Taiwan Eatery, Specialty chicken made by Cantonese

It is very rare to see a Taiwanese restaurant that does not serve popcorn chicken. Taiwan Eatery is one of them. Foodies who have any slight experience in Asian food would see right away that Taiwan Eatery’s menu does not resemble the ones from a Taiwanese restaurant. In fact, Taiwan Eatery is run by Cantonese with no Taiwanese staff. We are not sure how authentic their Taiwanese food can be, so decided to give them a try. Taiwan Eatery is located at the corner of Rupert and East 1st Avenue, Vancouver.

Strength: Large portion juicy chicken

Weakness: Not really authentic Taiwanese food. Not much variety.

Other Taiwanese Restaurant

• RedBeef noodle Kitchen (4.5 Stars)
• Monga Fried Chicken (4.5 Stars)
• Potelicious (4 Stars)

Interior and Exterior of Taiwan Eatery

Taiwan Eatery is located in the same plaza as the T&T Superstore on 1st Avenue. The storefront faces the surface parking lot and does not look like much from the outside. However, the inside is very minimalist and well decorated. There are a few tables and chairs far apart from each other due to the COVID pandemic, but dine-in is still an option if that is what you choose to do. Please note that Taiwan Eatery accepts only cash or debit payment.

Order take-out

I called ahead to order, and my food was ready in a sturdy paper bag when I arrived on time. Inside the bag, our food was very neatly stacked. There was no leak or spill. To my surprise, we received 2 small desserts with the order.

Point collection reward card

Customers receive 1 point per $10 spent before tax. Every 10 stamps can be exchanged for a free Fusion Wrap, which is about $9 value. This is a good gesture.

Half Specialty Chicken +3 Toppings

Taiwan Eatery’s Half Specialty Chicken with 3 toppings cost $23. If you want rice and soup, that would be $2 extra, making it $25. The 2-people portion of the rice and soup for $2 is a very good deal. I did not understand what the 3 toppings are for, but apparently it is mixed in with the specialty chicken, similar to mala dry pot.

The chicken is very juicy, even the white breast meat. I am also surprised by the large portion of chicken inside. There are 3 levels of spiciness, small spicy, large spicy, and numbing spicy, with the numbing spicy level costs $1 extra. Even the highest spicy level is not very spicy but it does have a kick at the end, perfect for both Taiwanese and Cantonese palate.

Side soup and dessert

The soup and dessert have nothing special. This soup is exactly the ones you get at any Cantonese restaurant. The dessert is strawberry jello with a layer of evaporated milk on top. The artificial strawberry acidity overpower the entire dish.

Egg & Dried Pork Fusion Wrap

Taiwan Eatery’s Egg & Dried Pork Fusion Wrap does taste like the ones from Taiwan. It cost $8.5, and the wrap is filled with dried pork, egg, and green onion. With the combination of carbs, oil, and eggs, each bite fills my mouth with tasty goodness. The crispiness of the green onion give the wrap a bit of a refreshing taste.

604 Food Critic Assessment

Is Taiwan Eatery a Taiwanese restaurant? Definitely not. But is it a restaurant that provides cheap good food? I think so. The cost of $18 per person is really affordable. I think the best advice we can give the owner of Taiwan Eatery is that they should be more confident. Taiwan Eatery has great food, beautiful decor, and excellent service so they can definitely start their own Cantonese thing instead of labeling themselves with Taiwan. Even though the food tastes absolutely amazing, we cannot give a full 5-star review due to non-authentic Taiwanese food with the restaurant’s name like Taiwan Eatery.

Taiwan Eatery Menu

How to get in touch

• Phone: (604) 251-0664
• Address: #108 – 2800 E 1st Ave, Vancouver
• Hours: 11:30 AM to 7:30 PM Tuesday to Sunday, Closed on Monday