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    Formosan Restaurant

    4.0 (324 reviews)

    Formosan Restaurant Chinese Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    FORMOSAN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Priscilla R.

    This place a little hidden. But, if you find it. You definitely will not regret coming.. They are welcoming, asked how we found them..We actually found it on Instagram. The location is not super fancy. But, we didn't come for that. We came for the food. Not getting to the food. The food is, fresh and flavorful. The portion is a good size. Justin the owner was very nice and wish him the best. He told me he makes the chili oil himself. Which I could not leave without grabbing one.

    Sizzling plate noodles
    Christopher W.

    Sizzling plate dishes combining meat of choice with noodles and sauce of choice, either mushroom or black pepper. Plates come with soup or salad and garlic bread, and all dishes also available as rice plates with 2 sides. Taiwanese comfort food!

    Beef noodle soup
    Elizabeth P.

    This is a small hidden spot in a business plaza. The beef noodle soup portion was pretty large and the meat was tender. The flavor was intense and different. It came with a side of pickled veggies. The chili wontons were bomb. The chili crisp was delicious. I could just have ordered a few of these for lunch. The chicken steak was interesting. I like the idea of the sizzling plate but the sauce was not my favorite.

    Lu rou fan
    Karissa C.

    Came here as a party of 3 on Saturday around dinner time and the place was pretty full. We ordered the lu rou fan, coulotte steak, and pork meatball vermicelli noodles. Lu rou fan 4/5: todays side dishes were curry and zucchini. The side dishes of the day change every day. The meat on the rice was a bit fatty. The zucchini was pretty ok and so was the curry. The tea egg was super flavorful and the best part of the dish imo. Coulotte steak 3.5/5: this came with some garlic bread pieces and some corn soup. The corn soup was kinda starchy and the meat was also pretty standard. Pork meatball vermicelli noodles 2/5 : probably the most basic. The meatballs were a bit hard and the noodles were meh. Overall probably wont come back but i overheard some others enjoying their food so maybe I just ordered the wrong things.

    House salad (comes with teppan meal set)
    Mindy L.

    Having spent 18 years of my life in Taiwan, I have to say I am very happy with the food here. We ordered the teppan meal dual set with fish and pork as this Taiwanese item is hard to find in most Taiwanese restaurants. If you're not familiar with what a Taiwanese teppan is, it's basically a cooked piece of meat served on a cast iron plate (called a teppan, which literally means "iron board") with spaghetti noodles and a sunny side up egg. This is served alongside a choice of black pepper or mushroom sauce on the side, which you then drizzle over your food prior to digging in. This teppan meal is always prefaced with a bowl of corn soup, a lettuce salad with a thousand island-like dressing, and garlic toast. Needless to say, formosan restaurant did this just like in Taiwan! We got our corn soup, thousand island dressed lettuce, as well as garlic toast first. Then after we had finished munching on our appetizers, the sizzling hot teppan plate arrived with the sauce on the side. I was so excited they did it right (not to mention super nostagic)! Our pork and fish meat were both seasoned well (not overly salty, since it's meant to be eaten with sauce) and cooked right. There was no tough or chewy meats here. Wonderful! The only one slight modification I would make is that I found my mixed sauce a tad on the sweet end. Nevertheless, it was still tasty. After we had finished 90% of our meal, my friend still wanted a few more items so we added chili oil wonton, and pork braised rice (lwu rou fan), both were delicious and hard to stop eating. Our party of three left very satisfied. On top of that, we felt very taken care of as our waitress was super diligent about keeping our waters refilled, checking up on us, and clearing out empty plates. This is the least Taiwanese thing about this place, haha, but in a good way of course. Can't wait to come back!

    Stewed chicken and rice
    Grace Y.

    Formosan's food is always consistent. Same goes to the service. Whether they get super busy or you're the only one there, they give you the same level of curiosity and service. The menu is both English and Mandarin with plenty of pictures to help you decide. You can order in English or Mandarin. The place is clean just right for a Taiwanese restaurant. The sizzling plates are always a hit. I always get the meat with fish with pepper and mushroom sauce. It comes with soup and salad and garlic bread on the side, just like in Taiwan. Since that's my to- go dish. Never a miss. Being adventurous this time, I got a rice dish instead. It came with veggies, curry and minced meat on top of the rice. I've seen different combinations of veggies and side dish. Don't be picky- trust the chef. Unfortunately there's not many Taiwanese restaurants in this city that's worth trying. This place is definitely a hit. I'm glad this one is still standing.

    Just eat it. You won't be sorry.
    Camille R.

    I'm always down for chili wontons. When a new place popped up in my feed, I scheduled a visit. I got off work at 2pm but started freaking out because they close at 230pm and reopen at 5! I was gonna miss my chance for a sit down experience...so I reluctantly called and ordered them for pickup. I had to go to Sprouts nearby so I decided to eat them in my car before going in since eating them at home would take too long and they wouldn't be fresh anymore. I must've had the best 15 mins of my life in my car. The wontons were SO GOOD. The chili oil wasn't super hot, and they also sell it in store! I plan to go back and (sadly) order to go again, but I plan on buying a jar of that chili oil! A must try. Still want that sit down experience so I will have to plan a weekend venture there soon.

    Kevin L.

    Found this place on IG. Always knew this restaurant was around the area but never got to try it but new ownership seemed to spell new menu items. Was drawn to the teppan Taiwanese steak. This is something endearing to me as I used to eat this in Taiwan and very nostalgic. Ordered the New York steak teppan. The meat was nicely cooked. What was the highlight was the very rich and flavorful mushroom and black pepper sauce. Topped with an egg and noodles. This hit home. Remember this was very close to the flavor you can find in Taiwan. Also had the fried rice and minced pork rice. Overall the teppan was the winner. Just for that I would come back and highly recommend for any Taiwanese steak cravings.

    Popcorn chicken
    Joann C.

    Updating my review! I haven't been to Formosan in years and saw some high reviews. I decided to try it again and happy to report the quality and taste is back. They have a new owner and I saw huge improvements in the menu, dishes, and service. Everything was fantastic. The food at the restaurant tastes pretty close to the flavors of Taiwan. Appetizers: special taiwanese sausage, fried tofu, and popcorn chicken are my favorites! Entree: pork chop sizzling platter with mixed sauce and spaghetti. This also came with 2 slices of garlic bread, a small salad, and small corn chowder Drink: love the Thai tea

    Pork chow mein
    Ken C.

    Formosan Restaurant is a small Taiwanese steakhouse that offers your steak of choice served with a flavorful sauce over your choice of rice or spaghetti. I chose a coulotte steak (aka picanha) over spaghetti with black pepper sauce ($20.95) and it comes with 2 pieces of garlic toast, corn soup, and a small side salad. I thought value was pretty good, the black pepper sauce was nice and peppery, and I liked having it with some spaghetti. It reminded me of when I was a teenager eating this in the SGV with my Taiwanese friends. They say that they use choice grade steaks here and the steak was cooked to my preferred level of doneness (medium). It was refreshing to have steak prepped taiwanese style, but I would rate it as 3 stars (A-OK). It was essentially what I was looking for: simple and satisfying, but not extraordinary. My wife had their pork chow mein, which she felt was lighter on flavor than my chosen dish. I think that she would order something different if we were to return.

    Cute board with the different sodas
    Julia H.

    Came here to try the Taiwanese steaks. Had these as a child in the night market but never liked the noodles so happy to see the rice substitute. The corn soup was pretty good. Flavor was light and needed to be slightly sweeter or salter. The salad is your typical iceberg with thousand island dress and the bread was nicely toasted. Next came the steak which was good and big portion as well. Had the mixed sauce but might try just the pepper next time. The oyster omelette was pretty spot on but just needed more sauce. Service was great with the water coming by several times. We'll need to come back for the rice plate dishes.

    Chicken & pasta on the sizzling plate
    Yvonne W.

    Found this restaurant based on the Yelp reviews. I have to say the reviews were true. The chicken & pasta on the sizzling plate was super authentic and delicious. Everything we ordered was amazing and exceeded our expectations. So glad that we found this gem in the neighborhood. Will definitely come back again soon.

    Gloria C.

    I absolutely love this place. Not only is it nostalgia wrapped up in a chicken steak, the service is great and they give huge portions! Everything is so well seasoned and I feel very safe and cozy when I eat this. It's hard to find the old Taiwanese griddle-esque meals and not only is this one, but it is done so well. Please support this local gem!!

    Fried tofu and the sauce was spot on! My favorite 蘋果西打 Apple Cider, was so nostalgic and takes me back to Taiwan instantly!

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    Formosan Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

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    Golden Phoenix

    4.1(787 reviews)
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    I'm back enjoying this delicious food on this beautiful Mother's Day 5-10-2026…read more As always this og spot is clean and although a bit eclectic this is a true mom and pop with a flair for solid good fresh made food without all of the fluff. The staff is welcoming and lowkey in this restaurant, place your order you can sit inside the restaurant or in your car while the order is made in a timely manner. Today's order is my favorite Shrimp Fried Rice and Fried Shrimp. Shrimp Fried Rice Tender shrimp and fried rice seasoned well with extra green onions. it's very good and some of the best fried rice I have eaten in the city of Long Beach. 10/10 Fried Shrimp Crispy clean so tasty and the bomb .com they're very good with the sweet and sour sauce. 10/10 Pepsi A can an of Pepsi served on ice is a perfect beverage and refreshing drink to enjoy with salty spicy and seasoned food. Please see my prior reviews for more in depth detailed information regarding other food items pictures menu's and recommendations. The portions are large enough for 2 1/2 servings and everything is fresh made to order. The food is delicious. What more do you want . Until next time. Shawn C.

    My mom wanted Chinese food for her birthday dinner. We only knew about this place due to social…read moremedia. We decided to try it out as we normally go to the same one or two places. It's in a small strip mall and doesn't look like much from the outside. Not very big inside. Fortunately we arrived early as it continued to get busier while we were there... We got the "family deal" which was $18.50 per person and that included 1 entree each, soup, 1 egg roll, 2 fried shrimp and fried rice. We also added an order of chow mein. It was a LOT of food. We had a ton of leftovers. It'll probably get us another 1-2 meals each! I thought that was a great deal. My mom enjoyed it a lot (which was the goal and what mattered!). My husband and daughter enjoyed it as well. I'm not super into Chinese food but thought it was fine. (I actually prefer leftover cold Chinese food). One thing that stood out and I really liked was that they serve a plate of crunchy chow mein noodles to start. I haven't seen that in quite some time. We like dipping them in sweet and sour sauce; although I didn't care that much for theirs, it was very runny, I like a thicker consistency.

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    L V Chinese Seafood Restaurant - The texture of this dish is WOW.. I suggest getting a saucy dish to pair with it or asking for the dish with extra garlic

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    This is hands down our favorite Cantonese restaurant! The food is always incredibly fresh and the…read moreflavors are amazing every single time we come here. You can really taste the quality in their dishes, and it never has that overly salty, heavy MSG taste that some places have. Everything tastes clean, fresh, and perfectly balanced. The service is always great and the staff is friendly and attentive. We've been here multiple times and the consistency is what really stands out--the food is just as delicious every visit. If you're in the Long Beach area and craving authentic Cantonese food, this spot is definitely worth checking out. Amazing food, great service, and a place we'll keep coming back to!

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    Northern Cafe - D5. Wonton in Spicy Sauce

    Northern Cafe

    4.1(1k reviews)
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    What I Ordered: Juicy Pork Dumplings ($11.99)…read morePan Fried Chinese Chives Pork Shrimp dumplings ($12.99) Wonton in Spicy Sauce ($11.50) Chicken Fried Rice ($12.99) Dry fried string bean ($13.50) Orange Chicken ($14.99) Kung Pao Shrimp ($18.99) Dan dan noodle ($13.99) Beef roll pancake ($12.99) Spring rolls ($3.50) Jasmine Milk Tea with Boba Food: The Pan Fried Chinese Chives Pork Shrimp Dumplings. I absolutely loved the crispy bottom layer because it added such a satisfying crunch to every bite. The inside stayed really juicy and flavorful with a good balance of pork, shrimp, and chives. The Juicy Pork Dumplings had soup inside, which was rich and savory. I've had soup dumplings before where the wrapper breaks apart too easily, but these held together nicely while still staying soft and delicate. The Wonton in Spicy Sauce was my personal favorite from the entire meal. The spicy sauce flavor was savory with a little sweetness. I'm typically not good with spice, so this is at a spice level that should be very manageable for everyone. I absolutely loved the spicy sauce, so I started putting it on everything. Definitely put the sauce on the chicken fried rice! The Chicken Fried Rice was a great dish to pair with everything else that we ordered. With several orders of entrees, a solid rice dish is a must order for any Chinese meal. The rice had a nice savory flavor that I enjoyed, and there was a generous amount of chicken mixed throughout the dish. I even asked the waitress if they do anything special with the fried rice because it tasted better than many other restaurants. It felt comforting and balanced compared to some of the heavier dishes. The Dry Fried String Beans were cooked perfectly with a slight crispness while still being tender. The garlic and seasoning gave them so much flavor that it honestly didn't even feel like I was eating vegetables. I do have to note that these were very much on the salty side, so if you don't like foods that are too salty, I would choose a different dish. The Orange Chicken was really crispy and juicy, which I appreciated because soggy orange chicken is always disappointing to me. The sauce had a nice citrus flavor while still keeping that classic sweet savory taste. The Spring Rolls were simple with vegetable filling on the inside with a crispy outside. I would try a different appetizer next time. The Kung Pao Shrimp was packed with flavor and had a really satisfying combination of textures. The shrimp were tender, and the peanuts added a great crunch to the dish. I thought the sauce had a really nice balance of spice and savoriness without becoming overwhelming. Another dish I really enjoyed was the Beef Roll Pancake. The pancake itself was nice and chewy throughout each bite. The sliced beef with green onions and sauce all wrapped together made every bite really flavorful and satisfying. For drinks, I ordered the Jasmine Milk Tea with Boba. I really liked that the jasmine tea flavor was noticeable instead of being overly sweet like some milk teas can be. The boba had a soft chewy texture, and the drink itself paired perfectly with the spicy and savory dishes from the meal. Staff: All of the staff members were quick and friendly Ambiance: Indoor seating only. A good amount of parking in the parking lot that is shared with other shops in the plaza.

    My family has been coming to this spot for a little while already, and I have been able to try a a…read morefew different things on their menu. I have liked everything I've tried, but I mainly love coming for their noodle soups! The noodle soups are really yum, very filling, and you can choose what type of noodle you want!! I believe they have knife cut, flat noodle, and a round noodle (?). But I personally really like flat or knife cut for the soups! Most recently I tried the chicken chow mein and it was good! Only thing is we ordered it spicy, and in all honesty it's really not spicy at all! Lol I would have preferred more of a kick, but that's just me maybe! The plates are shareable here which is really nice cause we can always try different things! One main thing I recommend is definitely the beef roll pancake!!! It's so sooo good! One of my fav things on the menu! The inside is clean. Not a super huge place, but I never have felt crammed or uncomfortable. Last time I went the girl helping us was so nice and attentive even when they were really busy!

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    Sam Woo Cafe - Steamed Rice Noodle Roll w/Shrimp

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    4.3(958 reviews)
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    as a certified dim sum lover, every dish from here really hit the spot! my friends and i came here…read morepretty hungry on a saturday afternoon, so we ordered a lot from the menu and left super stuffed! the restaurant gets pretty crowded fast, so beware of at least 30 mins - 1 hr of waiting during peak times. favorite dishes: - baked sweet custard bun: i loved how flakey the exterior was and how warm and sweet the custard filling was! one of my favorite bites from my meal! - steamed rice noodle roll w/ shrimp: this is my all time favorite dim sum dish, and sam woo does it really well! we ordered like 2 of these since they're a crowd favorite hehe - baked BBQ pork buns: i'm usually not the biggest fan of these because they tend to be too sweet, but i really enjoyed how these ones were more savory and not overly sweet! also the meat to bun ratio was really good! - pan fried turnip w/ sausage rice cakes: also one of my favorite dim sum dishes, and they executed it well! i liked pairing this with the fried rice too - salted fish & chicken fried rice: a really solid fried rice! i liked how the salted fish wasn't too salty or fishy, and it was a great protein to have with the fried rice. other dishes ordered, all classic ones and nothing bad to say about any of them! - chinese broccoli w/ oyster sauce - baked egg custards - shrimp harrow - hong kong style sausage buns - pork & shrimp shiu mai we also got the sea salt cream green tea and it was alright, nothing special and the sea salt cream wasn't as salty as i would have liked. pretty refreshing still to have with the meal. overall, i really enjoyed my meal here! the food came out really fast after ordering. the servers were constantly running around but were still able to flag down easily. parking can get really busy since it is a super busy plaza, so you may need to park a little further and walk over. i think sam woo is definitely worth the crowd tho!

    The service staff seriously need better training. While clearing dishes, several plates were…read moredropped on the floor and shattered, sending pieces flying near customers, and nobody even apologized. Food was also brought out carelessly -- instead of placing it properly in the center of the table, it was almost tossed onto the side like they were in a hurry and didn't care. I really don't like spending money to be treated this way. Definitely not a place I would come back to. We had to call several times before anyone finally came over. I understand restaurants get busy, but customers are the reason employees get paid and receive tips too. No matter what kind of work it is, I think people should do it with a little more care and sincerity. The whole experience just felt disappointing.

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    Formosan Restaurant - chinese - Updated June 2026

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