Taiwan Cafe

34 Oxford Street
Boston, MA 02111
617-426-8181

Highly Recommended

Taiwan Cafe is the sort of place you would walk by without giving it a second look. In fact, you probably wouldn't give it a first look. Perched at the top of a flight of stairs and looking out over Oxford Street the location does not exactly jump out at you. Once you find it, however, it will quickly become a favorite. I consider myself a regular, going at least twice a week with a group of friends from work. We try to get there no later than 11:45 to avoid the lunch rush that begins daily at noon. The service is fast, efficient and friendly though the servers' command of English varies.

If you order from the lunch specials list you will receive a bowl of soup and a side of rice to accompany your meal. My friends and I have nicknamed the thin, salty broth (typically served with a small piece of pork "knuckle" or some dried fungus or a thin noodle) "dishwater" soup due to the light grey, sometimes greasy, appearance. However, it is hot and tasty and is a nice starter to the meal. In addition, quite often a complimentary daikon radish or cucumber pickle is offered before the entrees arrive.

This is not your typical "Asian American" board of fare. The lunch menu runs the gambit from Chinese Mushrooms with Green (sic) to Spicy Pork Intestine with Mustard. Meals arrive as they are finished in the kitchen but rarely do we wait more than a few minutes for our table to be full. We normally go with 1 lunch entree per person and approach the meal family style. The eggplant with basil is a staple on the table. Sweet and spicy it arrives napalm hot. The sweet and sour pork is fried crispy and laced with onions and tossed with a sharp, vinegar sauce. The spicy pork kidneys are minerally and delicious made up of thin sliced of fresh kidney sautéed with slices of ginger and chili peppers. The lunch menu is very extensive and wholly interesting.

The lunch specials are all about $6.95 and we never leave wanting. If there is an adventurous culinary bone in your body, Taiwan Cafe is a great place to indulge it.