What started out as a successful pop-up is now a full-service eatery with a rotating menu of Taiwanese tapas. Good To Eat is dinner only from Wednesday -Saturday. The inside dining space is minimalistic but chic. You can also eat at the counter by the bar. Outdoor dining is plentiful, and with heat lamps and string lights it is a lively option. The restaurant's philosophy is to be inclusive and many of their staff are from the LGBTQ community. The staff were super friendly and service-focused when we were there, adding to our dining experience. As for the food, the Taiwanese dishes here do not adhere to a traditional recipe, but rather it is Taiwanese cuisine with a modern twist. The Lou Rou Fan, for example, does not feature a stewed egg or mustard greens that would be standard at other Taiwanese eateries. Those looking for stinky tofu would be disappointed in not finding it here. What we did tried, however, were more like upscaled Taiwanese flavor-inspired dishes. We started with the grilled whole squid with house side pickle, and the Dou Bao (layered tofu sheet). The squid was excellent with the smoky grilled taste and we loved the perfectly fermented Chinese kimchee. The Dou Bao was unique in that the tofu sheets were served grilled, rather than the chilled wet version I am used to. Following the server's recommendation, we had the bamboo shoots rice soup claypot, which was homey and large enough for sharing. We loved the Shrimp with Specialty Tofu Sauce Noodle. The tofu sauce was creamy and garlicky. The shrimps were fresh and crisp. Fried chicken is a Taiwanese specialty, and the Pepper Numbing Chicken Culet did not disappoint. The chicken was perfectly fried but the meat remained tender and moist. The Taiwanese sweet pepper numbing sauce was great over the fried chicken, and in fact, it is pretty much good over anything. The Taiwanese Minced-Pork Noodle is like a Dan Dan noodle, with fermented bean paste sourced from Taiwan. We were lucky that on our visit they have the Taiwanese Twins Donuts, which were like beignets, but made from sough naturally cultivated in house for 3 days. This was really yummy. You have to order the soft serves, which was named by SF Chronicle as one of the best soft serves in the Bay Area. We tried the black sesame oil with sea salt flakes, and also the plum sauce version. Both were delicious. read more

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Great little place with flavorful good looking dishes! Easy seating inside or outside ( could get a bit chilly). Team is welcoming and knowledgeable about the menus and selection of sake! Layered tofu, spicy noodles with eggplant and the house made kimchi with hint of lemon were the highlight of our table. Same as the fried mushrooms ( good variety of mushrooms). Great texture and fun little dish to share. Grilled squid is also a hit. I will go back to try some other items on the menu! It's a casual place that you see locals some young couples with babies and grandparents. You have to try this place. The kitchen looks fun and you can seat at the bar to see the action! read more

Super cute outdoor patio. Very cool, laidback vibes. Menu changes every 2-3 weeks! Interesting & gorgeous food. BBQ-fried chicken cutlet was yummy! 8/10 from me. The fry was delish and covered in a sweet & slightly savory sauce. Also enjoyed the Maitake Mushroom w/ Specialty Tofu Sauce Noodle. Pretty light in flavor, but creamy and buttery. Mushrooms were nice. 7/10 Service was friendly, but a bit slow. Nice and clean restroom. Heaters available next to all the tables outside, which was super nice given our windy and a bit chilly evening weather. Loved their aesthetic!! Overall, had a really lovely experience. read more

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Thankfully a diamond in the rough as one of the few restos in the area. Cute interior with tables and a long bar. Women, queer-owned, everyone was so welcoming. My dish was delicious, and surprisingly, the menu changes on a regular basis. Note that entrees do not come w sides. read more

Good To Eat - Lu Rou Fan (Taiwanese dish with minced braised pork in soy sauce and rice) - Taiwanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

GREAT staff and service, crazy busy joint (so show up early), sorta uninspiring menu and a lot of the dishes were quite bland. Altogether very clean food though, and a low-key treat kind of meal with really chill vibes. read more

Been wanting to try this place for a while. Home to both classic and modern Taiwanese dishes, Good to Eat offers a large menu of great flavors. The Lu Rou Fan, a famous Taiwanese pork & rice dish, was solid. The Taiwanese eggplant was a hit, with the vinegar, cilantro, and chili oil offer a beautiful melding of flavors. While the food itself was good, service was on the slow side. Reservations are a must, else you'll likely need to wait upwards of 15 min any given evening. Additionally, pricing is steep for the food you get (i.e. $22 for one bisected eggplant). Ultimately, nice spot to experience solid Taiwanese style food. However the price for the quality make this a difficult spot for repeat visits. P.S. - was excited to try the Taiwanese basque cheesecake which in theory should have a liquid creamy center, however, the actual cake looked like it was pre-made and defrosted, so was only left with the Nantou black tea flavor (which itself was not bad) read more

Good To Eat - Cheesecake - Taiwanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

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Came her on a Friday a little before opening and we were able to get seated outside in the patio. Servers are all really nice and accommodating and we all really liked how they were thorough on explaining which dishes might fit our preference. The outside patio was nice since they had heated lamps to keep us warm. One con I would say is that the food did come out room temperature whereas I prefer my food piping hot. Lu-rou fan (4.5/5)- this was our tables favorite dish of the night. The rice was sticky and was coated beautifully from the pork fat which made every bite buttery and delicious. The pork was flavorful and cooked perfectly. A-choy (2/5)- veggies were fresh but it was a bit too salty for my liking. Nothing really out of the ordinary with this dish. Eggplant noodles (4/5)- eggplant was cooked perfectly and was very flavorful! I thoroughly enjoyed the eggplant and the noodles under weren't too bad. Soaked up the sauce well. Sesame noodles (3/5)- dish was one dimensional and the noodles were al dente. I personally prefer my noodles cooked ever so slightly longer. Chicken cutlet (4.5/5)- the chicken was moist the crust was crunchy! Delicious dipping sauce. Pineapple chicken wings (4/5)- chicken was cooked to perfection but felt very strange to me since it was on the sweeter side. It took me a couple of bites but I ended up liking it. Oolong tea cake (3/5)- really wish the cake had a richer oolong tea flavor but I liked how soft the cheesecake was. Overall true rating is 3.8/5 stars read more

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Good to Eat is aptly named. Dishes are delectable, inventive creations that leave you wishing that you had room for more. By all means, come (and return) for the food. We visited Good to Eat for the second time on a cold mid-December evening. We arrived shortly after the restaurant opened at 5 p.m. and, upon passing through the propped open front door, saw that there was not yet a line and were only a few parties already seated, which left plentiful tables, a happy sight since the restaurant doesn't accept reservations for parties under six. After greeting us, the friendly and loquacious host explained that the dining room was colder than it had ever been and that, though counterintuitive, it was actually warmer to eat outside on the patio under the heat lamps. We checked out both options. Psychologically, it somehow felt more comforting to be indoors on a wintry night, so that's what we chose. It was indeed very cold inside (to the extent that the couple next to us left shortly after being seated), definitely not the ideal atmosphere for a leisurely meal. I understand that, as a tenant, you only have so much influence over the state of the space that you rent, however I would have expected the restaurant to do what they could to adapt, such as supply blankets and space heaters and keep the front door closed. After ordering, we were taken aback when the servers presented the plates in such quick succession that, at one point, we had five dishes on the table at the same time, two appetizers and three entrees. When I asked our primary server if we could stagger future courses, she replied that they had already been fired. The speed of service made me feel rushed and prompted me to eat faster than I would have liked to at a special-occasion, start-to-the-weekend evening meal. Further, the two-top where we were seated was barely large enough for all of the food, when served at once, forcing the servers to repeatedly Tetris plates. Overall, the frigid dining room and lack of timing in service colored our experience: three and a half stars for a remarkable meal served by gracious and professional staff at a pace and in an environment that were disappointing given the price point of the restaurant. read more

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one of my favorite cuisines of all time is taiwanese food, and as a girl with no car who grew up on amazing south bay taiwanese food stuck in berkeley, you know i was ready to ride the 36 down to emeryville for this. service is pretty slow and they don't take reservations, so you always have to wait in a 15-30 minute line outside, which kind of sucks, but the staff here is so nice i can't even be mad. the restaurant is also really nicely laid out and has a more upscale ambiance than the taiwanese restaurants i grew up eating at, so plus there. sad to report they don't have the classic dishes like beef noodle soup (牛肉麵) or stinky tofu (臭豆腐) or even the taiwanese night market foods like 豬血糕 or 肉圓. i was pretty thrilled to see braised pork rice (滷肉飯) or lu rou fan on the menu, but was bummed because it didn't taste like the lu rou fan i grew up eating. (not quite as dark brown in color and didn't have as much of that silky gelatinous mouthfeel that comes from the skin and fat in the pork belly.) however, a lot of the other dishes we tried were really good! i loved the seasonal clam dish they had, and their eggplant noodles were also amazing. next time, i think i'll order just the eggplant though because the noodles were really filling. overall, good to eat is a great restaurant for introducing people to the taiwanese cuisine and a decent spot for hitting a taiwanese food craving in east bay. read more

Good To Eat - fu ru fried chicken and seasonal stir fried clam dish - Taiwanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

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I have have this place on my list for quite some time. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this place. It reminded me of the newer, cute and trendy places in Taipei. I think the lighting was very bright white (think being in an office) for the evening, but other than that, the tables were nicely spaced apart so you weren't sharing tables or having to hear other peoples' conversations, but still cozy. The service was a little unattentive and slow. Even though we were seated immediately, it took 3 attemps of asking to receive water and no one came by to take our order. I eventually got up to use the bathroom. There was a line of 3 other people. By the time I came back, no one had come by to take our order still. Eventually we flagged down a different server who took our order. The portions were pretty small but priced like a full entree (for the type of food I felt like we were getting). We ordered the Tofu Cream Maitake noodles, Tofu Cubes (I think that's what they were called?) and Scallion Oil Noodles. Typically we order maybe 4 dishes or 5 dishes at a regular Taiwanese place but after we saw how small the dishes were for the price, we just kept it at 3. The Scallion Oil Noodles were fragrant and Crispy Tofu Cubes were really good. The tofu cubes were more like BLOCKS and had great crispy texture. That was probably our favorite dish. I had such high expectations for the tofu cream noodles but it was really bland, not "mild", it was bland. And the flecks of maitake were just lost in there somewhere. It was disappointing because I love maitake and tofu!! All in all, it was an okay experience but I'm glad we stopped in. I don't think I would come back but it's definitely worth one try! Maybe if we were eating meat dishes, we would have had a different experience? This vegan will never know. In summary, the food was fresh and well-prepared but the portions were small and too pricey for what it is. read more

We found this Taiwanese restaurant and decided to give it a try. We had the Lu Rou Fan, Taiwanese Sesame Noodles, and the Whole Squid "Yi-Ye-Gan" (一夜干). The Lu Rou Fan, braised pork over rice, was alright. But I preferred a richer, stickier texture from slow-cooked pork skin collagen. The Taiwanese Sesame Noodles tasted good, it has a really well-balanced flavor between sesame sauce and Sichuan peppercorn and chili, but it leaned slightly towards the sweeter taste. The standout of the meal was Whole Squid "Yi-Ye-Gan", it grilled to a perfect texture, and the flavor was on point. Highly recommended! Overall, I feel their classic Taiwanese dishes are enjoyable, but the restaurant leans more toward a fusion and fine dining style, which is a bit pricey in my opinion, and doesn't quite capture the feel of home-cooked style. read more

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I was able to snag a parking right across the street! I lined up and was able to get a table for two within ~10-15 minutes. Staff is super nice. I got a beer. The food took a while to come. The spicy noodles are good. I like the kick of spice and noodle texture. The tempura is special and it was so good! Crispy! The mushroom noodle was good too! The fried tofu was crispy. This was too salty for me though. Still good tho. The panna cotta and cheesecake were honestly ok but a nice sweet treat at the end of the meal. I'd be down to come again! read more

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We were seated right away around 8:30pm on Saturday. It was pretty loud inside. We got Lu rou fan, spicy noodles (because they were out of the sesame noodles), and the numbing spicy chicken cutlet. My husband also got the oriental beauty tea which wasn't how he expected. Two of our items came out pretty fast and the third took over 45 minutes even though our server said it was coming out soon 20 minutes before it arrived. We took the noodles to go without trying them since we had already finished eating everything else over 20 minutes before and I was ready to leave before they finally even came out. The rice and the chicken were good. We wanted to try the oolong cheesecake but they were out. They offered the cookies or soft serve instead so we ordered the oolong cookie. They also ended up being out of that cookie. I liked the food that we tried enough but feel like expectations could definitely have been communicated better. I would've rather left half an hour earlier than wait for dishes that were either out or going to take an unreasonable wait time. read more

Good To Eat - Lu rou fan - Taiwanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

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I stumbled upon this place when I parked right in front of it, while on my way to a brewery. The beautiful blue of the mural caught my eye, and then I saw pride flag, heard the clinking of utensils on plates, and I was drawn in. As soon as I walked in with my friend, we were greeted very warmly by the host, and were sat pretty quickly. I had never had Taiwanese cuisine outside of hotpot, so this was my introduction to it. And I have to say, it was an amazing introduction! My friend had recently gone on a trip to Taiwan, and was familiar with the selections, so he chose the pickled cucumbers, pepper numbing chicken, sesame noodles, and Lu-rou fan. Each dish was delicious! To drink, I had an aromatic and spicy ginger beer, and he had a lovely oolong tea. Our servers were very warm and welcoming, and made our experience that much better. Not to mention we didn't have to wait long at all for our food to arrive at our table! This place is a five minute walk from where I work, so now I have a go-to place for dinner when I don't want to cook at home. Thanks for the amazingness, Good To Eat! read more

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TLDR: Sesame Noodles, Fried Chicken. This is more of a Taiwanese-American Fusion place, rather than strictly a Taiwanese bistro. If you come in with that in mind, I think you'll enjoy it more. I certainly did. I really like the Fried Chicken. They fry it with the skin on, and it was juicy and crunchy. I didn't use the fermented tofu, because I feel that is too strong and salty. My wife tried some, and said it tasted just like the jar. I also like the sesame noodles, which was very QQ. My wife didn't like it that much, because she has no good taste in noodles. But if you like your noodles chewy, then DEFINITELY get it. I was a bit disappointed there were no dumplings of any sort on the menu, even though the backs of the waitresses' t-shirts show a whole bunch of dumplings and it's in the name of their online website. I also got the $6 peanuts, because I saw them selling it so I figured that must be a specialty. It was good... but tasted pretty much like the ones you would get from other chinese restaurants, albeit a lil spicier. The seasonal veggies (mustard greens) were sauteed simply with garlic and soy sauce. They were good, but again, nothing different. We also ordered a sha cha hot pot. I could definitely taste the satay bbq sauce, but I feel like it could be stronger. It was big though, and had mushrooms, veggies, tofu, and pork. However, the other dishes were quite small. My wife also REALLY liked the sake, even though it came in a small glass, and cost as much as an entree. She said it went down smooth, and wasn't too boozy. Lastly, we decided to splurge a little and ordered the oolong tea cheesecake, just because it was different. Sadly, I didn't like it that much. It was too bitter, and the cheesecake itself is very dense. The service was excellent. You know how sometimes, you ask the wait staff for a little more time, and then they end up giving you like 10 minutes TOO MUCH time? Well not here. She came back within a reasonable time and took our order. She often came by to check everything was ok. She even asked if this was a special occasion (which it was: My cutiful Bride's birthday). They didn't give us a free dessert, but at least it was nice of them to ask. Anyway, it's not 5 stars, because we wouldn't go out of the way to come here (it's about an hour from where we live), BUT if we were ever in the area, I think we would drop by. When we got there around 5:30, it wasn't too crowded. However, there was a line by the time we left (around 6:30). read more

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Hm... I'm Taiwanese and claim Taipei as one of my hometowns. Good to Eat is tasty, but certainly a more Asian-fusion, moderately Westernized take on Taiwanese food. I still appreciate it! My partner and I came across Good to Eat while out running errands. No wait upon walk-in on a weekday noon (though the lunch rush gets busy fast!). The staff are beyond lovely, knowledgeable, and seem to truly care about Taiwanese cuisine. I think some dishes are missing a bit of that umami "oomph" flavor typical of Taiwanese fare. The depth isn't quite there. It's almost like a dimension is missing. But I think if you go into this expecting fusion food, you'll definitely have a good time. read more

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It's possible that we ordered the wrong things, but we checked this place out on a rainy evening after first getting a drink at a bar down the street. We noticed the line out the door when we were at the bar so figured we'd try it out. We started with the eggplant and fried chicken wings. The eggplant was the most flavorful thing we ordered. The wings, while *VERY* crispy, didn't taste like they were seasoned at all- didn't even taste salt or pepper. It came with a pineapple habanero (?) sauce and that sauce packed HEAT, but again, not the most flavorful. We also ordered the clay pot- this was PACKED w veggies which I loved. The broth was (again) mild in the flavor department. I think this clay pot would have been perfect for someone who is sick. But we weren't sick. Again, maybe we ordered the wrong things. read more

Lu-Rou Fan -- a classic Taiwanese dish of pork and rice, it was nice warm and delicious. Eggplant Noodle -- sweet noodles with a sweet soy glazed eggplant, the eggplant was nice and tender. The noodles were chewy. The sauce was a mix of savory, sweet and spicy. Charcoal Roasted Oolong Tea Cheesecake -- super tiny cheesecake. The oolong nodes were very subtle the cheesecake flavor overpowered, I wanted more oolong flavor. Dou Bao -- crunchy tofu bits, has a nice nuttiness to it. Food is on the pricier side, for the portions given. The interior is decorated so nice, modern and clean. read more

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Came on a cold night for dinner. They have indoor and outdoor seating. There was a long line out the door when we arrived. So we waited maybe 30-45 minutes. We requested indoor seating but the wait took long as the restaurant was full inside and other parties before us were also waiting for indoor seating, so we decided to eat outside. Our server, Cindy, was so nice and accommodating. She gave us the rundown on the entrees we ordered, how they are prepared and what ingredients they use. The wait for our food wasn't long. Everything was delicious! read more

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I've been to Good to Eat a few times now, and it's always so satisfying. This time, we got the Lu-Rou Fan, Soy-Glazed Eggplant, Fu-Ru Fried Chicken, Yam Leaves, and the Sha-Cha Pork Claypot and each dish was packed with flavor and comforting in the best way. The fried chicken was crisp and savory, the eggplant was silky and sweet, and the pork claypot had that smoky, soul-warming taste. Great for sharing with a group so you can sample more dishes. The staff are friendly, the space is cozy, and they have seasonal specials, which makes every visit feel fresh. Can't wait to come back and try more! read more

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Came here at 5pm right when they opened and there was already a line! It went quickly though and there's a spacious outdoor area in the back for large groups and dog friendly. My favorites were the eggplant and the sweet potato fries with plum seasoning. I could eat those two dishes for the rest of my life. I'd skip the fried chicken wings with pineapple chili sauce for next time. Wings were very juicy but the sauce came on the side instead of tossed and the flavor wasn't as sweet as I hoped. For dessert, the oolong cheesecake was my favorite. The whiskey taste on the egg custard was too bitter for me but I also don't prefer whiskey. read more

Good To Eat - Eggplant - Taiwanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

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Good To Eat has been on my must-try list for a long time, and my friend and I decided to visit as I've been a little homesick lately. We ordered some Taiwanese classics: lu-rou fan, water spinach (veggie of the day), grilled mushrooms, and Manilla clams. The food was good, but unremarkable--it doesn't come anywhere close in flavor to the actual traditional Taiwanese roadside banquets that Good to Eat is inspired by. Paired with the high prices and miniscule portions, that claim almost feels insulting. Another reason why my rating is so low is because the service was non-existent. Our server only came by to take our orders and give us the check, but they checked in on the neighboring tables multiple times and had conversations with them. It felt like they were selective on who they were servicing, as they ignored another table next to us as well. If you're looking for authentic Taiwanese food, you'll have better luck going to Chinatown or the South Bay. I wish I did not come to this place. read more

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Always love coming here and the food is incredible! They have changed up the menu a bit, unfortunately they removed the dumplings which were so good but the new items are great as well. The staff is always very friendly and they walked us through all the changes and helped us to decide on some things to try. The inside is very warm and welcoming and makes you feel right at home. If you haven't been here yet you definitely need to try! read more

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Second time back to the "new" location in a month and it was delicious. We appreciate quality ingredients. So far dishes we'll keep ordering kimchi (weird sweet but good), tofu squares (best iteration of this I've had), clay pot special (I didn't love the mini shrimp but the flavor of this broth had so much umami and the pork was fabulous), fried mushrooms and the ice cream. The ice cream is special, made in house with organic milk, vanilla beans, special Japanese strawberries from a local farm. We like the servers and the line moves fast. Patio is dog and kid friendly with heaters. read more

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I've always heard so many good things about this place and finally had a chance to try it! Elevated Taiwanese cuisine - the descriptions on the menu don't do it justice, we found ourselves surprised in presentation and cooking method in how multiple things came out! We all loved the eggplant dish- huge meaty cuts - almost steak like, I loved the way they prepared this. The spicy pepper fried chicken was great- ultra crispy and tender at the same time. The clay pot pork dish was actually a hot pot?? Felt very deceived - usually when I read clay pot, I associate it with the method of clay pot rice. This was still good, but probably wouldn't have ordered it if we knew it was basically a hot pot dish. The shrimp and tofu sauced noodles- again felt deceived when they used dried shrimp! Loved the fried youtiao made in-house at the end, thought it was interesting that they didn't call it that on the menu- instead labeled as "fried doughnut" (which it also is!) - maybe makes it easier for the audience to understand. But again a bit tricked yet again because I'm expecting 3 mini doughnuts instead of a youtiao to share. I do think the descriptions could benefit from being more specific in indicating what to expect whether it's through cooking method or something. I was going to say adding pictures could be beneficial but they mentioned that they rotate the menu every couple days so ‍ All in all, it was a lovely experience with pleasant staff- a bit pricey but the entire experience does feel elevated. read more

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A friend and I dropped by on a Saturday night for dinner and it was pretty busy. The wait was short though and the people working there were so sweet. It was really helpful that they explained the menu to us. We ordered: Lu rou fan - so good! flavorful pork that just works so well with rice Bbq fried chicken cutlet - had a nice crunch and wasn't too oily A-choy - my friend loved it. I also really liked it too even though I don't usually order dishes with only veggies in them The portions are a bit pricey for the size but are delicious and definitely worth a try. read more

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One of my husband's and my favorite restaurants in the Bay! We love the quality of the ingredients and food, AND you can seriously feel the love and care that goes into the dishes! Some of our favorites: 1) sparkling charcoal oolong tea - it's bubbly and so refreshing! 2) dou bao (grilled yuba) - flaky and crispy with a great splash of lightly sweet sauce 3) Lu Rou fan 4) all their fried chicken (I can't eat it due to allergies, but my husband nearly always gets at least one of the many fried chicken dishes they have) And they continue to evolve and add to their menu. Recently we had their minced shrimp lettuce cups - excellent texture and flavors! I loved the interplay of the cold lettuce and warm minced shrimp filling. And, they also recently added sweet potato fries with plum powder which is *chef's kiss* We always find there are great vibes there, especially with excellent staff and service. We go often and highly recommend others who enjoy Taiwanese food to come! read more

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Was full at the end of it and love the idea of a changing menu. My favorite was the eggplant. Perfect spot for date night in the outdoor area, the lights are really pretty at night and they have heat lamps. Staff are also all so friendly read more

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Unfortunately, this was one of the worst dining experiences I've had. Paying $8 for a cup of tea is already hard to justify, but it wasn't even hot enough. The restaurant seems to be trying to position itself as an elevated, upscale Taiwanese spot, yet the flavors were very underwhelming. The only somewhat interesting flavor was the kimchi -- and even that was $8 for a tiny side dish served in a very small cup, which is honestly ridiculous. Another major issue was the temperature. The restaurant was freezing cold inside, to the point where I was sitting in my jacket the entire time, unable to focus on enjoying the food. It's hard to enjoy a meal when all you can think about is how cold you are. To make things worse, the food came out one dish at a time, which felt awkward and almost funny considering how small the portions were. Overall, extremely disappointing experience. I was not impressed by the food, the value, or the comfort of the space. I will not be coming back. read more

Good To Eat - Taiwanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

I've been to Good to Eat several times now--with my wife, my daughter's friend, close family friends, co-workers, and neighbors--and it's become the spot I recommend first. I grew up in the Bay Area on my mom's Taiwanese cooking, and Angie and her team don't just recreate those beloved flavors--they elevate them with fresh, seasonal ingredients that keep me coming back. In my opinion, this is a Michelin Guide-worthy restaurant. The sake list is a gem: a thoughtful curation of small craft bottles that pair effortlessly with the food. The wait staff is always joyful and delightful, with spot-on recommendations. I love asking for pairings and dish suggestions--I always discover something new that fits the night's menu perfectly. My go-to orders: exquisitely cooked seasonal greens (from yam leaves to pea shoots), Taiwanese minced pork noodles, Manila clams, minced shrimp lettuce cups, soy-glazed Taiwanese eggplant, garlicky green beans, the fried tofu block, and the pepper-numbing chicken cutlet. Tonight's standout was a special: apple loofah with clams, dried shrimp, and thin flour noodles in a light, umami-rich clam broth--a delicate counterpoint to the bolder plates on the table. Every person I've brought here leaves already planning their return and who they'll bring next. If you love Taiwanese food--or are ready to fall in love with it--Good to Eat is an Emeryville treasure. Thank you, Angie, for making food that tastes like home and still surprises me every time. Five stars without hesitation. read more

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Service was great. Calm, relaxed vibe on the patio. I enjoyed all of my choices: sesame noodles, grilled corn, and Bbq Tofu. The flavor profiles were subtle and clean. *Editing to add something I forgot: the bathroom smelled legit great (not fakey spray great) and it's because they had an actual candle burning in there. Unusual, and a very nice touch. read more

Good To Eat - Taiwanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

I don't think I've posted an updated review about all the times I've enjoyed Good to Eat in the last few years since they opened their brick and mortar. They continue to be one of my favorite restaurants Combination of delicious food, super kind service and a lively atmosphere, it's always a good time! I recommend coming with a larger group so you can order EVERYTHING and everyone can try a little bit of all the delicious things they offer. Must orders: grilled tofu skin, fried tofu and some sort of noodle dish! their golden kimchi is also really underrated read more

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Started with the "Two Hares" sake, gentle sweet rice notes with crisp finish. Slightly sweet, almost like a melon bar flavor. The dish I wanted to try most was the poached yam leaves with house garlic soy paste. They told us towards the end of the meal that they were out of it so we replaced it with their veggie of the day which was a type of bok choy stir fried in minced garlic. We will need to come back for the yam leaves to try next time! Ooooooh the "Pepper Numbing" Chicken Cutlet was sooooo goood. The fried layer was crisp and had a nice crunch and the meat inside was fairly thick for a cutlet. Highly recommend this cutlet. The eggplant noodle that was soy-glazed with GTE chili crunch was also tasty for the eggplant part. That eggplant was steamed or boiled and also pan fried. The eggplant is amazing, but the noodles underneath was mediocre at best. The whole squid "yi-ye-gan" was delicious and came with lightly pickled veggies that paired well together. I bit pricey for what I got, but would definitely try Good To Eat again for Taiwanese Tapas! read more

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If you haven't already been here..you're definitely missing out! Really tasty and interesting food! Don't skip the crispy folded tofu or the eggplant. Fried chicken is solid. Shrimp lettuce wraps were good but def needed some chili crips ($2 surcharge..I wasn't told this when I asked for chilis). Service is always solid; particularly appreciate the host here. There's indoor and outdoor seating. Gets real busy (only reservations for groups of 6+) so come early or prepare to wait. Not too much else in the area but totally worth the trip :)) read more

Good To Eat - Taiwanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

Food was delicious, fresh and on point. Ambiance was modern and lively. Service was friendly with the right amount of attentiveness. The only star off was for price. $44/ head after tax, before tip. read more

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"Understated name for very good Taiwanese-inspired food" Came here on a Friday evening just after 5pm, and we were surprised that many people were already seated both inside and outside. As you walk in, you have a view of the kitchen as well as a few items for purchase. The interior was bright and airy. We opted for outside-- decent number of tables in a slightly narrow corridor along the side (against a privacy fence). We ordered the Dou Bao tofu sheets, a mushroom special of the day, the GTE spicy noodles, Fu-Ru fried chicken, and a bok choy dish. All are "tapas style", so moderate rather than meal-size helpings. The mushroom special of the day was outstanding. We joked that we would have believed it was a squid dish if they had told us that (based on appearance and texture), and the flavor was outstanding. The dou bao sheets were also excellent-- I saw another Yelper called them "savory baklava", and that's a fair description. They gave about 9 "big bite" size pieces of that. I enjoyed the fu-ru fried chicken-- tasted similar to what you might get at a boba place but higher quality. My daughter was less fond of it though. The bok choy was pretty good but served in 3 awkwardly big pieces. The least interesting was the GTE spicy noodles-- it was "fine", but nothing to write home about, and definitely NOT especially spicy. 5 tapas dishes for the 3 of us was about the right amount of food, not leaving us hungry but not stuffed. And the service was great-- attentive, checking on us, good advice, friendly, etc. Price-- it's not cheap, but for Bay Area fancier dishes, seemed about the right price-point. Some other reviewers called it expensive, but I disagree given the provisos and the quality. Overall, definitely a good place to eat indeed. Check it out! read more

Swanky place with a nice ambiance to share some Taiwanese fusion dishes with good company. The classic dishes are more the southern Taiwanese style, especially the Lou Rou Fan and its use of 蔭油, a specific kind of soy sauce that has a sweeter, less salty flavor profile. You rarely find this in most Taiwanese restaurants in the bay that label their dish as Lou Rou Fan but actually serves minced pork rice. I'm being pedantic here but they're two completely different dishes, and the fact that Good to Eat knows the difference instills a lot of confidence that they know Taiwanese food. I also have to defend its use of pickles as a garnish that a fellow reviewer complained about. It's common in southern Taiwan to find Lou Rou Fan or Mi Gao / sticky rice garnished with pickled cucumbers, or a slice of yellow pickled daikon, not pickled mustard greens or a stewed egg... which are garnishes for minced pork rice, exactly proving my point. I digress... My takeaway is that these people know Taiwanese food well. The Sha Cha Clay pot is simple home cooking made with quality ingredients. It's something you'd make at home and feel warm and comfortable after eating. The stir fried manila clams mimics a common stir fry in Taiwanese wharfs expertly and was a standout for us. Fried chicken with numbing spices was well fried, with great crispy texture and worth a try since it's a different take on the classic fried chicken cutlet. Sweet potato fries with dried plum powder is a classic late night snack in Taiwan, usually eating with popcorn chicken, that marries sweet, sour, and savory altogether. If you're not familiar, might be worth sharing as an appetizer. If you're not a fan of sweet and savory, maybe skip this. Overall I walked away confident that the chefs at Good to Eat have thoughtfully crafted a menu to showcase the most unique dishes from Taiwanese cuisine. Some found the prices too high, but I personally am tired of Chinese food being seen as cheap takeout when it's got so much depth, nuance, and variety! People don't complain about prices at an Italian or French restaurant like they inevitably do about Chinese ones. I'm delighted to see Taiwanese food be shown the appreciation it deserves. read more

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Worth a try but a hit or miss! Wonderful and sweet staff, with a beautiful atmosphere. I'd come back again - but likely only for the eggplant noodle dish. I want to love it here despite the inconsistencies of the dishes. We started with the eggplant noodle, probably the standout of the menu for us. Its sweet savory and spicy sauce and the al dente noodle was so tasty we had to get another to go. The Dou Bao is yummy, we couldn't get enough of the texture but it needed dipping sauce for me. The maitake mushroom with tofu noodle sauce was underwhelming and the mushroom just didn't impress, but could be good if you're looking for a creamy noodle dish. I didn't love the tofu pudding. We placed the spoon and finger for perspective but it is too pricey the portion size. Same with the size of oolong cheesecake, although that desert is so so yummy and might be worth it. Overall pretty okay and the outdoor patio is an experience. read more

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There are many things to love about Good to Eat! Such friendly and attentive staff -- our waiter probably stopped by our table almost five times throughout our meal! It was a large space with plenty of outdoor seating, perfect for a cool summer evening and the right setting for a casual dinner with friends (or even a date). And the menu is vast with many twists on Taiwanese staples! The Pepper Numbing Chicken Cutlet was a stand out. Super crispy and juicy chicken with a tangy, spicy sauce on the size. I would come back again just to have that dish. The other dishes, unfortunately, were disappointing (maybe I'm a bit picky as a Taiwanese American). The vegetable of the day (A Choy) needed some salt and didn't feel worth $14, while the Lu Rou Fan came out cold (albeit with some depth of flavor). I'd be willing to come back again to try some other dishes on the menu, but it wasn't the dream Taiwanese meal I hoped for. read more

Good To Eat - Fried Chicken ("Pepper Numbing" Chicken Cutlet) - Taiwanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

I rate this place a solid 4/5 for homey Taiwanese small plates. The food is really good, the portions are smaller for sure (tapas), and the pricing is what you'd expect for specialty cuisine in the Bay Area. They have a solid beer selection. Disclaimer: I have a mild food allergy and I made the specific item known when I was ordering and they were super helpful in letting me know the affected areas on the menu, and even communicated that to the back of the kitchen and our food runner. Excellent service. Don't be fooled, there is a ton of seating outside, as well as heaters. My favorite dish was the lu rou fan (Taiwanese braised pork rice)! It was so flavorful and truly tasted homemade in the best way. read more

Good To Eat - Taiwanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

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