Taiwan Restaurant - Chinese, San Francisco

445 Clement St, San Francisco 94118
(415) 387-1789
Parking: street parking

Last Visited: January 2, 2011 (Most prices listed below are from November 2007)

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

Taiwan Restaurant has been around for a number of years. They also have a branch in Berkeley, but of the two, I like the one in San Francisco better. I’ve been going to this restaurant for a number of years. Their signature rich pink painted façade outside makes it easy to find. The décor inside is a little worn. They have light finished wood chairs and the walls could use a fresh coat of paint, but the interesting thing is the front of the restaurant. The front window and waiting area allows you to watch the master chefs at work making steam buns, dumplings, pot stickers, and whatever else. In the background, you’ll see them deep frying Chinese donuts and other goodies.

- Fried Chinese Doughnut – Chinese doughnuts come in both sweet and salty flavor. The salty doughnut (yau tiao) is a long bar that is split partway lengthwise so it can easily be separated into two pieces. The doughnut at the Taiwan Restaurant is good, but not as light as the restaurants in Hong Kong make it. This doughnut is typically eaten for breakfast or lunchtime, and is accompanied with soybean milk (see below). $1

- Soybean Milk – Soybean milk is available in both sweet and savory. At $1.00 a bowl, it’s a steal. It’s hard to go wrong with sweet soybean milk. Good.

- Hot and Sour soup – The hot and sour soup was excellent, especially on a cold, overcast day. It had just the right amount of hot and sour and the soup is filled with ingredients – bamboo shoots, black fungus, egg, chicken strips, and so much more, but none of the stuff that shouldn’t be there (at some restaurants, vegetables that aren’t typical of hot and sour soup are found, but here, it’s authentically made). A few pieces of cilantro add color to the reddish soup. With the temperature also very hot, it was delicious. It’s also helpful if you need to clear your sinuses – it cleared mine quite well. If you’re a fan of hot and sour soup, this one was a treat. Unfortunately, I had to update this review so that everything was in past tense since during a recent visit, I found that the chef had changed and that the soup no longer had the same qualities - something was lacking, but it's hard to place my finger on it. It just didn't have the same balance in flavors as it once did. $4.95

- Pot Stickers – Pot stickers are a great lunch item. It can be a little risky for dinner. During lunch, they make large quantities, so you know they will be fresh. Six pot stickers are served upside down with their golden brown bottom facing up. It’s a presentation that some people aren’t used to, but it’s the golden brown that shows the freshness of the pot sticker wrapper and the technique of the chef. The pot stickers are filled with a pork and cabbage filling. It’s a great balance of dry (though not overly dry) wrapper with a little crispness on the outside, and when you bite into the pot sticker, you find juicy filling in the center. It’s best if the filling inside is hot in temperature. Sometimes, they have been sitting for a bit, but most of the time, it’s quite good. Check out this photo taken in 2011. The wrapper is browned until crispy and the price is extraordinary - what a bargain! Still great quality. $3.95 (price is the same in 2011)

- Steamed Dumplings – Six dumplings are served in a metal or bamboo steamer. Each dumpling contains a pork and cabbage filling. It’s served with a small dish of sliced ginger strips - the thinner the ginger strips, the better. Typically, you add red wine vinegar to the ginger and let the ginger soak in the vinegar. Then, the dumplings are dipped in the ginger vinegar. When the steamed dumplings are cooked right, the wrapper swells from the liquid steamed out from the filling and the dumplings are served so hot that they typically burn your mouth. If they’re not made well, the wrapper has a hole which has caused the flavorful juices to leak out. The steamed dumplings at Taiwan Restaurant are typically good, but aren’t the best of the Bay Area. During my most recent visit, the ginger was not cut well and some of the dumplings had holes in them, but the flavor was still okay. $3.95

- Chinese Pan Cake (Green Onion Pancake) – Two pancakes are deep fried and cut into quarters. Inside the pancake are pieces of green onion which give a savory flavor to the dough. The outside is crisp and crunchy while the inside is al dente and soft. Today’s pancakes were perfectly golden brown, hot and delicious. Excellent. $1.95

- Dumplings with chives and shrimp – Shrimp, pork, and chives fill a dumpling that is boiled in hot water. The texture of the wrapper is thin and the meat is juicy and flavorful. It’s a great dish to try and it’s frequently one of the dumplings that you can see being made in the front kitchen. $4.50

- Fried rice cake with pork – Rice cake is made by creating a roll and cutting the roll into thin slices. The texture is best described as very al dente – it should never be tough, but always somewhat chewy while being soft. It’s typically cooked with pork and chopped snow cabbage along with some napa cabbage. During this last visit, there was a lot of large pieces of green onion too. Very good. $5.25

- Beef stew noodle soup – Noodles are served with cubes of beef in a five spice seasoned soup. The beef has been infused with the five spice flavor and the noodles are al dente. A few spinach leaves and a sprinkling of green onions typically also come in the soup. Very good. This photo taken in 2011 had two small servings of noodles already removed from it, so it actually comes larger than what is shown. Still as good as I remember it. $6.95 in 2011 (was $4.95)

- Beef tendon noodle soup – Like the Beef stew noodle soup, the bowl includes lots of noodles and some spinach leaves. However, in place of stew is tender beef tendon that has been stewed until smooth and soft. It breaks apart with ease. The texture is an acquired taste though. It’s a little less spicy and less flavorful than the noodle soup. $4.95

- Szechuan Hot Sauce Noodles – Room temperature noodles are topped with Szechuan hot sauce. This sauce is comprised of chopped everything – ground pork, waterchestnuts, bamboo shoots, chili flakes, green onion, preserved mustard green, and more. There’s a touch of peanut butter and sesame paste in the mix. You combine the noodles at the table yourself, and the marriage of flavors is perfect with just a little bit of spiciness. Very good. $4.50

The thing that might make you flinch at is the ceiling. When you’re in the waiting area, don’t stare too closely at the walls lest you be frightened by what you see. Same is true of the restroom. If you don’t have to go, then don’t. Since my last visit, it looks like Taiwan Restaurant has gotten a fresh coat of paint inside, so it’s much cleaner now. You can once again look at the ceiling and walls.

All of the food is reasonably priced. I’ve tried a lot of different dishes. Most of the time, they’re quite good. You just need to be a little daring. One of the best things about Taiwan Restaurant is their tea. By the end of the meal, the tea flavor has gotten stronger and it’s a nice way to end your meal. Taiwan Restaurant has a lot of typical Taiwan/Shanghai style cooking, so give it a try sometime. It’s an excellent value (and prices have remained stable over the last few years too)!