Taiwan Bento

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!

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!

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 pork belly bao was super super good. Very sweet and savory. A nice balance of flavor. I also had boba which is great. They serve high quality teas here. Here's also an upstairs sitting area.

Sold on the Fried chicken bao and mala noodles and it’s what keeps me coming back! Noodles have a kick but so good. I’d skip on the pork belly bao but to each their own.

This whole area (locol, ike's etc) is under $10 so it's a great location for who wants a quick healthy bite on a tight budget. I wasn't really impressed. I've had take out and sit down meal at taiwan bento but it's pretty average. I wasn't really pleased with the hygiene levels either having the employee who is working and handling the money also touching the food without gloves. But, hey, that's what you're going to get for the price. We tried the pork belly bao which was really tasty and the braised minced pork bento. Both were really good. Not too keen on coming back though

So good! It's like a hidden gem off the street. Just searched for food options around this area and started craving the pork belly bun. Amazing! So much flavor!

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.