Came here during a slightly busy Monday afternoon, I am happy that Bao Bei now has a Brick and Mortar location and is able to live out the dream of owning a store! Unfortunately at the time of my visit they ran out of rice bowls so I ended up ordering their Bao Bei Bun, Bao Zi Bun, and the gigantic XL Chicken. The Bao Bei is a classic. Braised Pork Belly in a Bun is just delicious and savory. You won't be disappointed getting one or two, it is filling enough to eat for a lunch! I liked the Bao Zi which has Pork and Shrimp and other stuffing inside it. It was good but the Bao Bei was something I kept coming back too. The XL Taiwanese Fried Chicken is just great. You can get it spicy and in my opinion; it has a slight kick to it but your tastebuds might vary. I really enjoyed it and it reminded me of the famichiki I had in Japan. Overall, the place was lively, there were not too many seats but once we had an open spot it was fine. Food gets called out by number as you wait, and there's all sorts of cute pokemon plushies/anime figurines. It's fun to see that the store has personality going to it. I hope I can come back to try out their other dishes! read more

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It's Winter Olympics season so let's do this Olympics style Ambiance: 3.5 / 5. Nothing bad, but also nothing that distinguishes it from other Asian cafe-style restaurants. In fact, other than the couple of shelves of Asian plushies, the painted wall of anime-style characters, and the Asian pop music, the decor want giving much Taiwanese cage vibes. I just wish Bao Bei leaned into its cultural heritage and brand more. Service: 5/5. Extremely fast and friendly service as it took only a few minutes for our dishes to arrive. Sunday before noon probably gave Bao Bei an advantage as we were only two of for patrons dining in at the time. But. I would expect that service time to hold as much of the food is already cooked like the braised pork and just needs to be plared. Other items like the pork chop or chicken might take a bit longer, but frying should already be super quick. And here is where we'll see if Bao Bei can take home gold. Food: 4/5. The traditional Taiwanese braised pork bowl. It's hard to improve on a dish that has been cooked by grandmas for many generations. Bao Bei took a swing and may have come up a bit short of stocking the landing. The big issue is that the sauce profile lacked depth and interest. Traditionally, shiitake mushrooms are used to boost the umami flavor, but none could be found. Additionally, and maybe the because of the lack of mushrooms, the sauce has a heavy soy sauce taste. The egg was slightly overcooked and chalky, but still edible. The mango-sago drink was good, but I think because we arrived just after opening, the prepared drinks were not child yet even though they were in the display refrigerator. Where Bao Bei loses a couple of points here as well is quality control. Because we're dealing with fresh fruit, you have to make sure that fruit is at it's peak. The drinks had a slight astringent after taste and was not as sweet as I would expect mango juice to be. This leads the hypotheses that some underripe mangoes were used . But despite, these shortcomings, Bao Bei and up with a respectable 4.16 - enough for silver! We'll have to see if Bao Bei can step up their game and earn gold the next time I visit. read more

The brick and mortal of the famous Bao Bei ghost kitchen finally opened! Had to visit of course. Came later in the evening around 7:30ish, there were some lines but not bad (thank god). Was going to get only 2 things but due time friend's suggestion, ended up getting 4 items lol. From Bao Bei bowl, golden veggies, almond pudding (taro) and mango pamelo sago. All were delish. Just glad able to get my hands onto the last taro almond pudding! Waited about 15 mins roughly before my order ready. Ordered for take out but I had to eat a little bit of each ofc. The mango sago is gone by the time I got home tho.. lol. Overall great visit, clean spaces with a couple of dining tables and high top seating towards the back, friendly and awesome customer service as always and excited to come to try the XL chicken next! read more

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Huge portions, friendly staff and delicious food, what more can you ask for?! Like no joke one portion of the pork chop with rice fed me twice. All dishes were flavorful and filling. Definitely recommend! read more

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We've been following this place since it was a ghost kitchen. We've gotten delivery from their permanent location before, but today was our first time dining in. Loved the space: It's bright, clean, and fun. Our kid especially loved looking at all the anime art on the walls. Service is great. More attentive than your typical fast casual spot. They always have good specials too. Food is great too. Their taiwanese fried chicken and bao bei bao (gua bao) are on point and exactly the flavor I want and expect from those dishes. Their bao bei bowl (lu rou fan) is similarly great, with pork belly instead of ground pork like I've seen at some other places. Our toddler loved the fried tofu and finished the entire thing by himself. My favorites are the swirly buns. I've never found these in this area and they were a big hit with everyone - me, my husband, and toddler. The only downside is that the order is for three big buns, so its too much food for me to order if I were by myself. read more

The food is meh. Golden veggies are fried well and not greasy. Green beans, sweet potato slices, lotus root, Japanese eggplant, and enoki mushrooms. Really salty. Tofu bun is a black slice of tofu with some pickled veggies. The flavor is meh. Didn't like it. The Bao bei bowl with pork belly is good for 3 bites and then it's like eating a bowl of slimy fat. The egg is good. The veggies are good, but it's a bowl of grease. Dead on a week night. Busy on the weekend, but hard pass for us. read more

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I first had Bao Bei when they were a ghost kitchen in Rockville. I was so excited to hear when they were going to have a brick and mortar storefront! All of their food has been so good. Their bao buns are huge! The bowel bowl and pork bowl are super flavorful and delicious. I even tried the goons which is their take on a crab Rangoons. They don't have the normal duck sauce. It's a little spicy, so it has a little bit of a kick to it. The interior of their Rockville location is bright and covered with hand drawn pictures, as well as various accolades from the community on their business. Their workers have always been friendly and polite. I'm just a huge fan of Bao Bei and everything that they have accomplished. read more

Bao Bei - Bao Bei Bao, Pork Chop Bowl - Taiwanese Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

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The food is to die for, the bao are so lovely, and there's great tofu options for those who don't eat meat. It's a fast casual restaurant and we got our food very quickly! Will definitely be coming back! read more

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Staff weee super friendly and helped explain the menu. I was excited to try this spot after watching them on great food truck race. While the boa portion was big, it didn't wow me with flavor. It was just okay. The golden veggies were a disappointment. Half of the were soggy from the oil and really lacked flavor. A dipping sauce would have been nice. All in all it was a big let down for me. read more

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I use to order their food online and pick it up in their hidden shared kitchen. Thats exciting that they've progressed and opened a brick and mortar store. I'm happy for the owner. The food is still excellent, I always go for the bao bei bowl which has rice, pork belly, green chiles, cilantro and a hard-boiled egg. If you like those ingredients, you'll love this bowl. Theres a lot of fat which is the nature of ordering pork belly but it comes with a ton of flavor. I came by myself, next time I'll come with others and try a side or a dessert. read more

As with most new places these days, I learned about Bao Bei on social media and while on the search for authentic Taiwanese food. I decided to stop by their new location recently to try their bao bun with braised pork belly and their braised pork belly over rice. Unfortunately they messed up my other and gave me a braised pork chop over rice instead and one braised pork belly bao, which I realized when I got home. The food was fine but I wished the meat had more flavor or seasoning. I also wished the tea egg had more flavor as well. The food was moderately priced and the portions were decent. They also seemed to have a good amount of seating available. I'm glad they're around and I look forward to trying other items on their menu soon. read more

Bao Bei - Braised Pork Chop Bowl - Taiwanese Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

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Wanted to try this place since I heard it recently opened! I got the tofu bun, bao zi, & mango pomelo drink. I thought the flavor profile was interesting! I enjoyed everything I got - I would check it out again! I got my food to go but the space looked very clean & nice so maybe I'll eat there next time! read more

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@baobei.kh this is probably one of the best Taiwanese street food spots in the DMV/Moco area. And your contending with damn good spots like Amore cafe, Taipei cafe and Jumbo Jumbo. But i think the fried chicken and tai pei cafe are the 2 top IMO. The minced pork rice has less oily and more wholesome take then the other places. My least fave was the scallion rolled bread and buns. But my daughter loved it. Service was friendly and they were open to all my questions about the food and gave some good recommendations. The place was kinda small. So ideal to take the food out. They do need more seating IMO read more

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Bao Bei Castle is a darling new casual spot (handful a number of 2- and 4-tops to dine in) in Rockville serving up wholesome and flavorful Taiwanese comfort foods prepared fresh in a cheery ambiance and courteous service. The food comes out with an ideal doneness and is seasoned well, particularly with regards to delicate amount of sweetness. Here are me and my dining companion's very favorite dishes: BAO BEI BUN Ample amounts delicately marinated and expertly rendered pork belly, its decadence is complemented by pickled mustard greens, fresh cilantro, and chopped peanuts wrapped in their pillowy signature bao bun! The $8.88 price per bun is definitely fair given the ample portion (~2 will take care of a decent appetite leaving some room to enjoy the below items). TURNIP CAKE (Harvest Moon special) As suggested by the Dim Sum treat namesake, this veggie dish is all about subtlety of flavors quietly unfolding in waves (the Turnip, Onion, and Shallots) amped up by a sweet garlicky sauce that slowly builds spiciness. The garnish of Fried Basil really elevates the presentation and flavor nuance for the dish! Fun to share, this dish is a lovely contrast of textures (crisp outer layer with "Q-Q" springy-tender interior that has a touch of graininess to complete the package). Fried to order piping hot, they are worth a short wait and complement the rich pork belly Bao Bei Bun. TARO SAGO Symbolic of kitchen's aforementioned judiciousness with sweetness, this tapioca-based pudding-like dessert features just enough sweetness to let the subtle taro and floral coconut milk elements shine alongside the variety of textures of the pudding itself, the tender tapioca bubbles, and small chunks of starchy taro. Served in a pint container, we like to enjoy some as a nice cooling transition from the savory items and save the rest to enjoy later (they go really well with fresh berries)! In short, Bao Bei Castle is a quality new addition to Rockville's dining scene that continues to mature alongside adjacent Bethesda and Potomac! Terrific for all ages, it is terrific for those with acquired East Asian palates and novices alike! read more

Brick and Mortar is opened! It gives a very cheerful and upbeat vibe. They are well staffed and weIl prepared. They have some seating- may be about a dozen tables. I have been twice already in 5 days. I did carry-out both times. Carry-out is well packaged. So what did I get? Between the two visits: Bao Bei Bao- top notch as always. You can't find any better than here. Golden Veggies- i just love this. Both times, I finished it on my drive home. Bao Bei Bowl- solid! Flavorful. Fried Tofu Bites - good but would have loved the "Stinky Tofu" - just saying XL Taiwanese Fried Chicken- Option of spicy or not. I opted for spicy. It is definitely spicy but not too spicy. I was afraid it was going to be too dry but it actually was not. Taro Sago Dessert- omg. Ordered 1 the first time... second time, Ordered TWO. Pickled cabbage- yummy Mango Sago- refreshing Almond Tofu- refreshing and good but now I had their Taro Sago- I would pick Taro Sag over The Almond Tofu. Bao Bei Pork Chop Bowl- I got it without the sauce. It was good. I have a feeling that I will frequent this place. Until next time. read more

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Had some of their veggie bao and swirly bun at a picnic recently. They were a hit. Will be eating there again.

Staff was friendly and the food came out pretty fast. I got the pork chop over rice, the pumpkin cinnabao and the pork bao zi. The bao zi had a really nice outer texture. The filling had pork, shrimp, some veggies and some kind of noodles. It was on the lighter side in terms of flavors which I personally enjoy. The pumpkin cinnabao was yummy. I like the condensed milk as a topping choice; the subtle pumpkin flavor went well with the cinnamon and fluffy bao roll. It was on the pricer side though. The pork chop over rice was also good. The pork chop was flavorful; I really like the greens that it comes with (would ask for more next time). The rice was definitely overcooked (on the mushy side) but it was probably just a one off. Over all I had a nice experience and I will probably come back to try the big chicken. read more

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I came here with two friends, it was mediocre. I got the big one (which is not even that big), my friends got the baobei bao, and minced pork over rice. Those were also average. The service was quick though and the store is pretty casual. My friend noted that the minced pork was better when they were a ghost kitchen. We probably won't be back for a while. read more

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Great food from great guys! Can't order wrong here. We did pickup for a hangout and ordered the bao bei bao, bao zi, pork chop bowl (my fav), fried chicken, sesame & scallion bread, and fried tofu bites. All 10 out of 10. I always ask for extra mustard greens because they taste so good. They even helped me out to the car with my large order! They are so awesome. read more

Bao Bei - Bao Bei Bowl - Taiwanese Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

The place was just opened a week ago (on 8/27). I was really looking forward to try it out. Here's my take from today's lunch: Vegie Bao: 1 small bao for almost 4 bucks with hardly any filling in it & the taste was nothing but bland & ordinary. Sesame & Scallion bread: served almost completely cold and dry. It was nowhere near the authentic Taiwanese street food. The photo displayed on the website might be mouth watering but what we got was a disappointing failed imitation. Porkchop Bowl: Bravo on the taste of the porkchop & the sauerkraut. Wished the rice didn't come with all that diced fatty pork. I know lots of people enjoyed pork belly but it's just too unhealthy for me. Wood ear & cucumber salad: It came already made in a plastic container. Not sure how long it has been sitting in the fridge, the cucumbers seemed discolored & over soaked in the vinaigrette so we had to ditch most of it. The Mango Sago drink: Pre-made and no way to customize the sugar level like most of the Bubble Tea places. Not sure what are all the hypes about this drink but it's really overrated, to be honest. Ambiance: The place is small with a few tables, not sure why it was so noisy with a few customers chatting near the cash register and some people were talking really loud at the same time. This is definitely not the place to be if you just want to relax & chat with friends. Prices: A bit over priced, our bill for two was almost $50 & it wasn't even filling. I hope the restaurant will survive for those who enjoyed their fatty pork belly dishes but regretfully, I don't see myself coming back here any time soon. read more

Bao Bei Bao is a must! Best eaten fresh, my 45-minute drive home just couldn't do it justice. The pork belly was tender and flavorful, though a little heavy on fat. The XL fried chicken was crunchy, fresh, and impossible to resist (the smell nearly made me pull over!). A bit on the salty side. Swirly buns were the perfect sweet bite. Friendly service, cozy tables, and overall a fantastic spot. Congrats on the grand opening. I'll be back soon! read more

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We ordered take out thru their online ordering system which was easy because they had photos next to each item. I was very excited to try this place because it was so highly rated but I was sadly disappointed. It tasted ok mostly because everything was overly salted (the tofu-riffic bow was wayyyy too salty), the fried pork chop bowl ended up being soggy cause of the sauce was already added. The filling in the scallion rolls were way too salty. I hope this was an off day... and won't be returning for a while... read more

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Super delicious and authentic Taiwanese food! Reminds me of my visits to Taiwan. Their rice bowls and baos are delicious as always, but what needs to be highlighted is also the fried tofu and fried veggies!! And the drinks are very good too. So glad they opened a brick-and-mortar. And we'll definitely keep going back!! read more

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The OG Taiwanese ghost kitchen Bao Bei finally opened up a new brick & mortar restaurant with seats at Montrose Crossing, you already know I had to hit them up for their soft opening~ The new spot has some cute artwork, definitely deserves a shoutout to the artist. Featured Items: Bao Bei Bao Pork Chop Bowl Fried Tofu Bites Mango Sago If you're looking for Taiwanese food at a hip & trendy place, this is it! The bao buns are their signature item and definitely delicious, soft steamed bao with TENDER slabs of pork belly inside, topped with Chinese sour cabbage and crushed peanuts, all great Taiwanese flavors. Mango Sago drink was also a nice surprise, highly recommend getting that! read more

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Went here for the first time. Their spicy wontons wasn't good. Felt like they microwaved it and it was a bitter taste. Their mango sago was very good though. I got the bao bei bowl which was good but needed a bit more seasoning and the rice was just really soft. The young gentleman at the counter was nice. read more

Bao Bei - Bao Bei Bowl - Taiwanese Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

This was probably the most disgusting finding I have ever had! My Bao had hair How do you not see this before serving? read more

Bao Bei - Bao Bei Bao - Taiwanese Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

I highly recommend Bao Bei! Absolutely delicious Taiwanese street food in Rockville. Love the incredible flavor and texture of their buns. I ordered veggie Bao Zi, Toasted Sesame & Scallion Breads and the Golden Veggies . I googled restaurants with a vegan option and boy was I pleasantly surprised with this place. I will definitely be revisiting this place. Also customer service was absolutely outstanding. If you are in the rockville area and just want something different check this spot out and I will leave it at that. read more

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It's a delivery only place and the reviews and descriptions sucked me right in. Order was via grubhub so nothing here is related to ambiance or service. We got the bao buns, bao bei bao and a rice bowl with pork. Also a mango drink. Honestly, it was all pretty meh. The sauce lacked a lot of flavor and the pork texture was gross. It smelled nice but the bland flavor and texture was hard to get past. We wound up chucking half of it. read more

I stopped by an Oktoberfest in the front of the plaza where this shared ghost kitchen is located (two other places are also here). They did have a booth out front, but no tofu bao buns. Not a problem, as I parked in back. They didn't have much going on, but were probably putting buns together for the people out front. I had a bit of a wait for one bun, but it was worth it. I've never had tofu as delicious as this, except from a Yelp event some time ago where we were introduced to this fabulous kitchen. The braised tofu was sweetened from the peanut sugar. Didn't know that was a thing! The bun was super tender. This was such a treat on a beautiful fall Saturday afternoon. read more

Finally had a chance to grab some food from here and it was a solid bao. The pork belly was the star of the meal, fatty, tender and tasty. The bun however was just okay. It needed to be softer and more moist I feel. My friend got the tofu one and he didn't like his and def was not impressed with the bun, but again, my pork belly one was fire. I ordered for pickup on a Saturday and it was ready within 15 mins, and the store is behind the building, inside a garage. Simple pick up and go type of spot, no places to sit and eat. I'll def say you should try this once if you haven't had their bao. read more

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LOVED the XL chicken, tastes very similar to a chicken I had in China a while back called big big big. read more

Bao Bei - The Big One (XL Fried Chicken) - Taiwanese Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

I don't live in Rockville but I love trying all the good Asian eats whenever I'm in the area. Today we were in the area and found this place that we were so excited to try. I love Taiwanese street food and everything on this menu sounded delicious, plus so many amazing reviews! Unfortunately, I was not blown away. The good: the sesame &scallion bread had lots of toasted sesame on top and was loaded with scallions inside. Sometimes scallion pancakes barely have any scallions but this bread was layers of goodness. The swirly buns were soft and not too sweet, just how I like it. The nutty mochi was squishy and just what I was hoping for. The bad: the pork chop bowl and the popcorn chicken with basil were both too salty. I did enjoy the flavors and especially the pickled greens that came with the bowl but just wish I could enjoy it without the sodium overload. Spicy wontons is a fave of mine but these were just ok; I've definitely had better. Now the most disappointing part was the bao buns. Maybe our expectations were too high for a place called Bao Bei but the bao was not even fluffy. It was dry and dense and not as soft as it should have been. We have had our fair share of bao buns from all over the place (including grandma's homemade) so we have lots to compare to. Maybe it was an off day and the dough didn't rise the way it was supposed to. Typically my kids will pick off the bun just to eat on its own but after one bite, both kids had no interest in these. The Tofu looked really dry and dark, I didn't even want to try it. The Pork belly was super fatty too. We ordered 3 bao thinking we would all be fighting over them and instead we have 2 left that nobody even wants to eat. I loved the idea of this place. I'm always looking for good Taiwanese eats but sadly, this was not it :( read more

Amazing food , the restaurant is crowded for a good reason, the food !! The staff is welcoming , always smiling, amazing experience! read more

Great veggie bao zi and customer service. Fast, efficient, and friendly customer service

I stopped by for mango sago as I had a hankering for a sweet drink. The sago was delicious ( not too sweet or watered down with some fresh mango chunks). Cute new place with friendly service. I plan on returning to explore their menu. It's located by Montrose Giant with plentiful parking. read more

I am surprised I have not yet reviewed Bao Bei and I've been a fan since their food festival booth and ghost kitchen days! I finally made it over to the new location and I am over the moon at how great the service is and how tasty the food is! The minced pork in the Bao Bowls and Bao Buns are the perfect texture and flavor. When I'm craving Taiwanese food, this is where I'll be! read more

Mother in law recommended us to try this place as they finally had a brick and mortar. It's located next to honey pig by the target on bou ave. The store itself is decorated with various drawings relating to baos or pigs which were all very cute. The menu is very concise in terms of what is being offered, baos, bowls and drinks. We opted to try two of their baos, the xl chicken and their rice bowls (not pictured). The chicken had that nostalgic seasoning on Taiwanese popcorn chicken, outer coating was not overly heavy and the chicken was quite juicy. The bao bei bao was the traditional braised pork belly bao, the flavors were all very balanced between the nuttiness of the peanuts and the sourness of the pickled veggies. The tofu bao had a millet bao which was different and the tofu was also quite flavorful. Similar to the braised pork but in firm tofu. The rice bowls we got both had the braised pork from the baos but also braised ground pork. All of this fed 4 people which wasn't bad on portions as the bowls were quite dense, however a bit pricey in comparison to other shops. read more

Bao Bei - The Big One (XL Fried Chicken) - Taiwanese Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

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A newer place in Rockville that my wife wanted to try. Her brother recommended it to her and thus I went out there to try it. Looking at the place from the parking lot and street level, it looks like the windows are all steamed up. In reality, I think it is just something they applied to the window that gives it that look without drenching their customers in steam. Cool effect! Upon entry, I saw a diverse group of tables. There were many who were also waiting to pick up their takeout order. This was around 5pm on a Saturday. The interior looks clean. The back kitchen looks large. There is enough seating for about 30 people in the dining area. We wanted to try a sampling so here are our comments: The Bao Bei platter is delicious. I saw a guy sitting by himself devouring one while I was ordering so I had to try it. The flavors and textures were spot on. The sesame scallion bun was interesting. I was expecting a white bun with scallion and oil on the inside. This version had sesame seeds on the outside, with some scallions on the inside. The flower was more coarse than the typical fluffy bread bun at other Asian places. Interesting.... It would be interesting if they had something like this but substituted it with some SWEET redbean paste inside. I think that would go better with the sesame seeds. The large Taiwanese chicken is thinly sliced, battered with (I think it is potato starch?), fried, and sprinkled with some paprika looking powder. This was delicious. I loved the outside crust which had the perfect crunchy/crispiness and had the perfect ratio to the thinly sliced chicken. I will definitely order this again. The Bao Bei bun was good, but the pork belly I had in mine was not as tender as the ones in the platter. It was good, but I'd rather have two smaller buns in one order than the burger sized bun in one order. Before I left, I went into the bathroom (his/her) to wash my hands. It looks clean inside. All in all, I'm glad this place opened up in Rockville. It provides an additional option to the many restaurants nearby. I recommend trying this place out. I'll be coming back to try the pork chop platter next time. read more

1st time here after I read a lot about the restaurant. So glad that they have a brick and mortar restaurant. Everything was delicious. Pork belly a bit on the fatty side. Owner, Kevin was friendly, interacted with customers for feedback. That was a nice touch. read more

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Head chef, please train your front staff better to control your main pork rice dishes quality. I'm afraid you may loose customers if this is not well maintained in long term. We love your rice dishes but with my last recent last visit, our plates were full of oil at the bottom, we both felt like we were both eating pork rice mixed with an oil soup, not the juicy juice from the stew pork! Fried pork chop was also full of greasy oil. Please control the fat/oil on the stew pork and fried pork chop before putting onto the rice to serve to customers. Otherwise, you will loose more customers. We really felt we were dumping oil/pork fat into our body instead of enjoying authentic Taiwanese rice dishes... Will i revisit you guys again? I don't know, we felt so greasy and unhealthy after the meal, don't know if i can convince my husband to visit again because the feeling after eating wasnt pleasant. 3.5 over 5 stars. Please control your quality and train front staff seriously and strictly. This poor experience didn't happen when you were at the warehouse location. read more