We just moved to Waltham and drove by this place, so we decided to stop in and give it a try. Their pastry selection and drink menu both looked promising, and we ordered two different Thai teas, a mochi dessert, and a mooncake. We went with 50% sweetness for the drinks, but they ended up tasting surprisingly bland, so maybe the sweetness level here is a little different from what we're used to. The mochi dessert was just okay and didn't leave much of an impression. The mooncake was also a bit disappointing, mainly because the texture was pretty soggy instead of having the texture we expected. The shop itself was fun to explore, with plenty of interesting drinks and pastries to choose from, but the items we tried were a mixed experience overall. Still, it's a fun local spot to check out at least once. read more

Formosa Taipei - Chinese Near Me - Lexington, Massachusetts

Formosa Taipei is a take out only spot for Taiwanese cuisine. The menu has a lot of options. The scallion pancakes were crispy and yummy. The sauteed string beans were cooked perfectly and the chicken with garlic sauce was delicious. The service was friendly and efficient, and our food came out quickly. The space is very small with no seating area. Prices are reasonable for the quality and portion sizes. Free parking is available. read more

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Formosa-Taipei in Lexington is basically a takeout Asian restaurant focusing on classic Chinese and Taiwanese comfort food. The on-line ordering process is simply and then allows for pick up (they also do deliver) within their restaurant without the need to interact with anyone at the restaurant. Food is clearly labeled and on a shelf at the requested time. Parking is right in front next to several other restaurants and a bakery. Appetizers and entrees are good in a very traditional sense. Nothing too special, but everything is good and as to be expected. For this review we ordered vegan table fried rice, vegetable lo mein, pan fried pork dumplings, General TSO's chicken, sautéed string beans and chicken with mixed vegetables. I recommend Formosa Taipei for your traditional experience of Chinese comfort foods. read more

Best orange beef I've ever had. Perfectly tender with such incredible flavor. I found a favorite spot in Lexington!!

One of the best Taiwanese food places you can find , reasonable prices , great tastes and fast services. Too bad they no longer have sit in tables, but it does not hurt the food experiences. read more

Formosa Taipei never disappoints! Their food is fresh, light and delicious! Always friendly and on time and the restaurant is immaculate. read more

Formosa Taipei - my favorite pan fried pork dumplings and spring rolls! - Chinese Near Me - Lexington, Massachusetts

Food is ready fast at this Takeout place with all your dim sum favorites on the menu. Plus tasty and fresh Chinese and Taiwanese food. Love the shumai, sesame balls, and steamed pork dumplings. I have also had home style tofu with veggies. Fresh and hot! read more

Good food. Good service. Good ambience. Good food. Good service. Good ambience. Good food. Good service. Good ambience.

Came here for the first time with a friend and ordered takeaway. We ordered the broccoli fried tofu, fancy beef wrap, fried sweet sesame balls, seafood and vegetable noodle soup, and the chives pocket. Total came out to around $50. What's Hot - Quality. Pretty good flavor and seasoning. My seafood and vegetable noodle soup had a good amount of seafood- squid, large shrimp, and scallops. There were a few pieces of bakchoy and plenty of seasoning. The fancy beef wrap was flavorful and tasty. My friend liked her tofu dish, which came with a nice sauce and plenty of rice. - Menu variety. Pretty impressive, especially because there is a part of the menu that is specifically dedicated to Taiwanese dishes, which I appreciate. It's not easy finding Taiwanese food, so that this place has it is something noteworthy. They're also vegan friendly in addition to being vegetarian friendly, which is a plus. My friend is vegan, so that there are plenty of options for her to choose from is definitely helpful and appreciated. As silly as this may be for some, their menu is also in Chinese. As a native Californian, who grew up with a good amount of awesome Chinese restaurants run by immigrants- this is legit. - Prices. Pretty reasonable. - Service. Quick and efficient. Not only is the food prepared quickly, but no mistakes in the order, which is great. - Takeaway packaging. Very efficient and well wrapped. The broth and seafood for my noodle soup was in a separate container and tied in its own plastic bag. The noodles were in a pretty decent size bowl. Each food dish was in its own separate container and sealed properly. They use the stereotypical Chinese box containers for some items, which is also helpful, because they're recyclable. - Portions. With the exception of some of the chives pockets and sesame balls, which I mention below, the portions are pretty good and enough to get you full. - Health and safety. During this time of the pandemic, they're not allowing anyone to dine-in. They only have a small space for dining in, but it's important to be aware. Additionally, we saw their staff wear masks and there's hand sanitizer available. There's also a clear plastic divider between the customers and their cashier. What's Not - Quality. Their chives pockets and sesame balls were lacking. Their chives pockets are super small and fried. Traditional chives pockets are supposed to be pan seared, because the dough wrapper is not supposed to be thick. That they deviated from what traditional chives pockets are supposed to be is disappointing. Their sesame balls aren't that bad, but they aren't that sweet or chewy, which is what they're supposed to be. They're a dessert, after all. Definitely not something I'd order again and wouldn't recommend. - Portions. The chives pocket and sesame balls were really small, which surprised me. The chives pocket were half the size of my hand, which is pretty small. I've had chives pockets made overseas in Taiwan and other Chinese restaurants in the states. They're meant to be big and should be big enough to be split between two people. Definitely not that. Same for the sesame balls. Each sesame ball was the size of a golf ball, which is smaller than what I'm usually used to. The chives pockets and sesame balls were not good value for money. Final Answer Do plan on coming back, but will be more picky as to which items to order. read more

Formosa Taipei - Fancy Beef Wrap - Chinese Near Me - Lexington, Massachusetts

Spicy beef noodle/mee fen soup (DM23) is very good, but be careful not to get the wrong order NR09 Me Feng with beef which is much less tasty and lacks flavor. Fancy beef wrap comes in four pieces for $12, ok tasty but not as good value as other dishes. read more

This place is usually very good. Tonight's order was disappointing. Ordered pupu platter and spring rolls,crab Rangoon,chicken fingers and chicken on the stick were overcooked. Shocked that they had the nerve to actually serve it. They are a takeout place so you don't see the food until you open the items at home. Won't be ordering from them anymore. read more

We just moved in town and never expected this restaurant to be so good!!! Great people, taste and mostly fresh food. Definitely going back and back for more. read more

Be forewarned that this restaurant has no seating inside. It is purely a carryout establishment. despite the name of the restaurant, the food is nothing Taiwanese. I would say that every single dish came out a little bit unexpected and odd. You could tell that they were trying to cut corners by not using the right kind of pork for the classic Taiwanese minced pork rice. The oyster egg dish had the wrong kind of greens in it and the wrong consistency of egg. The popcorn chicken was also flavorless. if you are desperate for Chinese food you're better off going to panda express or something similar. This place is nothing like what you would expect from a proper Taiwanese restaurant. read more

Crab rangoon portion and taste was good. The General Tsao's chicken on the other hand was dry in some places and not really crispy. When biting through a piece, some of them did not look or taste like juicy chicken - more like dried meat jerky? Also found a piece of thin light colored hair stuck in the sauce. Was not very pleasant. read more

Small mostly-takeout joint that has three small tables for eating in. That description sounds like the typical crank-it-out Chinese American where you order over a counter, but this place is the complete opposite: roomy despite the lack of tables, and pretty low key. Similarly, dishes arrive in plastic containers with clear lids, but don't let that put you off: the food here is of much higher caliber. Hot & Spicy Minced Chicken: An extremely generous portion, at first glance almost entirely meat. This looked like a dish for beginners, but there were some interesting additions, like plentiful but well-spaced cilantro and little nuggets of fermented radish or bean that brought an unusual briny element to contrast the spice and faint sweetness. It's a combination that begs for return visits, both during the meal and in the future. Twice-Cooked Pork: Large shredded pieces, not that moist, augmented with bell peppers, cabbage, and a sauce that had some kick and depth. Probably the closest dish to the sauce standard of most suburban Chinese, but not at all gloppy, much less sweet, and much more oily. Solid enough, but not worth revisiting. Flounder Fish Fillet in Black Bean Sauce: Large, incredibly moist chunks of unbreaded fish, understated in its gentle saucing. A really nice respite from the hot stuff and healthy to boot. Noodles in Peking sauce with pork: Long, thick noodles that weren't too chewy or too soggy. Densely packed with nuggets of pork and a mostly savory sauce with faint sweetness. Flounder in chili sauce: Big bowl with enough to serve 4 easily. Tender fish, heavy peppers, minced garlic, plentiful sauce. Ma po tofu: Standard tofu but some unexpected heat tingle in the sauce (different from the flounder's chili sauce). For what it's worth, a very high percentage of the clientele I've seen on 3 visits so far have been Chinese. I've had no misses, but some of the hits have been more spectacular than others, so I have the feeling that much more than most, the enjoyment here is dependent upon which dishes you order. So if in doubt, discuss with the manager what you're looking for and you'll probably wind up happy. read more

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A coworker where I was working at temporarily suggested for me to check out this spot. As a yelper I definitely marked it down and made an effort to go there to check it out. When we got there I do have to mention, along with all the other reviews that this place has a very limited amount of seating. This restaurant is more along the lines of a take out spot. But to me I didn't really mind because what I was there for we're two things: the Taiwanese beef noodle soup and the soup dumplings. Because other than my mother's beef noodle soup (which is pretty much impossible to beat, of course) I wanted to eat it because it's so hard to find it anywhere. And the verdict? The beef noodle soup here is pretty awesome. I have to say the spice was there, and the portion for what I paid was well worth it. I was surprised that there was a large population of Taiwanese people in Boston, and because of that I think it's a direct correlation to why it was pretty great. The soup dumplings were pretty awesome as well, as a matter of fact after this meal I got my coworkers addicted to it. If you're looking for a quick place to get a good bowl of Taiwanese beef noodle soup, this is a place to check out. Just realize that the seating here is really limited. read more

Formosa Taipei - Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup (Spicy) - Chinese Near Me - Lexington, Massachusetts

The beef with tomato is my absolute favorite. The general gau/tso is the best in the area! Consistent and delicious!

The best take out around here. I especially like the crispy duck and the mo sho pork. I am working my way through the specialties, all good so far. read more

We were not happy with the food here. The food was bland. Although my husband only enjoyed the roast pork buns. Other than that, we were not fans. read more

Tasty Chinese takeout restaurant that serves both good Chinese-American takeout and spicy Sichuan dishes. I had a random craving for sesame chicken from my old days of eating Panda Express at work, so it was time to find a good Chinese takeout place. It also had been a long time since I had spicy boiled fish, so it excited me that the menu of this restaurant had both. The sesame chicken was served in bigger, juicier chunks that the orange chicken I ate at the Panda Express I frequented. I added extra vegetables for a small surcharge. When I opened my tray, I did notice that there were more pieces of broccoli served with the sesame chicken. I'd say the right amount for what was charged. There was one chewy piece, but for the most part the sesame chicken was what I was looking for. The flounder fish bowl was very good. It was my preferred dish of the two. The bowl is filled with chunks of white fish that are spicy, moist, and tender. I appreciated how the restaurant was not afraid to throw in a decent amount of Sichuan peppercorns, which gives the dish its characteristic numbing spice. From a overall heat level, it wasn't as hot as I've eaten at other restaurants. There was enough though for me to consider it a "spicy" bowl. I didn't read the menu carefully and was a little surprised that these dishes were not served with rice. It might have been mentioned on the menu, but throw in a container of rice or two for a few extra bucks if you want something to soak up the tasty broth from the fish bowl. I enjoyed my two takeout entrees at Formosa Taipei. read more

Formosa Taipei - Sesame Chicken with vegetables - Chinese Near Me - Lexington, Massachusetts

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This place has Taiwanese breakfast! TAIWANESE BREAKFAST!! That alone makes it a must-visit in my book. Fancy Beef Wrap 牛肉卷饼: Delicious! My favorite dish so far. Hot and crispy on the outside, luscious savory beef on the inside, aromatic onions add to the flavor. Mini Juicy Pork Bun 小笼包: $7 for 8, one of the best deals I've found in Boston! These were good but not the best. They weren't as juicy as the ones from Taipei Gourmet, but they are definitely worth the price. I would definitely still recommend them. Salt Pepper Chicken 咸酥鸡: We got the bone-in version for $9 instead of boneless for $11... BIG mistake. It seems like they indiscriminately chop chicken parts and fry them to make this dish, and there were bone shards everywhere, both big and small. It was very unappetizing to have to feel that CRUNCH when eating tender chicken meat, or having to pick out shards of bone from every bite. I really don't know how people could eat fried chicken this way... get boneless or don't order this dish at all. It still tasted good and spice-y, but it was also a little soggy. Crispy Dough Stick 油条: Taiwanese breakfast!!! A staple. No more explanation needed. These are amazing -- getting them as takeout means they end up a bit soggy by the time you get home, though. Pan Fried Little Pork Buns 生煎包: These aren't crispy enough on the bottom. Filling and dough are both on point, though. Spiced Soy Custard 咸豆花: Only available on weekends, but an essential breakfast food. Yum! Sweet Soy Milk 甜豆浆: Same as above. The staff are friendly, but note the restaurant is quite small. This is primarily a takeout place. Support your local businesses during COVID-19! read more

The food here is amazing! The staff is so kind.This is my family's favorite choice for take out !

This place is bomb! Really excited to have found a good Taiwanese place in New England. I grew up in LA and am Taiwanese, so my standards for Taiwanese food is pretty high. A lot of Chinese food places in New England have been disappointing since I moved here. Formosa Taipei did not disappoint though! I got the xiao long bao, pan fried pork buns, shumai, fried pork chop over rice, and fried chicken breasts over rice. The XLBs and fried pork buns were on point! Shumai was a little salty but overall flavor still good. The pork chop and chicken cutlets were delicious! Bento size was pretty big too. They were still a little lacking in flavor compared to some of the Taiwanese places in LA, but it definitely is the best Taiwanese food I've had so far in New England. My favorite is probably the fried pork buns. I'd definitely come back just for those! Looking forward to trying the beef stew noodle next time as that is usually my standard measure for a Taiwanese food joint . Excited I found this place! read more

Was in town for business and used Yelp to order delivery. I am a soup person so I ordered the hot and sour as reading the reviews it seemed different- and it was. I am used to dark broth but this was a pale yellow. It was interesting and vinegar like, almost more like a Thai soup. Not sure I would order it again but it was still good. I also ordered scallion pancake, one of my favorites. It was a little rubbery but that's normal when it's takeout because Of the steam buildup in the takeout container. The flavors were excellent though. The star however was the crispy wontons in the spicy peanut sauce. This was AMAZING and reminds me of a dish I get at a African restaurant by my home. The sauce was the killer and so creamy with just the right heat. I could have been happy just eating this alone it was so go. The beef was tasty and portions were plentiful- though some white rice with it would have been nice. The pork buns were good and had a nice amount of meat with a slight sweetness with I think some brown sugar sprinkle on it. The buns were soft and done well. read more

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They always have delicious food and great service. Try fancy beef wrap! It's the best

Awesome for anything. Good try, my family likes 水煮鱼, it's so great taste and we will order again.

Authentic Taiwanese breakfast items = the perfect to-go food for my family and me!! We ordered the youtiao (油条), shumai (烧卖), shrimp dumplings (虾饺), fancy beef wrap (basically scallion pancake wrapped around beef and some sauce), and xiaolongbao (小笼包). Everything was fresh and was ready within 15 minutes. Back when I was in high school, Formosa Taipei was always one of the businesses that was generous enough to donate a platter of food to our annual Asian Night. Super affordable and definitely a business worth supporting!! Can't wait to come back!! read more

We recently enjoyed a lovely take out from this place. The customer service is great and so are the prices for the good quantity/quality they serve. Lots of options on the menu including Taiwanese, Sichuan and Chines-American dishes. We had Beef noodle soup , Me Feng Singapore style and Sautéed String Beans. All the 3 dishes were tasty. Looking forward to trying some Sichuan style dishes for our next take out. read more

I greatly enjoyed the salt and pepper wings and oyster omelette. In my opinion, order from the Taiwan specials section, and you won't be disappointed. My spouse ordered some usual Chinese-American dishes and found them just alright. read more

OMG - this is the only place that I get the fried pork chop over rice that comes with a soy egg and pickled veggies. They make it the old school way, the way I like it, with all the accoutrements. I go to Allston/Brighton and the trendy places try to modernize that dish to a detriment. I haven't tried anything else here b/c if I'm craving that traditional Taiwanese meal, I come here! The last time I got it, the deep fried coating on the pork chop seemed slightly improved . My only gripe was that the pork chop completely covered the pickled veggies, so I didn't even notice the mustard green relish until I was halfway through the dish. At first, when I opened the styrofoam container and didn't see pickled mustard greens, I thought they omitted it from the dish. I'm glad the chef kept the original recipe and presentation. I can't wait to come back to get this again! read more

Consistently fresh food and steaming hot at pick up. This place is a hidden gem, great take out spot! They tend to sometimes go heavy on the salt, but are accommodating if you make them aware of dietary restrictions. Great family owned small business, happy to support them. read more

Not bad for some quick take out. Crab Rangoon - Tasty and fresh. Chicken Fingers and Spring Rolls - Tasty too but I wish they were crispier. Hot and Sour Soup - My first time having it with vegetable stock, as it was a veggie version - pretty good. It's lighter, and obviously doesn't have the meat flavor but still works. The General Taos Chicken was a disappointment. It was alright at best. Pretty soggy, no crisp. The chicken was a little funky and the sauce was too sugary and not much flavor. I was looking forward to it too. Also the fried rice was very old, cold and bland. Maybe if they added more vegetables and gave more TLC to it. Fried rice usually is left over rice, but I've had much better. It tasted like old, bland, microwaved white rice. Chicken Teriyaki - Meh. Given the lack of a good Chinese food restaurant and dives that are ironically left, this place is worth a try. read more

Food was terribly packed. This is how it looks by the time I got home. Plastic bag broke right away. Half is the food came out of container and ended up in the plastic bag. read more

Formosa Taipei - Half of the food ended up being in the plastic bag after I arrive home - Chinese Near Me - Lexington, Massachusetts

Always great when I've been in town over last several years, love sesame red bean balls!

The food is delicious!! They will always prepare it the way you like it- for instance we like the steamed chicken and vegetable dish with the sauce on the side. They are very fast in delivering!!!! read more

We have gone here in the past and loved it. We went tonight and the food was very different. The rice was wet and sticky. Teriyaki was tasteless. We were very surprised based on our past experiences. Not sure if there was a change of ownership, but it was definitely not the same quality as we had in the past. read more

I have ordered their brunch menu dozens of times since 2018. They have some of my favorites like soy milk, fried dough, beef wrap, soup pork buns and chive pockets. All taste great and authentic. Their price though has risen by a lot during pandemic, up+50%. read more

Delicious pad Thai! Always delicious. Huge portions; means leftovers for lunch the next day! They always accommodate my requests .

Best takeout gem for closely authentic Taiwanese cuisine! My husband and I were looking for some good local food spots and swung by with high hopes after such a terrible experience (both food and service) at another local Taiwanese cuisine restaurant. So we ordered beef noodle soup, popcorn chicken, twice cooked pork over rice and sweet soy milk -- some native Taiwanese favorites. This place did not disappoint! Also, the service was amazing and fairly quick for takeout. HIGHLY recommended; just keep in mind no true dine in option at this place. read more

Formosa Taipei - Beef noodle soup, popcorn chicken, twice cooked pork over rice and sweet soy milk - Chinese Near Me - Lexington, Massachusetts

A small place with very limited seats. Most people order take-out here. Staff is friendly. Boba tea (4/5): The boba tea was surprisingly the best one among all items I ordered. Can taste brown sugar, very soothing. Steamed mini juicy pork buns (3/5): The "xiao long bao" was ok but the skin was a little thick. Salt & pepper fried chicken (2/5): I was very disappointed by this one. It was different from typical taiwanese fried chicken I would expect, and it was obviously overcooked. read more