"...you know, unless your pee-pee is short"... Oh damn, I know that East Williamsburg is an industrial area with warehouses, meat packers and hardware stores, but I didn't expect to get some industrial strength snark here. Taking a leak inside the single stall, unisex restroom, there's a sign (posted in both traditional Chinese and not-quite-grammatical Chinglish) that asks all male patrons to keep it tidy in here. Lift the seat up, aim for the bowl and don't splatter your golden shower on the bathroom tiles - pretty standard stuff (although the fact that it was spelt out via explicit peeing instructions is already good for a giggle). Then the qualifier "unless your nozzle is short" made me burst out laughing. Doris is stone cold, yo. Doris Yao is the owner, proprietor and manager at A-po's kitchen in east Billieburg, a little bit further from the New York City strategic hipster reserve and closer in spirit to the warehouses and dispatch yards just a few blocks away in Maspeth. She greets you, serves up your food, and makes friendly chatter while you are in her restaurant, and you are made super-welcome here. The missus and I heard her switch from Taiwanese (Min-nan), Mandarin, Cantonese, English and Spanish at a drop of a hat, took produce deliveries, cleaned up tables, set up delivery pickups, all while we are just sitting there watching the show, so to speak - she even had time to goof on some local kids who came in as regulars and crack wise with her chef. She must be a Dragon lady back in her days, and I can only wish that my own mother can age as gracefully and comfortably within her elements as Doris is doing so. A-po is the Mandarin word for "granny", and that's definitely the kind of granny you want to hang out with. She's kind, wise and can toss up shade like a massive umbrella. But how was the food? It's Chinese American cafeteria food with some Taiwanese standards, but you are not going to blog about it like some hipster palace on Montrose (it ain't no Win Son). It's solid utility food generously supplied, we even got a complementary sampler of 3-cups chicken, curried veggies (very good and fresh) and curried chicken (not too fresh) off the steam table that Doris just placed on our tray - if you've been to MamaLee in Bayside/Oakland Gardens you'll find it familiar - a warm maternal figure being generous with her wares, but nothing especially great - well, at least it doesn't contain MSG and nothing seemed "off" about it. This place caters to local trades folk and the prices are very very very reasonable - for the braised pork rice bento, the 5-pack potstickers and the lo-mein, along with 2 cold Chinese herbal teas (Prunella and Monkfruit, do not order unless you like that stuff since they are not sweetened and tastes like boiled yard trimmings) - we only paid 17 bucks and we still have half to take home. Know what 17 bucks got me at Win Son, mid-summer 2023? Half a plate of spaghetti (the mentaiko noodles with a hardboiled egg on a recent Saturday brunch was 34...), so given that, it was an extremely good value for money. So yeah, I would say that it's 3 out of 5 for food, and 5 out of 5 for Doris. I would totally come back just to crack wise with A-Po and pee (carefully) into her toilet bowl. read more

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10/10! We were around the corner at a brewery thinking about food and A-Pou's Taste popped up and it was everything I wanted and needed. The owner is the sweetest lady and I was impressed with her at least three languages between the patrons and kitchen staff she was switching between. I got a taro milk tea to go with my combo plate with pot stickers (pork and the beef) and lo mein. I don't remember what my husband got but we both loveeeeeed it. The Korean Kimchi Beef pot stickers are amazing and I would seriously get ten of those next time! Please do not hesitate to check out A-Pou's if you're nearby. Ever if you're not. Check them out. read more

A-Pou's Taste - 10 Piece Pot Sticker with Lo Mein Combo 10 - Taiwanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I can take how grungy the place was but the food was lacking. Chicken and basil was swimming in a non descript sauce. Spring rolls were flavorless. read more

Date of Visit: 04/03/25 Occasion: Friend was visiting from out of town. First Impressions: The Space was small and very homey. Food & Drinks: We got crab rangoon, dumplings, and general tso's chicken. I recommend the dumplings over crab rangoon, and I was craving fried chicken in a sticky-sweet sauce, which was satisfied. They also have cinnamon in their chilli oil, which was self-serve and interesting to me, and I liked it! Atmosphere: It was memorable, from the early 2000s Chinese TV singers to the green colored tables and stools. This place gave an authentic vibe, which my friends found comforting as they would eat at restaurants like so growing up. Price Point: Not bad, portions are on the smaller end, but pricing was not crazy either, food was substantial, and they get bonus points because you could take home some chilli oil with your leftovers! Final Thoughts: Loved the food, vibe, and authenticity this place had. I'm not sure, but I believe I was told this place was a family business :) So go support this gem. read more

A-Pou's Taste - General Tso's Chicken Over Rice Crab Rangoon Pork Dumplings - Taiwanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Pot stickers are perfect. Rice noodles solid. Wish they had more drink options. Price point is outstanding for what you get in NY.

Decided to give this place a go after seeing it on Social Media. Holy moly thank goodness I did! I got the Taiwanese braised pork over rice and it IS banging! The meat is tender and super flavorful, the fatty bits just MELT IN YOUR MOUTH. As I'm writing this, I am digging into food from the second visit. The braised pork is 15/10. Basil chicken over rice and the potstickers are also good complements. And for the prices, in THIS economy? What are you waiting for? read more

Stumbled upon this neighborhood favorite with tables filled and local workers stopping in and out for takeout on a weekday. The family owned joint offers simple, traditional Taiwanese dishes. The most popular being their dumplings and noodle soups. I opted to try their vegan options, they had a couple choices for each category. The Japanese veggie dumplings are fantastic, flavorful and light. The pumpkins are more heavy, filled with a cumin pumpkin paste. They can also do a mix and match of both! I also tried the mustard vegetable noodle soup that had pickled veggies and wide thin knife cut noods. The broth is water based and mild with lots of veggies. I'd recommend getting the traditional beef noodle soup for more depth of flavor if you can have meat. Their chili oil is amazing and aromatic, made with lots of spices like star anise, cinnamon and bay leaf--it is really special and adds a lot more than spice to the items. As a Taiwanese American, I was nostalgic of my visits to Taiwan and the good food in a simple setting really is what you'd find in the country. Highly recommend this no frills Taiwanese eatery if you're stopping through Bushwick! read more

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The lu rou fan (braised pork over rice) was both comforting and delicious. The lady running the show is kind and friendly - 5/5. read more

A-Pou's Taste - H09 braised pork over rice - Taiwanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I've been coming here every week since I moved to the neighborhood. Amazing dumplings (buy them frozen too, you'll never eat TJ's gyoza again) and many delicious and simple dishes. I always get the lunch special -- $8 for this much food, and it's always fresh, generously portioned, and extremely satisfying. The woman who runs the place is wonderful, too. She often sends me off with free food, and she's and a part of the reason I keep coming back. Be sure to grab a few take away cups of the chili oil, it tastes amazing on everything! read more

A-Pou's Taste - Lunch Special - Taiwanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

This place is a true gem! The extremely sweet and kind owner, Doris, cooks these amazing Taiwanese dishes with care. She uses no MSG or artificial flavor, and your body can tell! you will feel good for the rest of the day. Its like coming to your family's place for lunch/ dinner. It's harder and harder to have this kind of wonderful experience in NYC anymore. Highly recommended!!! read more

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Ordered the basil chicken too sweet for me and the rice they use is not jasmine rice not my type. I Will try again next time for their pork chop over rice. Not convinced for people drives a car because no parking read more

A-Pou's Taste - Outside - Taiwanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Food was great! The beef was juicy and well seasoned. It was not overcooked, it was perfect! The service was very quick. The people were very welcoming and patient with us. It was a very cozy spot! I enjoyed myself. read more

A-Pou's Taste - Taiwanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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A Pou's food is the best! It made me so homesick it was too tasty that I forgot to take photos! But I will come back here again for sure, thank you for your kindness price; and delicious taiwanese food! We ordered: Basil Chicken Over Rice Crispy Chicken Milk Tea Potsticker Taiwanese Braised Pork Over Rice read more

A-Pou's Taste - A Pou - Taiwanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I really enjoyed the food that I got here. I ordered the eggplant dish, shrimp and pumpkin dumplings. Everything was super tasty and the prices is unbeatable! The owner was so sweet! read more

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My friend sent me a video of the owner talking about her food, which was very endearing and made me want to try her food. I got it delivered so I know it may not taste as fresh as if I were to eat there. We got the basil chicken, pot stickers, fried chicken and the beef and tomato on rice dish. The basic chicken tasted good but it tasted pretty similar to the mall Chinese spot where you are given a bunch of different already cooked options. The fried chicken was good for $6. Not too crispy and not that flavorful but still good. The pot stickers were ok but could have used some extra hot oil or sauce. I heard in store, they have the hot oil sauce which would have helped. The beef and tomato was maybe my least favorite. The beef didn't taste very fresh. All in all, it was decent but nothing really stuck out. Would I get it again? Sure, if I'm around the area. Price is good and the food is decent. read more

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very cheap, very generous, and very good quality food, would recommend this to anybody

Service: A few people greeted me and helped me with my order. I told them I wanted the dumplings and pointed to what I wanted in the counter. Food: It was standard fare. I had meatballs with cabbage, tomatoes and eggs, and squash with lo mein. The meatballs had good flavor but the rest were relatively low seasoned. The food is cafeteria style, so they might be sitting out for a while. Ambience: It seemed full of mostly local construction workers and a few others who would order their food to go. All the tables were occupied, and it could get noisy with the conversations and cooking. Value: I didn't go in for the lunch special, but it was well-priced for 3 items + a noodle/rice option. For the special and dumplings, it was $13.75. I probably would not return, preferring to pay more for a different quality of food. read more

A-Pou's Taste - Lunch special with dumplings - Taiwanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Every dish was flavorful. Ordered few dishes and none was a disappointment. The service was great, this sweet lady was helpful and funny! read more

A-Pou's Taste - Top (braised pork), left (eggplant garlic), basil chicken - Taiwanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

After an 18 degree night hit Brooklyn, I was definitely craving something hot to warm my belly, and I came across this tiny but adorable restaurant! We ordered the beef noodle soup, chicken and basil over rice, and pork pot stickers. I was quickly transported back to the nostalgia of my own childhood of tiny beef noodle shops in Taipei and drank every last drop of my bowl. It was delicious with wide flat noodles which is rare to come by with the most tender beef . The chicken and basil rice was the perfect combination of flavorful and slightly caramelized, very traditional and beautifully done. The pork pot stickers were handmade and the skin unlike many restaurant pot stickers was not too doughy which enveloped the pork well. The best part is with the whole abundant flavor profile of all the dishes, nothing ever felt too greasy and heavy, a big nono in my book. Beyond the food, the owner reminded me of my own grandma and was the most accommodating, and sweet person. I will definitely be back soon to try all of the other things on the menu ! read more

A-Pou's Taste - Beef noodle soup, pork pot stickers, and chicken and basil rice - Taiwanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Discovered this place in Summer walking. I stopped in ordered some good lunch special.The food was fresh and tasty but even better a few choices in a dish I been back serveral times and friends are been going. read more

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Love this place. Good portions, unreal prices, service is awesome, $1 drinks what more can you ask for

This little hole in the wall deserves all of the recognition in the world. It's quaint, a little off the beaten path, but the food is excellent. Ms. Doris took our order. She was so cute and sweet and was kind enough to cut me off when I was ordering too much food because I felt like I needed to try a little bit of everything. I was there with my boyfriend, who is obsessed with chicken wings, and he devoured these. They had a great flavor and were so crispy. We had a few orders of dumplings that included pork and pumpkin dumplings. These were very flavorful. The pumpkin has a curry flavor to it. Also got Basil Chicken, Braised Pork Belly and Broccoli Beef. All were delicious and tender. That pork belly was . We were with my picky stepson, and he loved everything that we ordered, which was a shock. So I think that says a lot. Once we were ready with our to-go food (we ordered too much as Ms. Doris told us), I grabbed a to go ice coffee from the cooler, which was sweet and strong, just the way I like it! Ms. Doris also gave me hóngbāo (Lunar New Year money envelopes) that contained coupons for my next visit. I felt so honored to receive those. I can't wait to go back and eat everything else on the menu! What a gem! read more

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Best Taiwanese food in NYC! Reasonably prices, delicious and great owner. Love the braised pork dish.

A Pou's Taste is a Taiwanese restaurant located at the northern fringes of Williamsburg. It serves Taiwanese dishes all on one standardardized inexpensive menu. There's no lunch menu here because each of the items are already cheap. Most dishes here are over rice, however, there are noodle soups available, including fried items such as chicken, French fries, wontons and spring rolls. Finally, a meal here costs around $7 to $9 without a drink. I tried the Basil Chicken over Rice, the Shrimp with Egg over Rice and the Taiwanese Special Pork Potsticker. All three dishes are excellent and made to order. The Basil Chicken was sweet and has a slightly teriyaki flavor to it, but the added basil reminded me that this is real "san bei ji", three-cup chicken, a classic Taiwanese dish. The Shrimp with Egg was made into a patty with generous amounts of shrimp inside. The Taiwanese Special Pork Potsticker was really large and was folded into a non-traditional rectangular packet shape. The taste was a bit special because the pork was dominated by a gingery flavor. A Pou's dining room is big, with about 7 tables inside and about 3 tables in an outdoor dining setup. When I arrived during lunch, there were people sitting inside and out. The general area it's located in is a commercial area with a lot of warehouses. I would recommend A Pou's mainly because of the good value they provide. It's definitely Taiwanese when you consider the menu. A final note is that the owner and all staff speak Spanish! read more

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The beef noodle soup here is one of the best dishes I've had in the entire city. I have beef with some beef noodle soups, which can taste like someone threw a bunch of leftover scraps in the kitchen in a pot and called it a day. But not at A-Pou's. The broth here is rich and developed with a mix of aromatics - if you dine in, you can even spoon some of their homemade sauces onto your gyoza or into your soup. And each bowl of soup comes with five massive chunks of braised beef so tender that it cuts smoother than a 90s pickup line. The noodles are fantastic too...the slightly crimped edges makes me think of a Taiwanese mafaldine. Whoever thought of using wide noodles in beef noodle soup truly did something right. And that person is A-Pou. The staff here are so delightful and sweet. We came rushing in during a rainstorm with 30mph winds 15 minutes before closing, and they welcomed us and told us there was no need to worry/rush. Get the 10pc gyoza if you'd like to sample some scrumptious variations of dumplings. read more

Tasty dumplings served with a plastic packet of sweet and sour sauce. The dumpling wrapper were well-steamed. There was a nice oily fried crispy exterior on biting into the dumpling. The inside was juicy, savory, porky, and gingery. The texture of the filling was smooth and well-executed. read more

A-Pou's Taste - Taiwanese Style Dumplings - Taiwanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Cozy spot with aggressively friendly service and lots of charm. For me, the dumplings were good not great, but it's a still a worthwhile experience overall. read more

The atmosphere seems very authentic as some would say. The service is very wholesome and genuine, the food is great for its price, would definitely like to admit that some of their items are lacking In flavor, but for the price, you will definitely get your moneys worth. read more

Not great compared to other Taiwanese restaurants. First of all, isn't it common sense to know if you have fried foods, you don't put it in a container and seal it. You need to have vents so the fried food doesn't get soggy. This is basic knowledge!!! So I got my popcorn chicken soaked upon delivery. Plenty of basil on it, which was a plus. I got braised pork, it's ok. 4 broccoli on top, a bit disappointed, but surprised there's an egg, plenty of pork but I think there should be more sugar. read more

I was excited to find a noodle soup place when the weather dipped into the autumn-ey 60s. To much chagrin, this place failed to delivery on multiple fronts. I'm giving it an adjusted two stars because I may have caught them on an off day. Food: 3/5 Service : 3/5 I ordered the beef noodle soup and given the other photos and my instructions, I requested the regular noodles. However, I got flat noodles. That usually isn't an issue since I'm a fan of almost all types of noodles but these were soggy and broke in my mouth without chewing. It was as if they were sitting in water for some time. I have to admit that the waiter thought I ordered them to stay and I did say it was okay to put them in the same container. However, it was less than five minutes from payment to my first bite and the noodles were already soggy. The broth was okay, it could have used some more flavor. Vegetables were acceptable. Meat was tough and cooked unevenly. The outside was rough while the inside was soft. More diligence should be taken to ensure even cooking. COVID precautions: 1/5 There were few practices in place. There was hand sanitizer available but there were no structures between persons who were interacting. The waiter had a worn out mask that looked like it needed to be replaced due to overuse. It didn't cover their nose either. Worst of all, there were two people sitting inside waiting for their food with no face coverings. Both parties are responsible for this violation. Those two should know better than to occupy indoor spaces with no face coverings and the staff should be implementing safety precautions. Note that indoor dining is not permitted until September 30, 2020 with 25% occupancy: https://forward.ny.gov/nyc-indoor-dining Final: 2.3/5 read more

A-Pou's Taste - Beef noodle soup - Taiwanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

i truly enjoy this spot and it's a taste of Taiwan to me. good service and it is such a gem!

So, I hate to leave bad reviews, in particular when it's an owner ran restaurant and the owner is such a nice lady. But we have to be honest. This is a a very affordable restaurant, but it's not great Chinese food. It's not even great American-Chinese food. The beef broccoli was very bland, tasted like nothing, it's only redeeming quality was that the broccoli was still firm (so not over cooked). The pot stickers were slightly less bland, but had a old frying oil after taste. The Kung Pao chicken was a little better. I give the food 2 stars even at this price. I feel like extra flavor could be added without incurring much more cost. Having said that, as I said the owner is very nice (she gave me a taste of Kung Pao chicken while I waited), and I respect the fact that she's keeping prices low so the local construction workers can have a meal there. So for that I add a star. read more

Get ready to be blown away by a cheap AND good ass eat. First, you'll be greeted by one of the most adorable grandmas fluent in english, chinese, and spanish (like damn ok go off trilingual). Whenever I try a new Taiwanese restaurant out, I always gotta go for the staples like braised pork belly and popcorn chicken soooo yeah thats what I got. SO MUCH god damn food for the price ugh i wish this place was closer to me. The pork belly is tasty and tender. The popcorn chicken taking me back to Taiwan with their salty and five spice seasonings and fried thai basil leaves. It's worth a trip if you're around Williamsburg. read more

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Saw all the chilis being dried and I HAD to walk inside. Besides being a hot sauce lover, i had to taste my culture's food at A-Pou's! Got the Lu rou fan and thank goodness I did. Tasted just like home cooking. Hot sauce was amazing too so i bought some for home! My parents would be proud. read more

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This place is so good I don't even want to tell you about it. Great ambiance and lady working there is so nice. You can sing a song on the karaoke machine if you want too! read more

A-Pou's Taste - Taiwanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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This restaurant took me back to Taiwan! A go-to place for cheap, authentic, home-cooked style Taiwanese food.

Great beef noodle soup, great dumplings, the vibe is so Taiwanese. They are also super friendly. Everything took me right back to my family in Taipei. read more

Ordered through Uber eats and it was delivered to Long Island City very quickly and hot. We ordered the crispy chicken, braised Taiwanese Pork, Taiwanese beef noodle soup, wonton soup, general tso's chicken, and assorted dumpings. Agree with other reviewers that portion sizes are generous and price is great. In terms of flavors, I would say the best was the braised pork and Hong Kong chicken dumplings. The beef noodle soup was okay- the noodles were good but the beef wasn't as tender and broth wasn't as good as I've had at other noodle places in the area (Yumpling, Noodle Craft). The dumplings were also decent but I really enjoyed the chicken dumpling! General tso's chicken was pretty standard. The other items (crispy chicken, wonton soup, other dumplings) were fine but I wouldn't order them again. read more

apou is so friendly it feel like your grandma is welcoming to you house and cooking the food just for you dumplings 10/10 cured my seasonal depression read more

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Went today and was pleasantly surprised. The owner was so nice! They were working on a very large delivery order so it took a while to get my food so she gave me a very generous tasting of 3 items - the eggplant (my favorite!) orange chicken and some kind of beef dish. They were surprised I didn't want the lunch special as it's an amazing deal as you get a large platter for only $6 but I was just in the mood for potstickers, Lo mein and wonton soup. The lo mein and potstickers were actually too greasy for me so I probably won't get it again but the wonton soup was fantastic!!!! It really surprised me. Better than any chinese wonton soup in the area. The soup had an amazing flavor and the wontons were so delicate and delicious. I will be going back for more soup that's for sure! And that eggplant dish! read more