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    Chef Cho

    4.0 (247 reviews)
    ModerateTaiwanese
    Closed 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 4:30 PM - 8:00 PM

    Order Chef Cho Takeout or Delivery

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    CHEF CHO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Chef Cho

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    It's a Taiwanese fried dish, it was okay
    Janey L.

    We enjoy good Taiwanese food even if we need to drive a little farther. We haven't been able to find good stinky tofu in the South Bay for many years. We are so happy they have really good stinky tofu here! It's not for everyone, but almost every table orders this. We ordered two orders for 3 people. I would be back just for this dish.

    Stella W.

    Great Taiwanese place! Probably the best stinky tofu and oyster omelette I had in the US! Hubby's beef noodles soup was excellent! Broth was flavorful! Popcorn chicken was all dark meat! So soft and juicy!

    Takumi A.

    I first visited this spot a few years ago, and passing through Newark again reminded me to come back. The name "Liuhe Night Market" might make people think of the famous market in Kaohsiung--known for smoky grilled meats and stir-fried eel, with the sweeter profile of Southern Taiwan. But make no mistake: the cooking here is pure Northern Taiwanese style--savory, balanced, and generous, without that heavy sweetness. The dish that truly impressed me was the fried fish soup. The fish chunks were perfectly fried--crispy outside, tender inside--but what makes this bowl extraordinary is the addition of dried flatfish/sole in the broth. In Taiwan, dried flatfish is the soul of a proper geng soup: without it, it's never authentic. Finding that here in California was a moving surprise. Even better, the flavor is balanced in the Northern style. Pro tip: ask for white pepper and black vinegar--that's when it tastes exactly like the real deal. The oyster omelet was also outstanding: crispy edges, lots of large oysters, and a sauce that's unmistakably Northern Taiwanese. The braised beef noodle soup--brisket, wide noodles, and house-made pickled mustard greens--sits firmly in the red-braised tradition. It reminded me of the long-gone Zhengzhou Street Beef Noodle Row in Taipei: an old-school flavor that's hard to find now, yet here it feels alive again. Round it out with Taiwanese sausage with garlic (ask for extra slices) and stinky tofu that's unapologetically pungent, balanced by lightly sweet Taiwanese-style pickled cabbage. Generous portions, deeply authentic flavors, and a chef who clearly sweats the details. It's not Kaohsiung's Liuhe--think of it as a Northern Taiwan version--and it's a gem. -- Dr. C Only writing for what truly earns the stars.

    7. Stinky Tofu
    Yikai L.

    A solid taiwanese spot with plenty of authentic taiwanese dishes. We ordered stinky tofu, oyster pancake, salted egg and bitter melon, sauteed clam with basil, and hsinchu duck noodle. I loved the stinky tofu, very crispy and flavorful. Oyster pancake was fine. Clam was not bad but theres more shell than meat lol (not really a fulfilling dish). Duck noodle was also decent. The melon was on the crispy / raw side which I don't particularly like, but it's personal taste. Overall a solid 4 star. The place was rather empty when we arrived on a sunday night. High chair available.

    9. Stir Fried ried Lettuce ($15.95)
    Rachel L.

    Like walking into your grandmother's home! The sweetest little mom and pop shop with comforting and authentic Taiwanese food, although dishes run on the saltier side. Definitely have to eat everything with rice! Food is also really affordable and well-portioned. Would be back when I'm craving some fresh and authentic taiwanese food. We were greeted upon entrance and the nice old lady took our order and gave recommendations. The place itself has tons of seating and a bit out of date (they still haven't taken down the sushi pictures from the previous restaurant). Very casual vibes and great for takeout as well.

    Pork Belly Bento
    Tony J.

    I ordered a pork belly bento and small sausage in big sausage. The pork belly bento was very homestyle, with several large slices of red-braised pork belly, rice topped with small bits of pork belly and soy sauce, and side dishes of cabbage and carrots as well as tomatoes and eggs. Small sausage in big sausage is a night market specialty which is very hard to find in the US, so I'm glad they're one of the few Bay Area restaurants that have it. Unlike the original version, they decided to put their own refined twist on it by cutting it into sections, adding a slice of garlic to each section, and garnishing it with a sprig of cilantro. They also added peanuts to the glutinous rice sausage, and the whole item is about twice the size of the night market version.

    14. Chitterling rice noodle soup
    Cindy T.

    Being Taiwanese, I'm always thrilled to patronize Taiwanese restaurants, which are few and far between in the Bay Area. My family and I had dinner at Chef Cho's on Saturday night. When we arrived at 6:30pm, the restaurant was mostly empty, which had us second guessing our decision to eat there, but by 7pm, it had completely filled up. I could tell many of the other patrons were Taiwanese, which was a good sign the food would be authentic. Another good sign was that everyone working in the restaurant looked like a Taiwanese Auntie or Grandma. I had trouble with ordering as I know my favorite dishes by name, but I can't read Chinese and the English on the menu was minimally descriptive. Thankfully, the auntie/waiter patiently answered my questions and guided us on how many dishes to order. Would Definitely Order Again 1) Stinky tofu: Crunchy and pungent. Probably the best stinky tofu I've had in the Bay Area. If I'm being nitpicky, the pickled cabbage on the side needed more crunch and tartness. 2) Small sausage in big sausage: This was so yummy even my pickier child liked it. (Note: Make sure to pair each bite with a raw garlic slice - it completes the dish.) 3) Sauteed clam and basil: Delicious. The clams were fat and fresh and paired perfectly with the aromatic basil. Might Order Again 4) Chitterling Rice Noodle Soup: There were so many tasty dishes on the table that this was under-appreciated during dinner. We enjoyed it much more as leftovers, particularly the soft chitlins. 5) Sha-cha beef: Good flavor and the veggies were spot on. My husband and I thought the beef was overly tenderized, but the kids didn't mind. 6) Beef fried rice: The beef was again overly tenderized, but everyone loved the fried rice itself. I'd prob order it with a different protein next time. Would Not Order Again 7) Steamed meatball (ba wan): My daughter liked it. I thought it was just ok - I missed the reddish-orange garlic chili sauce the dish is supposed to come with. It wasn't bad by any means, but there are so many other delicious things on the menu that this is unlikely to make the cut next time. 8) Ground pork noodle soup: This was meh. It was bland in the restaurant and bland as leftovers. Overall, we really enjoyed the food. The dishes that we liked, we really really liked, and my kids are already asking when we are going to go eat there again. It'll probably be pretty soon.

    Joyce L.

    I would typically rate this place a 2 star because of the slow service (or lack of), mediocre food and its cleaniness. But since there was only one older lady serving the entire restaurant, I figured she was doing her best. The stinky tofu was decent (could deep fry a couple more minutes) and since not a lot of places serve this dish, I really appreciated it. I took my oyster pancake home because I didn't want to get sick eating raw oysters. The ground chicken onion roll was the worst. It was mushy, overly sweet and mixed with too much flour, making it tasted doughy/powdery. At the end of the day, I shouldn't really complain because the price was very reasonable.

    Jasmine L.

    5 years later, Chef Cho's is still one of the best Taiwanese restaurants in the bay. Apparently, there are folks petitioning to stop them from selling stinky tofu, so they have a poster you can sign when you walk in to support their stinky tofu. Support the stinky tofu! It's delicious and there aren't many restaurants left that sells authentic Taiwanese stinky tofu in the area. Get their Taiwanese street snacks, you can't really go wrong. My favorites are, of course, #1: stinky tofu. But their taiwanese hamburgers (gua bao) are delicious. Taiwanese sausage, deep fried ground chicken onion roll, rice cake cooked in a barrel, etc. are all good as well. Homey, authentic flavors - like your grandma made them. They do get packed on the weekends!

    4. Oyster Pancake
    Jia M.

    A cute and friendly family business! This is my first time having oyster omelette in the Bay Area and it did not disappoint! They give a good amount of sauce. The Lu Rou Fan was also not bad! I wish the portion size was bigger though.

    Sausage fried rice
    Supardi D.

    If you're looking for an authentic mom and pop taiwanese restaurant. This is the place. Very cozy vibes. Most customers are regular who is craving for true taiwanese food. The aunty is very friendly and talkative. Very attentive and kept asking if we need anything else. The uncle sometimes came out and check the customer. Ordered Oyster Omelette. Truly yummy. Goey in the inside, enough Oyster with some greens and Crispy on the outside. The red sauce hit the spot. Even mixed the red sauce with my fried rice. The only thing like somebody mentioned, you can smell some of the oyster, rather fishy. At least I didn't get anything. I have sensitive stomach. Sausage fried rice is on wok hei. Felt the burn. Not enough seasoning. Wish they only used 1 type of chinese sausage. They used 2. Will come back for other local taiwanese cuisine.

    Truly authentic Taiwanese food The flavor is really fantastic, as if you go back to Taiwan.

    stinky tofu and oyster pancake
    Elaine W.

    A Vietnamese American coworker came over from Florida for a conference, and the first thing he asked me was "Do you know a good stinky tofu place?" According to him, the stinky tofu places he's tried in the U.S. have all been "not stinky enough, and need more stinky!". Even Milk & Honey Cafe didn't cut it. So we came to Chef Cho's and that turned out to be the ticket. My coworker was a happy camper and declared this place to have the best stinky tofu he's ever had in the U.S. The lady serving us was considerate. We told her some of us were vegetarian, so she offered to use mushrooms with the mapo tofu without us needing to ask, and made sure to assure us whether each dish was vegetarian as she served it. Everything was absolutely delicious. My white Floridian coworker who were also with us became a mapo tofu fan. Afterwards, I chatted with the lady in Mandarin and she said that she used to marinate the stinky tofu for 8 days to achieve its pungency, but then received complaints from neighbors about the smell, so she had to halve the marinate time to 4 days. She hopes to gradually increase the marinate time to 5 days this month. Even with the decreased marinate time, the tofu was still pleasurably pungent; the Vietnamese coworker loved this place and happily signed the petition for them to keep serving stinky tofu. I really liked it too and will bring my family here to eat again.

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    The food was perfectly seasoned and the service was excellent. We had a wonder experience.

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    Chef Cho Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Chef Cho

    Is there sitting to accommodate a group of 10 or more people inside the restaurant?

    they a a few large round tables that can seat ten, else they can probably combine some of the other tables together.

    How stinky is the stinky tofu? I've been searching for VERY stinky stinky tofu in America for ages.

    Complaints of the stinky tofu smell from nearby eateries to the Health Dept (Chef Cho passed all requirements) AND to the landlord, so they decided to make it a little less stinky but not diminishing the authentic flavor.… Read more

    Is Chef Cho closed for renovation?

    It reopened in 2022.

    View All 4 Questions

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    Taiwan Porridge - Fremont

    Taiwan Porridge - Fremont

    3.8
    (115 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    Not what I expected. For fast food and on the run, maybe. Otherwise, not for me…read more The sausages didn't feel they were cooked enough. The chicken dish, what an unexpected cold chicken. I'm sure for those not are use to it, go for it. Anyway, best to you and your business.

    I honestly can't believe I never knew this place existed! I am a huge fan of porridge, and this is…read moreofficially my new favorite spot. The first thing I noticed is how spacious the restaurant is. It's clean, open, and has a great atmosphere. If you've had a "crazy night out" and are looking to recover from a hangover, this is exactly where you need to be. There's something about that warm, soupy bowl of porridge that just brings you back to life the next day. The best part about this place is the variety. You get your porridge and then you head to the counter to pick out all the different sides to eat with it. We went with a solid mix: Braised Squid Perfectly tender and savory. I got the Chinese Squash with Scrambled Egg which a great, light comfort dish that goes perfectly with the texture of the porridge. Also get the anchovies these added that perfect salty crunch. I can't remember the name for these Crunchy Black Mushrooms but these had a great "snap" to them and were soaked in flavor. If you love Taiwan-style porridge or just need a solid meal to settle your stomach, you have to check this place out. The selection is huge, the portions are great, and I felt 100% better by the time I walked out. I'll definitely be a regular here!

    Photos
    Taiwan Porridge - Fremont
    Our yummy treat!
    Our yummy treat!
    Taiwan Porridge - Fremont

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    Taiwanese Eats

    Taiwanese Eats

    4.3
    (210 reviews)
    10.1 mi

    got their fantuan (rice roll) to go…read more it's a takeout spot operating out of a shared ghost kitchen, so don't expect a dine-in setup the fantuan was a nice quick bite and a good option when you're craving Taiwanese breakfast flavors on the go simple, convenient, and satisfying for a grab-and-go meal

    Was really excited to try out Taiwanese Eats on my drive up. I was able to order ahead and got the…read moreregular sticky rice roll, soymilk, braised pork rice bowl, and a side of the spicy garlic pig ears and yuzu wood eared mushrooms (about $45 before tip). Parking was pretty awful since the pick up spot is located in a random neighborhood amongst some industrial sites. I had to double park and hope that picking up my food would be quick. About 4 other people arrived the same time I did, all for UberEats or DoorDash. I received a text as I was stepping out of the car that my order was ready, but had to wait a few minutes for someone to come to the window as there was no way to flag anyone down. She had to go back to the kitchen area to grab my food as none of the orders she had initially come out with were mine. The sticky rice roll was truly very sticky- I had to peel off some of the excess rice but the filling inside was good and very flavorful. The soymilk was good too, not too sweet and paired well with the rice roll like a traditional Taiwanese breakfast. The braised pork rice was pretty standard, and out of the 2 side dishes, the spicy garlic pig ears was definitely way better compared to the wood eared mushrooms. I liked that they sliced the pork ears really thin but they could've cut the pieces up a little smaller. The mushrooms were bland, wouldn't order again. Overall, the food was good but not outstanding. The difficulty in location and parking makes it a big deterrent on returning in the future.

    Photos
    Taiwanese Eats
    Fan Purple Sticky Rice Roll with Pork Floss 原味紫米飯糰
    Fan Purple Sticky Rice Roll with Pork Floss 原味紫米飯糰
    Black soy milk & purple sticky rice roll with braised pork, pork floss, chinese fried dough & mustard greens.

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    Black soy milk & purple sticky rice roll with braised pork, pork floss, chinese fried dough & mustard greens.
    Taiwan Cafe

    Taiwan Cafe

    3.8
    (483 reviews)
    10.9 mi
    $$

    im a huge fan of taiwan cafe and wish they could open up another location on the peninsula or in…read moresf! this was my second time at the restaurant and i got the oyster pancake, hot and sour soup, meat ball, and a-choy. note that the hot and sour soup doesnt have any meat. the a-choy was lightly cooked and had subtle flavors, perfectly cooked in a homestyle manner. i highly recommend taiwan cafe and can't wait to go back!

    Food is okay, but very rude service. There's nothing wrong…read moreabout the food, but no highlight either. I like the sauce more than pork feet itself. However, I experienced very rude service. A waiter told me they don't take credit cards when I was trying to pay. I was like, okay, maybe I should have done more research before I went there. So I tried to talk to him to see if there's any other options, like Zelle or Venmo, or maybe I can go to a nearby ATM and get some cash. He ignored me and did not respond, and left. I walked around, was finally able to get a waitress who was willing to talk to me. I explained that I didn't know they only took cash and I wonder if I can pay through other ways. She pointed at the wall and told me "it says on the wall", sounding like blaming me for not getting cash ready. Yes, maybe I should have read all the signs on the wall, but I really don't enjoy being blamed when I did nothing wrong. Assuming credit cards as one of the payment methods is not my fault, just how the society works. Anyway, I was able to pay them via Venmo, but I did not enjoy the experience at all.

    Photos
    Taiwan Cafe
    / Fried Rice with Sakura Shrimp
    / Fried Rice with Sakura Shrimp
    / Oyster Pancake

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    / Oyster Pancake

    Chef Cho - taiwanese - Updated July 2026

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