This is a very small place but plenty of tables and very quick service. The food tasted very fresh and made from scratch. We were visiting Boston but if we lived there, we'd go every weekend.
Andie B.
Stopped by Taiwan Cafe on a whim the other day and may have definitely over ordered but it was definitely worth it! I got the stinky tofu and then pork chop rice. Both were pretty tasty and the portions were huge! There was a fairly large crowd there on a Friday night but the service was quick. Overall recommend and would definitely go back especially with a larger group to try more of the menu!
Patrick S.
Today was my last day in Boston, and I had not made it down to Chinatown yet, so that was the intended destination. Once there, we walked around a bit and then stopped at Taiwan Cafe for lunch. Everything was nice and clean, and the staff was helpful. I tried the Oranger Chicken lunch special which came with white rice and soup. My wife got the Crab Rangoon and then Sweet & Sour Chicken. Both of us really enjoyed our lunch.
Hank C.
Fourteen years later, I've returned, and the place looks mostly the same. Staff said the owner used to have the one in Flushing but that closed due to rent being too high. I've missed the pork over fried rice, though the minced pork on the rice was just so so. Pork chop is perfect crispy and a touch sweeter than I remember but super juicy and savory. Came with a marinated egg, too. The stinky tofu was great, though, I haven't found the same since the shop in NY was closed. The sauce and spice was great, and some of the preserved cabbage was excellent, though some of the pieces hasn't fully marinated yet so we still almost fresh and raw. Tofu was crisp and hot, stinky smell but delicious in your mouth. An acquired taste for some of you can get past the smell! Will be back! They also prefer cash, had a healthy pickup business going and the gratuity was already included in the bill at the end which I thought was fine. Super friendly staff.
Justin S.
During a weekday lunch I had a craving for Taiwanese food, so I took my chances and ventured into Chinatown, arriving at Taiwan Cafe. I decided on their lunch special, priced at $11.95, which comes with an entree and a small bowl of hot and sour soup. The soup itself tasted slightly over-vinegared, but otherwise seemed inoffensive. My entree, sauteed shredded pork and dry bean curd with yellow chive (韭黃香干肉絲), seemed over-reliant on the brown pan sauce for flavor. None of the constituent ingredients seemed to possess seasoning of their own. The baked tofu was also cut too thick compared to the pork and was also too soft. Imagine pan frying tofu but you bought soft/silken tofu instead of firm. I also ordered a pan fried chive egg clear noodle pocket (韭菜盒子), which was not part of the lunch special price. It was large, but too loosely stuffed. It was also too doughy, potentially undercooked. The lunch special's price point seemed to be the only positive part of this meal. Perhaps more commonly ordered dishes (e.g. fried rice) would fair better.
Lydia W.
This was such a treat to find on my trip to Boston! I'm Taiwanese and live in Santa Barbara, where there is essentially no Taiwanese food so I was super pleased to find out our hotel was in Chinatown. Found this place on yelp and it had the authentic rating of 3.5 (any higher and you know it's not authentic lol). I ordered my go-to dish, pork chop rice (排骨飯) and it made me want to cry with how delicious it was -- reminded me of my childhood in Taiwan :') The fry on the pork was perfect and the minced pork and cabbage were bursting with flavor. We also ordered the oyster omelette and lobster roll. Oyster omelette was pretty good except it was slightly too greasy for me. Flavor was good and the texture on the dough was perfectly light and crispy, though it was very filling -- couldn't finish it and doesn't pack away well. The lobster pancake roll is a play off of the traditional beef roll (bit of Boston fusion), it wasn't bad but probably not as good as the beef would've been as the lobster meat felt a little dry. But overall, I'm still giving a 5 star review because my favorite dish was top notch and the servers were soooooo nice. Felt like being back in Taiwan again :)
Abhusani S.
This cafe was around the corner in a side street and almost missed it on the first look. It is at a great location. The sitting area is spacious and has tables for bigger groups as well. Gives off a local restaurant vibe. We tried some watercress, dry fried string beans, xiao long bao and har gow. We went in for dim sum mostly but the extensive menu allured us into ordering some side dishes as well. Dry friend string beans was the best and the xiao long bao was voted one of the amazing ones. It's a good place to drop by for a lunch or dinner. They have really good bobba places and desserts nearby for after dinner bite ;)
Rocky W.
Unfortunately, after having gone to Taiwan Cafe for years, I think that their quality has gone downhill. The last time I came here was with a friend on a weekday for dinner. We ordered 3 dishes and somehow the bill was $80. We ordered the Taiwanese Pork Chop which was the most dry pork I've ever had. The shrimp dish we ordered was a small portion and didn't seem that fresh. Lastly, we ordered watercrest which was the one dish I liked. The cost of the dishes has significantly gone up, but the portions and quality has not. Also, I think it was ridiculous that for the two of us there was automatic 18% gratuity. I think that there are better Taiwanese restaurants in Boston, including Dolphin Bay or Dumpling Kingdom in Allston.
Nancy T.
came here for the house special pork chop over rice (which was absolutely delicious) but would come back for this and the roast beef scallion pancake roll! The scallion pancake roll was super juicy and flavorful. I was pleasantly surprised because I had never tried this before. Also the pork chop was perfectly crispy and portion size was great. Beware that they don't provide you rice on the side free of charge!
Kiev T.
The worst experience I've had in Chinatown! I've always patronized Asian businesses. But this one--stay away! Service is the worst (like most but this was beyond). I asked why we were not given the lunch portion (apparently I did not specify, she did not ask either). I let that go then I see they charge an automatic tip of 18%! There were only two of us and not a big group and we didn't ask for anything AT ALL. The lady in front who is also the server/cashier was very rude and treated me like I was not a customer when I inquired about it. She rudely took my card and gave me back the tip and was throwing the receipts as if I did her wrong. IN NO WAY I DESERVED TO BE TREATED RUDELY as I was asking properly. These Chinese restaurants need to adjust to American culture if they want to stay in America!
I think the food here is great -- I like to order to go. However, two appetizers come up to be about 26 dollars seem a bit pricey. Yikes.
Katy U.
Came to chinatown hungry, looking for a place open late and stumbled upon Taiwan Cafe after seeing all the more notorious places were closed. We were really excited looking at the menu but were wildly disappointed. We ordered a lot of food and it was all very mediocre. I got the Ma Po Tofu hoping that it would be better than the other late night place nearby (Dumpling Cafe) but the other place's is far superior. Overall, if it's a late night and you're drunk with friends, this could be your spot. Otherwise, avoid.
Matthew H.
It's been a while since I've been to Taiwan Cafe (approaching three years!), and when I stopped by for dinner last week, I was delighted to see that their food was just as good as before (albeit more expensive, but then again, what restaurant isn't raising prices these days?) We came at around 7pm to a very busy restaurant; we were told the wait would be around 10-15 minutes, which was thankfully accurate. It was indeed quite packed inside though, so it took a while for us to get water and order our dishes. Fortunately, I guess the kitchen wasn't that backed up because we got our yummy food really quickly. As with much of Taiwanese cuisine, dishes are meant to be shared family-style, and for the three of us, we ordered 5-ish dishes. Stinky tofu is actually one of my personal favourite dishes ever, and while it is often a bit subpar in the West, I was pretty happy with how it turned out. Definitely a burst of nostalgia in every bite for me, and I would recommend ordering it (it is a bit of an acquired taste though). For veggies we ordered the string beans with chicken - beans were cooked nicely, chicken was juicy - and the sauteed Taiwanese cabbage - a fresh, lighter stir-fried dish that complemented our other dishes well. Pork chop rice was pretty good - the pork chop itself was a bit chewy but fried quite nicely - and could serve as an individual meal as it comes with rice and delicious Taiwanese cabbage. The soup dumplings were a bit odd - much larger and with thicker skins than normal - and tasted... OK-ish. Not a bad option per se, but considering the variety of other delicious choices I might recommend against getting the XLB. Overall, I thought we had a really great meal. Price point is a bit higher than I think the food/experience deserves, although the relative dearth of quality Chinese/Taiwanese food in the area makes Taiwan Cafe still one of the more appealing options in the neighbourhood. Looking forward to my next visit!
Rob T.
Some interesting reviews on here. We had a good experience if you take into account what to expect (e.g., crowded space, might have to share a large table with another party, etc.). The food was very good and they had many Taiwanese staples that were solid. Would recommend and go back for them!
atom tarragon
Service was good and food came out fast, but flavors were pretty bland. We had mostly late-night appetizers, but none of them were outstanding. Dumpling dough had no taste - it seemed entirely lacking in salt or MSG - and the fillings only slightly more. The food was cooked well - that is, to the correct temperature - and the dumplings were wrapped attractively. It was all just adequate and good for drunken snacking (it's one of the few Chinatown places thankfully open very late - until 1AM, which is why we chose it), but the food is missing something essential.The servers were nice and the place was clean, but honestly, I probably would not go back with so many other exciting Chinatown eateries within a stone's throw.
This is a very small place but plenty of tables and very quick service. The food tasted very fresh and made from scratch. We were visiting Boston but if we lived there, we'd go every weekend.
Stopped by Taiwan Cafe on a whim the other day and may have definitely over ordered but it was definitely worth it! I got the stinky tofu and then pork chop rice. Both were pretty tasty and the portions were huge! There was a fairly large crowd there on a Friday night but the service was quick. Overall recommend and would definitely go back especially with a larger group to try more of the menu!
Today was my last day in Boston, and I had not made it down to Chinatown yet, so that was the intended destination. Once there, we walked around a bit and then stopped at Taiwan Cafe for lunch. Everything was nice and clean, and the staff was helpful. I tried the Oranger Chicken lunch special which came with white rice and soup. My wife got the Crab Rangoon and then Sweet & Sour Chicken. Both of us really enjoyed our lunch.
Fourteen years later, I've returned, and the place looks mostly the same. Staff said the owner used to have the one in Flushing but that closed due to rent being too high. I've missed the pork over fried rice, though the minced pork on the rice was just so so. Pork chop is perfect crispy and a touch sweeter than I remember but super juicy and savory. Came with a marinated egg, too. The stinky tofu was great, though, I haven't found the same since the shop in NY was closed. The sauce and spice was great, and some of the preserved cabbage was excellent, though some of the pieces hasn't fully marinated yet so we still almost fresh and raw. Tofu was crisp and hot, stinky smell but delicious in your mouth. An acquired taste for some of you can get past the smell! Will be back! They also prefer cash, had a healthy pickup business going and the gratuity was already included in the bill at the end which I thought was fine. Super friendly staff.
During a weekday lunch I had a craving for Taiwanese food, so I took my chances and ventured into Chinatown, arriving at Taiwan Cafe. I decided on their lunch special, priced at $11.95, which comes with an entree and a small bowl of hot and sour soup. The soup itself tasted slightly over-vinegared, but otherwise seemed inoffensive. My entree, sauteed shredded pork and dry bean curd with yellow chive (韭黃香干肉絲), seemed over-reliant on the brown pan sauce for flavor. None of the constituent ingredients seemed to possess seasoning of their own. The baked tofu was also cut too thick compared to the pork and was also too soft. Imagine pan frying tofu but you bought soft/silken tofu instead of firm. I also ordered a pan fried chive egg clear noodle pocket (韭菜盒子), which was not part of the lunch special price. It was large, but too loosely stuffed. It was also too doughy, potentially undercooked. The lunch special's price point seemed to be the only positive part of this meal. Perhaps more commonly ordered dishes (e.g. fried rice) would fair better.
This was such a treat to find on my trip to Boston! I'm Taiwanese and live in Santa Barbara, where there is essentially no Taiwanese food so I was super pleased to find out our hotel was in Chinatown. Found this place on yelp and it had the authentic rating of 3.5 (any higher and you know it's not authentic lol). I ordered my go-to dish, pork chop rice (排骨飯) and it made me want to cry with how delicious it was -- reminded me of my childhood in Taiwan :') The fry on the pork was perfect and the minced pork and cabbage were bursting with flavor. We also ordered the oyster omelette and lobster roll. Oyster omelette was pretty good except it was slightly too greasy for me. Flavor was good and the texture on the dough was perfectly light and crispy, though it was very filling -- couldn't finish it and doesn't pack away well. The lobster pancake roll is a play off of the traditional beef roll (bit of Boston fusion), it wasn't bad but probably not as good as the beef would've been as the lobster meat felt a little dry. But overall, I'm still giving a 5 star review because my favorite dish was top notch and the servers were soooooo nice. Felt like being back in Taiwan again :)
This cafe was around the corner in a side street and almost missed it on the first look. It is at a great location. The sitting area is spacious and has tables for bigger groups as well. Gives off a local restaurant vibe. We tried some watercress, dry fried string beans, xiao long bao and har gow. We went in for dim sum mostly but the extensive menu allured us into ordering some side dishes as well. Dry friend string beans was the best and the xiao long bao was voted one of the amazing ones. It's a good place to drop by for a lunch or dinner. They have really good bobba places and desserts nearby for after dinner bite ;)
Unfortunately, after having gone to Taiwan Cafe for years, I think that their quality has gone downhill. The last time I came here was with a friend on a weekday for dinner. We ordered 3 dishes and somehow the bill was $80. We ordered the Taiwanese Pork Chop which was the most dry pork I've ever had. The shrimp dish we ordered was a small portion and didn't seem that fresh. Lastly, we ordered watercrest which was the one dish I liked. The cost of the dishes has significantly gone up, but the portions and quality has not. Also, I think it was ridiculous that for the two of us there was automatic 18% gratuity. I think that there are better Taiwanese restaurants in Boston, including Dolphin Bay or Dumpling Kingdom in Allston.
came here for the house special pork chop over rice (which was absolutely delicious) but would come back for this and the roast beef scallion pancake roll! The scallion pancake roll was super juicy and flavorful. I was pleasantly surprised because I had never tried this before. Also the pork chop was perfectly crispy and portion size was great. Beware that they don't provide you rice on the side free of charge!
The worst experience I've had in Chinatown! I've always patronized Asian businesses. But this one--stay away! Service is the worst (like most but this was beyond). I asked why we were not given the lunch portion (apparently I did not specify, she did not ask either). I let that go then I see they charge an automatic tip of 18%! There were only two of us and not a big group and we didn't ask for anything AT ALL. The lady in front who is also the server/cashier was very rude and treated me like I was not a customer when I inquired about it. She rudely took my card and gave me back the tip and was throwing the receipts as if I did her wrong. IN NO WAY I DESERVED TO BE TREATED RUDELY as I was asking properly. These Chinese restaurants need to adjust to American culture if they want to stay in America!
Restaurantji Recommends
I think the food here is great -- I like to order to go. However, two appetizers come up to be about 26 dollars seem a bit pricey. Yikes.
Came to chinatown hungry, looking for a place open late and stumbled upon Taiwan Cafe after seeing all the more notorious places were closed. We were really excited looking at the menu but were wildly disappointed. We ordered a lot of food and it was all very mediocre. I got the Ma Po Tofu hoping that it would be better than the other late night place nearby (Dumpling Cafe) but the other place's is far superior. Overall, if it's a late night and you're drunk with friends, this could be your spot. Otherwise, avoid.
It's been a while since I've been to Taiwan Cafe (approaching three years!), and when I stopped by for dinner last week, I was delighted to see that their food was just as good as before (albeit more expensive, but then again, what restaurant isn't raising prices these days?) We came at around 7pm to a very busy restaurant; we were told the wait would be around 10-15 minutes, which was thankfully accurate. It was indeed quite packed inside though, so it took a while for us to get water and order our dishes. Fortunately, I guess the kitchen wasn't that backed up because we got our yummy food really quickly. As with much of Taiwanese cuisine, dishes are meant to be shared family-style, and for the three of us, we ordered 5-ish dishes. Stinky tofu is actually one of my personal favourite dishes ever, and while it is often a bit subpar in the West, I was pretty happy with how it turned out. Definitely a burst of nostalgia in every bite for me, and I would recommend ordering it (it is a bit of an acquired taste though). For veggies we ordered the string beans with chicken - beans were cooked nicely, chicken was juicy - and the sauteed Taiwanese cabbage - a fresh, lighter stir-fried dish that complemented our other dishes well. Pork chop rice was pretty good - the pork chop itself was a bit chewy but fried quite nicely - and could serve as an individual meal as it comes with rice and delicious Taiwanese cabbage. The soup dumplings were a bit odd - much larger and with thicker skins than normal - and tasted... OK-ish. Not a bad option per se, but considering the variety of other delicious choices I might recommend against getting the XLB. Overall, I thought we had a really great meal. Price point is a bit higher than I think the food/experience deserves, although the relative dearth of quality Chinese/Taiwanese food in the area makes Taiwan Cafe still one of the more appealing options in the neighbourhood. Looking forward to my next visit!
Some interesting reviews on here. We had a good experience if you take into account what to expect (e.g., crowded space, might have to share a large table with another party, etc.). The food was very good and they had many Taiwanese staples that were solid. Would recommend and go back for them!
Service was good and food came out fast, but flavors were pretty bland. We had mostly late-night appetizers, but none of them were outstanding. Dumpling dough had no taste - it seemed entirely lacking in salt or MSG - and the fillings only slightly more. The food was cooked well - that is, to the correct temperature - and the dumplings were wrapped attractively. It was all just adequate and good for drunken snacking (it's one of the few Chinatown places thankfully open very late - until 1AM, which is why we chose it), but the food is missing something essential.The servers were nice and the place was clean, but honestly, I probably would not go back with so many other exciting Chinatown eateries within a stone's throw.