Nita C.
Yelp
Another authentic mom n' pop shop. Got some real Taiwanese local eats here if you want to experience that unique Taiwanese flavor!
WARNING: CASH ONLY, SO MAKE SURE YOU GOT THOSE DOLLAH BILLS TO BLOW
Service: I think the trend with Taiwanese mom n' pop shop is that they kind of just leave you to it. If they ignore you and get your food out quick, you're probably at the right place. Usually, unless you speak the speak, they'll just get the order in. However, if you bring the speak, they'll chat with you a little more. But real talk, we're here for the food, so let's get going.
Food: Alright, if you're not Taiwanese, or if you're not familiar with Taiwanese food, some of these things will sound gross and anatomically disgusting. But these are the food of my people. Give it a shot of try their
"tamer" options.
Let's start easy.
Mushroom pork belly: This is a dish I grew up with. It goes well with plain rice. It's flavorful and rich in umami saltiness. The brown egg is a result from braising the cooked egg with the sauce, and it captures more of the sauce into the egg. That's normal. No, the egg isn't fermented or bad. It's actually really good. The pork belly is fatty, so if you don't like fatty bits, you might not want to order this one. Or... you can just pick them off like I do. I think they did a good job with this one. It's not overseasoned and not too salty. Good portion and yummy sauce. Not too fatty either.
Fried chicken fillet: Oh man, this is what we GET at the night markets. After a long day of studying/work, we get these to go and walk home munching on this. It's salted with salt n' pepper, some five spice powder, and then deep fried lightly. YUM. What more can you ask from a chicken sacrificed for your belly? The fillet is juicy and not too dried out from the frying. The bread crumbs are appropriate without being too thick. Chicken is well cooked, too. And the fillets are cut into shareable portions.
Alright, now we're treading into less safe territories. For the adventurous eater, game on!
Stinky tofu: Nothing tells you that you're in Taiwan town like the stench of fermented stinky tofu. That's right, this is the infamous stinky tofu. It's made of deep fried tofu that's fermented in special sauce (this is apparently family secrets of those who make this) to create that signature smell. It's chewy on the outside and soft on the inside. Good to pair with some picked cabbage. I think they could have fermented this more to create that dark golden color, but otherwise, you won't find many places in SoCal that make this.
Pork Intestines: They say you are what you eat, so if you eat some guts, you'll get more guts! Pork intestines are a common things to eat in Taiwan. Usually, they stuff small intestines into large intestines, then deep fry and season it. Personally, I don't like this squishy texture, but my friends were SO happy to have this. This isn't commonly found in SoCal either, so if you wanted to try this, this place makes pretty clean and well-done guts. Though my friend he was hoping for more fatty substance in this... I think there are multiple ways to stuff the gut, so I don't know if this is personal preference? I suppose this is akin to the turducken?
One more thing, most Taiwanese dishes are meant to eat family style, so get some friends, order up, and enjoy the sharing time!