The Taiwan style noodle soup is hearty and filling. Gotta love that they are open late 7 days a week!
(4)
Brian K.
The Taiwan Cafe was ok. We were expecting a lot better since it has been named "Boston's Best". The service was fast, food was hot, but we were underwhelmed by the flavor. The soup was good, and I thought the sesame chicken tasted good, but the shrimp hot pot had almost no flavor. Color me somewhat disappointed.
(3)
Alex Y.
Get the scallion pancakes. They are thick, crispy, and delicious. There are a lot of good vegetarian options, but be careful about dried shrimp used for seasoning in the vegetable dishes.
(4)
Sarah K.
I've been meaning to try this place out for some while now. Finally came with two other friends and between the three of us, we got 7 or so dishes. I admit, we were a bit too ambitious with our selection. We got the intestines, beef roll with scallions pancake, juicy dumplings, house special pork chop with rice, beef and tomato and egg on rice, Szechuan fish fillet in spicy broth, and spicy beef with noodles. Yes, it was a LOT. The portions here are generous, too, so we ended up having a lot left over. But we got to try a lot of the popular dishes there so it was totally worth it. Plus, all that came out to be ONLY $55. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the check.
(4)
Michelle W.
Of course I had to stop in Chinatown for dinner while on my mini-vacay and I was not disappointed. Loved this place as it reminded me of the restaurants back in Chinatown (NYC). The food was good, super cheap and came out super fast. We got seating right before the rush came in, so we lucked out with that. If you're looking for a quick bite or even just good cheap food, this is the place to go. We filled up here and hit the North End for some dessert.
Scallion pancakes are killer! Woman on phone and I had difficulty understanding each other, so I just went with her recommendation of some veggie dish with edemame, green beans and some other stuff. Also amazing! (get rice with it) Only problem is that I ate all the takeout myself (I couldn't stop), when I should have really been sharing it with at least 2 other people. One of the hazards of having no friends!
(5)
Paul Y.
The food is excellent. From their Taiwanese appetizers to their noodles, I very much enjoyed my meal here. I had just gotten off the bus with a friend, and braving both cold and hunger, made our way to one of the few restaurants still open at this time. However, what might possibly be the sign of a truly good Chinese food is terrible service- this is not to say that every good restaurant has to have bad service, or that every single customer will face bad service, but rather that I am comfortable with eating good food after having a brief argument with the staff. (probably has something to do with the co-incidence of recent immigrants producing the most authentic food, and the relative lack of service culture in East Asia) In this case, they tried to convince me to leave my duffel bag (which fit fine under the table tbh) outside- not even in the little atrium between doors, but literally under the open sky. Now call me untrusting of the lovely people of Boston, but the weak reassurances that there were video cameras did not make me inclined to leave my bag outside at 9pm. I think they strongly overvalue how much a would-be thief wants to eat at Taiwan Cafe. In all; come eat. I am only complaining because it was a truly unreasonable request.
(4)
Jenn Z.
One of the best Chinese restaurants in Boston. Affordable, fresh, tasty. Besides, who doesn't want something different from your good old takeout? Make sure to try: Soup dumplings: juicy and full of warm soup Braised eggplants: I haven't heard a single complaint from anyone yet Peking style pork: Chinese BBQ, go for it! Spicy fish: If you like spicy food, don't miss this Steamed spinach: so simple and healthy, yet so delicious too. Skip the lines at other hyped-up places in Chinatown.
(4)
Evan H.
Service is terrible. Food is great and it is where these two stars come from. Waitress was very impatient and argued with us three times. When seating us. I was asking if we can get certain table and she replied 'That the one I'm seating you, do you have a problem?' The second rude service was when I asked for one missing order, and she insist we have never ordered it. But four of us know we ordered it already. The third time was when we ask for separate check, she grabbed our credit card and then toss the check on our table. The last confrontation was the tip. We paid around 10% (it was lunch) because she doesn't deserve more than that. She ran out and asked for more and refuse to let us leave. She said the minimum tip should be at least 15%, which was not shown in any sign in the restaurant. I am so regret we surrendered and paid two more dollars. It is understandable these waitress work for a long time in hustle and bustle. They hate their job and we are the one who should suffer the consequence. If any suggestion can be made, I would say raise the dirt cheap price! If I can pay more to get a better service and good food, will definitely come back. So far, I am ashamed this restaurant is named after my country.
(2)
Vivian C.
Horrible service. First off, as I was walking up the steps the girl started pouring salt directly into me, when she saw me walking. Second, she seated my party of 5 right next to the bathroom with limited room and I had asked if I could change my seat. It wasn't extremely busy so I couldn't understand why it was such a big deal. My friend was sitting towards the end near a walk-in fridge and she had the audacity tell my friend to move in one of the rudest tones. Will never be returning
(1)
Christi S.
Top dish: Fried pork chop. Slightly sweet, not oily fried. Ask for siracha or hot sauce. Xia long bao: although in their menu, it's called mini steamed buns I liked the pork & crabmeat one Menu - wow, for a first timer to the restaurant, they have an extensive menu. It'll prob take me a good 30-40 mins just to go over everything to choose from. Imagine a 5-6 page front n back, 11 pt font, line by line. About 50 or so lines per page. Skip the 1st page if you're not there M-F for lunch. That'll save you 10 mins. Will return for more fried pork chop! Reminds me of the tawainese popcorn chickens w/basil.
(3)
Tania S.
Whenever we travel, we always crave Chinese food specially after a week of so of consuming Non Chinese cuisine. This time I wanted to try some Chinese food in Boston so we yelped it and decided to check this place out. It was raining that day so I can't remember how far it was from our hotel. (We were at the W Hotel) But it felt like a 10 min walk. Walking in the rain with umbrellas bumping into each other is always a crappy experience specially coming from sunny California. We ordered 4 dishes and they were all ok. The crab was probably the most tasty dish we ordered. The Xiao Long Pao were not that good, the skin was supper thick and the filling was a bit hard and sweeter than most places I've been. The food was OK in general but they ambiance needs help. The fish tank was filled with fish for sale but 1/2 of them were half dead or sickly. These are big fish so when you see them belly up while you are eating, it affects your appetite, luckily I sat with my back to this tank of death. There were about 5-6 waitresses for a small restaurant, they looked like ants working in there, but on their down time (after taking our order and serving other customers) they all gathered around the closest table to the hostess station and they had a makeup session. That was very weird. It was like eating in a restaurant-salon. Most of these girls were college age and the eldest looking one was the makeup artist. They were doing each others hair too. I am not sure if this is a routine act but I felt that it was a bit inappropriate for a restaurant setting.
(3)
Lilian C.
I should say the food is just average, and the waitress are not friendly!!!!! Before ordered, we wanna change to another table(too narrow for us), but they said "no" even with tons of empty tables in the restaurant, and the reason they gave us is ridiculous: everywhere is the same....... the waitress cannot wait to see the tips, we left $5 for $23 even though with the bad services, she just opened it in front of us and count the money....... never go back again, cuz we can find other places with the same food, and even with good services!!!
(2)
Carrie L.
I was the happiest girl when Taiwan Cafe finally reopened last year. They took almost a half-year hiatus for renovation. The new Taiwan Cafe looks A LOT cleaner. I didn't come here for ambiance but it doesn't hurt to fix it up :) My usual consists of: 1) Oyster soup with vermicelli = serious craving for this 2) Stewed minced pork over rice (lu rou fan) = the best! and so cheap! 3) Sauteed beef with long horn peppers = so spicy but you can't stop eating it! Other good stuffs: Xiao Long Bao (Soup dumplings!) Sauteed seafood with rice cake Cash only. Opens late!
(5)
Jenny A.
Shame on me for thinking this place could compete with Din Tai Fung. I'm sorry, tummy. I really am.
Try appetizer number 33 you will not be dissapointed awesome chicken in a pancake/ dough rolled up with scallions with a brown sauce.Awesome! I would get that as a normal size meal next time. Wife got sesame chicken. When she ordered I thought boring but it was great with a little orange sauce like it was a little sweet and sour sauce 5 stars.. Rice and noodle #23 was very good. They give you tea when you sit which was good. Bathroom was clean and service good too. I added something to my meal and just waived down a passing server. They are always flying by. I'll take that vs. the hidden waiter at some fancier restaurants.
(5)
Didi S.
This place been around for at least 8 years, with at least one minor expansion and the only way I can explain it is through the solid food. The very mix of people--old legit Chinese people (naturalized and un), second generation teenagers, everyone in between, and other assorted 'foodies'--really reflects its broad appeal. I'll come here alone, with good friends, even with my impossible-to-please parents. Really the only time I've ever thought it was inappropriate to bring someone here was when a date and I had to share a table with a group that included someone who couldn't eat pork. They ended up having an OK time but still. Specifics: - Weekend dim sum: they buy their fried dough from the supermarkets and refry on location. I'd just skip it and drink the soy milk itself unless you're really aching for it. To be fair, I don't think any restaurant in Boston's Chinatown does it fresh - Scallion pancake with beef: so rich, so very decent. Not the best I've had, but better than jojo taipei, I'd say. The abundance of fresh scallions was so so good - Fish slices with lily buds: a new favorite. Xian enough for me to suspect flavor enhancement, but whatever. - Beef and peppers: half the tables always seem to have this - Filled fishball soup. Super simple, but good. The clear soup was a lot better than I thought it'd be, with sauteed onion pieces, scallions, Chinese celery and possibly dried fish flakes?
(5)
Veronique L.
This place has since been remodeled, and it's so much nicer and cleaner than it was a few months ago. I ordered the stewed minced pork over rice for $2.95. I didn't really want to order anything else, but I felt it was too little for a dine in so I ordered the steamed pork and napa cabbage dumplings for $5.95. I thought I was only supposed to get eight dumplings, but my plate was presented with ten. It also took the dumplings much longer to come out, and I was finished with my rice minutes before the dumplings arrived. For the record, the rice alone was enough, but the dumplings are a nice extra. They didn't rush me out which I appreciate since it was raining and snowing outside. However, it did take some time to place my order.
(4)
Anthony C.
Went here on only my second trip into Chinatown after a long day in Boston, took a couple of friends. We arrived and there was about a 20 minute wait, but the hostess took our phone number and gave us a call when a table was available. No problems there, it was unsurprisingly busy. First: the miso soup is easily one of the best I've ever tasted. It's a must-order, comes in a big bowl with smaller bowls for sharing. It was most of our first or second experiences with authentic Taiwanese cuisine, so we weren't quite ready for the sheer enormity of the menu. My sesame tofu was very fresh, unlike any I've ever had, and the dumplings we ordered were very tasty. We ordered primarily vegetarian dishes, so I can't speak to the meat offerings. One star was removed because they delivered pork dumplings to my vegetarian friend who ordered veggie ones, and his very excited first-bite gave him a surprise that cast a dim light on the rest of the meal for him, unfortunately. Other than that the service was fine. All in all, a very solid choice for dinner in Chinatown.
(4)
Lauren H.
If you want authentic Taiwanese food, this place will dissapoint you. I had high expectations for this place because it got such high reviews, boy I was wrong. I don't think the owners are even Taiwanese
(1)
Larry B.
My all time favorite restaurant in Chinatown. Authentic, flavorful and interesting (to us naive Americans like myself) cuisine. Go with a group, order a lot, and ride the wave.
Pretty much every time I am in the Boston area, I have to come to this place! They are very popular and with good reason! The food is authentic, delicious, and comes out quite fast. I like their bamboo shoots with chicken (or pork) a lot, and have also had their beef noodle soup and a tofu dish - everything was very flavorful but not overly oily. The prices are also very reasonable for the amount that you get! The space is quite small but it's worth it so all in all, I definitely recommend this place for some excellent Taiwanese food!
(4)
Vivi L.
The waitress is very rude and very stiff. They allowed shortcut for their acquaintance and the seafood is spoiled. Overall it's a very bad experience and we won't go there again.
(1)
Kelly B.
I've been a few times, and I can say that if you stick to straightforward dishes, it's pretty good. The soup dumplings are a safe limb to go out on. They are amazing. I've also had the sauteed pea sprouts and a fish soup (like, entire fish laid across spicy soup) that was excellent. I also had one really negative experience here. I wish I could remember the exact item we ordered; I think it was a pork belly type dish with some sort of veggies. There was clearly some fermentation involved but I don't remember the name of the dish saying that (there are several dishes that make this clear). Anyway it was deeply horrible and I felt sick afterwards. I consider myself a fairly adventurous eater, but I am a little scared to go here without an expert now. For context, I've had a lot of unidentified meat that I was totally down with, I like fermented foods in general, and I've had that traditional chinese dish that involves tofu and blood and was pretty into that too. So, experiment at your own risk, I'd say.
(3)
Grace W.
Taiwanese brunch, here I come! I was so excited to try this spot for brunch, and sure enough I found my place for hot soy milk and crispy, yet fluffy, fried donuts. The scallion pancake with roast beef is quite tasty, although really deep-fried (but this seems to be a Boston thing). The rice with minced pork is also good. Sesame pancake tasted fine, but was oddly shaped - very poor for stuffing a piece of donut inside, and then dipping it into my soy milk. Overall, for such a fried set of dishes we ordered, I didn't feel disgustingly thirsty afterwards. I have to note that, as a Calfornian, I've noticed that some Taiwanese dishes in Boston restaurants come out way more deep-fried and crispy (sometimes even hard). Why don't you pan-fry so you get the crunchy and fluffy?! But, there aren't that many places in Boston that have Taiwanese breakfast, and this place is the best so far. The brunch menu is very small, but paired with their regular menu items, you can have a hearty meal.
(4)
Andrew Q.
Come here if you're looking for solid Chinese food. Skip if you're looking for good service, or a short line. This place gets crowded, fast, and I usually only come for lunch. I can only imagine what dinner is like. Food is damn good though, and quite authentic. My non-Chinese friend had trouble ordering, since the menu is filled with food you can't find in an Americanized Chinese place, but you'll have pretty good luck just randomly ordering. The service might as well be non-existent. You'll have to call several times to place your order, you'll probably have to remind them when you need something, and you'll have to call for the check several times too. My appetizer arrived probably five minutes after my main dish arrived, so be warned; there's not much point to getting appetizers here unless you just enjoy eating them with the rest of your meal. It's best to know what you're getting into here, just so you don't leave disappointed.
(4)
Marissa A.
If you're coming here during normal eating hours, be prepared for a wait. And if you can, try to go with someone who knows asian cuisine. Luckily I had some suggestions from friends, so my friends and I didn't go in completely green. There were 4 of us. We started off with scallion pancakes - okay, we kept it slightly Americanized. But we ventured getting the veggie and pork Shanghai noodles, the pork soup dumplings, and the braised eggplant with basil. I think we stopped talking for 20 minutes because we couldn't stop eating. The scallion pancakes were deeply fried (never claimed to be a health nut) and surprisingly light. The noodles were filled with an array of veggies and a good amount of pork - goodies in every bite. The eggplant was delicious as well - so soft, sweet and savory. The basil added a fresh flavor to the eggplant. And the soup dumpling were fantastic - the wrapper was not too thick or chewy and the meat was succulent and juicy. Everything you would expect in a good soup dumpling. And somehow we had leftovers! The next surprised was how cheap it was - it came out to $9 per person. We were so full and went home with leftovers? Unheard of. Next time we go, we will try to be more adventurous.
(4)
Jeremy W.
This place is my absolute FAVORITE place in Chinatown. Best Taiwanese food (as well as Chinese food overall in my opinion). I've always come here as a kid and have grown up with the restaurant. Let it be known, that the super popular Gourmet Dumpling house's owners are the SAME as Taiwan cafe. So if Gourmet Dumpling house is jam packed (when isn't it?) then make your way over to Taiwan cafe, which is slightly less busy and crowded. I love this place because it consistent delivers great food. Out of the all the times I've come here, the food has always been great. Highlights include their scallion pancakes which I usually NEVER get at restaurants, but they hand make their own which is really delicious. Their Eggplant with mint is also a huge favorite. Their dumplings and soup dumplings are great as well and are EXACTLY the same as Gourmet Dumpling house! Spicy long pepper with pork is great and really spicy too! Minced pork over rice is also a great choice, a fan favorite from all of my friends. I think their most popular dish however, is their rice plate with fried pork. I think it comes out $6.45ish but it include a lot of rice with minced pork over it, A few big fried pork chops, a tea egg, some chinese steam cabbage, some salty sour greens, and soup. It's a GREAT lunch choice, and definitely will fill you up. Or if you wanted to get it for dinner in the restaurant and don't want to share, I highly recommend it! This place is also pretty busy, so try not to come during peak dining hours if you don't want to wait.
(5)
Jim W.
Stick with the traditional appetizers, noodles, and non seafood entrees. Sea Bass tofu hot pot order was miserable because I can barely find any sea bass chunk. Sea bass was sliced very thin and deep fried. There were too many skin pieces that tasted fishy. Pickle cabbage was awesome and so did the spicy shredded beef.
(3)
Joe D.
It's so so and the food is just okay. The waiting process is not very comfortable since you have to wait outside the restaurant and wait to receive a call on your cell phone. Well, if it's sub-zero weather, I doubt anyone would find that an enjoyable experience. The service is not very attentive and you have to ask for water and also the check.
(3)
Amy Yvonne H.
OMG! This place was sooo good! We had the pork & crab dumplings & the dao mu (? not sure if that was the name or not. Green veggies looked like spinach but wasn't) It blew my mind! You get hot tea & you can do communal seating or not. The staff didn't speak great English, but that made it even better! We shared those two things and still took home left overs! The left overs were even better the next day! It was just so amazing! I can't wait to go back!
(5)
Tianyi Z.
Decent food, but the entire dinner was destroyed when they ask for 28% tips given the fact that we are already giving 20% ...
(3)
Ali C.
I was having dinner with a friend. We ordered enough food for us to eat there twice and we were asked to leave because there were customers waiting for my table. I have never had such awful manners and disrespect at a food establishment. For someone who grew up in hospitality and restaurant, that is the worst thing u can do. There were other empty tables, but because the staff didn't want to give two people the table that could seat 4, they asked me to leave. I will NEVER EVER go back. Don't go there if u expect a relax enjoyable dinner. I wouldnt even give this place a half star but the system does not allow me to not give anything. TAIWAN CAFÉ SUCKS PERIOD!!!
(1)
Justin H.
I'm used to different style of Chinese food having grown up in NYC but this place is great. Pork Soup Dumplings were really good. Braised Tofu was out of this world !! So was the roast beef scallion pancake roll, although it could use more scallions. I would come back for sure.
(4)
J C.
I had the beef noodle soup and the spicy cold pig ear. Both were relatively average when graded against the authentic Taiwanese food scale. That's not to say this place isn't good. It is. But it's just as good as other authentic Taiwanese food places. The best spicy cold pig ear I've ever had in the United States was this place called Li Hwa (that is now closed) on the border of San Jose and Milpitas, CA. Their slices of the pig ear were relatively thick, so you got a good chunk of that crunchy cartilage with the chewy flesh. This balanced contrast made it fun to eat. In comparison, Taiwan Cafe's slices were very thin so it was largely chewy. The chili oil Li Hwa used also had some additional flavor to it that was lacking in the version produced by Taiwan Cafe. (I think Li Hwa probably roasted some actual chilis to put into the oil, or added some other spices, and they added chives. Taiwan Cafe seemed to just use regular chili oil without chives). That said, too few places serve pig ear, probably because it's not a part of the pig that most Americans are used to eating. So it made me extremely happy to see that this was on the menu. My main beef with the noodle soup arises from the cuts of beef they used. The best Taiwanese beef noodle soup I've had uses cuts of beef that include the tendon. As a result, you get a nice combination of springiness and chewiness. Taiwan Cafe used slices of beef that didn't have enough tendon.
(3)
Karen W.
Waiter service is horrible. I understand that they might be having a bad day, but come on..you're serving us. We came in, and asked for a table for 4. The woman behind the counter led us to a table while shaking her head. When we sat down, one side of the table felt too close to the table next to it, so we moved the table a little bit away for some space to sit comfortably. The woman behind the counter saw, came to us and mumbled, "nonono...," and then moved the table back to its original position. She didn't explain why she did that and walked away. Whelp, first impression ruined. The food is decent. We ordered beef with long beans, General Gau's, fried Taiwanese pork cutlets, and dumplings. In my experience with Chinese food in Chinatown, you can get these same dishes somewhere else with the same price that definitely taste better and comes with a bigger quantity. So, there's nothing really special about the food. Apparently, you can only pay with certain credit cards. I was going to pay with my Discover card, and when a waitress came to grab it, she thrusted it back to me mumbling something about American Express and VISA. Thanks for the information, I guess. Overall, I felt like I wasted my tips in exchange for bad services. No greetings, no smiles; everything had to be done their way. I recommend it to those who are actually used to this kind of (Taiwanese?) service - although I have never dealt with this in Chinatown before. You can totally have better quality food with better service elsewhere. I will not be coming back anytime soon. Taiwan Cafe, you're lucky to at least have a one star from me.
(1)
George T.
We had a party of 6 going there. We were informed we had to wait for 20-30 minutes. While we were waiting a couple went to buy some bakery stuff for the next day. While they were gone we got a call saying the table was ready. We went in and they wouldn't seat us because 2 people weren't there. I said they are next door and they'll be right back. They still wouldn't seat us. I said we are not waiting for them, we are ready to order. Nope, can't seat you unless they are all here. Rude, rude, rude. Go next door to the Gourmet Dumpling House for better food and service!
(1)
Henry Y.
The variety of dishes served here is quite impressive-- I ended up sharing 5 dishes with my gf (yea a bit much....we hadn't eaten since early morning and this was on a Sunday night. We shared the spicy beef tendons, stinky tofu app, lamb with spicy long horn peppers, fuzhou meatball soup, and salt and pepper soft shell crab. I would like to begin by saying that there's a reason why stinky tofu isn't served in restaurants. I remember it smelling bad from when I had it as a kid in China but this smelled like old latrine mixed with a dying pig in its own pig sty. It smelled SO DAMN BAD. Good god, we had to hurriedly eat it and then ask the server to pack it up as I already felt bad for the patrons next to us. Anyway, the tendons were great. I've never had some leafy, thin slices of spicy beef tendon. It almost made it taste like noodles. The lamb was subpar--- it was just long green peppers sliced up and then sauteed with very bland, very flavorless lamb. If this is any indication of how they cook their lamb, then I would steer very very clear of the other "new" lamb additions they added to the bottom of the app portion of the food menu. It's just bad. The meatball soup had amazing broth but the meatballs themselves tasted like feet, or at the very least old smelly gym socks. I was pretty grossed out. Finally, the salt and pepper soft shell crab was the grossest crab I've ever had. It wasn't gingerly fried. It was just coated and fried to the point where there was still oil leaking out when you bite into it. So why did i give this place 4 stars? Because judging by the other food being eaten by other patrons around us, I can tell that generally speaking, the food is very very good. Somehow we just ended up ordering some of the worst things on the menu.
(4)
Char Y.
we came in and only ordered the pork chop rice. it was ok, the chop was dry and unseasoned. not worth the money!
(2)
TinoX T.
Good Place for the town for a quick Bite,Clean and Tasty
(3)
Countess O.
I honestly do *not* understand why all these people are raving about this place esp. its pancakes. I mean, when a reviewer starts his review with "my idea of Chinese food is Panda Express..." you know you're in for some shortsighted Panda-worship. On the other hand, I frequent Chinatown late at night, and many a time have ended up at Taiwan Cafe simply because no other place is open. Yes, Taiwan Cafe gets one star for staying open extra late. The food literally scores zilch on my scale. First of all, the scallion pancakes[see pic]. What a joke. I can make better scallion pancakes in my frying pan out of frozen pancakes sold at any Chinese grocery store. They're greasy (although not unexpectedly so) and so hard to chew that I think the roof of my mouth bled a little. Secondly, the oyster pancake/omelet/crepe/whatever they're called at Taiwan Cafe. I have had this classic Taiwanese specialty many times, and I must say if a place that dares to call itself "Taiwan Cafe" yet serves a sub-par oyster pancake, I don't know what other atrocities are possible. Undercooked rice maybe? A North Korean invasion? Take a look at the pic I uploaded and you'll see what i mean: you can literally see your own reflection in the pool of grease. Thirdly, the "chicken salad with apples." It turned out to be karaage chicken, i.e. fried chicken on a layer of shredded lettuce which I'm pretty sure was just there for moral support/decor purpose. lastly, I don't even feel like writing about the eggplant basil anymore, another popular dish at Taiwan Cafe. It's super oily as well, but not as bad as the grease bath that the oyster pancake swims in. In conclusion: Taiwan Cafe just might be *the* greasiest and sloppiest restaurant in Chinatown ever. Every time I see someone gives this place a 3+ star review, a part of me dies a little inside.
(1)
Richa S.
5 stars rating is for the look in my boyfriend's face while he was enjoying the food here. We had spicy beef hot pot while was really good. The dumplings were amazing. I normally am not fond of soy sauce, but it was a bit different here which just tasted good. Small place but yet highly recommended.
(5)
R H.
Should have read the bad reviews before I came here. I was overwhelmed by the many positive reviews but it turned out some of the bad reviews were true. The lady at front desk (owner) got attitude problems. She forgot what the fundamentals are to be called "Taiwan Cafe"! Food and service are the basic. This place got none of them. Keep on being rude and your income goes away soon. I agree with one of the review and want to quote her again here "If the owner is reading this I hope you understand that your customers are the reason why you have an income, we are the ones giving you a paycheck, be rude and ungrateful then maybe you'll just get *fired*." It was 91 degrees outside and she was sitting in an air-conditioned room. Be more considerate and nice to your customers, that's all.
(1)
Yitzi C.
food = awesome service = terrible
(3)
Aditya R.
In the heart of Chinatown, Taiwan Cafe is a great place to try out the Oriental cuisine. I must add that my options were limited being a vegetarian. Nonetheless I enjoyed the regular vegetables and the noodles and fried rice my friend ordered. The presentation of the food was really good even though it was crowded. The staff were very courteous. This a must visit for any oriental food lovers.
(4)
Jonathan Y.
This is a treat for me who grew up in Taiwan. Far from authentic but good enough to alleviate home-sickness. Oyster omelet pancake tastes so good I almost bit my tongue. Smelly tofu has not enough odors. But I have been here tow days in a row.
(4)
TK S.
Great place. Tiny little restaurant, but as authentic as it can get. The food tastes great and fresh. It's also very vegetarian friendly. I have family from Taiwan, so having food from here brings up some nostalgia. Only drawback, don't expect great customer service, especially if you don't speak Chinese. Make sure to name the number, and point at the menu if you speak English, makes things easier and makes sure there aren't any miscommunications. Other than that, great place. Will be visiting every chance I can get.
(4)
Louis L.
Went for the soup dumplings. It was ok, a below average level if it's in china. Soup was way too much, never had one with that much soup, feels like you are drinking soup instead of having dumplings
(3)
Stephanie N.
The roast beef scallion pancakes and duck buns rock!
(5)
Tiffany C.
I came here a few weeks ago with my husband, who is Taiwanese. The food is decent but certain dishes do not taste authentic like their beef noodle soup. The thin sliced beef they used tasted strange. I could be biased though because I found a rubber band in my noodle soup!! I would have given this place 2 stars for their service and the rubber band incident, however they won me with their pork chop fried rice.
(3)
W K.
Our family of 4 waited 45 minutes outside before they called us in. Once inside, we saw 2 available tables, 1 for 6 people, and 1 for 10 people. Hostess insist we sit at table for 10 and must share table......we should have left then. Instead, we sat down and proceed to decide what to order...oh, what a bad mistake!! 15 mins later waiter took order from people who came in after us and who were sharing table with us. Server was blind to our request to place order. Again, regretfully we should got up and left without ordering. We are Asians, we are familiar with restaurants with poor service but this establishment is the WORST I have experienced. We order soup that looked and tasted like dishwater, spicy beef stew noodle the wasn't beef stew but thin sliced sukiyaki beef and pork dumplings. TERRIBLE by Asian standards. They give Taiwan cuisine a bad name. Bottom line......TERRIBLE SERVICE, DISGUSTING FOOD
(1)
Jessica N.
Boston sure knows how to vote with their feet and their wallets in Boston's chinatown. I was here Marathon weekend and turned to Yelp for restaurant recos, and then when we walked past Taiwan Cafe I knew we picked the right one. It was PACKED with multiple other restaurants nearby completely empty. We were able to leave a # for them to call us when the table was ready. Dishes were very reasonably priced. The favorite was the Taiwanese beef noodle soup. MUST TRY. The broth is DELICIOUS, very authentic. Vegetable dumplings were also tasty! I would pass on the onion pancake....not as good as other places. Definitely come here if you are in the area and looking for good Taiwanese food!
(4)
Jason B.
Due to a series of hilarious misunderstandings, I previously believed that "soup dumplings" were simply dumplings...that you put into soup, then ate. At another local establishment, I did just that. Seemed fine, but I didn't know what everyone was writing home about. The kind Emily G. (after laughing at me, of course) set me straight, and when a bunch of us came to Taiwan Cafe of an evening, ordered our table a boatload of different dishes at Taiwan Cafe that were all incredibly tasty, including the aforementioned soup dumplings. Taiwan Cafe is an anonymous-looking storefront up a flight of stairs in Chinatown, and once inside, the twenty or so nondescript tables are filled with the usual assortment of characters. Nothing jumps out at you untill you order the food. The dumplings themselves were a little limpid, though undeniably tasty. The two different varieties were both bursting with rich, tasty broth, and when combined with the attendant black vinegar, became a whole mouth full of parties going on. The oyster pancake is a weird texture - a fried pancake with actual oysters that lie beneath, but if you're a fan, the taste is unbelievable. Chinese watercress is nothing like you'd imagine - sauteed greens with a big umami flavor, and the beef and spicy peppers will have you going back for seconds and thirds. By far the hit of the table was the roast beef scallion pancake roll. (let those words sink in. Yes, it is as awesome as it sounds) Accompanied all by ENORMOUS bottles of Tsing Tao, this place is a feast for all twelve senses. It's a little chilly when the door opens and closes, and the quarters are a bit tight, but all your discomfort will be forgotten in the face of their soup dumplings and that unreal scallion pancake roll.
(4)
Amy B.
If you go to Taiwan Cafe, order the scallion pancake with roast beef. It's sort of like a crispy Asian calzone. It's much more delicious than you're even imagining. The beef with longhorn peppers was also excellent, and delivered just the right level of spice. I liked the oyster pancake, particularly the crispy edges, but you might not if you're sensitive to slimy food textures. I also enjoyed the soup dumplings, but must warn you that if you try to pour any pooled broth out of the bamboo basket onto someone's plate you may accidentally submerge their phone in pork fat. Learn from my fail.
Really freaking good. My hub and I had friends in town and wanted to find a delicious place in Chinatown- so on a busy Friday evening we went by to order takeout. Despite the fact that it was slammed and a Friday night, they were super gracious and helped us place our order- and they had the order ready in ten minutes. We ordered like 100 dollars of food (a LOT for a restaurant this affordable) and everything was ridiculous. Yes, you need to get the XLB. Worth it. General Gao's is especially good too. I will absolutely come here again. A great place to bring out-of-towners- you won't be disappointed!
(5)
Paranus R.
Food was excellent. Service was fast, and food came out steaming hot. However, the bathroom was deplorable. By 6 pm, there was urine all over the floor, along with soapy sink splash, with many used paper towels on the floor as the receptacle was overfull. The toilet was disgusting. If it was in this condition by early evening, I hate to think how it ends up at the end of the evening. Sadly, after visiting a sewer like this, it really diminishes the pleasure of the good food.
(3)
Del J.
A ray of sunshine in Chinatown. They take your phone number to wait for a table. Service is friendly and amazing. Skip the rest of China town and go here. The food was perfect
(5)
Liz W.
Good, authentic-enough Chinese food for a decent price! XLBS - 5/5 These soup dumplings are your typical Shanghainese traditional Xiao Long Bao's! They are hot and freshly steamed, juicy with hot fatty pork soup within the dumpling, and comes with black vinegar + ginger dip (which I consider to be authentic). Delicious! Fried Stinky Tofu - 4.5/5 YUM!!!! First time having stinky tofu on the East Coast, and I loved it! Not too stinky... and not their usual black color when it's just cooked (not fried)... but delicious! Crispy on the outside, hot and soft on the inside. The portion is huge, and comes on top of a slightly spicy/salty sauce, and a layer of pickled slightly sweet/salty cabbage above. Spicy Beef and Spinach Noodle Soup - 4/5 The beef was sliced thin enough so that it wasn't too chewy.. although some of the tendon could have been cooked a little longer (chewy). The noodles were the melt-in-your-mouth type of texture, and the flavor was great! spicy enough to be called spicy, but not too much where it numbs your mouth.
(5)
Christina C.
Really yummy Taiwanese food... I love the Chinese veggie(Tung choi)...beef roll... Soup dumpling was good also but since I'm a New Yorker.. My heart is still with Joe shanghai....;)... I do recommend this place if you are craving for good Taiwanese food in Boston.
(5)
Matthew T.
I've had something of a major problem since popping into Taiwan Cafe last week for dinner--I can't stop thinking about dumplings. My dear friend, Waban, has long been an evangelist of the dumpling experience, and after deciding to take the plunge myself, Taiwan Cafe appeared to be a pleasant choice after perusing Chinatown's offerings on Yelp. Not feeling hugely peckish, we ordered three appetizers to share: #31-the roast beef scallion pancake, #43-the vegetarian steamed ravioli, and #46-the mini steamed buns with pork. I know what I like in a scallion pancake--they're fairly perfect in and of themselves--and this roast beef concoction did not disappoint. In addition to the beef, there's a wonderful, slightly-sweet sauce (tamarind or something similar, maybe?), along with some scallions and other greens. This dish has been very well thought out and incredibly delicious. The dumplings that we ordered were perfectly formed, perfectly cooked, and perfectly tender--the pork buns were filled with a delightfully vital soup that coated the palate without being too fatty or too salty, and the veggie ravioli were smooth, fresh, and filling. Our entire meal came to less than $25--an absolute steal for two people in Boston. I'll definitely be back really soon. If a half star were possible, I'd totally give Taiwan Cafe 4.5 stars, faulting them a half star only for the fairly cramped dining room. If you're looking for great food in downtown Boston, you can't go wrong here.
(4)
Rulian F.
We used to love Taiwan cafe. The food was delicious, and the service was more friendly than most other restaurants in Chinatown. We stopped going there after we moved further away and decided to go with a bunch of people a couple of weeks ago. The place looked nicer after the renovation. Unfortunately we were no longer impressed with the food which was just so so. For example, the 3 cup chicken was not as flavorful as it used to be. The Taiwan style pan fried dumplings were not tasty at all. We had much better ones at Mulan. The few dishes that still stand out IMO included the beef wrapped in pancake (appetizer), and the stir fried pork with shredded dried bean curd. The service was ok - the friendly smiling waiters and waitresses were gone. There were 8 of us. We left a 15% tip. But the waitress came back and told us that since we had 8 people we should pay 18% tip. Ok we then did that. But they really should have added the 18% tip to the bill if that is required. It was a disappointing experience. We will go to Mulan in the future, not worth the drive into Chinatown for it.
(3)
Vanessa K.
Came here on a recommendation on Xiao Long Bao, left unhappy. The buns were mediocre and our braised beef noodles soup was too oily. I also recall the waitresses not being too friendly but I can give them that, especially since this is an Asian restaurant. It would just be nice to be surprised once in awhile with good service... anyhoo.. I can't remember much since this was a few months ago but I know that I won't come here again.
(3)
Amelia C.
Great choice for Taiwanese food. The house special pork chop over rice is an absolute must-order - I don't know what's in the batter they fry their pork chops in, but it is ridiculously tasty. Super filling, and large portions (comes with white rice, pickled vegetables, and a hard boiled egg that's been marinated in a tea/soy-sauce mixture), so you can share this with your table - or just order this and be more than satisfied at less than $6! Insanely cheap for such a tasty meal. I would also recommend the oyster pancakes, and any of the noodle soups. All portions are gigantic so it is fun to go with a group so that you can share plates. I would pass on the soup dumplings here. They have an unusual taste to them (and not in a good way...). However, in lieu of them, I'd go for the vegetarian steamed ravioli - they are beautifully wrapped, and delicious! I would also pass on the ma po tofu - it's just silken tofu in a spicy sauce that is not particularly tasty... nothing additional. At just under $9 (one of the more expensive dishes here), I'd expect something more. This gets five stars for doing an amazing job executing the traditional Taiwanese dishes that I don't think you can get anywhere else in Boston's Chinatown.
(5)
Apolinaras S.
You know the place will be good when your Chinese friend takes you there. Now I finally have a Chinese restaurant that is on par with what I got accustomed to in Chicago's Chinatown. All lunch dishes #1-10 apparently are the ones to get, especially if you like it spicy.
(5)
Kathy C.
Yeah, I'm a fan! On our recent road trip, we spent one night in Boston. I was determined to get me some good eats while in Boston. I spent a good amount of time looking through Yelp reviews and finally decided on Taiwan Cafe. Why? Well, I needed my XLB fix! We got there and were seated promptly. We ordered the spicy beef tendon, xiao lun bao, pork buns, pork chop over rice, and chicken leg quarter over rice. Okay, these are like... major comfort food for me. I was really worried that I would be disappointed and wasted precious tummy space for the only dinner opportunity in Boston during our one night in Boston. Nope, everything was great. They may not have been the BEST dish of its kind I've ever had, but pretty yummy. The XLB does have a good amount of soup inside each of the tiny little white belly. The pork chop had a slight sweet hint to it, but tasty. The fried chicken leg was actually slightly bland to me, but still good. The portion of these rice dishes (came with minced pork & rice, side of cabbage, pickled veggie, and half an egg) is quite traditional and delicious. The pork buns were pretty yummy as well. We loved the spicy beef tendon! I just wish I had more room to order more dishes.... And it was super cheap...
(4)
Susan N.
So far my favorite xiao long bao (soup dumplings) eatery in Boston. Other food that is delicious here based on my tasting experience: Salt and pepper fried chicken wings - very crispy without any breading or greasy feeling; very flavorful and meaty Szechuan wontons in chili oil sauce - sounds spicy but it's not bad at all; sauce is slightly sweet; wontons are very, very tender; if you like that very soft texture, you will like these Chicken rolled in scallion pancake - delicious minced chicken with hoisin sauce, scallions, and cilantro rolled inside a savory fried scallion pancake - like eating a moo shu dish but WAAAY better with the crispy exterior This place would have five stars if it wasn't so cramped inside and if the servers were nicer.
(4)
Jim B.
Reeeeeally good. I've never had Chinese food this authentic before coming here. I wish I could come back, I don't live in Boston and the menu is vast! We got the fried pork chops, the seaweed salad, and the fried taro. The pork was succulent and crispy, delicious. The seaweed salad was GARLICKY, just how I like it. The taro was sweet, savory, and crispy. Delicious. Their chili sauce made everything delicious as well. Only downside is that the people working here literally speak next to no English. I asked if the waiter had any suggestions, and just said "no". Okay...
(5)
William T.
The soup dumplings are good but everything else was a disappointment. There is too much starch to be sold as Taiwanese food. This is definitely not an authentic Taiwanese joint. As well, the batter used to deep fry the scallop cancelled out any flavour and made everything dour and bland. The white fish was again too oily, and caused us stomach problems. This is just another Chinese greasy spoon, nothing worth lining up for.
(2)
Anna C.
We came because I read the reviews about the beef noodle soup (I love noodle soups!) and couldn't wait to try it. It was completely disappointing -- the broth was overpowering, but somehow the noodles were completely tasteless and broke apart easily. My dining companion's dish came on a child-themed plate... which is kind of amusing, but at the same time, kind of inappropriate. It was a sectioned plate, but the dish wasn't meant to be sectioned... I don't know how else to explain it -- see picture. Warning -- you will smell like Taiwanese food for the rest of the day. Better go on a laundry day. Note: Place is small, so be prepared to share a table with strangers if you're dining with less than 3-4 people.
(1)
Danny F.
I'm really really confused at why people like this place. The food is not that good - it's greasy and salty, and the restaurant would be empty if it were actually in Taiwan. Plus, why so surly??? My latest experience picking up a takeout order was unpleasant, being scolded for not remembering my work phone number. They only had 2 other takeout orders at the time. Totally inappropriate customer service, and the final straw for me. What I ordered (a typical Taiwanese dish) was again salty and greasy, and overcooked. So no thank you. I will never step foot in there again. Sorry.
(1)
Michael O.
Fantastic "hidden gem" with a huge menu. We had a variety of dumplings, chicken, and noodles. I walked with a suitcase from the train station with no issues. Soup dumplings (xiao long boa) were great. Pork and chive dumplings were fresh and juicy. I don't recall the names of the other dishes but we left completely satisfied. Prices were acceptable. Most customers at dinner time appeared to be ordering in Chinese but English was not a problem.
(5)
Joe H.
This place stays packed in the peak hours but service is fast. I normally go for the fried pork chops which is my favorite. It comes with a boiled soy sauce egg and white rice with a type of pickled mustard on the side and a ground beef or pork stewy sauce over the rice. My girlfriend goes for the wide noodles in Sacha Sauce which outdoes regular chow foon anywhere. Get the roast beef wrapped in Scallion pancake as an appetizer. You will thank me. My buddy always gets the spicy beef noodle soup which is similar to Vietnamese Bun Bo Hue. GO HERE
(5)
Peter K.
Staff struggles with concept of vegan food, but there are a few options here, like the ma po tofu, which is decent, and the scallion pancakes. The Taiwan style pan fried tofu tastes like meat though. None of the dumplings are vegan.
(4)
Linda M.
Meh, bad service, would not recommend.
(1)
Amy Y.
I am originally from California (large selection of taiwanese food) and I'm a super fan of taiwan, been there several times, big fan of their food. My first time here at Taiwan Cafe since i moved here to boston, had a huge craving for taiwanese food. I know there is not too many taiwanese restaurants. Overall, everything was decently carried out. We ordered the oyster pancake, poached pork with garlic, minced pork rice and fried intestine. The minced pork rice had its taste to it, but it slightly lacked the complex flavor that it should have. It seems as if it was just stewed in the pot for a long time more than enough time. The coloring of it wasn't as bright and attractive. But for $2.95. It was ok :) Oyster pancake was the best out of all the dishes. It had a fair amount of oysters in it. It was deep fried. So I don't recommend eating the spinach in the bottom because they were just loaded with oil afterwards. The poached pork actually lacked the original poached flavor to it. (Coz it was suppose to have a tint of salt taste to it already and the sauce adds the extra kick of garlic flavor to it) It was very bland if you don't dip it in the sauce. But the sauce itself was very salty.. So its like do you dip or do you not dip? Some chunks are really think, Some were really thin. The fried intestine, I wouldn't recommend because it was over fried. So it was really dark. really crunchy. BUT it took away all the juiciness of the intestines. The texture was the intestines were completely gone. Plus it was most likely due to the quality of the intestines weren't every good. They weren't very thick looking overall i think even before they fried it. Last note, everything was on the salty side, but at least the place was clean, service was decent just like any other asian restaurants and for that price it was worth a try.
(3)
Jon S.
I'll admit, I don't really like "real" Chinese food, but some friends of mine wanted to go out for Chinese, so we ended up here. My idea of Chinese food is Panda Express (embarrassing? I think not. That orange chicken is damn good). I ended up ordering the General Something's chicken which was pretty similar to orange chicken. Bite-sized pieces of fried chicken covered in sauce. This chicken was drenched in sauce to the point where it was just way too much. The serving size was decent, but the chicken itself was just okay. To be honest, I think Panda's orange chicken is better. For the price, Panda is definitely a better deal. I'm sure this place is good for more traditional Chinese food, but if you're into the more Americanized Chinese food, there's still nothing better than Panda.
(3)
Trenicia W.
So my friend who is Chinese American brought me here on our trip to Boston. The food was delicious, the only problem is I cannot tell you what the hell we ordered, since she ordered everything. One thing we had for sure that was delicious was the omelet. This place is super tiny, and we went at around midnight and it was FULL, so keep this in mind for large groups or going at peak dinner times.
(5)
Vic J.
Waited for 40 minutes after ordering. The attitude of waiters and waitresses were really bad: they acted as if not hearing us when we asked when the order can be ready. First time writing a review on yelp. That says something about how bad the restaurant is.
(1)
Xiao Z.
Really amazing pork scallion pancakes! Don't even think about the calories, just come here for deliciousness! I'm particularly fond of this establishment because it offered some of my favorite, albeit not too-beloved by the public - pig ears! But nostalgia aside, this place is actually really reasonably priced and a good, safe place to eat after studying more than 12 hours in the library. I'd recommend it. Food: 4 stars (scallion pancakes only) Price: 3 stars Locale: 2 stars
(4)
Jacob M.
Server is extremely rude without any respect and patience though food is OK, anyway the mood can be really destroyed. Once I dinning here, when I want to sit in the table to order, the staff told me: no you can't, order in front of the counter! And they do cheat money and made up the amount of tip themselves, over 20 percent. When delivering food, they never smile, pull a long face, speak in a impatient and rude manner, as if they are fighting with customer. You can really get angry dealing with these staff.
(1)
Yaz D.
I'm so happy I ignored all the bad service warnings and tried this place; especially being from out of town. The food was awesome and the service was not bad at all. We walked in Sunday night and were seated right away. We ordered the sauteed julienne chicken with eggplant in sweet and sour sauce (not too spicy) and the Taiwan style noodles with seafood and vegetables. I knew the portions were generous, so we skipped the soup and appetizers and the two of us just shared the 2 dishes. Yum!!
(5)
Helen S.
This is the only Chinese restaurant that I can go to in Boston without leaving mostly disappointed (just moved here from CA six months ago). I have been back a few times since my first review, and I am still a fan! Pretty authentic, and probably the best you can get in the area (imo, the XLB, despite other reviews, were only meh). This place would probably be a 4-star in LA, so that's like a 5-star for Boston Chinese food ("As good as it gets" in Beantown)!
(5)
R M.
Huge portions and very reasonable, but not the best food in Chinatown. (We tried some chicken and shrimp dishes, not the more adventurous ones)
(4)
Katy M.
Great food, EXTENSIVE menu, and good prices! If you order takeout around lunch hours they throw in a free soup too. The scallion pancake dishes are delicious.
(4)
Joann C.
Once again we have cheap food in Chinatown! And cheap yummy food in Chinatown...that I am willing to go back to again and again. I left Boston craving this and was thankful for my generous leftovers that was able to send me away happy and full! Soup Dumplings - Sooo the soup broth and the meat were actually better than the Gourmet Dumpling house! How can it be? But its true! However, the drawback are the skins for the dumplings. I think its made of wheat or something, which I guess is healthier but this is where the flavor falls short. Can I take GDH's skin and add Taiwan Cafe's soup and meat and voila! - perfect soup dumplings!!! Pork Chop Rice - Large generous portion of rice and deep fried pork chop, lighted salted. Am craving now just writing about it. Tomato Egg and Beef over Rice - One of my most favorite dishes ever! Taiwan Cafe makes it a bit tangier than I normally like it. Also, they place the entire dish over the rice versus having them side by side. I know normally the dish is eaten served over rice, but I would like to have some control over how much sauce is being soaked up by the rice. This ended up having the dish very tangy with nothing to help absorb the flavor; I had to steal some from the Pork Chop Dish in order to wash out the flavor. We also ordered an oyster pancake but I didnt eat this dish so I can comment on it. However, in the end, the entire bill came out to $25. You really cant beat that! Cant wait to go again!
(4)
Paran Y.
Theres nothing I can say about this restaurant that has not already been said. Spicy Beef Noodle Soup - heavy on the star anise but its actually pretty delicious. its a great portion and its savory, sweet, and full of that MSG goodness. scallion pancakes - another must. but lets be honestly, every asian restaurant makes these. also its hard to mess up fried dough dipped in spicy soy sauce. skipping it wouldn't be the biggest travesty. looks nice after the remodel but still gets crowded around dinner time.
(4)
Mary T.
This is the place to go to if you are in Chinatown and you are craving some Taiwanese food! This is not to say it is a really good place, but there aren't many options in Chinatown if you want some decent food. This place is small and it is always packed! If you are with a small party and you don't mind sharing a table, you will probably get seated faster. What is there to try? Well their menu is extensive and there's a lot of food you can order from Taiwanese small eats to noodles... Fried rice... I tried a couple of dishes. I had the dumplings, stinky tofu, roasted beef noodle, and fried chicken legs over rice. If you have ever been to Taiwan, you would know what a good bowl of beef noodle soup is. The way they make it is mala but the soup isn't flavorful enough. I thought it was a little bland. Also, they do not use the usual roasted beef, instead they use slices of beef you would use for hot pot. The good thing about it is the portion size is large and it was definitely filling to just share one with a friend if you order other dishes. Their stinky tofu was also a little bland. They should add more chili sauce on the side for customers and add more sauce to make it taste more delicious! I have to say I was impressed with the fried chicken leg with rice. It comes with some ground pork, egg, cabbage, and two legs with rice. Wow, I didn't expect that much food for such a fair price! The chicken leg was good! There is room for improvement, but compared to a lot of other restaurants in Chinatown, this is one of the better ones. I would come back again after I venture to other places in Chinatown.
(3)
Sarah C.
Came here for a quick snack after a movie. Ordered the XL biao, taiwanese style hot and sour soup and scrambled egg with pickled daikon. Other Taiwanese restaurants in Ctown serve 6 pieces of XLBs but this cafe gives you an extra piece so that is a plus (I guess you and friends have to fight over that additional XLBs :P ). I had to ask the waiter for the dipping sauce for the XLBs so I guess it does not automatically comes with the order? Next came the soup - it was very pepper-y! Large portion but it was not spicy at all. Also strange to see enoki mushrooms in the soup. The last entree was the scrambled egg - it was salty and oily with no daikon (it did not deserve a picture). I probably took a bite and left 95% of the order untouched. Gross. I gave the place 3 stars due to the tasty XLBs and no wait time.
(3)
Calvin Y.
Taiwan Cafe is one of several sit-down places that are available in Boston, MA. While I cannot speak for many of the other places, this one was rated pretty highly on Yelp, and it had several things that piqued my interest. The food is good, not too expensive, and comes out pretty quickly considering the place was pretty busy. One thing that I've come to notice is the decline in the quality of food at many places when restaurants get busy. The quality of the food, from what I can tell, was still very high. I ordered some dumplings, some scallion pancakes, some ho fun, and cumin lamb. All of them came out well, the ho fun was especially good. Their menu, like many other Asian places, is pretty expansive, and if what I ordered this last visit is any indication of the overall quality of the food, I'd really want to come back and try some of their other things the next time I am around Boston Chinatown.
(4)
Amy G.
Pretty flipping awesome, tasty, cheap, and fast food. This is probably the best Chinese restaurant in Chinatown and now with the new and improved decor, is wayy better than Gourmet Dumpling House in terms of ambiance. In fact I think this place may have been rated by Time Magazine as one of the top 50 best Chinese restaurants in America. Competition in Boston is not that intense compared to NYC, but still pretty awesome. Their oyster pancakes are to die for. Soup dumplings are also AWESOME (my favorite soup dumplings ever) and they have a couple of noodle dishes here and there that are great. This place is AMAZING for large parties -- it's like a macro dim sum fest where you get to sample all this super tasty food. Only thing I don't like is that the wait staff can get pretty snarky at times, but it's something you can deal with.
(5)
Jane W.
I have been here once and I can't wait to go back and try so many more things on the very long menu. We had read Yelp reviews before we came so we knew to order the soup dumplings. They are tricky to eat but definitely worth the effort! Put it on your soup spoon and nibble a tiny hole in the side and slurp out the soup broth. Yummy! I will definitely order them every time we eat here as well as the amazing roast beef scallion pancake. Cilantro is one of my favorite herbs and the rolls were packed with it. The tea was hot and delicious and they brought us fresh pots before ours was completely empty. I love that. The decor is not what you come here for. It's very basic. Before we were done, a couple sat at the table next to us which was about 4 inches from ours. That was a little too close for comfort but it didn't spoil our meal and we will be back. They have some big tables for larger groups.
(5)
Samuel B.
I probably can't eat here anymore, because the chef has apparently succumbed to the myth circulating among Chinatown chefs that Gwai Lo will eat anything if you put enough sugar in it. I have diabetes. If there wasn't enough enough sugar in tonight's Home Style Braised Eggplant, Xiaolongbao, and beef scallion pancake dishes to induce ketoacidosis, there was certainly such an excess of sugar that those dishes were unattractive to the palate. The Sichuan Flounder and Taiwan style pork chop also contained sugar, but were acceptable, almost good. If you are going to pride yourself on surly staff as Durgin Park did 50 years ago, you had better prepare food as well as they did in the old days, too.
(2)
Robert C.
I am glad I was able to hit Taiwan Cafe during my visit in Boston. I LOVE their Stinky Tofu ($5.95) here. It's fermented fried tofu served with cabbage. Let me tell you know, it's not for everyone! The rest of my friends were really disgusted due to the smell lol... 1 of them tried it and told me that it tasted like straight up garbage. In my opinion, it's 1 of the best stinky tofu I've ever tried; it's beautifully fermented and cooked! I also tried their Xiao Long Bao ($6.95) - mini steamed buns with pork & crabmeat. You get 8 buns per order and they're pretty dang good. They're a little smaller than what I'm used to, but they're also cheaper at the same time. Definitely 1 of the better Xiao Long Bao I've ever tasted. Beef Stew Noodle Soup ($5.75) - I'm usually not a big fan of beef stew noodle soup in most restaurants. However, this is the BEST beef stew soup that I've ever had. The flavor of the broth's just out of this world; The rest of them don't even come close to this. Overall, I'm really impressed with this place. If I don't have a high standards when it comes to Chinese food, I'd probably give this place a 5 stars. You guys should definitely stop by and give this place a try!!!
(4)
Wini H.
Ah...this place reminds me of childhood, when I would go into Flushing, Queens on weekends. For a treat, we'd sometimes eat at the local Chinese places rather than my grandmother's cooking, the most notable of which would be Joe's Shanghai. For those unfamiliar, it's VERY well-known for their rich, delicious soup dumplings with delicate skins and fatty broth. Their other food is great too, and it remains one of my favorite places to eat when I visit my family. This place is like that--their soup dumplings, while less fatty, are super flavorful and extremely delicious. Just order stacks and stacks of those; as other reviewers have said, the owners are the same as Gourmet Dumpling House's. Everything is reasonably priced and packed full of well-executed Chinese cuisine. The thing about Chinese food is that there's a large margin for sloppiness without making the dish inedible. An average cook can churn out a mediocre dish with ease and some will be none the wiser (hence all those blah Chinese food places out there), but it takes a good cook to do it very well. I only wish that the vinegar that accompanies the soup dumplings had little spoons with them. What I like to do is either bite a hole in the top of the dumpling and pour a little bit of vinegar inside, or pour a little bit over the top, rather than risk breaking the dumpling inside the vinegar by dipping it.
(4)
Saney K.
wouh !! so delicious !! It was freaking packed when we got here around lunch time. We passed by the gourmet dumpling house and that place was super packed. I yelped Taiwan cafe and decided to try it. We had to wait 5 minutes only. The weirdest part was that the place is so small that people have to share a table. So we were sitting next to Taiwanese mom and daughter, total strangers. I wish we knew them cause their food looked awesome - better than what we ordered. The mom chowed down some food for being such a small framed lady. We ordered taiwanese dumpling, some spicy dish and some taiwanese noodles. All great. Portions were pretty big - we were stuffed. The whole time I was looking at people's plate and wondered what they ordered cause they looked so delicious. If I lived in Boston, i would come here so many times and try everything. only 4 stars cause I didn't order the delicious stuff that others did !!
(4)
Kiki P.
My boyfriend and I were staying near Chinatown at the Hyatt Regency Hotel for the weekend. After a long sunday at the bars watching football, we decided to walk around Chinatown and grab some dinner. I did not realize how busy so many of these restaurants get! We walked by several packed restaurants and decided to eat at Taiwan Cafe based upon its great reviews. We ordered vegetable lo mein and general gao's chicken. I did not enjoy either of these dishes...very oily. My boyfriend thought they were okay - 3 out of 5 stars. The portion sizes were ginormous though. The 2 dishes alone could feed a family of 4 easily...all for less than 20 bux. Not bad at all. Regardless of the great value, I would not return to Taiwan Cafe.
(2)
Mike R.
The quality of the food is absolutely top notch. I wish I remember what I had last time, but our waitress was so friendly and helpful and picked half the stuff for us and she made fantastic selections. I was in food heaven. And when I got the bill I couldn't believe how inexpensive it was. One of my absolute favourites in Chinatown. Like most places with great food and prices, it's best not to try going at prime time if you're like me and don't enjoy waiting around.
(5)
Tanya Y.
I come here for one dish, and one dish only. BEEF AND TOMATOES OVER RICE! And for only around ~$5.00? What's not to love? Taiwan Cafe has a homey feel and sports a variety of traditional dishes, all for killer cheap prices. The food is served super fast and the service is prompt. Getting a table usually isn't an issue due to its prompt service, despite it's small restaurant size. Usually, entrees come with a bowl of soup, which is pretty tasty. A variety of the usual carbonated beverages are available, as well as the ever-so-popular Tsing Tao Beer if that tickles your fancy. And, the place is opened relatively late for all the party animals out there. The only downside to this place is that one: it's cash only, and two: parking, per usual for anywhere Downtown/Chinatown, blows big chunks. But! Don't let these kinks in the chain be the rain on your parade: get your butt to an ATM and take the train or silver line to Chinatown and pay Taiwan Cafe a visit, you won't regret it! Your wallet will even be smiling =)
(4)
Vy D.
$5 Beef with eggs and tomatoes over rice was delicious. Authentic Taiwanese, home-cooked style food was all that for the price. Long story short: Boston's parking is CRAZY. I thought Philly and NYC was hard to find parking. But after driving around the North End to find parking spots for what it seemed like hours, we somehow ended up at Taiwan Cafe. Get the beef and tomatoes dish and you'll won't regret it. The xiaolongbao was also pretty good. I would definitely come back here if I'm back in Bean-town.
(4)
Dan M.
Nothing fancy, but if you are looking for ample portions of food (especially the soup) for a reasonable price from a wonderfully diverse menu, this is the place. Because of this, you might need to wait a bit, but it is worth the wait. After spending time walking through Boston on a cold winter day, the entry into the warm confines of this restaurant is one of the simple pleasures if life.
(4)
Tony J.
The food was mostly really good, the service was very fast, and the whole ambiance was really cool. The food was very interesting and mostly very well made. Pricing is not so high either. Even though we had to share a round table with 2 other parties that we didn't know, it was cool. Unfortunately, they get a 1 star because the chef doesn't know how to cook fish. At. All. I mean, come on. You can't leave it in an extra couple minutes so that it comes out edible? It was quite inedible and frankly gross. As a certain famous chef would say: "It's raw! Just touch it!". It was raw on the inside, and there was still strange colored liquid that dripped from inside the head onto the rest of the dish, which frankly was absolutely terrifying. Sorry, but that is 1 strike. However, I have had 2 balls from this place already so you haven't struck out yet. 2 more chances, hopefully the 1 star becomes 4 or 5 after the next visit. We won't be ordering your live fish anymore ever though.
(1)
Christina X.
Their soup dumplings were pretty awesome. We also ordered the scallion pancakes, which were tasty as well. We came right when they opened so didn't have to wait at all.
(5)
Chanda M.
The best place to go for hotpot soups. My favorite is the meatball soup. Highly recommend this meatball hotpot.
(4)
Taraneh A.
If I could give no stars, I would. We were seated at a table too small to accomodate 6 people. We kindly asked if we could move to a larger table (there were a couple available in the front). The manager/owner replied verbatim the following in mandarin: "Those tables are already reserved for other customers. If you don't like this table, you can go somewhere else." WOW!!! What a B%*@# So, thats exactly what we did. We dined at New Jumbo Seafood instead & it was delicious!!! :o)
The best dish here is the watercress. It's well done. It is consistently good. Other dishes are ok, I'm still looking for another winner dish; I tend to be picky. Did not enjoy the shrimp dish.
(4)
Peter Y.
Overrated and bland for the most part. I came here with a group of 15 once, and most of the dishes were basically carbon copies of each other. It was as if they had one sauce for everything, and just varied the vegetables and meats. The price was fair enough, however, but I'd much rather fork out a few $$$ for a more satisfying meal.
(3)
Rachel W.
We had such high expectations for this place given the yelp reviews. Unfortunately this was one of those times we just can't agree with the other yelpers. Walked in and were seated within 5 minutes. It was seriously crowded so we thought the food must be amazing. Ambiance isn't that great, think cheap Chinatown food. I was seriously craving fried fish with vegetables. Unfortunately I didn't see anything matching that on the menu. They had fried fish. and they had cooked vegetables in sauce. "Sorry, we can't please everyone" Well, I just really wanted you to mix the fried fish dish with the vegetable dish, am I being unreasonable? Maybe. :-/ We ordered the eggplant basil dish, which if you do go, I highly recommend. We then ordered some other chicken dish, which unfortunately I can't remember the name of, but it came out in this metal pan with this heat source underneath. I guess to keep the dish hot? Anyway, it was just a lot of meat fried and cooked in a sauce. The smell of the heat source was really bothering me but I couldn't for the life of me blow it out. The chicken dish was totally edible, just not great. I don't think we'll be back anytime soon.
(2)
Jocelyn E.
It gets crowded in here, so come early. Leave your stroller at home. We came here for dinner with friends over the weekend. We got here around 5. By the time we were served, it was packed. By the time we left (around 6:30), there were people waiting for a table. Come here early if you want to beat the rush. This place is slightly "hidden" off the main roads of Chinatown. It isn't accessible - we had to haul my son's stroller up the stairs, and there was nowhere to put it when we got up there. The food was good. It wasn't the best Chinese food I've had, but it was authentic and I did enjoy the soup dumplings as well as the regular dumplings quite a bit. We also got the roast beef scallion pancakes and the pork burgers which we liked. I wasn't a fan of the entree-esque dishes (the "real" dishes such as Chicken and Tofu over rice) and I recommend sticking with the appetizers, which will fill you up. Don't expect good service here. But to be honest, that's what I've come to expect out of authentic Asian restaurants. Have you ever been to a similar restaurant in Taiwan? I lived there, and I will tell you, they don't care about service. I get that this is America, but if you want to "real" experience, then don't piss and moan about bad service. You were able to order and get your food. Deal with the rest of it. If you want good service, this is not the place to go. I'm sure there's somewhere in Chinatown you can go, or try somewhere like P.F Chang's.
(3)
Nathan M.
How could it have 4 stars?!! Haven't been to this place for a while cause the food sucks. Figure give it a try after all the years, guess what? food still sux, meats not fresh at all. Stay away!!!!
(1)
Tianyu Z.
Everything is too sweet, even it is supposed to be spicy"
(2)
Simon G.
I suspect those rating this place at less than 4 stars don't know how to order.
(5)
Cheng M.
Worst service ever!!! This is the second time I have to leave the restaurant because of the service. The owner is very mean and rude! And the food is not that good anyway! I think you can find better restaurant and service in Chinatown . Don't go this place! Worst!
Like others below, if I could give this place no stars, I would as well. As friendly as we were when we entered, we were met with horrible service! The waitress led us back to a corner table next to the restroom and kitchen door. My mother made a request to sit at another table in the front of the restaurant... There were two other couples in the restaurant and mostly empty tables, but instead of honoring this simple request (which would have been no trouble at all since we haven't even sat down yet), the waitress scowled, turned to her manager, and said in Mandarin, "they want to move to another table". The manager said "They sit where we tell them, if they don't agree, then tell them to leave". I was shocked...I am a mama's boy to the core, so you best believe my instincts kicked in and I gave them an earful...the manager's response, grabbing a menu and waving it like a broom to shoo us out. Ugh...I am still reeling from disgust. Do yourself a favor and avoid this dingy dark dump. P.S. I was not surprised to find that right below, another Yelper had the SAME EXPERIENCE with the manager saying the exact same thing! Wow.
(1)
David W.
Still as good as it gets in Chinatown. The cold Tendons are as good as inTaipei. Fresh fish steamed in a spicy bean and tofu sauce: yum! And real baby bamboo (fresh not canned) with pork. Good xiaolongbao. Fresh fish and lobster. Also recommend the 3 cups chicken and spicy pepper beef, and baby bok choy and mushrooms. Nowhere in Boston Chinatown can compare!! Only down side is the place is very small, so expect long lines, tight seating, and loud noise levels.
(4)
Zach W.
I wish I could give 3.5 stars. I really liked Taiwan Cafe but wasn't blown away like I was with Gourmet Dumpling House. Maybe I ordered the wrong things. I had Hot and Sour soup, and Ma Po tofu (one of my favorites). The Ma Po was really simple, just tofu in a light (brothy) spicy red sauce with garlic....no meat??? A little disappointed, but I'm no Ma Po Tofu expert. The Hot and Sour was excellent. It is in a lighter sauce than other Hot and Sour's I've had but it was still very good and flavorful and chock full of good stuff. I'd definitely go back but would like to have someone who knows what to order with me the next time. For now, I'm sticking with Gourmet Dumpling House as the Champ of Chinatown.
(3)
Michael K.
This place was well rated on Yelp and decided to check it out during my business trip to Boston. I love authentic Taiwanese food so I was looking forward to trying out this dig. The location is close to the Boston South Station, which is great for me since I took an Acela train from NY to Boston. The dinning area is not super big but big enough that you don't have to wait for a table. I order the Taiwanese Pork Chop with hard broiled egg braised in sweet soy sauce, minced pork gravy (same base for the Lu Rou Rice) over rice and famous Taiwanese pickled green (often garnished in Beef Noodle Soup). Pork chop was super tasty!!! Maybe just slight on the sweet side but definitely on point with the flavor profile. The combination of the sweet/sour picked green and the pork gravy over rice creates a nice base of carbohydrate to balance with a big hunk of fried pork chop. The pork chop itself is juicy and nicely breaded with potato starch that creates that nice crunch when you bite into it and has enough fat to really bring out the flavor. For a hardy dish under $8 is definitely a great deal! I would definitely order it again. So, why only 3 star, you may ask? Well, I also tried to order the wonton in hot chili oil and the pork nugget noodle soup (another Taiwanese classic "Rou Gan Noodles") and both were pretty disappointing! The sauce for the wonton in hot chili oil is blend and the wonton itself is over cooked so the skin is completely mooshy. The port nugget noodles has no flavor at all and I basically ate all the pork pieces and left the noodles and soup untouched because it was just blend blend blend (even after I added some black vinegar and white pepper as is traditionally done). The lesson learned is that certain dishes here are quite good but most others are probably mediocre. So, make sure you choose wisely :-) I saw other people eating soup dumpling and they looked pretty good. I guess I will wait for others to let me know if they are any good :-) I certainly hope that this is not Boston's best Taiwanese resturant since I have a high regard for the Boston food scene. However, if you have certain cravings, you might be able to get lucky here! Pork Chop is one of them.
(3)
Meizi H.
Braised pork w/ peanuts n sour mustard greens in steamed bun is YUM!!!
(4)
Ryan G.
This place is great and has made it firmly onto my must-visit list for Boston. They serve (very) large portions of (very) authentic fare. Gets busy, but you can leave your phone # and explore the neighborhood while you wait (10-30 minutes) for a table.
(5)
Joy J.
Since we live near Chinatown, my fiance and I frequented Taiwan Cafe to the point where the staff knew us and would give us complementary appetizers and snacks, which was great. And then we started cooking for ourselves and didn't go for a few months, so they forgot about us :( I think the food there is pretty good, but only the more expensive dishes ($10+). Last year I would have given this place 5 stars, but over the last half a year we've had several episodes (3+) of food poisoning with their cheaper dishes, namely, the $5 beef noodle soup and cold appetizers. Just yesterday we ordered the beef tendon as an appetizer and it came out in giant clumps--who knows how long it's been in the fridge? We both barely touched it but still got really sick today. In short, it's an ok restaurant if you order their expensive dishes--these we've never had any problems with. Beware of anything cheap, and anything refrigerated, because 80% of the time you will get sick.
(2)
Jane S.
According to my friend, the place was closed for a while for renovation and recently had its re-grand opening. That would explain the confettis, ribbons, and ballons in the restaurant. The first dish we ordered was Home-Style Braised Eggplant with Basil ($9.95). I would order this dish over and over again. The eggplant was cooked just enough that it wasn't too mushy or tough. The eggplants were lightly sauteed and mixed in slightly spicy and sweet sauce. The basil added a layer of savory yet bittersweet flavor to the dish. I have never ordered a fish entree at a Chinese restaurant because the skeptic in me doubts what they serve is what is actually on the menu. Because my companion was wanting to try the bass, we decided to order the Steamed Chilean Bass with Ginger & Scallions ($18.95). The filet was cut open, served flat on a wide plate. It was marinated in soy-teriyaki sauce with julienne-styled scallions on top. The fish tasted very tender and soft, although I didn't like the bits of bones throughout the filet. I also wished the chef had taken the scale because it was disgusting to look at! It certainly made me squeamish.
(3)
David W.
It isn't the traditional Taiwanese food, its tastes have been tailored for Americans. Only the house pork rice and other few dishes worth to try.
(3)
Heather M.
I wish they would kill the fish immediately rather than let them suffer to death, languishing by suffocation in a big tank next to the bathroom. I don't think eating fish that die this way is healthy either. It is heartbreaking and ruins an otherwise excellent experience.
As an authentic taiwanese, I decided to visit taiwan cafe during my vacation in Boston. It's really not a good experience overall. The food are really salty and greasy. Let's talk about the strewed minced pork over rice. The pork sauce is not enough for the rice. The portion is too small comparing to the price. Twin Lobster Sauteed with ginger & scallion is just extremely greasy and salty. We couldn't finish half of it. Three cup chicken is not bad, but it's still very salty. Will I go back again? I guess not. The taiwanese restaurant in flushing, NYC is much better than this place.
(2)
Edward W.
Obligatory footnote: do not expect great service from this place. Like most asian restaurants, the waiters/ waitresses are there to bring you your food and check as quick as possible. That being said, this is one of my to go places when I'm craving some delicious Asian food, and it has never disappointed me to this day. If you're in a rush and want a take out lunch, order their pork chop rice plates, which gives a side of cabbage, tea egg, rice with sweet mustard greens, and an ample portion of fried pork chops for only $8. If you have time to sit in and dine, I would highly recommend both the oyster omelette and lightly breaded fried tofu for appetizers. For those who haven't had oyster omelettes, its a gooey omelette stuffed with oysters (obviously), scallions, celery leaves, and covered with a savory sweet sauce. As for the main dishes, you can never go wrong with the braised eggplant, sauteed pea sprouts, and sauteed A-tsai (Sword leaf lettuce). I would also recommend eating your meal with their minced pork over rice as an alternative to plain white rice, which offers a rice bowl covered with minced pork, sweet mustard greens, and tea eggs. As for meats, I enjoy the simmered chopped chicken with 3 essences in hot pot (has bone but savory taste can't be beat), Szechuan style white fish (spicy but melts in your mouth), simmered lamb hotpot with broth (has bone but very soft and packs a punch), and salt & pepper chicken with basil (juicy and flavorful). For me, this is one of the best places to enjoy an authentic Asian cuisine. However, go there with the intention of eating a good meal, and not for the sake of being treated to a 5-star service.
(4)
Audrey C.
Delicious!! When we arrived the only openings were those larger tables so we were sharing with another party but the servers alerted us when a free table opened up and we were able to switch with no problem. The servers were also super attentive and filled up our tea/water without asking. Xiao Long Bao: You gotta get the soup dumpling at this place. The skin isn't too thick and theres a perfect amount of liquid inside these suckers! Don't forget to eat it with the black vinegar they provide if you like that taste! Eggplant: We saw this dish ordered by another table and it looked really good so we decided to try and we were not disappointed. The eggplant is cooked perfectly and there is a lottt of sauce on it so make sure to get rice with it! The sauce is perfect for a rice topper. Beef Scallion Pancake: Yum, the outside is perfectly crisp with good sauce used. The outside pancake is a bit on the thick side as well. Taiwan-style Fried Noodles: Standard noodles, the portion they give is also huuuuge so be sure to share! All in all, with no wait, good service, and delicious food, what's not to love?? Def give this place a try!
(5)
Minnie M.
It's all about the noodle soups here. Just get one. Any of them. They all come in a bucket sized bowl. Get the pickled veg and pork soup. Get the hot and sour soup. Get the beef noodle soup. Or any of the other 20 options that they have. How do they do it? It boggles my mind.
(4)
Neechi M.
I don't know how I've yet to review this place. We live a block away so I order from here very often and love the food. We've dined inside once but more are take-out people here (5+ times). Pros: - They don't have Lo Mein but their yellow fried noodles are very similar (and a little better really) - Fried Rice is amazing - White Rice is perfect - Scallion Pancakes are wonderful - One time we got a mistake order of white rice and some fried chicken thing and it was great but we have no idea what it's called on the menu so haven't been able to order again Cons: - General Gau's is very sticky if that's your thing (would not recommend) - Service is really not the best - Try not to eat by the fish tank because when they take fish out of there you will get splashes
(5)
LeiLei R.
I've only tried a few items from here, most of which aren't my type of entrees. BUT what I do come here for is their xiao long baos (mini soup dumplings) and the schezuan fish filet on a metal skillet. Taiwan Cafe is my fave location to get soup dumpling in Boston. Better than the one time I tried Gourmet Dumpling House. There is a good amount of soup in these, the skin is a nice texture, and the meat is flavorful. Service - Hostess looks grumpy most times I've been. But the servers are usually nice.
(4)
Matthew C.
Great xiao luong bao. Loved the shrimp in bean curd wrapper. Service is indifferent at best - just scream at them - they're used to it.
(5)
Diep N.
We had four people and we ordered a Yangzhou fired rice, a mini dumplings with pork and crab meat and a Taiwan wonton noodle. Only the fried rice was decent. The dumplings and noodle were so bad that we could not finish any of them. The noodle was so overcooked and when I asked the server "Is it always overcooked like that?"... She said "yes". They don't even offer a remake for the dish. We left half of the bowl unfinished. The dumplings was also yucky. I had taiwanese dumplings before and they're no where this bad. The stuffing is so overcooked while the skin is undercooked. I was so unhappy with our dinner and I didn't leave a tip. The server called me back and asked me for tips. I showed her our left over on the table and told her how upset I was. She didn't apologize for the food or the service, she just turned away and spoke Mandarin with another one about us. That was terrible! I wish Yelp has negative star, just to be fair!
(1)
Paul T.
Oyster fry is the right consistency with ratio of ingredients. Sauce a bit on the sweet side. Scallion pancake slightly overdone side, but very good nonetheless. Xiang Chang or Taiwanese sausage was sliced on the thin side and somewhat dry, but very good. Need to try Taichung meatball, oxtail soup, fried pork chop rice, chicken rice, steamed (bao xiao long bao), mapoh tofu, beef noodle soup. Could only eat so much. Looked good coming out to the other tables.
(3)
Lily H.
Let me tell you, on our trip to Boston, I think we wandered around the city for about 25 minutes trying to find a decent place to eat that was open on Sunday. After stumbling down a random alleyway and finding our way into Chinatown, the 600+ reviews on Yelp told us we should give this place a try. The wait was about 30 minutes, but they took our number down and we popped over to a bakery across the street and walked around. The restaurant itself is not very large, but it was bustling and every patron seemed to be enjoying their food immensely. Very efficient waitstaff...we had the Taiwanese fried pork chop and a chicken and green bean dish. The fried pork chop was the clear star of the show, I saw at least two other tables ordering the same thing. The pork was slightly breaded, fried, and had a sweet, but not overpowering taste to it. The portion sizes were more than generous...two dishes split between two people will be more than enough and then some!
(4)
Joanna F.
We came in before a show on a Saturday night at 5:30 and it was already pretty crowded, so be warned. The food here seemed authentic (not that I would really know) and the menu was ginormous and a little overwhelming. We ended up getting two appetizers and three entrees for four people and it was an excessive amount of food. We tried both the pork buns (soup dumplings) and the chive and pork dumplings, both of which were great. We also had some General Gau's, fried rice and a noodle dish. Everything was delicious. I would love to go back and try some of the more adventurous stuff on the menu at some point. The icing on the cake was the price. It ended up coming out to about $14 per person including tip for a large amount of amazing food.
(4)
Jeremy D.
Had the pleasure of joining some Yelp Elites at the Taiwan Cafe & we shared our love of Asian food. Speaking of food this is some of the best Chinese food in Chinatown! The mini crab and pork soup dumplings & the vegetable dumplings were as good as they get in Boston! Chinese watercress in garlic is a must. The vegetable fried rice was lightly stir fried with tons of veggies and not saturated with soy and MSG. Last and final dish was the Szechuan white fish it's so spicy but so good! Overall a great dining experience!
(4)
Yuka Y.
Picture menus are much needed. Be prepared to be overwhelmed with the 30+ selections per page and tiny print. First time visitors will be peering over each others shoulders to see what others have ordered. ++Portion sizes are generous per entree. This is the first time we had things packed to go in Chinatown. Rec: ++Szechuan style white fish with veggie in spicy broth- by far the most popular dish, every other table had this. Presentation is fun- it comes in a baby wok with its own running fire underneath to keep the broth bubbling. The spice takes time to kick in your taste buds, but it won't kill you. Boneless fish a plenty. Other things that were good, but less of a standout: Xiao long bao Beef stew noodle soup with spinach- broth is very similar to the white fish dish.
(4)
Noah F.
As good as gourmet dumpling but without the hour wait. Particularly get the soup pork dumplings. Also love the szechuan style fish.
(4)
Jeff Y.
Small restaurant located on the second floor, but a really extensive menu of decent food. It was my birthday during my Boston trip, and for one of the meals, we decided to get some Taiwanese food since it's not available back in Richmond. We had a pretty elaborate method of choosing between the three Taiwanese places in Chinatown, but we ended up picking Taiwan Cafe. I tried to order a lot of Taiwanese snacks/specialties, in addition to some standard entree fare. The xiao3 long2 bao1 (å°ç± 包) were good, with somewhat thicker skins. The waiter messed up one of our orders, even though I ordered everything in Mandarin and followed along as I read off all the dishes I had circled on the to-go menu. We ended up fixing the problem, but had to wait quite a while for the replacement dish. When the bill came, the amount did not quite match up to the subtotal I had tallied up beforehand. Part of it was because I had not accounted for the beer that we ended up ordering, but also, I don't think the waiter changed the bill after the mistake dish mishap. He claimed that the dishes were the same price, but they weren't on the to-go menu; since it was only a $1 or so difference, I decided not to argue with him. Overall, pretty decent food, but portions were moderate for those dinner prices. Service was also not quite as friendly as I am used to at Taiwanese places. My favorite dish of the night was the oxtail soup. Alas, I wish we had more Chinese options in Richmond! P.S. Yay, Yelp supports Chinese characters now! It's probably tied to the presence of Yelp now in Japan.
(4)
Patrick D.
By far, the best place in Chinatown. We love Taiwan Cafe and have dined/taken out from there 15+ times. One of the specialties here is definitely the soup dumplings (make sure to get the pork and crab ones); you are in for a treat if you have never had them before. All entrees are very large portions and reasonably priced. Some favorite entrees are chicken with bamboo shoots and chicken with mixed veggies. The house special entree, Taiwanese fried pork chop, is really something else; we highly recommend it if you want to try something different. Complimentary hot tea also comes with your meal. Service can be a little slow at times since the restaurant is always at capacity and has a long wait (no reservations unfortunately), but any wait is certainly worth the experience here!
(5)
Peter N.
We walked in for a take-out order, after a movie. We ordered combination fried rice, sesame chicken, and a tofu dish. Pretty simple order, right? It took them 45 minutes to get this order together. I asked the waitstaff several times, and was brushed off -- "yes, yes, it's getting packaged right now" says the waiter that didn't EVER go into the kitchen to check. Okay...10 minutes later -- "yes, yes, it's getting packaged right now"... We left the restaurant pretty pissed. The resulting food was ... meh ... I've had much better fare elsewhere. I wouldn't mind waiting 45 minutes if the food was good. But this was a waste of time. The service here was horrible, though. Will not be going back.
(2)
Sonia Q.
A little chaotic, but hey it's Chinatown! Extensive menu with plenty of vegetarian options too. Delicious pork soup dumplings and the beef and broccoli was also very flavorful and tender. If you like spicy fish, the Szechuan fish is a must order! It is definitely not as spicy as it looks! You can make your own pork buns, they literally bring out a braised pork butt that you cut up to fill your bun!! If you don't like sitting with strangers, then this is not the place for you!
(4)
Jennifer G.
Came here on a Friday night, and they were able to seat me and my sister right away. Note: likely chance that you might have to share a table with others, so be prepared to get nice and cozy. Busy restaurant, but service was pretty fast. We ordered the salt and pepper calamari, an eggplant dish, and the seafood noodle soup. Portions are very generous. We wanted to order some dumplings as well, but they told us those would take longer to be ready - about 20 minutes. Glad they told us, so we ended up not ordering those. Food is pretty decent, but nothing too special. The seafood noodle soup was MASSIVE - I ate till I was full and my bowl still looked untouched. Comes with lots of seafood - clams, crab stick, squid, etc. Could've been more flavorful though. Can't beat the Chinatown prices too, so we got a decent dinner for under $40 for the two of us.
(3)
Ryan R.
Went here with a friend to grab a bite to eat for dinner. It was decently late so we were able to be seated right away. The menu here is HUGE so good luck trying to pick only a couple of dishes. For our meal we decided to split 3 dishes: the scallion pancake, soup dumplings, and a chicken dish. The soup dumplings were probably my least favorite of the three. I have had some top notch soup dumplings in LA and these did not come close in my opinion. They were not very cold and almost tasted as if they had come out of the microwave. The chicken dish we had (which I can't remember the name at this point) was decent and a good-sized portion as well. The real winner of the night was the scallion pancake. This dish is probably one of the best I've had in Boston thus far and really saved the meal. The flavors and textures were really complimentary and was a nice size as well. Overall, this place had very friendly service and a menu that covers all the bases. The food is decent, but make sure to try out the scallion pancake as you won't be disappointed.
(4)
Celin W.
Am impressed. It is hard to find legitimate Chinese food and this place comes quite close. It was packed on a Friday so go earlier to get a table. I had the soup dumplings here and it was flavorful, broth was rich, and the skin not too thick. Definitely would go back for it again! Also good, the oyster omelette (though ask them to put the hot sauce separately it's quite strong and might take away from the delicious taste of the omelette. We also had the morning glory, the fried fish with pepper and lemon - all delicious and very tasty. Wish I could try more things - a lot of people seem to have gotten a hot sauce fish (shui zhu yu) and it looked really good.
(4)
Steven W.
I love love love this place!!!! Though it is very crowded during the meal time, it is worth it! I have tried a lot of dishes and they are all very good!! By the way, if you would like to try a lot of different choices at same time, I truly suggest you bringing your friends as the size of each dish is large.....
(4)
J. R.
Had dinner at Taiwan cafe with a couple of friends. Place is very small, crowded and loud during dinner time, you may even need to share table with strangers. We got the oyster omelet, soup dumplings, beef scallion pancake roll, stinky tofu, oyster fried noodles, sha cha beef, and fried Taiwan style pork chops. The beef scallion pancake and fried pork chops were excellent, highly recommend. Just the pork chops were actually country style pork ribs with bones, a bit difficult to eat. Sha cha beef was OK, since this place is called Taiwan cafe, I expected such a typical Taiwan dish to be awesome here, but was a bit dissappointed. Oyster omelet had a very weird texture, so slimmy feel like eating some alien creature's saliva, kinda gross actually. Soup dumplings were so so, stuffing was good but dumpling skin was too thick and sticky. Fried egg noodle was super bland. Stinky tofu was the worst I ever had, definitely will not try again. Overall it's a OK Chinatown restaurant. It could be excellent if you know which dishes to order here.
(3)
David T.
The real deal. Great authentic Taiwanese food. This is a small restaurant that is almost always packed. Waiting for a table involves leaving your cellphone number so they can call you when your table is ready. This is so much better than having to wait in hearing range. Most of the staff were friendly, but there is one waitress/hostess that is the perfect Taiwanese version of the Seinfeld Soup Nazi. She actually makes the whole experience all the more rich and entertaining. My favorites were: Szechuan Style Wontons with red chili sauce - Light and delicious; Loved this version. Sichuan white fish and vegetables with spicy broth - excellent - just the right amount of heat. Lily bulbs with broccoli, carrots and snow peas - very good. Had no idea lily bulbs were so good.
(4)
Jacqueline C.
Their signature pork rib with rice was huge. Enough for two people to share. Must order here .We also had the 'si gua' and beef roll. The veggie dish was smaller than what I expected. 27 bucks including tips--we stuffed our face.
(4)
Kirsten L.
Soup dumplings were the best! I've only tasted a few and this place is worth coming back for. Fried Taiwanese pork chops were delicious. Crispy and tender. Steam pork buns were freshly made. The bottom of the bread was over cooked. The meat was tender. My 2 year old liked it. I read from other reviews to taste the scallion pancakes because it goes well with soup dumplings. It was good but nothing special.
(4)
Susan C.
Servers with poor and arrogant attitudes, we waited 30 min in line, after sitting down, the waitress refused to accommodate a friend of ours who is handicapped and required larger sitting space, and rudely request us to leave. Will never go back! Only if I can give 0 star! How rude and discriminative!
(1)
Kimmy U.
Good. Cheap. Taiwanese food. I tend to get the fried pork chop rice because I miss it so much from home, and it gets the job done! At $5.95, I think it's a REALLY GREAT DEAL! Comes with pork chop, cabbage, egg, and rice mixed with ground pork. I think when you get the lunch special, it also comes with soup The pork chop has a bit of sweetness to it, and it's fried to a nice crisp. This will probably last you 2 meals.. but I mean I could probably eat it all if I'm REALLY hungry. BUUT when you microwave it the next day, don't expect the pork to be crispy at all.. The only downside is the wait can get really long. The place isn't that big, so unless you're the only party waiting, you probably have to go outside..which isn't very fun in the winter. Also don't expect service to be super friendly lol. I guess I'm used to it whenever I go to a Chinesrestaurant (especially in Chinatown) Plus, they're open LATE!!
(3)
Philly B.
Used to love this place... Pork chop dish is awesome! They give u sides with veggies, egg, soup, rice and its cooked great. Dumplings are also very good. Until.... I ordered a Chicken dish... and I tell NO LIE... It WAS NOT CHICKEN. It was literally so nasty, the bones were so small... I have eaten enough chicken in my life to know the difference. I will never return. TW Cafe.. ....
(2)
Jennifer O.
When I travel, I like to have some xiao long bao if I can find it, and Taiwan Cafe was my place on this trip. I was with a friend who has never had xlb, so even more reason to go! This little restaurant is cute and was super busy even at 9:30pm when we got there. We ordered the xlb, some Taiwanese pan fried pork dumplings, and beef and spicy peppers wrapped in a scallion pancake. The pan fried dumplings were very good and obviously handmade. I'm not sure what made them 'Taiwanese' but they were tasty. The xlb were also obviously handmade and very tasty. My only problem with them were that they were huge! You couldn't possibly fit the whole thing in your mouth so you lost precious juice... sad times. The scallion pancake was by far the best item. The beef and peppers tasted amazing, the pancake was crunchy and salty... yum. I would recommend this place, especially late at night.
(4)
Katalyst S.
Huge menu! Small, packed and loud place. I got the braised bbq pork shoulder so that I could make my own beef buns, it was really nummy and came with a ton of meat :) there were so many things on this menu that I'd have to come back and try again to see what else I could like! My food was delicious but my friends weren't really happy with their meals so you have to order right and some things are risky. Given all the other places in the area, I'm not sure I'll come back any time soon but I did love what I ordered and I would order it again.
(3)
Diana L.
Alright. I've been here at least 5 times now so I feel like more of an authority. Read any review, and you will know that ordering the xiao long bao is a must. They are so delicious and hot and savory and juicy...the best food ever! Crab & pork or just pork -- doesn't matter, they're both so delicious. I have loved everything I have ordered here except for one extremely dank thing I ordered that I would advise you not to get -- pork & taro with fermented bean curd sauce. Too salty, fatty, and just DENSE! It comes to the table looking like a cinnamon bun with pork & taro wrapped together in sickeningly wet layers -- it was way too much for me. Aside from that, everything I have eaten from here has been amazing. Today, I had littleneck clams with basil. A deceptively simple-sounding dish elevated to FANTASTIC with the addition of a black bean and chili pepper sauce with basil, soy sauce and a mouthwatering consistency and flavor. My boyfriend ordered the julienned pork with mustard greens and bean curd which was also fantastic. If you're feeling adventurous, order the stinky tofu. I love it, however my boyfriend insists that it is a vile concoction. I think it's awesome though -- definitely an acquired taste. Mapo Tofu here is FANTASTIC! Lunch specials kick ass! I love this place and will keep coming back again and again forever!
(5)
Tiffany C.
The location is a little broken/ rundown like all Chinatown restaurants. I feel like the food is a little expensive for the taste, but then again I'm from la where the Chinese food tastes amazing and is super cheap as well. Anyway, the Taiwanese food here is decent. It's enough to satisfy my cravings, but it's nowhere near the delicious taste of Taiwanese food in Taiwan. But you can't expect too much considering we're in Boston. I like the extensive menu options here, but I also feel like in general the majority of the dishes are really heavy and oily tasting. It's ok. Come here if you're craving authentic Taiwanese food. Taste is a solid 3. I always order the beef rolls here.
(3)
Kristina D.
I came here only for the XLB (soup dumplings) and it did not disappointed. The dumplings were big and filled with plenty of soup unlike other places I've been (mostly in Cali) that jip you of the soup and I love how the skin isn't too thick and doesn't overpower the taste of the entire dumpling. The dipping sauce had a little too much vinegar but not a deal breaker. Not bad for $7! I also got the "spicy" beef noodle soup with spinach; air quotes around spicy because it was not spicy at all. I asked for hot sauce but it dramatically altered the taste of the soup so avoid the hot sauce! The soup was underwhelming. The pictures look better than it taste. The soup didn't have a whole lot of flavor. However the beef did. The noodles were cooked just right. Overall it wasn't bad but I could've done without. Service was quick despite it being busy and the workers were attentive. I never had to wave and jump out of my seat to get their attention like at most other Asian restaurants. Credit cards only accepted for bills over $20!
(4)
Grace W.
Love love the chinese watercress here, as well as their stir-fried noodle dishes. We started come here regularly when waiting outside Gourmet Dumpling House was no longer a viable option (brrrr). The longest wait we've ever had was 15 minutes, usually during peak dinner hours on Friday/Saturday. The dumplings might not have been as good here, but everything else was fairly comparable.
(5)
L. B.
Great food. Almost everything is pretty good, but you have to try the soup dumplings. They are soft dumpling swathed around hot soup, and utterly delicious.
(5)
Laura S.
Cheap, delicious food is what you will find at Taiwan Cafe. If you're looking for a fancy dinner restaurant, this isn't the place. But if you're looking to eat a ton with a bunch of friends, definitely come here! I recommend the eggplant dish, the scalliion pancakes, and the ma po tofu. Are they vegan? Who knows! Some language barriers prevent me from ever knowing. Service is just so-so, but I'm okay with that because the food makes it worth it. And yes, they are cash only. I always forget this but somehow make it work.
(4)
Cecilia J.
"Yay! It's back open again!" -- That's what I thought a few months ago. But then we wanted to eat lunch there on Saturday before noon and experienced rude attitudes from the staff that will ensure my family and I never go back again. My parents went to park, so I headed in and asked for a table for 3. The lady at the front desk asked if everyone in my party was there yet and I said "no". She said they couldn't seat me until everyone is here. Okay, fine. There were still some open tables so I figure we wouldn't have to wait anyway. So I sit my butt down on the ONE CHAIR they have next to the front desk. (They ask everyone else waiting to go outside in the cold.) The restaurant gets filled very quickly as noontime rolls around, and they start a list for people waiting. I figure since I'm sitting right there, the lady would be smart enough to know that I am waiting. My mom shows up and asks why I'm not at a table. I explain to her why. My mom looks at the the lady at the front desk, and the lady at the front desk starts getting very angry at my mom saying that we can't just expect to be seated even though everyone in the party is not here, blah blah. I understand if a busy restaurant doesn't want to have unfilled tables, but yelling at a customer is never acceptable. Needless to say, we walked right out. The food is not bad, since every once in a while, my family and I will crave Taiwanese food, but the rudeness is simply not worth it. We've been coming here for a few years now, and they have truly lost reliable customers in us. This is too bad. I have mentioned it before in my other reviews, but head over to New Golden Gate around the corner and you will get fast service and dishes that are even more delicious than what you'll find here.
(2)
Noelle N.
I've tried about 10 restaurants in Chinatown and this is by far the best! Highlights include: -jumbo shrimp with yellow chives -braised eggplant with basil -soup dumplings with pork I'm a huge tea drinker and my cup never even got close to empty. Can't wait to go back again!
(5)
Junlei W.
A crowded place. Waited outside for a full hour. Did not worth the wait, although the food is okay. The food side, again, is okay. Good variety IN MENU, about 2/3 we ordered is going out of stock. Had to change our selection over and over. Waitresses are impatient, a shortcoming for the inexpensive food I suppose. Go there again? If we do not have to wait.
If Boston Chinatown is anything like San Francisco Chinatown, I should expect mediocre Americanized Taiwanese food. When my friends suggested going to Chinatown during my Boston trip I was a bit hesitant. I am very picky when it comes to Chinese food. I was totally ready to leave this place in disappointment. For dinner of 3 we had ordered way more than we can consume. Fried Pork Intestine (5/5 stars) - Crispy but not too oily. It might sound nasty but that was my favorite. You won't regret trying this. Fried Taro with Duck Egg Yolk (4/5 stars) - This is a semi sweet dish. The taro paste is smooth but not overly oily. My only complaint was that the egg yolk comes in one big chuck. It would have been perfect if the egg yolks were chopped into smaller pieces. Stir Fried Spicy Stinky Tofu (4.5/5 stars) - This dish had quite a kick. It was a bit on the spicy side but delicious nonetheless. This is a dish that you should eat with rice. Prawns in Wine Sauce (4/5 stars) - The prawns was well seasoned and the broth was very flavorful. My friends loved this dish but I am just not that big of a prawn lover. Pan Fried Noodle with Seafood (3.5/5 stars) - Crispy noodle in a smooth and light sauce. Kinda plain compared to other dishes. Oyster Pancakes (4/5 stars) - Very tasty with good chewy texture. Would have been a 5 stars if only it wasn't so oily. I guess that was how it should be prepared? I have to say my friends have very good taste buds. Taiwan Cafe really didn't disappoint. Our server was friendly and courteous. Parking was a pain but so was anywhere else in Boston. If I live in Boston I will dine here every week! That is how good this place is.
(4)
Min Y.
I love this place. It was a little too salty for me but my friend love their #46 and #48 dishes on the menu. I think it's really good food for the price. Their service is really fast
(5)
Marcus W.
Like everything in life, it's all about expectations. A co-worker who lives in Boston said this place was "the best Taiwanese restaurant in Boston". That statement may be true by virtue of the fact that it may be the only one. I think he wanted to eat here so he could pocket the unspent portion of our dinner per diem... The beef and green pepper dish he ordered was pretty meh. The sea bass and tofu hot pot I ordered was mostly tofu and other assorted seafood. Very little sea bass in the hot pot. The pea sprouts and garlic that we shared was delicious. Total with tax and tip for 3 dishes plus rice: $46. Not horrible and okay value, but I don't expect I'll be rushing back anytime soon...
(3)
Steven C.
Have been a long time customer and went back recently after they renovated the place. It now looks clean and sterile; I personally liked the hole-in-wall grunginess from before. However, you can't argue with the food quality and prices. The pork chop and rice dish is very delicious and best I've tasted this side of the Pacific.
(5)
M. P.
The beau and I went around 10pm Saturday night the other night. He hasn't been so I thought I'd take him. I don't know why it took forever for me to write a review but Taiwan Cafe one of my favorite restaurants in Chinatown esp. for the soup dumplings. I prefer Taiwan Cafe over the Dumpling House because they're generally a better restaurant. The waitress we had was friendly. Definite plus for Chinatown. She recommended the beau try the spicy salt & pepper fried chunky chicken with basil which he ordered and loved every bite of it. Crispy, not oily at all, and the fried basil was aromatic and crispy. Yum! We also got the pork soup dumplings. Those are always delicious and consistent. I'm a fan of noodle soups so I got the Taiwan style wonton noodle soup. It was light and tasty but paled in comparison to the dumplings and the fried chicken that we ordered.
(5)
Ivy W.
The service is really terrible,and required at least 18% tips with very very bad attitude at last!!!! really like gangster! I will never ever go there!!!!!
(1)
Kristin X.
This place is very cramped and tiny. Eggplant with Basil: one of my favorite Chinese vegetarian dishes, liked that it contained plenty of basil Soup Dumplings: skin is too thick, needs more soup inside, of course it's nothing like Joe's Shanghai in NYC Oyster Pancakes: good amount of oysters, some people may find the slimy texture strange but I don't mind Fried Pork Chop over Rice: good crunchy texture, well seasoned Bean Paste Noodles: not fond of the sauce, too many broad beans, not enough meat Most of the items are tasty, but I would steer clear of a few dishes.
(4)
Vivian L.
Cheap and good. Cash only. Recommend the braised eggplant, pork chop rice plate, Shanghai style soup dumpling. I always miss their food after move.
(5)
Bill U.
Paigu here fan is wonderful!
(5)
Jenny S.
Place is awesome. I used to be a devoted GDH fan, but after too many 45 minute+ waits, I decided to venture else ware. Delicious beef with long horn peppers and soup dumplings. Blows GDH and Dumpling Cafe away. Thumbs up.
(4)
Silvio D.
I thoroughly enjoyed lunch here. This place feels very legit for some good Chinese food - all the tables were filled, not many caucasians there, plenty of options on the menu. I thought the noodles were outstanding some of the best ever! The scallion pancakes were also good. But, the xiao long bao dumplings stole the show. I highly recommend this place if you are in the area.
(4)
Charlie J.
Basil Eggplant is the only thing I ever get here and it is extremely yummy. Always very crowded at lunch time so try to go a little early or late so you won't have to wait. Known for having the most authentic Taiwanese food in the metro area.
(4)
Shane R.
we stopped by for a late night snack after a comedy show. we ordered half the menu and i cant remember most of it. some things were better than others, but nothing really stood out.
(3)
Adam A.
It is currently under renovation - but prior to the construction, this place has some of the best Chinese food that money can buy. Their eggplant-basil dish is stupid good. And they have a deal where you can get 3 massive lunch entrees for roughly $20....so bring your friends.
(5)
Alex S.
I really like their chicken rice combo. It is a great deal for only 6 bucks. Overall this place is fair priced. Cheap, convenient and fast. :) Recommend: Their chicken rice, comes with a soup
(3)
Danielle G.
This place is AWESOME! Great alternative to the dumpling house around the corner which is only.. meh. Come here to also dine on fantastic soup dumplings, oyster pancakes, and other authentic, tasty, delicious and cheap Taiwanese dishes. Best part- you aren't subjected to standing on a line longer than a bread line in Russia to eat sub-par, mediocre food (cough cough Dumpling House). Come here instead!
(5)
Alexandra Z.
This used to be my favorite place in Chinatown, unfortunately not any more. Some dishes are still good, but some are just too blend. The seafood hotpot is a skip, no flavor, not much seafood either, mostly cabbage in there. Dumplings are pretty good. Hot and sour soup is great. They just renovated the place, so there's more seating space now. I would pick the dumpling house over this place, but there's always a huge line at the dumpling house. So if you don't wanna wait in line for too long, this would be a pretty good place to go. Oh another thing, service is always excellent here!
(4)
Debra L.
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.
(3)
Owen D.
Not open at 00:21 as claimed.
(1)
John X.
I came here for the beef noodle soup, and it was alright. The broth was good, but the beef isn't what I like (chunkier, this one was sliced too thin) and the noodles were a bit too soggy. But otherwise, it was good. My friend got the seafood rice porridge which looked good, I didn't try any but she liked it. The service was good, and there were a decent number of people there. I will definitely try the other menu options next time I go.
(4)
Samantha L.
Eggplant basil, I love you long time. Very long time, that I dream of you dancing in my mouth. Sweet, mildly spicy and delicious and mind blowing basil. But why, oh why you so oily? Still, I miss you. But that is it. You're a one time satisfier, everything else was much left to my crazy imagination. Don't waste your time ordering the Steamed/pan fried bao. They're the frozen kind they steam and then actually let sit in oil for .2 seconds and call pan fried. They were a waste of money and tummy space. My bro and mom were raving about their dumplings that take 20 minutes to come out. So... 20 mins you'd think it'd be worth the wait since we finished 2 bowls of niu rou mien and the house special pork chop rice plate and we were staring at the kitchen door. I wasn't super impressed- pretty standard and ordinary dumplings. The only extraordinary thing was that it took 20 minutes to come out and I wasn't in some orgasmic food extacsy. The niu rou mien broth was tasty, but it could have had a stronger.. beefier flavor. The noodles were overcooked, flat out, which was a downer. The fried pork chop plate was much left to be desired. The rice with mince meat served under the pork chop was flavorless. Okay, lots of yelpers have commented the ladies that work were are rude and etc. They were all SO PLEASANT and friendly. So I have no idea what people are saying. I don't think it is because we were speaking Mandarin/Canto at all, they were generally very friendly and helpful to all the patrons from what I observed. My ONLY peeve? We paid our bill, left a nice tip, so we wanted to sit and chat. Sure, if it was busy OR packed we would have left. There were still open tables and we were ASKED TO LEAVE THE TABLE (granted we already were sitting for maybe 10 mins after they cleaned the table) because they needed it. The waitress was gracious and nice about it, not rude. But it takes some balls when NO ONE was waiting and other tables were open. So, we're a little turned off.
(3)
Tommy T.
Decent, but overpriced for what you get. I ordered the octopus fried rice and a coffee for $15 and I got 2 pieces of octopus on my plate, so I wasn't impressed at all. Food was fast though so I bumped it to 3 stars.
(3)
Hyeyeon B.
My husband's friend is a fan of this restaurant. We are visitng Boston and wanted to go there today but it was closed. They were remodeling now.
(4)
Ben j amin S.
This is one of my favorite places in Boston. The beef w/ longhorn pepper is incredible, and one of the few foods I get an insatiable craving for. The soup dumplings are far superior to those at Gourmet dumpling house around the corner. One of my go-to lunch spots; my friend and I have become regulars; greeted warmly at the door, the beautiful waitress who is always smiling always knows what we want. A++ in my book.
(5)
Ninja N.
This place is pleasantly good. The pork noodle soup was very good and the water spinach with garlic was perfectly cooked. The best of all was the 2 lobsters for $16. It was perfectly cooked and the flavors were so good. The service was surprising good. The waitress brought out a dish that we did not order and she actually apologized and took the dish back into the kitchen. I was SHOCKED! If you try that at other Asian restaurants they will not return the dish that easily.
(5)
Diane S.
so my bff found this place on yelp, while we got lost in boston & ended up in chinatown. Place was your typical asian place, but the service here from one girl was exceptional. She was so cute, and so attentive. She kept filling my glass with water & my glass with tea. The other waitresses not so much. Prices were cheap especially since the portions were so huge! my bff has the chicken with vegetable with white rice & only ate half. I had a hearty soup which was suppose to be with pork but I couldn't eat meat since it was Friday during lent. So I had it with tofu instead and chose to eat it with flat white noodles. It was good but for me too many carbs, my bestie loved it tho!
(3)
Lauren L.
When I first moved to Boston from Taiwan, I almost cried tears of joy when I found Taiwan Cafe. So it can't compare to food in Taiwan (or Arcadia, or SGV), but it's still darn tasty by Boston standards. And on the plus side, it's cheap. I can walk out of here with a perfectly filling and delicious meal for less than $6 and still have leftovers to boot. Skip the standard Chinese restaurant fare and go straight to the rice plate section of the menu. Fried Pork Chop over rice, Chicken Leg over rice, Stewed Pork Belly over rice are all delicious, delicious, delicious options. They all come with a vegetable side and a stewed, boiled egg. What makes it even better is that they're served on kiddie ABC plates with pictures on them. What could be better than slow braised pork belly and rice served on a platter from which you can learn your ABCs??? In short, this is my chosen spot for Chinese-Taiwanese food in Chinatown. The prices and food are better than that of the more popular, more greasy, and more salty, (and infinitely more crowded) Gourmet Dumpling down the street.
(5)
Dan W.
Favorite restaurant in the city. They were shut down for a couple months for "renovations" and it was a dark period in my life. Best pork soup dumplings. Ask for the chili oil, they'll try to bring you sriracha if you're white, but you need to specify the "oil". Its smokey and kicks the dumplings up a notch. Also the crispy chicken and pork dishes are awesome. Tie all together with a giant Tsingtao.
(5)
M H.
Stinky tofu here is not that stinky, and the meat noodle soup w/ mushroom (ro geng mien) is not as flavorful in fish savory as the stalls in Taipei, but it does hit the spot for those missing some Taiwanese.
(3)
Justin L.
Mmm. I don't eat much Taiwanese food. What I have tried is from NYC. There was a food truck Bian Dang and a hole in the wall place in manhattan Ctown. So I went with the staple fried pork chop, tea egg, pork sauce on rice. The pork chop was breaded and too sweet. There was barely any pork sauce. The cabbage was greasy and the pickled greens was a speck on the plate. Overall less greasy then the NYC counterpart but lacking a lot of flavor. The tea egg was dry. I also ordered soup dumplings and scallion pancakes. Nothing to write home about. The soup dumpling meat was too salty and wasn't sweet/savory. The vinegar didn't have anything to cut so it was just more salty. I don't think I will be coming back to this place. A bit expensive on their menu for entrees too. They have a lot of old paper and magazine articles raving about them. But that was over 10 years ago.
(2)
Brad P.
Loved it. A very diverse menu, and slight different from other typical Chinese restaurants, since the focus is on Taiwanese dishes. But, if you love Chinese food -- like I do -- then the diversity and differences are very welcome. Try the eggplant and basil, and, if you like very, very hot food, the beef with longhorn peppers. We enjoyed both. Plentiful services and good prices make this a great place. The only downside is that it is a bit crowded and the din in the dinning room makes it hard to carry on a conversation. But we'll be back.
(5)
Ben D.
Being Taiwanese I loved this place. Great food, nice and cheap!
(5)
jerome c.
From 4/4/2010 We had a brief meal and it was only a late breakfast so our review might be skewed. Sticky rice roll was large and simply tasty. My gf appreciated the pickled veggie inside while I thought the balance of stuffings wasn't a good as the Yi Mei place in Monterey Park (L.A.). Beef roll had a dry, dense bread. Beef wasn't even substantial. Plum sauce was the only redeeming ingredient. Vermicelli rice noodle and minced pork sauce was simple and adequate. Nothing to write home about.
(3)
Daniel F.
The soup dumplings were not Din Tai Fong quality but were passable if a bit lacking in flavor.. The boiled pork and cabbage dumplings were ok with the scallion pan cake dipping sauce. Unless you like your scallion pan cakes deep fried do not order this plate of greasy dough. The Taiwanese meatball with the tapioca encasing was drenched in the pungent mahogany sauce that made it nearly inedible. Will not eat here again.
Dragon Lady! Taiwan Cafe used to be our go to place in chinatown. But lately we have found the manager/owner(?) at the front door to be so unpleasant that we have decided to take our business elsewhere. and the food seems to be getting worse as the popularity of the restaurant is rising. that seems to be a common trend in many of the chinatown restaurants. would be nice if the owner would realise that being courteous to her customers would do her well in the long run.
(3)
Justin H.
I went here when I was still vegan and wasn't able to indulge in the full range of goodies they offer. Nevertheless, I did have some delicious daumiu (pea shoots), noodles with veggies and tofu and the always popular "brown sauce" and braised tofu in more brown sauce. All of this sounds generic, but it was well executed, tasted good and there was really nothing to complain about here. My companions ordered several meat dishes including dumplings which I didn't taste but looked delicious. Finally, Chinatown prices = two thumbs way up. You simply cannot beat the amount of food here and the quality for how much you pay. Plus psychologically any restaurant that I have to walk up stairs to enter I like, it's like entering a culinary ride of sorts. In the words of the governator, I'll be back.
(4)
Wei W.
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.
(5)
Alex T.
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.
(3)
Norina N.
I walked by this place many times, but hesitated to try out 'cause I dont know what to order or what it's like. So after I've read reviews from here, my bf and I decided to give it a try. 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
(4)
Rachel S.
Get the eggs/beef/tomato dish. Fantastic!
(4)
H-Linda L.
Came here with a large group of friends tonight because this place wasn't crowded on a Sunday night. The waitress was very knowledgeable of the dishes and gave us some recommendations. The Steamed Soup Dumplings were pretty good. I didn't like their Seafood-Luffa soup - it was tasteless and too simple for a dish to be served at a restaurant. The eggplant was also mediocre, as was their spicy steamed fish filet. To top it off, after returning home, I realized that they had put a lot of MSG in their food as the taste lingered in my mouth for a long time. All in all, an okay restaurant if you want to sit down and eat quickly. But definitely don't expect too much from the food.
(2)
Hank C.
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.
(4)
Grace S.
If I reviewed this place 4 to 6 years ago when I used to come here all the time, I would've given this place 4-5 stars. However, I feel like it has gone a bit downhill, although it is still very tasty. Perhaps it's my older age and changing tastes but I still recommend the eggs, tomato and beef over rice, the xiao long bao, pig ears, chinese vegetables, the stews with intestines, giant bottles of Tsingtao. Everything is very saucy but you can wash it down with the soup/broth they give you at the beginning of your meal. This place is your no-nonsense authentic chinese joint where you can take a big group and come any time of the day.
I am from Taiwan and I come here to feed my hunger for authentic home cuisine. I always order a feast without spending a fortune in this restaurant. I highly recommend their veggie and soup dumplings.
(4)
Helen L.
I'm a huge fan of Taiwan Cafe. Considering it's one of the few places in Boston you can get actual Taiwanese food. I would highly recommend the beef noodle soup and the "smelly" tofu. And the meat ball, I forget what it's called in English. It's almost like "dim sum" in terms of they are just mini dishes (like tapas) that you order and eat. It's pretty cheap, it's about $4-5 each dish, but you can of course get the usual large entree sizes of anything you want. DELICIOUS! Highly recommend going. I never had a problem getting a table, even though it's a small place.
(4)
Trent C.
I'd give this place 3.5 stars. I had the beef noodle soup which was big, but a little different to what I expected. Great for value if you want a meal in Boston's Chinatown
(3)
C R.
Peer in the window and you'll see that the place is packed. Enjoy the food with out the pungent odor of stinky Tofu that some Taiwanese places have. Big portions, tasty food. Staff are automatons that simply approach, order, deliver, take check. Don't look for a lot of personality. Like most authentically Asian restaurants, it's a dining hall. In sum, good food, cheap.
(3)
Angel C.
Yum, another one of my Chinatown favorites. This time I had the beef with tomato and egg, white fish with vegetables in sweet and sour sauce, spicy salt and pepper fried squid, and chinese watercress with garlic. All delicious! The beef dish had a very nice sauce with a good mix of tomato flavor and slightly sweet. The five-spice on the squid was oh so good. Man, Chinese people know how to cook their veggies. Chinese watercress with garlic is one of my favorite veggie dishes. Ever. And the fish dish, well, don't really have much to say other than tasty. =) Another of my favorites here, which I didn't have this time, is the bacon-cut pork with taro. You know what they say, fat = flavor! Another good thing about this place, like most places in Chinatown, very affordable.
(5)
Catherine W.
Delicious lunch, sampled a variety of the Taiwanese dim sum menu among other dishes. Enjoyed the Taiwanese potstickers, the spicy beef tendons, rice cake noodle dish, salty bean curd soup, onion scallion pancake. Shanghai dumplings were good, nothing spectacular. Would come back again. Fast service.
(4)
H. G.
This is authentic Taiwanese food! I'm just kidding. I have no idea whether it's authentic. So I asked the waitress what she recommended once and she pointed to the entree with beef, egg, tomato. So I got it. It was a fantastic wonderful mess. And they always serve it on a plate with little kid alphabet letters and animals. I also like the lunch special of beef with long, hot peppers. And the eggplant with basil is another solid B+ type dish. Like many places in Chinatown, it's pretty cheap. Unlike many places in Chinatown, it's pretty clean.
(3)
Chen X.
Great place. This may my favorite place in Chinatown to go to. I know some may compare this to Gourmet Dumpling House, but that place is always crowded for. This is like a hidden gem kind of, since its located near an ally way. The food are always cooked well, never feel like its from a freezer (even though it might be) and the cooking reminds me of authentic Asian food instead of the Americanized Asian food, which just dumps a lot of msg on the food and making it a dull brown. The juiciness and texture of the food are great and I never had a bad experience with any of my orders. The service is great as well, friendly and approachable waitresses (do not remember any guy waiters). They speak English, Mandarin, and even Fujiianese from my experience. The atmosphere is always good here, alot of friendly faces, its a family friendly environment. I recommend this place to my friends when they ask for a good restaurant.
(4)
Angie T.
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. ------ 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
(4)
Carol O.
After wandering around Chinatown for 30 minutes trying to find a new spot, my friend and I were happy to spy Taiwan Cafe tucked into a street we hadn't yet explored. We were even happier once we saw the prices, and downright ecstatic once we got/tasted the food. Our favorite was a stir fried eggplant with basil sauce. It had a sweetness to it that wasn't sickly sweet and a nice level of heat. We also had a dish with sauteed bok choy that was just lovely. For some reason fresh bok choy always reminds me of spring -- which is a nice reminder during the winter! Our eyes were of course bigger then our stomachs, but at least that meant we had delicious leftovers for the next day!
(4)
Miriam L.
Please come here. My family and I chose Taiwan Cafe for our traditional Jewish Christmas Eve meal based on all the wonderful reviews, and we weren't disappointed. The place is totally lacking in atmosphere, but the food is delicious. I'm really not a fan of eggplant, but I'll admit that the eggplant and basil was wonderful. We also got chicken with sauteed stringbeans, beef with greens in a sa-cha sauce, and Taiwanese hot and sour soup. All were fantastic. I really can't speak highly enough about anything we got. Overall, we ordered 5 dishes, three appetizers, and two single serving soups plus one soup to share for five people. There was way too much food. For five, you don't need more than three entrees and maybe an appetizer or two - soup optional. The food was so good that I'm pretty excited to have leftovers to take home, though. Just to top it off, we were seated immediately, the prices are very reasonable, and our food came out super quickly. I can't wait to have friends in town to take here!
(5)
Sophia W.
I don't give a damn about their beef noodle soup and I agree with others that it's way too greasy and would pick the beef noodle soup at Gourmet Dumpling House for its lighter taste. What I DO love about Taiwan Cafe is its good eat for a low cost when you're working too late and too tired to cook. For awhile, I always ordered the egg-tomato and rice (lasts me for 3 meals b/c it's so filling). My new favorite is the white fish in spicy red broth (#18 on the entree menu). WARNING: the greasiness from this dish is likely to be from the chili oil, and in my book, that's good for me :d On a cold winter's night, this dish is perfect for two. It comes in a warmer and inside the delicious red broth are napa veggies, yummy white fish that you can pour over your rice for a healthy and spicy dish. Service is meh, but that's not what I'm there for anyways.
(4)
David M.
Yelp, either I'm going crazy because it's 1:00 AM or I'm directionally challenged because I swear Taiwan Cafe is in Chinatown, not Allston/Brighton. Anyway, I don't know the difference between Taiwanese food and regular mainland Chinese food but Taiwan Cafe cooks up some good grub. I always get the roast beef in scallion pancake roll because the appetizer is HUGE and really tasty. I've only been here for lunch but I always get the julienned (everything is julienned on the lunch special menu btw) pork with bamboo shoots as my main dish. And I love their bathroom. I've never encountered private toilets but public sinks before (plus they have cool cowboy saloon swinging doors). The only negative aspect of the entire establishment is that it's cash only. And I love using my debit card because it makes me feel powerful. =(
(4)
Amy C.
Authentic taiwanese food at dirt cheap prices? Yes, please! We stopped in around lunchtime and the place was jam packed. Luckily, they were able to clear a table for us within a matter of minutes. The thing is, the dining area is really small and they really try to pack in the tables. I must say I was feeling a bit like my personal space was getting infringed upon, but if that's the price to pay for good eats then by all means, gather 'round and let's rub some elbows! We ordered the oyster pancake with gravy, chilled spicy pig ears, spicy beef noodle soup, and the noodle soup with pork and pickled vegetable. Aside from the beef noodle soup being a bit unexpected--normally, the beef would be stew meat (bigger chunks) and not stir-fry meat (thinly sliced), everything was spot on and delicious. It's an Asian place so there was no expectations in terms of service, but it was fast and efficient and that's good enough for me. Can't wait to try the other items on their menu whenever I find myself back in the area!
(4)
Eddie S.
Delicious food and clean environment! I had the beef noodle soup, soup dumplings, and a sampling of my friends pork chop and all three were really good. The food came out very quickly and overall it was a solid experience. I thought the beef noodle soup was a little too greasy but that could just be the fact that it was my first time having it and that's just the way the food is supposed to be. I will definitely be looking for it to hit the spot on a colder day!
(4)
Tee T.
Restaurant was clean, service isn't bad, and super cold AC (bring a sweater) but the food we had was fine but nothing to rave about. We ordered the oyster omelette and it wasn't bad; we liked it. We also had the pork/crab xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and it was ok. Good size and lots of soup but the meat inside didn't stay intact very well so it was all broken up inside. The worst part is that it tasted bland. They didn't even serve it with any vinegar sauce. I had to ask for it. If you've been to Shanghai or have had Din Tai Fung (in Taiwan or China) then these xiao long bao just didn't compare well to the ones in Shanghai. I most likely won't get these again.
(3)
Li-Chen C.
Super poor service. The waitress and waiter were chatting loudly right next to us when we dined. Never look at us or greet us but demanded 18% tips for party of 5. The food is so so. We all had very unpleasant experience. Never go to this place again!!!!!
(1)
Laurie W.
Our first food in Boston and we were hungry! My friends and I ordered Beef noodle soup (of course...) Oyster Pancake XLB The XLB were HUGE (no dirty jokes please) so huge that they were sticking to each other and it was kinda hard to grab a piece without ripping. Gently picking up one, I ripped a little hole to pour the vinegar and plopped it in my mouth! It is juicy and had a lot of soup, but it was okay. The pork was flavorful but it felt like they could have used better quality ingredients. The skin was more on the thicker side. The oyster pancake was VERY GOOEY...probably one of the most gooeyiest one i ever had. Cut a piece and you can see the "slime" pull...kinda made me not want to eat it. The sauce was on the sweeter end but the oyster pieces were big...and it wasnt bad at all. Crispy on the ends and gooey in the center Beef noodle soup - probably the better dish out of the 3. Piping hot! The soup is very beefy, like the fatty beefy soup and its very red in color so you would imagine it would be spicy. I would like its a mild spicy so dont worry about it. The noodles were good, a tad bit on the overcooke side but not bad. They do give you a lot of beef pieces. Not bad for the price but i had better taiwanese food
(3)
Wes D.
Having lived in Taiwan for many years, my wife and I were excited to see this place in Chinatown when we were visiting Boston. Their menu is a huge mess and needs to be reconfigured and re-translated, but since we can read Chinese, it helped knowing what they were trying to say. We didn't order any of the typical nonsense that most people think of when they go to a "Chinese" restaurant. We got steamed dumplings, fried dumplings, onion pancake, beef noodle soup, and kimchi. Overall, it really reminded us of Taiwanese dining and we don't have any complaints. Portions were larger than we expected, and we left satisfied. Would go back in a heartbeat!
(4)
Kevin L.
Come here for lunch because they have some very cheap, large-portioned lunch specials so it's worth what you pay. It's usually pretty packed here so you may need to wait a bit, but it's a good place to get some quality food in Chinatown for a very reasonable price. If you want a rice dish, I would highly recommend trying their: -Tomato, egg, and beef over rice: it has a nice sweet taste to it from the tomatoes -House special fried pork chop: always perfectly prepared and you get some delicious veggies with it and of course, a tea egg -Taiwanese duck, which comes with the same sides as the the pork chop. Their oyster pancake is HUGE, but it's a bit too doughy for me so if you like your pancakes on the thicker side then you'll probably enjoy them. Overall, I'm always down to come here and plan to be back on multiple occasions in the future!! Note: this isn't really a great place to bring large groups since they don't have many large round tables (I think they only have 2). Good number of people is about 2-4 if you don't want to wait too long.
(4)
Annie C.
Went to Boston over the weekend and this was one of the worst meals I've had on my entire trip. Not quite sure why this place gets such raving reviews. We had the beef scallion pancake, crabmeat soup dumplings, pan-fried pork dumplings, pork chop over rice, julienne chicken w/ string beans, shredded pork w/ preserved vegetable rice cakes, and the Taiwan-style everything noodle. Their xiao long baos were one of the worst soup dumplings I've ever had. The skin was overly thick and there was no burst of broth when biting into it. As for the meat...forget about it. You can taste the horrible quality of the meat lacking the tenderness and juiciness of what good quality meat should taste like. They didn't even provide us the utensils to eat our soup dumplings (tong and soup spoon). Everything else we ordered lacked flavor and was bland at best. As for the service, it was just as poor as the food. I witnessed the waiters asking a table with guests still eating to stand so they can get something from the cabinet wall next to them. They were literally looking for a good 8 minutes before the diners asked if they can just sit at the neighboring empty table. We also saw the cashier yelling at a take-out customer about a discrepancy with her food. The restaurant is quite small so it was pretty much a free show for the whole restaurant. Also, on our way out the same lady that yelled at the take-out customer chased after us and demanded for us to leave a tip. Before accusing people she should've checked the table first. She has some nerve to humiliate us and didn't bother to apologize or say thank you. Very unprofessional. Never again Taiwan Cafe...NEVER AGAIN.
(1)
Natalie P.
Not sure how this place gets high ratings for their food. We came here to try their xiao long bao after trying to figure out where to get XLB in the city based on the other yelp reviews. Taiwan cafe had the worst XLB of the three places we tried. The skin was way too thick and the inside was scary. I'm actually nervous I might get sick later. The meat was obviously very low quality and definitely not cooked to be safe for consumption but with dumpling skin this thick I can imagine it's difficult for them to get it right. Scallion pancake was a little better than other places. Thinnest of the three places and crispy but not much flavor. There was also a hair on one of the pieces so we stopped eating. Would not recommend.
(1)
Sam L.
What happened Taiwan cafe!!!? How did you started being my favorite Taiwanese restaurant in Boston to one of the worst? We ordered a bunch of stuff because we were craving Taiwanese food: xia long bao, oyster omelette, oyster vermicelli and wonton soup. All were either average or below average. Xia long bao - thick skin kept the juice in, but the meat flavor was non-existent. Oyster omelette - good sauce with plenty of small oysters, but there were too many over fried pieces, with not enough veggies. Strange as veggies are typically the cheapest ingredient after potato starch. Oyster vermicelli - a disgrace to the Taiwanese tradition by putting a gallon of vinegar. I'm exaggerating but we asked for a new one that isn't as sour, and we got the same thing the 2nd time. If they only put 20% of that vinegar in, this would have been a decent dish. Wonton soup - good wrap with average filling. The soup was simply a splash of salt. Be a little more creative here please? Come on. Sigh, my heart was broken on this trip.
(2)
Jack R.
I never thought I would love dumplings as much as I love their beef and chive dumplings here. Forget Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, when this Boston joint has what I'm looking for. Save me the airfare. I was really impressed by their dumplings. I swear they gave me like 15 of them for $6 or so. Something like that. Packed full of fresh chives and pan fried (you can have them steamed, but I asked for it pan fried), the skin was crispy, and the meat was flavorful and not full of filler fat. Love it. We had to order another order because I literally polished off all of them by myself. Minus one star for their sticky and way too sweet eggplant dish. It tasted like the eggplant was drenched in jolly rancher candies. Stick to the dumpling and you'll have a 5 plus star experience. One of the best pan fried chive dumplings I've ever had.
(4)
Danae K.
It's nice and cheap, with a large variety of dishes. But, be careful how/what you order! It might turn out to be too spicy, too oily, too small or too big. There is definitely some trouble understanding what each dish is. Overall though, I suggest the soup dumplings, scallion pancakes and the wonton soup! Excellect choices
(4)
Christina P.
Come here for the pork and crab meat soup dumplings!!!! Yayay! They're good here--probably best you can get in Boston but still doesn't compare to dumpling joints in Flushing, Queens or places like Din Tai Fung. I have been here numerous times and it's my go-to when I'm in Boston Chinatown. I've tried the XLB, dumplings, eggplant w/ basil, salt and pepper pork/squid/some kind of meat, house special pork chop on rice, Fuzhounese rice cakes, scrambled egg and tomato, beer braised duck, scallion pancake w/ pork, jellyfish, and the list goes on. Everything has been great except maybe the beer braised duck. Not my thing. Fun place for late dinner w/ friends where you can get rounds of tall Tsingtao bottles and be loud without being obnoxious. Definitely get at least one order of pork and crab XLB but don't be the one that always breaks the skin. Also, be prepared to wait because they have a looooong dinner rush so come early or later if you don't want to wait. Note: There is a credit card minimum. It's a Chinese joint so they prefer you pay in cash anyway.
(4)
Shani T.
It took me awhile to get to reviewing Taiwan Cafe, mostly because I wasn't sure how I felt about it despite multiple visits, how to rate it, and what to say about it. There are a lot of Taiwanese dishes served here that thrills the Taiwanese in me--san bei ji (three cups chicken), stinky tofu (not that I ever get this, but it's nice to see it on the menu), and the traditional Taiwanese sausage stick out in my mind. But it's just not... Taiwan. I can't pinpoint it, but it's missing some of the magic. The menu is so long that it's really just a clusterfck of options. I end up giving up and going with dishes like salt & pepper pork, chinese watercress, soup dumplings, which are all just regular Chinese dishes. The dishes that I love such as beef noodle soup, fried chicken leg on rice with pickled vegetables, oyster omelette, and the like, are probably on the menu somewhere, but I just haven't gotten the chance to order them. I would die to have a good bowl of lu rou fan. Do they have this here? I have no idea because I can't look at the menu for more than 5 minutes without getting a headache. Don't get me wrong, I will keep coming back to Taiwan Cafe, but it will keep leaving me to reminisce about the food back in Taiwan. Maybe my expectations are just too high, but I just can't get over how much of a mess the menu is. Taiwan is simple--Taiwan Cafe is not.
(3)
Daniel C.
Dumplings are good any time of the day I think, and Boston Chinatown has no shortage of dumpling shops - all open until the wee hours (often past midnight!) and almost always packed during dinner time. I decided to try Taiwan Cafe after a quick Yelp browse. Upon arriving I was encouraged by the crowds eating here, along with stickers on the door showing Zagat-Rated as of 2014 along with earlier years. I ordered steamed (note you have option of pan-fried too) pork and cabbage dumplings - 10 for like $7! They were good sized, spherical, juicy, and made with a thin skin which I like. Very good dipping sauce, so I would rate these dumplings as good as other places. I also ordered their lightly-fried tofu dish from the same appetizer menu. The coloring definitely suggested a lighter frying temperature. Tofu was soft and well seasoned, but I didn't like how the crust tended to stick together - added some gooeyness that was out of place. 4-stars for me overall, and it was all due to the excellent steamed dumplings.
(4)
Becca P.
I love Taiwan Cafe. I used to go to Gourmet Dumpling House for soup dumplings but they have gotten worse over time so my go to is Taiwan Cafe. Pork soup dumplings are delicious! Good amount of soup and not too salty. The meat has the right consistency. Just be careful that you don't rip the dumplings when you grab them. They will stick together sometimes. My other favorite here are the beef with long horn peppers. The peppers are crunchy and hot (not burning) and there is a lot of meat unlike some places. It is also not too oily. My friend got the pork and bitter melon. He said the melon could be more bitter but when I tried it , it was quite bitter. Lunch is great here because the dishes are under $8 and the dishes come with soup and rice. You can do a 3 dish combo for $22 too. The service is quick too!
(5)
Aaron B.
As the youth say these days, Taiwan Cafe was on fleek. This restaurant looks a little bit sketchy from the outside that gives you that perfect and authentic Chinatown experience. From the outside your wondering if it's as good as Yelp says it is and LET ME TELL YOU: IT IS. The food is amazing, plentiful, and dirt cheap. Our table got a flurry of dishes: crispy pork, pork buns, fried rice, general gau, and like 3 other ones that I can't remember. they were seriously all amazing. The crispy pork belly was by far the best. Seriously amazing...you must try it if you're lost on what to order. They also have great hot tea! Each dish is like $7 for lunch and feeds more than one person. Taiwan Cafe is your cheap and amazing Taiwanese heaven.
(5)
Kat R.
Place is a bit cramped ,especially around lunch time. The service is hit or miss. American people love this place , the juicy buns or soup dumpling ( crab&sport) Gross ! The dough is too thick , don't like the gunk it's unappetizing Spicy beef noodle C- Hubby plate C+ Hot tea B- Soup dumpling (crab&pork) D+
Mediocre food on a menu that's way, way too big (even for a Chinese restaurant). The place was extremely cramped as they tried to squeeze as many people into a tiny space. We ended up sharing a big circular table with strangers but I rather enjoyed that experience. The food was a bit disappointing. The pan fried pork buns had far too much breading compared to filling. They needed double the filling. The soup dumplings were better proportion-wise but the soup had an odd texture. When opened, the soup had weird chunks of melted pork in it. Not very appetizing. Finally we also order the pork chops over rice. The pork chops were so cold when we got the food. And the rice was very bland just piled with bland cabbage. The food is alright but nothing worth going back for.
(3)
April K.
So since there aren't that many amazing Taiwanese restaurants in Boston, I have to rate this in accordance with the others, and I have to say, the soup dumplings here are far superior to its competitors. Came here last night and I am still drooling thinking about the massive amounts of food that we ordered. The roast beef scallion pancakes blanketed some yummy beef and cilantro (don't order if you're the type who thinks cilantro tastes like soap). They were so good we ordered a second round. The soup dumplings were steaming when they arrived, and filled with a good portion of burn-your-tongue-hot soup. It comes with 7 dumplings (instead of 6 like at Dumpling Cafe). We were sweating, but that didn't stop us from devouring them (ladies, leave your makeup at home cause your face will melt). Another dish that we ordered was a white fish that was simmering in a hot pot above a flame. My friend would not stop relishing about how amazing it was. Only dishes that were kind of disappointing to me were the fried rice cakes with pork and cabbage and the beef with bamboo shoots. The service here is aggressive though, and they have a $20 minimum and 2-card limit. Once again, it's Chinatown and you can't really expect great service.
(4)
Julia T.
Their xiao long baos are amazing. Plump and juicy, they also come with a generous side of dipping sauce. Tiny cafe, so the wait is horrendous without a reservation, even at 9pm. It's best to get take-out from this place and just cozy up at home.
(4)
Katie C.
Overall a pretty decent experience at Taiwan Cafe except that the bathrooms were ridiculously gross. Otherwise, the food was good. We got the crab soup dumplings and they were very good but not the best I've had. The dipping sauce tasted like almost pure vinegar. Maybe that's typical but the soup dumpling places I've been in NYC have a very different, soy sauce based dipping sauce. So we skipped the sauce and found that the dumplings didn't really need it, anyway. Lastly we got bite sized spare ribs that I'd definitely get again. Overall, pretty good but not sure if I would go again.
On our trip to Boston, my boyfriend was really craving Chinese food; he's the type of person who just can't live without it. From my past trips to Boston, I knew that the city isn't known for its sizable Chinese population (therefore, Chinatown), but he was desperate so I thought, oh what the heck. Even on a weekday at 8pm, this place was packed and we waited about 30 minutes for a group of three. Lobster with green onion (4/5) Crispy salt and pepper fish (3/5) -- a bit too much breading and pepper Sauteed ong choy (4/5) -- I have no idea what it's called English... The menu can definitely be overwhelming, with no pictures at all. If in doubt, just look at what other people are ordering and point to whatever you think looks good. The prices are very fair and service is quick. When I'm back and my boyfriend has another hankering for Chinese food, I'll definitely take him here again.
(4)
Chris L.
This is your average Taiwanese food joint. The food is alright, and if you're craving Taiwanese food, it's worth a shot to stop by. I came a few times on Saturday with my friends and we ordered the XLB, oyster pancake, salty soy milk, and pork broth braised tofu- just to name a few. The XLB was extremely juicy, almost too juicy, and the juice was kind of sweet too. It was not overly greasy but the meat basically shrunk into a tiny ball. Overall, just an average XLB. The oyster pancake was a very large portion and it was crisped to perfection. As expected, there were not too many oysters in it. The salty soy milk was good, but every time I got it, it was not really hot. Just lukewarm. The pork broth braised tofu was tasty, the broth and sauce on top had a lot of flavor. Just wish there was a bigger serving. All the other dishes we had were average and if you want a reasonably priced lunch, it's worth a shot to check this place out!
Soup dumplings in Boston!! I love love love soup dumplings. In fact, I go to NYC just to get Joe's Shanghai sometimes. Anyways, I finally got around to trying this joint and I am so glad I did! 1PM on a Sunday - 3 people Food I tried: Pork soup dumplings - Pork was better than the crabmeat soup dumpling by far. The soup dumplings were STRONG - and by this, i mean you don't have to be super delicate when handling these packets of soup lol. That could be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on what you want. I personally like my soup dumplings to be super thin, and therefore pretty delicate. On another note, the soup dumplings were HUGE! I like my soup dumplings to fit comfortably in the spoon, so I can put some sauce on top, take a bit without everything falling onto my plate, etc. so the dumplings here were not my preference Crabmeat soup dumplings - Pork is so much better. Crabmeat was tasty, but I was put off by the oil? gel-like substance I kept seeing in the broth of the soup dumpling. I think it might have just been residue of the broth, so that's not a big deal, BUT it just didn't look appetizing. It still tasted good.... Beef with longhorn peppers - We saw this in a neighboring table, and asked for it. And the waitress said it was one of the more popular dishes. It had a perfect balance of spiciness, and saltiness. General Gau Chicken - You probably can never go wrong with a general gau chicken in any chinese/asian restaurant. This is a fried chicken dish drenched in sweet & sour sauces. Between the spiciness of the beef w/ longhorn peppers, and the richness of the soup dumplings, this dish did its part in balancing out the meal with that added touch of sweetness. Service - the service was overall friendly, speedy and accurate, but they never brought us the ice water we asked for twice. The waitress we had was helpful in choosing between two veggie dishes, and we were happy with the decision as well. When coming here, just be aware that English is a second-language for most of the workers there - so be courteous and just enjoy the food!
(4)
Donna Y.
Very tight space with not enough tables. I sat elbow to elbow next to people I didn't know. I ordered the spicy fish with veggies and salt and pepper chicken with basil. Both were quite sizeable. The service however leaves little to be desired. The waiter was curt and ignored us most of the time. Btw I also found a hair in my fish....
(3)
Maggie X.
I think I may have tried the wrong dishes here, and that definitely warrants a possible return visit if I'm in the area. This review is only for two of the lunch special dishes. Taiwan Cafe has a clean, definitively cafe-like feel to it. Service was decently friendly but somewhat slow, and it took a while for our tea to be refilled. Our check took so long getting picked up that we walked up to the front to pay. It was one of those rare instances where I didn't yelp which dishes to get, so we opted for two lunch specials that came with soup and rice. The soup ( yelp.com/biz_photos/taiw… ) was a light variation of seaweed soup, and while it wasn't memorable or standoutish, it served as a nice placeholder for an appetizer. Mapo tofu: ( yelp.com/biz_photos/taiw… ) This dish was quite bland, and I prefer my mapo tofu dishes with ground pork and silken tofu instead of just chili sauce and medium tofu. The tofu pieces definitely kept their shape better than if they had used silken tofu, but the texture was very one-dimensional, especially without any ground meat. The chili sauce was also a little strange and veered towards the sweeter side. Liver sauteed with chives: ( yelp.com/biz_photos/taiw… ) The liver and chives were cooked well so that the liver slices were tender (perhaps pre-tossed with starch?) and the chives were freshly green, although they could have been cut a little smaller. What was strange was the sauce: there was an interestingly sweet sauce lacing the entire dish, and it made the whole thing rather stickily sweet. The flavor wasn't necessarily bad, but it wasn't my favorite either. Overall, the portions were generous for lunch special prices although I wouldn't get these particular dishes again. After reading the other rave reviews about xiao long baos, I'm keeping Taiwan Cafe on my list for another try in the future.
(2)
Sophie P.
I was pleasantly surprised by this place! Thankfully, I came with a half-Chinese friend who could tell me what to order, because this menu is VERY overwhelming. What to get: Beef Scallion Pancake - This was my favorite! The "pancake" was rolled into a roll, and there were sweet, salty, and crunchy flavors. It almost tasted like there were figs inside of this. It came in four pieces, which was plenty. Szechuan Style White Fish - The fish melts in your mouth. It's so soft. The broth is very oily and not too spicy, adding a richness to the fish. Drinking that broth is probably not the best for you, though. Fried Taiwanese Style Pork Chop - So crunchy and cooked so well inside. Beware of the bones, because it's totally disguised in the fried parts! Xiao Long Bao (Pork Dumpling) - These were really good. You don't even need soy sauce because the soup inside the dumpling is so flavorful. Make sure to bite off the top knot of the dumpling before sucking up the soup inside the dumpling. It helps you not burn your tongue! This place is really affordable, and the service is really quick - a good bang for your buck!
if I can give 0 star, I will. The dinner was bad, the beef we ordered was not fresh at all...I barely ate anything. When I paid for my bill, I only wanna pay 10% tips. The waiter ran to me and said the Mass state requires customer to pay at least 18% tips. I was surprised, this is the first time that I heard something as ridiculous as it. I thought tips were voluntarily given by customers. I really don't wanna pay more because of the bad food and poor quality service. however, their attitude was so firm and I eventually had to change my bill.......
I went with my friend Bob, the gastronome, on Friday September 11, 2015. It was our second time there. The wait was pretty short (for 5:30 on a Friday). We ordered and were served very good and very large portions rather quickly. Bob knows his meats, and said the ones they used were good. Before going there, we visited a Chinese gift shop on Harrison Ave. that lost it's lease and had to liquidate everything. I bought a rather large wood-cut sculpture for 75% off of their regular $900. My hands were full and Bob took the leftovers home. The place is VERY BUSY and there were only 1 waiter, 1 waitress, and 1 hostess, all very friendly. We'll be going back.
(5)
Frances Valerie C.
I'm going to start off by saying that the menu can be a bit overwhelming - IF you don't go in knowing what you already want. Taiwan Cafe has an array of items on their menu and everything I've had whether it was a quick to go lunch or casual dinner was soooo delicious. I was introduced to this restaurant back in 2012 when my sister was ranting and raving about this amazing House Special Fried Pork Chop over Rice. She said it was this spicy crispy pork chop with egg and veggies. When you put the words "spicy" and "crispy" into a conversation it's an automatic go! Not long after I became a huge fan. The best part about this entire situation is that this house special fried goodness was only $5.95 and it comes with soup! Yes, you can imagine me contemplating ordering this for lunch, then sitting in my work cafeteria slobbering over pork chop(s). It was that good. Definitely a go-to when you are in Chinatown. Make sure you have CASH if you aren't spending over $20 and give yourself sometime to look over the menu - there are a LOT of good things to choose from. Also, expect a way during crazy hours like lunch time and dinner on the weekends :)
(5)
Jimmy R.
Walk up to a mostly unassuming spot in Chinatown up a narrow staircase into a bustling restaurant. There isn't much area to wait in so I suggest one of your party go in first and drop a name and number and either wait outside, or if the wait is that considerable head on over to a bar and quickly order an aperitif. Beef scallion roll- I've had this twice here, because yes, it is that good. Slightly crispy outside of the pancake doughy goodness with beef, sweet hoisin, and cilantro rolled up so you get layers of this delicious appetizer. Crunchy, sweet, and savory with the cilantro to cut through the richness of the pan fried dough and salty beef. Xiao long bao- Soup filled dumplings, one of my more favorite things I've eaten, alas not from here. the XLBs are serviceable but they are too big, and the skin a little too thick. I doubt they make them here, although not outside the realm of possibility, my guess is they buy them frozen and steam them in the container that it is brought out in. Either way the pork ones are full of flavor and they vinegar sauce with ginger slivers are given to you as it should. Szechuan spicy white fish- I was skeptical about this at first, thinking it was not going to be that spicy. Wrong, as a certain part of my body can attest in the morning it sure was spicy. It wasn't unbearable, actually it was very enjoyable the fish was very tender and meaty without any fishy taste. The broth was spicy but light and stayed hot due to the fact that the metal bowl it is served in is placed on top of a ever lighting fire. Scooped fish, broth and the cabbage into my rice bowl and ate it that way. Fried pork chop- 8 dollars. Or somewhere close to there. Really what you think it would be and you can see it in the pictures. super greasy but pretty satisfying. Also. 8 dollars. 'Nuff said. Beer braised duck- This dish took a while to get to us, so if you order it prepare to wait, I honestly thought they had forgot about it until it came out. When it does come it comes the same way that the spicy fish does and in a stock. It was chopped up duck parts with the bone still in (the way most meat should be cooked for the flavor and tenderness). The meat itself was mostly salty and like most duck fatty. Not really my favorite, make sure you have rice and maybe some veggies leftover to calm the saltiness of the dish. Overall it was a great experience, the restaurant is pretty busy unless you come in late, but the service is pretty good, especially for the amount of customers needing to be waited on.
(4)
Anthony W.
Just finished a nice meal here. Fairly authentic Taiwanese cuisine and we came here especially for the xia long bao. We also had some beef rolls, spicy beef noodle soup and potstickers and eggplant. The service is what you can expect in any Asian restaurant. Nothing spectacular but gets the job done. This was our first time here but the place was packed, which is a good sign. The place does not take any reservations so if you come during the busy times be prepared to wait a good 30 minutes.
(3)
Christina Z.
Best Chinese food in Boston. NEW York, San Francisco and Houston! You will extremely satisfied by its taest. Freshness and price! It has combination of so many best home cooking. I am from Houston and travel Those three big cities offen. I hope there is one Chinese restaraurnt in those abovr four cities. Hope this restaurant will expend to those three cities some point of time, so we all can enjoy the best CHINESE FOOD! Best wishes to this cool restauranf!!!
(5)
Aton K.
I visited there several times. A small but delicate place. I recommend the lobster set（龙虾套é¤ï¼‰for 3 to 4 people. I admit the flavor is above average level in Chinatown. Nevertheless I won't go there again since they charged me $10 for tips while I wrote $5 on the receipt.
(3)
B Z.
TERRIBLE SERVICE! Mediocre food. To be fair, there are a small portion of things on the menu that are really genuine and good. It is absolutely reasonable for this restaurant to be one of the most famous places in China Town. But also, there are a large portion of food that is absolutely terrible. The quality of the food is also not consistent. The flavor may vary day by day. Be prepare to get something that is really different from what you had before. I was a frequent visitor to this place. It is alway crowded and not very clean. Many waiters here are not so good (there is one particular girl that is really nice) The waiter with the ponytail (I vaguely remember) is absolutely terrible. My friends and I came to this place on a wednesday afternoon (probably that is why they could allow this obviously unhappy and impatient waiter to serve for the whole restaurant). She was absolutely not happy with something of her life. She was impatient with us when we asked her to bring us some water and she didn't even ask us if we had finished before she cleaned up our plates and table while there was obviously a lot of food in them (the restaurant was pretty empty then). That was actually the worst service I got in Boston. Then, of course, I undertipped, still 10-15% though. I wish I tipped less or none. She had the nerve to come to our table to tell us that they have a policy of 15%. I told her that it was not stated or posted anywhere and I told her what she did was absolutely not appropriate. She got even angrier. And I told her if you had the nerve to modify my tip, I will instantly call my credit card company to tell them your restaurant is doing credit fraud. She threatened and cursed, "then I will never serve you in the future." Seriously? Well, that makes it even easier. Seriously, there are so many good Chinese or Asian restaurants in Boston, Allston and cambridge, just don't go to this place. I bet most of you want to have fun or want to be happy with dining, so don't ruin your day at this place. Peace out.
(1)
Sunny C.
If I find myself here again, I shall definitely return. The menu is EXPANSIVE, and I want to try it all! Kabocha squash with pork stir fry was a homey yet tasty dish. Roast beef scallion pancake didn't live up to the hype. It was good, but not "get out of my way so I can eat this all" good. Niu rou mien was delicious. Service is quick and somewhat friendly. The men's restroom was jaw dropping. If you sit on the toilet, your knees will be just inches from a commercial beverage refrigerator. (You come face to face with it.) There's nothing in there, but is that even sanitary? Would that be used at one point? How many patrons have enjoyed its company in the bathroom?
(4)
Carly Y.
Very authentic Taiwanese food, good rou yuan and oyster pancake, esp the pancake is a bit oily. Very decent food overall.
(4)
Nancy C.
This place was out of control on a Friday night: line out the door, screaming waiters/hostesses, and all. I can definitely see why. These soup dumplings are such incredible small pockets of gustatory magic! Pumped chock full of that savory, fatty, rich pork broth, one soup dumpling actually exploded on me, literally: much of the soup landed on my outfit--THAT'S how soupy it is! I have yet to have a soup dumpling that lives up to this one. That said, I haven't tried that many so my sample size is small. But these were amazing! The beef rolled in scallion pancakes were also very good. But the xiao long bao is the total shiznit here.
(5)
Jennifer T.
I'm always partial to Taiwanese cuisine, and have found this to be a top choice for the greater Boston area. However, recently, with a Taiwanese restaurant also in Quincy, it gives this place a run for their money. Comparing this place with Taipei Cuisine in Quincy, overall, the dishes here are more robust in flavor however smaller portions of meat in each dish. The beef scallion pancake roll up had a more flavorful and softer scallion pancake, but more skimpy on the meat. Same with the Nian Gao, it had more flavor, softer disks, however, less meat in the dish. Their beef noodle soup, also had alot more flavor, and more vegetables, and was very spicy, but their beef pieces were more like thin, fattier pieces from hotpot. Other dishes we've tried are their calamari with chinese celery (i.e., not salt/pepper). The calamari were all really tough, flavorless, and the vegetables themselves were very fiberous and tough; I wouldnt recommend getting this dish here. I also was not a fan of their claypot dish, as the fish pieces were coated in thick and soggy breading, and lacking in actual fish pieces. Overall though, this is still a top choice if you are in the Chinatown area.
(4)
Vic G.
Seriously, this place has become one of my most frequented eating places. And with every visit, there is something like a renewed strengthening of the bond of some sort that I experience every time - I don't know how to describe it. Has to be the brilliant, good food! Coming straight to the point. The Biggest Hot Ticket Item on their menu that can be seen almost at every other table for the very right reasons has to be the White fish in spicy schezuan broth (#4 on the main entree list - this comes sizzling and simmering in a hot pot with fire lit underneath). My side or second dish always keeps changing - but this one has to be my primary entree to order - that's how good this dish is. Just a piece of advice - this dish is HOT and the heat is in the broth and the roasted red peppers that come as garnish on top of the entire dish. So if you cannot do anything that is considered a level 7 or above on a 1 to 10 heat index (10 being the hottest), do not go for this. If you are in a group with people who like hot food, do taste a piece of white fish as is with some white rice. It is not that hot minus the broth. Also, this dish is something that should be shared between 2 adults with a side dish that is not very hot - to enjoy a good mix of flavors and heat. This past weekend it was time to get (along with the Hot fish) the salt and pepper fried chicken with basil. Another classic. Very subtle, the chicken is fried such that it doesn't seem too heavy with every bite you take. And the taste of the slightly roasted basil as a garnish just makes the dish perfect. I don't know how can this place ever disappoint me. I highly doubt that would ever happen. In any case, if you are in China town and want to enjoy some real earthy flavors - please do go and try this place. (And thank me when you are surprised at how beautiful the flavors were and how inexpensive the entire meal was.) Enjoy!
(5)
Lana H.
The food is okay. I find out that I dont like Taiwanese food. The flavor is different from Shanghai cuisine. But if you like tawainese cuisine youll love this place. The menu is huge. We tried the soup dumplings.. Worth a try. The beef scallion cake were ok. They spread hoi sin sauce and if you dont mind the sauce then youll love it. Even though the restaurant is listed chinese, tawainese it is Tawainese only. If you expect chinese cuisine flavors you will be disappointed.
(2)
C L.
We saw the line on the street and decided to give it a try. We went for the more " expensive " ( around 10-20$ per dish ) section of the menu, and the waiter suggested there are cheaper alternatives with much bigger portion, we did not take her advice sine we were not super hungry. The ginseng chicken soup is fairly good, with nice smell and not oily at all, however you'd not be able to binge on it as it's about 2 to 3 servings. We also ordered soup dumplings and seasonable vegetable with scallops and shrimp. We asked for low salt low oil option and the kitchen did exactly that. We were very impressed given the busyness of the restaurant. We saw other gusts sharing the same table took the waitress' advice, and complained about the the greasy and over cooked dishes. I guess the quality of the food varies depending on what you order, and despite of some less than good dishes, there are some really good ones!
(4)
Amanda L.
SOUP DUMPLINGS! Made my first trip here on Saturday for my birthday and was dying to try the soup dumplings. They were pretty good and were also pretty large in size. There were 4 of us in my party and the other members informed me that they're usually much smaller so we each ordered our own tray. Big mistake as this was just way too much food. We also mistakenly ordered a lunch entree each - also huge. The lunch portions are enough for two meals. I ordered the General Gao's Chicken which was nicely flavored and super spicy with some bites. I knocked off a star since a fly landed on a piece of broccoli and stuck to the sauce of this dish. Pretty gross. My boyfriend ordered an AWESOME dish that I would highly recommend to anyone. It sounded awful: steak, omelet and tomato over rice. But the sauce that this was cooked in was awesome and made the dish. I couldn't get enough and took more interest in his dish than my General Gao's chicken. The restaurant is pretty small and the place was bumpin' at 2p on a Saturday. Not sure why someone was doing paperwork at one of the tables causing a wait. Service wasn't super quick here either. There were 2 or 3 servers scanning the restaurant and we'd have to wave them down to place any kind of beverage or food order and also when requesting the check. I'll probably be back to try other plates but maybe during an off hour. My party was lucky enough to have a table of 4 to ourselves but it looks like they seat some parties together at larger circular tables.
(3)
Adam L.
I was craving some Taiwanese Noodles, so i thought I'd hit up this place in china town! You may want to get their a little earlier if you're trying to get dinner because there is always a line. The taiwanese noodle was pretty good i have to admit. They aren't the best, but its definitely not bad at all! Its a bit spicy just FYI. I also got the soup dumplings as an appetizer because how can you go to a taiwanese place without getting them? They come in 7 and are pretty moderate size. Not bad at all as well! Everything around the restaurant looks amazing as I was gazing at everyones food. Definitely have to come back here and try everything else!
(4)
Jia C.
We spent a weekend in Boston and found this restaurant on yelp with mixed reviews but decided to give it a try. We ordered the oyster pancake, Taiwanese meatball, 3 cups chicken, soup dumplings and sa-cha beef stir fried noodles. Overall I think the food was great especially the meatbal and the oyster pancake. I haven't had it in a long while and it tasted like how I remembered it in Taiwan. I even ordered the meatballs to go for the ride back home. The sa-cha beef noodles was also really yummy. The 3 cups chicken could use a little more cooking to concentrate the flavor of the sauce and the chicken but it was still good. I do agree with others about the soup dumplings. The skin is too thick compared to other ones I've had. Overall, I really enjoyed my meal and would definitely go back if I am in Boston again.
(4)
Stephanie V.
This is one of my favorite places in Chinatown. Hands down the best soup dumplings. It's way better than dumpling cafe but most people don't know that. The wait is worth it and they take your number in case you want to walk around. I've been here a few times but this was the first time I had the roast beef scallion pancake and it was SO FREAKING GOOD. It's my new favorite dish there. And of course we got the pork soup dumplings which was great. Lastly we got pork over crispy noodles but that was just average. The noodles weren't that crispy. The service is attentive and it's nice that the place takes cards to pay. Def my go to place when in Chinatown
(4)
Damian W.
Food: 3.5/5.0 Service: 2.0/5.0 Value: 3.0/5.0 Decor: 2.5/5.0 Overall: 3.5/5.0 There's almost always a wait if you show up in the early/mid evening. They oddly take your phone number claim that they'll call you when your table is ready. Of course, they don't ever call, but why would they, that's crazy. Just wait outside. The menu is a cluster-something and a bit difficult to decipher for newbs especially without reading the Chinese, so grab a copy of the paper menu while you wait. This is one of my preferred Chinese spots in Boston. The soup dumplings (XLB) are decent and usually worth ordering (if you don't believe me, just look at how many XLB photos there are). I'm a fan of the hot pots (esp. the chicken three essence), the braised pork shoulders w/buns, and I have an absolute fascination with their hot and sour soup. The soup is super peppery and not awesome in the most traditional hot and sour soup sense, but I can't help but order it every time I'm here (one of my favorite soups in the city). Some of the random dishes on the menu are hit or miss, so I personally prefer to stick to known quantities.
(3)
Jussi L.
A Chinatown favorite. A small nice place and everything in the menu is delicious. Beef with long horn peppers is amazing!
(4)
Ilya V.
Food does not substantiate the "general" rating on yelp. Very basic Taiwanese cuisine with some other region influences (I.e. Spicy fish pot). This restaurant is quite a large turn off, with extremely small space and inflexible management, who refused to allow our party to a SLIGHTLY larger table.
(2)
Justin Gwailo H.
I've been to Taiwan before but this was my first Taiwanese restaurant I've ever visited in Boston area. I luv the "hong-shaw new-row men" (excuse my pin-yin, but it means spicy/aromatic beef noodle soup) and "bai-gu fan" (rice with pork chop). Both are very satisfying and inexpensive (if you're not that hungry). However, I find that other dishes are quite expensive, especially the vegetable dishes (surprise surprise). I also like the anchovy appetizer, stinky tofu (believe it or not!), and spicy beef tendons.
(4)
Ashley L.
Taiwan Cafe has led me to my new obsession with asian eggplant dishes. I seriously can't eat enough eggplant and I'm not getting sick of it. If you go to Taiwan Cafe for lunch, you get 3 dishes, a huge thing of soup, and enough white rice to feed 7 people, all for $20. It's pretty amazing. My coworker Morgan F. and I have been getting this recently for lunch to share (and then take home for leftovers or eat at the office for days after). We both love the eggplant with basil, and have recently discovered that we just need to get that for 2 of our 3 dishes so we each get a full order of it. The other thing I love here is the greens with soybeans and bean curd. It's so crunchy and yummy, and makes me feel super healthy. I try to eat brown rice as opposed to white whenever possible, and since Taiwan Cafe only has white rice, I have to make my way over to UFood Grill to pick some up while Taiwan is making my food. I'd prefer not to have to make this trip, hence the 4 stars instead of 5. Other than not having brown rice, this place is killer! My fav in Chinatown so far.
(4)
Shane C.
i recently moved to boston from california and was told i need to knock my expectations down. i was told that i need to eat some terrible taiwanese food in order to be able to appreciate what boston has to offer: unimpressive taiwanese food. this was a great place to knock my expectations down. the pork chop rice was quite bad. the pork chop was oily in a bad way. not crispy, but soggy. it looked like it had been fried and refried, probably left soaking in grease while awaiting its 2nd fry. they also used long grain rice, which just tastes wrong in this dish. the stinky tofu was the worst i've ever had in my entire life. wrong tofu, wrong breading, wrong stinkiness, wrong chinese kimchi. this really needs to be off the menu...they call this stinky tofu? more like disgusting tofu. taiwan cafe in chinatown? my guess is these cooks are not taiwanese or they are just terrible at cooking.
(1)
David T.
Being from Southern California, I've been spoiled by the wealth of awesome Taiwanese food. Going out to Boston for school was tough until I found Taiwan Cafe.... I'd give them 5 stars but: 1. It's SUPER annoying that they only take cash. 2. Their service isn't exactly the best. However, they still get 4 stars for having good food - at least in Boston's Chinatown standards. If you go, be sure to bring cash!
(4)
Charlie P.
I love me some Taiwan Cafe! I strongly suggest couples go for the lunch special where you share 3 lunch entrees. Get the bean curd beef and the long horn pepper beef and then for the third pick something exotic just for the hell of it! Get there by noon at the latest for lunch because it's mad popular. Bring cash too. And don't freak out if the waitresses are curt with you: they're busy and they don't speak english. ENJOY!
(5)
michelle c.
If I could give this place a negative start I would. I have been eating there for the past 2 years, so I would say my review will be fair and not biased. There are two dishes I keep going back for. 1. stinky tofu, although they don't serve it at the restaurant you can always take it to go 2. snails Ever since the beginning of my visits the owner's (lady at the front desk) wife has always had a sour face. You would think if your business is doing well with many customers waiting she would look happy and try to make everyone feel as comfortable as she can, especially since the place is so small. But nope, she has always had a face that looks like someone owed her money.. and she is like this with everyone. This past weekend my parents, brother and I stopped by for a quick bite, there were 2 people waiting inside the restaurant and when we arrived to put our name down, she took down our name and physically pushed us out the door and down the stairs, and told us to wait in the street. I understand your restaurant is small, and you don't want everyone waiting in your restaurant but at least be nice about it. It was blazing hot out, there was no way anyone would wait 20minutes for a quick bite when there are plenty of other choices to pick from. If the owner is reading this I hope you understand that your customers are the reason why you have an income, we are the ones giving you a paycheck, be rude and ungrateful then maybe you'll just get *fired*.
(1)
Erin F.
Love Asian food, but are a little nervous about walking into a neighborhood where you suddenly don't speak the language and are maybe a little afraid by food you don't at all recognize? A little determined to stray from your neighborhood chinese take out for something that's a little more "real"? This is your place. A friend of mine took me here for the first time. As my Asian passport, she knows all the best places to go for both a hardcore asian food enthusiast and a curious white american chick with a not so broadened palate. This place is hidden away on a sidestreet in china town, up a couple stairs on the second floor. Tables are all close together. Maybe one out of every three tables is speaking English. It was certainly the experience I was going for. As in most Asian restaurants, the waitstaff was not very chatty. But that's just the flow of the restaurant. The selection is great and there are definitely options for both the more and less adventurous. The staff there was very helpful and had no problem making exceptions to both mine and my friend's meals, removing vegetables and swapping proteins. The prices are reasonable and the portions were huge. I like to stop by whenever I'm in the neighborhood.
(4)
Emir K.
I don't get the raving reviews of this place. Ordered the soy sauce duck and it was definitely sub par. Don't get me started on the atrocity called the oyster pancakes!
(1)
Catherine Y.
I eat here all the time with my friends! And they always end up loving it as well. The most popular chinese restaurant in boston chinatown is definitiely The Gourmet Dumpling House, but right around the corner is the most delicious food you will find in chinatown and its super cheap, if you order right. My personal favorite is the egg tomato and chicken (yes it says beef on the menu but I always ask them for chicken). The sauce is amazing, everything just goes so well together! The House special porkchop is also amazing. Its so crispy (a little oily, but the deliciousness makes you care less). Both dishes are just 6 dollars! I would say the noodle dishes don't match up to the rice dishes. So, go rice!! Also, its not the prettiest location, and sometimes the servers can be rude, but just deal with them because the food is oh so worth it!!
(4)
Heather G.
Perhaps I have been too hasty. I went back to Taiwan Cafe (determined to see what everyone else is talking about!), and got some different items. I tried the scallion pancake stuffed with roast beef and veggies, the bamboo with beef, and the sticky rice with mushrooms and Taiwanese gravy. The scallion pancake was REALLY fried and greasy, but with the veggies and roast beef inside to cut the grease, it was a heavy, yet delightful bite. The bamboo with beef was light, spicy, flavorful, and crunchy. The sauteed, fresh bamboo popped and snapped in my mouth. The beef pieces seemed sort of an afterthought in the dish, however, and the plate was mainly made up of the bamboo. Do not order this if you're craving some serious meat, but for those wanting a light dish with a kick, this one is great. The mushroom sticky rice with gravy has easily become my favorite side-item here. I could make a meal just out of several orders of it and be content. This isn't a place to linger and catch up with a friend - during busy times, the waitress will kick you out if you're not actively consuming food, or if your plates have been cleared.
(3)
Mimi X.
A strong Chinatown pick! My Chinese parents have always advised me to choose Chinese (in this case Taiwanese) restaurants by the number of Asian people eating in it. Of the patrons here, over 50% were Asian, so I was confident it would be good. CASH ONLY, which is a pain, but the food is yuummm. We ordered watercress with garlic, and a steamed sea-bass with scallions and ginger. Both were so flavorful and fresh: I left feeling good, not bogged down with grease and msg. I would recommend both those dishes to anyone looking to stray from their safeties. Prices are in the medium-range for this district. ps-not sure why the yelp map shows this place to be in Allston-Brighton, it's in Chinatown! (the street address is correct; however the map is misleading)
(4)
Wen Y.
The most amazing point is the price. Cash only here.
(3)
Rory M.
I think I just died and went to food heaven. Xiao long bao was amaaaaaaazing. It gets super busy during lunch though, so go early or expect a wait!
(5)
Eric F.
Went there earlier today and it's a solid lunch spot if you're ever in the Chinatown area. I tried the Beef Stew Noodle Soup with Spinach and Shanghai Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao). The noodle soup wasn't nearly as spicy as I was expecting, but still plenty of flavor with good quality beef. The dumplings here are the best I've had thus far in the area, eeking out Gourmet Dumpling House by a notch. What stood out to me was the service: the waitresses were prompt, friendly, and quick to refill water and tea. Lastly, the prices are very fair and I'll definitely be back again at some point.
(4)
Seisei T.
Yum yum yum! Usually very consistent and a few of the dishes are only so-so, but if you order right, you eat very, very well. It's always filled with Asians, which my family considers a good sign. The eggplant with basil is a winner: sweet and spicy. So are the veggie dumplings (take a while to make) and many of the fish dishes (the tilapia and sea bass are excellent). I've been going back for years and strongly recommend it.
(4)
Kevin L.
Pretty good, pretty good. Karman recommended this joint for a meet-up for lunch, and her taste in Chinese food hasn't failed me yet. Lunch deals for about $7, including soup and rice. You can make a combo of three dishes for about $19. I'm not sure what possessed us to go that route, other than that I was feeling hungry. Per usual, my eyes are bigger than my stomach. We made a hefty dent, but ultimately only made it through about 2/3rds of each dish. Mustard greens with tofu wrappers and soy beans were probably my favorite of what we had. The tofu with shrimp was disappointing - goopy with corn starch and shrimp that look like they were reconstituted from the miniature dried ones from the Asian grocery store. Our kong xing cai was surprisingly tender and crunchy, and it was clear that it was cooked at high heat from the lightly charred garlic slices that came with it. If you plan to make it in for lunch, ensure that you arrive by around 1130 during the week. This place goes from zero to crazy in the span of ten or fifteen minutes right around noontime. We were politely asked to vacate our window seat shortly after we finished, due to the waiting patrons - no problem. Great for a quick pit stop. Decent quality food, if you know what to order. Great value. Fast service. Hard to go wrong here.
(4)
Laurinda U.
Sadly it seems the food taste has gone down. I've heard through the grapevine that their chef has taken his chefly tools and is now in a new location. You can definitely taste the difference because the food is pretty bland. However, I do still think this is still a great lunch deal. Also on ordering things, fyi, the veal chop (5.50) is more like ribs with very little meat on them. Still very tasty, plenty of vegetables, and a ton of pepper!
(3)
Shelley S.
Considered one of my favorite dining establishments in Chinatown, this area has brilliant Taiwanese meals. Jam-packed when it really is occupied, be prepared to get surrounded by lots of loud Chinese people but the food will make you enjoy your meal.
(4)
Luyi H.
I love Taiwan Cafe! Cheap food! Amazing! The portions are large, and when I come here with friends, the bill ends up being less than $10 / person. :D I recommend the eggplant basil -- sounds weird, but it's delicious and yummy. nomnomnom. I also recommend their wonton soup. It's not a dinky single serving of soup with 1 wonton. Instead, it's a big bowl of like 12 wontons -- so I always try to get an order for the table. It's usually pretty crowded (good sign), but I wouldn't really worry about it unless you have a large party.
(5)
Melissa X.
Oh my goodness, this place was awesome! What a little hole in the wall in Chinatown. It's such a diamond in the rough. Service is great because I think tips are pooled at the end of the night. That means every server helps each other out with their tables that much more. More importantly, food is spectacular! It's more authentic Taiwanese food. It's all pretty affordable too and with large portions. I'd reccomend getting their soups. They're to die for! The pork, noodle, and bak choy soup was delicious. I'm also a big seafood fan so the fried, softshell crab with ginger certainly his the spot. Highly recommended. I would definitely come back again.
(5)
Cary C.
I probably order from here for lunch more than anywhere else. The food is always good and the price is right. Here are some of my favorites for lunch: House special pork chop on rice Pan Fried Dumplings Eggplant w/ Basil Beef w/Long Horn Peppers Chicken Leg w/ 3 essences Sweet & sour Jeng-du chicken Black Pepper Veal chop on Rice - Bone in pieces of beef (probably not veal) with Bamboo shoots, carrots, onion, pepper, mushrooms and shitake mushrooms.
(5)
Soooap L.
Taiwan Cafe is our favorite restaurant in Boston. We frequent here the most out of Chinatown and Allston Asian restaurants. It's cheap, authentic, and the food is consistently good. My fav dishes: beef with sa cha sauce, beef and spinach noodle soup, fried chicken appetizer (it's small pieces of fried chicken with this yellow mayo dip), duck taro appetizer, scallion pancake and oyster pancake, xiao long bao. My husband's fav dishes: tofu with vegetables, bbq pork. I have tried a slew of their other dishes and there was nothing i disliked. i rated 4 instead of 5 stars for service. When they're busy, the servers can be a lil rude. wish i spoke taiwanese. the food makes up for it so we keep going back here anyway.
(4)
Gino M.
Boston's Chinatown is small but substantial. My second visit proved to be a major success. I bark often and hyper about Chinese Food in America sucking 95% of the time. Don't bark back at me when you read that and in pretension remind me that I'm reviewing Taiwanese Food. If you want to make a hard lined distinction between the 2 go for it, but fact is, they are wildly similar...I have respect for the differences but a Sri Lankan will tell you their food is basically Indian Food, or a Sardinian (even though part of italy, but with different cuisine of Italy) will tell you their food is Italian just with regional differences. The lines are blurred and similar enough, is similar enough. This place is glorious. The menu inspires...everything standing on it's own without ties to standard Chinese/Taiwanese American dishes. We had: -Sauteed Scallop, Shrimp and calamari Over Green -Braised Grass Carp with spicy bean curd sauce -Sauteed Beef with long-horn pepper & basil BEST TRIO OF DISHES EVER! -We also shared some Taiwan Style Pan Fried Dumplings. I would recommend this ordering procedure for seafood loving groups of 3 or 4. Each dish stood on it's own and complimented the others. NOTE: the sauteed beef with long-horn peppers and basil is typically an either/or (peppers or basil) dish. I asked for both! I SUGGEST YOU DO THE SAME! THE PERFECT MEAL. Everything was fresh and delicious and moderately priced...not expensive at all but not the cheapest by understated Asian Restaurant standards. No Frills here. Just good honest food off the main walking path in Boston's Chinatown.
(5)
Lala I.
i am a regular here because only this place takes their phone calls. i hate waiting at the resturant so thats all it matters. food is not that fresh but edible.
(4)
Ginny L.
It's a love/hate relationship. There are times where the service is good, and there are times where the service can get really bad. I guess it depends on which waitress you get. I had a bad experience where the waitress started to give me an attitude for not knowing how to speak Mandarin. Other than the service, everything else is good. Cheaply priced and large portions! I will only come here again if I have a friend who can speak Mandarin for me.
(3)
Jason L.
Instinct. That's how you know a place is good. As in, when friends ask you for a restaurant recommendation, what rolls off your tongue? When someone asks me for a good place in Chinatown, and I actually want to continue to be friends with them, I say "Taiwan Cafe." If I don't like them, I'll direct them towards "Emperor's Garden" or "Arby's." I've been here a couple times now, and tried ~10 dishes. The only ones I weren't that crazy about were the fish cakes and the eggplant basil [too oily for me]. Otherwise, everything else had truly authentic flavors, true to Taiwanese cooking [my mom's taiwanese]. One of my favorite dishes there is bean curd with pork/mustard greens. They also make a very good 3 cup chicken and fried oysters. Also, I have been DYING to try there Taiwanese breakfast/brunch menu on Saturdays. That will be the make-or-break point for me. I absolutely love breakfast cafes everytime I'm back in Taiwan with authentic morning dishes, even from street carts. If they can pull this off.... well, I'm moving into the apartment above them. (Will update after trying breakfast / xiaolongbao) Food (8/10) Service (3/5) Value (5/5)
(4)
Dayin C.
Best place in Chinatown, here's why. It's cheap. It's fast. Food tastes amazing. Details: Place is ALWAYS packed, a good sign, but annoying to have to wait, cuz the place is TINY, and when you always go with starving 300 LBS guys, it's tough to stare at the fresh fish in the tank near the entrance for 20 min. The service is normal China town service, fast, efficient, not much english and want to get you in and out. Don't care, cuz that's what you get in Chinatown, along with some of the best food ever. Advice: Bring a Chinese friend and order off the menu or get them to read the signs that have the daily specials, they are all really good. Onto the food: Beef and Tomato with Eggs - plain, simple, and addicting. It's sweet and sour and you can never get enough, good thing cuz it's like $5 bucks or something, we always get like 3 orders. Any sauteed asian green, I suggest the "Do Miao", hallowed greens or bok choy. Salted fish - authentic, sizzling, smelly (that's good) Sauteed scallion and ginger crab - the way all chinese make their crab, it's classic and great! More Advice: don't even think about ordering fake-chinese, AMERICHINESE stuff here, you'll be wasting space and time. Bring plenty of cash. Good thing is they don't put you at community tables like other good Chinese places, so you can spend time with your closest and tune out everything else.
(5)
Barbara B.
Come here in big groups of people and order a ton of dishes to share - that is the full experience! This place has really decent Taiwanese food, especially the pork shoulder dish has been my fave.
(4)
Prajesh W.
This place is pretty decent. Their price is cheaper than other places I have seen. Their hot and sour soup turned out to be too hot for an average person like myself. The place is packed with people which indicates that many people like it. The staff are not the best. Overall good food at a reasonable price.
(3)
Elena A.
A friend of mine arranged us to have dinner here, as she insisted it was the best Taiwanese food in Boston. Since I am not Taiwanese or Chinese, I cannot tell the difference, so I'll bow to her expertise. The food was pretty tasty, even though I didn't really know what it was. I discovered that, no, I don't like stinky tofu. Just...no. The food came out quickly and was tasty, the service was pretty good but I think it may have had a little to do with the fact that my friend was chatting with the people in Chinese the entire time. Overall, not bad but I probably wouldn't go without her.
(3)
Lydia C.
Wanted to visit any Taiwanese cafe, since I am Taiwanese, while I was in town. Sat down and tried their $20 lunch special which included egg drop soup with veggies, and 2 or 3 other dishes. Ordered stir fried beef, a plate of green veggies and a very bony fish that almost had bones not just in the center, but on the sides as well. Was VERY difficult to eat. Wish I could remember the name of that fish...belted fish? belt? not sure... I honestly wouldn't come back here, sad to say. :( I've had much better tw cuisine on the west coast, probably because there are much more of us here ;P
(2)
Gina W.
Ordered fatty pork on rice, 1 lobster with crystal noodles and veggies (market price for lobster today was $19.95 for 1 and $36 for 2) and satay beef with veggies, all quite authentic Taiwanese cuisine and very yummy. Had enough leftover for lunch tmr. Arrived at 5pm on a Saturday, got the last table for 2; service was quick and friendly.
(4)
greenjjm H.
I saw Taiwan Cafe's Yelp rating went for 3.5 to 4 stars in half a year. I'm highly skeptical of why this is after trying the place out myself. I tried mostly appetizer: Taiwanese pork bun, chicken roll wrapped in tofu 雞å·, thick rice noodle with pork intestine (good), taro with egg (very small portion), Taiwanese meat patty in clear gelly 肉圓，soy milk. Taiwanese cuisine is known to be on the sweeter side, but everything here is too sweet, especially the first 2. However, the regular menu indicate legitimate Taiwanese cuisine. I'll try their dinner menu next time.
(3)
Christopher B.
Went there this winter. There are better places to get Chinese food in the neighborhood.
(2)
Joy C.
Coming from Houston, which has a pretty reputable Chinatown, I thankfully did not have high expectations for the food here. There was a short wait when my friend and I arrived, but not more than fifteen minutes. Based on other Yelp reviews, I ordered the crispy pork chop. The outer crust was tasty and perfectly fried, but one piece was all fat and the other all bone. My friend ordered the beef noodle soup, which is a staple in Taiwanese cuisine. Interestingly, the meat was thinly sliced instead of in chunks, and she reported the texture as "chewy." I later came back the following week and ordered the mapo tofu. Unfortunately this lacked any kind of meat and flavor; I would advise steering clear from this dish. Overall, I'd say the food quality is average but the prices expensive for the portion size. Being in Chinatown, I did not expect much service, which was an accurate prediction. We saw our waitress once when we ordered and after I wildly looked around in desperation, another time to pay the bill. The only redeeming perks included free hot tea and a relatively clean restroom. Sadly, this seems to be the highlight of Chinatown, or at least the most reviewed place, so I'd likely come back in the event my hankering for Taiwanese food grows too strong to wait for another trip back to Houston.
(3)
Mel C.
This place USED to be the old "hot spot Gourmet Dumpling House." What happened? Their service became incredibly slow. It's weird to wait 20 minutes for Chinese food, and that's why everyone streams over to GDH or Peach Farm. The noodle soups are good but aimed at Chinese people, which means that the noodles are NOT cooked al dente. Chinese people enjoy their noodles cooked all the way through which is why you see a bunch of Chinese users complaining on Yelp about Boston ramen joints that serve "hard noodles." Their vegetables are cooked nicely too without too much oil. The watercress or spinach are good options to go with the minced pork rice. Ask for no MSG, your body will thank you.
(4)
Carrie Y.
A hole in the wall gem! Not the cleanest, but they your there for the food and it is china town. No wait and very cheap. -Dumpling with soup inside: Yum! -Scallion beef pancakes: MUST GET!!! These are on my 100 must eat dishes before you die. -Wontons in some spicy chili oil- Very tasty with tons of meat. I'll be seeing you real soon again!
(5)
Steven E.
As good as advertised. The menu is a little overwhelming/clumsy, but they left a copy after we ordered a few apps. Tip to those looking for xiao long bao, it's on the menu as "mini steamed buns". We had the garlic seaweed and spicy anchovy appetizers, which were gone quite quickly. My friend stated she only wanted one or two soup dumplings, but her 3 were downed in record time. Not a lot of people there (later on a holiday Monday night), but service was attentive, and the staff didn't seem to be bored. ONE NOTE: while the restaurant's listing says they have beer and wine, they only had soda. Also, the while the check holder had an Amex logo, from what I saw on the door, they just had Visa and Mastercard logos. Can't confirm if they take Amex (or other cards).
(4)
Erin Y.
I come to Taiwan cafe every time I am in the Boston area. They usually are pretty nice and friendly. This time I went on a Sunday afternoon around 2pm. I walked in and they refused to seat me because one of the person in my party was not there yet. They went on to tell me I am also not allowed to wait inside and repeatedly asked me to go outside and wait. The waitress who told me this was so rude. As I was making a phone call and asking my friend when he would be here, the waitress was screaming at me, pointing finger at me, and asking me to leave. I gave one star because the food is still good but the service...speechless. I bet if I were not Asian, she would treat me a lot better and with more respect. Overall, a terrible dining experience!
(1)
Andrew E.
Stopped by for late night take out. There were at least a couple parties outside waiting to get in, so we figured they must be popular for a reason. Either we ordered the wrong stuff (taiwan style won ton soup, sauteed chinese watercress) or...something. The gf enjoyed her soup and dumplings but neither of us were particularly amazed by the food - the prices were okay, as were the portions.
(3)
Elleen P.
Came here in a party of 6 and was asked to share a table with a party of 3 we didn't know. It was pretty awkward, so my friend's mom asked if we could switch to the other table so we could sit alone. It started off rough. I ordered the spicy beef stew noodle, and ooooh my goodness it was so oily. It seriously looked like the entire soup was just chili oil. At the end, when I asked him to box it, you could see the thick layer of oil from the outside of the plastic container. :( However, the noodles were pretty good -- the beef a bit tough, but still yummy nevertheless. The restaurant was bustling when we came at around 1:30 pm on a Saturday, which means they have pretty good business, I guess. Food was decent, especially for the price. I'd come back but probably not order the same thing!
(3)
Andy O.
We've had some pretty good meals there before, but the food was uninspiring on this visit. For the price, a reasonable experience. The service was rather chaotic (and to be fair, the restaurant was full)--for instance, bringing a tureen of soup but no bowls to eat it from.
(3)
Darius B.
Service was fine, food came quickly and drinks refilled on time. We had the sesame chicken, Taiwan style fried dumplings, and the scallion pancakes, more than enough food for two! The quality of the food was good. Tea was free and tasty. The decor is what one would expect from a Chinese restaurant with two tanks with fish and lobster. The man's bathroom was fine to use. Would definitely come back for this good restaurant in Chinatown.
(5)
Cindy H.
Very solid restaurant with actual service! This place is not as packed as Gourmet Dumpling House, but still pretty packed. Random note: there is a vending machine right in front of the toilet in the men's bathroom (I went in there because I was desperate). It's pretty hilarious, go in there just to check. The food was amazing! There were a ton of options, so we got four different plates along with xiaolong bao and fried pork buns. While I like the xiaolong bao at Gourmet Dumpling House and a number of other restaurants around the area, I loved the other dishes. The fried pork buns were absolutely amazing while the noodle and rice dishes were flavorful and fresh. The portions were gigantic, so we got to bring home a ton of food. Overall, I had a great experience. I've come here ages ago and will definitely return more often.
(5)
David C.
A little pricier than other Chinatown spots, but with good reason. Soup dumplings here are among the best I've had, and the Ma Po tofu hits all the right notes. Service is pretty friendly and the bathroom is even clean(ish), so I'm willing to recommend Taiwan Cafe to anyone looking who's overwhelmed by all the options in Chinatown. Just be prepared to wait a bit on a Friday or Saturday night, as the place is always busy. They'll give you a call when your table's ready and your belly's good and hungry.
(4)
Kris P.
The steamed buns are great here. Highly recommend any of them. The brunch special is pretty cheap with average costs at 3.95 but the serving sizes are small. The taste of the brunch noodle was light.
(4)
Janet C.
This food is exactly what Taiwanese food should be. I had the chicken cutlet plate with the stewed egg and sour mustard. So delicious!
(5)
Melissa H.
I'll admit it, we came here after watching Anthony Bourdain order soup dumplings in Taiwan. I have NO idea if these are anything like those in Taiwan, but they are YUMMY. Good service, big portions, low prices, and delicious food. There are lines, but they move fast. I've had soup dumplings, noodles, scallion pancakes, pan fried dumplings....and lots of hot tea. We'll be back.
(4)
Lauretta L.
My go-to spot in Chinatown. Order the Xiao Long Bao and the Roast Beef Scallion Pancake and you are set. IMO, it's the best Xiao Long Bao in Boston and it's mom-approved (she's picky!). The scallion pancake is thick and fried, resulting in a crispy chewy pancake. The roast beef and hoisin sauce are spot on. You will leave happy. I was also here when an emergency and possible tragedy happened. The staff handled the situation with the utmost care and grace before, during and after 911 responders arrived. Thank you for having such wonderful service and caring about your customers.
(4)
Catherine H.
Soup dumplings!!!!!! After living in Shanghai I have developed a soup dumpling dependency. Luckily I live nearby and can easily satisfy my cravings at Taiwan Cafe. I like the crab and pork best, but there isn't anything less delicious about the pork. The dumpling skin is a medium strength so you don't have to worry about puncturing the skin by mistake. Even with the stronger skin there is still a lot of soup inside. These guys are warm and delicious, perfect for the winter.
(4)
Stephanie Y.
I ordered the beef noodle soup here and it was ok. I wasn't too impressed with the flavor of the broth and the beef was thinly sliced so it was a little chewier and tougher than I would have liked. Overall the portion was large and I was full after my meal. They serve complimentary hot tea here but I wouldn't expect great service. Asian restaurants are typically not known for their service anyway. My friend and I had to flag down a waiter (our waitress seemed to have disappeared mid-meal) to get our bill. My friend ordered the fried pork chop, and she said that was tasty. I'd be willing to give this place another try.
(3)
Jennifer Y.
The food here is pretty good except for the soy sauce duck don't get it. I love there salt and pepper pork and my fam always gets the beef and tomato w/scrambled egg over white rice wierd right but so fricken good. Oh and soup dumplings a must or a jumbo soup bowl. I like majority of food here and cost not too bad either. Only downfall do not leave without paying them 18 % gratuity that is not included on check. You will be demanded to pay it smh....
(4)
Elizabeth L.
I wish this place were in NYC. The pork chops over rice is definitely bad for you, but it is ohhh so delicious. I bought an extra box of it to bring onto the bus back and had to double bag it because the smell was so awesomely powerful. Cheap, fast, and good. Definitely get the pork chops. It's less than $7 for a massive meal.
(5)
Ling Z.
It was not a "wow" but definitely a not bad experience for some homemade style kinda Chinese food. Close to my experience of Taiwanese flavor but with a little mainland twist. Worth trying, and may go back when next time visiting Boston.
(4)
Francisca W.
seems like something has changed about this place... maybe the owner, maybe the wait staff as well coz this group is much younger and visibly friendlier than the one before. and the "cash only" sign has been taken off. ordered too much as usual: xiao lung bao, oyster omelette (i erroneously called it pancake before), a seaweed cold dish, 3-cup chicken, basil eggplant, and vegetable with fermented beancurd sauce. and a hot and sour soup to go. food was ok overall; only not feeling the seaweed salad/cold dish as I was expecting the seaweed to be crunchier (yes, even Taiwanese style). this one felt like it was overcooked (or over-blanched); it was limp and tasted... different. the dumplings were ok; skin was thin and soft, meat was juicy. oyster omelet has more oil and starch than egg (which is kinda expected). the veggie was a bit more chopped up than I would like. the soup needed more vinegar (maybe just my palate needing it at the moment); good thing i was home when eating it so I dunked my own. just small hiccups; nothing major. one incident to note: as we asked for take out containers to pack the leftovers, my dad specifically asked for the flat plastic one with lid (vs. the typical Chinese takeout box w/the wire handle). waitress graciously brought it to us but didn't say anything, and later we found a $1 surcharge for that box (listed on the bill). I mean, I get it if you have to charge us extra, but at least let us know beforehand so we can choose whether or not to proceed. $1 is not worth debating over, but was enough to leave an ill feeling which can prevent return visits. good thing the wait staff was generally attentive and much better in their demeanor/attitude than I had previously experienced. will give it another go if/when the time comes.
(3)
Tammy T.
The inconsistency of this place is ludicrous. I went in a little over an hour before closing and asked to be seated and the lady told me they're about to close so customers can longer dine in. My friends and I didn't want to take out food, so we tried to find another decent place to eat around Chinatown. In the end, 15 minutes later, deciding to just take out, we went back into the restaurant to place our orders when I noticed a couple were sitting there... Getting their orders taken. I was extremely upset, I confronted the same lady and she pretended to not understand English and she kept speaking Chinese to me, there was no point in continuing to argue with her. I would actually give this place a 1 star but their Taiwanese style pork chop is my favorite, that's the only thing I get there BUT one day it would be delicious and the next it would be soggy and undercooked. It's a shame. They also need a few people there who can actually speak English well and understand. I see a lot of non Asian customers go there very often. They have messed up my orders way too many times.
(2)
Quynh Nhu D.
First of all, I'm ok with brass waitress - since I'm kind of use to it. As long as my food taste good and that they're not too rude.. My first time here was to order catering for my school event. I had to wait for the manager to take my order - so I sat there and waited for almost an hour :( I guess it's normal for the people who work there to bring out food and eat for themselves, which is pretty normal since they didn't seem to have that many customer at the time. Since I had to wait there, I didn't really order anything but they gave me free tea and didn't kick me out or force me to order food. Anyways, I place my catering order for the next day. and they actually did a good job and have a huge order ready on time. The food was really good and pleases even the most unadventurous college kid, so yay. The best dish was the Ma po tofu Second time, I got take out. The lady wasn't the nicest and was kind of rushing me to order but it's okk I guess. As long as my food was delicious. Which it was. I got a HUGE container of food. Pork chop on rice. $6? (~). YUP. Cheap cheap cheap. And oh so good. I love the pickled mustard green, wish there were more! The cutlet was bigger than my face, I have an average size face. I definitely got a good bang for my buck. I think having it as takeout give you a bigger portion. I ate it for 2.5 meals... and was thoroughly full each time
(5)
Sang P.
I ordered the pork chop rice plate. Pork chops were cooked well. I'd recommend this dish. However... I tried my friend's beef noodle soup and I was very disappointed. It LOOKED very good but the noodles tasted stale. Soup was very flavorless. Beef was also very hard to chew on. The xiao long baos were...only okay. The soup inside the dumpling was not as hot as I'm used to. Service was decent. Atmosphere was alright. I liked how it was intimate. Food just wasn't up to par. Not the best Taiwanese food I've had in America..
(3)
Palmila L.
Some of my fondest memories of my summer in Boston involve Taiwan Cafe--namely, pestering my coworker to take the express bus here for dinner every chance I got. We visited usually at least once or twice a week. Having tried both Taiwan Cafe and Gourmet Dumpling House, it has to be said that Taiwan Cafe is far and away superior to Gourmet Dumpling House. The xiao long bao here are much fresher and are more well-made than the ones you will find at Gourmet Dumpling House. After many, many visits, here are the must-orders: 1. Xiao long bao. The skin is perfect, the bao itself is juicy, the soup and filling are flavorful. 2. Spicy beef noodle soup with spinach. Good in the summer, even better in the winter. Helpful lesson learned by my friend: Don't wear dry clean only white dresses when you order this, unless you are a Functional Adult and actually dry clean after each wear. 3. Roast beef scallion pancake. The beef and the slightly sweet sauce complement the pancakes perfectly. But if you want to be a little less gluttonous, the plain scallion pancake also works. 4. Sheng jian bao. These are a variation of the traditional steamed buns, but lightly fried at the bottom. While the service is by no means black tie, upscale restaurant-worthy, we have never had impolite or impatient service. If you're ready to order, be assertive in waving down a waiter! The wait time might be a little longer for larger parties; my friend and I have often shared tables with other diners, but it wasn't a big deal. They do have a card minimum (I believe around 20$), but it was not enforced terribly strictly. We often got away with using a card for a slightly lower amount.
(4)
Lynda D.
Restaurant in near an alley but still visible. Parking kind of sucks since it is in chinatown but it all depends on what day you go. It can be crowded on the weekend as for weekdays it's a little better. I Highly recommend there beef scallion pancake here and soup dumpling.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Gillian W.
New fav! Attentive and friendly service which is hard to come by in Chinatown. PEOPLE, take advantage of the authenticity of this place and order something other than General Tso's chicken! Sanbeiji and black bone chicken and clam soup were both delicious.
(5)Stuart S.
Just ok, pretty plain and mediocre service. Seems like a low price take out place that has a few tables. They did have some unique menu items like a frog meat dish but I couldn't summon the courage to order it. I probably won't be back.
(2)Rachel C.
XLB are legit and very soupy. I've had more flavorful ones though. The scallion pancakes wrapped around beef are super greasy, chewy, and a little too thick for my taste. The Sha cha noodles have great flavor and the veggies are done well in there, not overlooked and still have a crunch. Solid late night eat
(3)Katie W.
You absolutely MUST get the braised eggplant with basil. This is the one dish that turned me around to eggplant even though I had previously hated it my whole life. It's intensely flavorful and addicting. They also have good soup buns and soft-shell crab. It's kind of hard to remember what else we ate because the eggplant was just that good. Most everything is great though. It's one of those places where I've ordered loads of things at one time and never had a bad dish. Service is your typical Chinatown deal--brisk and impersonal. It's a tiny restaurant so don't be surprised if you end up sharing a table with another party, but no one much cares because the main attraction is the great food!
(5)John H.
Tucked away into a corner of Boston's Chinatown is a Taiwanese restaurant that doles out consistent Taiwanese food that is about as authentic as you can get. That includes both the west coast and the east coast. That does that means it's good? Most of the time. Some of the dishes can be hit or miss but mostly hit and they hit when it counts. Their pork chop rice uses a light crisp batter and contains a lot of meat. All of their rice and noodle dishes are pretty reasonably priced. BUT, the family style dishes steer toward the more expensive side, IMO. All in all, a good restaurant if you want some Taiwanese food in Boston
(4)L L.
Came here for lunch, not impressive by the 3 dishes we ordered: calamari, mapo tofu, stir fired green beans. Tofu was plain and calamari was barely cooked... Portion was ok for lunch. Won't be back for lunch for sure.
(3)Alon L.
I'm a fan of Taiwanese food. So, on a trip to Boston, I decided to take a break from the seafood routine and give Taiwan Cafe a try. I wasn't disappointed! We ordered the often mentioned Xiao long bao (for ease of reference, this is number 46 or 47 in the dumpling area of the menu). Great! Perfect ratio of filling to soup. Highly recommended. We also had the eggplant with basil, which i also recommend. Lastly, I couldn't pass up a try for the Taiwan beef stew noodle with spinach. Well, this was a let down. The noodles are clearly not handmade, and the beef wasn't thick enough nor "tendony". Also, needs to up the spicy level. Pass on this dish, unfortunately. Next time, I'll go for the scallion cake... just couldn't fit it this time. Decor. About what you'd expect, i.e., dinky. Expect to wait a bit for lunch or dinner. That's okay though. Worth it for the xiao long bao! We ended up sharing a larger table with a few other parties of two. Kind of weird at first, but then you don't even care when it's time to eat! Be warned/aware that this might be offered to you especially for party of two or three (you can turn down the offer but then you'll have to wait longer). Service was fine. We had no problems, and were served promptly even despite our multi party table. Some other reviewers state rude service. It definitely wasn't touchy feely, but i didn't mind the quick no-nonsense service. Price is great! Hard to find a more reasonable price in Boston. Overall, recommend!
(4)Brendan O.
Excellent taste favorites meat seafood noodles stir-fry or soup Don't know about apps. But Entrees great for 1-2 people! OPEN 7 D 1 AM 5 star cheap on price NOT on flavor! Yummy Stomach smiling. Oxford & Beach I will come back 100 X before other C-town places when I want cheap and satisfying Yummmmmmmmmmm
(5)Emily L.
Soup dumpling fans - this is the hidden gem! I'm serious - I have tried Dumpling Cafe and Dumpling House and both of them do not add up to the soup dumplings in Taiwan Cafe. The dumpling skin is perfect enough to hold the mouthful of soup that you'll be surely to experience in every dumpling! The price of these gorgeous dumplings is not absurd in the same way Dumpling Cafe is. Also, the place is not as packed as Dumpling House and Dumpling Cafe can be. Aside from the soup dumplings, Taiwan Cafe offers a huge menu for their patrons to chose from. For those that are on a tight budget they offer a lunch special that goes from 11:00 to 4:00 PM. The menu offers lots of variety and a lot of the lunch options includes rice and soup. If you can't make it to Taiwan Cafe before 4:00 PM, they also offer a rice and meat dish for about three bucks. I have visited the restaurant on three different occasions and we have always been satisfied with our choices. They don't always have the veggies that they offer on the menu and so usually they'll offer something that is similar (Chinese Spinach instead of Watercress). If you want a spicy dish, I would definitely recommend the Szechuan Style With Fish With Veggies On Spicy Broth - super super delicious!
(5)Shawn W.
I went here for on a date last week. It was then it dawned on me that I had been before; possibly six or seven years. Seating is a little tight, and it can get warm in there, but the authentic food is worth the possible claustrophobia. Friendly, fast and flavorful are the ONLY "F's" this place gets. You may want to brush up on your chopsticks capability however. Great place!
(4)Leo F.
We visited this place for dinner last night. The food was good and my wife absolutely loved the Asparagus w/ Chicken in Sa-cha sauce. The steamed dumplings were also very good as it was a good size and sturdy enough to hold the tasty soup. The only flaw with one of our dishes was one of the appetizers involving taro nuggets. I had no expectations so I thought and still think that it's pretty good. However, it was supposed to have an egg yolk in the center of eat nuggets and it took quite a bit of searching to find it.
(4)Charles B.
When I find a good restaurant, I usually go back to it like a homing pigeon. We decided to try a new place in Chinatown, one that had decent reviews on Yelp. We went to the Taiwan Café on a Friday night around 8:00PM. They have a rather large menu, so it took time to select just what we wanted. We started off ordering pea shoots; they said they were out of it. We then requested string beans, they were out of that too; they suggested watercress, but I declined. We ordered Taiwan chicken which turned out to be a small portion of Kung Pao (spicy chicken, peanuts, and celery). It was OK. We also ordered shrimp and scallions. Wow, were we disappointed. I called the waiter over and asked where the scallions were. He showed me a sliver. I asked if he was kidding. He called over another person who tossed the dish with a fork and said "there's another piece". I asked why they call it "shrimp with scallions"? They said that's the way they make it. THIS entree was just plain gross. The small shrimp were not de-veined, pale white and had a tasteless gelatinous clear sauce that looked like a "runny nose". The overall presentation as well as the taste has to rank as some of the worst food I ever ordered in Chinatown. It reminded me of the shrimp and walnut sauce I once ordered around the corner. I was enlightened by that manager that walnut sauce is straight up mayonnaise and has no walnuts at all. I refused to pay for that one. Hands down, when in Chinatown, New Golden Gate has NEVER let me down. Fresh fish and vegetables are always on hand.
(1)Angela N.
The soup dumplings are the star here. Plenty of flavorful soup inside, the meat was tender and the skins not too thick. Service was fast and friendly. My only regret is not having a long enough stay in Boston to eat there again.
(5)Tina W.
Well, I came all the way from NC to have some great food. And here it is. I came here and ordered several tradition chinese food which tasted awesome. I really would like to come back again
(4)Ada C.
Please don't ever get the beef noodle soup! These people have no idea how to make Taiwanese beef noodles. They used the wrong type of noodles (the noodles they use is some generic noodles that can be bought from a grocery store for 99 cents). They even used the wrong type of beef? The soup base is not broth, it's just a big bowl filled with spicy red oil with no flavors to it. We also ordered the oyster pancake, and its very mediocre. The stinky tofu is O-K. I guess our favorite out of all dishes was the ground pork over rice. Definitely not authentic Taiwanese food, not even close. Maybe I just had really high expectation based off the reviews. All I can say is, this place doesn't live up with my expectation.
(2)Deborah H.
Really incredible lunch specials: $7.25 for rice, soup, and a full serving of whatever your heart desires (as long as it's on the list of 55). A little secret I have is that I buy a bunch of food for lunch and then save it for dinner. If you're doing take-out during peak times, call ahead and order since it gets really busy during lunch. Service, from what I can tell, is a little ornery and huffy. Would like to eat in sometime and try the dishes that don't travel or reheat well (oyster pancake, breakfast items, etc).
(4)Wesley H.
Great place for a late night meal or a post-hangover one at that. Has pretty decent Taiwanese food. The xiao long bao is good too.
(3)Sean M.
They have up'd the game since the remodeling. I think many people are disappointed because they order their favorite dish or a random dish and feel frustrated. My gold standard on the East Coast is the enclave in Flushing, Queens, NY. NONE of the Boston Taiwanese come close. I've been going to TWC since they opened, that's a long time. I think it's a value especially at lunch. The spicy bamboo/beef tendon here is decent, I also like the Taiwanese noodles and the Sha Cha noodles. Hot Pots/Casseroles can be good. For a Chinatown restaurant the service is steller. Dumplings: I do like xlb and the veggie. Spicy Beef Soup, my fav Taiwanese dish is 3/5 here. They do a decent job on the duck tongues and sea cucumber. * go with 2 or 3 if you want a quick seat. * go with a big party if you want to sample. * parking, fa-get-about-it. Pay lots. * seating is extremely close.
(4)Bill L.
Was cold and wet in boston. headed to chinatown to get great cheap food. found it in taiwan cafe. ordered rice cake with preserved vegetables, jing du pork chops, eggplant with basil, fried vegetarian rolls, clams, belt fish, bean curd with preserved vegetables and edamane. winners: jingdu pork chops - done very well - pork was tender and juicy. sauce was mild and not overly sweet belt fish - have not had this in a very long time. was just like how mom made them. brought back great memories eggplant with basil - great great great bean curd, was tremendous average - fried vegetarian rolls and the clams. it seems that everyone comes here. you are often asked to share tables as was the case for us. the couple who sat with us were friendly and helpful.
(4)Andrew M.
Came here with friends for a late-night snack after seeing so many positive reviews on yelp. Ordered several dumplings, beef with crispy yellow noodles, sesame chicken, and scallion pancake. Food is average at best, definitely doesn't warrant a 4 star rating on yelp. Service was even worse - the waitress ignored our table all evening until we were ready to pay the bill. Try the gourmet dumpling house down the street for much better food and service!
(1)Heather S.
Just ok, based on reviews I expected much better. There were a lot of options, but the dumplings and noodles were greasy. We might just not have ordered the right items, it seems people around us had interesting dishes. Not sure I would go back, so many other places to try.
(3)Marilyn T.
Taiwan Cafe is more like a crowded taiwanese place than Jojo, which is quieter and less crazy. There's little standing room to wait at Taiwan Cafe, tables are very close together, and sometimes you even get seated at a large table with multiple other parties, but that's how Taiwanese places go. Dishes to get: - Beef noodle soup: not as greasy as some other places, and I like the Chinese herb flavor in the broth - XLB: it's no Din Tai Fung, but it has lots of pork soup goodness inside, good house made skin - Chinese sausage fried rice: nothing like Chinese sausage, scallions, and rice - better with chili sauce - Seafood rice cakes: good bite, lots of seafood - Shrimp and vermicelli hot pot: lighter dish with a bean based wide clear noodle, shrimp is cooked in the shell, which is annoying to peel, but it keeps it from getting dry. Gravy has good flavor, the dish is good on a cold day - Taiwanese fried dough (shao bing + you tiao) on weekends - Scallion pancake with beef rolled inside Portions are good, service is quick, food is cheap. It's not like Taiwan or California, but it's pretty authentic for New England. It's definitely LOUD inside, slightly chaotic, not fancy. And like all good Taiwanese places, they do have Tsing Tao beer.
(4)Lorraine O.
A very great place for Asian Taiwanese food!for a foreign student, the food they provided kill homesick. Great customer service! Must come!
(4)Lily T.
This is a decent Chinese place to go to in Boston. Keep in mind that the Chinese food and Chinatown in Boston is pretty disappointing to start with. Anyway this place is pretty much the same as Gourmet Dumpling House. Sticky menus, minimal service (for all the people complaining about poor service...this IS a Chinese restaurant...what did you expect?). The food comes out really quickly and never in "order" (eg appetizer vs main). I didn't leave this place gasping with thirst or waking up the next morning dying from dehydration...so I guess their MSG use is low to minimal. Overall I'd recommend going here if you're after a pretty tasty low key Chinese food experience.
(3)Joe L.
best XLB I had outside of Asia.
(5)JieHeen Y.
Its good. I like the way they make beef and fish dishes. Very soft and chewy beef and tender and juicy fish. Fish also comes in big pieces with nice flavor inside. The spicy boiled fish pot was great, spicy pepper potato, and spicy pepper beef are fantastic. Pots keep the food very hot. The chicken dishes are just fine. Its often crowded and can feel cramped. You might have to wait outside a few minutes to get in, but its very nice that they will take your number and call you when your table is ready (perfect opportunity to get some Chinese bakery perhaps at Eldo, or bubble tea). Also require at least $20 to use credit, but debit always accepted.
(4)Karina L.
***CASH ONLY!**** * Also, another warning: when you look up 34 Oxford Street, Boston, MA, google maps spazzes out and sends you to an Oxford Street in Allston. It also thinks that that address is Taiwan Cafe (it's not!). This place is in Chinatown/near South Station. Hallelujah! I've finally found my soup dumpling fix in Boston. The six of us ordered 2 orders of soup dumplings, scallion pancakes with beef, and 4 entrees...and it came out to under 15 dollars each (including tax & tip). You can't get any better than that. We got soup dumplings with pork AND crab (I've never had them together!) and they were piping hot and full of soup and flavor. While different, it is definitely comparable to the soup dumplings you find in NYC. The scallion pancake with beef (split into 6 pieces) was a great pair to our dumplings. The pancake wasn't overly oily and the beef wasn't overly salty -- big no-nos that I've encountered a lot at other places. I would say that the price for this ($7) is a little steeper than I'm used to, but they make up for it in the quality and quantity of the appetizer. For entrees, we got beef with peppers, spinach sauteed with garlic, braised eggplant, and sauteed calamari. All were great -- and this is coming from a person who doesn't normally like eggplant. Each entree comes with a free bowl of rice. My only gripe was that we wanted to order watercress too but the waitress told us they didn't have it because it was "out of season". This didn't damper our experience at all since the spinach was so tasty. Service was prompt and polite as well.
(5)Eric S.
I've been eating here for years. The food is still decent although the quality has declined somewhat from what it used to be. Beware: This place is not handicap or fat-people accessible. There's a rather long flight of stairs up to the restaurant, and it's quite crowded in there as if they tried to cram as many tables and chairs as they could into the place.
(3)Christine L.
LOVE THIS PLACE!!! FAST service, KIND servers, YUMMY food. Things to Order: Zha Jiang Mien - SO GOOD. SO fast, They make it delicious. Not too much sauce, not too heavy either. Has bamboo in it (which I just pick out) but good for those that like bamboo. Meat is good quality too, includes tofu, lima beans, carrots, etc, everything that zha jiang mien should have. Only downfall is not shredded cucumbers, but I haven't been able to find any place in the northeast that serves shredded cucumbers on their zha jiang mien. OAJIAN - Oyster Pancake. So good. It's LEGIT here! Lu Ruo Fan - shredded pork rice. Its pretty good here. Only downfall is that they don't give you as much meat, and they also dont give you a tea egg that comes traditionally with the pork rice. Fried Pork with Rice - SO GOOD. Any other of their noodle dishes are AMAZINg. Iv'e tried like 10 other ones, and I don't have a bad thing to say about any of the. FISH BALL SOUP - Really well made. Comes out piping out, with alot of fish balls. Tastes amazing. KONG XING TSAI - best kong xing tsai in my opinion in boston. I love this place. Highly Highly recommended!!
(5)Vivian H.
It was Taiwan's National Day so I dragged my boyfriend to the most suitable place I found on Yelp. We ordered an oyster pancake, which wasn't great but I was just happy to find it on the menu. The fried large intestines were disappointing, as they were kind of stale (if fried intestines can be stale), like not fried enough. The fried pork chop was great though, and super cheap at $5.50 (comes with minced pork, rice, veggies, egg). So I guess it's kind of hit-or-miss but at these prices you can afford to experiment a little. And where else can you find these Taiwanese dishes so close to my heart?!
(3)Andrew M.
Really excellent authentic Taiwanese food. A bit crowded, but the wait is never too long.
(5)Christine K.
This cafe alone increases my likelihood in moving to Boston by 20%...(I was previously at 60%). I'm so glad there is a legit taiwanese restaurant in Boston with beef noodle soup, oxtail soup, and a variety of asian veggies. Service was decent too. Will definitely be back.
(4)Robert A.
Yum. I'm stuffed and feel good which is how I want to leave a restaurant after a meal. Not sure what happened with some of the other reviewers but our service was sweet and quick. We were seated at a communal table and was able to see other dishes...a neighbor even offered for us to try something. My partner got the soup dumplings (pork and crab) and I started with a calamari fish drop soup. Both were great starts and almost a meal to itself. Next he got beer braised duck (which was okay) but I got the calamari in mild spicy sauce and boy was it good! I could have eaten more but they would have to roll me out. Anyhow, the menu is super long and I can't wait to come back and keep trying different dishes. My co worker who is Taiwanese American told me to come here and I am so glad she did!!!
(4)Tammy L.
Braised beef noodle and sticky rice sausage with peanuts. That's literally what I order every time I come here. It never gets old, though I think I should start trying other items on the menu too. Dishes arrive in children-themed plates. They're actually quite amusing to look after, especially after a long day at work. Service is good. I've never had anyone give me dirty looks whenever I ask for a few more minutes when looking at the menu. For me, that doesn't happen very often in Chinatown. Sadly. This place is cash only but it doesn't bother me. It's Chinatown, and being Chinese myself, I think it's normal.
(4)Pete L.
When the line is too long at the Gourmet Dumpling house I head for the Taiwan Cafe. The food isn't as good, but it's still delicious, certainly much better than most things outside of Chinatown.
(4)Ambrose C.
This is a great alternative to predominantly Cantonese Chinese cuisine restaurants in Chinatown that I have eaten in throughout most of my life. I have been here a few times, and I generally felt that I have got the most out of my money and enjoyed the food here, especially during lunch. Although I am not too familiar with Taiwanese Chinese cuisine, this is the restaurant that a couple of my Taiwanese Chinese friends like to eat at. At the first two times I have been here, I have had the Hei Jiao Niu Rou Fan (Hei Jiao means black pepper in Mandarin Chinese, Niu Rou means beef, and Fan means rice). This is the Veal Chop with Black Pepper Sauce over rice in English, but it's not really veal. The dish was pretty good as I can recall, and had a lot of spice to it, thanks to the black sauce. It also tasted really good with the rice. Another good choice is the Hong Shao Niu Rou Mian, which is the Beef Stew Noodle Soup with Spinach. This is a great choice to warm you up during a really cold day. I came here recently with a friend, and on a whim, I decided to order the Suan Cai You Yu Fan, which is the Sauteed Calamari with pickled mustard Greens over rice. I ordered that dish on a whim mainly because I like Calamari, and to see how they do with that dish. It was surprisingly good. The vegetables had plenty of spice, flavorful and went really well with the rice. The Calamari was also good and it was really chewy. My friend ordered his favorite dish, Zhao Pai Pai Gu Fan, which is the House Special Fried Pork Chop on Rice platter. This dish comes with not only the Pork Chop, but also some Chinese vegetables and a boiled egg. I was able to sample a few pieces of the pork chop. It was really tasty, crispy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. One thing that I found (and liked) about every visit is that all the dishes were able to get my stomach really full, and I usually spent less than $8 on a dish. Keep in mind that the place is cash only. Service was sufficient, they made sure that our big cups were full of tea. The next time I come, I would like to see how their Xiao Long Bao is and how they do compared to other restaurants that make it in Chinatown. Xiao Long Bao means "Little Basket Bun" in Mandarin Chinese, and they are called the "Mini Steamed Buns" on the menu. I would also want to eat some of the clay pot dishes are as well. Overall, this place has become one of my primary choices for the alternative to Cantonese Chinese cuisine in Chinatown and also for an inexpensive meal.
(4)Avigail C.
The following rating is based on the food's taste and the service. The food was great, but my flavored vegetables ARE NOT the same price as my boyfriend's meat meal. The fact that they charge the same for both is just plain unfair and wrong. They really need to change this.
(4)An N.
we had the braised eggplant - decent but not super special the salt and pepper soft shell crab - recommended! the fried pork with minced meat on rice - really delicious the pork and crab soup dumplings - as good as any soup dumpling I've had in NYC, if not better. soup is really flavorful.
(5)Eating In The B.
This is my favorite place to eat in Chinatown. I remember a few years ago, when I went here for lunch for the first time. It was on a Monday, and it was love at first bite. I ended up going to the Taiwan Café everyday for the rest of that week. Now this has become a Friday ritual at work, and I go there along with a few colleagues who are also spicy food enthusiasts like me. I am not that adventurous when it comes to food so I haven't really tried some of the more exotic dishes that they have, but no matter what you order it always hits the spot. I have tried a number of dishes here, but here are some of my personal favorites- #1 With Chicken: Our personal favorite and the first dish on their menu, hence the reference to #1. This is actually a beef dish (Beef with Long Horn Peppers), but I think it tastes better with chicken. The long horn peppers add a lot of flavor, but this also comes with small thinly diced green chili peppers, which adds the real kick. Spicy Salt and Pepper Pork Chops: These are the best pork chops I have ever eaten. They are crispy on the outside, tender and juicy in the inside and a guaranteed hit for all pork lovers. Alternatively, you can also try the spicy salt and pepper Calamari Braised Eggplant with Basil Leaves: I am not a big fan of eggplant, but this dish definitely is an exception. This is served with a slightly spicy/tangy sauce and is a hit amongst all veggie/eggplant lovers. This dish is served extremely hot (temperature, not spicy) so be careful, as you get ready to take that first bite. Beef Noodle Soup with Spinach: One of the best soups in Chinatown. It's making my mouth water as I am writing about it. A bit messy to eat though, I always spill some on my shirt every time I have this; so if you are clumsy like me then use a bib J. A perfect remedy if you are down with a cold, since it will clear out your sinuses. I have been going to the Taiwan Café for years and its consistency is remarkable. There might be some wait time if you go during peak hours, but the service is fast and the wait is well worth it. I wouldn't recommend Taiwan Cafe for a first date though, unless you are going out with someone who is into spicy food. Overall, you get an amazing experience here at a very affordable price. eatinginthebean.wordpres…
(5)John B.
Perfectly adequate. A lot of the stuff appears to be finished to order, rather than made to order. Whatever. The staff is impressively rude, which earns points in my book. Two things I really like are pickled mustard greens and Taiwanese fried chicken. I had a world class version of the latter dish about seven years ago in Arlington, VA, at a place that's since closed. After years of looking, I sort of already knew that Taiwan Cafe wouldn't be the place to replicate that experience. I was right. The mustard greens were fine, too. They were sort of bright and pretty flavorful. Not complaining. In the end, three stars seems fair, if generous.
(3)Amy S.
The best food in Boston's China town. I love this place!
(5)Hannah M.
And still stellar. I love sitting at tables with other parties because you can sneak a peak at what they're eating and get ideas for next time (or part 2 of your order!). Steamed buns are still probably my favorite and the scallion pancakes are always awesome. Taiwanese wonton soup was great and made awesome left overs too. Pickled cucumber is spicy, but so good. Pan fried dumplings were pretty oily, probably skip those next time. Watercress looked quite good and will definitely be on our list next time. We happened to be there in the midst of Chinese New Year celebrations and got quite a show, complete with dragons and firecrackers.
(4)Marty H.
Since 2003, I have eaten at Taiwan Café weekly, so I know this place very well. It is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere; not just for Chinese food but for any type of food. I bring my family here for Christmas Eve dinner and for special occasions. I keep coming back for three reasons - its fresh/flavorful food, great value, and authenticity (there are no "Gwai Lo" dishes such as Crab Rangoon or chicken fingers on the menu). However, you must learn a few things to get the most out of Taiwan Café. The bad reviews are often from people who don't follow the system and get annoyed. They are missing out. First off, you should come with two to four members in your party. That's just because the tables are set up mostly for parties of two or four. Once you get five or more your options for tables are limited. There are two tables that hold five or six. There's one table in the front that holds up to 12 people and is sometimes split into multiple parties. There's a special table for two in the front that is the best table in the house. It has a view out to the street and is tucked into a cozy corner. So if you have a special date, come early and look to get that table. Taiwan Cafe is packed at lunchtime Monday through Friday and prime dinner hours on Friday and Saturday nights (or Sundays of three-day holiday weekends). For lunch either arrive before 12 noon or wait until 12:45 to try for a table. Every table will be taken by 12:10 pm and you'll have to wait outside. If you arrive at lunch or dinner and see that customers are already waiting outside, send in one person to inquire about a table and leave your name. Then head back outside to wait. Be patient. Don't think you can complain and get the hostess or owner to give you a table faster. Doesn't matter if you speak Mandarin or Hokkien you won't get in any faster. Just go outside and wait your turn. Also, don't expect a smile or friendly words. Your goal here is only to get a table. You won't get any pleasantries from the staff and you'll get hustled out the door if you make trouble or complain. Be sure to have your entire party ready to go when you ask for a table. Now you are seated and it's time to order. My advice is to study the menu and order as soon as you sit down. If you're familiar with Taiwanese or authentic Chinese food you don't need my advice. But if you're not, then you're probably like me and you will stick to the traditional meats and animal parts eaten in the US. I will recommend what an adventurous but typical American would eat. I always eat family style at Taiwan Café - sharing dishes among everyone in our party, so I'll assume you will too. The lunch menu has 55 dishes, the first four of which are all thin sliced meats with vegetables (or bean curd) and sauce. You can't go wrong here. Order at least one of these like Beef with Long Horn Peppers or Pork with Bamboo Tips. The fish dishes (numbers 30, 52, and 52) are also delicious. Also try the Braised Eggplant with Basil (#39) or Watercress with Garlic (#41) for veggie dishes. Add to these some dumplings: the mini steamed buns with pork and crabmeat. These are "soup" dumplings or Xiao Long Bao which have a good amount of liquid inside that is slurped out after you bite a hole in the side. Finally, some scallion pancakes are needed. They are fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside - truly unlike any scallion pancakes you've ever had. The entire lunch menu can be found on the dinner menu and are the same except the portion size is bigger and cost a bit more for dinner. If you come with a big group or a special occasion, get one of the whole steamed fish dishes from the Chef's Specials like Steamed Sole with Ginger and Scallions or Braised Chilean Sea Bass. Sautéed Shrimp with Cream Sauce is a new dish on the menu and has an amazing chili-infused creamy sauce. One final rule: if there are others waiting, leave as soon as you are done. Go grab a dessert at one of the bakeries. Tables are in demand during the busy times and once you are done, please be polite and free up your seats for the next batch of hungry customers.
(5)Shelby S.
Food was absolutely delicious. We had pork buns, mapo tofu, egg/beef and tomato over rice, and szechuan beef in spicy broth. Everything was hot and delectable. The restaurant itself was very clean and the staff was friendly and particularly attentive for a small place. The waitress was very grateful for our tip, which was good to see. All in all, dining here was a great experience and I'm thinking Taiwan Cafe is going to become my go-to spot in Chinatown.
(5)Mahina K.
Oh I enjoyed them. Extremely full restaurant on a Friday but seated us immediately. We had the Taiwan Style noodles w/ chicken, you're allowed to substitute pork for beef or chicken, without charge. (I'm not going to lie, I totally looked up what Taiwan Style noodles are, they're long flat egg noodles with sauce and beansprouts and chicken stirred in). My conclusion is that they were amazing. Soft and very tasty. We also had the scallion pancakes, I don't like scallions but I could smell the garlic and it smelled delicious. And the General Gao's chicken, crispy, spicy and pretty perfect-I do wish there was more pineapple. Rice comes separately. I'm super looking forward to going back. Everytime I think about those noodles I just want them again.
(5)Adam M.
My friend and I stopped in here specifically to get the Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings). They are a treat we find all over the NY metro area but really didnt find many places in Boston who have them. The bao here were good. They were flavored perfectly and were nice and fresh and soupy. We'd def come back for more next time we're in the area, this dish is a great treat esp after a night of drinking!
(3)Shannon D.
I love Taiwan Cafe! The service is really quick but it does get very crowded at lunch time. The seating can be slightly squished, sometimes you even get to make new friends because they pretty much seat you at a table with other people, Fun! But, despite all this I love it here and the food has never disappointed. I can't say I've tried a lot because once I had the fried pork chop and soup dumplings I couldn't bring myself to not order them. I'm not even Asian but somehow soup dumplings have become my ultimate comfort food. They're so amazing and Taiwan Cafe does them the best. The fried pork chop makes you feel like a fat kid but again, its become a staple comfort food for me. I've also had some sort of sausage dish before that was equally good, I just can't remember what it was. The a great place for a quick and cheap meal! Nothing too fancy just simple and delicious Taiwanese food.
(4)Barbara L.
I typically almost never deviate from what I eat here. White rice with minced pork simple but delicious and cheap , beef with some type of green veggie, the fantastic basil eggplant always cooked perfectly so it's tender and soft but not soggy, it also has a nice bit of kick to it but definitely not too spicy. This time I was with a friend so we went with seafood pan fried noodle, I probably would have liked this dish better but it was ruined by the very obvious imitation crab meat that didn't mix well with the real seafood in the dish. I would be fine with them leaving it out or better yet bumping up the price of the dish(about eight dollars) and putting real crab meat in there. Scallion pancakes were too crispy over cooked/fried for my liking. The soup dumplings were pretty good, but I had it better at other places. The waitress was pretty efficient, with seating us, getting our order, although we were practically abandoned after that, and I had to flag someone down to get water and our check. The servers are efficient and fast, and seat and serve you quickly even when it's packed in there as it's a popular place that is pretty small. Even if some dishes were a bit of a disappointment if you have the eggplant here it's worth the trip.
(4)Alex T.
I used to go to this place way-back when with my fam, and came back recently. Some new things to note: 1. New renovations - the size is about the same, may have added a few more tables but aesthetically, it's a big difference! It just feels less cramped there now and the bathrooms are entirely renovated. I wouldn't be as terrified if I had to go. 2. Credit Card - They now accept it as long as your order exceeds $20 or more Otherwise, it's overall a pretty solid place for traditional taiwanese fare. Highlights include the green horn spicy julienned beef, oyster pancake, scallion pancake, and the sa-tay beef noodles. Fried pork chop isn't bad either although sometimes the pieces have quite a bit of fat. If you're looking for stinky tofu, I would say that it isn't the best here. It's not bad but definitely not as "stinky" as other places. I would suggest Dumpling Cafe as a better option if that is what you're looking for. I think the best time to come here is for brunch. It's fairly cheap and the typical taiwanese breakfast here is solid. If you want to order something to go, I would suggest calling ahead of time -- it can take a while. Learned the hard way.
(4)Joanne K.
Can't WAIT to go back, even if the B-line will take me an hour to get there. The food is ridiculously affordable (huge plus for poor college students like me) and will delight your taste buds to no end.
(5)Larisa T.
Fantastic! I came here with a group of friends after we had been out drinking. Chinese food is perfect for sobering up...the food is oily, salty, and the lights are bright in here. We ordered a bunch of dishes, family style: --My friends raved about the soup dumplings. I don't eat pork, but they looked really good --We got a beef dish on top of crunch noodles --Bok choy and mushrooms --Spicy tofu Everything was flavorful and fresh. The place seems fairly clean too. They replenished our water glasses generously. And the bill was about $12/person. Can't complain. I'll be back.
(5)Liliana C.
The scallion pancake-wrapped beef was delicious. Other than that, our meal was so-so. The dumplings were good, too. The fried pork was greasy and lame. The spicy beef stew with noodles was way spicy and the noodles were really disappointing. Overall, the restaurant seems overrated.
(3)Dyan K.
I guess going into it, I had high expectations for Taiwan Café. Unfortunately, they were not met. The review below mine was someone who was also in the same party as me. So we ordered the Xiao long bao, which were good, not great. Very large and tasty, but not all that traditional or delicate like they are supposed to be. We also got noodles soup with beef, which is usually a lot more flavorful and spicy, and the beef wasn't even stewed. However, the lions head meatballs were the big disappointment. Usually, they come with a gravy, but instead they came in a soup with glass noodles, mushrooms, veggies, and taro. All of it tasted pretty ok actually, except the meatballs, which managed to be dry IN A SOUP. That boggles my mind. The food was edible definitely, but was not what I had hoped. I probably would not return.
(2)R. M.
Ok, I'm now a regular here for dinner after work. Again, very friendly staff, good food. I think this is definitely a hidden gem for authentic Chinese food.
(5)Vishal S.
This is your quintessential Chinese restaurant in a typical Chinatown - low key; no nonsense decor; "Asian" style service - efficient without the show of courtesy and palaver of an American restaurant; but good food! And that for me is what matters the most - good food! This place does have plenty of that at a reasonable price and good serving portions :) we ordered a bunch of dishes and here are my rating on that - Spicy Soft shell crabs - excellent fried crab dumplings (if you will) with perfect amount of flavor. String beef with long pepper - spicy and flavorful! Chili shrimp - not too spicy but with intense sweet and sour flavor. Definitely a must go place when looking for authentic Chinese food!
(4)Isabella C.
Delicious! We ordered chicken w string beans which was quite good. The string beans could have been cooked a little more but the chicken was shredded and sauce was tasty. Their ma po tofu is yummy but the only thing is they don't have any meat in there. Haven't tried their soup dumplings yet but will be trying that next. Food is much better than gourmet dumpling house and is much more spacious. They kinda rush you a bit though when they get busy, which most places will do anyways. Highly recommend though!
(4)Susan K.
Good Taiwanese food but I've had better. It was still satisfying but I wish I bought along one of my Taiwanese friends to order quick, fast, and order the right stuff. Tip: If you go to a restaurant in Chinatown, bring one of your Chinese friends along. You want the real good stuff. Anyway, the food we ordered was still delicious. Place is small and tight like a lot of the restaurants in Chinatown. Also, like many Asians restaurants, service stinks. My friend asked a question about a dish a waitress was serving at another table and she gave him an answer and he asks to quickly describe it but she just stares at him and walks away. Very rude. Granted, this lady probably had a bad day (you can totally see it on her face) but in any customer service business, you're working to serve the customer. But I already have low expectations in terms of good service in Asian restaurants. So a good attitude to have when you go to an Asian restaurant is to quickly go in, order your food, eat, and bounce. Don't expect to be treated like you're a King or Queen...which also means, don't tip too generously.
(3)Sophia M.
I always overlook Taiwan Cafe for whatever reason but the two times I went, I always came out happier than before. Beware: If you are looking for a quiet lunch place to discuss intimate or things that require your full attention... DO NOT GO TO TAIWAN CAFE. Me and my co-worker made the mistake of going during lunch hour and ended sharing a table with two other groups which wasn't as bad as you would think. Everyone was nice, considerate, and well, there to eat. But if you are just looking for a place with minimum quality service, amazing food, and no elbow room (almost every restaurant in ctown) then this is the place for you. We ordered the soup dumplings with crab meat and it was delicious. A rice plate with duck, beef and a tea egg. And some kind of noodles. We ended up with a small take out which was surprising because the portions weren't super, crazy big.
(4)Emily H.
I've been craving some good small eats ever since my boyfriend and I got back from Taiwan/Japan in early July. There are tons of good Chinese & HK places to eat in San Francisco, but the Bay Area is kind of lacking good Taiwanese. Lo and behold, there is Taiwanese food in Boston! I love that the restaurant itself is clean, bright, modern (enough) and the staff are extremely nice. It was extremely busy when we went in (around 2pm on a Saturday) so I assume that business is good. Lots of Asian patrons = a good sign. We got beef noodle soup (extra spicy), salt and pepper chicken wings and a...beef roll? Not sure what the actual name of it is in English, but its marinated beef, sliced and rolled up in a scallion pancake-type thing. The beef roll was AWESOME. Its one of my favorite things to eat, EVER, so I may be biased, but it was a nice generous portion of beef slices with crunchy cilantro and scallions. The pancake was chewy and fresh. The beef noodle soup was meh. The broth was lacking the right spice (star anise, mostly) and the beef wasn't cubed, it was in slices, so it really confused me when I got it. No soy egg or sour cabbage/pickles either. The bowl was mostly noodles, and not quite enough beef and veggies. Would not get again- I make a beef noodle soup that would kick its ass ( bit.ly/SnxCRz , apologize for the weak soy egg, but I made the soup in 2-3 hours). Since I gorged on the beef roll, I didn't have room for the wings, but boyfriend said they were great!
(4)Michael D.
yayy for family run asian restaurants open WAYY when their working children should be asleep. I came after a night of bar hopping.. the place was empty except for two underaged-looking waitresses who were bored and waiting for customers. My brother and I got the two things I saw that yelpers recommended, and the waitresses gave us complimentary tea (with a fly on it) as we waited for our meal ( yelp.com/biz_photos/MnA_… ): Beef noodle soup with spinach ( yelp.com/biz_photos/MnA_… ): DEFINITELY not what I expected. I guess I've never had legit taiwanese food before.. I grew up with my mom making vietnamese pho so I automatically assumed the beef broth would be clear.. not A DARK RED color. but eh, it really wasn't too bad. Flavorful with just the right amount of spiciness Crispy Fried Pork ( yelp.com/biz_photos/MnA_… ): Pretty good, I have to admit. Fixed my fried-food craving from all the beer I had previously. The pork was actually CRISPY and not soggy, and it was semi-sweet and semi-savory. Marinated perfectly. It was served over rice with a hard boiled egg on the side.. The only complaint I have about this dish was that the rice was pretty cold. Oh well, not expecting too much for $6. Overall, I might be coming back here to try some of their other dishes, but I say the FRIED CRISPY PORK is a winner!
(3)Edwardo C.
Back home for the weekend; speeded downtown towards Chinatown- just randomly walked in this joint of the Chinatown strip=amazing! Menu has a lot to choose from; so it will not get boring. Super authentic!
(5)Miel L.
I went to this place again but was, on the whole, very disappointed. The gao kao chicken was too sweet and the taiwan style noodles were flavorless. The only thing we liked was the beef and pepper sauteed dish. On the whole, disappointing dinner.
(2)Diana Y.
-------late night only------ Came here with a group of friends for a late night "snack" and ended up almost ordering the entire menu (overeager friend). Everything was good but the highlight was hands down the oyster pancake. Probably the best I've had on
(4)Carla N.
In search of an alternative to Dumpling Cafe (some nights you're just not in the mood for the rough service), I decided to give Taiwan a try. We has a bowl of dumpling and watercress soup, yung chow fried rice, a variety of pan fried dumplings and the xiao long bao. Although I slightly prefer the taste of Dumpling Cafe xiao long bao, Taiwan Cafe wins out in that the food not only tastes fresh, you dont feel the same heaviness as a Dumpling Cafe or Gourmet experience. The restaurant was clean and pretty quiet for a Saturday night and the service was prompt and friendly which wins this place extra points. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and this will be my go-to late night Chinatown fix.
(4)Pink Peony P.
My favorite go-to restaurant in Chinatown! They have the best soup dumplings and I love their House Special pork chop, that comes with veggie, tea egg, and a bit of pickled green. I haven't found better pork chops that are drool-worthy like from Taiwan Cafe's. Every time I need go with friends for catching-up conversations or for a hearty-fill dinner, Taiwan Cafe is always my top choice. The restaurant just did a renovation. The tables are now black granite and the chairs are nicely cushioned. They now take credit-cards! This is the best upgrade since it makes it life so much easier and convenient to enjoy and pay for dinner. (Try the eggplant basil! It's one of the best in town.)
(5)Jill J.
A disappointing experience in general. Went in purely because of the good rating on Yelp, but food was greasy, smelled not too fresh and was not well prepared. The waitresses were also not friendly or helpful. There are certainly better restaurants in Chinatown. Will not return.
(2)Deng X.
I don't even want to give them one fucking star. People who working there said go fuck yourself about we complain about their food! Even we gave them 10$ tips! Also the a lady who in charge pretend nothing happened . My friends and me have five people had dinner . We have ordered 7 dishes,one of the ordered spicy fish, The soup taste funky and the fish still have blood inside. Other dishes are Sucks also. Oyster pancake has plenty of oil under. They got oil for free??? The egg plants, I have no idea how them made it. Over cooked,it Taste like sh*t!!!! Finally, We tell a waitress about the fish, she tasted it and she said its good. If you don't want it , don't order it next time .she Said! That's ridiculous ! We only took few bites and left almost all the food inside plates ! And we left, when I went out my friend told me she heard one of the waitress said go fuck yourself . If I hear that , I will go back to take the money back. Beware !!! Don't go there to embrace ur self!
(1)Max L.
Very good, fresh tasting Chinese food is what you'll find at Taiwan cafe. I ordered two dumpling dishes, the Taiwan pan-fried dumplings and the steamed pork/chive dumplings. Both of them were delicious and came with 8 giant dumplings each; very filling. I had several left to take home afterwards. I recommend giving this restaurant a try; the food is tasty and the prices are reasonable.
(4)H H.
Grand re-opening this week! A much more modern and brighter look than before. The menu looks roughly the same, but I think the food has gotten better! Went tonight and got the typical Chinese veggies, pork dishes -- it was quite good, not too greasy or salty. Will go back and try more Taiwanese dishes.
(4)Cassy H.
I'm still a fan, but I would be a bigger fan if Taiwan Cafe was open! I went by today (May 2, 2012) because this Taiwanese transplant was craving some Taiwanese food. I walked up to the street and noticed brown butcher paper taped on the window. I knew that was a bad sign. However, I proceeded further and saw a huge notice posted in English and Chinese.. saying how they are closed for renovation. Please come back soon! I miss you, TW Cafe! =/
(4)Margot H.
I've been looking for a good place to have dinner before seeing a movie at Boston Common for quite a while; with Taiwan Cafe, I've finally found my go-to. To get it out of the way: a lot of bad reviews here are about service. No, this is not a fancy place and the service is not 5-star (I had to flag someone down to take our order) but the waitresses are nice as long as you are polite and efficient. A couple of logistical tips: no reservations, very crowded at peak dinner times. I got there with a group of three at 6:30 on a Friday night and we were quoted 25 minutes. Good news is they will take your number and call when your table is ready. Our wait ended up being significantly less than 25 minutes. Once you are sitting, the food more than makes up for any logistical or service difficulties. The menu is completely overwhelming to someone who is not super-familiar with Taiwanese food. It has literally hundreds of items and the English menu is alphabetized by how the food is cooked rather than by the main ingredient so it can be very hard to find that pork dish you are looking for if you don't know whether it's braised, stewed or simmered. This is an incredibly nerdy suggestion but I'm going to make it: put in some time studying the menu and making decisions before you get to the restaurant. My own food-nerd tendencies led to a delicious order of soup dumplings, scallion pancakes, braised eggplant with basil, spinach sautéed with garlic, and stewed pork over rice. The soup dumplings were porky and savory; the scallion pancakes were flaky and crispy; the vegetables were super-fresh; the pork, while small, was tasty and $2.95. I can't wait to go back and try many, many more dishes.
(4)Joanna C.
A dinner for eight... 3 orders of xiao long bao Salt and Pepper Calamari Stinky tofu Basil Eggplant 3 cups chicken Beef noodle soup Braised Tilapia with spicy bean curd sauce Awesome service, they all spoke English pretty well which was great! We were given the table with the lazy susan, so we were able to rotate the dishes amongst ourselves pretty well. The big winners: Basil Eggplant Braised Tilapia Seriously - that basil eggplant is like crack. SO GOOD. And the braised tilapia was done with a sauce that tasted like mapo tofu. Delicious! The table wasn't too thrilled with the stinky tofu, so I was able to down the entire plate on my own (I LOVE IT SO!), and it felt so homey to devour the food of my childhood with some old and new friends. Taiwan Cafe was pretty empty while the Gourmet Dumpling house just around the corner was hopping! I've been to both, and I have to say... I pick Taiwan Cafe. Their xiao long bao was just as tasty (and a bit bigger than what I'm used to)! I can't believe it's taken me this long to try this place out, and I'll definitely be back soon! Oh, and at a per person cost of $13 (including tax and tip!), it's a STEAL.
(4)Allen Y.
Pros: -Tasty food (try the 'lu rou fan' with whatever you're getting) -Fairly authentically Taiwanese, to boot (Chinese sausages with raw garlic anybody?) -Fast service -Large menu Cons: -Small and a bit cramped (but it's Chinatown)
(4)Nancy C.
I've been wanting to try Taiwan Cafe for awhile, after seeing it so positively reviewed on Yelp and after it was recommended to me by some Chinese (like, actual Chinese not ABCs like me) friends of mine. So we went relatively early (like 5:45-6pm ish) and there was no line. We did have to split a big table with 2 groups though, but we didn't really mind. We ordered the xiao long bao (to compare with the ones from Dumpling Cafe), as well as the beef noodle soup that everyone seemed to get, along with the pork meatball soup with mixed veggies. The food came pretty quickly. Personally, I liked the xiao long bao here better than the ones at Dumpling Cafe, but that might just be because they came with a vinegar-ginger dipping sauce that I liked. They were juicy and pretty good. The beef noodle soup was ok. Not bad, not great. The noodles were pretty generic; stuff you can buy yourself at a Chinese market and make yourself. The soup wasn't even spicy. The spinach was, well, spinach, and the beef, which I expected to be in cubes and braised or something, seemed to be stirfried and put on top. Our pork meatball soup was a HUGE surprise. I personally liked the soup because it reminded me a little of my mom's cooking, but apparently it's not what the dish usually is. It was a huge bowl. Like, literally we probably could've ordered that between the three of us and not had to order the noodles at all. Which, considering it was about $20, makes sense. It was about 6 huge meatballs that were lightly fried in a soup with taro, mushrooms, Chinese cabbage, tofu, and other stuff. The meatballs were largely disappointing. Considering that they've been in a huge bowl of soup for awhile, they were quite dry. Surprise- they had egg yolk in the middle! I actually didn't mind this, because I like egg yolk, but my friend didn't like it at all. It is kind of weird, now that I think about it. The best thing about the soup was the mushrooms (they were shiitake mushrooms that seemed to have absorbed so much juice and flavor- yum!) and the Chinese cabbage, which I haven't had in a long time. Personally, I think that this place would be good to eat at, but maybe not the particular things we ordered. The bill came out to about $36, which made it $39 with tip, so $13 per person. Not bad, considering how much food we got. The service was nicer than at the Dumpling Cafe, but I don't mind brusque service because I got used to it after being in China for awhile.
(3)Jay S.
Most horrible waiting service I've ever experienced. If you want to meet rude waiting staff, you've come to the right place. This place was horrible and shocking. I came to this restaurant with a family of four and the waitress did not greet us nor smile when she approached us. She then told us to sit in a crowded table in the early afternoon that already sat two other people. There were three other empty tables in the restaurant that could seat four people and I asked that we sit at those tables instead. She then proceeded to shout at me to say that those tables were only for 6 people even though it was clear to me that there were no other people waiting in the restaurant to be seated, nor were the tables reserved. We all tried to explain this to her, but she then proceeded to shout more, insisting that we sit at the table she wanted us to sit at! This was extremely rude and shocking given the fact that the customer should always be seated where he or she would like to be seated if those seats are reasonably available. She would not budge and so we left the restaurant in search of better waiting service. I have not ever experienced such rude service at a restaurant and STRONGLY suggest not visiting this restaurant. I believe that this restaurant needs to make much improvements in treating their customers respecfully.
(1)Tom L.
Stopped by here on our way back from Portland. Saw the good reviews and decided to try it out. Ordered the Fried pork over rice, Smelly Tofu and soup buns. The soup buns are your standard fair nothing special. The smelly tofu was okay but (just my preference) the picked cabbage was cut in pieces that were a bit too big. the pork was good
(4)Akira O.
According to Yelp this place was the best rated Chinese restaurant in Boston. I know Boston has some really good Chinese restaurants but I have to say I had better in this city. The food was tasty, but was greasy and made me nauseous at the end of the meal (or maybe I just ate too much). We had pork and crab dumpling (very good), deep fried lobster (very good), oyster pancake (slimy and greasy, not so good), sauteed Chinese vegetables (good), shredded pork and pepper (very spicy, very good), noodles with shredded beef and bamboo (ok), salt and pepper calamari (no good). The food here would be great if they used much less oil.
(3)Sue H.
I love Taiwan Cafe! It's my go to place in Chinatown for great Taiwanese food and quick service. I don't think I've ever ordered anything here that I didn't like, and I've been tons of times. Hmm, let me think... You should definitely get the soup dumplings here, they're the best in Boston! I'd also recommend any of the rice plates or soup noodle specials. They're super cheap -- $5 for a whole plate/bowl of food?! Umm, yes please! My favorite is pork belly over rice, which is a very typical Taiwanese dish, but Taiwan Cafe does it very well. I also really like the julienned beef with watercress and beef with tofu and bamboo. These two dishes come out in heaping plates, and they're perfect for sharing family-style or for one with a bowl of rice. If you're thinking about ordering some appetizers, I always get the tofu with preserved egg and the oyster pancake. Yum! Taiwan Cafe is always jam-packed during the lunch and dinner rush, so if you're thinking of coming by, be aware of what time you're going in. Once you're seated, food comes out really quick, so don't be too worried. Then again, I'd say Taiwan Cafe is worth the wait anyways.
(5)Peggy L.
Delicious, authentic Taiwanese food. Amazing beef stew noodle soup, xiao long bao, and green onion pancakes. Absolutely satisfied after my meal and prices are extremely reasonable. Wish I lived in Boston just so I can regularly dine here!
(4)Lynn C.
I've been here twice now. The first time I was here, I probably might given this place a three, or even a four star, because I thought the food is pretty good. But I didn't feel like I had enough to say to update. This time around, the food was pretty awful, and the service is questionble The first time I came with my friend I-Chun (who gave the place a two star) and we had oyster omelet (she got sick from it), chinese watercress (very awesome), 3-cup chicken (meh), and pickled mustard green with pork intestines (great!!) This time I came with a different friend, we got marinated seaweed (meh), mustard green (einh), and cuttlefish paste cake soup noodle (einh). All of it was lacking flavour and the fish cake was so soft and fell apart. It was just not good. I've had better Taiwanese food even in Toronto. All the servers seemed to desperate to get us out even though the place had a lot of empty spots and we haven't been there for long. Maybe I'm mistaking their keen service attitude for rudeness. Who knows. All I know is I'm gonna go wait in line at the Gourmet Dumpling House next time I want to have some Taiwanese.
(2)John Y.
Before I explain my one star review, I do have to say that the food here is good. It gets one star because of the hostess was incredibly rude. She was intentionally sitting other parties ahead of me and my girlfriend even though they did not have reservations. When I asked the hostess why, all I got was a curt and rude "not ready yet" reply. Maybe it was because many of these parties were Asian, and I am not. Please consider going to Gourmet Dumpling House or Best Little Restaurant instead of this place. Those two places are better than Taiwan Cafe, and you will be treated fairly.
(1)Priscilla Z.
I don't understand why there are so many ppl coming. Maybe there are too limited choices in Boston Chinatown, or maybe b/c I'm too picky. But I've definitely experienced sth better! The only different about the lobster from the ones I had in LA, is that here, it is bigger. I had a lot of the lobster, tho it wasn't that tasty. The beef with pepper, I don't like, but it was really spicy! The sole tofu bowl was awful, I wouldn't prefer a dark color of it. Nothing to expect here, except for their cheap price. And they only accept cash. I was really disappointed by the New Year dinner.
(2)Serena L.
My friends and I decided to check out this place after their recent remodel. Evidently, everything looks much cleaner! And they accept credit cards now, with a minimum $20 charge. The 8 of us entered at about 6:45 pm and were seated immediately at the only big table. The rest of the tables were 2 and 4 tops. Our dishes that arrived within 10 minutes of the waitress taking the order. There was a roll up of some sort that was made with something similar to the scallion pancake but had greens, sliced beef, and hoisin sauce. I think that was my favorite of the night. The lobsters were good also! The oyster pancake with gravy was rather yummy but soggier than I expected. We also ordered the eggplant with basil that disappeared quickly. All in all, I really don't think that you can go wrong with anything here! Service was quick but it does get packed quickly, even on a weeknight.
(3)Kara H.
It reopened last July. I still love this place and come here every 2 weeks before my chinatown grocery shopping trip. We usually get the bamboo with pork, and white fish with lily bulb and vegetables. One time we were here, a bunch of white people at a table next to us decided to copy our ordering exactly. They seem to love all of our selections so don be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and order something other than the dumplings/buns/beef noodles. And as usual, totally better than Gourmet Dumpling House. I am still puzzled as to why the line of that place is always out the door. Their soup dumplings/buns are really only okay and nothing special.
(5)Mickie N.
Dont let your tip dollars ruin your business! We were 5 people came to the restaurant, but there were only 4 of us had dinner here. At the first beginning, the way of the waitress told us to sit at the table were really rude. Her job was only bringing the food to the table and never came back again. Good server always come to ask the customer if they need anything else. Or AT LEAST they will come back to refill the water for the customers. After the waitress brought me the credit card receipt paper to sign, she stood in front of me and kept staring at the paper while I was writing down the tip for her. She took the bill back and did not say a word "THANKS" to the customer. As we stood up and walked to the door; the waitress who is skinny and wear glasses, she came to ask me to pay her 18% tip. She told me that 5 persons who sit at the restaurant have to pay 18% tip, even though they do not come to eat. ????? At first I gave them $6 ( as 15% of the bill), and they did not feel satisfy , so they forced their customer to pay them two more dollars? Are you serious? How could you ask people to pay you 18% tip while you treat them trust like sh**? People who come to the restaurant not only to eat good food, but also receive the good service from the server. If you did not treat the customer well, how could you expect them to pay you more money? If you dont like to deal with people, you should find another job that help you to earn money in the faster way as you wish. Don't stay there and ruin people's days. ps: Dear Owner , I don't know if you have time or not to read all these comments about your restaurant, you may end up to ruin your business in one day. Your restaurant does not have really good food that make you have no care to the customers. If there are no more customers come there, your business just opens for nothing. You don't like to please people, so you should never expect to get more money to your pocket. Good luck:)
(1)Jessica W.
This Jessica Wang from Taiwan Cafe. Thanks for all your reviews on Yelp ! 5 Stars for everyone! We try ours best to bring you the favor from home as Taiwan Cafe since 1998, and introduce the first Soup Dumpling, Stinky Tofu, Oyster Pancake, Beef Noodle Soup, Fried Pork Chop on Rice, Beef with Long-horn peppers, and etc. to the people in Boston for more then 13 years. And now, in order to bring you better dinning experience, we will be closed for renovation for a month starting March 1st. Thank you for your continuous patronage and deeply sorry for the inconvenience that will cause you during the construction, but we look forward to serve you soon. You can also check us up on Facebook for new updates on the progress .
(5)Corona W.
But for the rude, middle aged woman who always has on her "stinky face," ( I think she's the owner) this place serves large portions of pretty good food. Pros: I love their basil eggplant dish and their peapod shoots. When I ate meat, I also loved the pork cutlet plate that is served with rice and a brown egg. Cons: The vegetarian dumplings here are not good. The skin is too thick and the filling isn't that great either. In addition, they take forever to steam. If you're planning on ordering dumplings, order them when you get in so you'll get them with your meal instead of after. The owner -- seriously, this woman does not smile. She always has her stink face on. Anyways, whatever, I go for the food and I'll just attribute menopause to her unpleasantness.
(3)Nita P.
i really love this place, but the quality of dishes is inconsistent, so it drops a star. you really need to know what to order. the three things i always get - veggie dumplings, braised eggplant with basil, and scallion pancakes. I don't eat pork, so no comment on the soup dumplings, though other friends seem to either really like or dislike them (and they're taiwanese, so... i'm staying out of that debate). another tip: always ask for their spicy sauce. mixed in hefty quantities with their soy sauce, it's the perfect accompaniment to the pancakes and dumplings. other dishes for consideration - some of my veggie friends rave about the sesame tofu. it's not my favorite, but if you like sesame tofu, maybe try it here. spinach with garlic is fine, nothing to write home about. had the spicy chili shrimp on bok choy last night. beautiful presentation, but needed to be much spicier. the shredded beef on spinach that my friends ordered was basically gone by the end of the meal (that's a good gauge of quality, right?), as was the oyster pancake. people also loved some sort of a sauteed chicken dish where the chicken looked a lot like noodles. Not sure what it was called, but it was gone by the end of the meal. Happy eating!
(4)Daina L.
I've ate here twice and done take-out once. Great food at great prices. Super quick service and great for groups. The single room is a little small, but the restaurant size fits the whole dining experience. Fav. dishes: -steamed mini-buns (sooo juicy) -won-ton soup (they must put something extra special in their broth, because it is divine!) -homestyle braised eggplant -black mushrooms over greens Only con: sometimes there is a wait, but the service moves quickly. Go during the week to guarantee a table.
(5)Thai-Anh H.
I love this place. I been a customer since my days in college. Their house special pork chop is to die for. I think everything else is just ok.
(5)Nashrah R.
Fresh, delicious and authentic Taiwanese cuisine! I haven't gone wrong with any of the dishes I've tried at Taiwan Cafe, but that said, I would definitely recommend the braised eggplant and roast beef scallion pancakes (think scallion pancakes and beef wellington!). The service is also brisk and more on the polite lines than other places in Chinatown.
(5)Michelle T.
Beggar's can't be choosers I guess. There is literally, no other Taiwanese restaurant in Chinatown so Taiwan Cafe will have to do. I wasn't blown away at all with the food, but it wasn't bad either. I can definitely say for a fact that the owner needs to retrain their servers to be a little more polite and a little less catty. The menu has a good selection of typical and traditional taiwanese foods (like oyster pancakes, though i can't say it's authentic), beef noodles soup, and taiwanese sausages. They have a good number of other Chinese dishes as well (I have a suspicion that the chefs in the kitchen are not actually from Taiwan). Oh, and they need to start accepting credit cards.
(3)Lily X.
We came here on the day of mid-autumn festival for the lobsters and soup dumplings. The lobsters were awesomely flavored, but the portion was a little bit less compared to the other seafood restaurants nearby. The best part, the two lobsters for $25 were very fresh! We also ordered soup dumplings and garlic seaweed. The soup dumplings were above average. Great taste but very greasy. I don't want to disgust you, but there was definitely a lot fat blob floating on the juice coming out of the dumplings. Eating more than two for a meal is very much lethal. The seaweed with garlic was also decently prepared. It was a very refreshing appetizer. Overall, it's a very nice restaurant for Chinese food and seafood!
(4)Wesley C.
So my friend brought me here because he said this place is one of his "favorite" restaurants in chinatown. okay - let's check this place out. one look @ the appetizers and this place sounds like a legitimate taiwanese restaurant - oyster pancake, stinky tofu, fried sausages, pan-fried dumplings, fried intestines, the list continued . . . i went with the oyster pancake (oh-a jian), spicy cold beef tendon, and green onion pancake (cong you bing). we also ordered a fried egg, tomatoes and beef on rice. oyster pancake - although it isn't exactly the same as what you get on the streets or night markets in Taiwan, it was surprisingly good! It was so fried that it was crispy - that was a very unique and delicious characteristic of their rendition. The combo of starchy/gooey-ness and eggs, and oyster was near perfect - maybe could have used some more oysters, but man - this was pretty darn good. Their red sauce was sweet and tangy and again, although not exactly the same traditional sauce that you would get usually, it was good. 4.5/5 stars. spicy cold beef tendon - spicy? not really - but Taiwanese food isn't really known for being spicy, so . . . meh . . . okay. could definitely use some peppercorn to kick it up a notch. flavors not so bold but it came with a good dipping soy sauce mix w/ garlic and green onions. 3/5 green onion pancake - crispy on the edges, but kinda soft in the middle - not sure if it just could have used an extra minute frying. also, flavors were not as bold as i would have hoped for, but the texture (multiple layers) was good. 3/5. fried egg, tomatoes and beef on rice - definitely an upgrade from your faux chinese take out menu. reasonably well-seasoned with a brown sauce. the beef was tender, juicy and flavorful, and they had ample amounts of tomatoes and eggs to pair with. 4/5. would definitely try some of the other things on the appetizer menu next time . . .
(4)Rinda K.
I always see a huge line of people waiting outside of Gourmet Dumpling House and think about how much they are missing out when Taiwan Cafe is literally right around the corner and so much better. No waiting in line to sit in a cramped restaurant where you constantly feel like you're rushed to finish your food and leave. No elbowing the stranger next to you by accident as Taiwan Cafe is actually spacious and has a real dinner atmosphere. Their soup dumplings are superb, as are their regular pan fried or steamed dumplings. They also have this delicious roast beef wrapped in scallion pancakes--just ask for the scallion pancake sauce to go with it. Their noodle are also a must order. A gem in Chinatown for sure!
(4)Mike D.
I went here with my girlfriend who is Taiwanese and she did all the ordering. We ordered 3-4 dishes and it was all excellent!! The space was clean and the food was very good! I will be back!!
(4)Lily H.
I've been to Taiwan Cafe on multiple occasions and each time the food has been consistently delicious, or maybe even better each time I visit. Sometimes there's a short wait around peak dinner hours, but once you get seated and place your order, the food comes out almost as fast as the speed of light. It makes you wonder how fresh the food is, but the dishes come out piping hot and you can tell it they're prepared to order. They're just that fast so more customers can get in and get out. No rush while you're eating though but if you've already paid and are just hanging around, they may ask you to leave if there's a wait. If the restaurant fills up and the only seats left are the ones at the big round table - don't be surprised if you're having dinner sitting beside strangers! This is not the place to have an intimate date, but it is the place to have great food with fast table service at reasonable prices. Btw, it's cash only. Some of my favorite dishes are spinach stir-fried with garlic, roast beef scallion pancake, and soup dumplings (very plump, juicy, and flavorful). Enjoy!
(5)Mer C.
This place is ok. I've had better. A good choice if you are in the area but don't go expecting the taste of Taiwan. Oyster pancake was probably the best dish we tried. Everything else was mediocre. But the prices are reasonable.
(3)Ella D.
We tried eating here twice but were not able to find a seat due to the poor customer service on the part of the manager. The latest episode involved her saying that she would call us when a seat was available (est. 10-15 min wait), telling me to "get out" when I asked for a seat after 20 mins, then never calling us in the end. I cannot comment on the quality of the food as we never got past the front desk, but I will not support a business whose owner does not value respect for her customers.
(1)Jingya L.
Food are excellent but the waitresses are awful. That's why I didn't give them a four star.
(3)Alex C.
On the strength of fellow Yelper reviews, I ventured under the blue awning for an early lunch, and ordered the Szechuan Spicy Beef in Broth and pork soup dumplings. Although the beef dish appears to be a soup on the menu, it is instead a combination of thinly sliced beef with stewed cabbage in volcanically hot looking broth shimmering with red-tinted hot oil, heaped high with stir fried chopped red chilies and strongly fragranced with Szechuan pepper. My idea of heaven, really. It was simply delicious and the strong spices somehow did not overpower the taste of the beef but instead harmonized with it. The heat of chilies are mellowed a bit by being fried and develop more flavor in the process, and the Szechuan pepper slightly numbs the palate. This dish is very hot and needs the small side dish of white rice to balance out the heat. Definitely an adventure and perfect for a cold winter day. The soup dumplings came out next (they take some time to steam), were very juicy and flavored with sesame oil. While these were good, I prefer the more meaty flavor of the soup dumplings that can be had around the corner at Gourmet Dumpling. The restaurant is a good size, neat and clean, and the wait staff quick and responsive. This place is the real deal, and I will be back to further explore the offerings.
(4)caley t.
Probably my favorite restaurant in Boston. This place is definitely a dive. In the middle of Chinatown, on dark Oxford Street, you walk up some stairs into a tiny restaurant ,decorated with shiny paper chinese rabbit decorations, and likely filled with a large crowd of people, very few of whom will be speaking English. It's all part of the experience. The menu is in chinese and english, and you will probably not be sure exactly what you are ordering- Don't worry, it doesn't matter- It's all delicious. Keep in mind, these dishes are not individual meals. Everything is served family style, and comes out in the order that it is ready. Order all at once, and it comes out in a different order every time, but always very quickly. Definitely start with the hot and sour soup- one order comes in a giant bowl, and you serve yourself. Easily enough for 4 or 5 people to have a few bowls each. A whole pot of some of the best soup around for only about 4 dollars! The dumplings are also a win- I have only tried the vegetarian ones, but they are great, even to the meat eaters. I usually order the Taiwan style noodles with seafood and veggies. It comes with scallions, crab stick, squid, shrimp, and a few other things. I don't know how to describe them exactly, but they are great, and you literally get enough for 3 meals (and I'm a big eater!)(and it only costs 7 bucks!) The szechuan style white fish is also super tasty, and very spicy, with strong ginger flavor- order rice with it to sop up the sauce! For a more exotic fish dish, try the braised tilapia- served as a whole fish in a giant plate of spicy sauce with soft tofu chunks- absolutely delicious! Make sure to order one of the giant Tsing Tsaos with your meal, and if you bring a big enough group, try to get one of the big spinning tables so you can try everything!
(5)Tammy K.
Taiwan Cafe has *the fastest* takeout ever. Within 10 minutes of placing my order, I'm chowing down on basil eggplant (greasy decadence), pork chops (meaty goodness), and noodle soup with pork and mustard green (I heart soup). Soup dumplings take a little longer, but that's just the nature of cooking these difficult dumplings. +1 star for having special takeout containers that keep the soup dumplings intact.
(4)Bobby F.
One of my very favorite places to eat. Service is great, prices are FANTASTIC, and the food gives the prices stiff competition. The thick bacon-cut pork over rice platter is my signature dish there, along with the mini steamed pork buns (soup dumplings). The rice dish comes with cooked lettuce, preserved vegetables, an egg hard boiled in the braising liquid, and a layer of stewed minced pork between the pork and the rice, just in case you were low on pork. On top of all this, and plenty of tea, $7 gets you a 22oz. bottle of Tsing Tao, for those so inclined.
(5)Daniel L.
Taiwan Cafe is the go-to restaurant in Chinatown for quality Chinese food. No takeout crap food here! I have a friend who takes the train from NYC up to Boston solely to eat here, and I don't think he's crazy for doing so. My usual order includes bamboo tips with julienned pork (extra spicy), watercress with garlic, sauteed squid with pickled mustard greens, and ma po tofu. I've also tried their fried oysters and steam taro and duck, which are possible not on the menu. The food is glorious, the service sucks, and it's cash only. Everything is totally worth the inconveniences and hurry-hurry attitude of the staff.
(5)Josephine L.
This is the most authentic Taiwanese restaurant you'll find in Chinatown. Okay, it's the only Taiwanese place you'll find in Chinatown. But it's still good and if you can't make the trek over to Allston for more modern authentic Taiwanese (Jo Jo Taipei), you'll do just fine coming here. Things to know beforehand: it's cash only, super casual (i.e. bare bones) decor and gets crowded fast. Being proudly Taiwanese thanks to mommy dearest, I knew I'd found the real deal in Chinatown because 1) The staff actually speak Taiwanese Mandarin--not Mainland Mandarin (like British English vs. American English) or Cantonese, which means 2) They're actually from Taiwan (huzzah!) and the menu offers Taiwanese staples like: - Beef noodle soup: Taiwan Cafe's is pretty good. The beef is properly stewed in tender chunks, not thin cutlets (as some horrible pseudo-Taiwanese places do). The noodles are thick and chewy, not stringy and limp. And it's served with pickled greens, a staple Taiwanese garnish. - Taiwanese sausage: You really just have to try this for yourself. There's nothing like it. - Ma Po Tofu: Oh my God, like mommy makes! Except I have to pay for this dish. Seriously, though, TC's is pretty good. - Taiwanese hot and sour soup: Where the stuff originated. Thick, flavorful, heavy on the spice, loaded with veggies I can't translate into English. Ahhhh, so good on a cold day. - Stinky tofu!: Except....*sniff*....they steam it instead of fry it. I like my stinky tofu deep-fried, drizzled in chili and sweet soy sauce, with a side of pickled cabbage. Like what you get off the street stands in downtown Taipei. Still, I'm just happy to find this period. Points to Boston for this and Jo Jo Taipei. Couldn't find anything remotely this good in Chicago, which is a far bigger city.
(4)Kevin C.
The Boston Chinatown averages a big ol' 'meh' on a scale of 'this fucking sucks' to 'Christopher Walken.' On the whole, it's pretty cheap, but there's not much else going for it. Taiwan Cafe's not a whole lot different. Their oyster pancake and the fried large intestines were underwhelming, but their fried pork chop almost converted me. It was a huge serving of pork, vegetables, rice, and an egg, and I was instantly transported back to a simpler time, where men were men, and women couldn't vote. It's very cheap, very fast, and they do offer a ton of traditional options of the menu. Stick with the staples though.
(3)Tinna H.
The best xiao long bao I've ever had. Seriously. We didn't even order the one with crab.
(4)Tuan P.
Great food for a low price. This place has the best soup dumplings in Boston and the Taiwanese style pork chops were delicious. Crispy, slightly sweet and some deep fried fat pieces with white rice = big win. I am going to say that this is my new goto place in Chinatown. Can't wait to try some of their other dishes. Only problem is this place gets crowded and sometimes you end up setting with strangers....maybe that can become a good thing though ;)
(4)Huong P.
Taiwan Cafe has now been updated to Taiwan Cafe 2.0. This means that henceforth they will shed their old ways of only taking cash to now taking credit cards (Visa and Mastercard). The quality of the food is the same, if not better. I think the new renovations look great, though I find the place to be a bit tighter in space than before. Despite the many positive changes, I would also like to note the negative changes as well. First off, because of all the new business, the place is now usually packed. This results in having to be placed on a waiting list, and a waiting list entails the hostess rudely telling you to get out of the restaurant into the freezing cold until you are called to come back. I wouldn't have minded so much if they didn't sneer at my mother trying to sit at the one available chair at the front. Secondly, when we were seated, we were offered with dirty cracked dishes and plates instead of presentable dishware. I know I am not at a three-star or four-star restaurant but I would at least like some of the basics such as cleanliness and appearance covered. Overall, however, the food is still as good as it was before and can rival Gourmet Dumpling House and the other Taiwanese establishments in Chinatown anytime. It is still my favorite place and I can't wait to come back for more soup dumplings (the best in Boston!).
(4)Tiffany C.
I really give this place a 2.5 star, not 3. We were visiting Boston and found this place with high reviews so we tried it. Who wouldn't want some good Taiwanese food? The environment is good - place is super small, so get there early - and the staff/service was only average. We tried the traditional Chinese veggie dish (only know the name in Chinese.. sorry), Oyster Pancake, Vermicelli Oyster Noodle Soup, and a rice dish covered in meat. The only thing we liked was the rice dish. I am Taiwanese and don't consider this place authentic at all, so not sure how this place was rated so highly. Seemed like it was ran by Cantonese. Perhaps we didn't order other dishes that might have tasted better - but the items we ordered are the traditional and more popular among Taiwanese. Just disappointed...
(3)Hannah K.
For the money, this place is simply amazing. Both me and my boyfriend decided to get some safe dishes. My boyfriend got the chicken and broccoli and it was honestly as good as chicken and broccoli could be. It also came with a little soup as appetizer, which was good. I got the Taiwan style tofu, which had a deep fried exterior and a soothingly soft interior. The scallion pancake appetizer was a little thick, but had a great depth of flavors. Definitely a great option for an inexpensive night out that tastes like a fancier restaurant.
(5)Sasha C.
i have aboslutely NO CLUE what everyone is raving about here and on yelp. the four of us ordered a BUNCH of food to sample and boy were we let down. BOY OH BOY. then we looked around and realized people weren't doing family style dinners. they were all ordering single platters with rice and fried chicken. i guess we missed the memo but we also asked the waitress to suggest something to us in which she did, and left out the single platters! also the stinky tofu.. we had as well. all i can say about that dish is it literally tastes liek GARBAGE+SMELLY SOCKS. GROSS !!! try it for the experience lol.. but it looked and smelled nasty!! oh and their bathrooms were tiny but amazingly clean! granted, i'd probably give taiwan cafe a second try and order the single platters instead of doing family style.
(3)Skye G.
Good flavored food is key. Although getting a meal at a reasonable price is always good, paying for cheaper food that tastes terrible is worse. I've been going place to place to find real good Chinese food in Chinatown and although this is Taiwan it is now one of my favorites. I've ordered the Lunch Combo Three special which comes with a house soup and an individual portion of white rice. For $19.95 this Lunch special this is a good deal and can fill up three people well. Not stuffed but just right (splitting the check is a bonus). The soup of the day is hot and fresh. Today's soup was an egg drop base with corn and chicken with lots of flavor and hit the spot just right. For our pick of three we had the Sautéed Julienned Beef with Long-horn peppers. This is spicy but not too hot, just a touch above mild. I like spicy food but want to taste the flavor of the food and not just burn my mouth to the point of tears and sniffling. The beef is tender and the peppers have a nice crunch and blend well with the rice. It doesn't have a lot of saucy gravy but it really doesn't need to. The second dish was the Sautéed Littleneck clams with basil. We opted for non spicy and love this dish. The clams are small with a decent sized portion (although I'd like more) in a brown bean sauce. I've had this one twice and really love it. Another table ordered it based on our tables recommendation and they too loved it. It has a lot of fresh basil mixed in and has a nice sauce that mixes well with rice. The final dish was the Sautéed Calamari with pickled mustard greens. The Calamari was good. Not too chewy but chewy...that sounds off but anyway it was just the right texture. The pieces were good size and mixed well with the mustard greens and I could see how this blends well but I wasn't so much a fan of the greens. I might try the Calamari with the Chinese celery next time instead. Another good one is the Sautéed Julienned Pork with bean curd. I'd order this one again too. All of these are spicy but I mix and match which ones I want to have the kick. I'll be going back to try to the other menu items!
(4)sean g.
This Place is great. Amazing food and very friendly staff. Basil Eggplant is a must try.
(5)Ninja M.
3.5 stars. Food is decent. Recommend stinky tofu and fried pork over rice. Noodle was American style. Too oily and salty. Place gets backed. Employees need to work on customer service so that's why one less star.
(3)Maddie C.
Love this place. Great vegetarian options. Be prepared to sit at a huge round table with people you don't know if you come as a small party. I recommend the Ma Po Tofu and the eggplant!
(5)Fawn Q.
I am giving this place a 4 solely on how much I love their beef pancakes. BEEF and fried Chinese pancake and hoison sauce and green onions....nom nom nom nom Most of the other dishes are pretty good as well but pales in comparison with BEEF pancake
(4)Irene Y.
Cheap, convenient and fast. :) Recommendation *get the pork cutlet rice, it's the best deal and you get a soup! *sausage fried rice was standard *portions are generous, so be prepared
(4)Yenling C.
Great food and huge selection, highly recommended Taiwanese dishes
(5)Karen N.
Went last night after reading positive reviews, and we loved it. Food very fresh and delicious. Roast beef scallion pancake was very good. Also enjoyed the Taiwan style sauteed noodles w/pork and veggie. Mini steamed buns with pork were tasty, but hard to eat with all the juices inside. Sauteed shredded beef with long horn pepper good and spicy hot, but peppers were a little overpowering. Very nice and attentive waitstaff. This will be one of our new favorites in Chinatown, where we dine fairly often. Very reasonable and we took home enough for second meal. Place was packed shortly after we arrived, which we took as a good sign.
(5)Juliana N.
Beef noodle soup with spinach with chow fun noodles :-) The food here is so good. They actually serve some authentic taiwanese food. Taste like home cooking. Love it. The only thing though is that service can be questionable.i came here once and saw a waitress stop a customer and tell her that she didn't give enough tip....? Odd. Otherwise.food is delicious. The fiance loves the chicken cutlet dish and never orders anything else haha
(4)Eva H.
The food is alway's delicious, fast, and cheap! Authentic Taiwanese. The service is okay, but I guess that's what you get in Chinatown. Among my favorites are: Beef noodle soup Eggplant with basil sauce Fried pork chops But everything I have tried there is delicious!
(4)Yoonie C.
Very good rice with duck and cold cut beef with soy sauce hard-boiled egg and pickled cabbage/ green thing. Good tilapia with soy sauce and scallions.
(4)Christina K.
Do I care if I have to sit next to strangers? Not if it means I get food from this place -- I come here often after having been introduced to this little gem about a year and a half ago and I have NEVER been disappointed. Authentic food, some of the best xia long bao I've had, way better than dumpling house. Get over the small dining area and dig into the menu. They have a whole fish for very inexpensive and it's served on a tray that cooks it while you're eating -- delicious! Everything here I've ever ordered was awesome, so highly recommended.
(5)Laura T.
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 $43! Whaaat!?!
(5)Alexis C.
I don't have a lot of experience with Taiwanese food so when my Taiwanese friend and I come here for delicious breakfasts, I sit back while she gets to work ordering. The food does seem sort of unhealthy (fried dough? fried sausages?) but so does American breakfast food (pancakes, fried eggs, bacon). She also ordered a whole bunch of stuff that wasn't on the menu, all of which was delicious but none of which I can tell you the name of. Maybe the lesson from my review is that if you're Taiwanese and/or know what's what, you can get a pretty sweet meal here.
(4)Diane H.
Have I really never written a review for this place? HMM. Okay I love the oyster pancake..around 6-7$, I order a bowl of rice..they only come in small bowls..and then I get some xiao long bao (soup dumplings) 8 for around 8-9$ I mean..I'm probably biased..cause i just came back from Shanghai and all..so of course it's not that good compared to that..but I'm pretty sure it was pretty good before I went..to asia...and ate a load of good food..so I'm gonna say that it's still good compared to other places here. Oh the "choys" are good..the green leafy stuff.... I think they ..either overpriced my food or....the dish of "choy" was legit 12$ OUCH. oh and the fried squid thing is pretty good..$12, i'm not sure what its called on menu as my friend js ordered it by mouth. no boba shakes..... :( Usually packed during dinner time..
(4)Albert L.
I got back a few days ago from a vacation in Taiwan. Each night I ate at the night market in Shilin, down the street from my grandparents' home. I went to Din Tai Fung twice. I hardly remembering doing anything else besides eating. But, despite having spoiled myself rotten lately with authentic Taiwanese food, if someone told me another Taiwan Cafe were opening up in the Bay Area tomorrow, I'd be the first person in line. There will always be a niche for place like this. The combination of a low-key -- but not dirty -- feel with the excellent prices was the charm back when I was a college student in the Boston area, and by all accounts (my sister is a senior in college there now) it remains the charm still. Where else can you find a well-breaded, well-fried pork chop with rice on a plastic plate with the alphabet encircling the rim? And then their tomatoes and beef over rice -- DIVINE. For just $4.99, it's still the best deal in town. My one complaint back when I was in school was that the food wasn't always consistent -- sometimes it'd be lukewarm, or sometimes the vegetables would come out a little soggy. But the service was never terrible, and unlike at Jo Jo Taipei, the portions are consistently generous.
(4)Megan D.
This food. Amazing. The soup dumplings may change your life. I may come back and up my rating to 5-stars, but I've only been once and I need to do more research.
(4)Cindy W.
Not bad...Not bad at all. Its a great place for lunch. The prices are VERY reasonable and you get allot for your $$. Go for their pork chop on rice. Its one of their signature dishes. My favorites are their scallion pancakes, Taiwanese hot and sour soups (tastes just like the night markets in TW), 3 cup chicken dish, and of course their skinky tofu. Yum!
(4)Rafa R.
This place serves great food! I don't think I've had better mabo tofu in the Boston area. If you have, please tell me where. I can also recommend the duck cooked in soy sauce, the hearty seafood soup, the dumplings and the greens known as hollow vegetable. I'm kind of getting the feeling you can't go wrong here. My only complaint is that they don't give you your copy of your credit card receipt unless you request it -- why???
(5)Archana V.
Six hungry people split six huge dishes. - Scallion pancake - Soup dumplings with pork - Soup dumplings with pork and crabmeat - Sichuan style white fish cooked in a spicy broth (A-mazing!) - Sauteed shrimp with scallions - Mabo tofu We had a delicious meal and ended up paying $10 per head (tips not included)! Enough reasons to make me a regular here.
(5)Allyn H.
Oh Taiwan Cafe, I love love love your three cup chicken. This restaurant was my first introduction to Taiwanese food and I loved it. If I cant get taiwanese food at home,( because my wife is from taiwan.) then I go to Taiwan Cafe to experience the great food. Actually, the owner is from the same town as my wife, so the place is legit.!!!! I've actually never Ordered from this place since my wife speaks to the owner and the waitresses, and *poof*.... out comes 5 dishes of food.
(4)plz h.
This place is OFF THE HOOK. The eggplant & the vegetables are amazing at this place, SO GOOD, SO GOOD. Figures that the best Chinese food place in town is, uh, Taiwanese. I can't speak for the meat dishes, but I've had half the vegetarian items here and none of them have disappointed. Nom.
(5)James H.
Such excellent food! I wish they would wipe the teapots off occasionally, however.
(5)Dennis L.
I have eaten here a good number of times, enjoying a variety of their dishes while standing their quirks, but there are certain items on the menu that pique my curiosity... but I fear I will never order. The food is alright, that's not a question for me... However, Taiwan Cafe seems to be the best choice of restaurant I have seen in the Boston area... to freak someone out. This re-review is based entirely on the ability to go to Taiwan Cafe and squicking someone with a blind taste test as a form of entertainment, rather than as a restaurant. Some of these dishes, I do enjoy, but for the uninitiated or sane, this might bring them a few rungs toward worshipping Cthulhu. As I flip through their menu right now, here's a listing of dishes that you can introduce to your dare-taking friends: Blood pudding rice cake w/ gravy Thousand year egg w/ chilled tofu Fried pork intestine Chilled spicy pork ears Chilled five-spice duck tongue Chilled jellyfish w/ garlic Poached pork intestine with dipping sauce Sauteed escargot w/ soy and basil Sauteed pork kidney with sesame oil (chili sauce) Taiwan-style sauteed pork lever Pickled mustard green w/ intestine and blood pudding Sauteed pickled mustard green w/ pork intestine Sauteed pickled mustard green w/ pork tripe Sauteed duck tongue w/ basil Beer braised pig's feet Fish head w/ mixed vegetable in clay pot Sauteed pork intesting w/ chinese leek Soup w/ pork intestine and blood pudding Soup w/ spinach and pork liver And seemingly not so gross, but this line says: "Steamed fermented tofu w/ minced pork & broad bean sauce (take-out only)". Just what would relegate a dish of stinky tofu to 'take-out only'... Hrm... So the next time you're planning on doing a home edition of Fear Factor or scaring the in-laws, dig into the menu! Also, Taiwan Cafe is open late! So it can be a wonderful life-changing experience to drag your friends in after hitting up the nearby dives and clubs! Their hallitosis and pictures put up on Facebook the morning after make wonderful presents! P.S. I am being very facetious. The food is alright, see prior review for real details. I'll... go stick to the julienned meats with vegetables.
(5)Jeff C.
This place was good. Expect to see people waiting outside for a table. Usually packed during dinner time. Every dish we tried was good. Came here with like 12 people, so I don't remember exactly what dishes we ordered.
(5)Anna L.
We order lunch there all the time! 3 dishes for 19.95 and it comes with rice and soup! We get julienne peppered beef all the time and it's been great! So far, everything we've ordered except for soy bean milk (tasted a lil powdery and stale) and chicken leg over rice (chopped up fried leg, which you can't tell is a leg anymore and the flavor is not savory enough - they didn't marinate it long enough), everything else on the menu is really quite delicious!
(4)Trevor S.
Being down a little side street, up some stairs, and fluorescently lit like a photo shoot in a morgue, this place fits the description of little-find-in-Chinatown. The salty cod hot pot is super good. And the XLB were filled with hot soupy goodness, if the skin was a bit thick. Is it "authentic"? Not being born or raised in Taiwan I couldn't say. but it's super good.
(5)Zizzles A.
I remember my mom dragged me here once 5, maybe 6 years ago because of some recommendation she received from a co-worker about their sheng jian bao, buns that pan fried raw, then water is added, and the whole thing covered so that it's steamed and pan fried simultaneously. At least, That's how the shanghai version goes. The skin is thick, made with risen dough instead of the flat dough of XLB, but the filling is usually more or less the same. The version we got here was chocked full of bitter cabbage, and not at all like the shanghainese version. And so for 5 or 6 years, I've avoided this place. But I could only stay away for so long when every asian person I know who goes to chinatown with any semblance of frequency raves inceasantly about this joint. So I went for Taiwanese dimsum and now I swear, this is one of my favorite restaurants in Chinatown. I went for their Taiwanese dimsum, and had some northern favorites along with XLB. My two favorite items were the mini beef sandwiches, niu rou xian bing, which is on the dimsum menu, and the pan fried taiwanese dumplings. The shao bing is a comfort food I miss from beijing, and the version here is a little lighter than what I'm used to, with a less pronounced crust and less oil in the dough, but it was tender and soft as shaobing should be, and delicious. It was filled with hoisin, cold cut beef, and some veggies (cabbage or lettuce of sorts). It's definitely something most people would enjoy, but I think my love for it stems a lot from the my deprevation of northern chinese food. The pan fried dumplings are now my favorite in the boston area. I have yet to try jojo's and wisteria's dumplings, but I doubt they could be significantly better than Taiwan Cafe's. The skin is a little thick, but not like a peking ravioli. The filling is well, but not overly seasoned, and most importantly, the cabbage inside is not overcooked! That is so, so rare! Dumplings, especially the pan fried kind are often too heavy because not only are they fried, but the cabbage is totally wilted and flavorless, so you get basically a fried pasta wrapped around a pork meatball, but TC's version has a light bitterness and some texture in the cabbage, making it the first time I've had dumplings in America that were better than homemade dumplings. Forget gourmet dumpling house. As long as the ingredients aren't rotten, I'd say XLB are always a safe bet, but they're definitely not that special here. The skin is a little too soggy, and the filling is a bit dark, heavy with soy sauce. I'd order them again if I had the sudden urge, but it wouldn't be an xlb destination for me. It's not like the shanghai style XLB, but not as good as Jojo's for Ding Tai Feng style XLB. Beef and Sha Cha fried noodles were good. The noodles were flat and shaped like linguine. The sha cha wasn't overpowering, the beef tender, and some nice veggies (kong xin cai i believe) in the mix. Fried noodles are inherently pedestrian, and I doubt it gets too much better than this. The eggplant with basil was pretty good as well, though I prefer Jojo's version. They both have a very pronounced basil flavor, but Jojo's is lighter. I was a little miffed at first because the thick sauce was really sweet in the TC version, and a little sour as well. If the eggplants were floating in the bottom where the brown sauce pooled, they were a too salty/sweet. As I ate more of it though, the heat seemed to help balance the sweetness, and more rice helped with everything else. The pork feet noodle soup had super thin, angle hair like vermicelli in a sweet soy sauce based broth. The meat was pretty good, and the soup was tasty as well, but the vermicelli was a bit over cooked. Wow there is some great food here, and I still haven't tried the 3 cups items or many of the other sha cha stuff. I will definitely be coming back, probably very often.
(4)Cassandra M.
I first visited Taiwan Cafe when my boyfriend's Kung Fu school asked me to go out to lunch with them after weapons class. Now, my boyfriend takes his kung fu seriously, even more seriously than the food he eats. This was the perfect combination for him, and since moods are contagious, it made me feel very happy to have a happy beloved. We sat down and his Sifu ordered all of the special stuff that you only get if you know it and can speak Chinese. No white treatment here, nope!! We got duck and taro in this strange cinnamonish sauce - it tasted like breakfast. I love breakfast! Duck breakfast is a little strange, but I'm open... The crown jewel in my opinion was the shredded pork with dried bean curd. So super good and satisfying, a little spicy with lots and lots of flavor. I now use this dish as a comparison to judge other Taiwanese restaurants.( I'd say Mulan over in Cambridge is very similar for yumminess factor.) The literal meaning of "Kung Fu" is to "put effort into." I'd have to say that Taiwan Cafe's kung fu is STRONG.
(5)Kay C.
service is whatever. I ordered chinese water spinach with garlic, and chicken pot, which is slightly salty to me.
(3)Ben L.
I have one HUGE regret about Taiwan Cafe. It's quite simply that I haven't found very many Taiwanese dishes that I really enjoy. For preparation and sticking to the style of food they are simply amazing and their most incredible factor is their staff. The last time that I was there I went in to order some food for take out just when there was a bit of chill starting to rustle up in the air out side. While I was waiting for my food to be prepared multiple members of their staff came up to me trying to convince me to sit and have a cup of tea during my wait. I mean really, do people have to be that nice!! Simply the best place around if you dig the style, however if you are like me and you are still trying to find the perfect dish it may take a couple of visits. But hey, at least you'll enjoy going there.
(5)Rajiv R.
Hidden in the corner of Oxford and Beach street, Taiwan Cafe, modest in appearance is easy to miss by many a passerby. However, it is truly one of Chinatown's hidden jewels. With a variety of many interesting dishes, Taiwan cafe is not your typical Chinese restaurants. I have been here several times while attending MIT. However, this was my first visit in a long time. For appetizers, we savored the beef tendons served cold with soya sauce and delicious Peking ravioli. For dinner we had three entrees including the delicious sauteed beef with long horn pepper. The other two dishes we had were Jumbo shrimp with chili sauce and the simmered chopped chicken leg with three essences in a hot pot. Both had their own special flavor and were unlike any dish I have ever tasted. The quantities were ample and Taiwan cafe was indeed worth the visit.
(4)Art W.
First meal after moving to Boston, and I chose a winner. Ate by myself so could only try the tsung yo bing (scallion pancake) and three cups chicken. Both were solid renditions. The tsung yo bing were not too greasy and were really flaky. I also like that they serve it with the sweet soy sauce. Yum! I may become a regular.
(4)Lisa H.
This rating is for their fried pork rice plate. Cheap and delicious. My friends always get this dish without fail whenever we come here for lunch and I decide to be different and order a noodle dish. Fail. I always regret my decision because their pork dish just tastes so much better. All kidding aside, for Boston, Taiwan Cafe has good Chinese food. (although it doesn't compare to Houston or California's Chinese food).
(4)Minnie M.
A friend brought me here recently and I have been raving ever since. The M-F lunch specials are a great deal- 3 dishes plus soup and rice for 20- We got Chinese mushrooms and bok choy, ma po tofu, Kung pao chicken. Everything was amazing. Can't wait to go back to try other dishes.
(5)Chika M.
Great food with great price! Stir fried eggplant, water crest, and scrambled egg with beef and tomato over rice (don't know the official name on manu), spicy chicken, noodle soup, and lobster... the list goes on. There is no bad choice at this restaurant!
(5)Meghan S.
Fresh, delicious and fast. Perfect for lunch and with rather large lunch portions for only $6.65. I love the braised eggplant with basil and can not stop drooling over mustard green with edamame and tofu, where the tofu is cut like thin noodles. You won't run into a greasy, western-style Chinese dish here
(4)I-Chun C.
I'm going to have to give 2 stars for this one. I was so excited to eat here because I've been missing Taiwanese food since last time I was in Taiwan (August '09). I went with my friend Lynn (also Taiwanese) who's become my Chinatown partner in crime. We got 4 dishes: oyster omelette, kong xin cai (Chinese spinach? Chinese watercress? I don't know if it has an official English name), 3 cup chicken, and suan cai da chang - pickled mustard greens with pork intestine (DOESN'T THAT SOUND APPETIZING?). Yes, that's too much food for 2 little asian girls, but we wanted to get a good variety - the way a Taiwanese meal is supposed to be. The mustard greens and intestine was definitely the best dish (you must be shocked). Really good texture, and plenty of meatiness. However, we both found the dish a little sweet for our taste. The Chinese spinach was delicious and simple, just as it should have been. The 3 cup chicken was nice but not the best I've had (my friend didn't like it). My friend doesn't eat oysters so I got the oyster omelette for myself. I simply did not enjoy it. Way too crispy on the outside while somehow being way too gooey on the inside. The consistency was all wrong. It tasted OK, but the sauce was also all wrong - it was a dark brown color instead of the light pink chili sauce it's meant to be. I wish I hadn't ordered it because right when we left the restaurant my stomach started turning. I was supposed to go to my friend's house in Cleveland Circle but I barely made it home east of Washington Square without throwing up all over the C-line travelers. I don't think I'll go back - then again I might be moving to Taiwan soon so I won't have to!
(2)E K.
Decent food at good prices. Quick service, but it is sometimes difficult to get the attention of servers. Will go again!
(4)Tara T.
Omnomnomnomnom. That's what I have to say for this place. Cheap, tasty, comfort food for those who LOVE all things Taiwanese. The Lu Rou Fan is so good and so much like what you would get on the streets of Taiwan - the only complaint is it's missing the boiled tea egg that typically comes with the dish. Soupy dumprings with crabmeat on top - done to perfection and they RARELY break on me. (One of the most frustrating things is to have a delicious soup dumpring only to have the skin rupture and the soup runneth everywhere.) Almost as good as Din Tai Fung's dumprings. And the oyster pancake! Oh my God, oyster pancakes - omnomnom. Not too much sauce, tons of oysters and spinach, fried to oily perfection. So good. I'm so glad they opened up again, because I have sorely missed Taiwan Cafe in the last six months.
(4)Anita D.
After a long day of sightseeing, my bestie and I ended up in Chinatown. What better way to experience Chinatown then trying their food? So we quickily yelped a place to eat and decided on Taiwan Cafe. For the most part the waitresses are obnoxious here and could careless with the exception of one. She never left our water glasses or tea empty. She was very accomodating when we asked for more utensils and such. The portions here are huge! I ordered the chicken with vegetables and could barely finish half of my plate. My friend had some hearty noodle soup and i really liked that as well. They added white pepper and it gave the dish an extra kick.
(3)Huan z.
It's always so crowed here during lunch time. Their best dish is a traditional Taiwanese dish, called Three-Cup Chicken. I am not usually here for the food. I am usually here in the summer for the Chinese style shaving ice. It reminds my old summer time in Shang Hai. My favorite choice here is ice with green bean. Yummy!
(3)Claudia S.
The food is to die for! Addicted to their fried tofu with the garlic sauce. Kids love the dumplings, scallion pancakes. Everything we tried is soo good. Very cheap too, 4 of us eat and took home leftovers for under $30!
(5)Opal L.
It is very rare to find food this good and so cheap. For only $5.50, I got a deep fried quarter chicken leg, cabbage, rice with braised pork topping (the stuff made with pickled cabbage), hard boiled egg cooked in some kind of sauce, and soup. I think it was more than just the quarter chicken leg because there were some extra breast pieces too. The flavors make the chicken so much better than KFC. The dish is called "Crispy chicken quarter leg on rice platter". There's a chicken cutlet on rice platter too if you don't want to deal with bones. I got it for take-out and the bag felt so heavy as I carried it home. About half of it is still in the fridge after I ate so much that I fell asleep. The food is so good at this place! However, if you're looking for fancy tables and stuff like that, this is not it. Go there for the great food in a very casual place.
(5)Francine W.
It was okay. The XLB were decent for Boston.. scallion pancakes were good. The salty/pepper fried squid was mediocre. The flavor wasn't that strong and the squid itself could have been higher quality. I'd like to come back and try some other dishes though because I glanced around at other tables and their food looked pretty decent!
(3)Lily L.
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.
(4)Charles T.
Decent food priced well. Recommend the house special pork chop rice plate.
(3)Terry L.
Like many other restaurants in Chinatown, Taiwan Cafe is unassuming from the exterior. It fits into its surroundings. A slightly dirty, hole-in-the-wall joint. There ain't nothing fancy about it. Taiwan Cafe is all about the food. It is really stellar. The menu is authentic. The flavors are authentic. If you want to take a culinary adventure, you can order some of the more unique dishes such as intestine or chicken feet. I wasn't feeling my Andrew Zimmern on the evening I went, so I stuck with a fairly safe mix and was pleased from start to finish. The tea is excellent, the seafood is fresh, the eggplant is sublime, and the flavors are truly wonderful. If you are wandering around Chinatown looking for an authentic and flavorful experience, don't get turned off when walking past this place. Go in, sit down and enjoy. You won't regret it.
(4)Shuan L.
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.
(4)richard s.
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.
(4)Michael Y.
Everything I've had here is great. The stuff that's traditionally street food isn't as good as it would be in Taiwan, but I chalk that largely up to the cooking facilities that would be impractical to have in an indoors restaurant. My go to place to eat when I'm hungry and in the area
(5)Q S.
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.
(4)David S.
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!
(5)M. Deloris D.
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.
(2)Mark Z.
From San Francisco. The pork and crab dumplings were really good! Never had it before.
(4)Sand R.
My friend loves this place. We were visiting Boston last weekend so I was very excited to try it, but it was closed for remodeling...So cannot judge the quality of their food. Just want people to know that the store is going to closed for a while.
(3)Ben W.
Great REAL Chinese Food in Boston!
(4)Esther W.
So I've only eaten here once for lunch so I don't think I can give a fair review yet but I was very happy with my meal and I will definitely go again to try other dishes in the future. Based on recommendations, we ordered the fried pork chop over rice (which comes with a soy sauce egg and some cabbage) and the eggplant with basil. All dishes come with mediocre egg drop soup. Both dishes were really good and filling and BIG, and the food came out super quickly. My friend and I shared two dishes, ate until we were stuffed and still had enough leftover to take home (my lunch the next day!). And the best part? Each dish was about $5-6 each. Not bad at all for a filling, yummy, quality meal~!
(4)Meg B.
The food here is awesome. Very different from Cantonese-style that is more readily found in most Chinese restaurants in town. Many of the dishes are what can be found in parts of mainland China--the most similar we have found to authentic Hunanese cooking. The atmosphere is very cramped, but the staff is great and the prices are very reasonable. Grab an ice cold Tsingtao to go with your meal and enjoy!
(4)Jon L.
Came here for late night snack with some friends and ordered way too much food. To be honest, I really don't remember most of what we got, though the best was these fried sweet taro dumpling thingees. So yummy. The other food was alright, though nothing spectacular. On a side note, I went with a couple of people straight from Taiwan, who said the food, while okay, was not particularly authentic. Pricewise, it was pretty cheap, lots of food for something like 10 bucks a person. Something that was neither particularly good or bad, the owner of the place seems somewhat sketchy. He came over to our table and was being chatty, though he seemed to think he was some sort of big shot that we should have heard of. Um no. Owning two Chinese restaurants in NY does not make you a superstar. He also was unwilling to help out at all...refused to take our orders or to take a picture from us, motioning over the wait staff to do all this stuff. I have never once been to a Chinese restaurant where the owner was so stuck up. Usually, they're really schmoozy and willing to do anything to make you feel welcome. So he sorta sucked. Bottom line, relatively good food, silly owner.
(3)Cathy L.
Highly highly recommend this place. Pretty authentic (though Americanized in a few ways). Loved the crispy tofu, braised eggplant, watercress with garlic, and vegetable steamed dumplings. And somehow with drinks, we only paid $15 each...an amazing deal for very yummy food!
(4)Yvonne W.
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!
(4)Ian S.
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!
(3)Will N.
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.
(4)Tom E.
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!
(5)Jack C.
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?
(5)Chris T.
friday night arrived, i was hungry for somethin' i headed to China Town, with a cravin for dumplin's! taiwan cafe had great reviews, so i gave it a try the wait wasn't too bad; about 10 minutes outside typical bustling asian restaurant, lively and fun dumpling-items on the menu? we only saw 1 the waitress claimed they only had ones w/ vegetables oh well, everything on the menu seemed perfectly edible the chicken w/ sweet & sour was enough to feed an army it was a tasty entree, and the place was charming i'll definitely be back again, as the food was fantastic oh, and they only take cash; sorry, no plastic it was only $20 for 2 people, and i leave you w/ one thing: it was very enjoyable, and i'll be back to find the dumplings
(4)Jo-Anna L.
Overall, very pleased. Delicious watercress and beef dish and a crispy noodle dish. Ordered the steamed dumplings with the broth inside. Very good, but not as good as I had in China. The only annoyance here was the cash only policy, had to run out and find an open ATM at 10 o'clock at night. Guess that's my fault for not reading the cash only sign on the door. I'd go here again, most certainly.
(4)CharlCharl C.
I went to this restaurant on a saturday night around 5 o'clock. The food is nothing special and some dishes are tasteless. The price is quit cheap, ranging from $5-$10 per dish. However, the service was really bad. The food came out 5 minutes after we ordered, after eating for half an hour, the waitresses came around twice to ask if we were done with the food while I was still chewing on my food. Me and my friend ordered 1 noodle, 1 rice plate, and a specialty dish. Our dishes were still full of food and I was still holding on to my chopstick. I will not come here again. When I go out to eat, I expect quality service because I will sure pay tips at the end of the meal. The restaurant was not even busy when the waitresses came to rush us. I WILL NEVER RETURN TO TAIWAN CAFE EVER AGAIN. If you do not want waitresses to rush you out twice within 5 minutes, don't come here.
(1)Erdan L.
First time we tried it it was so-so. Maybe we did not order the right dish. Then we tried again and the food is much better. We will come back soon
(4)Betty P.
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 . . .
(4)cassy f.
Super yummy food. Quick service. Make sure you bring cash. (suggestions: eggplant with basil, tomato/egg/beef over rice, long horn pepper with beef, silken tofu, bamboo shoots with pork)
(5)j e.
I went here exclusively to try their soup dumplings and I can say that the bar was set low, but these may be the best soup dumplings I've had in Boston. Definitely better than tea house. Certainly not Din Tai Fung but totally adequate.
(4)Vanessa L.
This place is great, cash only, but you don't need too much because it is pretty cheap. We had spicy eggplant, scallion pancakes and a bean curd edamame dish and it was all amazing. The place is pretty hoppin on the weekends, friendly staff, hot tea, cheap prices, I'd go again.
(4)Kris M.
Both of my Chinese instructors (xianzai wo xuexi Hanyu!) reccomended this place to me as probably the best Chinese food in Boston's Chinatown, so naturally I had to try it. The menu is long and impressive, and full of delicious sounding things. I opted for the Taiwan style duck for takeout, and it was very well done! A bit boney, but duck can be at times. The restaurant itself seemed well decorated and decently sized, and the waitresses were attentive. All in all, a solid place for Chinese, though perhaps not my favorite.
(4)Al N.
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!
(5)Cathy L.
Yay for Taiwanese food! I absolutely love this place because of the delicious and gigantic portions. Two orders of noodles will feed about 4 people. The green onion pancake isn't the best but will curb my cravings if I am ever in the mood for it. Great service with even better prices.
(4)Joshua K.
I haven't had a ton of dishes from this place, but every noodle dish I've tried has been amazing. The prices are quite reasonable and the portions are plentiful. Its about as authentic as it can get (take the word of a white jewish kid for what its worth). My favorite place in Chinatown. One downside, the only beer they have is Tingstao...
(5)Dawen H.
Surprisingly close to authentic! Not bad.
(4)Kit Y.
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 :)
(3)Will C.
whenever I'm either flying into or departing from Logan, I always make a pit stop to grab some taiwanese style pot stickers. juicy meat, thin dough = a real crowd pleaser ;) i don't even know what else to eat here, because I only get the pot stickers! parking can be a pain in the okole, but that's to be expected.
(4)Brendan H.
The best Chinese food in Boston, as far as I'm concerned. Ambiance is nonexistent and service can be a little slow, but the food is authentic Taiwan Chinese and as good as it gets around here. And, also, just incredibly cheap. The 7 dollar lunch special is an unbeatable value. I like the eggplant with basil, the ma po tofu (not strictly authentic as it contains no park, but I don't mind since I'm a vegetarian) and the mustard greens with edamame. Freaking awesome, and it always brings me joy to eat here.
(5)Karmic B.
We were in Boston for a conference, and boy I was glad to find this place to indulge. We tried dumplings house first, not impressed. The second day, we stumbled on Taiwan cafe and had much better experience. The food is good; we tried different small plates, from spring onion flatbread ( some call it pancake), watercress stir-fry, basil clams...and of course the soup dumplings. Yes, the place is small and crowded; but I find the servers friendly and accomodating. The kitchen and waitstaff are efficient! When you eat out in a busy eatery, either in Boston, Mexico City, Paris or Hong Kong, make sure to make eye contact with the wait staff, give clear order, be friendly and patient, and thank them when they do a good job. By the way, if you try to be adventurous and order something "unusual", then learn from the experience. Stinky tofu is supposed to have strong flavor and fragrance (doesn't the name give a clue?) and soup dumplings do have hot broth in them (surprise!)
(4)Ashley J.
I heart Taiwan cafe. The food here is fantastic and so fairly priced. I love that there is never a huge wait. Some people complained about the service but I found it to be average which was fine. I dont like super chatty clingy waitresses. We had the salt and pepper crab, the beef with longhorn peppers, clams in black bean and basil, and the soup dumplings. The crab and clams where out of this world. I am sad again to say the dumplings were average. If anyone knows a good soup dumpling place in Boston please PM me because I have not liked any of the standard places yet. The beef was very traditional and super spicy and tasty but I felt the 70% peppers to 30% beef was a little to strong for my taste. Even 50/50 would have been OK. All in all this one of our go to places.
(4)Kendra M.
By far my favorite place to go in Chinatown; so authentic, so cheap, so yummy! My favorite dishes there are the eggplant with basil, and the shredded beef with egg and tomato. Seriously, I don't know why I can't make eggplant that tastes so buttery, and the beef just tastes like everything that is good with the world! Portions are huge, and you can expect to spend about $10 for a mountain of food which would include leftovers. If you've got some time, try the Taiwan-style dumplings; because the make them from scratch when you order them, they will probably come after your entree, but are SO worth the wait! Ooh, keep in mind also, it's a cash-only affair!
(5)Mimi W.
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.
(3)Alex B.
When did all the white people find out about this place? I can hardly get a table anymore... not good. Dc: Favorites: Pork w/ bamboo tips Beef w/ longhorn pepper Eggplant w/ basil Steamed Sea bass The first time we ordered the fish I was a little surprised to see it arrive with head, skin, and eyes intact! The waitress was very sweet and she stayed with us and served the fish as we ate. If you show up late the owner will be playing a dice game with all the waitresses. I think they play with their tip money. He was a real character and gave us some complimentary desert for hanging out late. Unfortunately he wouldn't let us get into the dice game as I can't speak Taiwanese there is no way that would have turned out well.. Update: Life is good. Last night I was taught the dice game by the owner. He was letting me bet with his money (how does that make sense???) and made me keep my heafty $3 winnings. ^_^ Another update: Today I went to get brunch, and they have a completely different menu. I had delicious fried dough dipped in warm sweet soy milk and some meat and vegetable buns. Will be going back for that asap.
(5)Jeanne L.
Read all the reviews and decided to try this place out while we were visiting. The good was delicious and the service was surprisingly friendly. Only one minor downside was that they don't have any highchairs, only booster chairs.
(4)Riem K.
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!
(5)Lewis L.
Greasy Taiwanese food... I don't know why this place is so popular. My friends always wanna come here, but I don't see what's so good about it. I like their cold 5 spice beef and duck tongue, but not much else interests me. Too much msg and oil.
(3)Lisa C.
Frankly, I was a little skeptical because the outside of this place looks skanky. However, what this place lacks in atmosphere, it certainly has in value and service. I was just going to order the minced pork over rice, which at less than $3 seemed a steal, but my friend encouraged me to try a few other things - so I paired it a red bean bun. Everything was delicious. All in, lunch was like $8 per person (sake included!). It was a fantastic bargain and we found the service to be excellent. We were seated right away (at around noon) but by the time we were leaving, there was a line to get in, so you might want to get there early.
(4)jack p.
This place is way beyond anything you'd expect from Boston's chinatown. It's really, really fantastic. You should go and eat family style and order fewer dishes than you have people because the portions are very large. The braised eggplant with basil is amazing. Amazing stuff always happens here, too--I always meet interesting people or find some fantastic new dish. Once when I was getting take-out they served me tea while I was waiting! How many places do that? Answer: none that I am aware of! Just go and try it. It has no atmosphere at all, but doesn't need it.
(5)Jeni Y.
no, no, it wasn't because it was one in the morning and we were starving. This restaurant had the typical Chinatown eatery look, its decor complete with random red and gold trinkets, an out-of-place calendar, and plastic tablecloths. But the dishes here more than surprised me. Not only was everything we ordered (um, 5 dishes for the 3 of us) completely authentic, a lot of the menu contained dishes that I didn't think ever made its way out of Asia (styles of dishes, not miscellaneous body parts - geez). Too bad I don't go to Boston often (actually, I don't really mind), but next time I'm there, I'm here.
(4)Raymond W.
Mmmm mmmm meals following manual labor are great, Meals following manual labor on the parents dime and at a good establishment are even better. I ordered the childhood favorite chicken cutlet on rice. The chicken was thin, crispy, and juicy. The rice and meat wasn't that greasy, and didn't have too much fat. The cabbage was flavorful and melted in my mouth and the rest followed. My sister got noodles with eel which was also tasty, but really oily. My dad got a fish with spicy chili sauce and tofu which was huge and delicious. This may possibly be one of my rotating go tos in Boston's Chinatown when all else fails. Take that DC Chinatown.
(5)So S.
Ever had steamed pork/crab buns/dumplings that oozes amazing juices when you bite into them? Believe me if you have never tried this dish then you are missing out. It is very UNIQUE and you won't find anywhere else in Boston. Also, have hot soybean milk on weekends. Very good Tawainese and Shanghai food in a clean nice enviroment in Chinatown. If you get a chance, try to go to Joe Shanghai in NY 'cause they have the BEST buns/dumplings around. It is very famous and even celebrities have been known to go there. Just hop on any of the $15 buses that will take you straight to chinatown in NY!
(4)Lisa P.
I've had the dumplings, the beef noodle soup, the oyster pancake, the fried rice cakes, and the meat sauce on rice- all pretty tasty but a little greasy. What I was really looking forward to and ultimately disappointed in were the dumplings. I love dumplings and I've made a habit of actively seeking them out. The filling in their dumplings just wasn't good- it was too salty and had a weird flavor and texture. My friend Jess and I ended up picking out all the meat and eating only the skins. I like the rest of their food ok though.
(3)Mike C.
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.
(4)Dennis C.
NOM NOM NOM...this place is definitely best Taiwanese food in Boston that I've found in my 4 months here. I think any good measure of Taiwanese food is how good their pork chop rice is and this place definitely delivers! Their stinky tofu is also is the best/stinkiest you'll find in Boston. Good portions for a single rice dish as well as reasonably priced family style dishes. I come here whenever I want good Taiwanese food...highly recommended!
(4)Kevin W.
This place doesn't take credit, what year are we in?!
(2)H T.
Where else can you find dishes like pickled tripe sausage and blood pudding?? Though, I've never tried the latter. This is very authentic chinese cuisine. Have you watched Fear Factor and thought that you could eat those similar types of food? So if you're feeling adventurous and curious enough to try some real un-Americanized food, head out to Taiwan Cafe. But if you're not into "strange" foods, don't let that deter you from this place either. There are plenty of more conventional options that are just as good. Five spiced braised beef w/ noodles in soup, house special pork chops, fried noodle dishes, steamed dumplings and buns, noodles with pork and vegetables are just some of the choices.. If you're vegetarian, my fav veg dish so far is the spicy sauteed eggplant with basil, served with rice, very spicy and so good.. but you can adjust the heat. Cons- Cash only and server speaks limited English, but friendly and helpful. Parking is hard around Chinatown, so take the T. ......................... Update (5/9/07): Still love the eggplant basil dish. Other foods not as good. Rice a bit soggy, too much water.
(3)Cecilia Z.
Best Taiwanese food in Boston. Having grown up in China and lived in Flushing, New York, I have always found the Chinatown in Boston quite pathetic. None of the dim sum places does chicken feet right, none of the bakeries serve the real array of Chinese pastries, none of the bubble tea places in Chinatown is worth stepping in (no, Tea stop is only alright by American standard, don't say I'm judging until you have had Tian Ren in New York). All these negative vibes I had from Chinatown are exactly why I marveled at Taiwan Cafe. The oyster pancake is exactly how it should be, the beef brisket noodles are almost on par with the famed Taiwanese night market taste. Almost everything I order here comes the way I expect them to. Notice that I said almost: stinky tofu never satisfied me, stir-fried bean-curd with veggies had a weird bitter after taste the two times I ordered it. It's weird since I suspect that the place is owned by the same guy who owns the Taiwan Cafe in Flushing but some how it fails to deliver the exact same taste on some signature Taiwanese flavor. In terms of the crammed space and quality of service, I have no idea why some people would expect so much when the check for a family style huge meal for 3 would only comes up to around $50. Seriously, go to PF Chang's and see what you will get over there.
(4)Doris K.
Two people TEN BUCKS! What a steal! I have been here twice, both times in the morning on the weekends. The "small lion buns" #35 were amazing and almost as good as the ones that I've had in Asia. The scallion pancake was a little bit too thick but still very crispy, and the steamed/fried pork buns (4) were huge and filling. I have also had so many of their noodles dishes that it's too many to name but each one has been great in it's own way. Now as a warning I didn't order all these items at once but a combination of two items was certainly more than enough to feed two people. As for service it just depends on which waitress comes to you. Some are nice but there was one grouchy person at our last visit. Overall this place is a great find and don't be afraid of trying new things because if you don't really enjoy what you've received, things are so cheap that you could try again!
(4)Rob Y.
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.
(4)Sean C.
One of the best Taiwanese style restaurants in Boston. The food is really tasty and unique. It is really hard to find Taiwanese food in Boston, the Taiwan Cafe is just The One and the Best One. It will be very crowded during the lunch and dinner time.
(5)Jon S.
More than four stars, but not five. My second favorite place in Chinatown, and less crowded than Gourmet Dumpling House. Ma po tofu, sauteed mushrooms, and pork with taro are my favorites.
(4)A D.
Ok - this place is definitely in Chinatown. Anyways - the service is terrible. Our waitress misunderstood our order, got it wrong, brought it to the table, and then argued with us for several minutes insisting that we were wrong. After telling us we were wrong she insisted that we take the wrong order anyway and had a terrible attitude. We took the wrong order anyway, an oyster omelette, and it wasn't that good. I ordered a noodle soup with flat noodles and vegetables. The noodles were not that great. I've had several much better noodle soups before. Other friend ordered wonton/noodle soup which he wasn't a big fan of. Other than cheap prices, there are much better place to eat taiwanese food than here. I will never go back.
(1)Christine W.
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.
(5)Anthony L.
good for genuine taiwanese food. i came while i was craving jellyfish, and their jellyfish disappointed me a lot. everything else was very good though
(4)sato h.
The service is great, everyone is so nice. And their xiaolongbao is awesome. but it takes about 15 -20 min to cook them so i always order as soon as i sit down, before looking at the menu!
(5)Shuo S.
Most of the Taiwanese people I know in Boston say it's one of the two great Taiwanese restaurants around (the other being MuLan in Cambridge). For the price, there's not much to complain about (~$12pp for dinner) - you get your standard-issue greasy Taiwanese food (pretty authentic, so a lot of the menu choices will not satisfy Americanized palates) along with a cup of tea. If you're going for the first time, try the shiao long bao (pork buns) if you go in a group. Those are really authentic and tasty...getting them into your mouth without having them come apart is something of an art form. The other favorites include fried pork chop, hollow veggies, beef with tomato and egg, to name a few. Try it if you're feeling daring and wanna do cuisine that's not been changed to satiate American taste buds.
(3)Phoebe S.
I haven't really had a wide range of dishes here - I'm pretty stuck on the fantastic beef and long-horned peppers, and the spicy salted fried calamari - but most things I have had are delicious, including the following (I don't have the menu in front of me, so I'm guessing at the names): Pan fried Taiwanese dumplings (they tell you this dish will take 20 minutes, but it never does) Bacon cut pork Eggplant with basil sauce Clams with basil sauce Sa cha beef with watercress Mustard greens, tofu and edaname (amazing with a little bit of salt) I could do without the Taiwanese wonton soup, but that's about it for cons. Very quick service, reasonable prices!
(5)Hans M.
Maybe it's good enough for Boston. But this Taiwan Cafe isn't great. The price is expensive. West Coast has much better Taiwanese food. Having said those, Taiwan Cafe does offer a very "homie" Taiwanese feel on its food. They have many loyal Taiwanese customers (which is always a good sign). Try it, maybe you will like it better than I do.
(3)Spencer N.
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.
(5)Dorothy C.
Thanks, fellow-yelpers, for tipping me off to Taiwan Cafe - otherwise, I'd never have taken my step-dad and mom. They LOVED it, and are pickier than anything. Awesome noodle-soups [get the "hearty" ones for more noodles], home-made dumplings [just ask for them, we couldn't find them on the menu, and they made them from scratch, just for our 3 year-old son], and the crispiest yummiest scallion pancakes we've ever encountered. The crispy-fried tofu was silky, delicate, and yummy. The sticky-rice with mushrooms and pork with gravy is cooked in a bamboo-shoot cup, and tastes just like a zonsu [those things cooked in babmoo leaves] - and the favorite of our 3 year-old. Cash only, filled with a mix of chinatown-inhabitants and asian people who trek in. NOT A TOURIST ATTRACTION. Sodas are only from a can... No Diet Coke [Only Pepsi Products], but we love it here.
(5)Hiroko S.
When I was attending the English summer course, some Taiwanese students took me here. According to their comments, some dishes were better than Taiwan restaurant. However I didn't feel it special. Go there with lots of friends otherwise you miss lots of good dishes. Sharing is Taiwanese foods mind.
(3)D H.
I would really recommend going there on a weekend to try their Taiwanese brunch. I especially like their salty soymilk, which is much better than it sounds. It's more of a soup, filled with many goodies. Their braised pork with mustard greens and cilantro sandwiched in a rice cake was also not bad at all, and almost as good as ones I've had in Taiwan.
(3)Eric P.
I found this place first through a mention in Rough Guides Boston (I live here, but a good tourist guide is still a great start sometimes), then confirmed it by checking Yelp, then visited in person. One visit so far, hopefully many more to come! It's a good thing I checked it out through reviews, because there is nothing about the location, quality of decor, service, cleanliness, signage, etc. that sets this place apart from any other in Chinatown. What does set it apart is the food. Go here to try a large selection of unusual, regional Chinese food. We had some soup dumplings (5 Stars - yay!), pork liver (4 stars), and pork with mustard greens (3 stars - menu said spicy, but it was actually quite bland, not a hint of spice at all). Again, if you love Chinatown dives with fantastic food and so-so everything else, this is your place. If you're looking for a place with all the accouterments of fine dining, look elsewhere.
(4)missy J.
The space is tiny but the food was very yummy. I ordered scallion pancakes, and pan fried dumplings. And they were pipping hot very our the pan which I love. The food tasted very fresh. The only thing I would like is for them to have better descriptions of items on the menu. I ordered the taiwan dumplings thinking it might just have meat in it. It ended up having shrimp in it and one of my friends is highly allergic to seafood. Thank goodness I ate it first and was able to warn him! :)
(4)Byron M.
This is a good taiwanese restaurant that offers a wide assortment of food. The prices are reasonable and the service has been good each time that I have been there. I enjoy the pork chop rice dish as well as the edaname beans. Soups are also good here. Most of the customers order the steamed Shao Long Bao which is a dumpling that has a soupy filling inside. Really good.
(3)Tiffany D.
I haven't had good Xiao Long Baos in awhile (outside of Taiwan) so if you're in Boston, I recommend this place for them! While the other dishes are pretty good, I usually just order a whole batch of the baos home to eat for a quick meal! I also recommend the Pork Chop Rice dish (comes with a soy sauce egg too!!!)... the duck tongue appetizer, the Taiwanese dumplings and the Taiwanese Sausage are all delicious as well!! I love their soups and noodle soups!! Also try the tofu w/ duck egg (thousand year egg/preserved egg -- ask for cilantro!!!) which is my absolute FAV!!! AND their tomato/egg/beef over rice dish!!! The spicy pepper beef dish is AMAZING too...... GAH!!! So much to talk about, so much to eat -- seriously you CAN'T go wrong!!! It's cheap and YUMMY!!!
(5)Joshua D.
This place serves delicious regional Chinese food, which is always well-prepared, and is one of my mainstays whenever I am in Boston. Be sure to visit the ATM before you go, because this place is cash-only. The waiters bring your food as soon as it is ready, so it is never cold. However, you might get your appetizers after your entree.
(5)Aimz P.
good taste and not pricey like another restaurant
(4)Marietta A.
mmmmmmmm.....pork dumplings.. mmmmm.. soupy pork dumplings and tea. Yet to have a bad meal here. The prices are fantastic, the food is tasty. A few things have been a bit on the oily side, but I can overlook that. Went here with a group of about 8 people, and it was great. Everyone was really happy with their food. Have been numerous other times and always just really good. Cash only people!!!!! Know before you go!
(4)John C.
Visiting Boston and went based on reviews here on Yelp. Good food! I liked their Chinese sausage fried rice, oyster pancake and 3 cups chicken. Well done!
(4)Emily C.
Awesome Taiwanese food. Was definitely the place to go when I was craving food that reminded me of my mom's home-cooked meals. The breakfast food is awesome. It feels like you just walked in off the streets of Taipei with your first bite. They also have shaved ice for dessert with all the traditional toppings. Delish!
(4)Michael B.
This Taiwanese restaurant is one the best I've been to in Chinatown. The signature dishes that I go for are the pork chops with rice (great value, very large portions), fried pork intestines, rice with shredded pork (can't think of a proper translation from chinese), the seafood pancake.. Prices are very reasonable, and it's great for lunch specials or a quick meal.
(5)Ryuji S.
Taiwan Cafe is a good place to know when you don't have many dining options, like after 10pm, day after snow storm and what not. Their menu is good, food is good, price is good. If they fixed the broken ceiling and a improve some little things like those mentioned in other reviews (waitstaff is often rushing and forget things), they will surely earn one more star.
(4)veronica c.
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!
(1)Blake V.
This is great asian cuisine. I'm a fan of the beef with poblano peppers (long horn peppers), the fried dumplings, the mini steamed pork buns, and the amazing crab with ginger and scallion (difficult to eat, but worth every messy bite.) I also dug the oddly named Oyster Pancake, which was actually an omelet loaded with oysters and topped with a red, bean-paste sauce, Better still was the "Steamed Taichung Style Meatball." This is not your nonni's meatball. It has a gluey, gel-like shell filled with bits of chopped mystery meat and topped with the same red bean sauce that's on the oyster dish.
(5)Anonymous P.
I'm not a huge fan of Taiwan Cafe. I've been here twice, and haven't really enjoyed either meal. The biggest complaint I have is the gummy, watery rice. Rice is really important to me and this doesn't cut it. The chilled appetizers I've tried have an unpleasant refrigerator tinge to them. Everything is spiced crudely, except for one mixed seafood dish that had no spice at all--not even soy sauce. Service has been rude. The place is uncomfortable cramped. And it's cash only. I don't intend to go back. I prefer Peach Farm 20 seconds away.
(2)cj m.
I tried the taiwanese style stir-fried noodle with pork. It was average. Each time I eat here, I always feel that the food is slicker than usual (e.g., maybe it has more oil?) The portions are huge though. Each serving can easily feed two. Prices are affordable and the wait time is around 5-10 minutes during lunch time.
(3)Ting Ting W.
If they have negative stars I would have given this place negative 5! That's how bad this restaurant was. Since I was traveling in from Orange County I'm used to great Taiwanese food and since I was in Chinatown here in Boston I had to try one of the restaurants here. From the 4 stars that yelp viewers gave to this restaurant, I decided to come here. The restaurant was super small, there was hardly anyone there. They were super rude when I walked in and just threw a cup of tea on my table. I read the yelp reviews which raved about the beef noodle soup. So I had to try it. When it came out, I couldn't believe that was it. It was a large bowl of noodles in a thick layer of oil that was supposed to be the soup. It was disgusting...I couldn't believe they would serve something like that. I took a bite of the noodles because I was starving trying to wipe off all the access oil and the noodles were soggy. They couldn't even cook the noodles right! I ended up just eating the few pieces of beef that was in it and left the rest of the untouched bowl of noodles there. The waiter even came by after he saw the bowl untouched and asked me how it was. When I told him it was super greasy he just walked away. I was shocked! Why ask me how it was if you don't even care. I ended up just paying for the noodles and left right away. I can say that Taiwan Cafe is the worst restaurant I have ever been to. Do not even bother to go. I passed by tons of other Chinese restaurants before that one and should of chose one of them instead. The bowl of noodle was $6.50. They should of paid me for eating that bowl of noodles!!!
(1)ER D.
Nice place. The food is authentic, the portion is big, and the price is very affordable. I came here during a trip to Boston Conference and I ordered the Pork Chop rice that yelpers praised about. It did not disappoint me! IF i have more time in boston, i'll try other dishes, but for now, I think it gets a 4 star from me!
(4)Anne W.
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.
(3)Sarah M.
Was hungry for something quick and cheap and filling. The stewed minced pork over rice fit the bill exactly. That much deliciousness for $3.25? Yes please.
(4)Yiling W.
Delicious soup dumplings! Go for the soup dumplings, stay for the beef noodle soup (I hear). Things I actually tried, which were delicious: tofu, fried crullers, ..and more soup dumplings. Brunch menu only goes to 3PM, so hurry, now!
(4)Princess M.
This is still my favorite Taiwanese restaurant in the Boston area. I always tend to order their chicken chop on rice and 3-cup chicken. The chicken chop always turns out very crispy and nicely. The 3-cup chicken is also super savory and mouth wateringly delicious.
(4)Mi L.
Cheap prices for large bowls. And the taste is good. Two of us spent around $30 including tax and tips here for tonight. There is no need to queue. They have quite cheap lunch specials too, worth trying definitely.
(4)Melissa L.
Having grown up in Chinatown, I have probably passed by Taiwan Cafe a million times on my way to China Pearl, Sun Sun Market, Crown Bakery, without noticing it at all. Being Cantonese, my family only went to Asian Garden, Ho Yuen Ting, and other Cantonese Restaurants in the area. It wasn't until recently, when my Taiwanese girlfriend took me to Taiwan Cafe, that I realized what I had been missing. I didn't know how different the cuisine could be from what I was used to. We were, after all, all considered Chinese. My girlfriend ordered everything and I fell in love with the food instantly. Among my favorites are the fried pork intestines, perfectly crispy and rich in taste, and the braised pork with bean curd. The pork was sweetened just right and is the perfect accompaniment to white rice. Also delicious are the vegetable dishes like "tung choi" which is dripping with flavor, and the clam and winter melon soup. Unfortunately, I don't know exactly what all the dishes are called, since my girlfriend orders in Mandarin, but there's this one dish with shredded pork and bamboo shoots that is to die for as well. Brunch there is excellent, with salty soybean milk and fried dough, flaky pastries with minced beef, and an assortment of congees and noodle soups, my favorite with pickled cabbage. Prices are low (standard in Chinatown), with your entire meal (soup, entree, veggies, rice) between $20-$30. The only problem is, bring cash, because they don't accept credit cards. I don't speak Mandarin or Taiwanese, so it's hard for me to order the good stuff. Otherwise, service is excellent and the food comes out really quick. One of my favorite places to eat in Chinatown!
(4)Kat C.
In what universe do you find better Taiwanese food in Boston than in San Francisco? It blows my mind. As does Taiwan Cafe's pork chop rice.
(4)Chris C.
Like any good trip to Chinatown, a trip to Taiwan Cafe is best described as a tasty exercise in calculated risk. Their menu features authentic chinese dishes, most of which I know nothing about, but also look pretty good based on the english descriptions. I found the food to be pretty accurate in its authenticity (I've had taiwanese food straight from the source, so I have some standards) and fairly tasty at that. The pork dumplings were quite flavorful and the stinky tofu a sobering reminder of why I avoided it in Taiwan (it's the tofu you love to hate, really). We also had a fried rice dish, featuring a generous amount of egg and oily vegetables, but unfortunately not a generous amount of flavor. My favorite of the main dishes was a pork noodle dish very similar to pork lo-mein (in fact, hardly distinguishable), featuring a nice mix of noodles and crispy vegetables in a soy-esque sauce. On a friday night, we (2) were seated within 15 minutes and served tea immediately. The menu was large, but we managed to order fairly quickly. The food arrived probably between 5 and 8 minutes after our order went in, which we thought was surprisingly fast. Our waitress was nice and accommodating and the dining room was pretty standard for a restaurant in chinatown. Finally, we found the portion sizes so large that we couldn't finish nearly 70% of it all, so we took quite a bit home with us. Best of all, the prices were phenomenal, totaling about $20 for the two of us. I would recommend Taiwan Cafe for anyone seeking an authentic, cheap meal in Chinatown. The service is quick and reliable and the food is solid. For the price, it's worth checking out...and bring some friends with you.
(4)Carol W.
Maybe I'm not ordering the right things off the menu, but I've never really been that impressed with this place, especially given the two other similar type restaurants in the neighborhood. What I do notice though is that it's the cheapest of the three. I've been here 7+ times, each time getting different things, and nothing really stands out to me. When I worked in Chinatown, a coworker told me about a lunch special called the "Durian Special". I saw her eat it a couple of times, and it looked tasty from afar. It came with a pork chop, a tea egg, pickled veggies, and white rice. So, I finally ordered it, and it was literally a package of oil. It was the most disgusting thing that I've ever eaten in Chinatown. I ended up throwing out half of it. I will only come here if a friend insists upon it. Otherwise, i feel like there are way better options close by.
(2)Michelle K.
It is a tradition for me and my girlfriends to come here after shopping in downtown crossing. The food is always fresh and delicious. The beef noodle soup is great in the winter as well as the fresh bacon with taro. In the summer, I always order the peashoots with garlic. Just don't be squeamish. I have seen many silverfish and cockroaches roaming around the restaurant.
(4)Frank T.
The food is acceptable and price is good. The service..... You better be prepared. Not all the waitresses or waiters are of bad attitude but some of them could really piss you off... I went there very often before but stop going there after having several arguments with them. Last time they served me a dish that I didn't order and I told them I didn't order it before the waitress put the dish down. She complained that I was mean on my face.... I know the service of Chinese restaurants in Chinatown is not great. I don't care about it that much normally. This place.... I have to say... the worst one....
(3)Hung L.
Since 2008, I've always thought the best soup dumplings came from Joe Shanghai in NYC because I thought the only soup dumpling in Boston was the Dumpling House which everyone I knew who tried both said it was nothing compared to Joe Shanghai. Well, I can definitely say, Taiwan Cafe's soup dumplings are by far better if not the same as Joe Shanghai's. Their broth was much tastier than Joe's. Now when we have that craving for soup dumplings, we got Taiwan Cafe's right here at home. Found out about this place because I happened to talk to one of the owners when I was working and was talking about NYC and how I loved the food there, after talking to him, he raved about the soup dumplings at Taiwan Cafe for a while before he told me he was one of the owners. At first I thought, yeah yeah, of course he would speak highly of this place its his, but I knew I had to try it, and I'm glad I did, no more having to drive 3 1/2 - 4hours for Joe's when this is wayyyy better. One of the other owners recognized me when I walked in with my wife and made sure we tried the Szechuan Style White Fish and boy was it definitely good. Spicy as hell (not a big fan of spicy lol) but I would definitely get it again. We also got the salty and peppered calamari and seafood fried rice, both are excellent. Been living here forever and for some reason never noticed this place. Definitely a new place for us to hit up whenever we are in Chinatown.
(5)Kimberly H.
It's always a sign that you picked the right place, when you walk past a handful of empty restaurants before walking into your dining destination. Walking in I was greeted with full tables and plenty of steaming options to peek at before we got our table. Since the weather has been steadily cooling, I wanted something warm and filling. I decided on the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup with Spinach. When the massive bowl arrived at the table it was hot enough to give me a facial, just the way I like it. All scalding fears aside, I dug in. The noddles were tender, the beef was flavored well with a kick of spice and the spinach gave the perfect contrast of flavor. But that was all minute details compared to the delicious broth. I could have drank a bowl of just that and been happy. I would definitely order it again and plan to when the snow hits the ground and it's time to hibernate.
(4)Wayne T.
Come here often, like to get take out because service is lacking compared to service. Food is great, like to get noodle soups, pork chop rice plate, & other taiwan specials. They're busy all the time. Dumplings good as well. Min on credit cards, also can't seat till full party there.
(4)Nicole B.
After an exhaustive search on Yelp for the best soup dumplings in Boston, I excitedly made a pilgrimage to Taiwan Cafe this weekend. My mouth was watering as I put down my name for a table and then sat with my friend (and 8 strangers) at a huge circular table by the window. We ordered soup dumplings, General Gau chicken and scallion pancake. The chicken came out first and tasted like it had been made hours ago and then refried to become reheated. Very odd flavor and texture. But the star attraction: the soup dumplings! Sadly, they were not very good. Completely salty and very bland, with a watery soup inside that had no flavor. The scallion pancake was the only redeeming part of this meal, and I could have eaten 10! Overall, the price was incredibly cheap and the atmosphere had a great aroma and authentic feel. They serve tea at the beginning of your meal, but it tastes and looks like dishwater.
(3)Lau F.
Taiwan Cafe, Boston Chinatown Very busy, crowded seating, very noisy, uninteresting decor. Siao lung bao was very juicy and tasty. Probably the best in Boston. Sautéed pea pod leaves and ging dou pai gwa were average.
(3)Jessie L.
This is such a gem. The soup dumplings are probably THE BEST I've ever seen in the states. They are exactly like the ones in Anhui, China (famous for its nice, juicy, big soup dumplings with really thin bun wraps) and they taste delicious! The other dishes are great as well but I am so blown away by the soup dumplings!!!
(5)Janet H.
Omg. The scallion pancakes are SO good!! Also, xiao long baos. Good luck trying to to-go them and walk them back in the rain... about 1/3 of them got smooshed :(
(4)Janet Y.
Their food here is great, we always get the xiao long bao with crab meat on top, some type of pan fried dumplings, the eggplant, and their beef noodle soup with spinach. Their XLB is pretty good, pan fried dumplings are always oily, noodle soup is good and not too spicy for my tasting. I've been here a few times, most of the time with poor or terrible customer service. I had always charged my credit card and able to write down my own tip amount. This last time we went here to eat, we couldn't get a waitress to take our order for over 5 minutes, and when I did get the attention of a waitress, she just ignored me! So we were joking about the tip amount in correlation of their poor service. They must've heard us (speaking in English) because after we charged our credit card, they came back with the tip charged in with the total. WHAT KIND OF ESTABLISHMENT WRITES DOWN YOUR TIP AMOUNT FOR ONLY A PARTY OF 3?? For almost 20% as well!! I would understand if we had a large party.. But seriously?! I should be able to write down how much I want to pay for their service. It's not like we are going to write down anything less than 15%, (I wasn't paying but we generally tip a fair amount). This just proves that they are not having an honest business with their patrons. I like their food but unless I'm paying with cash, there are other restaurants that offers similar food. Patrons beware!!
(2)Olivia J.
Must gets: - Szechuan fish (in a stew... I pick out all the pepper flakes though, they're too spicy) - eggplant with basil - soup dumplings! - Any kind of noodles I also tried their mapo tofu but thought it was way too salty. Go with a group of people (max 4 though, space is small and during prime meal hours there is usually a line) for family style to enjoy a variety of dishes at once. In a group, they take two credit cards max so be sure to take some cash.
(5)Arthur C.
YEAH! TAIWAN FOOD! If anything. Scallion Pancakes. There's a few versions of it, I got the beef and it was faaaaantastic. "Nyo Row Jyuen Bing" for anyone who wants to attempt the mandarin. Flavourful and crisp. Perfection. My order also consisted of 2 order of buns, string beans, and tofu. The menu is really extensive. Allocated yourself some time to read the menu before you plan to eat. And don't be afraid to ask the servers for any recommendation if you can't pick a tofu dish out of the 30 or so that they have. We came just before six so it was alright to get a table but come any later and you could be asking for trouble. Oh and complimentary tea of course!
(4)Philip C.
Great authentic food. Open real late. I read about waitstaff being rude but I didn't have too much of a problem with that. They did however forget to put in our order for soup dumplings but it worked out since we over-ordered food anyways. We did get scallion pancakes, fried pork chop over rice, and pork belly, and pea-tips with garlic, pickled cucumbers. Everything was fantastic and delicious. The pork chop over rice was a extremely generous portion and came with cabbage ad some pickled vegetables. One of the best fried pork chops I have ever had in the US. The outside was crispy and sweet and the meat was nice and tender. The scallion pancake was amazing too, with a nice deep green onion flavor in it. Lightly fried and a seriously delicious midnight snack. I really really wish we got to taste the soup dumplings because thats what everyone raves about in the reviews... guess it will have to wait till next time I am in Boston.
(4)Tiana C.
Best food I have had in Chinatown. I wanted pork soup dumplings and after Yelping a ton, this seemed like the place to get them. Completely accurate. Absolutely. Delicious. Awesome service, very clean place, friendly staff. I did not love the beef scallion roll as every one else on Yelp did, but everything else I had was delicious. We played too safe and had the General's chicken and Sesame chicken. Next time I will definitely step out of my box more. And there WILL be a next time. Try this place out!
(4)Skye W.
I love chinese food and this place served some of what I thought were really authentic dishes (I've never been to Taiwan, so I'm just making assumptions). Their menu is overwhelmingly huge, but everything we got was delicious. Soup dumplings, snow pea shoots, seafood noodles, sooooo good. Chinese food is really good in Toronto and i felt like this was on par.
(5)Alice S.
I came here for dinner with a couple of friends, and I was really surprised to find out that we cannot be seated until every single member of our party has arrived (some people were running a bit late). This was a slight bummer since there was no waiting space for me to wait for my friends. When we were finally seated, the waitress definitely wasn't the friendliest waitress around, but she wasn't rude either. I'm not sure if these waitresses look after certain tables, but I definitely never saw her again. When our tea ran out it was another server who helped us refill. As for the food- it's pretty good. The menu is HUGE and overwhelming, and a pain to browse through. That's my least favorite part about most Chinese restaurants - their menus. I settled with some simple Taiwanese noodles with seafood, and soup dumplings and fried mashed taro with eggs for appetizers. The noodles were pretty good, nothing spectacular though. My favorite part has definitely been the appetizers - the taro snacks were amazing. The soup dumplings were good as well.
(3)Angela M.
I was excited to try this place only to be disappointed. Food was bland and the waitress kept rushing us. I might come back only if I'm starving and this is the only place open. Might.
(3)Ben S.
This is one of Chinatown's many gems, although not as hidden as some. I'm not as much of an authority on Taiwanese food as I'd like to be, but for what it's worth, this is the best Taiwanese restaurant I've been to, and the cheapest to boot. The Spicy Salt & Pepper Fried Chicken Wings, general gau's, and all the other stuff white people order in Chinatown after a night of drinking were all perfect. My Girlfriend insists I try stinky tofu, and I won't, because names of things matter to me, but apparently it is very good here.
(4)Shin L.
I've been here multiple times and have never been disappointed. The food is good and very affordable. They also have an extensive menu, and serve authentic Taiwanese fare. My favorite dishes; best soup dumplings in town, beef noodle soup is yummy, and their rice dishes are delicious and affordable. This place is always busy and many times you have to wait for a table. However, you will be able to get a seat usually within 15 minutes.
(4)Lauren B.
I'm a huge fan of this place because (1) they have a bajillion menu options, and don't look at you weird if you just want to get the 5.95 dumplings which are crazy filling (2) per point #1, their food is really inexpensive (3) everything I've tried there has been yummy and flavorful The pan fried pork buns and soup dumplings are super good. My friend got a scallop dish and was impressed by the number of scallops he got for the price - and they were all melt in your mouth cooked to perfection. The service has been extremely fast all the times I've gone, which is a major plus. Extra perks: they're open until 1am on weekends (and some weekdays I think) and they give you free tea to start the meal with. Maybe the only con is that the space is a little cramped and not impeccably clean, but w/e
(4)Fangning H.
Food is good. But the service is bad. We asked the waitress to recommend something to us. But she just said no. It's so rude. Bad experience.
(1)Dan K.
I've been ordering food from Taiwan Cafe for nearly two years. It's usually adequate and sometimes inedible. Lately, the food has been sub-standard. In the past, I would order the wonton soup and black mushrooms over greens, which had been decent. Recently, I strayed from the tried and true and had the oxymoronic "jumbo" shrimp with with yellow chives. There were 6 small shrimps and as many chives. The dish was 90% sliced onions. The sauteed shrimp with Japanese yum root and soy beans comprised of 10 tiny shrimps (and I mean the smallest shrimps possible) followed by a pound of edamame and 6 slices of yam. Tasteless and overpriced. The black mushrooms over greens was equally tasteless and overcooked. The Republic of China should sue this restaurant for defamation of character.
(1)Peifang H.
A great little place for food. All the food we ordered are delicious. The place is pretty small, so there is always a line to wait. But it's worth waiting
(5)Damien S.
It's hot out. Summer is quickly approaching, the mercury is rising and the window units are popping up like whiteheads at a high school prom. Still, I would wrap myself up in a patchwork blanket of Taiwan Cafe's roast beef scallion pancakes and steam until pink in the fatty, aromatic broth sloshing around their soup dumplings. Order two of each, take the next day off work and let Calgon the Cholesterol-Powered Comfort Demon take you away. And if you need to justify something to your dietician, they wok-fire a mean side of cabbages, chiles and dark, bitter greens.
(4)Andrea P.
Taiwan Cafe never gets old! The food just hits the spot every time. It's definitely a great place to take visitors and make them feel like you took them to a hidden gem in Chinatown. The soup dumplings are a MUST. Not only do they taste amazing, they're just fun to eat! You usually get the whole table laughing if there are any first timers at the table. Another favorite are their rice cakes with pork (you can sub with any meat but pork in my opinion is best). The rice cakes hold in so much flavor and has a texture that you can't get enough of. I also usually get Julienne beef with chinese watercress- it's a spin off of the tradition beef and broccoli that is also delicious. I can go on for days because their menu is huge and there are a TON of options but don't be too overwhelmed! The only reason I need give them 5 starts is their service. It's hit or miss. Sometimes they are OK, other days, they are horrible. Staff can be very abrupt and annoyed when you ask for anything. But hey, you're in Chinatown and they are certainly not known for service.
(4)Marc B.
My first visit, second for my guest. Basic impression was very positive. It's not fancy or spacious, but it's definitely a notch up in decor and cleanliness from the other Boston Chinatown storefront restaurants. A little less crowded, less worn, better tableware and a much cleaner bathroom (though I can't for the life of me figure out why they're playing country music over the bathroom loudspeaker). Hostesses, bussers and waiters were MUCH more pleasant than most of their Chinatown brethren. Service fast and efficient. Every dish was properly made, served piping hot. Taiwanese Dumplings had a moist, flavorful filling. As good or better than version at Gourmet Dumpling House. Beef with Longhorn Peppers featured crisp capsicums and clean, not oily, flavor. Taiwanese Hot and Sour Soup was nuanced, with a moderate level of white pepper heat and vinegar. It looked like a lot, but we finished everything with ease. Nothing was too hot, drowned in soy sauce, nor too oily. Clean flavors, and we left feeling healthy and refreshed. Which you can't say about every Chinatown restaurant. Prices ridiculously reasonable. Three dishes, $24!. We'll be back.
(4)Vassiliki K.
Great place for lunch with a friend. I've come here a couple of times, and both times found the food to be really good. We ordered from their Lunch menu, (Sesame Chicken, Rice and Scallion pancakes) and found that the portions were very satisfying. Be aware that it can get extremely crowded and busy, so don't expect the service to be stellar (hence the four stars) but if one is looking for a good place to grab food in the early afternoon, they should definitely give Taiwan Cafe a try.
(4)Eddie K.
Food and service was pretty good. Restaurant is small, so get there early if you have a large party. We ordered the XLB and Crab XLB. The skin was perfect and the dumplings were very juicy. I would go back here just to eat the dumplings. We also got the twin lobster - while they were good, the ones at Ocean East are a lot better. The rest of our dishes were just okay. We got some noodle dish with minced pork - it was okay, a little bland. See my pictures. Next time I have to try the pork chop over rice and beef noodle soup and get the soup dumplings again!
(4)Steve T.
Super crowded, we had to sit with other folks so we wouldnt have to wait 30 mins. Ordered: Soup dumplings pork+crab meat but didnt notice any crabs in there. But still quite juicy and good Spicy White fish soup - did not know what kind of fish but was yummy Environment: 3, old and dirty and crowded. I sat next to the fish tank and i think they splashed water on me. Food: 8, cant have everything, its always the hole in the walls that have good food Service: 4, typical chinese services, nothing like PF Chang
(4)Jenny S.
This place is beyond awesome!! Here for conference for 4 days and I come here three times, my cousin here 5!! Very authentic, remind me of home. Everything we ordered was good. Wish I have time to try every single thing on the menu however their menu is very extensive with over hundred items on them. Soup dumplings, oyster pancake, Taiwanese style wonton soup, tapioca meet ball. I have not have restaurant that taste like home outside of NYC Flushing for awhile and this place is so good I'm sad I'm leaving town tomorrow.
(5)Julie B.
I ventured into Chinatown with the hopes of getting some delicious noodles, and Taiwan Cafe delivered. The flat noodles with beef and vegetables in shacha sauce were delicious. Definitely something I will return for! I wasn't crazy about some of the other dishes we tried. After reading through reviews we decided to get the scallion pancakes with roast beef. While I loved the idea, there was some sweet, bitter taste in them that I just could not get over. It may have been the raw white onions, not sure. We also ordered the salt and pepper basil chicken, which was decent, but nothing special. I'm not a huge fan of steamed pork buns to begin with and these were just okay -- they were very light and fluffy with a good dough to pork ratio, but the pork was a little to strange of a consistency for me. I wasn't expecting 5-star service but I didn't like that everything came out at completely different times (the noodles, then chicken, then appetizers in that order). Not sure if this is typical but I would have liked to have everything at once or to have had the appetizers come out first. Taiwan Cafe has a giant menu with some very unique items. I'm sure I'll be back for some more noodles and when I'm feeling especially experimental!
(3)Will S.
Went for lunch. Long wait and congested space but food and portion was awesome! Steamed pork dumpling is a must try. It was the best I had out of the three restaurants in Chinatown that offers it as an appetizer. Liked their fresh and crunchy green string beans. The tofu and pork stir fry was good too, but slightly too spicy for my taste. With 3 dishes and 2 bowls of rice, my friend and I spent about $14 per person after tips and tax. I'll be a returning customer.
(4)Kevin C.
Unfortunately, this place does not do any justice to true taiwanese cuisine. And it's even more unfortunate that this place's misrepresentation of taiwanese cuisine has made one of the reviewers here to mistakenly believe that he/she does not like Taiwanese cuisine. I think I had a good sample size of food ordered: potstickers, beef stew noodle, and the beef roll that everyone is raving about. This place definitely filled my cravings for Taiwanese food but the quality does not even come close. The beef noodle soup uses strips of beef, something I have never experienced. Soup base was ok, but the noodles were overcooked. Potstickers were mediocre at best, their filling and wrap could definitely use some work... And the beef wrap... Probably the worst I've had in the states. I don't think they used the right type of beef nor did they use the right type of wrap. The result is a bland and overly greasy beef wrap. Bottom line is: please don't let the name of this restaurant fool you into thinking that you're tasting Taiwanese food, because you're not. This place certainly beats Panda Express and scores itself as an above average place for the common tongue; however, if you're coming here hoping to find traces of what you're used to eating from Taiwan or other authentic Taiwanese restaurants in the US, you will be disappointed. I guarantee it!
(2)Stefan B.
Eh it's okay. At least we didn't have to wait. We got... Oyster pancake Sichuan wonton with chili oil and peanuts sauce Xiaolongbao Shuizhuyu (sichuan boil fish) The oyster pancake wasn't terrible but I never had a good one on the East Coast, so I can't really knock them too hard for that. Wonton was okay. My boyfriend liked it but I was eh on it. Xiaolongbao was terrible. This is one of my favorite foods but I couldn't even eat barely two. My boyfriend had xiaolongbao with me in San Gabriel valley in California and he thought it was better there at Mama Lu's. I'd say it's Din Tai Fung, then Mama Lu's then Dumpling Cafe then these. The worst ones. Even Dumpling Cafe is better ! Shuizhuyu was good but I wanted it spicier. It was at an ok level for my white washed boyfriend but not for me. But it worked out!
(3)Marvin P.
This place is simply amazing! The food way better than any other Chinese food you will find around Boston!
(5)Nik A.
Awesome restaurant. Very authentic Chinese food. Huge selection. I had the pork buns with the slab of roasted pork. Also had a side of chicken tongues which were really good with sauce.
(4)Will C.
I love eating here. Great value, great taste. Favorite dish is the chicken cutlet with the tea egg, ground beef and cabbage over rice. for like 6 bucks. (* mind explodes from great taste and great value *) Only issue is that it is always packed so you have to get here early if you want lunch or dinner.
(4)Rachel L.
Came here after work one night and an extra star for it being opened late. Scored a parking spot and was planning to go to the Dumpling House but they locked their doors and so Taiwan Cafe we went. Entered and the place was still thriving with people. Sat down and was given an extensive menu. So many selections, didn't know where to start. Got some pork belly with complimentary sauce to start off. Didn't expect it to be a cold app, but it was good. Had a lamb hotpot with broth, which also was really good. And a plate of rice cakes with preserved greens. Portions were generous and even had leftovers to go.
(4)Jenny S.
CHEAP TAIWANESE FOOD.... but unfortunately not up to par! the dishes we ordered were as TYPICAL taiwanese as you can get... perhaps that was our mistake & we should have gone w/ that basil eggplant everyone raves about ---Beef stew noodle soup with spinach: flavorful broth but the noodles were OVERCOOKED & too soft (although my boyfriend said they were chewy the week before) ---Pork chop over rice: not bad but LACKING FLAVOR... although you get BANG FOR YOUR BUCK since the plate comes with veggies, a tea egg, PLUS minced pork over the rice FREE hot tea w/ your meal!! NOTE: MIN $20 credit charge
(3)Jessica W.
My husband and I just moved to Boston and were so excited to find this little joint in Chinatown! We came here on a Friday night and waited about 30 minutes, but it was well worth the wait! We ordered the beef wrapped in scallion pancake, soup dumplings, and fried chicken over rice. The beef wrapped in scallion pancake were to die for!!! They were definitely heavy/oily, but abs. delish! The soup dumplings were better than the soup dumplings at gourmet dumpling house.. and the fried chicken over rice was yummy too! Can't wait to stop by again!
(4)Ben G.
Really fantastic lunch. Ordered snap pea shoots with garlic, beef with bamboo shoots and yellow chives, and Taiwanese hot & sour soup. The shoots and beef were just fantastic, as good as food gets; the shoots were hands-down the best I've had anywhere. The hot & sour soup was also quite good -- very peppery, not too thick.
(5)Sarah W.
This place never disappoints, especially if you grew up with Taiwanese food. I lived in the Boston area for 10+ years and this is the one place I kept going back to over and over again. The appetizer tapas (stinky tofu, oyster pancake, etc) are very authentic and portions are fair. Granted, it's a small place in Chinatown so it could be crowded and sometimes you're forced to literally sit next to complete strangers seated at the next table, so if this is not your scene, don't go during busy hours. The service is not particularly great either, but that's pretty standard for Chinatown restaurants anyway. I can handle all those less-than-ideal elements, since it was the best Taiwanese food in Boston. Even though I now live in San Francisco, Taiwan Cafe is the one place on my bucket list that I have to visit whenever I visit Boston.
(5)Alice K.
One of Chinatown's truly authentic restaurants. From the marinated and battered pork chops to the slightly bitter greens (whose presence in my childhood I can recall far better than their English name) the plastic-sheathed menu is cut and carved out of Taiwan. Their renditions of classic Taiwanese dishes are first-rate and *not* for people seeking out nice familiar wontons and fried rice. Courageous folks seeking out new tastes should bring along someone who knows Asian food for real. Highly recommended: aforementioned battered pork chops and any of the steamed buns- both ooze with flavor.
(4)Melissa B.
Love their dumplings and spicy eggplant with basil. Try the pork belly that comes with preserved egg, or the sardines and hot pepper. Rice plates are cheap and the food is great.
(4)Wil C.
Ahhhhh.... this is the place me & my cousin go everytime I visit her on my business trip to Boston. This place is probably as authentic as you can get for traditional type of Taiwanese food & other Chinese food like Sha-Lon-Bao, etc in Boston, which among other things like the service etc. are just somewhat decent. & to remind you, IS CASH ONLY!
(3)Joseph Y.
I've been coming here for 8 years now and at first it was absolute delicious because it was so different than other restaurants in town. The quality of service and food gradually declined over the years. There no doubt in my mind that this is the one of the best Chinese restaurants in town but unfortunately it surely isn't what it used to be. Nevertheless, the prices are very very reasonable (best lunch deal in Chinatown), the food flavorful, and you know what type of quality you're going to get when you stick with what you want. I don't think you can say that for about 95% of the Chinese restaurants in town.
(4)Jos L.
Pretty authentic Taiwanese food in Boston's largely-Canto Chinatown. The stinky tofu is the only good one I've found in the area, so that's a huge plus. The dishes are all reasonably priced, and pretty solid fare, for the most part. I like the soups and noodle soups, and the combos are good. Only weaknesses I've noticed are that some of the fried rice dishes are way too greasy for my taste, and the non-soup noodles are nothing special.
(4)Jason R.
Rich, flavorful authentic food. Went here on a whim with a few friends late on Monday night passing through Boston. We were all extremely impressed with fast service, complementary appetizers and huge portions. We each ordered a main dish and they were so large that we ended up sharing everything. The waitress came out of the kitchen as soon as we had ordered with a plate of hot and sour raw cucumber salad for us to share. Then came a bowl of hot and sour soup that was big enough for all of us to have a small portion. I ordered the szechuan white fish and it arrived in a boiling steel crock with a burner below that kept it hot for the whole meal. It was a favorite among the group. The broth was spicy and rich with a huge amount of small fish filets. Fresh chopped chili were in a mound on top and added more spice as they were stirred into the still-cooking crock. Our only problem was that we didn't have a way to take the leftovers away with us since we were on the road and had no way of keeping them. Next time I am in Boston I would love to go back and try something different from the extensive menu.
(5)Shruti V.
Loved it!! went in here for a hurried meal and it was totally worth it! The quantities of food are HUGE and the food it self is really good. Def hitting this place again sometime soon cause it's fantastic! This place get's five stars because of the quality of food, excellent service and the great prices. They also have a LOT on their menu, so I'm really looking forward to exploring it. Oh and the only problem we had was when we realized that they only accept cash here.
(5)Ben W.
I used to go to Taiwan Cafe more often than I do now. From what I heard, the chef of this restaurant is now with a competitor. The quality has been affected somewhat, but I still go there sometimes. It is cheap, quick, and relatively authentic Northern Chinese food.
(4)Jordan G.
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.
(2)Alisa S.
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!
(5)Eric Y.
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.
(3)Atrebor B.
For us cash-strapped college folks; eating out can really add up - especially when you don't have a kitchen. That's why I recommend the lunch specials here for $6.65. I had #22 (Homestyle eggplant with basil) and it's a vegetarian's dream (although I'm not one) with its ability to fill and fulfill. The eggplants were deceptively spicy and flavourful, with an almost meaty quality. However, it was a bit on the tangy side and I found it difficult to finish my rice with eggplant alone. Adding basil to this equation was an act of genius since it soaked up the tasty sauce while maintaining its own distinctive herby flavour. Lunch comes with rice and seaweed soup with eggdrop. Portions are large so be prepared for leftovers for another meal at home. Check it out if you're in the area for this cafe which specializes in "Taiwanese-style" eats.
(3)Ann C.
cheap, quick and no frills type of place. it offers variety but i always end up ordering the same dish- the fried pork chops. i will venture out soon...next on the list: beef and tomatoes they have cute alphabet plates.
(3)Steve N.
simply super! my son and i are now regulars and quite frequently the only caucasions in the place. love the beef w/longhorn peppers, the clams with basil and the sweet and sour chicken which is NOTHING like you get in any americanized chinese place, itz actually SOUR! our standad plan of attack now is to get two of our favorites then scan the other tables and point, i know its maybe rude but it gets the job done. some winners have been the duck tongue and pork tripe. too good.
(4)Matt S.
Solid food. My friends from Taiwan are divided (but most of my friends from Taiwan, while I love them, are bourgeois, and this is really a Taiwanese "diner"), but none denies that this is really quality Chinese style food. Among the best in Boston. I love being able to walk into a place and ask for liver without getting a wide eyed giggly response (often from an Asian American server [you know what I mean, Shanghai Gate in Allston, or Lao Szechuan in chicago for that matter]). My ONE complaint (beside I'm unsure of whether I can get bijiu) is that once when I and my fiance (who still lived in Boston till quite recently, and misses it almost as much as I do) ordered squid, it was a bit overcooked. But the soup dumplings with crab and pork and the kidney and the pork and dofu skin with mustard greens more than make up for it. I'll even forgive them for serving Mainland beer instead of Taiwanese beer (or even a GOOD Mainland beer like Blue Sword). Good, clean place with good, hearty food. The only better Taiwanese you'll get in the Boston area is if my friend and her husband invite you over and cook for you. Fantastic.
(5)M C.
Fried Chicken Leg Rice platter. So good. And I love the giant soup dumplings. They are so soupy. I love drinking the greasy rich broth. That probably sounds disgusting. But its so amazing. The breakfast is blah, maybe it depends on what you order. But I got the sesame bread with the sliced beef (I have no idea how to say it in English), and it was awful. It was bland, and chalky. The fried calamari is good, and so it the pork with tofu and chinese celery (mmm spicy). They have a lot of hits, and some misses. But the hits are so satisfying.
(4)Mo P.
Finally tried Taiwan Cafe, which is the favorite place of a friend who eats out every single day and is a pretty discriminating foodie, with Chinese as his favorite style. Funny, I just met someone recently who is from the Nanjing area and lives right in the city and agrees that this is her favorite place, too. I know others who'd been there and loved it. They were dead right. I want to go back, just thinking about it. It's a small, non-fancy, authentic, non-expensive place in Chinatown. Even on a busy Saturday afternoon, service was the fastest I've ever seen. Honestly, I don't even remember the details of the dishes since it was three weeks ago, but everything was outstanding. We had some egg dumplings for appetizer, great. I like to start with something fairly standard, and when they dropped a dish of diced chicken and vegetables in front of me, I knew instantaneously that something was special. The freshness and lightness of the aroma was fantastic and the taste matched. We had some seafood and other meat dishes, all fresh and outstanding. Nothing greasy, heavy, or boring. I ate a lot but felt energized by it all, not weighed down. As soon as my Chinese companions and I set foot out the door, we were talking about when to return. Note: cash only, and don't expect to park anywhere near it, which is typical of Boston's Chinatown.
(5)Ellen L.
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!
(4)E C.
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.
(3)Juggy W.
Best place in chinatown if they can stop the price hike. They have lunch special dishes to be shared family style for less than $7 each on weekdays, and a small selection of taiwanese style dim sum brunch for weekend. Price is very reasonable but I have to say that their prices have gone up more than other comparative restaurants in Chinatown.
(5)Ryan T.
Probably the best Taiwanese food in the Boston area. While they don't get everything right (stinky tofu sucks here), their pork chop rice certainly tastes of awesomeness and the 'wu jing chan wan' is spicy deliciousness as well. Also, I love the jiou huang shiang gan rou shi and the sauteed spinach. This place is great especially late so check it out if you're in need of some cheap Taiwanese eats.
(5)jenilee p.
it's snowing outside. you're cold. you're just on the verge of morphing into the winter-hibernating new englander. do as i do. get to taiwan cafe. order the most unusual items on the menu, because they'll be cooked with love, and you may be surprised at what you find you like to eat. so, for me? one order duck tongues, crab and pork mini dumplings (soup dumplings), and an order of taiwan style noodles. i enjoyed each course, and they certainly don't skimp on the servings. while i ordered the duck tongues to try something new and see if i liked it, i was pleasantly surprised to see that i truly did. these little gems were presented in a metal hot pot with a delicious ginger-flavored sauce that tasted wonderful with white rice, and while the little bit of cartiledge that you spit out after sucking out the meaty, juicy portion may bother some, it's an easy thing to get over quickly when savoring the flavor of the duck and the sauce. the taiwan style noodles, particularly that with julienned pork, is wonderful, and a great sharing dish. and who doesn't love soup dumplings? (if so, you ahh no friend o' mine!) while the dumplings offered at taiwan cafe are bit more delicate, and easier to puncture and loose the precious liquid filling (fail!), they are just as delicious as those served at gourmet dumpling. even with the 15 minutes required to prepare, i urge you to order the mini crab and soup dumplings. i might also add that the setting of this restaurant is nice, especially for chinatown. servers are quick to bring some hot tea and a smile to your table, and this is yet another chinatown restaurant that is easy on the wallet.
(4)Serena W.
I don't usually like to go to Taiwanese or Chinese restaurants because they always seem so "Americanized" and usually disappoint me. Taiwan Cafe is a place that I have gone to many times. I know some people aren't a big fan of Chinatown in cities because they think it's dirty and smells funny... that part doesn't seem too far from a lot of places in Taiwan to me. On a similar note, Taiwan Cafe is not fancy or modern but it has some pretty good food. Their dumplings are amongst my favorite (and I have tried A LOT), so that's always a plus. In addition, I really like their beef noodle soup and scallion pancakes. The only thing is that sometimes the dishes I order with sa-cha sauce has TOO much sauce and becomes too spicy. Their service is very good from the many times that I've been there. Overall, I would say the food is great!
(4)Heidi C.
definitely the best Taiwanese food in the area... i wish i can eat there everyday.... it is very affordable too!
(4)Lala L.
They have a good five spiced braised beef w/noodles in soup. The Peking meat sauce noodles are just ok. The steamed dumplings are alright. Do try this small bowl of rice with greasey minced pork in gravy served with pickled veggies - very Taiwanese.
(3)Joe B.
Ever since I traveled to Hong Kong a few years back I have been dreaming about Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings). I had them at the Jumbo Floating restaurant which has some of best and elaborate Dim Sum according to some. The Jumbo is just that...huge and there I was introduced to dumplings filled with crab and pork and magically: Hot Soup. Genius! In a tour of the kitchens I learned that a soup stock is cooked down until very concentrated then chilled until it gels into an aspic. When wrapped inside the bao with the filling then steamed the soup reconstitutes. To eat the Xiao Long Bao one must pick it up in a spoon and with chop sticks balancing the bao, daintily bite off a small corner and suck out the soup without causing a geyser o'broth. Fun and flavor adrift in HK. So where do we get em' round here? Joe's Shanghai in New York does them but until I had them for lunch today at the Taiwan Cafe no bao has come close here in the Hub. There was a short wait but the friendly hostess took our order and it flew onto the table as we sat and went something like this: tea a clear soup Crab Xiao Long Bao (bigger than your standard bao, hot and delicious with a perfect blance of crab and a flavorful but not too greasy broth. Run don't wok.) Grilled Taiwanese sausage (sweetly spiced lap cheung w/lettuce and whole garlic cloves) Sauteed Little neck clams w/basil and black bean sauce (nice'n spicy over white rice) Oyster Pancake w/gravy (a little sweet but a perfectly fried crepe with plump oysters) Pea tendrils stir fried w/the free world's supply of garlic (like butter) Taiwan style flat noodle w/seafood & vegetables (caught enough of the wok fire to be fresh and tasty but get that bit of char.) Tall Tsing Taos Although Taiwan Cafe was very busy the service was cheerful, helpful and efficient. A perfect lunch on a beautiful day. Let's always go here. (Note to self: Find a friend from Taiwan and return and really crack this gem open)
(4)Henry P.
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.
(5)Ligaya T.
during my stint in boston i was mostly a seafood & veggie eater. even so, i hit up taiwan cafe on the regular and found some delicious, reasonably priced dishes. i even took my taiwanese mother there and she was pleased! i would recommend the kong ching tsai (or chinese watercress), salt & pepper calamari and loh boa gao. so yummy and as a testament to its authenticity, always packed with chinese. the environment isnt too interesting, but go to grub and no doubt you will leave content!
(4)Brendan M.
Very authentic Taiwanese cuisine -it's not often one finds pickled tripe sausage on a menu. Note of warning: when they say hot and spicy, they mean it.
(4)Cindy L.
I'd been to Taiwan Cafe twice. I think this place is awful. It's not authentic Taiwanese food. The food tasted totally different from what we have in Taiwan.
(2)Kristina M.
I'm torn between 3 or 4 stars, as the food is not super-great, but certainly authentic and tasty and the portions are huge. You will definitely have some leftover to take home (and this comes from someone who can eat A LOT), or you should - as suggested previously and as many of the Asian customers do - just order less and share: it's much more fun! This especially recommendable if you go with a larger group. The restaurant definitely has this homey feeling and there are plenty of choices if you feel adventurous (warning: not only do they mean spicy when they say it, but when they say "stinky" - as in "stinky tofu" - they REALLY mean that, too! My partner was so brave as to order that dish and ended up not being able to finish his delicious eggplant dish either because of the awful smell.) There are, however, also plenty of choices for the less adventurous taste. So give it a try and see for yourself!
(4)Brandy S.
GREAT food. It is a small place that is always packed - not much atmosphere, but you will find yourself among the crowds that know where to find authentic Aisan food. This is not just your "sesame chicken and fried rice" restaurant - look for items with ingredients that you probably never thought of eating (fermented tofu anyone ((BTW, that dish is NOT for the faint of heart)). My favorite dish is their calamari - perfectly crispy with a salt and pepper coating. It is so good that dipping it in a saunce would be criminal.
(4)Michael G.
This place has awesome, authentic Taiwanese food in the middle of Chinatown. It's clean, the service is fast, and the food is cheap. It's a little crowded, though, on weekends for dinner. I personally like ordering one of the many noodle soups they have here, which are possibly the best in town.
(4)monkey l.
after moving out to sf, i still miss this place. it's the first place i hit up when i'm back in beantown. for a little bit of authentic taiwanese fare, try the pork chop, the "xiao long bao," -- or steamed pork buns, the oyster noodle soup, or the "chi ga mi", just like you get in chia yi. even the little taiwanese shops out in cupertino can't beat this place. i miss you, taiwan cafe! be careful though, this place only accepts cash. and it's not for those seeking americanized asian food.
(4)S L.
Fairly authentic Taiwanese food. It gets crowded, especially on the weekends. Their house special pork chop is good and costs about $4.50, and they give you soooooo much food (including lots of tasty pork chop, a side of cooked vegetables, rice topped with the Taiwanese minced meat, a side of this other Taiwanese vegetable, a tea egg, and a big bowl of soup).
(4)Juliette V.
Very authentic food in the heart of Chinatown. If you like adventure this is the place for it. I like their fatty pork as well as the vegetable plates.
(4)Aldwin A.
The only good thing here is the minced pork dish. Both fried chicken cut let and leg quarter dishes are very greasy. Service is terrible too and the servers seem to hate their job. I get it it's busy. If ever I would come back, I would have to order the minced pork rice bowl dish to go.
(2)Chenkai L.
This place has amazing food for amazing prices. Their soup dumplings are authentic and cheap. My favorite dish is their 'Blood pudding and intestine with picked mustard', which sounds really gross but if you are okay with the ingredients, the flavor and broth is absolutely delicious. Their spicy fish is also really well made, this place is highly recommended for people that like authentic asian food for a bargain!
(5)Jack L.
Do NOT expect 5 star service here, but do expect fantastic food. As for the service, they've returned a wrong amount of change to me from my check and did not apologize one experience. Annoying? Sure. Was it the end of the world? No. They gave me the right change and that's all that I really cared about. Once you have it in you to look past that, oh man the food really makes up for it. My favorite is the general gao's chicken over a bed of white rice. Wow, the chicken was mouth watering, well crispy, excellent amount of spice, and overall really pleasing to throw down the gut. Oh, and one way you know how this place is legit is when the chicken is consistent with my explanation, with every visit! I order this item frequently. This place is incredibly authentic as it can get to that of legitimate Taiwan cuisine. One of my top favorite joints in Chinatown.
(4)A. C.
So much food with affordable price! Roast beef scallion pancake rolls were great! My husband and I had to take pork and veggies stir fry and ma po tofu in to go containers as the rolls made us full. Spicy dishes are actually spicy (different from American 'spicy' level), so be prepared if you want to try some spicy food here.
(4)Edgar L.
always good! there are so many delicious options, and it is always very filling. i haven't had to wait long for a seat any of the several times i've been here. they do take-out, accept credit card, speak English. they have a great little brunch menu on weekends that everyone needs to check out - sampler-sized items including scallion pancakes, buns, soy milk, etc. cheap and delicious.
(5)Kejian W.
Food quality 5 stars, service 4 stars, environment 2 stars, therefore an average of 4 stars. In China town, service and environment are usually not expected to be good so if you want delicious Taiwanese food, this is definitely the destination in Boston. the soup dumpling is excellent, actually is as good as Soup dumpling in Shanghai, my home town! I also ordered beef with small chili pepper (pretty spicy but delicious) and thin rice noodle with livers. They are really authentic! I highly recommend this small restaurant located in the heart of Boston China town. I probably will come back again tomorrow as I am going back to San Antonio in 2 days. I will miss this place!
(4)David J.
This was my first visit to Taiwan Café, and I was truly impressed! There are a few areas that might be off-putting to first time visitors, but those who overlook these will be rewarded with a wonderful meal. Here were the two negative comments I read online: It's small and crowded: My wife and I consider having to wait for a table at 6pm to be a good sign, and it was in this case. We were asked if we'd like to share a table, but decided to hold out for one all to ourselves. After about a 10 minute wait, we were seated in the very 'intimate' restaurant. Those who prefer to avoid crowds should look elsewhere; only about 2 inches separated our table from that of our neighbors. But being close gives you a great view to see what other diners are enjoying, which I find to be a fun activity while waiting on my food to arrive. The staff is rude: While I see where some might see it this way, I actually think the staff is doing the best it can in a busy, crowded environment. They were happy to handle any special requests that I saw asked of them, and while I never saw them smile, I also never saw them treat a guest impolitely. But what about the food? The menu is amazing and expansive, almost to the point of being overwhelming. Based on several Yelp reviews, we selected the fried pork chops and the pork dumplings with chives. Both were truly wonderful; the dumplings were meaty with a thin, delicate wrapper, and the pork was sweet with spices and wonderfully tender. I would have no hesitation recommending either of these, and cannot wait to go back. One more helpful note: Taiwan Café does accept credit cards (Visa and MC... no AMEX) but only for orders over $20.
(5)Hillary T.
After I heard all the great reviews about how great this small restaurant was, I decided to go there with a group of friends. The hostess wasn't very inviting and seemed uninterested in our presence. She acted almost as if we were bothering her. Ehh...I guess that wasn't too big a deal. I also noticed that half the tables were taken up by the employees, leaving about 5 tables open to customers. To me, that's a bit odd considering the restaurant is small enough as is. Once we were seated, we were given some waters. I was a bit unsettled when I glanced into my water and noticed a dead gnat floating right on the surface. Instead of complaining, I simply asked for a different cup of water, which they quickly gave me. As for the food, it was okay. Nothing really spectacular here. Pretty much the typical Chinese food you would find at any other restaurant in Chinatown. But it was good nonetheless.
(2)Austin A.
Soup dumplings, wonton soup, house special fried pork chops, kung pao chicken. We ate like royalty when we are lunch here a few Sundays ago. Those fried pork chops were insane.
(4)Daphanie I.
This was my first time visiting and the service was terrible. They refused to seat us because our one guest had not arrived. It was three of us and our fourth person had not arrived but they would've sat us at a table of four anyway since it was three of us there. So we waited 30 mins to be seated while they sat other people. Once we were seated no one came up to us to serve us drinks, or even acknowledge us. We had to flag a server down to take our order. The food was ok but the experience was just less than. Once we paid our bill and sat there to finish our tea a server came to clear our table and asked if we were leaving because they needed to seat other people. so rude. Needless to say I won't be going back.
(1)Susan X.
Soup dumplings-pretty impressive, juicy and tasty. Oyster omelette-average. The sauce is too sweet. Can't really tell if the oysters are fresh or not.
(3)Poe Poe K.
I would totally give at least a four stars for the good food for all the times I have been at Taiwan cafe until yesterday. Yesteday, the bill came down to 39 dollars and we had them a solid 15 percent tip. However, the waiter called us back and forced us to pay 18 and said 18 percent is the minimum. I am fully aware that waiters get the tip money but it is very rude to call back a customer to force them to give 18 percent tip. How they run business is very unethical. Even when you go to an western restaurant they would only charge you 18 percent gratuity if your part size is greater than 6. I won't go back there again!
(1)Christina P.
Best crab and pork soup dumplings in Boston. When I'm visiting the west coast and get din tai fung, I miss these dumplings a lot.
(5)Liana K.
came here for brunch, ordered a bunch of things with names I can't spell or recall. My favorite was this tofu dish with veggies in sauce. I know real detailed. Least favorite was the sesame pancake. I don't have anything to compare it to so maybe that's just how those are but I found it thick and dry. Service was quick, maybe too quick as we ordered more dishes than our table could fit, but that's our own fault. Only problem with quick service is that once you're done and paid you basically get kicked out so they can sit the next group down. Fair enough, it's a busy place and this made our wait on a Sunday afternoon only a few minutes. Overall, I'm looking forward to trying this place again for lunch or dinner.
(4)G U.
Do not go on the weekends or Friday night. You will have to wait for a table and everyone in your party has to be there to be seated. When they are busy, i found that the food always seems more greasy and portion size is smaller. Like any other Asian restaurant, service here is poor. After a couple of minutes of being seated I wanted to ask for some ice water, the waiter gave me this glaring look when I just said I wanted water and that we were not ready to order. You constantly have to flag the waiters down if you need something and it usually comes a couple of minutes later. I would say that this place has been our favorite restaurant in Chinatown but after our last few experiences we probably won't be back for awhile. Most recently when given the check, the waiter said it is customary to tip 18-20%. We took this into consideration and decided to leave less because of the service. As we were leaving the restaurant, they had the nerve to chase us and tell us to increase our tip. First of all, with the poor service I didn't think that such a high tip percentage was necessary. But we did end up increasing it a little just so we can leave the place.
(1)Grace L.
You need to wave down the waitresses and I believe this very busy establishment takes reservations. Sometimes several parties are sat at the same table - efficiency at its best. The menu is large - and I was impressed to see many Taiwanese street food items such as stinky tofu and minced pork over rice. We ordered the pea tips sautéed with garlic, soup dumplings, pork chop over rice, and roast beef scallion pancakes. All of it tasted like home! It was delicious and the portions were pretty large. Definitely expect the abrupt service you find at most Asian establishments but the food is worth coming for!
(4)Nancy N.
I wished I could eat delicious tw food in NY without hiking to flushing. Love this place! Only downside is that it feels cramped and not enough table space to order an even larger spread of food!
(5)Josh S.
Food was alright but I think my expectations were higher given the ratings. The menu is big and overwhelming and there's really no suggested way to handle it. Just get whatever. We tried several dishes and they were all good (except the pork buns) but nothing was particularly amazing. Decent portion sizes for the price though - you can go a long way on a budget
(3)Raymond M.
I've been here a bunch of times in the past. This is a nice place to go eat. Sometimes its really crowded here so be aware of that and see if you're willing to wait because I don't feel like its that worthwhile to wait more than 10 minutes. Now they have a very extensive menu. However keep in mind this is a Taiwanese cafe. Hint: don't order the schezwan and food from other locales and expect them to be anything fabulous. Keeping this in mind I picked out the Taiwanese stuff and it was good. I wasn't blown away but it was good. I would not recommend the Taiwanese pork and fish drop soup though. It was basically a hot and sour soup with chunks of meat in it. Overall I would recommend he place to try something new but its not my regular place to go to. So try it out for yourself if you haven't been, plenty of things to get!
(4)Terry H.
Lunch menu has great selection. my bf and I are regulars here usually for the lunch special during weekdays. Taiwanese fried pork chop is awesome, very authentic, remind us of the food back home. The spicy fish is season to the right amount of spiciness, spicy enough to increase the appetite but not so spicy to a point where you have to keep chugging down water. We always order the same dishes and they are always consistent with great taste, never fail. However, i am sure other dishes are great to try also. Place is a bit cramp, so not great for large party.
(4)Brittani K.
Taiwan Cafe is a good bang for your buck. I was overly satisfied with the roast beef scallion pancake- every bite was so flavorful that I just didn't want it to end. I also enjoyed the soup dumplings where as my friend thought they were a bit more on the bland side. I often find myself day dreaming about both and would definitely recommend them to anyone!
(4)Sarah S.
Ask for the soup dumplings!
(5)Ramsay S.
Very reasonable prices, although some of the food is very greasy.
(4)Vivian C.
I haven't tried many items from the Taiwan Cafe menu. But that's mostly because it is really hard for me to drag myself away from my favorites. My gotta-haves are the House special fried pork chop on rice platter $5.95 (oh, so good! Tasty, tender fried pork with the day's stir-fried veggie, a soy egg, and meat sauce covered rice... what's not to like?), and the Homestyle braised eggplant w/ basil $7.25 lunch special/$9.95 vegetable item. Also highly rated for me is the Roast beef w/ scallions roll in scallions pancake $7.25 off the Appetizer section, although the version made by Jo Jo Taipei is so much better. I also like the Preserved mustard greens w/edamame & fresh bean curd $8.95 here, but I wouldn't go to Taiwan Cafe just for that. And the Fried chicken cutlet on rice platter $5.95 and Crispy chicken quarter leg on rice platter $5.95 seems to be a favorite of others, but I haven't tried them yet. One thing that makes me smile is the way the tea cups tend to coast along the table of their own accord. After the restaurant underwent renovations this past summer-autumn, they reopened not too long ago with the ability to accept credit cards, but only for charges of $20 or more. *** 12/2012 visit *** In addition to my two favs, we ordered a bunch of new-to-me dishes. Steamed Pork, Mushroom & Sticky Rice w/Gravy $3.75 - tasted better than it looked Taiwan style pan fried dumplings (8) $6.95 - big, fat, thin skinned, and fried Sole Filet in sweet & sour sauce on Rice $7.25 - the filet pieces were a bit small, but still pretty tasty Simmered chopped chicken with 3 essences in hot pot $10.95 - meaty chunks of chicken in a tasty sauce Taiwan style sauteed noodles with pork & veggie $6.50 - pretty simple but good Nothing knocked my socks off, but I'd be willing to get everything again. *** 8/2013 visit *** The Tofu & Vegetable Miso Soup is portioned for sharing. Yes, quite generous, and for a very good price. A friend commented that the siu long bao never disappoint her here because the skin is always thin. They were reluctant to seat us till our entire party arrived. Just fyi. *** 9/2014 *** Busy, busy! This place is busy. We had to wait for a table on a Sunday afternoon for lunch. We ended up getting 3 items priced at $6.95 apiece - the House special fried pork chop on rice platter (my pick!), xiao long bao (aka soup dumplings, or, as they are called here - Mini Steamed Buns with Pork; a friend's pick, but I heartily agreed), and Taiwan Style Noodle Soup With sliced pork, fish cake, egg & bean sprouts - for the three of us to share. Terrific meal! The first two items were great as expected, but while the noodle soup was a bit light on the protein fixings, the noodles were smooth and tender. *** 12/2014 *** Don't know when they made the change, but you can no longer order luncheon portions that come with rice and soup on weekends. Sad. But I still swooned over the fried pork chop on my House Special Fried Pork Chop on Rice Platter $6.95. The dough was a bit dense at the top of the Xiao Long Bao $6.95 this time around, which made for a tricky pick up, but still they tasted good.
(4)Jia L.
Terrible service, delicious food! I came here with a friend, we wait for about 45mins and tried green onion pancake, steamed pork dumpling and a sautéed vegetable. Everything came out delicious, but a bit too greasy to be honest. None of them are diet friendly food, not even the sautéed vegetable: oily too! Our waitress seems upset all the time, maybe becuz she's too busy and just don't have patient/energy to put on a smile.
(3)Eugenia L.
If it weren't for the Xiao Long Baos this would be a 2 star review. I ordered several basic Taiwanese dishes like Spicy Beef Noodle soup, Scallion Pancake with beef, and Salt and Pepper Chicken with Basil. Lets get through the negatives first: Pancakes were way too thick and doughy. Almost a half inch thick! It's a giant biscuit at that point. The chicken was bland despite the seasoning and it being white meat didn't help. I was disappointed to find thin slices of beef used in the noodle soup. The kind used in hot pots. The only dish that I liked was the XLB. Although it wasn't the best I've had, the filling and soup was no doubt comforting. The wrappers were a little on the tough side but it at least held together without ripping. All in all go elsewhere for your TW food cravings but do come to stuff yourself with Xiao Long Baos.
(3)Alexander C.
Normally on point, their customer service was just god awful. They were slow and mistaking and even when calling people to their tables they were sloppy and unorganized with their hostess being particularly rude. Made me annoyed to the point of considering not coming here again.
(1)Idy T.
What does it take to find a decent Taiwanese restaurant in Boston?? You would think that because this place is in Chinatown and is also called "Taiwan Café," it is safe to assume that I found a right place for Taiwanese food. What a big disappointment! There are several dishes that determine's whether you found the right Taiwanese restaurant. These dishes include stinky tofu, beef noodle soup, and also minced pork rice. I ordered the stinky tofu and it was not stinky enough! Compared to the one I tried in Taiwan, this does not come close to it at all! The sauce was just plain soy sauce, and good restaurants usually make their own sauce for the stinky tofu. The type of tofu that then use was also too dry for my liking. I also ordered the beef noodle soup. The broth was bland and lacked the spices that is usually found in this dish. Also they used beef slices and usually this dish calls for a different cut of beef. This place has reasonable prices and a good portion size but if you are looking for a good Taiwanese restaurant, you should not come here! However, If you are just looking for a quick meal that fills you up, this is the place for you!
(3)Si L.
Simply great! I love their taiwanese appetizers.
(5)Danisha J.
Greeting - 3 stars. Food - Beef, scallion pancake. I was so excited to order this after reading the reviews and viewing the uploaded pictures. My first bite - bliss; what have I been missing; I'm so thankful to be living in Boston. The scallion pancake was moist and flavorful and the cilantro was on point. My third bite - I spit out a huge chunk of beef fat! Then another in the second half. I can't This was around noon. Come on! Y'all basically just opened. No excuse. Too early for this
(2)Ryan M.
I went to Taiwan Cafe on Friday night and it was pretty busy. We didn't wait long for a seat though which was nice. We ordered sesame chicken, roast beef scallion pancakes, and soup dumplings. The soup dumplings were my favorite even though all the food was great. I liked the roast beef scallion pancake but it had a little to much cilantro in it. This place is a nice find in chinatown. I recommend it to anyone looking for authentic Taiwanese/Chinese food.
(5)Irene C.
Authentic Taiwanese cuisine in an intimate, crowded, but delicious environment. FOOD: In my 3 visits here, I've had the pork chop rice plate ($6) multiple times. Fried pork chop, minced pork topping, sour vegetables, tofu, and an egg topping a generous portion of steamed rice. Get it and I promise you won't regret it. Other dishes including the green beans and the infamous soup dumplings are on point and make me miss Taiwan. SERVICE: Brusque, efficient, polite sometimes. Small groups are often seated at larger communal tables, but you can choose to wait for your own tiny table if you choose. The waiters are quick to refill your glass, take your order, or bring the check if you make eye contact and the right charades sign. WAIT: The wait is pretty long, especially on weekends or other busy times. Take a number, and they'll call you. The waiting section in the restaurant is nonexistent, which is why you see the large crowd outside the restaurant. TIPS: - Not a place to bring strollers and small children as the place is tiny. - Credit cards (not all accepted) for orders $20 or more - Rice plates give you enormous bang for your buck. - Ask the waitress for recommendations or look around for ideas. The menu can be quite overwhelming!
(5)Mo S.
Dont go here for the looks,but the szechuan fish was mind blowing! Really authentic food!
(4)Willa D.
I came with a group of friends a few months ago. The place was packed, and we waited about 15 minutes to be seated. The service was a bit unfriendly and down-to-business but I wasn't surprised by that. Their menu is a bit daunting and disorganized, but the food is amazing. The Beef Scallion Pancake was so delicious and worth noting-- spicy, hot, crispy, flavorful. Also tried dumplings, which were good. Hearty Chilean Sea Bass soup was great as well.
(5)Annette N.
My favorite Chinese/Taiwanese restaurant in Boston! I would order from them every week at one point :P The hubby and I first ate here back in 2013, but the only reason I see now to dine-in would be the xiao long bao, which don't transport well at all for obvious reasons. The skin is certainly a little too thick, but good enough to beat the craving when I get it. My go-to dish here is the sauteed shredded beef with long-horn peppers (i.e., jalapenos)- it's so delicious but can also really upset your tummy with all the heat, so a word of caution. Scallion pancakes are also well executed and another favorite. Service is not too bad for Chinatown(!) and that goes for the cleanliness too. All in all, a solid restaurant for when you're craving authentic Taiwanese/Chinese!
(4)Dung L.
Bad service!!! i read a lot of comments and then decided to go. So disappointed!!! The food is not very good. Highly not recommend
(1)Christina H.
My mom's favorite go-to place in Chinatown (Boston). The Tawain style pan-fried dumplings and roast beef scallion pancake are great appetizers. Got the duck buns one time, but the filling was barely warm; neither my bf or I enjoyed it. The soup dumplings are okay here. The Taiwan style noodle soup is hearty and filling. Gotta love that they are open late 7 days a week!
(4)Brian K.
The Taiwan Cafe was ok. We were expecting a lot better since it has been named "Boston's Best". The service was fast, food was hot, but we were underwhelmed by the flavor. The soup was good, and I thought the sesame chicken tasted good, but the shrimp hot pot had almost no flavor. Color me somewhat disappointed.
(3)Alex Y.
Get the scallion pancakes. They are thick, crispy, and delicious. There are a lot of good vegetarian options, but be careful about dried shrimp used for seasoning in the vegetable dishes.
(4)Sarah K.
I've been meaning to try this place out for some while now. Finally came with two other friends and between the three of us, we got 7 or so dishes. I admit, we were a bit too ambitious with our selection. We got the intestines, beef roll with scallions pancake, juicy dumplings, house special pork chop with rice, beef and tomato and egg on rice, Szechuan fish fillet in spicy broth, and spicy beef with noodles. Yes, it was a LOT. The portions here are generous, too, so we ended up having a lot left over. But we got to try a lot of the popular dishes there so it was totally worth it. Plus, all that came out to be ONLY $55. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the check.
(4)Michelle W.
Of course I had to stop in Chinatown for dinner while on my mini-vacay and I was not disappointed. Loved this place as it reminded me of the restaurants back in Chinatown (NYC). The food was good, super cheap and came out super fast. We got seating right before the rush came in, so we lucked out with that. If you're looking for a quick bite or even just good cheap food, this is the place to go. We filled up here and hit the North End for some dessert.
(4)Juliana T.
We had a hard time finding this place on foot in the rain. We walked past it because the entrance is actually not on street level, but up a flight of concrete steps. The place is pretty small, but not as small as some other Chinatown restaurants we've visited. Small restaurants do not bother me; what bothers me is being squeezed into a tiny table between the wall and two other patrons at the neighboring tiny table. I was especially annoyed by this because there were plenty of other open tables that were probably held for larger parties (that never showed). Despite the negative start to our Taiwan Café experience, the food definitely turned things around. We ordered the Taiwan Style Pan Fried Dumplings, Taiwan Style Sauteed Pork Liver, and Fried Taiwanese Style Pork Chop; the latter two came with bowls of white rice. Everything was incredibly flavorful and satisfying! My SO and I left feeling absolutely stuffed, yet I still had leftovers for days. On an unrelated note, you would think that a restaurant with the word "Taiwan" in its name wouldn't need to put "Taiwan Style" in the names of their dishes. I took off one star for the uncomfortable seating and the poor customer service. There's just something about the lack of please's, thank you's, and overall manners that rubs me the wrong way. Good thing that's not enough to stop me from coming again in the future.
(4)Tommy M.
Scallion pancakes are killer! Woman on phone and I had difficulty understanding each other, so I just went with her recommendation of some veggie dish with edemame, green beans and some other stuff. Also amazing! (get rice with it) Only problem is that I ate all the takeout myself (I couldn't stop), when I should have really been sharing it with at least 2 other people. One of the hazards of having no friends!
(5)Paul Y.
The food is excellent. From their Taiwanese appetizers to their noodles, I very much enjoyed my meal here. I had just gotten off the bus with a friend, and braving both cold and hunger, made our way to one of the few restaurants still open at this time. However, what might possibly be the sign of a truly good Chinese food is terrible service- this is not to say that every good restaurant has to have bad service, or that every single customer will face bad service, but rather that I am comfortable with eating good food after having a brief argument with the staff. (probably has something to do with the co-incidence of recent immigrants producing the most authentic food, and the relative lack of service culture in East Asia) In this case, they tried to convince me to leave my duffel bag (which fit fine under the table tbh) outside- not even in the little atrium between doors, but literally under the open sky. Now call me untrusting of the lovely people of Boston, but the weak reassurances that there were video cameras did not make me inclined to leave my bag outside at 9pm. I think they strongly overvalue how much a would-be thief wants to eat at Taiwan Cafe. In all; come eat. I am only complaining because it was a truly unreasonable request.
(4)Jenn Z.
One of the best Chinese restaurants in Boston. Affordable, fresh, tasty. Besides, who doesn't want something different from your good old takeout? Make sure to try: Soup dumplings: juicy and full of warm soup Braised eggplants: I haven't heard a single complaint from anyone yet Peking style pork: Chinese BBQ, go for it! Spicy fish: If you like spicy food, don't miss this Steamed spinach: so simple and healthy, yet so delicious too. Skip the lines at other hyped-up places in Chinatown.
(4)Evan H.
Service is terrible. Food is great and it is where these two stars come from. Waitress was very impatient and argued with us three times. When seating us. I was asking if we can get certain table and she replied 'That the one I'm seating you, do you have a problem?' The second rude service was when I asked for one missing order, and she insist we have never ordered it. But four of us know we ordered it already. The third time was when we ask for separate check, she grabbed our credit card and then toss the check on our table. The last confrontation was the tip. We paid around 10% (it was lunch) because she doesn't deserve more than that. She ran out and asked for more and refuse to let us leave. She said the minimum tip should be at least 15%, which was not shown in any sign in the restaurant. I am so regret we surrendered and paid two more dollars. It is understandable these waitress work for a long time in hustle and bustle. They hate their job and we are the one who should suffer the consequence. If any suggestion can be made, I would say raise the dirt cheap price! If I can pay more to get a better service and good food, will definitely come back. So far, I am ashamed this restaurant is named after my country.
(2)Vivian C.
Horrible service. First off, as I was walking up the steps the girl started pouring salt directly into me, when she saw me walking. Second, she seated my party of 5 right next to the bathroom with limited room and I had asked if I could change my seat. It wasn't extremely busy so I couldn't understand why it was such a big deal. My friend was sitting towards the end near a walk-in fridge and she had the audacity tell my friend to move in one of the rudest tones. Will never be returning
(1)Christi S.
Top dish: Fried pork chop. Slightly sweet, not oily fried. Ask for siracha or hot sauce. Xia long bao: although in their menu, it's called mini steamed buns I liked the pork & crabmeat one Menu - wow, for a first timer to the restaurant, they have an extensive menu. It'll prob take me a good 30-40 mins just to go over everything to choose from. Imagine a 5-6 page front n back, 11 pt font, line by line. About 50 or so lines per page. Skip the 1st page if you're not there M-F for lunch. That'll save you 10 mins. Will return for more fried pork chop! Reminds me of the tawainese popcorn chickens w/basil.
(3)Tania S.
Whenever we travel, we always crave Chinese food specially after a week of so of consuming Non Chinese cuisine. This time I wanted to try some Chinese food in Boston so we yelped it and decided to check this place out. It was raining that day so I can't remember how far it was from our hotel. (We were at the W Hotel) But it felt like a 10 min walk. Walking in the rain with umbrellas bumping into each other is always a crappy experience specially coming from sunny California. We ordered 4 dishes and they were all ok. The crab was probably the most tasty dish we ordered. The Xiao Long Pao were not that good, the skin was supper thick and the filling was a bit hard and sweeter than most places I've been. The food was OK in general but they ambiance needs help. The fish tank was filled with fish for sale but 1/2 of them were half dead or sickly. These are big fish so when you see them belly up while you are eating, it affects your appetite, luckily I sat with my back to this tank of death. There were about 5-6 waitresses for a small restaurant, they looked like ants working in there, but on their down time (after taking our order and serving other customers) they all gathered around the closest table to the hostess station and they had a makeup session. That was very weird. It was like eating in a restaurant-salon. Most of these girls were college age and the eldest looking one was the makeup artist. They were doing each others hair too. I am not sure if this is a routine act but I felt that it was a bit inappropriate for a restaurant setting.
(3)Lilian C.
I should say the food is just average, and the waitress are not friendly!!!!! Before ordered, we wanna change to another table(too narrow for us), but they said "no" even with tons of empty tables in the restaurant, and the reason they gave us is ridiculous: everywhere is the same....... the waitress cannot wait to see the tips, we left $5 for $23 even though with the bad services, she just opened it in front of us and count the money....... never go back again, cuz we can find other places with the same food, and even with good services!!!
(2)Carrie L.
I was the happiest girl when Taiwan Cafe finally reopened last year. They took almost a half-year hiatus for renovation. The new Taiwan Cafe looks A LOT cleaner. I didn't come here for ambiance but it doesn't hurt to fix it up :) My usual consists of: 1) Oyster soup with vermicelli = serious craving for this 2) Stewed minced pork over rice (lu rou fan) = the best! and so cheap! 3) Sauteed beef with long horn peppers = so spicy but you can't stop eating it! Other good stuffs: Xiao Long Bao (Soup dumplings!) Sauteed seafood with rice cake Cash only. Opens late!
(5)Jenny A.
Shame on me for thinking this place could compete with Din Tai Fung. I'm sorry, tummy. I really am.
(1)Robin C.
It was a busy Friday night, but my party of three avoided a wait by sharing a table with two other groups around a large 10 top with a middle lazy Susan. It was a bustling tight fit, but it was well worth it for our food was amazing. The Taiwan pan-fried dumplings were plump, juicy, and crisp bottomed. My son played safe with his standard Sesame Chicken but it was the best he'd ever had. Plump cubes of juicy chicken with just enough batter and sauce. My hubby had the Spicy Salt & Peppered Calamari, which I thought would have been exceptional had it a sauce to accompany the squid. But I was too busy eating the Sautéed Scallops, Shrimp, and Calamari on greens to pay much attention. The Bok Choi was cooked perfectly - rolled and placed around the outer ring of the plate with the seafood piled high in the middle all awash in an amazing light sauce. It looked like an edible flower and it tasted like nothing I've ever experienced. The greens exploded with flavor, the seafood cooked perfectly, and the sauce pulled it all together into an amazing plate of food. Totally recommend a visit...for we will definitely be back!
(5)Charlie P.
Try appetizer number 33 you will not be dissapointed awesome chicken in a pancake/ dough rolled up with scallions with a brown sauce.Awesome! I would get that as a normal size meal next time. Wife got sesame chicken. When she ordered I thought boring but it was great with a little orange sauce like it was a little sweet and sour sauce 5 stars.. Rice and noodle #23 was very good. They give you tea when you sit which was good. Bathroom was clean and service good too. I added something to my meal and just waived down a passing server. They are always flying by. I'll take that vs. the hidden waiter at some fancier restaurants.
(5)Didi S.
This place been around for at least 8 years, with at least one minor expansion and the only way I can explain it is through the solid food. The very mix of people--old legit Chinese people (naturalized and un), second generation teenagers, everyone in between, and other assorted 'foodies'--really reflects its broad appeal. I'll come here alone, with good friends, even with my impossible-to-please parents. Really the only time I've ever thought it was inappropriate to bring someone here was when a date and I had to share a table with a group that included someone who couldn't eat pork. They ended up having an OK time but still. Specifics: - Weekend dim sum: they buy their fried dough from the supermarkets and refry on location. I'd just skip it and drink the soy milk itself unless you're really aching for it. To be fair, I don't think any restaurant in Boston's Chinatown does it fresh - Scallion pancake with beef: so rich, so very decent. Not the best I've had, but better than jojo taipei, I'd say. The abundance of fresh scallions was so so good - Fish slices with lily buds: a new favorite. Xian enough for me to suspect flavor enhancement, but whatever. - Beef and peppers: half the tables always seem to have this - Filled fishball soup. Super simple, but good. The clear soup was a lot better than I thought it'd be, with sauteed onion pieces, scallions, Chinese celery and possibly dried fish flakes?
(5)Veronique L.
This place has since been remodeled, and it's so much nicer and cleaner than it was a few months ago. I ordered the stewed minced pork over rice for $2.95. I didn't really want to order anything else, but I felt it was too little for a dine in so I ordered the steamed pork and napa cabbage dumplings for $5.95. I thought I was only supposed to get eight dumplings, but my plate was presented with ten. It also took the dumplings much longer to come out, and I was finished with my rice minutes before the dumplings arrived. For the record, the rice alone was enough, but the dumplings are a nice extra. They didn't rush me out which I appreciate since it was raining and snowing outside. However, it did take some time to place my order.
(4)Anthony C.
Went here on only my second trip into Chinatown after a long day in Boston, took a couple of friends. We arrived and there was about a 20 minute wait, but the hostess took our phone number and gave us a call when a table was available. No problems there, it was unsurprisingly busy. First: the miso soup is easily one of the best I've ever tasted. It's a must-order, comes in a big bowl with smaller bowls for sharing. It was most of our first or second experiences with authentic Taiwanese cuisine, so we weren't quite ready for the sheer enormity of the menu. My sesame tofu was very fresh, unlike any I've ever had, and the dumplings we ordered were very tasty. We ordered primarily vegetarian dishes, so I can't speak to the meat offerings. One star was removed because they delivered pork dumplings to my vegetarian friend who ordered veggie ones, and his very excited first-bite gave him a surprise that cast a dim light on the rest of the meal for him, unfortunately. Other than that the service was fine. All in all, a very solid choice for dinner in Chinatown.
(4)Lauren H.
If you want authentic Taiwanese food, this place will dissapoint you. I had high expectations for this place because it got such high reviews, boy I was wrong. I don't think the owners are even Taiwanese
(1)Larry B.
My all time favorite restaurant in Chinatown. Authentic, flavorful and interesting (to us naive Americans like myself) cuisine. Go with a group, order a lot, and ride the wave.
(5)Cansu S.
Sautéed noodles with veggies and beef was the only good thing here. Oyster pancakes were too fatty and tasted weird. Duck in soy sauce was horrible!! It had too many bones and too little meat!
(1)Maria C.
Pretty much every time I am in the Boston area, I have to come to this place! They are very popular and with good reason! The food is authentic, delicious, and comes out quite fast. I like their bamboo shoots with chicken (or pork) a lot, and have also had their beef noodle soup and a tofu dish - everything was very flavorful but not overly oily. The prices are also very reasonable for the amount that you get! The space is quite small but it's worth it so all in all, I definitely recommend this place for some excellent Taiwanese food!
(4)Vivi L.
The waitress is very rude and very stiff. They allowed shortcut for their acquaintance and the seafood is spoiled. Overall it's a very bad experience and we won't go there again.
(1)Kelly B.
I've been a few times, and I can say that if you stick to straightforward dishes, it's pretty good. The soup dumplings are a safe limb to go out on. They are amazing. I've also had the sauteed pea sprouts and a fish soup (like, entire fish laid across spicy soup) that was excellent. I also had one really negative experience here. I wish I could remember the exact item we ordered; I think it was a pork belly type dish with some sort of veggies. There was clearly some fermentation involved but I don't remember the name of the dish saying that (there are several dishes that make this clear). Anyway it was deeply horrible and I felt sick afterwards. I consider myself a fairly adventurous eater, but I am a little scared to go here without an expert now. For context, I've had a lot of unidentified meat that I was totally down with, I like fermented foods in general, and I've had that traditional chinese dish that involves tofu and blood and was pretty into that too. So, experiment at your own risk, I'd say.
(3)Grace W.
Taiwanese brunch, here I come! I was so excited to try this spot for brunch, and sure enough I found my place for hot soy milk and crispy, yet fluffy, fried donuts. The scallion pancake with roast beef is quite tasty, although really deep-fried (but this seems to be a Boston thing). The rice with minced pork is also good. Sesame pancake tasted fine, but was oddly shaped - very poor for stuffing a piece of donut inside, and then dipping it into my soy milk. Overall, for such a fried set of dishes we ordered, I didn't feel disgustingly thirsty afterwards. I have to note that, as a Calfornian, I've noticed that some Taiwanese dishes in Boston restaurants come out way more deep-fried and crispy (sometimes even hard). Why don't you pan-fry so you get the crunchy and fluffy?! But, there aren't that many places in Boston that have Taiwanese breakfast, and this place is the best so far. The brunch menu is very small, but paired with their regular menu items, you can have a hearty meal.
(4)Andrew Q.
Come here if you're looking for solid Chinese food. Skip if you're looking for good service, or a short line. This place gets crowded, fast, and I usually only come for lunch. I can only imagine what dinner is like. Food is damn good though, and quite authentic. My non-Chinese friend had trouble ordering, since the menu is filled with food you can't find in an Americanized Chinese place, but you'll have pretty good luck just randomly ordering. The service might as well be non-existent. You'll have to call several times to place your order, you'll probably have to remind them when you need something, and you'll have to call for the check several times too. My appetizer arrived probably five minutes after my main dish arrived, so be warned; there's not much point to getting appetizers here unless you just enjoy eating them with the rest of your meal. It's best to know what you're getting into here, just so you don't leave disappointed.
(4)Marissa A.
If you're coming here during normal eating hours, be prepared for a wait. And if you can, try to go with someone who knows asian cuisine. Luckily I had some suggestions from friends, so my friends and I didn't go in completely green. There were 4 of us. We started off with scallion pancakes - okay, we kept it slightly Americanized. But we ventured getting the veggie and pork Shanghai noodles, the pork soup dumplings, and the braised eggplant with basil. I think we stopped talking for 20 minutes because we couldn't stop eating. The scallion pancakes were deeply fried (never claimed to be a health nut) and surprisingly light. The noodles were filled with an array of veggies and a good amount of pork - goodies in every bite. The eggplant was delicious as well - so soft, sweet and savory. The basil added a fresh flavor to the eggplant. And the soup dumpling were fantastic - the wrapper was not too thick or chewy and the meat was succulent and juicy. Everything you would expect in a good soup dumpling. And somehow we had leftovers! The next surprised was how cheap it was - it came out to $9 per person. We were so full and went home with leftovers? Unheard of. Next time we go, we will try to be more adventurous.
(4)Jeremy W.
This place is my absolute FAVORITE place in Chinatown. Best Taiwanese food (as well as Chinese food overall in my opinion). I've always come here as a kid and have grown up with the restaurant. Let it be known, that the super popular Gourmet Dumpling house's owners are the SAME as Taiwan cafe. So if Gourmet Dumpling house is jam packed (when isn't it?) then make your way over to Taiwan cafe, which is slightly less busy and crowded. I love this place because it consistent delivers great food. Out of the all the times I've come here, the food has always been great. Highlights include their scallion pancakes which I usually NEVER get at restaurants, but they hand make their own which is really delicious. Their Eggplant with mint is also a huge favorite. Their dumplings and soup dumplings are great as well and are EXACTLY the same as Gourmet Dumpling house! Spicy long pepper with pork is great and really spicy too! Minced pork over rice is also a great choice, a fan favorite from all of my friends. I think their most popular dish however, is their rice plate with fried pork. I think it comes out $6.45ish but it include a lot of rice with minced pork over it, A few big fried pork chops, a tea egg, some chinese steam cabbage, some salty sour greens, and soup. It's a GREAT lunch choice, and definitely will fill you up. Or if you wanted to get it for dinner in the restaurant and don't want to share, I highly recommend it! This place is also pretty busy, so try not to come during peak dining hours if you don't want to wait.
(5)Jim W.
Stick with the traditional appetizers, noodles, and non seafood entrees. Sea Bass tofu hot pot order was miserable because I can barely find any sea bass chunk. Sea bass was sliced very thin and deep fried. There were too many skin pieces that tasted fishy. Pickle cabbage was awesome and so did the spicy shredded beef.
(3)Joe D.
It's so so and the food is just okay. The waiting process is not very comfortable since you have to wait outside the restaurant and wait to receive a call on your cell phone. Well, if it's sub-zero weather, I doubt anyone would find that an enjoyable experience. The service is not very attentive and you have to ask for water and also the check.
(3)Amy Yvonne H.
OMG! This place was sooo good! We had the pork & crab dumplings & the dao mu (? not sure if that was the name or not. Green veggies looked like spinach but wasn't) It blew my mind! You get hot tea & you can do communal seating or not. The staff didn't speak great English, but that made it even better! We shared those two things and still took home left overs! The left overs were even better the next day! It was just so amazing! I can't wait to go back!
(5)Tianyi Z.
Decent food, but the entire dinner was destroyed when they ask for 28% tips given the fact that we are already giving 20% ...
(3)Ali C.
I was having dinner with a friend. We ordered enough food for us to eat there twice and we were asked to leave because there were customers waiting for my table. I have never had such awful manners and disrespect at a food establishment. For someone who grew up in hospitality and restaurant, that is the worst thing u can do. There were other empty tables, but because the staff didn't want to give two people the table that could seat 4, they asked me to leave. I will NEVER EVER go back. Don't go there if u expect a relax enjoyable dinner. I wouldnt even give this place a half star but the system does not allow me to not give anything. TAIWAN CAFÉ SUCKS PERIOD!!!
(1)Justin H.
I'm used to different style of Chinese food having grown up in NYC but this place is great. Pork Soup Dumplings were really good. Braised Tofu was out of this world !! So was the roast beef scallion pancake roll, although it could use more scallions. I would come back for sure.
(4)J C.
I had the beef noodle soup and the spicy cold pig ear. Both were relatively average when graded against the authentic Taiwanese food scale. That's not to say this place isn't good. It is. But it's just as good as other authentic Taiwanese food places. The best spicy cold pig ear I've ever had in the United States was this place called Li Hwa (that is now closed) on the border of San Jose and Milpitas, CA. Their slices of the pig ear were relatively thick, so you got a good chunk of that crunchy cartilage with the chewy flesh. This balanced contrast made it fun to eat. In comparison, Taiwan Cafe's slices were very thin so it was largely chewy. The chili oil Li Hwa used also had some additional flavor to it that was lacking in the version produced by Taiwan Cafe. (I think Li Hwa probably roasted some actual chilis to put into the oil, or added some other spices, and they added chives. Taiwan Cafe seemed to just use regular chili oil without chives). That said, too few places serve pig ear, probably because it's not a part of the pig that most Americans are used to eating. So it made me extremely happy to see that this was on the menu. My main beef with the noodle soup arises from the cuts of beef they used. The best Taiwanese beef noodle soup I've had uses cuts of beef that include the tendon. As a result, you get a nice combination of springiness and chewiness. Taiwan Cafe used slices of beef that didn't have enough tendon.
(3)Karen W.
Waiter service is horrible. I understand that they might be having a bad day, but come on..you're serving us. We came in, and asked for a table for 4. The woman behind the counter led us to a table while shaking her head. When we sat down, one side of the table felt too close to the table next to it, so we moved the table a little bit away for some space to sit comfortably. The woman behind the counter saw, came to us and mumbled, "nonono...," and then moved the table back to its original position. She didn't explain why she did that and walked away. Whelp, first impression ruined. The food is decent. We ordered beef with long beans, General Gau's, fried Taiwanese pork cutlets, and dumplings. In my experience with Chinese food in Chinatown, you can get these same dishes somewhere else with the same price that definitely taste better and comes with a bigger quantity. So, there's nothing really special about the food. Apparently, you can only pay with certain credit cards. I was going to pay with my Discover card, and when a waitress came to grab it, she thrusted it back to me mumbling something about American Express and VISA. Thanks for the information, I guess. Overall, I felt like I wasted my tips in exchange for bad services. No greetings, no smiles; everything had to be done their way. I recommend it to those who are actually used to this kind of (Taiwanese?) service - although I have never dealt with this in Chinatown before. You can totally have better quality food with better service elsewhere. I will not be coming back anytime soon. Taiwan Cafe, you're lucky to at least have a one star from me.
(1)George T.
We had a party of 6 going there. We were informed we had to wait for 20-30 minutes. While we were waiting a couple went to buy some bakery stuff for the next day. While they were gone we got a call saying the table was ready. We went in and they wouldn't seat us because 2 people weren't there. I said they are next door and they'll be right back. They still wouldn't seat us. I said we are not waiting for them, we are ready to order. Nope, can't seat you unless they are all here. Rude, rude, rude. Go next door to the Gourmet Dumpling House for better food and service!
(1)Henry Y.
The variety of dishes served here is quite impressive-- I ended up sharing 5 dishes with my gf (yea a bit much....we hadn't eaten since early morning and this was on a Sunday night. We shared the spicy beef tendons, stinky tofu app, lamb with spicy long horn peppers, fuzhou meatball soup, and salt and pepper soft shell crab. I would like to begin by saying that there's a reason why stinky tofu isn't served in restaurants. I remember it smelling bad from when I had it as a kid in China but this smelled like old latrine mixed with a dying pig in its own pig sty. It smelled SO DAMN BAD. Good god, we had to hurriedly eat it and then ask the server to pack it up as I already felt bad for the patrons next to us. Anyway, the tendons were great. I've never had some leafy, thin slices of spicy beef tendon. It almost made it taste like noodles. The lamb was subpar--- it was just long green peppers sliced up and then sauteed with very bland, very flavorless lamb. If this is any indication of how they cook their lamb, then I would steer very very clear of the other "new" lamb additions they added to the bottom of the app portion of the food menu. It's just bad. The meatball soup had amazing broth but the meatballs themselves tasted like feet, or at the very least old smelly gym socks. I was pretty grossed out. Finally, the salt and pepper soft shell crab was the grossest crab I've ever had. It wasn't gingerly fried. It was just coated and fried to the point where there was still oil leaking out when you bite into it. So why did i give this place 4 stars? Because judging by the other food being eaten by other patrons around us, I can tell that generally speaking, the food is very very good. Somehow we just ended up ordering some of the worst things on the menu.
(4)Char Y.
we came in and only ordered the pork chop rice. it was ok, the chop was dry and unseasoned. not worth the money!
(2)TinoX T.
Good Place for the town for a quick Bite,Clean and Tasty
(3)Countess O.
I honestly do *not* understand why all these people are raving about this place esp. its pancakes. I mean, when a reviewer starts his review with "my idea of Chinese food is Panda Express..." you know you're in for some shortsighted Panda-worship. On the other hand, I frequent Chinatown late at night, and many a time have ended up at Taiwan Cafe simply because no other place is open. Yes, Taiwan Cafe gets one star for staying open extra late. The food literally scores zilch on my scale. First of all, the scallion pancakes[see pic]. What a joke. I can make better scallion pancakes in my frying pan out of frozen pancakes sold at any Chinese grocery store. They're greasy (although not unexpectedly so) and so hard to chew that I think the roof of my mouth bled a little. Secondly, the oyster pancake/omelet/crepe/whatever they're called at Taiwan Cafe. I have had this classic Taiwanese specialty many times, and I must say if a place that dares to call itself "Taiwan Cafe" yet serves a sub-par oyster pancake, I don't know what other atrocities are possible. Undercooked rice maybe? A North Korean invasion? Take a look at the pic I uploaded and you'll see what i mean: you can literally see your own reflection in the pool of grease. Thirdly, the "chicken salad with apples." It turned out to be karaage chicken, i.e. fried chicken on a layer of shredded lettuce which I'm pretty sure was just there for moral support/decor purpose. lastly, I don't even feel like writing about the eggplant basil anymore, another popular dish at Taiwan Cafe. It's super oily as well, but not as bad as the grease bath that the oyster pancake swims in. In conclusion: Taiwan Cafe just might be *the* greasiest and sloppiest restaurant in Chinatown ever. Every time I see someone gives this place a 3+ star review, a part of me dies a little inside.
(1)Richa S.
5 stars rating is for the look in my boyfriend's face while he was enjoying the food here. We had spicy beef hot pot while was really good. The dumplings were amazing. I normally am not fond of soy sauce, but it was a bit different here which just tasted good. Small place but yet highly recommended.
(5)R H.
Should have read the bad reviews before I came here. I was overwhelmed by the many positive reviews but it turned out some of the bad reviews were true. The lady at front desk (owner) got attitude problems. She forgot what the fundamentals are to be called "Taiwan Cafe"! Food and service are the basic. This place got none of them. Keep on being rude and your income goes away soon. I agree with one of the review and want to quote her again here "If the owner is reading this I hope you understand that your customers are the reason why you have an income, we are the ones giving you a paycheck, be rude and ungrateful then maybe you'll just get *fired*." It was 91 degrees outside and she was sitting in an air-conditioned room. Be more considerate and nice to your customers, that's all.
(1)Yitzi C.
food = awesome service = terrible
(3)Aditya R.
In the heart of Chinatown, Taiwan Cafe is a great place to try out the Oriental cuisine. I must add that my options were limited being a vegetarian. Nonetheless I enjoyed the regular vegetables and the noodles and fried rice my friend ordered. The presentation of the food was really good even though it was crowded. The staff were very courteous. This a must visit for any oriental food lovers.
(4)Jonathan Y.
This is a treat for me who grew up in Taiwan. Far from authentic but good enough to alleviate home-sickness. Oyster omelet pancake tastes so good I almost bit my tongue. Smelly tofu has not enough odors. But I have been here tow days in a row.
(4)TK S.
Great place. Tiny little restaurant, but as authentic as it can get. The food tastes great and fresh. It's also very vegetarian friendly. I have family from Taiwan, so having food from here brings up some nostalgia. Only drawback, don't expect great customer service, especially if you don't speak Chinese. Make sure to name the number, and point at the menu if you speak English, makes things easier and makes sure there aren't any miscommunications. Other than that, great place. Will be visiting every chance I can get.
(4)Louis L.
Went for the soup dumplings. It was ok, a below average level if it's in china. Soup was way too much, never had one with that much soup, feels like you are drinking soup instead of having dumplings
(3)Stephanie N.
The roast beef scallion pancakes and duck buns rock!
(5)Tiffany C.
I came here a few weeks ago with my husband, who is Taiwanese. The food is decent but certain dishes do not taste authentic like their beef noodle soup. The thin sliced beef they used tasted strange. I could be biased though because I found a rubber band in my noodle soup!! I would have given this place 2 stars for their service and the rubber band incident, however they won me with their pork chop fried rice.
(3)W K.
Our family of 4 waited 45 minutes outside before they called us in. Once inside, we saw 2 available tables, 1 for 6 people, and 1 for 10 people. Hostess insist we sit at table for 10 and must share table......we should have left then. Instead, we sat down and proceed to decide what to order...oh, what a bad mistake!! 15 mins later waiter took order from people who came in after us and who were sharing table with us. Server was blind to our request to place order. Again, regretfully we should got up and left without ordering. We are Asians, we are familiar with restaurants with poor service but this establishment is the WORST I have experienced. We order soup that looked and tasted like dishwater, spicy beef stew noodle the wasn't beef stew but thin sliced sukiyaki beef and pork dumplings. TERRIBLE by Asian standards. They give Taiwan cuisine a bad name. Bottom line......TERRIBLE SERVICE, DISGUSTING FOOD
(1)Jessica N.
Boston sure knows how to vote with their feet and their wallets in Boston's chinatown. I was here Marathon weekend and turned to Yelp for restaurant recos, and then when we walked past Taiwan Cafe I knew we picked the right one. It was PACKED with multiple other restaurants nearby completely empty. We were able to leave a # for them to call us when the table was ready. Dishes were very reasonably priced. The favorite was the Taiwanese beef noodle soup. MUST TRY. The broth is DELICIOUS, very authentic. Vegetable dumplings were also tasty! I would pass on the onion pancake....not as good as other places. Definitely come here if you are in the area and looking for good Taiwanese food!
(4)Jason B.
Due to a series of hilarious misunderstandings, I previously believed that "soup dumplings" were simply dumplings...that you put into soup, then ate. At another local establishment, I did just that. Seemed fine, but I didn't know what everyone was writing home about. The kind Emily G. (after laughing at me, of course) set me straight, and when a bunch of us came to Taiwan Cafe of an evening, ordered our table a boatload of different dishes at Taiwan Cafe that were all incredibly tasty, including the aforementioned soup dumplings. Taiwan Cafe is an anonymous-looking storefront up a flight of stairs in Chinatown, and once inside, the twenty or so nondescript tables are filled with the usual assortment of characters. Nothing jumps out at you untill you order the food. The dumplings themselves were a little limpid, though undeniably tasty. The two different varieties were both bursting with rich, tasty broth, and when combined with the attendant black vinegar, became a whole mouth full of parties going on. The oyster pancake is a weird texture - a fried pancake with actual oysters that lie beneath, but if you're a fan, the taste is unbelievable. Chinese watercress is nothing like you'd imagine - sauteed greens with a big umami flavor, and the beef and spicy peppers will have you going back for seconds and thirds. By far the hit of the table was the roast beef scallion pancake roll. (let those words sink in. Yes, it is as awesome as it sounds) Accompanied all by ENORMOUS bottles of Tsing Tao, this place is a feast for all twelve senses. It's a little chilly when the door opens and closes, and the quarters are a bit tight, but all your discomfort will be forgotten in the face of their soup dumplings and that unreal scallion pancake roll.
(4)Amy B.
If you go to Taiwan Cafe, order the scallion pancake with roast beef. It's sort of like a crispy Asian calzone. It's much more delicious than you're even imagining. The beef with longhorn peppers was also excellent, and delivered just the right level of spice. I liked the oyster pancake, particularly the crispy edges, but you might not if you're sensitive to slimy food textures. I also enjoyed the soup dumplings, but must warn you that if you try to pour any pooled broth out of the bamboo basket onto someone's plate you may accidentally submerge their phone in pork fat. Learn from my fail.
(4)Colby B.
I have been going to GDH for a few years, and a few nights ago they closed early for some weird reason. I had always known of Taiwan Café, but stuck to what I knew and didn't stray from that. Well, here was my chance and I think from now on I will be going to Taiwan Café for my Szechuan fix! We got there around midnight and were promptly seated and served tea which was great, because it was in the low 20s that night. My boyfriend and I ordered ma po tofu, Szechuan fish with vegetables and the pork soup dumplings. The ma po tofu arrived first and was by far the tastiest thing we got there. The soft curd tofu was so good and the sauce wasn't cluttered with random vegetables that don't belong in ma po tofu. I can't say as to whether or not there was meat in it, but it was delicious and had the perfect amount of chili oil. I have had ma po tofu before where there was onions/carrots/celery and its just weird. This was just what I wanted in ma po tofu. The Szechuan fish with vegetables (napa cabbage mostly) was not what I was used to getting. It is served in a much more creative fashion, with a metal bowl and some flame under it to keep it at a boil for quite a while. At first I thought it wouldn't be as good, it just wasn't as bright red and didn't look the same. But that is because it was better. The fish flavor was better, there wasn't this obnoxious layer of chili oil poured on top, instead a nice even layer to go with every bite. It had a much cleaner flavor and it was really good! As this is only the second place I have had soup dumplings (other than making them myself), I don't know that my judgment is the best to follow, but oh well. The skin was nice and thin, and the soup had really good porky flavor. The vinegar/ginger that comes with it is a great way to cut through the rich porkiness. Is that a word? It is now. Porkiness...I like it. All in all, the service was better, there was way more elbow room and the food was better...I wish I had been going here this entire time. I can't wait to go back!
(4)ML B.
Really freaking good. My hub and I had friends in town and wanted to find a delicious place in Chinatown- so on a busy Friday evening we went by to order takeout. Despite the fact that it was slammed and a Friday night, they were super gracious and helped us place our order- and they had the order ready in ten minutes. We ordered like 100 dollars of food (a LOT for a restaurant this affordable) and everything was ridiculous. Yes, you need to get the XLB. Worth it. General Gao's is especially good too. I will absolutely come here again. A great place to bring out-of-towners- you won't be disappointed!
(5)Paranus R.
Food was excellent. Service was fast, and food came out steaming hot. However, the bathroom was deplorable. By 6 pm, there was urine all over the floor, along with soapy sink splash, with many used paper towels on the floor as the receptacle was overfull. The toilet was disgusting. If it was in this condition by early evening, I hate to think how it ends up at the end of the evening. Sadly, after visiting a sewer like this, it really diminishes the pleasure of the good food.
(3)Del J.
A ray of sunshine in Chinatown. They take your phone number to wait for a table. Service is friendly and amazing. Skip the rest of China town and go here. The food was perfect
(5)Liz W.
Good, authentic-enough Chinese food for a decent price! XLBS - 5/5 These soup dumplings are your typical Shanghainese traditional Xiao Long Bao's! They are hot and freshly steamed, juicy with hot fatty pork soup within the dumpling, and comes with black vinegar + ginger dip (which I consider to be authentic). Delicious! Fried Stinky Tofu - 4.5/5 YUM!!!! First time having stinky tofu on the East Coast, and I loved it! Not too stinky... and not their usual black color when it's just cooked (not fried)... but delicious! Crispy on the outside, hot and soft on the inside. The portion is huge, and comes on top of a slightly spicy/salty sauce, and a layer of pickled slightly sweet/salty cabbage above. Spicy Beef and Spinach Noodle Soup - 4/5 The beef was sliced thin enough so that it wasn't too chewy.. although some of the tendon could have been cooked a little longer (chewy). The noodles were the melt-in-your-mouth type of texture, and the flavor was great! spicy enough to be called spicy, but not too much where it numbs your mouth.
(5)Christina C.
Really yummy Taiwanese food... I love the Chinese veggie(Tung choi)...beef roll... Soup dumpling was good also but since I'm a New Yorker.. My heart is still with Joe shanghai....;)... I do recommend this place if you are craving for good Taiwanese food in Boston.
(5)Matthew T.
I've had something of a major problem since popping into Taiwan Cafe last week for dinner--I can't stop thinking about dumplings. My dear friend, Waban, has long been an evangelist of the dumpling experience, and after deciding to take the plunge myself, Taiwan Cafe appeared to be a pleasant choice after perusing Chinatown's offerings on Yelp. Not feeling hugely peckish, we ordered three appetizers to share: #31-the roast beef scallion pancake, #43-the vegetarian steamed ravioli, and #46-the mini steamed buns with pork. I know what I like in a scallion pancake--they're fairly perfect in and of themselves--and this roast beef concoction did not disappoint. In addition to the beef, there's a wonderful, slightly-sweet sauce (tamarind or something similar, maybe?), along with some scallions and other greens. This dish has been very well thought out and incredibly delicious. The dumplings that we ordered were perfectly formed, perfectly cooked, and perfectly tender--the pork buns were filled with a delightfully vital soup that coated the palate without being too fatty or too salty, and the veggie ravioli were smooth, fresh, and filling. Our entire meal came to less than $25--an absolute steal for two people in Boston. I'll definitely be back really soon. If a half star were possible, I'd totally give Taiwan Cafe 4.5 stars, faulting them a half star only for the fairly cramped dining room. If you're looking for great food in downtown Boston, you can't go wrong here.
(4)Rulian F.
We used to love Taiwan cafe. The food was delicious, and the service was more friendly than most other restaurants in Chinatown. We stopped going there after we moved further away and decided to go with a bunch of people a couple of weeks ago. The place looked nicer after the renovation. Unfortunately we were no longer impressed with the food which was just so so. For example, the 3 cup chicken was not as flavorful as it used to be. The Taiwan style pan fried dumplings were not tasty at all. We had much better ones at Mulan. The few dishes that still stand out IMO included the beef wrapped in pancake (appetizer), and the stir fried pork with shredded dried bean curd. The service was ok - the friendly smiling waiters and waitresses were gone. There were 8 of us. We left a 15% tip. But the waitress came back and told us that since we had 8 people we should pay 18% tip. Ok we then did that. But they really should have added the 18% tip to the bill if that is required. It was a disappointing experience. We will go to Mulan in the future, not worth the drive into Chinatown for it.
(3)Vanessa K.
Came here on a recommendation on Xiao Long Bao, left unhappy. The buns were mediocre and our braised beef noodles soup was too oily. I also recall the waitresses not being too friendly but I can give them that, especially since this is an Asian restaurant. It would just be nice to be surprised once in awhile with good service... anyhoo.. I can't remember much since this was a few months ago but I know that I won't come here again.
(3)Amelia C.
Great choice for Taiwanese food. The house special pork chop over rice is an absolute must-order - I don't know what's in the batter they fry their pork chops in, but it is ridiculously tasty. Super filling, and large portions (comes with white rice, pickled vegetables, and a hard boiled egg that's been marinated in a tea/soy-sauce mixture), so you can share this with your table - or just order this and be more than satisfied at less than $6! Insanely cheap for such a tasty meal. I would also recommend the oyster pancakes, and any of the noodle soups. All portions are gigantic so it is fun to go with a group so that you can share plates. I would pass on the soup dumplings here. They have an unusual taste to them (and not in a good way...). However, in lieu of them, I'd go for the vegetarian steamed ravioli - they are beautifully wrapped, and delicious! I would also pass on the ma po tofu - it's just silken tofu in a spicy sauce that is not particularly tasty... nothing additional. At just under $9 (one of the more expensive dishes here), I'd expect something more. This gets five stars for doing an amazing job executing the traditional Taiwanese dishes that I don't think you can get anywhere else in Boston's Chinatown.
(5)Apolinaras S.
You know the place will be good when your Chinese friend takes you there. Now I finally have a Chinese restaurant that is on par with what I got accustomed to in Chicago's Chinatown. All lunch dishes #1-10 apparently are the ones to get, especially if you like it spicy.
(5)Kathy C.
Yeah, I'm a fan! On our recent road trip, we spent one night in Boston. I was determined to get me some good eats while in Boston. I spent a good amount of time looking through Yelp reviews and finally decided on Taiwan Cafe. Why? Well, I needed my XLB fix! We got there and were seated promptly. We ordered the spicy beef tendon, xiao lun bao, pork buns, pork chop over rice, and chicken leg quarter over rice. Okay, these are like... major comfort food for me. I was really worried that I would be disappointed and wasted precious tummy space for the only dinner opportunity in Boston during our one night in Boston. Nope, everything was great. They may not have been the BEST dish of its kind I've ever had, but pretty yummy. The XLB does have a good amount of soup inside each of the tiny little white belly. The pork chop had a slight sweet hint to it, but tasty. The fried chicken leg was actually slightly bland to me, but still good. The portion of these rice dishes (came with minced pork & rice, side of cabbage, pickled veggie, and half an egg) is quite traditional and delicious. The pork buns were pretty yummy as well. We loved the spicy beef tendon! I just wish I had more room to order more dishes.... And it was super cheap...
(4)Susan N.
So far my favorite xiao long bao (soup dumplings) eatery in Boston. Other food that is delicious here based on my tasting experience: Salt and pepper fried chicken wings - very crispy without any breading or greasy feeling; very flavorful and meaty Szechuan wontons in chili oil sauce - sounds spicy but it's not bad at all; sauce is slightly sweet; wontons are very, very tender; if you like that very soft texture, you will like these Chicken rolled in scallion pancake - delicious minced chicken with hoisin sauce, scallions, and cilantro rolled inside a savory fried scallion pancake - like eating a moo shu dish but WAAAY better with the crispy exterior This place would have five stars if it wasn't so cramped inside and if the servers were nicer.
(4)Jim B.
Reeeeeally good. I've never had Chinese food this authentic before coming here. I wish I could come back, I don't live in Boston and the menu is vast! We got the fried pork chops, the seaweed salad, and the fried taro. The pork was succulent and crispy, delicious. The seaweed salad was GARLICKY, just how I like it. The taro was sweet, savory, and crispy. Delicious. Their chili sauce made everything delicious as well. Only downside is that the people working here literally speak next to no English. I asked if the waiter had any suggestions, and just said "no". Okay...
(5)William T.
The soup dumplings are good but everything else was a disappointment. There is too much starch to be sold as Taiwanese food. This is definitely not an authentic Taiwanese joint. As well, the batter used to deep fry the scallop cancelled out any flavour and made everything dour and bland. The white fish was again too oily, and caused us stomach problems. This is just another Chinese greasy spoon, nothing worth lining up for.
(2)Anna C.
We came because I read the reviews about the beef noodle soup (I love noodle soups!) and couldn't wait to try it. It was completely disappointing -- the broth was overpowering, but somehow the noodles were completely tasteless and broke apart easily. My dining companion's dish came on a child-themed plate... which is kind of amusing, but at the same time, kind of inappropriate. It was a sectioned plate, but the dish wasn't meant to be sectioned... I don't know how else to explain it -- see picture. Warning -- you will smell like Taiwanese food for the rest of the day. Better go on a laundry day. Note: Place is small, so be prepared to share a table with strangers if you're dining with less than 3-4 people.
(1)Danny F.
I'm really really confused at why people like this place. The food is not that good - it's greasy and salty, and the restaurant would be empty if it were actually in Taiwan. Plus, why so surly??? My latest experience picking up a takeout order was unpleasant, being scolded for not remembering my work phone number. They only had 2 other takeout orders at the time. Totally inappropriate customer service, and the final straw for me. What I ordered (a typical Taiwanese dish) was again salty and greasy, and overcooked. So no thank you. I will never step foot in there again. Sorry.
(1)Michael O.
Fantastic "hidden gem" with a huge menu. We had a variety of dumplings, chicken, and noodles. I walked with a suitcase from the train station with no issues. Soup dumplings (xiao long boa) were great. Pork and chive dumplings were fresh and juicy. I don't recall the names of the other dishes but we left completely satisfied. Prices were acceptable. Most customers at dinner time appeared to be ordering in Chinese but English was not a problem.
(5)Joe H.
This place stays packed in the peak hours but service is fast. I normally go for the fried pork chops which is my favorite. It comes with a boiled soy sauce egg and white rice with a type of pickled mustard on the side and a ground beef or pork stewy sauce over the rice. My girlfriend goes for the wide noodles in Sacha Sauce which outdoes regular chow foon anywhere. Get the roast beef wrapped in Scallion pancake as an appetizer. You will thank me. My buddy always gets the spicy beef noodle soup which is similar to Vietnamese Bun Bo Hue. GO HERE
(5)Peter K.
Staff struggles with concept of vegan food, but there are a few options here, like the ma po tofu, which is decent, and the scallion pancakes. The Taiwan style pan fried tofu tastes like meat though. None of the dumplings are vegan.
(4)Linda M.
Meh, bad service, would not recommend.
(1)Amy Y.
I am originally from California (large selection of taiwanese food) and I'm a super fan of taiwan, been there several times, big fan of their food. My first time here at Taiwan Cafe since i moved here to boston, had a huge craving for taiwanese food. I know there is not too many taiwanese restaurants. Overall, everything was decently carried out. We ordered the oyster pancake, poached pork with garlic, minced pork rice and fried intestine. The minced pork rice had its taste to it, but it slightly lacked the complex flavor that it should have. It seems as if it was just stewed in the pot for a long time more than enough time. The coloring of it wasn't as bright and attractive. But for $2.95. It was ok :) Oyster pancake was the best out of all the dishes. It had a fair amount of oysters in it. It was deep fried. So I don't recommend eating the spinach in the bottom because they were just loaded with oil afterwards. The poached pork actually lacked the original poached flavor to it. (Coz it was suppose to have a tint of salt taste to it already and the sauce adds the extra kick of garlic flavor to it) It was very bland if you don't dip it in the sauce. But the sauce itself was very salty.. So its like do you dip or do you not dip? Some chunks are really think, Some were really thin. The fried intestine, I wouldn't recommend because it was over fried. So it was really dark. really crunchy. BUT it took away all the juiciness of the intestines. The texture was the intestines were completely gone. Plus it was most likely due to the quality of the intestines weren't every good. They weren't very thick looking overall i think even before they fried it. Last note, everything was on the salty side, but at least the place was clean, service was decent just like any other asian restaurants and for that price it was worth a try.
(3)Jon S.
I'll admit, I don't really like "real" Chinese food, but some friends of mine wanted to go out for Chinese, so we ended up here. My idea of Chinese food is Panda Express (embarrassing? I think not. That orange chicken is damn good). I ended up ordering the General Something's chicken which was pretty similar to orange chicken. Bite-sized pieces of fried chicken covered in sauce. This chicken was drenched in sauce to the point where it was just way too much. The serving size was decent, but the chicken itself was just okay. To be honest, I think Panda's orange chicken is better. For the price, Panda is definitely a better deal. I'm sure this place is good for more traditional Chinese food, but if you're into the more Americanized Chinese food, there's still nothing better than Panda.
(3)Trenicia W.
So my friend who is Chinese American brought me here on our trip to Boston. The food was delicious, the only problem is I cannot tell you what the hell we ordered, since she ordered everything. One thing we had for sure that was delicious was the omelet. This place is super tiny, and we went at around midnight and it was FULL, so keep this in mind for large groups or going at peak dinner times.
(5)Vic J.
Waited for 40 minutes after ordering. The attitude of waiters and waitresses were really bad: they acted as if not hearing us when we asked when the order can be ready. First time writing a review on yelp. That says something about how bad the restaurant is.
(1)Xiao Z.
Really amazing pork scallion pancakes! Don't even think about the calories, just come here for deliciousness! I'm particularly fond of this establishment because it offered some of my favorite, albeit not too-beloved by the public - pig ears! But nostalgia aside, this place is actually really reasonably priced and a good, safe place to eat after studying more than 12 hours in the library. I'd recommend it. Food: 4 stars (scallion pancakes only) Price: 3 stars Locale: 2 stars
(4)Jacob M.
Server is extremely rude without any respect and patience though food is OK, anyway the mood can be really destroyed. Once I dinning here, when I want to sit in the table to order, the staff told me: no you can't, order in front of the counter! And they do cheat money and made up the amount of tip themselves, over 20 percent. When delivering food, they never smile, pull a long face, speak in a impatient and rude manner, as if they are fighting with customer. You can really get angry dealing with these staff.
(1)Yaz D.
I'm so happy I ignored all the bad service warnings and tried this place; especially being from out of town. The food was awesome and the service was not bad at all. We walked in Sunday night and were seated right away. We ordered the sauteed julienne chicken with eggplant in sweet and sour sauce (not too spicy) and the Taiwan style noodles with seafood and vegetables. I knew the portions were generous, so we skipped the soup and appetizers and the two of us just shared the 2 dishes. Yum!!
(5)Helen S.
This is the only Chinese restaurant that I can go to in Boston without leaving mostly disappointed (just moved here from CA six months ago). I have been back a few times since my first review, and I am still a fan! Pretty authentic, and probably the best you can get in the area (imo, the XLB, despite other reviews, were only meh). This place would probably be a 4-star in LA, so that's like a 5-star for Boston Chinese food ("As good as it gets" in Beantown)!
(5)R M.
Huge portions and very reasonable, but not the best food in Chinatown. (We tried some chicken and shrimp dishes, not the more adventurous ones)
(4)Katy M.
Great food, EXTENSIVE menu, and good prices! If you order takeout around lunch hours they throw in a free soup too. The scallion pancake dishes are delicious.
(4)Joann C.
Once again we have cheap food in Chinatown! And cheap yummy food in Chinatown...that I am willing to go back to again and again. I left Boston craving this and was thankful for my generous leftovers that was able to send me away happy and full! Soup Dumplings - Sooo the soup broth and the meat were actually better than the Gourmet Dumpling house! How can it be? But its true! However, the drawback are the skins for the dumplings. I think its made of wheat or something, which I guess is healthier but this is where the flavor falls short. Can I take GDH's skin and add Taiwan Cafe's soup and meat and voila! - perfect soup dumplings!!! Pork Chop Rice - Large generous portion of rice and deep fried pork chop, lighted salted. Am craving now just writing about it. Tomato Egg and Beef over Rice - One of my most favorite dishes ever! Taiwan Cafe makes it a bit tangier than I normally like it. Also, they place the entire dish over the rice versus having them side by side. I know normally the dish is eaten served over rice, but I would like to have some control over how much sauce is being soaked up by the rice. This ended up having the dish very tangy with nothing to help absorb the flavor; I had to steal some from the Pork Chop Dish in order to wash out the flavor. We also ordered an oyster pancake but I didnt eat this dish so I can comment on it. However, in the end, the entire bill came out to $25. You really cant beat that! Cant wait to go again!
(4)Paran Y.
Theres nothing I can say about this restaurant that has not already been said. Spicy Beef Noodle Soup - heavy on the star anise but its actually pretty delicious. its a great portion and its savory, sweet, and full of that MSG goodness. scallion pancakes - another must. but lets be honestly, every asian restaurant makes these. also its hard to mess up fried dough dipped in spicy soy sauce. skipping it wouldn't be the biggest travesty. looks nice after the remodel but still gets crowded around dinner time.
(4)Mary T.
This is the place to go to if you are in Chinatown and you are craving some Taiwanese food! This is not to say it is a really good place, but there aren't many options in Chinatown if you want some decent food. This place is small and it is always packed! If you are with a small party and you don't mind sharing a table, you will probably get seated faster. What is there to try? Well their menu is extensive and there's a lot of food you can order from Taiwanese small eats to noodles... Fried rice... I tried a couple of dishes. I had the dumplings, stinky tofu, roasted beef noodle, and fried chicken legs over rice. If you have ever been to Taiwan, you would know what a good bowl of beef noodle soup is. The way they make it is mala but the soup isn't flavorful enough. I thought it was a little bland. Also, they do not use the usual roasted beef, instead they use slices of beef you would use for hot pot. The good thing about it is the portion size is large and it was definitely filling to just share one with a friend if you order other dishes. Their stinky tofu was also a little bland. They should add more chili sauce on the side for customers and add more sauce to make it taste more delicious! I have to say I was impressed with the fried chicken leg with rice. It comes with some ground pork, egg, cabbage, and two legs with rice. Wow, I didn't expect that much food for such a fair price! The chicken leg was good! There is room for improvement, but compared to a lot of other restaurants in Chinatown, this is one of the better ones. I would come back again after I venture to other places in Chinatown.
(3)Sarah C.
Came here for a quick snack after a movie. Ordered the XL biao, taiwanese style hot and sour soup and scrambled egg with pickled daikon. Other Taiwanese restaurants in Ctown serve 6 pieces of XLBs but this cafe gives you an extra piece so that is a plus (I guess you and friends have to fight over that additional XLBs :P ). I had to ask the waiter for the dipping sauce for the XLBs so I guess it does not automatically comes with the order? Next came the soup - it was very pepper-y! Large portion but it was not spicy at all. Also strange to see enoki mushrooms in the soup. The last entree was the scrambled egg - it was salty and oily with no daikon (it did not deserve a picture). I probably took a bite and left 95% of the order untouched. Gross. I gave the place 3 stars due to the tasty XLBs and no wait time.
(3)Calvin Y.
Taiwan Cafe is one of several sit-down places that are available in Boston, MA. While I cannot speak for many of the other places, this one was rated pretty highly on Yelp, and it had several things that piqued my interest. The food is good, not too expensive, and comes out pretty quickly considering the place was pretty busy. One thing that I've come to notice is the decline in the quality of food at many places when restaurants get busy. The quality of the food, from what I can tell, was still very high. I ordered some dumplings, some scallion pancakes, some ho fun, and cumin lamb. All of them came out well, the ho fun was especially good. Their menu, like many other Asian places, is pretty expansive, and if what I ordered this last visit is any indication of the overall quality of the food, I'd really want to come back and try some of their other things the next time I am around Boston Chinatown.
(4)Amy G.
Pretty flipping awesome, tasty, cheap, and fast food. This is probably the best Chinese restaurant in Chinatown and now with the new and improved decor, is wayy better than Gourmet Dumpling House in terms of ambiance. In fact I think this place may have been rated by Time Magazine as one of the top 50 best Chinese restaurants in America. Competition in Boston is not that intense compared to NYC, but still pretty awesome. Their oyster pancakes are to die for. Soup dumplings are also AWESOME (my favorite soup dumplings ever) and they have a couple of noodle dishes here and there that are great. This place is AMAZING for large parties -- it's like a macro dim sum fest where you get to sample all this super tasty food. Only thing I don't like is that the wait staff can get pretty snarky at times, but it's something you can deal with.
(5)Jane W.
I have been here once and I can't wait to go back and try so many more things on the very long menu. We had read Yelp reviews before we came so we knew to order the soup dumplings. They are tricky to eat but definitely worth the effort! Put it on your soup spoon and nibble a tiny hole in the side and slurp out the soup broth. Yummy! I will definitely order them every time we eat here as well as the amazing roast beef scallion pancake. Cilantro is one of my favorite herbs and the rolls were packed with it. The tea was hot and delicious and they brought us fresh pots before ours was completely empty. I love that. The decor is not what you come here for. It's very basic. Before we were done, a couple sat at the table next to us which was about 4 inches from ours. That was a little too close for comfort but it didn't spoil our meal and we will be back. They have some big tables for larger groups.
(5)Samuel B.
I probably can't eat here anymore, because the chef has apparently succumbed to the myth circulating among Chinatown chefs that Gwai Lo will eat anything if you put enough sugar in it. I have diabetes. If there wasn't enough enough sugar in tonight's Home Style Braised Eggplant, Xiaolongbao, and beef scallion pancake dishes to induce ketoacidosis, there was certainly such an excess of sugar that those dishes were unattractive to the palate. The Sichuan Flounder and Taiwan style pork chop also contained sugar, but were acceptable, almost good. If you are going to pride yourself on surly staff as Durgin Park did 50 years ago, you had better prepare food as well as they did in the old days, too.
(2)Robert C.
I am glad I was able to hit Taiwan Cafe during my visit in Boston. I LOVE their Stinky Tofu ($5.95) here. It's fermented fried tofu served with cabbage. Let me tell you know, it's not for everyone! The rest of my friends were really disgusted due to the smell lol... 1 of them tried it and told me that it tasted like straight up garbage. In my opinion, it's 1 of the best stinky tofu I've ever tried; it's beautifully fermented and cooked! I also tried their Xiao Long Bao ($6.95) - mini steamed buns with pork & crabmeat. You get 8 buns per order and they're pretty dang good. They're a little smaller than what I'm used to, but they're also cheaper at the same time. Definitely 1 of the better Xiao Long Bao I've ever tasted. Beef Stew Noodle Soup ($5.75) - I'm usually not a big fan of beef stew noodle soup in most restaurants. However, this is the BEST beef stew soup that I've ever had. The flavor of the broth's just out of this world; The rest of them don't even come close to this. Overall, I'm really impressed with this place. If I don't have a high standards when it comes to Chinese food, I'd probably give this place a 5 stars. You guys should definitely stop by and give this place a try!!!
(4)Wini H.
Ah...this place reminds me of childhood, when I would go into Flushing, Queens on weekends. For a treat, we'd sometimes eat at the local Chinese places rather than my grandmother's cooking, the most notable of which would be Joe's Shanghai. For those unfamiliar, it's VERY well-known for their rich, delicious soup dumplings with delicate skins and fatty broth. Their other food is great too, and it remains one of my favorite places to eat when I visit my family. This place is like that--their soup dumplings, while less fatty, are super flavorful and extremely delicious. Just order stacks and stacks of those; as other reviewers have said, the owners are the same as Gourmet Dumpling House's. Everything is reasonably priced and packed full of well-executed Chinese cuisine. The thing about Chinese food is that there's a large margin for sloppiness without making the dish inedible. An average cook can churn out a mediocre dish with ease and some will be none the wiser (hence all those blah Chinese food places out there), but it takes a good cook to do it very well. I only wish that the vinegar that accompanies the soup dumplings had little spoons with them. What I like to do is either bite a hole in the top of the dumpling and pour a little bit of vinegar inside, or pour a little bit over the top, rather than risk breaking the dumpling inside the vinegar by dipping it.
(4)Saney K.
wouh !! so delicious !! It was freaking packed when we got here around lunch time. We passed by the gourmet dumpling house and that place was super packed. I yelped Taiwan cafe and decided to try it. We had to wait 5 minutes only. The weirdest part was that the place is so small that people have to share a table. So we were sitting next to Taiwanese mom and daughter, total strangers. I wish we knew them cause their food looked awesome - better than what we ordered. The mom chowed down some food for being such a small framed lady. We ordered taiwanese dumpling, some spicy dish and some taiwanese noodles. All great. Portions were pretty big - we were stuffed. The whole time I was looking at people's plate and wondered what they ordered cause they looked so delicious. If I lived in Boston, i would come here so many times and try everything. only 4 stars cause I didn't order the delicious stuff that others did !!
(4)Kiki P.
My boyfriend and I were staying near Chinatown at the Hyatt Regency Hotel for the weekend. After a long sunday at the bars watching football, we decided to walk around Chinatown and grab some dinner. I did not realize how busy so many of these restaurants get! We walked by several packed restaurants and decided to eat at Taiwan Cafe based upon its great reviews. We ordered vegetable lo mein and general gao's chicken. I did not enjoy either of these dishes...very oily. My boyfriend thought they were okay - 3 out of 5 stars. The portion sizes were ginormous though. The 2 dishes alone could feed a family of 4 easily...all for less than 20 bux. Not bad at all. Regardless of the great value, I would not return to Taiwan Cafe.
(2)Mike R.
The quality of the food is absolutely top notch. I wish I remember what I had last time, but our waitress was so friendly and helpful and picked half the stuff for us and she made fantastic selections. I was in food heaven. And when I got the bill I couldn't believe how inexpensive it was. One of my absolute favourites in Chinatown. Like most places with great food and prices, it's best not to try going at prime time if you're like me and don't enjoy waiting around.
(5)Tanya Y.
I come here for one dish, and one dish only. BEEF AND TOMATOES OVER RICE! And for only around ~$5.00? What's not to love? Taiwan Cafe has a homey feel and sports a variety of traditional dishes, all for killer cheap prices. The food is served super fast and the service is prompt. Getting a table usually isn't an issue due to its prompt service, despite it's small restaurant size. Usually, entrees come with a bowl of soup, which is pretty tasty. A variety of the usual carbonated beverages are available, as well as the ever-so-popular Tsing Tao Beer if that tickles your fancy. And, the place is opened relatively late for all the party animals out there. The only downside to this place is that one: it's cash only, and two: parking, per usual for anywhere Downtown/Chinatown, blows big chunks. But! Don't let these kinks in the chain be the rain on your parade: get your butt to an ATM and take the train or silver line to Chinatown and pay Taiwan Cafe a visit, you won't regret it! Your wallet will even be smiling =)
(4)Vy D.
$5 Beef with eggs and tomatoes over rice was delicious. Authentic Taiwanese, home-cooked style food was all that for the price. Long story short: Boston's parking is CRAZY. I thought Philly and NYC was hard to find parking. But after driving around the North End to find parking spots for what it seemed like hours, we somehow ended up at Taiwan Cafe. Get the beef and tomatoes dish and you'll won't regret it. The xiaolongbao was also pretty good. I would definitely come back here if I'm back in Bean-town.
(4)Dan M.
Nothing fancy, but if you are looking for ample portions of food (especially the soup) for a reasonable price from a wonderfully diverse menu, this is the place. Because of this, you might need to wait a bit, but it is worth the wait. After spending time walking through Boston on a cold winter day, the entry into the warm confines of this restaurant is one of the simple pleasures if life.
(4)Tony J.
The food was mostly really good, the service was very fast, and the whole ambiance was really cool. The food was very interesting and mostly very well made. Pricing is not so high either. Even though we had to share a round table with 2 other parties that we didn't know, it was cool. Unfortunately, they get a 1 star because the chef doesn't know how to cook fish. At. All. I mean, come on. You can't leave it in an extra couple minutes so that it comes out edible? It was quite inedible and frankly gross. As a certain famous chef would say: "It's raw! Just touch it!". It was raw on the inside, and there was still strange colored liquid that dripped from inside the head onto the rest of the dish, which frankly was absolutely terrifying. Sorry, but that is 1 strike. However, I have had 2 balls from this place already so you haven't struck out yet. 2 more chances, hopefully the 1 star becomes 4 or 5 after the next visit. We won't be ordering your live fish anymore ever though.
(1)Christina X.
Their soup dumplings were pretty awesome. We also ordered the scallion pancakes, which were tasty as well. We came right when they opened so didn't have to wait at all.
(5)Chanda M.
The best place to go for hotpot soups. My favorite is the meatball soup. Highly recommend this meatball hotpot.
(4)Taraneh A.
If I could give no stars, I would. We were seated at a table too small to accomodate 6 people. We kindly asked if we could move to a larger table (there were a couple available in the front). The manager/owner replied verbatim the following in mandarin: "Those tables are already reserved for other customers. If you don't like this table, you can go somewhere else." WOW!!! What a B%*@# So, thats exactly what we did. We dined at New Jumbo Seafood instead & it was delicious!!! :o)
(1)J J.
HORRIBLE SERVICE RUDE WAITRESS Even though I'd like to like Taiwan Cafe, the service made me not too. Foods were great and all my friends liked it. However, the service is the one made us not ever wanna go back to that place and wanted to leave that place while we were there even though we didn't get all our orders. When we entered, it wasn't busy at all but the servers were busy with talking to each others. When we asked about the menu, rude server#1 said "NO" without even finishing hearing my friend' first sentence. When I try to order for Taiwanese Salt & Pepper Calamari with no pepper, the server said "NO. You cannot take out pepper." without even asking at the kitchen first. When my friends whom not very familiar with any Asian cuisine, asked question on some Taiwanese style foods, the rude server#2 cutted the question off and said "it's chicken, its chicken, okay?!" We know it's chicken since it describes as chicken on the menu. But there were 100s of chicken dishes and we just wanted to ask questions since we've never tried Taiwanese foods and most of dish describes as "Taiwanese Style" on the menu. We ended up ordering simple menu like chicken with broccoli and lo-mein even though we were there to try some Taiwanese foods.... It's sad that the servers and their service are the make customers away from Taiwan Café. I know this is "restaurant" so I should focus on their foods to write this review, but honestly the service was extremely rude. Even considering this place is international cuisine places and have servers don't have a good English speaking skill, still this is not the way treat customers. I know lots of international cuisine places have friendly servers and service. I'm not even expecting "super friendly service" here.. just "decent service" especially they are asking us for tips. Oh, speaking of tips, even though we were not happy with Taiwan Cafe' servers, we put little over 10% tips out in cash and once we put on the table, the rude servers walked up to our table then just picked up the tips on the table WHILE we were getting ready to go outside and WE WERE AT THE TABLE then walked away without even saying "excuse me" or "thank you" or just one word!! And when we were walking out the door with saying "Thank you", the server didn't say anything even though they were just right in front of the door. There were three servers, two female and one male. Those TWO (RUDE) FEMALE SERVERS should not work there. Male server didn't talk to us, he just brought us foods. Overall, if you don't care the horrible service with no decency and the server's rude attitudes, go for it. But it's better off to go to other Taiwanese places in Chinatown.
(1)An L.
The best dish here is the watercress. It's well done. It is consistently good. Other dishes are ok, I'm still looking for another winner dish; I tend to be picky. Did not enjoy the shrimp dish.
(4)Peter Y.
Overrated and bland for the most part. I came here with a group of 15 once, and most of the dishes were basically carbon copies of each other. It was as if they had one sauce for everything, and just varied the vegetables and meats. The price was fair enough, however, but I'd much rather fork out a few $$$ for a more satisfying meal.
(3)Rachel W.
We had such high expectations for this place given the yelp reviews. Unfortunately this was one of those times we just can't agree with the other yelpers. Walked in and were seated within 5 minutes. It was seriously crowded so we thought the food must be amazing. Ambiance isn't that great, think cheap Chinatown food. I was seriously craving fried fish with vegetables. Unfortunately I didn't see anything matching that on the menu. They had fried fish. and they had cooked vegetables in sauce. "Sorry, we can't please everyone" Well, I just really wanted you to mix the fried fish dish with the vegetable dish, am I being unreasonable? Maybe. :-/ We ordered the eggplant basil dish, which if you do go, I highly recommend. We then ordered some other chicken dish, which unfortunately I can't remember the name of, but it came out in this metal pan with this heat source underneath. I guess to keep the dish hot? Anyway, it was just a lot of meat fried and cooked in a sauce. The smell of the heat source was really bothering me but I couldn't for the life of me blow it out. The chicken dish was totally edible, just not great. I don't think we'll be back anytime soon.
(2)Jocelyn E.
It gets crowded in here, so come early. Leave your stroller at home. We came here for dinner with friends over the weekend. We got here around 5. By the time we were served, it was packed. By the time we left (around 6:30), there were people waiting for a table. Come here early if you want to beat the rush. This place is slightly "hidden" off the main roads of Chinatown. It isn't accessible - we had to haul my son's stroller up the stairs, and there was nowhere to put it when we got up there. The food was good. It wasn't the best Chinese food I've had, but it was authentic and I did enjoy the soup dumplings as well as the regular dumplings quite a bit. We also got the roast beef scallion pancakes and the pork burgers which we liked. I wasn't a fan of the entree-esque dishes (the "real" dishes such as Chicken and Tofu over rice) and I recommend sticking with the appetizers, which will fill you up. Don't expect good service here. But to be honest, that's what I've come to expect out of authentic Asian restaurants. Have you ever been to a similar restaurant in Taiwan? I lived there, and I will tell you, they don't care about service. I get that this is America, but if you want to "real" experience, then don't piss and moan about bad service. You were able to order and get your food. Deal with the rest of it. If you want good service, this is not the place to go. I'm sure there's somewhere in Chinatown you can go, or try somewhere like P.F Chang's.
(3)Nathan M.
How could it have 4 stars?!! Haven't been to this place for a while cause the food sucks. Figure give it a try after all the years, guess what? food still sux, meats not fresh at all. Stay away!!!!
(1)Tianyu Z.
Everything is too sweet, even it is supposed to be spicy"
(2)Simon G.
I suspect those rating this place at less than 4 stars don't know how to order.
(5)Cheng M.
Worst service ever!!! This is the second time I have to leave the restaurant because of the service. The owner is very mean and rude! And the food is not that good anyway! I think you can find better restaurant and service in Chinatown . Don't go this place! Worst!
(1)Ben P.
I went here on a date last week after a friend had recommended it. I've live in China for a couple years and was really impressed with Taiwan Cafe's menu; for such a small establishment, it has a HUGE menu, and it offers food from all over mainland China (so the restaurant's name might be a bit of a misnomer). We wanted to try a bunch of different options, so ended up ordering way too much for 2 people. The prices are very reasonable, and the service is slightly better than the usual "Why are you burdening me with your presence?" attitude of most Chinese restaurant waitstaff. We ended up with: Kung Pao Chicken （空炮鸡ä¸ï¼‰: good, a little spicy, and too much celery, but otherwise a solid standard dish. Chinese-style eggplant (鱼香茄å): awesome and oily, just like it should be! Sichuan Boiled Beef: The lowpoint of the meal. The meat was kind of dry and they took out the Sichuan spice that makes your tongue numb before serving it. Soup dumplings 虾笼包 and pan fried pork dumplings: both fantastic. I'll definitely be going back and/or moving closer to chinatown to visit this place and the dumpling house weekly...
(5)Meson W.
Like others below, if I could give this place no stars, I would as well. As friendly as we were when we entered, we were met with horrible service! The waitress led us back to a corner table next to the restroom and kitchen door. My mother made a request to sit at another table in the front of the restaurant... There were two other couples in the restaurant and mostly empty tables, but instead of honoring this simple request (which would have been no trouble at all since we haven't even sat down yet), the waitress scowled, turned to her manager, and said in Mandarin, "they want to move to another table". The manager said "They sit where we tell them, if they don't agree, then tell them to leave". I was shocked...I am a mama's boy to the core, so you best believe my instincts kicked in and I gave them an earful...the manager's response, grabbing a menu and waving it like a broom to shoo us out. Ugh...I am still reeling from disgust. Do yourself a favor and avoid this dingy dark dump. P.S. I was not surprised to find that right below, another Yelper had the SAME EXPERIENCE with the manager saying the exact same thing! Wow.
(1)David W.
Still as good as it gets in Chinatown. The cold Tendons are as good as inTaipei. Fresh fish steamed in a spicy bean and tofu sauce: yum! And real baby bamboo (fresh not canned) with pork. Good xiaolongbao. Fresh fish and lobster. Also recommend the 3 cups chicken and spicy pepper beef, and baby bok choy and mushrooms. Nowhere in Boston Chinatown can compare!! Only down side is the place is very small, so expect long lines, tight seating, and loud noise levels.
(4)Zach W.
I wish I could give 3.5 stars. I really liked Taiwan Cafe but wasn't blown away like I was with Gourmet Dumpling House. Maybe I ordered the wrong things. I had Hot and Sour soup, and Ma Po tofu (one of my favorites). The Ma Po was really simple, just tofu in a light (brothy) spicy red sauce with garlic....no meat??? A little disappointed, but I'm no Ma Po Tofu expert. The Hot and Sour was excellent. It is in a lighter sauce than other Hot and Sour's I've had but it was still very good and flavorful and chock full of good stuff. I'd definitely go back but would like to have someone who knows what to order with me the next time. For now, I'm sticking with Gourmet Dumpling House as the Champ of Chinatown.
(3)Michael K.
This place was well rated on Yelp and decided to check it out during my business trip to Boston. I love authentic Taiwanese food so I was looking forward to trying out this dig. The location is close to the Boston South Station, which is great for me since I took an Acela train from NY to Boston. The dinning area is not super big but big enough that you don't have to wait for a table. I order the Taiwanese Pork Chop with hard broiled egg braised in sweet soy sauce, minced pork gravy (same base for the Lu Rou Rice) over rice and famous Taiwanese pickled green (often garnished in Beef Noodle Soup). Pork chop was super tasty!!! Maybe just slight on the sweet side but definitely on point with the flavor profile. The combination of the sweet/sour picked green and the pork gravy over rice creates a nice base of carbohydrate to balance with a big hunk of fried pork chop. The pork chop itself is juicy and nicely breaded with potato starch that creates that nice crunch when you bite into it and has enough fat to really bring out the flavor. For a hardy dish under $8 is definitely a great deal! I would definitely order it again. So, why only 3 star, you may ask? Well, I also tried to order the wonton in hot chili oil and the pork nugget noodle soup (another Taiwanese classic "Rou Gan Noodles") and both were pretty disappointing! The sauce for the wonton in hot chili oil is blend and the wonton itself is over cooked so the skin is completely mooshy. The port nugget noodles has no flavor at all and I basically ate all the pork pieces and left the noodles and soup untouched because it was just blend blend blend (even after I added some black vinegar and white pepper as is traditionally done). The lesson learned is that certain dishes here are quite good but most others are probably mediocre. So, make sure you choose wisely :-) I saw other people eating soup dumpling and they looked pretty good. I guess I will wait for others to let me know if they are any good :-) I certainly hope that this is not Boston's best Taiwanese resturant since I have a high regard for the Boston food scene. However, if you have certain cravings, you might be able to get lucky here! Pork Chop is one of them.
(3)Meizi H.
Braised pork w/ peanuts n sour mustard greens in steamed bun is YUM!!!
(4)Ryan G.
This place is great and has made it firmly onto my must-visit list for Boston. They serve (very) large portions of (very) authentic fare. Gets busy, but you can leave your phone # and explore the neighborhood while you wait (10-30 minutes) for a table.
(5)Joy J.
Since we live near Chinatown, my fiance and I frequented Taiwan Cafe to the point where the staff knew us and would give us complementary appetizers and snacks, which was great. And then we started cooking for ourselves and didn't go for a few months, so they forgot about us :( I think the food there is pretty good, but only the more expensive dishes ($10+). Last year I would have given this place 5 stars, but over the last half a year we've had several episodes (3+) of food poisoning with their cheaper dishes, namely, the $5 beef noodle soup and cold appetizers. Just yesterday we ordered the beef tendon as an appetizer and it came out in giant clumps--who knows how long it's been in the fridge? We both barely touched it but still got really sick today. In short, it's an ok restaurant if you order their expensive dishes--these we've never had any problems with. Beware of anything cheap, and anything refrigerated, because 80% of the time you will get sick.
(2)Jane S.
According to my friend, the place was closed for a while for renovation and recently had its re-grand opening. That would explain the confettis, ribbons, and ballons in the restaurant. The first dish we ordered was Home-Style Braised Eggplant with Basil ($9.95). I would order this dish over and over again. The eggplant was cooked just enough that it wasn't too mushy or tough. The eggplants were lightly sauteed and mixed in slightly spicy and sweet sauce. The basil added a layer of savory yet bittersweet flavor to the dish. I have never ordered a fish entree at a Chinese restaurant because the skeptic in me doubts what they serve is what is actually on the menu. Because my companion was wanting to try the bass, we decided to order the Steamed Chilean Bass with Ginger & Scallions ($18.95). The filet was cut open, served flat on a wide plate. It was marinated in soy-teriyaki sauce with julienne-styled scallions on top. The fish tasted very tender and soft, although I didn't like the bits of bones throughout the filet. I also wished the chef had taken the scale because it was disgusting to look at! It certainly made me squeamish.
(3)David W.
It isn't the traditional Taiwanese food, its tastes have been tailored for Americans. Only the house pork rice and other few dishes worth to try.
(3)Heather M.
I wish they would kill the fish immediately rather than let them suffer to death, languishing by suffocation in a big tank next to the bathroom. I don't think eating fish that die this way is healthy either. It is heartbreaking and ruins an otherwise excellent experience.
(3)Kelsey C.
Taiwan Café is one of maybe two places that can make a pork chop I don't choke on. So when I found that a mere $5.50 bought a heaping slab of house special Fried Pork Chop on Rice Platter with some limp stewed cabbage and a decently-flavored soy sauce egg, I thought I'd pulled a failed Bill Clinton and accidentally inhaled. Taiwan Cafe makes for excellent cheap eats. The Mini Steamed Buns with pork and crabmeat alone are enough of a dinner for one. At $6.95, Taiwan Cafe saves me a much-needed quarter towards my laundry compared to Gourmet Dumpling House down the street. Their dumpling skin is also thicker, which makes them less likely to break open and make you cry over spilt soup, a definite plus. If you're with a friend or just craving something green, the Sauteed Watercress with fermented tofu sauce sounds simple, but the fermented tofu flavor really adds a nice something extra. Read: fermented tofu, NOT stinky tofu. Though you should try the stinky tofu too...at your own risk...
(4)Danny C.
As an authentic taiwanese, I decided to visit taiwan cafe during my vacation in Boston. It's really not a good experience overall. The food are really salty and greasy. Let's talk about the strewed minced pork over rice. The pork sauce is not enough for the rice. The portion is too small comparing to the price. Twin Lobster Sauteed with ginger & scallion is just extremely greasy and salty. We couldn't finish half of it. Three cup chicken is not bad, but it's still very salty. Will I go back again? I guess not. The taiwanese restaurant in flushing, NYC is much better than this place.
(2)Edward W.
Obligatory footnote: do not expect great service from this place. Like most asian restaurants, the waiters/ waitresses are there to bring you your food and check as quick as possible. That being said, this is one of my to go places when I'm craving some delicious Asian food, and it has never disappointed me to this day. If you're in a rush and want a take out lunch, order their pork chop rice plates, which gives a side of cabbage, tea egg, rice with sweet mustard greens, and an ample portion of fried pork chops for only $8. If you have time to sit in and dine, I would highly recommend both the oyster omelette and lightly breaded fried tofu for appetizers. For those who haven't had oyster omelettes, its a gooey omelette stuffed with oysters (obviously), scallions, celery leaves, and covered with a savory sweet sauce. As for the main dishes, you can never go wrong with the braised eggplant, sauteed pea sprouts, and sauteed A-tsai (Sword leaf lettuce). I would also recommend eating your meal with their minced pork over rice as an alternative to plain white rice, which offers a rice bowl covered with minced pork, sweet mustard greens, and tea eggs. As for meats, I enjoy the simmered chopped chicken with 3 essences in hot pot (has bone but savory taste can't be beat), Szechuan style white fish (spicy but melts in your mouth), simmered lamb hotpot with broth (has bone but very soft and packs a punch), and salt & pepper chicken with basil (juicy and flavorful). For me, this is one of the best places to enjoy an authentic Asian cuisine. However, go there with the intention of eating a good meal, and not for the sake of being treated to a 5-star service.
(4)Audrey C.
Delicious!! When we arrived the only openings were those larger tables so we were sharing with another party but the servers alerted us when a free table opened up and we were able to switch with no problem. The servers were also super attentive and filled up our tea/water without asking. Xiao Long Bao: You gotta get the soup dumpling at this place. The skin isn't too thick and theres a perfect amount of liquid inside these suckers! Don't forget to eat it with the black vinegar they provide if you like that taste! Eggplant: We saw this dish ordered by another table and it looked really good so we decided to try and we were not disappointed. The eggplant is cooked perfectly and there is a lottt of sauce on it so make sure to get rice with it! The sauce is perfect for a rice topper. Beef Scallion Pancake: Yum, the outside is perfectly crisp with good sauce used. The outside pancake is a bit on the thick side as well. Taiwan-style Fried Noodles: Standard noodles, the portion they give is also huuuuge so be sure to share! All in all, with no wait, good service, and delicious food, what's not to love?? Def give this place a try!
(5)Minnie M.
It's all about the noodle soups here. Just get one. Any of them. They all come in a bucket sized bowl. Get the pickled veg and pork soup. Get the hot and sour soup. Get the beef noodle soup. Or any of the other 20 options that they have. How do they do it? It boggles my mind.
(4)Neechi M.
I don't know how I've yet to review this place. We live a block away so I order from here very often and love the food. We've dined inside once but more are take-out people here (5+ times). Pros: - They don't have Lo Mein but their yellow fried noodles are very similar (and a little better really) - Fried Rice is amazing - White Rice is perfect - Scallion Pancakes are wonderful - One time we got a mistake order of white rice and some fried chicken thing and it was great but we have no idea what it's called on the menu so haven't been able to order again Cons: - General Gau's is very sticky if that's your thing (would not recommend) - Service is really not the best - Try not to eat by the fish tank because when they take fish out of there you will get splashes
(5)LeiLei R.
I've only tried a few items from here, most of which aren't my type of entrees. BUT what I do come here for is their xiao long baos (mini soup dumplings) and the schezuan fish filet on a metal skillet. Taiwan Cafe is my fave location to get soup dumpling in Boston. Better than the one time I tried Gourmet Dumpling House. There is a good amount of soup in these, the skin is a nice texture, and the meat is flavorful. Service - Hostess looks grumpy most times I've been. But the servers are usually nice.
(4)Matthew C.
Great xiao luong bao. Loved the shrimp in bean curd wrapper. Service is indifferent at best - just scream at them - they're used to it.
(5)Diep N.
We had four people and we ordered a Yangzhou fired rice, a mini dumplings with pork and crab meat and a Taiwan wonton noodle. Only the fried rice was decent. The dumplings and noodle were so bad that we could not finish any of them. The noodle was so overcooked and when I asked the server "Is it always overcooked like that?"... She said "yes". They don't even offer a remake for the dish. We left half of the bowl unfinished. The dumplings was also yucky. I had taiwanese dumplings before and they're no where this bad. The stuffing is so overcooked while the skin is undercooked. I was so unhappy with our dinner and I didn't leave a tip. The server called me back and asked me for tips. I showed her our left over on the table and told her how upset I was. She didn't apologize for the food or the service, she just turned away and spoke Mandarin with another one about us. That was terrible! I wish Yelp has negative star, just to be fair!
(1)Paul T.
Oyster fry is the right consistency with ratio of ingredients. Sauce a bit on the sweet side. Scallion pancake slightly overdone side, but very good nonetheless. Xiang Chang or Taiwanese sausage was sliced on the thin side and somewhat dry, but very good. Need to try Taichung meatball, oxtail soup, fried pork chop rice, chicken rice, steamed (bao xiao long bao), mapoh tofu, beef noodle soup. Could only eat so much. Looked good coming out to the other tables.
(3)Lily H.
Let me tell you, on our trip to Boston, I think we wandered around the city for about 25 minutes trying to find a decent place to eat that was open on Sunday. After stumbling down a random alleyway and finding our way into Chinatown, the 600+ reviews on Yelp told us we should give this place a try. The wait was about 30 minutes, but they took our number down and we popped over to a bakery across the street and walked around. The restaurant itself is not very large, but it was bustling and every patron seemed to be enjoying their food immensely. Very efficient waitstaff...we had the Taiwanese fried pork chop and a chicken and green bean dish. The fried pork chop was the clear star of the show, I saw at least two other tables ordering the same thing. The pork was slightly breaded, fried, and had a sweet, but not overpowering taste to it. The portion sizes were more than generous...two dishes split between two people will be more than enough and then some!
(4)Joanna F.
We came in before a show on a Saturday night at 5:30 and it was already pretty crowded, so be warned. The food here seemed authentic (not that I would really know) and the menu was ginormous and a little overwhelming. We ended up getting two appetizers and three entrees for four people and it was an excessive amount of food. We tried both the pork buns (soup dumplings) and the chive and pork dumplings, both of which were great. We also had some General Gau's, fried rice and a noodle dish. Everything was delicious. I would love to go back and try some of the more adventurous stuff on the menu at some point. The icing on the cake was the price. It ended up coming out to about $14 per person including tip for a large amount of amazing food.
(4)Jeremy D.
Had the pleasure of joining some Yelp Elites at the Taiwan Cafe & we shared our love of Asian food. Speaking of food this is some of the best Chinese food in Chinatown! The mini crab and pork soup dumplings & the vegetable dumplings were as good as they get in Boston! Chinese watercress in garlic is a must. The vegetable fried rice was lightly stir fried with tons of veggies and not saturated with soy and MSG. Last and final dish was the Szechuan white fish it's so spicy but so good! Overall a great dining experience!
(4)Yuka Y.
Picture menus are much needed. Be prepared to be overwhelmed with the 30+ selections per page and tiny print. First time visitors will be peering over each others shoulders to see what others have ordered. ++Portion sizes are generous per entree. This is the first time we had things packed to go in Chinatown. Rec: ++Szechuan style white fish with veggie in spicy broth- by far the most popular dish, every other table had this. Presentation is fun- it comes in a baby wok with its own running fire underneath to keep the broth bubbling. The spice takes time to kick in your taste buds, but it won't kill you. Boneless fish a plenty. Other things that were good, but less of a standout: Xiao long bao Beef stew noodle soup with spinach- broth is very similar to the white fish dish.
(4)Noah F.
As good as gourmet dumpling but without the hour wait. Particularly get the soup pork dumplings. Also love the szechuan style fish.
(4)Jeff Y.
Small restaurant located on the second floor, but a really extensive menu of decent food. It was my birthday during my Boston trip, and for one of the meals, we decided to get some Taiwanese food since it's not available back in Richmond. We had a pretty elaborate method of choosing between the three Taiwanese places in Chinatown, but we ended up picking Taiwan Cafe. I tried to order a lot of Taiwanese snacks/specialties, in addition to some standard entree fare. The xiao3 long2 bao1 (å°ç± 包) were good, with somewhat thicker skins. The waiter messed up one of our orders, even though I ordered everything in Mandarin and followed along as I read off all the dishes I had circled on the to-go menu. We ended up fixing the problem, but had to wait quite a while for the replacement dish. When the bill came, the amount did not quite match up to the subtotal I had tallied up beforehand. Part of it was because I had not accounted for the beer that we ended up ordering, but also, I don't think the waiter changed the bill after the mistake dish mishap. He claimed that the dishes were the same price, but they weren't on the to-go menu; since it was only a $1 or so difference, I decided not to argue with him. Overall, pretty decent food, but portions were moderate for those dinner prices. Service was also not quite as friendly as I am used to at Taiwanese places. My favorite dish of the night was the oxtail soup. Alas, I wish we had more Chinese options in Richmond! P.S. Yay, Yelp supports Chinese characters now! It's probably tied to the presence of Yelp now in Japan.
(4)Patrick D.
By far, the best place in Chinatown. We love Taiwan Cafe and have dined/taken out from there 15+ times. One of the specialties here is definitely the soup dumplings (make sure to get the pork and crab ones); you are in for a treat if you have never had them before. All entrees are very large portions and reasonably priced. Some favorite entrees are chicken with bamboo shoots and chicken with mixed veggies. The house special entree, Taiwanese fried pork chop, is really something else; we highly recommend it if you want to try something different. Complimentary hot tea also comes with your meal. Service can be a little slow at times since the restaurant is always at capacity and has a long wait (no reservations unfortunately), but any wait is certainly worth the experience here!
(5)Peter N.
We walked in for a take-out order, after a movie. We ordered combination fried rice, sesame chicken, and a tofu dish. Pretty simple order, right? It took them 45 minutes to get this order together. I asked the waitstaff several times, and was brushed off -- "yes, yes, it's getting packaged right now" says the waiter that didn't EVER go into the kitchen to check. Okay...10 minutes later -- "yes, yes, it's getting packaged right now"... We left the restaurant pretty pissed. The resulting food was ... meh ... I've had much better fare elsewhere. I wouldn't mind waiting 45 minutes if the food was good. But this was a waste of time. The service here was horrible, though. Will not be going back.
(2)Sonia Q.
A little chaotic, but hey it's Chinatown! Extensive menu with plenty of vegetarian options too. Delicious pork soup dumplings and the beef and broccoli was also very flavorful and tender. If you like spicy fish, the Szechuan fish is a must order! It is definitely not as spicy as it looks! You can make your own pork buns, they literally bring out a braised pork butt that you cut up to fill your bun!! If you don't like sitting with strangers, then this is not the place for you!
(4)Jennifer G.
Came here on a Friday night, and they were able to seat me and my sister right away. Note: likely chance that you might have to share a table with others, so be prepared to get nice and cozy. Busy restaurant, but service was pretty fast. We ordered the salt and pepper calamari, an eggplant dish, and the seafood noodle soup. Portions are very generous. We wanted to order some dumplings as well, but they told us those would take longer to be ready - about 20 minutes. Glad they told us, so we ended up not ordering those. Food is pretty decent, but nothing too special. The seafood noodle soup was MASSIVE - I ate till I was full and my bowl still looked untouched. Comes with lots of seafood - clams, crab stick, squid, etc. Could've been more flavorful though. Can't beat the Chinatown prices too, so we got a decent dinner for under $40 for the two of us.
(3)Ryan R.
Went here with a friend to grab a bite to eat for dinner. It was decently late so we were able to be seated right away. The menu here is HUGE so good luck trying to pick only a couple of dishes. For our meal we decided to split 3 dishes: the scallion pancake, soup dumplings, and a chicken dish. The soup dumplings were probably my least favorite of the three. I have had some top notch soup dumplings in LA and these did not come close in my opinion. They were not very cold and almost tasted as if they had come out of the microwave. The chicken dish we had (which I can't remember the name at this point) was decent and a good-sized portion as well. The real winner of the night was the scallion pancake. This dish is probably one of the best I've had in Boston thus far and really saved the meal. The flavors and textures were really complimentary and was a nice size as well. Overall, this place had very friendly service and a menu that covers all the bases. The food is decent, but make sure to try out the scallion pancake as you won't be disappointed.
(4)Celin W.
Am impressed. It is hard to find legitimate Chinese food and this place comes quite close. It was packed on a Friday so go earlier to get a table. I had the soup dumplings here and it was flavorful, broth was rich, and the skin not too thick. Definitely would go back for it again! Also good, the oyster omelette (though ask them to put the hot sauce separately it's quite strong and might take away from the delicious taste of the omelette. We also had the morning glory, the fried fish with pepper and lemon - all delicious and very tasty. Wish I could try more things - a lot of people seem to have gotten a hot sauce fish (shui zhu yu) and it looked really good.
(4)Steven W.
I love love love this place!!!! Though it is very crowded during the meal time, it is worth it! I have tried a lot of dishes and they are all very good!! By the way, if you would like to try a lot of different choices at same time, I truly suggest you bringing your friends as the size of each dish is large.....
(4)J. R.
Had dinner at Taiwan cafe with a couple of friends. Place is very small, crowded and loud during dinner time, you may even need to share table with strangers. We got the oyster omelet, soup dumplings, beef scallion pancake roll, stinky tofu, oyster fried noodles, sha cha beef, and fried Taiwan style pork chops. The beef scallion pancake and fried pork chops were excellent, highly recommend. Just the pork chops were actually country style pork ribs with bones, a bit difficult to eat. Sha cha beef was OK, since this place is called Taiwan cafe, I expected such a typical Taiwan dish to be awesome here, but was a bit dissappointed. Oyster omelet had a very weird texture, so slimmy feel like eating some alien creature's saliva, kinda gross actually. Soup dumplings were so so, stuffing was good but dumpling skin was too thick and sticky. Fried egg noodle was super bland. Stinky tofu was the worst I ever had, definitely will not try again. Overall it's a OK Chinatown restaurant. It could be excellent if you know which dishes to order here.
(3)David T.
The real deal. Great authentic Taiwanese food. This is a small restaurant that is almost always packed. Waiting for a table involves leaving your cellphone number so they can call you when your table is ready. This is so much better than having to wait in hearing range. Most of the staff were friendly, but there is one waitress/hostess that is the perfect Taiwanese version of the Seinfeld Soup Nazi. She actually makes the whole experience all the more rich and entertaining. My favorites were: Szechuan Style Wontons with red chili sauce - Light and delicious; Loved this version. Sichuan white fish and vegetables with spicy broth - excellent - just the right amount of heat. Lily bulbs with broccoli, carrots and snow peas - very good. Had no idea lily bulbs were so good.
(4)Jacqueline C.
Their signature pork rib with rice was huge. Enough for two people to share. Must order here .We also had the 'si gua' and beef roll. The veggie dish was smaller than what I expected. 27 bucks including tips--we stuffed our face.
(4)Kirsten L.
Soup dumplings were the best! I've only tasted a few and this place is worth coming back for. Fried Taiwanese pork chops were delicious. Crispy and tender. Steam pork buns were freshly made. The bottom of the bread was over cooked. The meat was tender. My 2 year old liked it. I read from other reviews to taste the scallion pancakes because it goes well with soup dumplings. It was good but nothing special.
(4)Susan C.
Servers with poor and arrogant attitudes, we waited 30 min in line, after sitting down, the waitress refused to accommodate a friend of ours who is handicapped and required larger sitting space, and rudely request us to leave. Will never go back! Only if I can give 0 star! How rude and discriminative!
(1)Kimmy U.
Good. Cheap. Taiwanese food. I tend to get the fried pork chop rice because I miss it so much from home, and it gets the job done! At $5.95, I think it's a REALLY GREAT DEAL! Comes with pork chop, cabbage, egg, and rice mixed with ground pork. I think when you get the lunch special, it also comes with soup The pork chop has a bit of sweetness to it, and it's fried to a nice crisp. This will probably last you 2 meals.. but I mean I could probably eat it all if I'm REALLY hungry. BUUT when you microwave it the next day, don't expect the pork to be crispy at all.. The only downside is the wait can get really long. The place isn't that big, so unless you're the only party waiting, you probably have to go outside..which isn't very fun in the winter. Also don't expect service to be super friendly lol. I guess I'm used to it whenever I go to a Chinesrestaurant (especially in Chinatown) Plus, they're open LATE!!
(3)Philly B.
Used to love this place... Pork chop dish is awesome! They give u sides with veggies, egg, soup, rice and its cooked great. Dumplings are also very good. Until.... I ordered a Chicken dish... and I tell NO LIE... It WAS NOT CHICKEN. It was literally so nasty, the bones were so small... I have eaten enough chicken in my life to know the difference. I will never return. TW Cafe.. ....
(2)Jennifer O.
When I travel, I like to have some xiao long bao if I can find it, and Taiwan Cafe was my place on this trip. I was with a friend who has never had xlb, so even more reason to go! This little restaurant is cute and was super busy even at 9:30pm when we got there. We ordered the xlb, some Taiwanese pan fried pork dumplings, and beef and spicy peppers wrapped in a scallion pancake. The pan fried dumplings were very good and obviously handmade. I'm not sure what made them 'Taiwanese' but they were tasty. The xlb were also obviously handmade and very tasty. My only problem with them were that they were huge! You couldn't possibly fit the whole thing in your mouth so you lost precious juice... sad times. The scallion pancake was by far the best item. The beef and peppers tasted amazing, the pancake was crunchy and salty... yum. I would recommend this place, especially late at night.
(4)Katalyst S.
Huge menu! Small, packed and loud place. I got the braised bbq pork shoulder so that I could make my own beef buns, it was really nummy and came with a ton of meat :) there were so many things on this menu that I'd have to come back and try again to see what else I could like! My food was delicious but my friends weren't really happy with their meals so you have to order right and some things are risky. Given all the other places in the area, I'm not sure I'll come back any time soon but I did love what I ordered and I would order it again.
(3)Diana L.
Alright. I've been here at least 5 times now so I feel like more of an authority. Read any review, and you will know that ordering the xiao long bao is a must. They are so delicious and hot and savory and juicy...the best food ever! Crab & pork or just pork -- doesn't matter, they're both so delicious. I have loved everything I have ordered here except for one extremely dank thing I ordered that I would advise you not to get -- pork & taro with fermented bean curd sauce. Too salty, fatty, and just DENSE! It comes to the table looking like a cinnamon bun with pork & taro wrapped together in sickeningly wet layers -- it was way too much for me. Aside from that, everything I have eaten from here has been amazing. Today, I had littleneck clams with basil. A deceptively simple-sounding dish elevated to FANTASTIC with the addition of a black bean and chili pepper sauce with basil, soy sauce and a mouthwatering consistency and flavor. My boyfriend ordered the julienned pork with mustard greens and bean curd which was also fantastic. If you're feeling adventurous, order the stinky tofu. I love it, however my boyfriend insists that it is a vile concoction. I think it's awesome though -- definitely an acquired taste. Mapo Tofu here is FANTASTIC! Lunch specials kick ass! I love this place and will keep coming back again and again forever!
(5)Tiffany C.
The location is a little broken/ rundown like all Chinatown restaurants. I feel like the food is a little expensive for the taste, but then again I'm from la where the Chinese food tastes amazing and is super cheap as well. Anyway, the Taiwanese food here is decent. It's enough to satisfy my cravings, but it's nowhere near the delicious taste of Taiwanese food in Taiwan. But you can't expect too much considering we're in Boston. I like the extensive menu options here, but I also feel like in general the majority of the dishes are really heavy and oily tasting. It's ok. Come here if you're craving authentic Taiwanese food. Taste is a solid 3. I always order the beef rolls here.
(3)Kristina D.
I came here only for the XLB (soup dumplings) and it did not disappointed. The dumplings were big and filled with plenty of soup unlike other places I've been (mostly in Cali) that jip you of the soup and I love how the skin isn't too thick and doesn't overpower the taste of the entire dumpling. The dipping sauce had a little too much vinegar but not a deal breaker. Not bad for $7! I also got the "spicy" beef noodle soup with spinach; air quotes around spicy because it was not spicy at all. I asked for hot sauce but it dramatically altered the taste of the soup so avoid the hot sauce! The soup was underwhelming. The pictures look better than it taste. The soup didn't have a whole lot of flavor. However the beef did. The noodles were cooked just right. Overall it wasn't bad but I could've done without. Service was quick despite it being busy and the workers were attentive. I never had to wave and jump out of my seat to get their attention like at most other Asian restaurants. Credit cards only accepted for bills over $20!
(4)Grace W.
Love love the chinese watercress here, as well as their stir-fried noodle dishes. We started come here regularly when waiting outside Gourmet Dumpling House was no longer a viable option (brrrr). The longest wait we've ever had was 15 minutes, usually during peak dinner hours on Friday/Saturday. The dumplings might not have been as good here, but everything else was fairly comparable.
(5)L. B.
Great food. Almost everything is pretty good, but you have to try the soup dumplings. They are soft dumpling swathed around hot soup, and utterly delicious.
(5)Laura S.
Cheap, delicious food is what you will find at Taiwan Cafe. If you're looking for a fancy dinner restaurant, this isn't the place. But if you're looking to eat a ton with a bunch of friends, definitely come here! I recommend the eggplant dish, the scalliion pancakes, and the ma po tofu. Are they vegan? Who knows! Some language barriers prevent me from ever knowing. Service is just so-so, but I'm okay with that because the food makes it worth it. And yes, they are cash only. I always forget this but somehow make it work.
(4)Cecilia J.
"Yay! It's back open again!" -- That's what I thought a few months ago. But then we wanted to eat lunch there on Saturday before noon and experienced rude attitudes from the staff that will ensure my family and I never go back again. My parents went to park, so I headed in and asked for a table for 3. The lady at the front desk asked if everyone in my party was there yet and I said "no". She said they couldn't seat me until everyone is here. Okay, fine. There were still some open tables so I figure we wouldn't have to wait anyway. So I sit my butt down on the ONE CHAIR they have next to the front desk. (They ask everyone else waiting to go outside in the cold.) The restaurant gets filled very quickly as noontime rolls around, and they start a list for people waiting. I figure since I'm sitting right there, the lady would be smart enough to know that I am waiting. My mom shows up and asks why I'm not at a table. I explain to her why. My mom looks at the the lady at the front desk, and the lady at the front desk starts getting very angry at my mom saying that we can't just expect to be seated even though everyone in the party is not here, blah blah. I understand if a busy restaurant doesn't want to have unfilled tables, but yelling at a customer is never acceptable. Needless to say, we walked right out. The food is not bad, since every once in a while, my family and I will crave Taiwanese food, but the rudeness is simply not worth it. We've been coming here for a few years now, and they have truly lost reliable customers in us. This is too bad. I have mentioned it before in my other reviews, but head over to New Golden Gate around the corner and you will get fast service and dishes that are even more delicious than what you'll find here.
(2)Noelle N.
I've tried about 10 restaurants in Chinatown and this is by far the best! Highlights include: -jumbo shrimp with yellow chives -braised eggplant with basil -soup dumplings with pork I'm a huge tea drinker and my cup never even got close to empty. Can't wait to go back again!
(5)Junlei W.
A crowded place. Waited outside for a full hour. Did not worth the wait, although the food is okay. The food side, again, is okay. Good variety IN MENU, about 2/3 we ordered is going out of stock. Had to change our selection over and over. Waitresses are impatient, a shortcoming for the inexpensive food I suppose. Go there again? If we do not have to wait.
(3)Jennifer B.
Newly renovated, this place is truly authentic. Great food and great prices. Sautéed lobster dish for less than $20? Awesome. Big portions and more than reasonably priced. The owner jimmy is super nice and friendly. He Loves talking to customers and I can't wait to go back
(5)Mona W.
If Boston Chinatown is anything like San Francisco Chinatown, I should expect mediocre Americanized Taiwanese food. When my friends suggested going to Chinatown during my Boston trip I was a bit hesitant. I am very picky when it comes to Chinese food. I was totally ready to leave this place in disappointment. For dinner of 3 we had ordered way more than we can consume. Fried Pork Intestine (5/5 stars) - Crispy but not too oily. It might sound nasty but that was my favorite. You won't regret trying this. Fried Taro with Duck Egg Yolk (4/5 stars) - This is a semi sweet dish. The taro paste is smooth but not overly oily. My only complaint was that the egg yolk comes in one big chuck. It would have been perfect if the egg yolks were chopped into smaller pieces. Stir Fried Spicy Stinky Tofu (4.5/5 stars) - This dish had quite a kick. It was a bit on the spicy side but delicious nonetheless. This is a dish that you should eat with rice. Prawns in Wine Sauce (4/5 stars) - The prawns was well seasoned and the broth was very flavorful. My friends loved this dish but I am just not that big of a prawn lover. Pan Fried Noodle with Seafood (3.5/5 stars) - Crispy noodle in a smooth and light sauce. Kinda plain compared to other dishes. Oyster Pancakes (4/5 stars) - Very tasty with good chewy texture. Would have been a 5 stars if only it wasn't so oily. I guess that was how it should be prepared? I have to say my friends have very good taste buds. Taiwan Cafe really didn't disappoint. Our server was friendly and courteous. Parking was a pain but so was anywhere else in Boston. If I live in Boston I will dine here every week! That is how good this place is.
(4)Min Y.
I love this place. It was a little too salty for me but my friend love their #46 and #48 dishes on the menu. I think it's really good food for the price. Their service is really fast
(5)Marcus W.
Like everything in life, it's all about expectations. A co-worker who lives in Boston said this place was "the best Taiwanese restaurant in Boston". That statement may be true by virtue of the fact that it may be the only one. I think he wanted to eat here so he could pocket the unspent portion of our dinner per diem... The beef and green pepper dish he ordered was pretty meh. The sea bass and tofu hot pot I ordered was mostly tofu and other assorted seafood. Very little sea bass in the hot pot. The pea sprouts and garlic that we shared was delicious. Total with tax and tip for 3 dishes plus rice: $46. Not horrible and okay value, but I don't expect I'll be rushing back anytime soon...
(3)Steven C.
Have been a long time customer and went back recently after they renovated the place. It now looks clean and sterile; I personally liked the hole-in-wall grunginess from before. However, you can't argue with the food quality and prices. The pork chop and rice dish is very delicious and best I've tasted this side of the Pacific.
(5)M. P.
The beau and I went around 10pm Saturday night the other night. He hasn't been so I thought I'd take him. I don't know why it took forever for me to write a review but Taiwan Cafe one of my favorite restaurants in Chinatown esp. for the soup dumplings. I prefer Taiwan Cafe over the Dumpling House because they're generally a better restaurant. The waitress we had was friendly. Definite plus for Chinatown. She recommended the beau try the spicy salt & pepper fried chunky chicken with basil which he ordered and loved every bite of it. Crispy, not oily at all, and the fried basil was aromatic and crispy. Yum! We also got the pork soup dumplings. Those are always delicious and consistent. I'm a fan of noodle soups so I got the Taiwan style wonton noodle soup. It was light and tasty but paled in comparison to the dumplings and the fried chicken that we ordered.
(5)Ivy W.
The service is really terrible,and required at least 18% tips with very very bad attitude at last!!!! really like gangster! I will never ever go there!!!!!
(1)Kristin X.
This place is very cramped and tiny. Eggplant with Basil: one of my favorite Chinese vegetarian dishes, liked that it contained plenty of basil Soup Dumplings: skin is too thick, needs more soup inside, of course it's nothing like Joe's Shanghai in NYC Oyster Pancakes: good amount of oysters, some people may find the slimy texture strange but I don't mind Fried Pork Chop over Rice: good crunchy texture, well seasoned Bean Paste Noodles: not fond of the sauce, too many broad beans, not enough meat Most of the items are tasty, but I would steer clear of a few dishes.
(4)Vivian L.
Cheap and good. Cash only. Recommend the braised eggplant, pork chop rice plate, Shanghai style soup dumpling. I always miss their food after move.
(5)Bill U.
Paigu here fan is wonderful!
(5)Jenny S.
Place is awesome. I used to be a devoted GDH fan, but after too many 45 minute+ waits, I decided to venture else ware. Delicious beef with long horn peppers and soup dumplings. Blows GDH and Dumpling Cafe away. Thumbs up.
(4)Silvio D.
I thoroughly enjoyed lunch here. This place feels very legit for some good Chinese food - all the tables were filled, not many caucasians there, plenty of options on the menu. I thought the noodles were outstanding some of the best ever! The scallion pancakes were also good. But, the xiao long bao dumplings stole the show. I highly recommend this place if you are in the area.
(4)Charlie J.
Basil Eggplant is the only thing I ever get here and it is extremely yummy. Always very crowded at lunch time so try to go a little early or late so you won't have to wait. Known for having the most authentic Taiwanese food in the metro area.
(4)Shane R.
we stopped by for a late night snack after a comedy show. we ordered half the menu and i cant remember most of it. some things were better than others, but nothing really stood out.
(3)Adam A.
It is currently under renovation - but prior to the construction, this place has some of the best Chinese food that money can buy. Their eggplant-basil dish is stupid good. And they have a deal where you can get 3 massive lunch entrees for roughly $20....so bring your friends.
(5)Alex S.
I really like their chicken rice combo. It is a great deal for only 6 bucks. Overall this place is fair priced. Cheap, convenient and fast. :) Recommend: Their chicken rice, comes with a soup
(3)Danielle G.
This place is AWESOME! Great alternative to the dumpling house around the corner which is only.. meh. Come here to also dine on fantastic soup dumplings, oyster pancakes, and other authentic, tasty, delicious and cheap Taiwanese dishes. Best part- you aren't subjected to standing on a line longer than a bread line in Russia to eat sub-par, mediocre food (cough cough Dumpling House). Come here instead!
(5)Alexandra Z.
This used to be my favorite place in Chinatown, unfortunately not any more. Some dishes are still good, but some are just too blend. The seafood hotpot is a skip, no flavor, not much seafood either, mostly cabbage in there. Dumplings are pretty good. Hot and sour soup is great. They just renovated the place, so there's more seating space now. I would pick the dumpling house over this place, but there's always a huge line at the dumpling house. So if you don't wanna wait in line for too long, this would be a pretty good place to go. Oh another thing, service is always excellent here!
(4)Debra L.
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.
(3)Owen D.
Not open at 00:21 as claimed.
(1)John X.
I came here for the beef noodle soup, and it was alright. The broth was good, but the beef isn't what I like (chunkier, this one was sliced too thin) and the noodles were a bit too soggy. But otherwise, it was good. My friend got the seafood rice porridge which looked good, I didn't try any but she liked it. The service was good, and there were a decent number of people there. I will definitely try the other menu options next time I go.
(4)Samantha L.
Eggplant basil, I love you long time. Very long time, that I dream of you dancing in my mouth. Sweet, mildly spicy and delicious and mind blowing basil. But why, oh why you so oily? Still, I miss you. But that is it. You're a one time satisfier, everything else was much left to my crazy imagination. Don't waste your time ordering the Steamed/pan fried bao. They're the frozen kind they steam and then actually let sit in oil for .2 seconds and call pan fried. They were a waste of money and tummy space. My bro and mom were raving about their dumplings that take 20 minutes to come out. So... 20 mins you'd think it'd be worth the wait since we finished 2 bowls of niu rou mien and the house special pork chop rice plate and we were staring at the kitchen door. I wasn't super impressed- pretty standard and ordinary dumplings. The only extraordinary thing was that it took 20 minutes to come out and I wasn't in some orgasmic food extacsy. The niu rou mien broth was tasty, but it could have had a stronger.. beefier flavor. The noodles were overcooked, flat out, which was a downer. The fried pork chop plate was much left to be desired. The rice with mince meat served under the pork chop was flavorless. Okay, lots of yelpers have commented the ladies that work were are rude and etc. They were all SO PLEASANT and friendly. So I have no idea what people are saying. I don't think it is because we were speaking Mandarin/Canto at all, they were generally very friendly and helpful to all the patrons from what I observed. My ONLY peeve? We paid our bill, left a nice tip, so we wanted to sit and chat. Sure, if it was busy OR packed we would have left. There were still open tables and we were ASKED TO LEAVE THE TABLE (granted we already were sitting for maybe 10 mins after they cleaned the table) because they needed it. The waitress was gracious and nice about it, not rude. But it takes some balls when NO ONE was waiting and other tables were open. So, we're a little turned off.
(3)Tommy T.
Decent, but overpriced for what you get. I ordered the octopus fried rice and a coffee for $15 and I got 2 pieces of octopus on my plate, so I wasn't impressed at all. Food was fast though so I bumped it to 3 stars.
(3)Hyeyeon B.
My husband's friend is a fan of this restaurant. We are visitng Boston and wanted to go there today but it was closed. They were remodeling now.
(4)Ben j amin S.
This is one of my favorite places in Boston. The beef w/ longhorn pepper is incredible, and one of the few foods I get an insatiable craving for. The soup dumplings are far superior to those at Gourmet dumpling house around the corner. One of my go-to lunch spots; my friend and I have become regulars; greeted warmly at the door, the beautiful waitress who is always smiling always knows what we want. A++ in my book.
(5)Ninja N.
This place is pleasantly good. The pork noodle soup was very good and the water spinach with garlic was perfectly cooked. The best of all was the 2 lobsters for $16. It was perfectly cooked and the flavors were so good. The service was surprising good. The waitress brought out a dish that we did not order and she actually apologized and took the dish back into the kitchen. I was SHOCKED! If you try that at other Asian restaurants they will not return the dish that easily.
(5)Diane S.
so my bff found this place on yelp, while we got lost in boston & ended up in chinatown. Place was your typical asian place, but the service here from one girl was exceptional. She was so cute, and so attentive. She kept filling my glass with water & my glass with tea. The other waitresses not so much. Prices were cheap especially since the portions were so huge! my bff has the chicken with vegetable with white rice & only ate half. I had a hearty soup which was suppose to be with pork but I couldn't eat meat since it was Friday during lent. So I had it with tofu instead and chose to eat it with flat white noodles. It was good but for me too many carbs, my bestie loved it tho!
(3)Lauren L.
When I first moved to Boston from Taiwan, I almost cried tears of joy when I found Taiwan Cafe. So it can't compare to food in Taiwan (or Arcadia, or SGV), but it's still darn tasty by Boston standards. And on the plus side, it's cheap. I can walk out of here with a perfectly filling and delicious meal for less than $6 and still have leftovers to boot. Skip the standard Chinese restaurant fare and go straight to the rice plate section of the menu. Fried Pork Chop over rice, Chicken Leg over rice, Stewed Pork Belly over rice are all delicious, delicious, delicious options. They all come with a vegetable side and a stewed, boiled egg. What makes it even better is that they're served on kiddie ABC plates with pictures on them. What could be better than slow braised pork belly and rice served on a platter from which you can learn your ABCs??? In short, this is my chosen spot for Chinese-Taiwanese food in Chinatown. The prices and food are better than that of the more popular, more greasy, and more salty, (and infinitely more crowded) Gourmet Dumpling down the street.
(5)Dan W.
Favorite restaurant in the city. They were shut down for a couple months for "renovations" and it was a dark period in my life. Best pork soup dumplings. Ask for the chili oil, they'll try to bring you sriracha if you're white, but you need to specify the "oil". Its smokey and kicks the dumplings up a notch. Also the crispy chicken and pork dishes are awesome. Tie all together with a giant Tsingtao.
(5)M H.
Stinky tofu here is not that stinky, and the meat noodle soup w/ mushroom (ro geng mien) is not as flavorful in fish savory as the stalls in Taipei, but it does hit the spot for those missing some Taiwanese.
(3)Justin L.
Mmm. I don't eat much Taiwanese food. What I have tried is from NYC. There was a food truck Bian Dang and a hole in the wall place in manhattan Ctown. So I went with the staple fried pork chop, tea egg, pork sauce on rice. The pork chop was breaded and too sweet. There was barely any pork sauce. The cabbage was greasy and the pickled greens was a speck on the plate. Overall less greasy then the NYC counterpart but lacking a lot of flavor. The tea egg was dry. I also ordered soup dumplings and scallion pancakes. Nothing to write home about. The soup dumpling meat was too salty and wasn't sweet/savory. The vinegar didn't have anything to cut so it was just more salty. I don't think I will be coming back to this place. A bit expensive on their menu for entrees too. They have a lot of old paper and magazine articles raving about them. But that was over 10 years ago.
(2)Brad P.
Loved it. A very diverse menu, and slight different from other typical Chinese restaurants, since the focus is on Taiwanese dishes. But, if you love Chinese food -- like I do -- then the diversity and differences are very welcome. Try the eggplant and basil, and, if you like very, very hot food, the beef with longhorn peppers. We enjoyed both. Plentiful services and good prices make this a great place. The only downside is that it is a bit crowded and the din in the dinning room makes it hard to carry on a conversation. But we'll be back.
(5)Ben D.
Being Taiwanese I loved this place. Great food, nice and cheap!
(5)jerome c.
From 4/4/2010 We had a brief meal and it was only a late breakfast so our review might be skewed. Sticky rice roll was large and simply tasty. My gf appreciated the pickled veggie inside while I thought the balance of stuffings wasn't a good as the Yi Mei place in Monterey Park (L.A.). Beef roll had a dry, dense bread. Beef wasn't even substantial. Plum sauce was the only redeeming ingredient. Vermicelli rice noodle and minced pork sauce was simple and adequate. Nothing to write home about.
(3)Daniel F.
The soup dumplings were not Din Tai Fong quality but were passable if a bit lacking in flavor.. The boiled pork and cabbage dumplings were ok with the scallion pan cake dipping sauce. Unless you like your scallion pan cakes deep fried do not order this plate of greasy dough. The Taiwanese meatball with the tapioca encasing was drenched in the pungent mahogany sauce that made it nearly inedible. Will not eat here again.
(3)Scott J.
I organized a group of 7 people for my birthday dinner at Taiwan Café, which was a suggestion from one of the attendees who had been here before and loved it. As they do not take reservations, we completely lucked out -- the majority of our party was early and a large table for 9 with a lazy susan right by the window was available. We requested and received it. The menu is extensive and thankfully all in English. There are exotic choices, since this is authentic Chinese food, including pig's ear, chicken feet, duck tongue, and stinky tofu. We did try the pig's ear, which reminded some of us of seaweed salad. I was expecting it to be a lot chewier and nasty, like something out of fear factor, but I probably ate the most and thoroughly enjoyed it -- it was thinly sliced, looked like bacon (which probably isn't that much of a stretch), and had a decent taste. From there, the courses just kept coming; we each ended up ordering at least one entree and several appetizers. My personal favorite was the steamed buns with pork: they were succulent, juicy, and beautifully prepared. One member of our party is a vegetarian, so she enjoyed the vegetable dumplings (as did many others), the basil eggplant (as the name describes, the pungent flavor of the basil is a real winner), and a steamed vegetable platter that was incredibly fresh. Other dishes included grilled calamari (spirals) with Chinese celery, scallops in black pepper sauce (presented in an enormous tureen), spicy fish (recommended by our server), and noodles with beef in sa-cha sauce. Needless to say, we had a tremendous amount of leftovers from over-ordering but enjoyed spinning our lazy susan (which went off the track several times) and having a flavorful selection of delicious food. Service was fantastic -- once we ordered water, it was replenished quickly; they spoke English and treated us nicely. I showed up with my laptop bag and carry-on luggage after coming off of a train at South Station (just a quick walk down Beach Street) and they found a safe place for my baggage that was away from the table. For my first meal in Boston Chinatown, I was delighted and I will definitely go back. It's reasonably priced and the food is made with expert precision. It was served quickly, politely, and pretty much defied every stereotype you've heard. This is now my new stop for authentic Chinese food!
(5)Stephen G.
Dragon Lady! Taiwan Cafe used to be our go to place in chinatown. But lately we have found the manager/owner(?) at the front door to be so unpleasant that we have decided to take our business elsewhere. and the food seems to be getting worse as the popularity of the restaurant is rising. that seems to be a common trend in many of the chinatown restaurants. would be nice if the owner would realise that being courteous to her customers would do her well in the long run.
(3)Justin H.
I went here when I was still vegan and wasn't able to indulge in the full range of goodies they offer. Nevertheless, I did have some delicious daumiu (pea shoots), noodles with veggies and tofu and the always popular "brown sauce" and braised tofu in more brown sauce. All of this sounds generic, but it was well executed, tasted good and there was really nothing to complain about here. My companions ordered several meat dishes including dumplings which I didn't taste but looked delicious. Finally, Chinatown prices = two thumbs way up. You simply cannot beat the amount of food here and the quality for how much you pay. Plus psychologically any restaurant that I have to walk up stairs to enter I like, it's like entering a culinary ride of sorts. In the words of the governator, I'll be back.
(4)Wei W.
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.
(5)Alex T.
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.
(3)Norina N.
I walked by this place many times, but hesitated to try out 'cause I dont know what to order or what it's like. So after I've read reviews from here, my bf and I decided to give it a try. 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
(4)Rachel S.
Get the eggs/beef/tomato dish. Fantastic!
(4)H-Linda L.
Came here with a large group of friends tonight because this place wasn't crowded on a Sunday night. The waitress was very knowledgeable of the dishes and gave us some recommendations. The Steamed Soup Dumplings were pretty good. I didn't like their Seafood-Luffa soup - it was tasteless and too simple for a dish to be served at a restaurant. The eggplant was also mediocre, as was their spicy steamed fish filet. To top it off, after returning home, I realized that they had put a lot of MSG in their food as the taste lingered in my mouth for a long time. All in all, an okay restaurant if you want to sit down and eat quickly. But definitely don't expect too much from the food.
(2)Hank C.
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.
(4)Grace S.
If I reviewed this place 4 to 6 years ago when I used to come here all the time, I would've given this place 4-5 stars. However, I feel like it has gone a bit downhill, although it is still very tasty. Perhaps it's my older age and changing tastes but I still recommend the eggs, tomato and beef over rice, the xiao long bao, pig ears, chinese vegetables, the stews with intestines, giant bottles of Tsingtao. Everything is very saucy but you can wash it down with the soup/broth they give you at the beginning of your meal. This place is your no-nonsense authentic chinese joint where you can take a big group and come any time of the day.
(3)Sera T.
This is hands down my favorite Chinatown place. The food is both fantastic and cheap - you can easily get enough food for dinner for two for less than $15. And, the service is super quick; even with a packed house, you'll have your food in hand (and mouth) within 15 minutes. My list of favorites has been honed over many visits with many sets of friends. Stewed pork over rice: this appetizer is pure indulgent comfort food - you've just gotta try it. Noodles with sa-cha sauce: flavorful deliciousness with tender Chinese greens and beef. Eggplant with basil: the eggplant is perfectly tender, and the sauce is an explosion of fresh basil - I could eat this every day of the week. Basically, there are no downsides to this restaurant, other than the fact that it's not down the street from my apartment. Get on that, Taiwan Café!
(5)C B.
I am from Taiwan and I come here to feed my hunger for authentic home cuisine. I always order a feast without spending a fortune in this restaurant. I highly recommend their veggie and soup dumplings.
(4)Helen L.
I'm a huge fan of Taiwan Cafe. Considering it's one of the few places in Boston you can get actual Taiwanese food. I would highly recommend the beef noodle soup and the "smelly" tofu. And the meat ball, I forget what it's called in English. It's almost like "dim sum" in terms of they are just mini dishes (like tapas) that you order and eat. It's pretty cheap, it's about $4-5 each dish, but you can of course get the usual large entree sizes of anything you want. DELICIOUS! Highly recommend going. I never had a problem getting a table, even though it's a small place.
(4)Trent C.
I'd give this place 3.5 stars. I had the beef noodle soup which was big, but a little different to what I expected. Great for value if you want a meal in Boston's Chinatown
(3)C R.
Peer in the window and you'll see that the place is packed. Enjoy the food with out the pungent odor of stinky Tofu that some Taiwanese places have. Big portions, tasty food. Staff are automatons that simply approach, order, deliver, take check. Don't look for a lot of personality. Like most authentically Asian restaurants, it's a dining hall. In sum, good food, cheap.
(3)Angel C.
Yum, another one of my Chinatown favorites. This time I had the beef with tomato and egg, white fish with vegetables in sweet and sour sauce, spicy salt and pepper fried squid, and chinese watercress with garlic. All delicious! The beef dish had a very nice sauce with a good mix of tomato flavor and slightly sweet. The five-spice on the squid was oh so good. Man, Chinese people know how to cook their veggies. Chinese watercress with garlic is one of my favorite veggie dishes. Ever. And the fish dish, well, don't really have much to say other than tasty. =) Another of my favorites here, which I didn't have this time, is the bacon-cut pork with taro. You know what they say, fat = flavor! Another good thing about this place, like most places in Chinatown, very affordable.
(5)Catherine W.
Delicious lunch, sampled a variety of the Taiwanese dim sum menu among other dishes. Enjoyed the Taiwanese potstickers, the spicy beef tendons, rice cake noodle dish, salty bean curd soup, onion scallion pancake. Shanghai dumplings were good, nothing spectacular. Would come back again. Fast service.
(4)H. G.
This is authentic Taiwanese food! I'm just kidding. I have no idea whether it's authentic. So I asked the waitress what she recommended once and she pointed to the entree with beef, egg, tomato. So I got it. It was a fantastic wonderful mess. And they always serve it on a plate with little kid alphabet letters and animals. I also like the lunch special of beef with long, hot peppers. And the eggplant with basil is another solid B+ type dish. Like many places in Chinatown, it's pretty cheap. Unlike many places in Chinatown, it's pretty clean.
(3)Chen X.
Great place. This may my favorite place in Chinatown to go to. I know some may compare this to Gourmet Dumpling House, but that place is always crowded for. This is like a hidden gem kind of, since its located near an ally way. The food are always cooked well, never feel like its from a freezer (even though it might be) and the cooking reminds me of authentic Asian food instead of the Americanized Asian food, which just dumps a lot of msg on the food and making it a dull brown. The juiciness and texture of the food are great and I never had a bad experience with any of my orders. The service is great as well, friendly and approachable waitresses (do not remember any guy waiters). They speak English, Mandarin, and even Fujiianese from my experience. The atmosphere is always good here, alot of friendly faces, its a family friendly environment. I recommend this place to my friends when they ask for a good restaurant.
(4)Angie T.
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. ------ 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
(4)Carol O.
After wandering around Chinatown for 30 minutes trying to find a new spot, my friend and I were happy to spy Taiwan Cafe tucked into a street we hadn't yet explored. We were even happier once we saw the prices, and downright ecstatic once we got/tasted the food. Our favorite was a stir fried eggplant with basil sauce. It had a sweetness to it that wasn't sickly sweet and a nice level of heat. We also had a dish with sauteed bok choy that was just lovely. For some reason fresh bok choy always reminds me of spring -- which is a nice reminder during the winter! Our eyes were of course bigger then our stomachs, but at least that meant we had delicious leftovers for the next day!
(4)Miriam L.
Please come here. My family and I chose Taiwan Cafe for our traditional Jewish Christmas Eve meal based on all the wonderful reviews, and we weren't disappointed. The place is totally lacking in atmosphere, but the food is delicious. I'm really not a fan of eggplant, but I'll admit that the eggplant and basil was wonderful. We also got chicken with sauteed stringbeans, beef with greens in a sa-cha sauce, and Taiwanese hot and sour soup. All were fantastic. I really can't speak highly enough about anything we got. Overall, we ordered 5 dishes, three appetizers, and two single serving soups plus one soup to share for five people. There was way too much food. For five, you don't need more than three entrees and maybe an appetizer or two - soup optional. The food was so good that I'm pretty excited to have leftovers to take home, though. Just to top it off, we were seated immediately, the prices are very reasonable, and our food came out super quickly. I can't wait to have friends in town to take here!
(5)Sophia W.
I don't give a damn about their beef noodle soup and I agree with others that it's way too greasy and would pick the beef noodle soup at Gourmet Dumpling House for its lighter taste. What I DO love about Taiwan Cafe is its good eat for a low cost when you're working too late and too tired to cook. For awhile, I always ordered the egg-tomato and rice (lasts me for 3 meals b/c it's so filling). My new favorite is the white fish in spicy red broth (#18 on the entree menu). WARNING: the greasiness from this dish is likely to be from the chili oil, and in my book, that's good for me :d On a cold winter's night, this dish is perfect for two. It comes in a warmer and inside the delicious red broth are napa veggies, yummy white fish that you can pour over your rice for a healthy and spicy dish. Service is meh, but that's not what I'm there for anyways.
(4)David M.
Yelp, either I'm going crazy because it's 1:00 AM or I'm directionally challenged because I swear Taiwan Cafe is in Chinatown, not Allston/Brighton. Anyway, I don't know the difference between Taiwanese food and regular mainland Chinese food but Taiwan Cafe cooks up some good grub. I always get the roast beef in scallion pancake roll because the appetizer is HUGE and really tasty. I've only been here for lunch but I always get the julienned (everything is julienned on the lunch special menu btw) pork with bamboo shoots as my main dish. And I love their bathroom. I've never encountered private toilets but public sinks before (plus they have cool cowboy saloon swinging doors). The only negative aspect of the entire establishment is that it's cash only. And I love using my debit card because it makes me feel powerful. =(
(4)Amy C.
Authentic taiwanese food at dirt cheap prices? Yes, please! We stopped in around lunchtime and the place was jam packed. Luckily, they were able to clear a table for us within a matter of minutes. The thing is, the dining area is really small and they really try to pack in the tables. I must say I was feeling a bit like my personal space was getting infringed upon, but if that's the price to pay for good eats then by all means, gather 'round and let's rub some elbows! We ordered the oyster pancake with gravy, chilled spicy pig ears, spicy beef noodle soup, and the noodle soup with pork and pickled vegetable. Aside from the beef noodle soup being a bit unexpected--normally, the beef would be stew meat (bigger chunks) and not stir-fry meat (thinly sliced), everything was spot on and delicious. It's an Asian place so there was no expectations in terms of service, but it was fast and efficient and that's good enough for me. Can't wait to try the other items on their menu whenever I find myself back in the area!
(4)Eddie S.
Delicious food and clean environment! I had the beef noodle soup, soup dumplings, and a sampling of my friends pork chop and all three were really good. The food came out very quickly and overall it was a solid experience. I thought the beef noodle soup was a little too greasy but that could just be the fact that it was my first time having it and that's just the way the food is supposed to be. I will definitely be looking for it to hit the spot on a colder day!
(4)Tee T.
Restaurant was clean, service isn't bad, and super cold AC (bring a sweater) but the food we had was fine but nothing to rave about. We ordered the oyster omelette and it wasn't bad; we liked it. We also had the pork/crab xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and it was ok. Good size and lots of soup but the meat inside didn't stay intact very well so it was all broken up inside. The worst part is that it tasted bland. They didn't even serve it with any vinegar sauce. I had to ask for it. If you've been to Shanghai or have had Din Tai Fung (in Taiwan or China) then these xiao long bao just didn't compare well to the ones in Shanghai. I most likely won't get these again.
(3)Li-Chen C.
Super poor service. The waitress and waiter were chatting loudly right next to us when we dined. Never look at us or greet us but demanded 18% tips for party of 5. The food is so so. We all had very unpleasant experience. Never go to this place again!!!!!
(1)Laurie W.
Our first food in Boston and we were hungry! My friends and I ordered Beef noodle soup (of course...) Oyster Pancake XLB The XLB were HUGE (no dirty jokes please) so huge that they were sticking to each other and it was kinda hard to grab a piece without ripping. Gently picking up one, I ripped a little hole to pour the vinegar and plopped it in my mouth! It is juicy and had a lot of soup, but it was okay. The pork was flavorful but it felt like they could have used better quality ingredients. The skin was more on the thicker side. The oyster pancake was VERY GOOEY...probably one of the most gooeyiest one i ever had. Cut a piece and you can see the "slime" pull...kinda made me not want to eat it. The sauce was on the sweeter end but the oyster pieces were big...and it wasnt bad at all. Crispy on the ends and gooey in the center Beef noodle soup - probably the better dish out of the 3. Piping hot! The soup is very beefy, like the fatty beefy soup and its very red in color so you would imagine it would be spicy. I would like its a mild spicy so dont worry about it. The noodles were good, a tad bit on the overcooke side but not bad. They do give you a lot of beef pieces. Not bad for the price but i had better taiwanese food
(3)Wes D.
Having lived in Taiwan for many years, my wife and I were excited to see this place in Chinatown when we were visiting Boston. Their menu is a huge mess and needs to be reconfigured and re-translated, but since we can read Chinese, it helped knowing what they were trying to say. We didn't order any of the typical nonsense that most people think of when they go to a "Chinese" restaurant. We got steamed dumplings, fried dumplings, onion pancake, beef noodle soup, and kimchi. Overall, it really reminded us of Taiwanese dining and we don't have any complaints. Portions were larger than we expected, and we left satisfied. Would go back in a heartbeat!
(4)Kevin L.
Come here for lunch because they have some very cheap, large-portioned lunch specials so it's worth what you pay. It's usually pretty packed here so you may need to wait a bit, but it's a good place to get some quality food in Chinatown for a very reasonable price. If you want a rice dish, I would highly recommend trying their: -Tomato, egg, and beef over rice: it has a nice sweet taste to it from the tomatoes -House special fried pork chop: always perfectly prepared and you get some delicious veggies with it and of course, a tea egg -Taiwanese duck, which comes with the same sides as the the pork chop. Their oyster pancake is HUGE, but it's a bit too doughy for me so if you like your pancakes on the thicker side then you'll probably enjoy them. Overall, I'm always down to come here and plan to be back on multiple occasions in the future!! Note: this isn't really a great place to bring large groups since they don't have many large round tables (I think they only have 2). Good number of people is about 2-4 if you don't want to wait too long.
(4)Annie C.
Went to Boston over the weekend and this was one of the worst meals I've had on my entire trip. Not quite sure why this place gets such raving reviews. We had the beef scallion pancake, crabmeat soup dumplings, pan-fried pork dumplings, pork chop over rice, julienne chicken w/ string beans, shredded pork w/ preserved vegetable rice cakes, and the Taiwan-style everything noodle. Their xiao long baos were one of the worst soup dumplings I've ever had. The skin was overly thick and there was no burst of broth when biting into it. As for the meat...forget about it. You can taste the horrible quality of the meat lacking the tenderness and juiciness of what good quality meat should taste like. They didn't even provide us the utensils to eat our soup dumplings (tong and soup spoon). Everything else we ordered lacked flavor and was bland at best. As for the service, it was just as poor as the food. I witnessed the waiters asking a table with guests still eating to stand so they can get something from the cabinet wall next to them. They were literally looking for a good 8 minutes before the diners asked if they can just sit at the neighboring empty table. We also saw the cashier yelling at a take-out customer about a discrepancy with her food. The restaurant is quite small so it was pretty much a free show for the whole restaurant. Also, on our way out the same lady that yelled at the take-out customer chased after us and demanded for us to leave a tip. Before accusing people she should've checked the table first. She has some nerve to humiliate us and didn't bother to apologize or say thank you. Very unprofessional. Never again Taiwan Cafe...NEVER AGAIN.
(1)Natalie P.
Not sure how this place gets high ratings for their food. We came here to try their xiao long bao after trying to figure out where to get XLB in the city based on the other yelp reviews. Taiwan cafe had the worst XLB of the three places we tried. The skin was way too thick and the inside was scary. I'm actually nervous I might get sick later. The meat was obviously very low quality and definitely not cooked to be safe for consumption but with dumpling skin this thick I can imagine it's difficult for them to get it right. Scallion pancake was a little better than other places. Thinnest of the three places and crispy but not much flavor. There was also a hair on one of the pieces so we stopped eating. Would not recommend.
(1)Sam L.
What happened Taiwan cafe!!!? How did you started being my favorite Taiwanese restaurant in Boston to one of the worst? We ordered a bunch of stuff because we were craving Taiwanese food: xia long bao, oyster omelette, oyster vermicelli and wonton soup. All were either average or below average. Xia long bao - thick skin kept the juice in, but the meat flavor was non-existent. Oyster omelette - good sauce with plenty of small oysters, but there were too many over fried pieces, with not enough veggies. Strange as veggies are typically the cheapest ingredient after potato starch. Oyster vermicelli - a disgrace to the Taiwanese tradition by putting a gallon of vinegar. I'm exaggerating but we asked for a new one that isn't as sour, and we got the same thing the 2nd time. If they only put 20% of that vinegar in, this would have been a decent dish. Wonton soup - good wrap with average filling. The soup was simply a splash of salt. Be a little more creative here please? Come on. Sigh, my heart was broken on this trip.
(2)Jack R.
I never thought I would love dumplings as much as I love their beef and chive dumplings here. Forget Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, when this Boston joint has what I'm looking for. Save me the airfare. I was really impressed by their dumplings. I swear they gave me like 15 of them for $6 or so. Something like that. Packed full of fresh chives and pan fried (you can have them steamed, but I asked for it pan fried), the skin was crispy, and the meat was flavorful and not full of filler fat. Love it. We had to order another order because I literally polished off all of them by myself. Minus one star for their sticky and way too sweet eggplant dish. It tasted like the eggplant was drenched in jolly rancher candies. Stick to the dumpling and you'll have a 5 plus star experience. One of the best pan fried chive dumplings I've ever had.
(4)Danae K.
It's nice and cheap, with a large variety of dishes. But, be careful how/what you order! It might turn out to be too spicy, too oily, too small or too big. There is definitely some trouble understanding what each dish is. Overall though, I suggest the soup dumplings, scallion pancakes and the wonton soup! Excellect choices
(4)Christina P.
Come here for the pork and crab meat soup dumplings!!!! Yayay! They're good here--probably best you can get in Boston but still doesn't compare to dumpling joints in Flushing, Queens or places like Din Tai Fung. I have been here numerous times and it's my go-to when I'm in Boston Chinatown. I've tried the XLB, dumplings, eggplant w/ basil, salt and pepper pork/squid/some kind of meat, house special pork chop on rice, Fuzhounese rice cakes, scrambled egg and tomato, beer braised duck, scallion pancake w/ pork, jellyfish, and the list goes on. Everything has been great except maybe the beer braised duck. Not my thing. Fun place for late dinner w/ friends where you can get rounds of tall Tsingtao bottles and be loud without being obnoxious. Definitely get at least one order of pork and crab XLB but don't be the one that always breaks the skin. Also, be prepared to wait because they have a looooong dinner rush so come early or later if you don't want to wait. Note: There is a credit card minimum. It's a Chinese joint so they prefer you pay in cash anyway.
(4)Shani T.
It took me awhile to get to reviewing Taiwan Cafe, mostly because I wasn't sure how I felt about it despite multiple visits, how to rate it, and what to say about it. There are a lot of Taiwanese dishes served here that thrills the Taiwanese in me--san bei ji (three cups chicken), stinky tofu (not that I ever get this, but it's nice to see it on the menu), and the traditional Taiwanese sausage stick out in my mind. But it's just not... Taiwan. I can't pinpoint it, but it's missing some of the magic. The menu is so long that it's really just a clusterfck of options. I end up giving up and going with dishes like salt & pepper pork, chinese watercress, soup dumplings, which are all just regular Chinese dishes. The dishes that I love such as beef noodle soup, fried chicken leg on rice with pickled vegetables, oyster omelette, and the like, are probably on the menu somewhere, but I just haven't gotten the chance to order them. I would die to have a good bowl of lu rou fan. Do they have this here? I have no idea because I can't look at the menu for more than 5 minutes without getting a headache. Don't get me wrong, I will keep coming back to Taiwan Cafe, but it will keep leaving me to reminisce about the food back in Taiwan. Maybe my expectations are just too high, but I just can't get over how much of a mess the menu is. Taiwan is simple--Taiwan Cafe is not.
(3)Daniel C.
Dumplings are good any time of the day I think, and Boston Chinatown has no shortage of dumpling shops - all open until the wee hours (often past midnight!) and almost always packed during dinner time. I decided to try Taiwan Cafe after a quick Yelp browse. Upon arriving I was encouraged by the crowds eating here, along with stickers on the door showing Zagat-Rated as of 2014 along with earlier years. I ordered steamed (note you have option of pan-fried too) pork and cabbage dumplings - 10 for like $7! They were good sized, spherical, juicy, and made with a thin skin which I like. Very good dipping sauce, so I would rate these dumplings as good as other places. I also ordered their lightly-fried tofu dish from the same appetizer menu. The coloring definitely suggested a lighter frying temperature. Tofu was soft and well seasoned, but I didn't like how the crust tended to stick together - added some gooeyness that was out of place. 4-stars for me overall, and it was all due to the excellent steamed dumplings.
(4)Becca P.
I love Taiwan Cafe. I used to go to Gourmet Dumpling House for soup dumplings but they have gotten worse over time so my go to is Taiwan Cafe. Pork soup dumplings are delicious! Good amount of soup and not too salty. The meat has the right consistency. Just be careful that you don't rip the dumplings when you grab them. They will stick together sometimes. My other favorite here are the beef with long horn peppers. The peppers are crunchy and hot (not burning) and there is a lot of meat unlike some places. It is also not too oily. My friend got the pork and bitter melon. He said the melon could be more bitter but when I tried it , it was quite bitter. Lunch is great here because the dishes are under $8 and the dishes come with soup and rice. You can do a 3 dish combo for $22 too. The service is quick too!
(5)Aaron B.
As the youth say these days, Taiwan Cafe was on fleek. This restaurant looks a little bit sketchy from the outside that gives you that perfect and authentic Chinatown experience. From the outside your wondering if it's as good as Yelp says it is and LET ME TELL YOU: IT IS. The food is amazing, plentiful, and dirt cheap. Our table got a flurry of dishes: crispy pork, pork buns, fried rice, general gau, and like 3 other ones that I can't remember. they were seriously all amazing. The crispy pork belly was by far the best. Seriously amazing...you must try it if you're lost on what to order. They also have great hot tea! Each dish is like $7 for lunch and feeds more than one person. Taiwan Cafe is your cheap and amazing Taiwanese heaven.
(5)Kat R.
Place is a bit cramped ,especially around lunch time. The service is hit or miss. American people love this place , the juicy buns or soup dumpling ( crab&sport) Gross ! The dough is too thick , don't like the gunk it's unappetizing Spicy beef noodle C- Hubby plate C+ Hot tea B- Soup dumpling (crab&pork) D+
(1)Hurjane V.
Taiwan cafe Came to Boston's Chinatown on a rainy, Thursday night! Since we were craving Chinese, we decided to try Taiwan Cafe, a place that my cousin recommends. The store front is a little ambiguous-it does not say Taiwan Cafe in English; it had a little blue tent and was next to a super market. If you see China King, go in the alley on the turn! We went in around 5:30 pm and it was pretty empty. A little skeptical, we looked at the menu while we waited for my cousin to arrive. Within 20 minutes, the room was packed! And there was even a small line out the door. We ordered: -appetizer: 生煎包, pan fried pork buns ($5.95 for 5 buns)// there is no pork juice like the ones in Taiwan, but it was still yummy since the filling to bun ratio was good! -vegetable: 紅燒è‡è±†è…, braised tofu with scallion and veggies ($10.95) // we all agreed this was delicious! Good amount of vegetables! -rice: 招牌排骨飯, house special fried pork chop on rice platter ($6.95)// a little oily but crispy! -entree: å››å£è±†é›žçµ², sautéed julienne chicken with string beans ($12.95)// yummy! I love string beans so it worked out. Pros: -good selection and variety! The menu was pretty impressive! Such a small storefront, but packed with so many authentic items! -good service. Welcomed us quickly at the door and served us hot tea right away since it was pretty cold. -authentic flavors! Me, my cousin and boyfriend have all been to Taiwan. This place definitely brought us back there, and we were do happy with every item. -no sodium overload! Usually when I leave a Chinese restaurant, I would have to drink so much tea at home to flush out everything! But i left Taiwan Cafe satisfied. -clean restroom! Yay! I noticed that the east coast restrooms are not as clean and taken care of as the West. But this place was nice! Cons: -some dishes had too much sauce, but i guess that's because we didn't order a bowl of rice for the each of us. Tips/observations: -I would recommend getting a bowl of rice! That way the food would be more enjoyable. -on the back menu on the very bottom, they also serve simple Taiwanese breakfast items! But it is only on weekends from 11 am-3 pm. There is some classics, such as sweet soymilk, savory soymilk, fried bread (crawlers), and some other items! Overall, its awesome that Boston had such an amazing restaurant! Such a hidden gem! I wish SD had something like this. Highly recommend to anyone looking for REAL Chinese food!
(5)Angela Y.
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(3)Michael S.
Mediocre food on a menu that's way, way too big (even for a Chinese restaurant). The place was extremely cramped as they tried to squeeze as many people into a tiny space. We ended up sharing a big circular table with strangers but I rather enjoyed that experience. The food was a bit disappointing. The pan fried pork buns had far too much breading compared to filling. They needed double the filling. The soup dumplings were better proportion-wise but the soup had an odd texture. When opened, the soup had weird chunks of melted pork in it. Not very appetizing. Finally we also order the pork chops over rice. The pork chops were so cold when we got the food. And the rice was very bland just piled with bland cabbage. The food is alright but nothing worth going back for.
(3)April K.
So since there aren't that many amazing Taiwanese restaurants in Boston, I have to rate this in accordance with the others, and I have to say, the soup dumplings here are far superior to its competitors. Came here last night and I am still drooling thinking about the massive amounts of food that we ordered. The roast beef scallion pancakes blanketed some yummy beef and cilantro (don't order if you're the type who thinks cilantro tastes like soap). They were so good we ordered a second round. The soup dumplings were steaming when they arrived, and filled with a good portion of burn-your-tongue-hot soup. It comes with 7 dumplings (instead of 6 like at Dumpling Cafe). We were sweating, but that didn't stop us from devouring them (ladies, leave your makeup at home cause your face will melt). Another dish that we ordered was a white fish that was simmering in a hot pot above a flame. My friend would not stop relishing about how amazing it was. Only dishes that were kind of disappointing to me were the fried rice cakes with pork and cabbage and the beef with bamboo shoots. The service here is aggressive though, and they have a $20 minimum and 2-card limit. Once again, it's Chinatown and you can't really expect great service.
(4)Julia T.
Their xiao long baos are amazing. Plump and juicy, they also come with a generous side of dipping sauce. Tiny cafe, so the wait is horrendous without a reservation, even at 9pm. It's best to get take-out from this place and just cozy up at home.
(4)Katie C.
Overall a pretty decent experience at Taiwan Cafe except that the bathrooms were ridiculously gross. Otherwise, the food was good. We got the crab soup dumplings and they were very good but not the best I've had. The dipping sauce tasted like almost pure vinegar. Maybe that's typical but the soup dumpling places I've been in NYC have a very different, soy sauce based dipping sauce. So we skipped the sauce and found that the dumplings didn't really need it, anyway. Lastly we got bite sized spare ribs that I'd definitely get again. Overall, pretty good but not sure if I would go again.
(3)Alan G.
Came here twice for dinner with my fiancée over the weekend. We've tried the scallion pancake, the soup dumplings (they're called steamed min pork buns or something like that on the menu), the pork dumplings with cabbage, and the Chinese watercress with satay beef. The soup dumplings and scallion pancake are probably my favorite items we've had - the soup dumplings are large and the broth inside is has lots of pork bits and is quite flavorful. One small issue is that they tend to come stuck together, and it's hard to eat them without ripping them when pulling them apart from each other, so you might end up losing a lot of soup this way. Be careful. The scallion pancake is soft and not super crispy or flaky, which I like, and still very tasty. The pork dumplings are all right, though not that special. The watercress and satay beef was surprisingly good - it came in a large portion and the whole dish had a subtle but definite satay presence. The beef bits were very tender. The restaurant also has a very nice, clean, open, and casual atmosphere. The service is attentive and friendly. The prices are not bad, and the wait is also fairly reasonable. I much prefer coming here over Gourmet Dumpling.
(4)Judith C.
On our trip to Boston, my boyfriend was really craving Chinese food; he's the type of person who just can't live without it. From my past trips to Boston, I knew that the city isn't known for its sizable Chinese population (therefore, Chinatown), but he was desperate so I thought, oh what the heck. Even on a weekday at 8pm, this place was packed and we waited about 30 minutes for a group of three. Lobster with green onion (4/5) Crispy salt and pepper fish (3/5) -- a bit too much breading and pepper Sauteed ong choy (4/5) -- I have no idea what it's called English... The menu can definitely be overwhelming, with no pictures at all. If in doubt, just look at what other people are ordering and point to whatever you think looks good. The prices are very fair and service is quick. When I'm back and my boyfriend has another hankering for Chinese food, I'll definitely take him here again.
(4)Chris L.
This is your average Taiwanese food joint. The food is alright, and if you're craving Taiwanese food, it's worth a shot to stop by. I came a few times on Saturday with my friends and we ordered the XLB, oyster pancake, salty soy milk, and pork broth braised tofu- just to name a few. The XLB was extremely juicy, almost too juicy, and the juice was kind of sweet too. It was not overly greasy but the meat basically shrunk into a tiny ball. Overall, just an average XLB. The oyster pancake was a very large portion and it was crisped to perfection. As expected, there were not too many oysters in it. The salty soy milk was good, but every time I got it, it was not really hot. Just lukewarm. The pork broth braised tofu was tasty, the broth and sauce on top had a lot of flavor. Just wish there was a bigger serving. All the other dishes we had were average and if you want a reasonably priced lunch, it's worth a shot to check this place out!
(3)Sylvia C.
You would think with all the new competition around town - Taiwan café would step up it's game. Nope. After multiple visits - the service continues to slip. My last visit during lunch - no sight of our entrees after 1 hour!! Flagged down several servers - some pay quick attention to hear what I ask and others just simply ignore and walk away. Needless, to say - we ended up leaving the restaurant with our stomachs empty. Goodbye Taiwan café.
(2)Rachel L.
Considering Boston isn't known for having a sizable Chinese population, this place is surprisingly solid! Oyster pancake (5/5) - This was way better than oyster pancakes I've had back home in California. The sauce that drenches the pancake is slightly sweet and not overly oyster tasting, if that makes sense. Homestyle eggplant with basil (5/5) - This and the oyster pancake were my favorite dishes. Slightly sweet without being cloying - it's a must try and great with rice, to help soak up all the yummy sauce. Sichuan white fish with veggie sweet and sour sauce (4/5) - This looked extremely spicy in the photos so we actually asked them to make it less spicy. We were so glad that we asked them to reduce the spice because it still had a healthy amount of kick; I don't even know what the full force spiciness would have tasted like ... you've been warned! Sautéed Chinese watercress with garlic (4:5) - this was a simple, wonderfully garlicky side dish that helped round out the meal and provide some greens. I'd get it again! Stinky tofu (3/5) - Having eaten this in night markets in Taiwan, this isn't as stinky as the trail, authentic deal. My husband has a theory that you can't get stinky tofu in the U.S. that's as flavorful or stinky as the kind in Taiwan because the fermentation process would break health codes. I'm starting to think he's right! If I'm ever in the area, I'd come back here to get my Taiwanese grub on ;)
(4)Sarah G.
My review would be slightly higher if I weren't dissatisfied with my check. When I placed my order I referred to the luncheon menu, not realizing the specials are NOT available on the weekend. I pointed out my items by number from the lunch specials, but was not told they were only available at full price. Since the bill was in Chinese I didn't realize why my total was a little higher than expected until I examined my bill later. I did enjoy my meal and the staff was very prompt with my order and any requests I had for hot oil & crushed red peppers. It was full in the restaurant, but I was able to get a seat with a short wait. Being a party of one, not unexpectedly I was seated with some other random diners. I had the braised BBQ pork ribs $12.95 (Delicious! Beware the bones & cartilage, though a favorite of some, it can be a turn off for those not used to gnawing on bones), the pan fried duck and onion filled buns $6.95 (Also tasty, though not dry they could have used some sauce for extra moisture), lastly my sautéed watercress with garlic $12.95 (Again delicious, but pricey for what it is).
(3)Jessica L.
Soup dumplings in Boston!! I love love love soup dumplings. In fact, I go to NYC just to get Joe's Shanghai sometimes. Anyways, I finally got around to trying this joint and I am so glad I did! 1PM on a Sunday - 3 people Food I tried: Pork soup dumplings - Pork was better than the crabmeat soup dumpling by far. The soup dumplings were STRONG - and by this, i mean you don't have to be super delicate when handling these packets of soup lol. That could be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on what you want. I personally like my soup dumplings to be super thin, and therefore pretty delicate. On another note, the soup dumplings were HUGE! I like my soup dumplings to fit comfortably in the spoon, so I can put some sauce on top, take a bit without everything falling onto my plate, etc. so the dumplings here were not my preference Crabmeat soup dumplings - Pork is so much better. Crabmeat was tasty, but I was put off by the oil? gel-like substance I kept seeing in the broth of the soup dumpling. I think it might have just been residue of the broth, so that's not a big deal, BUT it just didn't look appetizing. It still tasted good.... Beef with longhorn peppers - We saw this in a neighboring table, and asked for it. And the waitress said it was one of the more popular dishes. It had a perfect balance of spiciness, and saltiness. General Gau Chicken - You probably can never go wrong with a general gau chicken in any chinese/asian restaurant. This is a fried chicken dish drenched in sweet & sour sauces. Between the spiciness of the beef w/ longhorn peppers, and the richness of the soup dumplings, this dish did its part in balancing out the meal with that added touch of sweetness. Service - the service was overall friendly, speedy and accurate, but they never brought us the ice water we asked for twice. The waitress we had was helpful in choosing between two veggie dishes, and we were happy with the decision as well. When coming here, just be aware that English is a second-language for most of the workers there - so be courteous and just enjoy the food!
(4)Donna Y.
Very tight space with not enough tables. I sat elbow to elbow next to people I didn't know. I ordered the spicy fish with veggies and salt and pepper chicken with basil. Both were quite sizeable. The service however leaves little to be desired. The waiter was curt and ignored us most of the time. Btw I also found a hair in my fish....
(3)Maggie X.
I think I may have tried the wrong dishes here, and that definitely warrants a possible return visit if I'm in the area. This review is only for two of the lunch special dishes. Taiwan Cafe has a clean, definitively cafe-like feel to it. Service was decently friendly but somewhat slow, and it took a while for our tea to be refilled. Our check took so long getting picked up that we walked up to the front to pay. It was one of those rare instances where I didn't yelp which dishes to get, so we opted for two lunch specials that came with soup and rice. The soup ( yelp.com/biz_photos/taiw… ) was a light variation of seaweed soup, and while it wasn't memorable or standoutish, it served as a nice placeholder for an appetizer. Mapo tofu: ( yelp.com/biz_photos/taiw… ) This dish was quite bland, and I prefer my mapo tofu dishes with ground pork and silken tofu instead of just chili sauce and medium tofu. The tofu pieces definitely kept their shape better than if they had used silken tofu, but the texture was very one-dimensional, especially without any ground meat. The chili sauce was also a little strange and veered towards the sweeter side. Liver sauteed with chives: ( yelp.com/biz_photos/taiw… ) The liver and chives were cooked well so that the liver slices were tender (perhaps pre-tossed with starch?) and the chives were freshly green, although they could have been cut a little smaller. What was strange was the sauce: there was an interestingly sweet sauce lacing the entire dish, and it made the whole thing rather stickily sweet. The flavor wasn't necessarily bad, but it wasn't my favorite either. Overall, the portions were generous for lunch special prices although I wouldn't get these particular dishes again. After reading the other rave reviews about xiao long baos, I'm keeping Taiwan Cafe on my list for another try in the future.
(2)Sophie P.
I was pleasantly surprised by this place! Thankfully, I came with a half-Chinese friend who could tell me what to order, because this menu is VERY overwhelming. What to get: Beef Scallion Pancake - This was my favorite! The "pancake" was rolled into a roll, and there were sweet, salty, and crunchy flavors. It almost tasted like there were figs inside of this. It came in four pieces, which was plenty. Szechuan Style White Fish - The fish melts in your mouth. It's so soft. The broth is very oily and not too spicy, adding a richness to the fish. Drinking that broth is probably not the best for you, though. Fried Taiwanese Style Pork Chop - So crunchy and cooked so well inside. Beware of the bones, because it's totally disguised in the fried parts! Xiao Long Bao (Pork Dumpling) - These were really good. You don't even need soy sauce because the soup inside the dumpling is so flavorful. Make sure to bite off the top knot of the dumpling before sucking up the soup inside the dumpling. It helps you not burn your tongue! This place is really affordable, and the service is really quick - a good bang for your buck!
(4)Tiffany T.
I was craving something warm and comforting on this cold Boston day -- decided to check out what Taiwan Café has to offer. I was pretty full from my weekend of eating so we ordered their Beef noodle soup & Xiao Long Bao , bill came to $15.95 pre-tip . Also they accept credit for $20 minimum, pretty clutch for C-town The Beef noodle soup was really good - glad since it's a staple in Taiwan. It had a nice kick to it, actually spicy! Really deep flavor in the broth. The only thing lackluster was the beef - not as tender as places I've had in the past. But overall, really solid. XLB was pretty good -- can't say it's the best I've ever had but it was pretty darn good. I'm just blessed in Philly (biased..) with our choice in XLB. I feel like our broth is a bit more flavorful Their menu is a bit out of control.. kind of hard to find what you want if you're new to Taiwanese food. I'm not sure how accommodating their staff is -- but it might be better to ask for Taiwanese recommendations. I seriously couldn't find XLB on their menu for my life -- but somehow when I looked for it in Chinese I found it under " mini buns" or something like that. Nothing about "soup dumplings" which is deceiving. I think if you know what to order, you'll be a bit better off. Or go ahead and challenge them.. see if they can recommend ya something authentic and Taiwanese !
(4)Isabella C.
Taiwan Café is always difficult to get a table at on weekends or evenings. However, weekday lunches are not a bad bet. They have a $7-8 lunch special with an advertised discount if you get three lunch specials, though the discount is effectively a few dimes. The lunch specials come with soup, rice, and a dish. Unlike most other restaurants in the area, their soup options aren't just corn soup or hot/sour. They usually serve a house made soup that has seaweed, tofu, and other vegetables in it. Definitely beats a glutinous corn soup or generic hot/sour soup. I've tried the egg/basil, bitter melon/salted egg, and also the Taiwanese style pork chops. They're all delicious though the egg/basil is a bit on the greasy side and the pork chops can be a bit too sweet. It is certainly Taiwanese though. On weekends, they have some dimsum items. I've tried the scallion pancakes - well done and crispy - as well as their Szechuan fish (which is delicious, and authentic enough for my liking) and their shao bing you tiao (fried dough and pastry). All in all, the food can sometimes be a bit greasy but it's always quite delicious. They're friendly and usually quite quick to serve you food. Definitely one of my preferred destinations in Chinatown.
(4)Di R.
if I can give 0 star, I will. The dinner was bad, the beef we ordered was not fresh at all...I barely ate anything. When I paid for my bill, I only wanna pay 10% tips. The waiter ran to me and said the Mass state requires customer to pay at least 18% tips. I was surprised, this is the first time that I heard something as ridiculous as it. I thought tips were voluntarily given by customers. I really don't wanna pay more because of the bad food and poor quality service. however, their attitude was so firm and I eventually had to change my bill.......
(1)J J.
Checked in on 9/3/15 for Lunch Came to this restaurant 5 years ago and was better then. *Unfortunately the restaurant is no longer Taiwanese owned so be aware the authenticity has been compromised, lacking in the traditional Taiwanese flavor. It's now more like the food in China so the restaurant should be called China Café, not Taiwan Café. 3 Cup Chicken - Bland to almost no flavor. Chicken was dry and not fresh. It was disgusting! Braised Eggplant with Basil - Overly greasy, overly spicy, and overly sour. It was disgusting! Shredded Pork with Bean Curd - The thickness of bean curd is not Taiwanese approved! It's way too thick and some were sticking together and not even cut through all the way. Customer service was good, not attentive, not suggestive, nor friendly. Would never go back and would not recommend this restaurant to anyone unless you just do not care about quality of food.
(1)Carmen I.
I went with my friend Bob, the gastronome, on Friday September 11, 2015. It was our second time there. The wait was pretty short (for 5:30 on a Friday). We ordered and were served very good and very large portions rather quickly. Bob knows his meats, and said the ones they used were good. Before going there, we visited a Chinese gift shop on Harrison Ave. that lost it's lease and had to liquidate everything. I bought a rather large wood-cut sculpture for 75% off of their regular $900. My hands were full and Bob took the leftovers home. The place is VERY BUSY and there were only 1 waiter, 1 waitress, and 1 hostess, all very friendly. We'll be going back.
(5)Frances Valerie C.
I'm going to start off by saying that the menu can be a bit overwhelming - IF you don't go in knowing what you already want. Taiwan Cafe has an array of items on their menu and everything I've had whether it was a quick to go lunch or casual dinner was soooo delicious. I was introduced to this restaurant back in 2012 when my sister was ranting and raving about this amazing House Special Fried Pork Chop over Rice. She said it was this spicy crispy pork chop with egg and veggies. When you put the words "spicy" and "crispy" into a conversation it's an automatic go! Not long after I became a huge fan. The best part about this entire situation is that this house special fried goodness was only $5.95 and it comes with soup! Yes, you can imagine me contemplating ordering this for lunch, then sitting in my work cafeteria slobbering over pork chop(s). It was that good. Definitely a go-to when you are in Chinatown. Make sure you have CASH if you aren't spending over $20 and give yourself sometime to look over the menu - there are a LOT of good things to choose from. Also, expect a way during crazy hours like lunch time and dinner on the weekends :)
(5)Jimmy R.
Walk up to a mostly unassuming spot in Chinatown up a narrow staircase into a bustling restaurant. There isn't much area to wait in so I suggest one of your party go in first and drop a name and number and either wait outside, or if the wait is that considerable head on over to a bar and quickly order an aperitif. Beef scallion roll- I've had this twice here, because yes, it is that good. Slightly crispy outside of the pancake doughy goodness with beef, sweet hoisin, and cilantro rolled up so you get layers of this delicious appetizer. Crunchy, sweet, and savory with the cilantro to cut through the richness of the pan fried dough and salty beef. Xiao long bao- Soup filled dumplings, one of my more favorite things I've eaten, alas not from here. the XLBs are serviceable but they are too big, and the skin a little too thick. I doubt they make them here, although not outside the realm of possibility, my guess is they buy them frozen and steam them in the container that it is brought out in. Either way the pork ones are full of flavor and they vinegar sauce with ginger slivers are given to you as it should. Szechuan spicy white fish- I was skeptical about this at first, thinking it was not going to be that spicy. Wrong, as a certain part of my body can attest in the morning it sure was spicy. It wasn't unbearable, actually it was very enjoyable the fish was very tender and meaty without any fishy taste. The broth was spicy but light and stayed hot due to the fact that the metal bowl it is served in is placed on top of a ever lighting fire. Scooped fish, broth and the cabbage into my rice bowl and ate it that way. Fried pork chop- 8 dollars. Or somewhere close to there. Really what you think it would be and you can see it in the pictures. super greasy but pretty satisfying. Also. 8 dollars. 'Nuff said. Beer braised duck- This dish took a while to get to us, so if you order it prepare to wait, I honestly thought they had forgot about it until it came out. When it does come it comes the same way that the spicy fish does and in a stock. It was chopped up duck parts with the bone still in (the way most meat should be cooked for the flavor and tenderness). The meat itself was mostly salty and like most duck fatty. Not really my favorite, make sure you have rice and maybe some veggies leftover to calm the saltiness of the dish. Overall it was a great experience, the restaurant is pretty busy unless you come in late, but the service is pretty good, especially for the amount of customers needing to be waited on.
(4)Anthony W.
Just finished a nice meal here. Fairly authentic Taiwanese cuisine and we came here especially for the xia long bao. We also had some beef rolls, spicy beef noodle soup and potstickers and eggplant. The service is what you can expect in any Asian restaurant. Nothing spectacular but gets the job done. This was our first time here but the place was packed, which is a good sign. The place does not take any reservations so if you come during the busy times be prepared to wait a good 30 minutes.
(3)Christina Z.
Best Chinese food in Boston. NEW York, San Francisco and Houston! You will extremely satisfied by its taest. Freshness and price! It has combination of so many best home cooking. I am from Houston and travel Those three big cities offen. I hope there is one Chinese restaraurnt in those abovr four cities. Hope this restaurant will expend to those three cities some point of time, so we all can enjoy the best CHINESE FOOD! Best wishes to this cool restauranf!!!
(5)Aton K.
I visited there several times. A small but delicate place. I recommend the lobster set（龙虾套é¤ï¼‰for 3 to 4 people. I admit the flavor is above average level in Chinatown. Nevertheless I won't go there again since they charged me $10 for tips while I wrote $5 on the receipt.
(3)B Z.
TERRIBLE SERVICE! Mediocre food. To be fair, there are a small portion of things on the menu that are really genuine and good. It is absolutely reasonable for this restaurant to be one of the most famous places in China Town. But also, there are a large portion of food that is absolutely terrible. The quality of the food is also not consistent. The flavor may vary day by day. Be prepare to get something that is really different from what you had before. I was a frequent visitor to this place. It is alway crowded and not very clean. Many waiters here are not so good (there is one particular girl that is really nice) The waiter with the ponytail (I vaguely remember) is absolutely terrible. My friends and I came to this place on a wednesday afternoon (probably that is why they could allow this obviously unhappy and impatient waiter to serve for the whole restaurant). She was absolutely not happy with something of her life. She was impatient with us when we asked her to bring us some water and she didn't even ask us if we had finished before she cleaned up our plates and table while there was obviously a lot of food in them (the restaurant was pretty empty then). That was actually the worst service I got in Boston. Then, of course, I undertipped, still 10-15% though. I wish I tipped less or none. She had the nerve to come to our table to tell us that they have a policy of 15%. I told her that it was not stated or posted anywhere and I told her what she did was absolutely not appropriate. She got even angrier. And I told her if you had the nerve to modify my tip, I will instantly call my credit card company to tell them your restaurant is doing credit fraud. She threatened and cursed, "then I will never serve you in the future." Seriously? Well, that makes it even easier. Seriously, there are so many good Chinese or Asian restaurants in Boston, Allston and cambridge, just don't go to this place. I bet most of you want to have fun or want to be happy with dining, so don't ruin your day at this place. Peace out.
(1)Sunny C.
If I find myself here again, I shall definitely return. The menu is EXPANSIVE, and I want to try it all! Kabocha squash with pork stir fry was a homey yet tasty dish. Roast beef scallion pancake didn't live up to the hype. It was good, but not "get out of my way so I can eat this all" good. Niu rou mien was delicious. Service is quick and somewhat friendly. The men's restroom was jaw dropping. If you sit on the toilet, your knees will be just inches from a commercial beverage refrigerator. (You come face to face with it.) There's nothing in there, but is that even sanitary? Would that be used at one point? How many patrons have enjoyed its company in the bathroom?
(4)Carly Y.
Very authentic Taiwanese food, good rou yuan and oyster pancake, esp the pancake is a bit oily. Very decent food overall.
(4)Nancy C.
This place was out of control on a Friday night: line out the door, screaming waiters/hostesses, and all. I can definitely see why. These soup dumplings are such incredible small pockets of gustatory magic! Pumped chock full of that savory, fatty, rich pork broth, one soup dumpling actually exploded on me, literally: much of the soup landed on my outfit--THAT'S how soupy it is! I have yet to have a soup dumpling that lives up to this one. That said, I haven't tried that many so my sample size is small. But these were amazing! The beef rolled in scallion pancakes were also very good. But the xiao long bao is the total shiznit here.
(5)Jennifer T.
I'm always partial to Taiwanese cuisine, and have found this to be a top choice for the greater Boston area. However, recently, with a Taiwanese restaurant also in Quincy, it gives this place a run for their money. Comparing this place with Taipei Cuisine in Quincy, overall, the dishes here are more robust in flavor however smaller portions of meat in each dish. The beef scallion pancake roll up had a more flavorful and softer scallion pancake, but more skimpy on the meat. Same with the Nian Gao, it had more flavor, softer disks, however, less meat in the dish. Their beef noodle soup, also had alot more flavor, and more vegetables, and was very spicy, but their beef pieces were more like thin, fattier pieces from hotpot. Other dishes we've tried are their calamari with chinese celery (i.e., not salt/pepper). The calamari were all really tough, flavorless, and the vegetables themselves were very fiberous and tough; I wouldnt recommend getting this dish here. I also was not a fan of their claypot dish, as the fish pieces were coated in thick and soggy breading, and lacking in actual fish pieces. Overall though, this is still a top choice if you are in the Chinatown area.
(4)Vic G.
Seriously, this place has become one of my most frequented eating places. And with every visit, there is something like a renewed strengthening of the bond of some sort that I experience every time - I don't know how to describe it. Has to be the brilliant, good food! Coming straight to the point. The Biggest Hot Ticket Item on their menu that can be seen almost at every other table for the very right reasons has to be the White fish in spicy schezuan broth (#4 on the main entree list - this comes sizzling and simmering in a hot pot with fire lit underneath). My side or second dish always keeps changing - but this one has to be my primary entree to order - that's how good this dish is. Just a piece of advice - this dish is HOT and the heat is in the broth and the roasted red peppers that come as garnish on top of the entire dish. So if you cannot do anything that is considered a level 7 or above on a 1 to 10 heat index (10 being the hottest), do not go for this. If you are in a group with people who like hot food, do taste a piece of white fish as is with some white rice. It is not that hot minus the broth. Also, this dish is something that should be shared between 2 adults with a side dish that is not very hot - to enjoy a good mix of flavors and heat. This past weekend it was time to get (along with the Hot fish) the salt and pepper fried chicken with basil. Another classic. Very subtle, the chicken is fried such that it doesn't seem too heavy with every bite you take. And the taste of the slightly roasted basil as a garnish just makes the dish perfect. I don't know how can this place ever disappoint me. I highly doubt that would ever happen. In any case, if you are in China town and want to enjoy some real earthy flavors - please do go and try this place. (And thank me when you are surprised at how beautiful the flavors were and how inexpensive the entire meal was.) Enjoy!
(5)Lana H.
The food is okay. I find out that I dont like Taiwanese food. The flavor is different from Shanghai cuisine. But if you like tawainese cuisine youll love this place. The menu is huge. We tried the soup dumplings.. Worth a try. The beef scallion cake were ok. They spread hoi sin sauce and if you dont mind the sauce then youll love it. Even though the restaurant is listed chinese, tawainese it is Tawainese only. If you expect chinese cuisine flavors you will be disappointed.
(2)C L.
We saw the line on the street and decided to give it a try. We went for the more " expensive " ( around 10-20$ per dish ) section of the menu, and the waiter suggested there are cheaper alternatives with much bigger portion, we did not take her advice sine we were not super hungry. The ginseng chicken soup is fairly good, with nice smell and not oily at all, however you'd not be able to binge on it as it's about 2 to 3 servings. We also ordered soup dumplings and seasonable vegetable with scallops and shrimp. We asked for low salt low oil option and the kitchen did exactly that. We were very impressed given the busyness of the restaurant. We saw other gusts sharing the same table took the waitress' advice, and complained about the the greasy and over cooked dishes. I guess the quality of the food varies depending on what you order, and despite of some less than good dishes, there are some really good ones!
(4)Amanda L.
SOUP DUMPLINGS! Made my first trip here on Saturday for my birthday and was dying to try the soup dumplings. They were pretty good and were also pretty large in size. There were 4 of us in my party and the other members informed me that they're usually much smaller so we each ordered our own tray. Big mistake as this was just way too much food. We also mistakenly ordered a lunch entree each - also huge. The lunch portions are enough for two meals. I ordered the General Gao's Chicken which was nicely flavored and super spicy with some bites. I knocked off a star since a fly landed on a piece of broccoli and stuck to the sauce of this dish. Pretty gross. My boyfriend ordered an AWESOME dish that I would highly recommend to anyone. It sounded awful: steak, omelet and tomato over rice. But the sauce that this was cooked in was awesome and made the dish. I couldn't get enough and took more interest in his dish than my General Gao's chicken. The restaurant is pretty small and the place was bumpin' at 2p on a Saturday. Not sure why someone was doing paperwork at one of the tables causing a wait. Service wasn't super quick here either. There were 2 or 3 servers scanning the restaurant and we'd have to wave them down to place any kind of beverage or food order and also when requesting the check. I'll probably be back to try other plates but maybe during an off hour. My party was lucky enough to have a table of 4 to ourselves but it looks like they seat some parties together at larger circular tables.
(3)Adam L.
I was craving some Taiwanese Noodles, so i thought I'd hit up this place in china town! You may want to get their a little earlier if you're trying to get dinner because there is always a line. The taiwanese noodle was pretty good i have to admit. They aren't the best, but its definitely not bad at all! Its a bit spicy just FYI. I also got the soup dumplings as an appetizer because how can you go to a taiwanese place without getting them? They come in 7 and are pretty moderate size. Not bad at all as well! Everything around the restaurant looks amazing as I was gazing at everyones food. Definitely have to come back here and try everything else!
(4)Jia C.
We spent a weekend in Boston and found this restaurant on yelp with mixed reviews but decided to give it a try. We ordered the oyster pancake, Taiwanese meatball, 3 cups chicken, soup dumplings and sa-cha beef stir fried noodles. Overall I think the food was great especially the meatbal and the oyster pancake. I haven't had it in a long while and it tasted like how I remembered it in Taiwan. I even ordered the meatballs to go for the ride back home. The sa-cha beef noodles was also really yummy. The 3 cups chicken could use a little more cooking to concentrate the flavor of the sauce and the chicken but it was still good. I do agree with others about the soup dumplings. The skin is too thick compared to other ones I've had. Overall, I really enjoyed my meal and would definitely go back if I am in Boston again.
(4)Stephanie V.
This is one of my favorite places in Chinatown. Hands down the best soup dumplings. It's way better than dumpling cafe but most people don't know that. The wait is worth it and they take your number in case you want to walk around. I've been here a few times but this was the first time I had the roast beef scallion pancake and it was SO FREAKING GOOD. It's my new favorite dish there. And of course we got the pork soup dumplings which was great. Lastly we got pork over crispy noodles but that was just average. The noodles weren't that crispy. The service is attentive and it's nice that the place takes cards to pay. Def my go to place when in Chinatown
(4)Damian W.
Food: 3.5/5.0 Service: 2.0/5.0 Value: 3.0/5.0 Decor: 2.5/5.0 Overall: 3.5/5.0 There's almost always a wait if you show up in the early/mid evening. They oddly take your phone number claim that they'll call you when your table is ready. Of course, they don't ever call, but why would they, that's crazy. Just wait outside. The menu is a cluster-something and a bit difficult to decipher for newbs especially without reading the Chinese, so grab a copy of the paper menu while you wait. This is one of my preferred Chinese spots in Boston. The soup dumplings (XLB) are decent and usually worth ordering (if you don't believe me, just look at how many XLB photos there are). I'm a fan of the hot pots (esp. the chicken three essence), the braised pork shoulders w/buns, and I have an absolute fascination with their hot and sour soup. The soup is super peppery and not awesome in the most traditional hot and sour soup sense, but I can't help but order it every time I'm here (one of my favorite soups in the city). Some of the random dishes on the menu are hit or miss, so I personally prefer to stick to known quantities.
(3)Jussi L.
A Chinatown favorite. A small nice place and everything in the menu is delicious. Beef with long horn peppers is amazing!
(4)Ilya V.
Food does not substantiate the "general" rating on yelp. Very basic Taiwanese cuisine with some other region influences (I.e. Spicy fish pot). This restaurant is quite a large turn off, with extremely small space and inflexible management, who refused to allow our party to a SLIGHTLY larger table.
(2)Justin Gwailo H.
I've been to Taiwan before but this was my first Taiwanese restaurant I've ever visited in Boston area. I luv the "hong-shaw new-row men" (excuse my pin-yin, but it means spicy/aromatic beef noodle soup) and "bai-gu fan" (rice with pork chop). Both are very satisfying and inexpensive (if you're not that hungry). However, I find that other dishes are quite expensive, especially the vegetable dishes (surprise surprise). I also like the anchovy appetizer, stinky tofu (believe it or not!), and spicy beef tendons.
(4)Ashley L.
Taiwan Cafe has led me to my new obsession with asian eggplant dishes. I seriously can't eat enough eggplant and I'm not getting sick of it. If you go to Taiwan Cafe for lunch, you get 3 dishes, a huge thing of soup, and enough white rice to feed 7 people, all for $20. It's pretty amazing. My coworker Morgan F. and I have been getting this recently for lunch to share (and then take home for leftovers or eat at the office for days after). We both love the eggplant with basil, and have recently discovered that we just need to get that for 2 of our 3 dishes so we each get a full order of it. The other thing I love here is the greens with soybeans and bean curd. It's so crunchy and yummy, and makes me feel super healthy. I try to eat brown rice as opposed to white whenever possible, and since Taiwan Cafe only has white rice, I have to make my way over to UFood Grill to pick some up while Taiwan is making my food. I'd prefer not to have to make this trip, hence the 4 stars instead of 5. Other than not having brown rice, this place is killer! My fav in Chinatown so far.
(4)Shane C.
i recently moved to boston from california and was told i need to knock my expectations down. i was told that i need to eat some terrible taiwanese food in order to be able to appreciate what boston has to offer: unimpressive taiwanese food. this was a great place to knock my expectations down. the pork chop rice was quite bad. the pork chop was oily in a bad way. not crispy, but soggy. it looked like it had been fried and refried, probably left soaking in grease while awaiting its 2nd fry. they also used long grain rice, which just tastes wrong in this dish. the stinky tofu was the worst i've ever had in my entire life. wrong tofu, wrong breading, wrong stinkiness, wrong chinese kimchi. this really needs to be off the menu...they call this stinky tofu? more like disgusting tofu. taiwan cafe in chinatown? my guess is these cooks are not taiwanese or they are just terrible at cooking.
(1)David T.
Being from Southern California, I've been spoiled by the wealth of awesome Taiwanese food. Going out to Boston for school was tough until I found Taiwan Cafe.... I'd give them 5 stars but: 1. It's SUPER annoying that they only take cash. 2. Their service isn't exactly the best. However, they still get 4 stars for having good food - at least in Boston's Chinatown standards. If you go, be sure to bring cash!
(4)Charlie P.
I love me some Taiwan Cafe! I strongly suggest couples go for the lunch special where you share 3 lunch entrees. Get the bean curd beef and the long horn pepper beef and then for the third pick something exotic just for the hell of it! Get there by noon at the latest for lunch because it's mad popular. Bring cash too. And don't freak out if the waitresses are curt with you: they're busy and they don't speak english. ENJOY!
(5)michelle c.
If I could give this place a negative start I would. I have been eating there for the past 2 years, so I would say my review will be fair and not biased. There are two dishes I keep going back for. 1. stinky tofu, although they don't serve it at the restaurant you can always take it to go 2. snails Ever since the beginning of my visits the owner's (lady at the front desk) wife has always had a sour face. You would think if your business is doing well with many customers waiting she would look happy and try to make everyone feel as comfortable as she can, especially since the place is so small. But nope, she has always had a face that looks like someone owed her money.. and she is like this with everyone. This past weekend my parents, brother and I stopped by for a quick bite, there were 2 people waiting inside the restaurant and when we arrived to put our name down, she took down our name and physically pushed us out the door and down the stairs, and told us to wait in the street. I understand your restaurant is small, and you don't want everyone waiting in your restaurant but at least be nice about it. It was blazing hot out, there was no way anyone would wait 20minutes for a quick bite when there are plenty of other choices to pick from. If the owner is reading this I hope you understand that your customers are the reason why you have an income, we are the ones giving you a paycheck, be rude and ungrateful then maybe you'll just get *fired*.
(1)Erin F.
Love Asian food, but are a little nervous about walking into a neighborhood where you suddenly don't speak the language and are maybe a little afraid by food you don't at all recognize? A little determined to stray from your neighborhood chinese take out for something that's a little more "real"? This is your place. A friend of mine took me here for the first time. As my Asian passport, she knows all the best places to go for both a hardcore asian food enthusiast and a curious white american chick with a not so broadened palate. This place is hidden away on a sidestreet in china town, up a couple stairs on the second floor. Tables are all close together. Maybe one out of every three tables is speaking English. It was certainly the experience I was going for. As in most Asian restaurants, the waitstaff was not very chatty. But that's just the flow of the restaurant. The selection is great and there are definitely options for both the more and less adventurous. The staff there was very helpful and had no problem making exceptions to both mine and my friend's meals, removing vegetables and swapping proteins. The prices are reasonable and the portions were huge. I like to stop by whenever I'm in the neighborhood.
(4)Emir K.
I don't get the raving reviews of this place. Ordered the soy sauce duck and it was definitely sub par. Don't get me started on the atrocity called the oyster pancakes!
(1)Catherine Y.
I eat here all the time with my friends! And they always end up loving it as well. The most popular chinese restaurant in boston chinatown is definitiely The Gourmet Dumpling House, but right around the corner is the most delicious food you will find in chinatown and its super cheap, if you order right. My personal favorite is the egg tomato and chicken (yes it says beef on the menu but I always ask them for chicken). The sauce is amazing, everything just goes so well together! The House special porkchop is also amazing. Its so crispy (a little oily, but the deliciousness makes you care less). Both dishes are just 6 dollars! I would say the noodle dishes don't match up to the rice dishes. So, go rice!! Also, its not the prettiest location, and sometimes the servers can be rude, but just deal with them because the food is oh so worth it!!
(4)Heather G.
Perhaps I have been too hasty. I went back to Taiwan Cafe (determined to see what everyone else is talking about!), and got some different items. I tried the scallion pancake stuffed with roast beef and veggies, the bamboo with beef, and the sticky rice with mushrooms and Taiwanese gravy. The scallion pancake was REALLY fried and greasy, but with the veggies and roast beef inside to cut the grease, it was a heavy, yet delightful bite. The bamboo with beef was light, spicy, flavorful, and crunchy. The sauteed, fresh bamboo popped and snapped in my mouth. The beef pieces seemed sort of an afterthought in the dish, however, and the plate was mainly made up of the bamboo. Do not order this if you're craving some serious meat, but for those wanting a light dish with a kick, this one is great. The mushroom sticky rice with gravy has easily become my favorite side-item here. I could make a meal just out of several orders of it and be content. This isn't a place to linger and catch up with a friend - during busy times, the waitress will kick you out if you're not actively consuming food, or if your plates have been cleared.
(3)Mimi X.
A strong Chinatown pick! My Chinese parents have always advised me to choose Chinese (in this case Taiwanese) restaurants by the number of Asian people eating in it. Of the patrons here, over 50% were Asian, so I was confident it would be good. CASH ONLY, which is a pain, but the food is yuummm. We ordered watercress with garlic, and a steamed sea-bass with scallions and ginger. Both were so flavorful and fresh: I left feeling good, not bogged down with grease and msg. I would recommend both those dishes to anyone looking to stray from their safeties. Prices are in the medium-range for this district. ps-not sure why the yelp map shows this place to be in Allston-Brighton, it's in Chinatown! (the street address is correct; however the map is misleading)
(4)Wen Y.
The most amazing point is the price. Cash only here.
(3)Rory M.
I think I just died and went to food heaven. Xiao long bao was amaaaaaaazing. It gets super busy during lunch though, so go early or expect a wait!
(5)Eric F.
Went there earlier today and it's a solid lunch spot if you're ever in the Chinatown area. I tried the Beef Stew Noodle Soup with Spinach and Shanghai Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao). The noodle soup wasn't nearly as spicy as I was expecting, but still plenty of flavor with good quality beef. The dumplings here are the best I've had thus far in the area, eeking out Gourmet Dumpling House by a notch. What stood out to me was the service: the waitresses were prompt, friendly, and quick to refill water and tea. Lastly, the prices are very fair and I'll definitely be back again at some point.
(4)Seisei T.
Yum yum yum! Usually very consistent and a few of the dishes are only so-so, but if you order right, you eat very, very well. It's always filled with Asians, which my family considers a good sign. The eggplant with basil is a winner: sweet and spicy. So are the veggie dumplings (take a while to make) and many of the fish dishes (the tilapia and sea bass are excellent). I've been going back for years and strongly recommend it.
(4)Kevin L.
Pretty good, pretty good. Karman recommended this joint for a meet-up for lunch, and her taste in Chinese food hasn't failed me yet. Lunch deals for about $7, including soup and rice. You can make a combo of three dishes for about $19. I'm not sure what possessed us to go that route, other than that I was feeling hungry. Per usual, my eyes are bigger than my stomach. We made a hefty dent, but ultimately only made it through about 2/3rds of each dish. Mustard greens with tofu wrappers and soy beans were probably my favorite of what we had. The tofu with shrimp was disappointing - goopy with corn starch and shrimp that look like they were reconstituted from the miniature dried ones from the Asian grocery store. Our kong xing cai was surprisingly tender and crunchy, and it was clear that it was cooked at high heat from the lightly charred garlic slices that came with it. If you plan to make it in for lunch, ensure that you arrive by around 1130 during the week. This place goes from zero to crazy in the span of ten or fifteen minutes right around noontime. We were politely asked to vacate our window seat shortly after we finished, due to the waiting patrons - no problem. Great for a quick pit stop. Decent quality food, if you know what to order. Great value. Fast service. Hard to go wrong here.
(4)Laurinda U.
Sadly it seems the food taste has gone down. I've heard through the grapevine that their chef has taken his chefly tools and is now in a new location. You can definitely taste the difference because the food is pretty bland. However, I do still think this is still a great lunch deal. Also on ordering things, fyi, the veal chop (5.50) is more like ribs with very little meat on them. Still very tasty, plenty of vegetables, and a ton of pepper!
(3)Shelley S.
Considered one of my favorite dining establishments in Chinatown, this area has brilliant Taiwanese meals. Jam-packed when it really is occupied, be prepared to get surrounded by lots of loud Chinese people but the food will make you enjoy your meal.
(4)Luyi H.
I love Taiwan Cafe! Cheap food! Amazing! The portions are large, and when I come here with friends, the bill ends up being less than $10 / person. :D I recommend the eggplant basil -- sounds weird, but it's delicious and yummy. nomnomnom. I also recommend their wonton soup. It's not a dinky single serving of soup with 1 wonton. Instead, it's a big bowl of like 12 wontons -- so I always try to get an order for the table. It's usually pretty crowded (good sign), but I wouldn't really worry about it unless you have a large party.
(5)Melissa X.
Oh my goodness, this place was awesome! What a little hole in the wall in Chinatown. It's such a diamond in the rough. Service is great because I think tips are pooled at the end of the night. That means every server helps each other out with their tables that much more. More importantly, food is spectacular! It's more authentic Taiwanese food. It's all pretty affordable too and with large portions. I'd reccomend getting their soups. They're to die for! The pork, noodle, and bak choy soup was delicious. I'm also a big seafood fan so the fried, softshell crab with ginger certainly his the spot. Highly recommended. I would definitely come back again.
(5)Cary C.
I probably order from here for lunch more than anywhere else. The food is always good and the price is right. Here are some of my favorites for lunch: House special pork chop on rice Pan Fried Dumplings Eggplant w/ Basil Beef w/Long Horn Peppers Chicken Leg w/ 3 essences Sweet & sour Jeng-du chicken Black Pepper Veal chop on Rice - Bone in pieces of beef (probably not veal) with Bamboo shoots, carrots, onion, pepper, mushrooms and shitake mushrooms.
(5)Soooap L.
Taiwan Cafe is our favorite restaurant in Boston. We frequent here the most out of Chinatown and Allston Asian restaurants. It's cheap, authentic, and the food is consistently good. My fav dishes: beef with sa cha sauce, beef and spinach noodle soup, fried chicken appetizer (it's small pieces of fried chicken with this yellow mayo dip), duck taro appetizer, scallion pancake and oyster pancake, xiao long bao. My husband's fav dishes: tofu with vegetables, bbq pork. I have tried a slew of their other dishes and there was nothing i disliked. i rated 4 instead of 5 stars for service. When they're busy, the servers can be a lil rude. wish i spoke taiwanese. the food makes up for it so we keep going back here anyway.
(4)Gino M.
Boston's Chinatown is small but substantial. My second visit proved to be a major success. I bark often and hyper about Chinese Food in America sucking 95% of the time. Don't bark back at me when you read that and in pretension remind me that I'm reviewing Taiwanese Food. If you want to make a hard lined distinction between the 2 go for it, but fact is, they are wildly similar...I have respect for the differences but a Sri Lankan will tell you their food is basically Indian Food, or a Sardinian (even though part of italy, but with different cuisine of Italy) will tell you their food is Italian just with regional differences. The lines are blurred and similar enough, is similar enough. This place is glorious. The menu inspires...everything standing on it's own without ties to standard Chinese/Taiwanese American dishes. We had: -Sauteed Scallop, Shrimp and calamari Over Green -Braised Grass Carp with spicy bean curd sauce -Sauteed Beef with long-horn pepper & basil BEST TRIO OF DISHES EVER! -We also shared some Taiwan Style Pan Fried Dumplings. I would recommend this ordering procedure for seafood loving groups of 3 or 4. Each dish stood on it's own and complimented the others. NOTE: the sauteed beef with long-horn peppers and basil is typically an either/or (peppers or basil) dish. I asked for both! I SUGGEST YOU DO THE SAME! THE PERFECT MEAL. Everything was fresh and delicious and moderately priced...not expensive at all but not the cheapest by understated Asian Restaurant standards. No Frills here. Just good honest food off the main walking path in Boston's Chinatown.
(5)Lala I.
i am a regular here because only this place takes their phone calls. i hate waiting at the resturant so thats all it matters. food is not that fresh but edible.
(4)Ginny L.
It's a love/hate relationship. There are times where the service is good, and there are times where the service can get really bad. I guess it depends on which waitress you get. I had a bad experience where the waitress started to give me an attitude for not knowing how to speak Mandarin. Other than the service, everything else is good. Cheaply priced and large portions! I will only come here again if I have a friend who can speak Mandarin for me.
(3)Jason L.
Instinct. That's how you know a place is good. As in, when friends ask you for a restaurant recommendation, what rolls off your tongue? When someone asks me for a good place in Chinatown, and I actually want to continue to be friends with them, I say "Taiwan Cafe." If I don't like them, I'll direct them towards "Emperor's Garden" or "Arby's." I've been here a couple times now, and tried ~10 dishes. The only ones I weren't that crazy about were the fish cakes and the eggplant basil [too oily for me]. Otherwise, everything else had truly authentic flavors, true to Taiwanese cooking [my mom's taiwanese]. One of my favorite dishes there is bean curd with pork/mustard greens. They also make a very good 3 cup chicken and fried oysters. Also, I have been DYING to try there Taiwanese breakfast/brunch menu on Saturdays. That will be the make-or-break point for me. I absolutely love breakfast cafes everytime I'm back in Taiwan with authentic morning dishes, even from street carts. If they can pull this off.... well, I'm moving into the apartment above them. (Will update after trying breakfast / xiaolongbao) Food (8/10) Service (3/5) Value (5/5)
(4)Dayin C.
Best place in Chinatown, here's why. It's cheap. It's fast. Food tastes amazing. Details: Place is ALWAYS packed, a good sign, but annoying to have to wait, cuz the place is TINY, and when you always go with starving 300 LBS guys, it's tough to stare at the fresh fish in the tank near the entrance for 20 min. The service is normal China town service, fast, efficient, not much english and want to get you in and out. Don't care, cuz that's what you get in Chinatown, along with some of the best food ever. Advice: Bring a Chinese friend and order off the menu or get them to read the signs that have the daily specials, they are all really good. Onto the food: Beef and Tomato with Eggs - plain, simple, and addicting. It's sweet and sour and you can never get enough, good thing cuz it's like $5 bucks or something, we always get like 3 orders. Any sauteed asian green, I suggest the "Do Miao", hallowed greens or bok choy. Salted fish - authentic, sizzling, smelly (that's good) Sauteed scallion and ginger crab - the way all chinese make their crab, it's classic and great! More Advice: don't even think about ordering fake-chinese, AMERICHINESE stuff here, you'll be wasting space and time. Bring plenty of cash. Good thing is they don't put you at community tables like other good Chinese places, so you can spend time with your closest and tune out everything else.
(5)Barbara B.
Come here in big groups of people and order a ton of dishes to share - that is the full experience! This place has really decent Taiwanese food, especially the pork shoulder dish has been my fave.
(4)Prajesh W.
This place is pretty decent. Their price is cheaper than other places I have seen. Their hot and sour soup turned out to be too hot for an average person like myself. The place is packed with people which indicates that many people like it. The staff are not the best. Overall good food at a reasonable price.
(3)Elena A.
A friend of mine arranged us to have dinner here, as she insisted it was the best Taiwanese food in Boston. Since I am not Taiwanese or Chinese, I cannot tell the difference, so I'll bow to her expertise. The food was pretty tasty, even though I didn't really know what it was. I discovered that, no, I don't like stinky tofu. Just...no. The food came out quickly and was tasty, the service was pretty good but I think it may have had a little to do with the fact that my friend was chatting with the people in Chinese the entire time. Overall, not bad but I probably wouldn't go without her.
(3)Lydia C.
Wanted to visit any Taiwanese cafe, since I am Taiwanese, while I was in town. Sat down and tried their $20 lunch special which included egg drop soup with veggies, and 2 or 3 other dishes. Ordered stir fried beef, a plate of green veggies and a very bony fish that almost had bones not just in the center, but on the sides as well. Was VERY difficult to eat. Wish I could remember the name of that fish...belted fish? belt? not sure... I honestly wouldn't come back here, sad to say. :( I've had much better tw cuisine on the west coast, probably because there are much more of us here ;P
(2)Gina W.
Ordered fatty pork on rice, 1 lobster with crystal noodles and veggies (market price for lobster today was $19.95 for 1 and $36 for 2) and satay beef with veggies, all quite authentic Taiwanese cuisine and very yummy. Had enough leftover for lunch tmr. Arrived at 5pm on a Saturday, got the last table for 2; service was quick and friendly.
(4)greenjjm H.
I saw Taiwan Cafe's Yelp rating went for 3.5 to 4 stars in half a year. I'm highly skeptical of why this is after trying the place out myself. I tried mostly appetizer: Taiwanese pork bun, chicken roll wrapped in tofu 雞å·, thick rice noodle with pork intestine (good), taro with egg (very small portion), Taiwanese meat patty in clear gelly 肉圓，soy milk. Taiwanese cuisine is known to be on the sweeter side, but everything here is too sweet, especially the first 2. However, the regular menu indicate legitimate Taiwanese cuisine. I'll try their dinner menu next time.
(3)Christopher B.
Went there this winter. There are better places to get Chinese food in the neighborhood.
(2)Joy C.
Coming from Houston, which has a pretty reputable Chinatown, I thankfully did not have high expectations for the food here. There was a short wait when my friend and I arrived, but not more than fifteen minutes. Based on other Yelp reviews, I ordered the crispy pork chop. The outer crust was tasty and perfectly fried, but one piece was all fat and the other all bone. My friend ordered the beef noodle soup, which is a staple in Taiwanese cuisine. Interestingly, the meat was thinly sliced instead of in chunks, and she reported the texture as "chewy." I later came back the following week and ordered the mapo tofu. Unfortunately this lacked any kind of meat and flavor; I would advise steering clear from this dish. Overall, I'd say the food quality is average but the prices expensive for the portion size. Being in Chinatown, I did not expect much service, which was an accurate prediction. We saw our waitress once when we ordered and after I wildly looked around in desperation, another time to pay the bill. The only redeeming perks included free hot tea and a relatively clean restroom. Sadly, this seems to be the highlight of Chinatown, or at least the most reviewed place, so I'd likely come back in the event my hankering for Taiwanese food grows too strong to wait for another trip back to Houston.
(3)Mel C.
This place USED to be the old "hot spot Gourmet Dumpling House." What happened? Their service became incredibly slow. It's weird to wait 20 minutes for Chinese food, and that's why everyone streams over to GDH or Peach Farm. The noodle soups are good but aimed at Chinese people, which means that the noodles are NOT cooked al dente. Chinese people enjoy their noodles cooked all the way through which is why you see a bunch of Chinese users complaining on Yelp about Boston ramen joints that serve "hard noodles." Their vegetables are cooked nicely too without too much oil. The watercress or spinach are good options to go with the minced pork rice. Ask for no MSG, your body will thank you.
(4)Carrie Y.
A hole in the wall gem! Not the cleanest, but they your there for the food and it is china town. No wait and very cheap. -Dumpling with soup inside: Yum! -Scallion beef pancakes: MUST GET!!! These are on my 100 must eat dishes before you die. -Wontons in some spicy chili oil- Very tasty with tons of meat. I'll be seeing you real soon again!
(5)Steven E.
As good as advertised. The menu is a little overwhelming/clumsy, but they left a copy after we ordered a few apps. Tip to those looking for xiao long bao, it's on the menu as "mini steamed buns". We had the garlic seaweed and spicy anchovy appetizers, which were gone quite quickly. My friend stated she only wanted one or two soup dumplings, but her 3 were downed in record time. Not a lot of people there (later on a holiday Monday night), but service was attentive, and the staff didn't seem to be bored. ONE NOTE: while the restaurant's listing says they have beer and wine, they only had soda. Also, the while the check holder had an Amex logo, from what I saw on the door, they just had Visa and Mastercard logos. Can't confirm if they take Amex (or other cards).
(4)Erin Y.
I come to Taiwan cafe every time I am in the Boston area. They usually are pretty nice and friendly. This time I went on a Sunday afternoon around 2pm. I walked in and they refused to seat me because one of the person in my party was not there yet. They went on to tell me I am also not allowed to wait inside and repeatedly asked me to go outside and wait. The waitress who told me this was so rude. As I was making a phone call and asking my friend when he would be here, the waitress was screaming at me, pointing finger at me, and asking me to leave. I gave one star because the food is still good but the service...speechless. I bet if I were not Asian, she would treat me a lot better and with more respect. Overall, a terrible dining experience!
(1)Andrew E.
Stopped by for late night take out. There were at least a couple parties outside waiting to get in, so we figured they must be popular for a reason. Either we ordered the wrong stuff (taiwan style won ton soup, sauteed chinese watercress) or...something. The gf enjoyed her soup and dumplings but neither of us were particularly amazed by the food - the prices were okay, as were the portions.
(3)Elleen P.
Came here in a party of 6 and was asked to share a table with a party of 3 we didn't know. It was pretty awkward, so my friend's mom asked if we could switch to the other table so we could sit alone. It started off rough. I ordered the spicy beef stew noodle, and ooooh my goodness it was so oily. It seriously looked like the entire soup was just chili oil. At the end, when I asked him to box it, you could see the thick layer of oil from the outside of the plastic container. :( However, the noodles were pretty good -- the beef a bit tough, but still yummy nevertheless. The restaurant was bustling when we came at around 1:30 pm on a Saturday, which means they have pretty good business, I guess. Food was decent, especially for the price. I'd come back but probably not order the same thing!
(3)Andy O.
We've had some pretty good meals there before, but the food was uninspiring on this visit. For the price, a reasonable experience. The service was rather chaotic (and to be fair, the restaurant was full)--for instance, bringing a tureen of soup but no bowls to eat it from.
(3)Darius B.
Service was fine, food came quickly and drinks refilled on time. We had the sesame chicken, Taiwan style fried dumplings, and the scallion pancakes, more than enough food for two! The quality of the food was good. Tea was free and tasty. The decor is what one would expect from a Chinese restaurant with two tanks with fish and lobster. The man's bathroom was fine to use. Would definitely come back for this good restaurant in Chinatown.
(5)Cindy H.
Very solid restaurant with actual service! This place is not as packed as Gourmet Dumpling House, but still pretty packed. Random note: there is a vending machine right in front of the toilet in the men's bathroom (I went in there because I was desperate). It's pretty hilarious, go in there just to check. The food was amazing! There were a ton of options, so we got four different plates along with xiaolong bao and fried pork buns. While I like the xiaolong bao at Gourmet Dumpling House and a number of other restaurants around the area, I loved the other dishes. The fried pork buns were absolutely amazing while the noodle and rice dishes were flavorful and fresh. The portions were gigantic, so we got to bring home a ton of food. Overall, I had a great experience. I've come here ages ago and will definitely return more often.
(5)David C.
A little pricier than other Chinatown spots, but with good reason. Soup dumplings here are among the best I've had, and the Ma Po tofu hits all the right notes. Service is pretty friendly and the bathroom is even clean(ish), so I'm willing to recommend Taiwan Cafe to anyone looking who's overwhelmed by all the options in Chinatown. Just be prepared to wait a bit on a Friday or Saturday night, as the place is always busy. They'll give you a call when your table's ready and your belly's good and hungry.
(4)Kris P.
The steamed buns are great here. Highly recommend any of them. The brunch special is pretty cheap with average costs at 3.95 but the serving sizes are small. The taste of the brunch noodle was light.
(4)Janet C.
This food is exactly what Taiwanese food should be. I had the chicken cutlet plate with the stewed egg and sour mustard. So delicious!
(5)Melissa H.
I'll admit it, we came here after watching Anthony Bourdain order soup dumplings in Taiwan. I have NO idea if these are anything like those in Taiwan, but they are YUMMY. Good service, big portions, low prices, and delicious food. There are lines, but they move fast. I've had soup dumplings, noodles, scallion pancakes, pan fried dumplings....and lots of hot tea. We'll be back.
(4)Lauretta L.
My go-to spot in Chinatown. Order the Xiao Long Bao and the Roast Beef Scallion Pancake and you are set. IMO, it's the best Xiao Long Bao in Boston and it's mom-approved (she's picky!). The scallion pancake is thick and fried, resulting in a crispy chewy pancake. The roast beef and hoisin sauce are spot on. You will leave happy. I was also here when an emergency and possible tragedy happened. The staff handled the situation with the utmost care and grace before, during and after 911 responders arrived. Thank you for having such wonderful service and caring about your customers.
(4)Catherine H.
Soup dumplings!!!!!! After living in Shanghai I have developed a soup dumpling dependency. Luckily I live nearby and can easily satisfy my cravings at Taiwan Cafe. I like the crab and pork best, but there isn't anything less delicious about the pork. The dumpling skin is a medium strength so you don't have to worry about puncturing the skin by mistake. Even with the stronger skin there is still a lot of soup inside. These guys are warm and delicious, perfect for the winter.
(4)Stephanie Y.
I ordered the beef noodle soup here and it was ok. I wasn't too impressed with the flavor of the broth and the beef was thinly sliced so it was a little chewier and tougher than I would have liked. Overall the portion was large and I was full after my meal. They serve complimentary hot tea here but I wouldn't expect great service. Asian restaurants are typically not known for their service anyway. My friend and I had to flag down a waiter (our waitress seemed to have disappeared mid-meal) to get our bill. My friend ordered the fried pork chop, and she said that was tasty. I'd be willing to give this place another try.
(3)Jennifer Y.
The food here is pretty good except for the soy sauce duck don't get it. I love there salt and pepper pork and my fam always gets the beef and tomato w/scrambled egg over white rice wierd right but so fricken good. Oh and soup dumplings a must or a jumbo soup bowl. I like majority of food here and cost not too bad either. Only downfall do not leave without paying them 18 % gratuity that is not included on check. You will be demanded to pay it smh....
(4)Elizabeth L.
I wish this place were in NYC. The pork chops over rice is definitely bad for you, but it is ohhh so delicious. I bought an extra box of it to bring onto the bus back and had to double bag it because the smell was so awesomely powerful. Cheap, fast, and good. Definitely get the pork chops. It's less than $7 for a massive meal.
(5)Ling Z.
It was not a "wow" but definitely a not bad experience for some homemade style kinda Chinese food. Close to my experience of Taiwanese flavor but with a little mainland twist. Worth trying, and may go back when next time visiting Boston.
(4)Francisca W.
seems like something has changed about this place... maybe the owner, maybe the wait staff as well coz this group is much younger and visibly friendlier than the one before. and the "cash only" sign has been taken off. ordered too much as usual: xiao lung bao, oyster omelette (i erroneously called it pancake before), a seaweed cold dish, 3-cup chicken, basil eggplant, and vegetable with fermented beancurd sauce. and a hot and sour soup to go. food was ok overall; only not feeling the seaweed salad/cold dish as I was expecting the seaweed to be crunchier (yes, even Taiwanese style). this one felt like it was overcooked (or over-blanched); it was limp and tasted... different. the dumplings were ok; skin was thin and soft, meat was juicy. oyster omelet has more oil and starch than egg (which is kinda expected). the veggie was a bit more chopped up than I would like. the soup needed more vinegar (maybe just my palate needing it at the moment); good thing i was home when eating it so I dunked my own. just small hiccups; nothing major. one incident to note: as we asked for take out containers to pack the leftovers, my dad specifically asked for the flat plastic one with lid (vs. the typical Chinese takeout box w/the wire handle). waitress graciously brought it to us but didn't say anything, and later we found a $1 surcharge for that box (listed on the bill). I mean, I get it if you have to charge us extra, but at least let us know beforehand so we can choose whether or not to proceed. $1 is not worth debating over, but was enough to leave an ill feeling which can prevent return visits. good thing the wait staff was generally attentive and much better in their demeanor/attitude than I had previously experienced. will give it another go if/when the time comes.
(3)Tammy T.
The inconsistency of this place is ludicrous. I went in a little over an hour before closing and asked to be seated and the lady told me they're about to close so customers can longer dine in. My friends and I didn't want to take out food, so we tried to find another decent place to eat around Chinatown. In the end, 15 minutes later, deciding to just take out, we went back into the restaurant to place our orders when I noticed a couple were sitting there... Getting their orders taken. I was extremely upset, I confronted the same lady and she pretended to not understand English and she kept speaking Chinese to me, there was no point in continuing to argue with her. I would actually give this place a 1 star but their Taiwanese style pork chop is my favorite, that's the only thing I get there BUT one day it would be delicious and the next it would be soggy and undercooked. It's a shame. They also need a few people there who can actually speak English well and understand. I see a lot of non Asian customers go there very often. They have messed up my orders way too many times.
(2)Quynh Nhu D.
First of all, I'm ok with brass waitress - since I'm kind of use to it. As long as my food taste good and that they're not too rude.. My first time here was to order catering for my school event. I had to wait for the manager to take my order - so I sat there and waited for almost an hour :( I guess it's normal for the people who work there to bring out food and eat for themselves, which is pretty normal since they didn't seem to have that many customer at the time. Since I had to wait there, I didn't really order anything but they gave me free tea and didn't kick me out or force me to order food. Anyways, I place my catering order for the next day. and they actually did a good job and have a huge order ready on time. The food was really good and pleases even the most unadventurous college kid, so yay. The best dish was the Ma po tofu Second time, I got take out. The lady wasn't the nicest and was kind of rushing me to order but it's okk I guess. As long as my food was delicious. Which it was. I got a HUGE container of food. Pork chop on rice. $6? (~). YUP. Cheap cheap cheap. And oh so good. I love the pickled mustard green, wish there were more! The cutlet was bigger than my face, I have an average size face. I definitely got a good bang for my buck. I think having it as takeout give you a bigger portion. I ate it for 2.5 meals... and was thoroughly full each time
(5)Sang P.
I ordered the pork chop rice plate. Pork chops were cooked well. I'd recommend this dish. However... I tried my friend's beef noodle soup and I was very disappointed. It LOOKED very good but the noodles tasted stale. Soup was very flavorless. Beef was also very hard to chew on. The xiao long baos were...only okay. The soup inside the dumpling was not as hot as I'm used to. Service was decent. Atmosphere was alright. I liked how it was intimate. Food just wasn't up to par. Not the best Taiwanese food I've had in America..
(3)Palmila L.
Some of my fondest memories of my summer in Boston involve Taiwan Cafe--namely, pestering my coworker to take the express bus here for dinner every chance I got. We visited usually at least once or twice a week. Having tried both Taiwan Cafe and Gourmet Dumpling House, it has to be said that Taiwan Cafe is far and away superior to Gourmet Dumpling House. The xiao long bao here are much fresher and are more well-made than the ones you will find at Gourmet Dumpling House. After many, many visits, here are the must-orders: 1. Xiao long bao. The skin is perfect, the bao itself is juicy, the soup and filling are flavorful. 2. Spicy beef noodle soup with spinach. Good in the summer, even better in the winter. Helpful lesson learned by my friend: Don't wear dry clean only white dresses when you order this, unless you are a Functional Adult and actually dry clean after each wear. 3. Roast beef scallion pancake. The beef and the slightly sweet sauce complement the pancakes perfectly. But if you want to be a little less gluttonous, the plain scallion pancake also works. 4. Sheng jian bao. These are a variation of the traditional steamed buns, but lightly fried at the bottom. While the service is by no means black tie, upscale restaurant-worthy, we have never had impolite or impatient service. If you're ready to order, be assertive in waving down a waiter! The wait time might be a little longer for larger parties; my friend and I have often shared tables with other diners, but it wasn't a big deal. They do have a card minimum (I believe around 20$), but it was not enforced terribly strictly. We often got away with using a card for a slightly lower amount.
(4)Lynda D.
Restaurant in near an alley but still visible. Parking kind of sucks since it is in chinatown but it all depends on what day you go. It can be crowded on the weekend as for weekdays it's a little better. I Highly recommend there beef scallion pancake here and soup dumpling.
(3)