Taiwan Bento

My long search for authentic Taiwanese cuisine in the Bay Area is finally satisfied. Can’t believe I had never run across this place (actually I can, they used to only be open M-F during the afternoons catering to the downtown Oakland workforce; even now they aren’t open weekends). Have gone twice and generally been very pleased. Tried the beef noodle soup, the pork belly, the lu rou fan, a couple of the noodle dishes, both gua bao’s and the wontons and each bite reminded me of my culinary adventures in Taiwan. Oh and the soy milk was delicious! Stacy the owner is really sweet and also Taiwanese, enjoyed my brief conversation with her. I would highly recommend this spot for a quick bite, really delicious!

I've stopped over at the Taipei airport over 7 times over the course of my life. But, I have never stepped inside the country! Most of my edible experiences has been at that airport or Taiwan Restaurant (SF) on Clement St. Taiwan Bento in Oakland makes really delicious Scallion Egg Pancakes! It comes w/ two savory sauces for dipping. I love their tea leaf eggs and their salty fried pork chop. The beef noodle soup tastes very medicinal and is definitely a acquired taste!

Tips: If this is your first time here and you are navigating to the restaurant, I would recommend putting in next door's address (Mark Thomas) to ensure you are routed to a street that you can actually park your vehicle. The restaurant is located at an interesting triangle intersection where you might miss the restaurant entrance if you are coming down from 'Broadway'. About the food: For someone who is passionate about Taiwanese food and chase down every possible Taiwanese restaurants in the Bay, I was looking for more an authentic Taiwanese experience. The restaurant is cute and decorated with Taiwanese flare decors and upstair seatings. We ordered 9 items in total: Popcorn chicken (decent on a crispy side), roasted chicken bento (chicken was tasty but portion size was mediocre), Hella Belly Bento (two slices of pork belly are generously thick like their Baos), Scallion egg pancake (crispy scallion pancake but very little egg), 2 Pork Bao ( their best item on the menu), 2 milk tea (they said their Classic Boba MT and Brown Sugar MT is the same thing), and lastly, the tea egg. I would recommend the Pork Belly Bao as this is the most authentic taste of all the items we got. The bao was filled with generously thick cut pork belly and they steam the bun so it is nicely hot when you bite into it. Skip the milk tea because you can't adjust the sweetness and it is pre-made. There is a 'Asha Tea House' a block from here that serve high quality tea. Our order comes to a total of $80, pricey but I understand we are in the Bay and this is what it is like for eating out. I would come again to support local Taiwanese business but probably won't do another hour drive just for the food. 😌

The minced pork rice is pretty good. Minced pork noodles taste good but it uses ingredients that aren’t really common for that dish. The shrimp/pork wonton is ok but also not authentic. Popcorn chicken is decent. Scallion pancake is kinda dry compared to the ones I’d get in Taiwan. As someone who grew up in Taiwan, I enjoyed the food at Taiwan Bento but wish it was more authentic. I still highly recommend supporting them, especially if you’re interested in Taiwanese food but want to try something slightly Americanized first.

I got the fried pork chop bento, no tea egg, extra edamame, to go. With tax, pickup fee, and tip, it came to $17.06. Was it worth it? YES! In addition to rice with pork sauce and edamame, this comes with some pickled vegetables (left) and some shredded raw cabbage (right). The pork is really flavorful and manages to stay somewhat crisp, though the steam from the rice, the moisture from the pickles, cabbage, and edamame conspired toward sogginess. The pickled vegetables were a really nice counterpoint to the saltiness of the dish, and cut the fattiness of the pork and the rice with pork sauce well. The shredded cabbage was a nice addition, particularly with the rice. The edamame was solid too, but personally I wouldn’t have missed it, but that may just be me. Eating this particular dish on site is recommended, though given that we’re still in the pandemic (despite relaxed mask mandates from the CDC), it’s still probably safest to eat at home, though COVID protocols were in place and followed at Taiwan Bento. A note about pickup: when I got my food, there was no line for pickup, so I had to wait until I got to the front, which I’m guessing took a little longer as their register wasn’t working. Definitely worth checking out and all around a good value, despite not being a huge amount of food for the money. It’s really, really good and I imagine that just-cooked and eaten on site, this is everything that I would personally want out of lunch. Coming back here for sure!