Mama Chen’s Kitchen
19052 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino, CA, 95014
Mama Chen’s Kitchen Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Cupertino for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Cupertino for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Cupertino for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
19052 Stevens Creek Blvd
Cupertino, CA, 95014 - Phone (408) 996-8877
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Chinese Cuisine
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
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Dan W.
Came here for dinner and was thoroughly impressed by the food quality for its quantity and price. Had the chance to try the sergestid shrimp egg rice, deep fried ground pork onion roll, taiwan burger, oyster chitterling noodle soup, fried chicken fillet, and scallion pancakes. All of them were tasty and full of unique flavors - my favorite dishes were the fried chicken fillet and deep fried ground pork onion roll! The fried chicken fillet is a classic Taiwan dish and has a more salty/peppery flavor combined with a softer texture compared to its close chicken katsu cousin. The deep fried ground pork onion roll is another classic Taiwan dish with lightly sweetened grounded pork rolled in tofu skin and deep fried, giving it a nice light crunch on the outside and moist texture on the inside. I recommend ordering 1 rice/noodle dish and 2 appetizers/meat/veggie dishes to share between 2 people. Service like what other reviews have mentioned is not the greatest, where you have to get the attention of the waiters most of the time since they do not check up on tables well. Otherwise, a very solid and affordable place for Taiwanese comfort food to go to!
(4)James N.
Came in w/ a group of four and we ordered a bunch! There was something about this cooking style that reminded me of home. I only wished that we ordered more rice / try a rice dish. We accidentally ordered the soup version of the noodles w/ minced pork. There was something odd that I couldn't put my finger on, but I felt really thirsty throughout the meal, which I usually attribute to MSG, but whatevs. Lamb w/ Green Onions: this was my favorite. Goes great w/ rice. Taiwan Burger: really strange experience. Was expecting the usually savory and crispy pork belly in a steamed bun, but it came pickled veggies and a thin layer of sugar. The sugar really added a sweet kick, which threw me off. Salt/Pepper Fish: typical stir-fry dish. Fried Chicken Wings: pretty standard; the chicken was a little on the dry side.
(3)Debbie D.
This is one of those restaurants that I will only go with my mama because their menu has like 100 pages that I just get so confused on what is what. I just don't know what to order.... When I do go with my mama she knows her shit, she knows what's gooooood. And I'm happpy with whatever she orders. The food is good, big portion, and CHEAP! Sometimes I wish i wasn't so white washed :(
(3)Tracy C.
Came here last night just for the chou dou fu. It was sure stinky, but I feel like it was missing something....... I dunno, extra fermentation? It was at least better than the stinky tofu anywhere in SF/Oakland, however it does not compare to Rowland Heights. I'd still come back if I were in the area.
(3)Chris S.
This is an outstanding place for great Taiwanese food and snacks. No need to drive down to Monterey Park or Rowland Heights for authentic Taiwanese food. (although there are times when my stomach begs to differ...) Like most Yelpers out there that highly praise this place, the quality of the food is definitely way up there compared to rival restaurants around Cupertino. Tip of the day: If you're coming here for Beef Noodle Soup, I'm pretty sure you're not the right area. It's all about the other dishes they have. Yes I said it, try other dishes! IF there's anything I learned, it's that the most popular dishes aren't really the best dishes to order! For example: the Sausage Fried Rice: COME ON, this is a staple that all of us Taiwanese folks love and adore. You can't go wrong with a flavorful profile of delicious taiwanese sausage, egg, green onions and rice that complement each other so well. Well worth it! I can go on and on -- crispy intestines, chicken rolls, bean curd with beef, scallion pancakes with egg (although this one can be on and off) This place just has a bountiful menu waiting to be explored and tried. Rethink Taiwanese food and try the different collections of flavors. Parking can be hell. Or it can be surprisingly open during Sunday afternoon or even a late Thursday night. Just don't let the guests of Little Sheep get all the parking spots. They take over the place like crazy.
(4)Peter L.
Has to be the one of the worst Taiwanese restaurants that I have been to since I arrived here in the USA. Food were horrible and one of the waitresses was pushy. This has turned into a mainland Chinese restaurant rather than an authentic Taiwanese eatery.
(1)Rochelle 'Shella' T.
This place offers a wide range of dishes from their menu. Each dish has something special to offer. It's very spacious too. While dining here, I noticed a lot of take our orders. It makes sense to order take out from this place. It offers cheap and delicious food. In addition, each dish comes in big portions. I distinctly remember the Special hot pot soup. It's a seafood soup dish that comes with scallops, shrimps, pickled cabbage, and chinks of pork chop with some vermicelli noodles. It was a complete meal on its own. Our kids enjoyed it.
(4)Jonathan T.
Very solid taiwanese place! Think of this restaurant as a more upscale version of Southland Cafe. The seating layout is really good, you won't feel cramped like a lot of other asian restaurants. The service also is A LOT better than most asian restaurants. It is also much cleaner and a better feel overall. Convenient location right on Steven's creek and very close to Cupertino HS. Parking can be tough to find at times, but if anything you can park in residential areas right over by rich 1mil+ homes. We ordered the green onion pancake, pineapple pork ribs, chicken cutlet lettuce wraps, and pig ear. In general, everything was a bit too oily for me, though that's nothing new for chinese eateries. The flavor is still good and everything was seasoned well.
(4)Jon L.
Taiwanese food like it's done in Taiwan! Loved the 肉丸 and the 木耳. Getting a bunch of small dishes will definitely be enough. The stinky tofu was not bad and definitely close to the mark but not exact. The waitstaff was friendly. While this place won't taste like food cooked in a small side stalk or cart along the streets of a night market, it will satisfy that craving.
(4)David C.
I feel nothing for this place. Underwhelmed. Then again, I did just order wonton soup and a fried pork chop. She went a little more authentic and had some kind of fish/squid noodle soup that turned out to be big enough to feed a village of people. Why am I not a big fan of this place... because it sorta tastes like something any Asian parent can make except they made a restaurant out of it. The soups are not very complex and I'm thinking water based. Even her super corn-starchy soup didn't solidify after a night in the fridge and that always makes me wonder. Also there was some kid next to use screaming at the top of his lungs and I wanted to backhand him and his parents who did nothing. Prices were cheapish, I think we squeezed out of there spending around $30.
(2)Leslie Y.
Our party of 6 came on New Year's Eve for dinner, I came with my family who are all Taiwanese. We ordered a TON. Unfortunately, I only got to taking 1 picture because we were starving. :) Highlights: Oyster Pancake: Little oysters, good sauce, I LOVED it! Pork Belly - so nicely made. Pork chop with rice- AMAZING, such a good flavor, and the sauce over the rice was BOMB. Mediocre: Ba wan - not a very good outside skin, not very good texture. shrimp fried rice - a ton of people around us ordered this, so we got this as well, but I thought the rice was way too wet. Seafood chow fun - noodles didn't have good texture to them. Gua Bao- not my favorite, but it might just be the fact that I don't really like pickled vegetables. Order comes with 2 of them. And, they are tough to share. I would totally come here again, but would make sure to order specific things! Service was okay, not stellar, but they were very busy on New Year's Eve so I think it's forgivable.
(4)Emma Y.
Food is really good here and the price is very decent. Bad thing is that, it's usually crowded, all the time. And the parking sucks, which is a main reason that prevents us from going there. Service quality varies, sometimes you really need to waive them down for help.
(4)Karen H.
Came here with 6 adults + 3 babies at 12pm. Only a 5 minute wait. There was a lot of parking on the side street. Place is clean and service was fast. My friend who is Taiwanese did all the ordering. She over ordered. I think their pork chops were the best. Tender and great flavors. I like their noodles with minced beef and their rice with minced pork. Also there was another noodle that almost had some curry flavor to it. That wasn't bad either. The green onion pancake with egg was different, but next time I prefer just the green onion pancake because I like it crispy. The egg made it soggy. The popcorn chicken taste like the one from Quickley's. There were many more dishes, but I didn't try some of them. I wish the food didn't all come out at once.
(3)Stephanie O.
Known for its Taiwanese food, I ordered the pickled vegetable with egg dish at this restaurant. Having Hakkanese roots, I found this dish deep and satisfying. My only compliant is that this dish came in such a big order that I had to doggy-bag it. Unfortunately, though, egg spoils easily so I did not enjoy it the second time around.
(4)Andrew T.
A friend's father Owens this place. Lunch here is pretty good. Must try the Beef Noodles. Too bad they do not have extra soup for refill. Other places have free refill for just soup, but I would even pay to have more soup. It is good. 最好åƒçš„是牛肉麵
(5)David C.
Finally, some decent Taiwanese food in Northern California. They have all the traditional staples like pork chop rice (pai gu fan), glutinous rice ball (ba wan), Taiwnese pork belly bun (gua bao), oyster pancake (oh ah jian), pig intestine vermicelli soup (da tsong mi xian). The execution was spot on. Everything was just the right greasiness (i say this in a good way) with great flavors. Really homestyle flavors. Glad to find such a gem in South Bay, especially since Taiwanese cuisine tends to be in great shortage.
(4)Kayan N.
I was really craving some real Taiwanese food and this place I saw on a blog has one of the best beef noodle soup of the bay area and I had to check it out for myself. I am pretty picky on all food and I am pleased to say that I was not dissapointed. We ordered some classics - beef noodles - green onion pancake - oyster pancake - stinky tofu - pork bao I am not going to pick apart each dish and just say that my favourite was the noodles and I will be back for more. Service was impeccable. Fast, polite and efficient. I am glad we found a great Asian spot in the bay area.
(4)Henry C.
I really like this Taiwanese restaurant. It's nice and clean with a modern interior. The prices seem very reasonable. And the service was great. The lady with the short hair that took my order was really nice. I had one of the fried chicken rice plates and it really satisfied my craving. I'll be back to try the spicy beef noodle soup.
(5)Hien L.
First visit here was a decent experience. Parking was a bit inconvenient due to the narrow driveway and awkward side street access. Once out of the car and into the restaurant, its alright. The dining room is clean and organized. Ordered pork chop rice, pork onion egg noodles, and shredded pork noodle soup. The little bits of ground pork on the rice were amazing. Gotta get the ground pork rice next time. Pork chops were a solid 3 as was the shredded pork noodle soup. For the benefit of the doubt, I was recovering from a cold so my taste buds might have been impaired. Round up to a 4 for the whole experience. FYI- Right before I left, a strong scent of stinky tofu filled the air. Half way across the room was the culprit. Must of been good since it was well fermented.
(4)Trevor W.
Really good Taiwanese food. It's a clean, nice looking restaurant some of the best Taiwanese dishes you can get at cheap prices. from oyster pancakes to minced rice bowls, all of their food is pretty good.
(5)Oscar P.
This is a great Taiwanese restaurant for people who live or work nearby. I've had a couple of dozen dishes here and I've enjoyed nearly everything. The food comes fast, so the main delay is choosing from the very long menu. They serve the very familiar dishes that are popular in typical american Chinese restaurants as well as many more adventurous Taiwanese specialties. Taiwanese people tell me that it is reasonably authentic.
(4)Steven C.
This is the third iteration of Mama Chen's in the Cupertino/West SJ neighborhood. As for food quality & likeness to what you expect to find in Taiwan, it might come off a bit lacking in flavor, but for the neighborhood it's pretty decent. Large menu, plenty of staple items ranging from minced pork over rice, oyster pancake, green onion pancake, glutinous rice, stinky tofu, to the traditional stir fry. There are so many dishes you can order, it's a bit overwhelming and the best course of action is to bring someone that's actually well versed in Taiwanese cuisine. Services is better than most Chinese restaurants, the spot is clean & tidy. Simple decor & it's not a hole in the wall. Good spot to take people if you want a wide range of Taiwanese dishes. Also expect a wait during dinner.
(4)Mavis T.
Disappointed with the Taiwanese beef noodle. Beef noodle is signature of almost every Taiwanese cafe. Compared with other counterparts, Mama Chen' beef noodle is not very competitive. The soup is sweet rather than spicy. May be that is because there are different taste preferences in North, Middle, and South Taiwan? Appetizer like Three Mix and Dried Bamboo is good.
(2)Susan M.
Had the green onion pancake and Taiwanese beef noodle soup. The beef noodle soup was good. A few of my coworkers complained about how they wish there was more noodles, but for me I thought it was the perfect amount. There was a LOT of beef. Beef was super chewy, no tendons or any of that other weird stuff, just straight beef and not much fat on it. It's funny bc people normally complain about not getting enough meat, but here they are wishing there was more noodles hahah. The broth was pretty light, tasted like it was a bit watered down and greasy, but overall not bad! The green onion pancake was alright, wish they had some soy sauce to dip it in.
(3)Yelp L.
The food was very salty with lots of MSG. I could not stop drinking water for the whole day. The waitress serving our table was not polite either. None of the waitresses had a smile on their face. I won't go back again!
(1)Allison Y.
This is one of my favorite taiwanese restaurants in the south bay. it's spacious, clean, efficient, and service is friendly. they have a huge menu with taiwanese snacks galore to satisfy any of your cravings. everything is also really affordable. some of my favorites: fried chicken roll fried pig intestines any noodle soup with pig intestines zong zi (bamboo leaf wrapped sticky rice) stinky tofu there's almost always been a line whenever i go but it moves fast. love you mama chen!
(5)Amy H.
I have tried multiple beef noodle and taiwanese restaurants in Cupertino and this is by far the better than the more review Taiwanese places like Southland Flavor Cafe and Mama Chef. This one is located next to Little Sheep and since we came here on a Monday right when it opened, it was empty and parking was easy. It is very clean and modern in there and that is not true for the other Taiwanese restaurants. Beef Noodle Soup- This one is delicious! The soup isnt thick and heavy and it comes with a good amount of veggies. The beef is tender and the noodles are chewy so you cant really beat this dish :) Pork and green onion dry noodle- I dont know the exact name but you can just point to my photo. This one wasnt very "dry" since the sauce was so thick and salty. Boy, it was damn salty that I could barely take it..but then I did because it was still pretty good haha. If it had less of that sauce, this dish would have been perfect. I would defs try it out if you havent tried a dry dish. On choy with beef- This dish ended up being more beef than on choy. We were in need of some veggies and it just sucked that there was too much meat. If there were any veggies, it was covered in that salty sauce so it didnt seem as healthy. Green onion pancake covered in egg- This was no good since it was not completely fried and wasnt very flavorful. It needed some sauce or something. Skip. Tawainese burger- It comes with two and contains pork and peanut stuff. It was good but not necessary to order. Skip. **TIPS** 1) So far, this is my favorite Taiwanese restaurant that has beef noodle soup AND other Taiwanese dishes. I shall visit here more often. 2) Get the beef noodle soup and try a different dry noodle. Skip on the pancake and burger. 3) Enjoy!
(4)Hiuyan F.
Been here months before, food was just OK. Service was horrible. Thought I could give it another try, came here with a party of 4. Sigh...you guys are disappointing. 1) Rude Host 2) Food (fried rice) was extremely oily 3) Have to try really hard to flag down a server 4) NON of the servers, NOT even the owner has a single SMILE on Did the owner not treat their worker right or something? I don't understand why every single one of their servers look so angry -__-" **not just to our table, all the other tables as well.** It seems like there are always a wait here, I don't understand the hype.... or maybe because people can't wait for their seats from little sheep,.... so they come here and eat.... I will never ever come back here again. Down the street there's a MaMa Chef that actually treat customers like a family, NOT "$".
(1)Qi Z.
The food here is surprisingly bad, we ordered 6 dishes and only liked two. Half of the pork liver and kidney is basically raw.
(2)Shu T.
I had high expectations for this place because it got good reviews. I did not like anything that we ordered, especially the oyster pancake. It had this really gooey texture that I did not enjoy. If this place is authentic Taiwanese food, maybe I just don't enjoy Taiwanese cuisine.
(2)Marti L.
Mama Chen's Kitchen is a mecca of Taiwanese people! Located at a tiny strip plaza of Asian restaurants, it was the only restaurant with people spilling out of its doors waiting for tables. We wanted to come here ever since we saw Mama Chen's as a top contender for beef noodle soup in the Bay Area on a food blog. Our Taiwanese friend who is also a frequent customer was eager to take us here. He was also very eager to order for us. For 3 people, we had: 1) Scallion Pancake: Different from what I'm accustomed to since it was egg-battered. Didn't have that crispy crunch. Still good. 2) Meatball Soup: Big bowl of broth with 5 meatballs. The soup was light and helped balance out the other dishes. But I could've done without it. 3) Taiwanese Sausage: The sausage was unexpectedly sweet. I think I would've prefer it to be more savory. Still good. 4) Oyster Pancake: It looked similar to a scallion pancake, but it had a rice-flour like dough that made it gooey. When you grab a piece, it turns into a blob. So it didn't look appealing either. But it was tasty and had oysters inside. 5) Braised Vegetables with Garlic: No idea what this leafy green was, but it was very tasty! 6) Shredded Pork and Bean Curd: I saw another party eating this and I had to have it. It was delicious with a good spicy kick! 7) Shrimp and Glutinous Rice Claypot: We wanted some rice to go with the sausage. The server told us that they don't serve regular rice, only sticky rice. Of course, this conversation was in Mandarin and we let our friend handle it. Later on, out came a gigantic pot of glutinous rice and shrimp. We stared at our friend questioningly and his response was 'What? You wanted rice!" Even the server laughed and stated that we should take it to go. Don't get me wrong. I would've ordered the dish under different circumstances. It looked amazing and tasted good. But we had 7 other dishes and that thing could've fed 6+ people alone. 8) Beef Noodle Soup: The thing we came here for. Unfortunately, it was very disappointing. The broth lacked flavor. And they skimped on the beef. Whoever this blog person is does not know their beef noodle soups. Despite a few missed dishes, the food here was overall good. I would definitely come back.
(4)Max N.
Food here is just average. But the service is really really bad. when we complain about a dish, which is not cooked in the most common way, a senior waitress talked rudely and loudly over the counter as if we could't hear. A man, could be the owner, came to us to explain. But the way he's saying made us very very uncomfortable. It's like somebody is telling you that you are so ignorant,I think you've never had this dish before, It should always be cooked like this. Come on! It is a very very common dish in China/Taiwan. We've never ever seen it being cooked like this in anywhere else! Instead of apology or explanation, he gave us a lesson! It is the way they treat their customers. THEY DON'T CARE! We will definitely never ever come again!
(1)Larry H.
They've made some wait staff changes and now everybody is so nice. The food is still my favorite Taiwanese joint in the bay area. This place reminds me of "Mon-tree Pak" in LA. Now if only they do really good Taiwanes shaved ice, I think I'd have to move in. My favorites are still the Pomfrey noodle soup on a cold night. Then of course the pork kidney dish is awesome. It may be the best tasting thing on rice.
(5)Yun C.
This is my FAVORITE Taiwanese food spot in the South Bay area!! The prices are reasonable and the food is DELISSSHHHHHH!!! What else to ask for? My favorite to order here of course is the CHEAP Taiwanese style Rice plate (came with chopped pork cooked in soy sauce based sauce, hard boiled egg cooked in the same sauce as the meat & preserved veggies).. $4.50 and it's enough for 2 smaller stomach. I also love the deep fried pork intestine. They clean the intestines very well that there isn't a strong odor..and of course, everything that's deep fried is super yummy :). The stinky tofu here is kinda "weak" ...they do cut them into smaller pieces so if it was your first time trying this dish.. you can just eat a little piece without having to throw away the rest if you don't like it.... but it also means you have to bring stinky tofu fan to help you finish the whole plate, ha! BTW, they really are NOT THAT STINKY!!! I think in Asia...they have stronger smell... but again you guys... deep fried stuff.. always tastes so good! On my recent visit, my gf and I ordered the Kidney and Liver soup cooked with Wine. I usually like to eat ovals but liver and kidney are not my favorite ...but I have to admit that I LOVE the flavor of the soup! It was very hearty, perfectly seasoned...drinking the soup broth during cold days would be so good for the belly. I also was alright with the kidney as the wine helped to get rid of the smell... the liver didn't have a smell but I'm not a fan of the texture and the irony/metalic flavor of liver (as usual)... but I was a good team-player so I devoured the dish pleasantly. If you want to save $$$$... you should go for the rice plates as the portion is humungous and the prices are cheap!!
(4)Veronica C.
Surprisingly good :) Despite their not-so-stellar ratings, I actually like this place! So far, I've been to Mama Chen's twice, and both times the food has been delicious. What I've ordered: * Beef noodle soup: I loved everything about my bowl! The noodles feel like home-made noodles; thick and very tasty. I also enjoyed the beefy flavor of the soup as it didn't have overly abundant spices that would make me gag. The best part, though, was the beef; so tender and lean. Portion size for my beef noodle bowl was on the skimpy side; really not up to par with the other Taiwanese restaurants, but for overall taste still pretty good! * Spicy crispy chicken: Unlike the portion of my beef noodles, this one was a huge plateful! The crispy chicken was nice and crispy, but it was coated with too much salt and MSG. Doesn't really sit well in my mouth, because afterwards, I found myself guzzling down water like crazy. However, can't beat the value of $6.50 for a decent-sized lunch plate. * Scallion pancake with eggs: I originally came here for the oyster omelette, but since they were out of oysters, I decided to try the scallion pancake with eggs instead (based on our waiter's suggestion). Crispy and tasty! The egg underneath just added to the deliciousness of the pancake...would highly recommend! Service was nice and prompt. The restaurant is clean, bright and has a modern interior. Food is always cheap and delicious so I will definitely be back to try more!
(4)Mitch L.
Food is average but the service is terrible. I arrived early for dinner and by the time I left only three tables were occupied. I asked for the tea refill and the "big" mom said yes but she never return. And she seems very unhappy and cold. If you want to bear the cocky and ignorant attitude from the host this is a place to go. I regret I didn't cut the tip in half.
(1)Randy F.
I'll be honest. All these Mama restaurants have got me more than a little bit confused. If I have my history right, one of them took over the former restaurant space of another and that one moved to a new building. Mama Chen's Kitchen is the newest space and is best remembered by being next to Little Sheep Hot Pot in Cupertino. As far as connections between the Mama restaurants (Mama Chef and Mama Chen), there may be a family one, but I'm not sure. Anyway...back to the food. When I read a recent roundup of beef noodle soups that ranked the Mama restaurants as among the best, I knew I would eventually make my way here. Mixed reviews made me a bit less optimistic, but it's always good to try yourself or in case a place has an off day. The restaurant space is located in a typical strip mall but the space itself is fairly large with all glass windows and a nice interior. There's a television playing foreign channels and staff quickly came to take my order. Given the late hour, however, the staff server me to quickly pick an item before the kitchen closed (despite them having continuous hours from 11 am-9:30 pm). As it turned out, he just wanted the order quickly so he could take his lunch break. Luckily, I already knew what I wanted though I didn't have a chance to peruse the menu at all. Typical Taiwanese fare from what I gather. Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup - the bowl came out almost immediately and the presentation is actually quite good. Large bowl, plentiful fresh Chinese greens (bok choy), a touch of sour pickled cabbage, and nice, wide noodles. Upon first sip, there's a savory taste but almost immediately it's hard to not notice that it's a bit sweet too. I was pretty puzzled by the sweet taste, but as I ate more I soon realized where it came from. The sour pickled cabbage has sugar (not uncommon as it decreases how sour it can be) and this gets into the broth and infiltrates the entire bowl. I'm a fan of sweet and savory, but not here and not for beef noodle soup. Speaking of flavors, I also found it odd that there was no chili oil on the table. Isn't great chili oil a companion for great beef noodle soup? As for the beef, it's served chunks and they aren't particularly notable in flavor or tenderness. Gua Bao - as I didn't look at the menu, this was the only other item I knew they had. It comes in a pair and is essentially Taiwan's version of the pork belly sandwich. A good size piece of pork belly comes out (though it could definitely be fattier) and there's parsley, but also the sour pickled cabbage above. If anything, there's clearly brown sugar mixed with garlic and the sour pickled cabbage. Again, it makes the bun kinda sweet and I've had enough Gua Bao to know that's not typical preparation. Overall, I'm not sure what's up with all the sugar in the sour pickled cabbage. Both items were actually ok, but would have been much better without the sweet factor and perhaps with another flavor like high-quality chili oil. While a lot of Taiwanese places have been popping up as late, I'm not sure any are standouts compared to SoCal. If I had to chose, the knife cut beef noodle soup at Joy in Foster City and the 'ABC' style gua bao of food trucks like the Chairman and Momofuku in NYC are way more my cup of tea. Want a closer choice? I thought the beef noodle soup at QQ Noodle was pretty good. While I should probably give the other Mama (Chen or Chef?) a try, I'm thinking I may just stick with Papa (as in Cooking Papa Foster City) that has never let me down. Cantonese, Szechuan, and even Shanghainese fare may just be easier to find around here than great Taiwanese. Mama Chen's accepts credit cards, but not American Express.
(3)Alex K.
I love this place. If you are an Asian I would recommend this place, it is as good as it gets. I would recommend getting there early because the line is really long for dinner. But the food is absolutely declious, and it will just blow the top of your mind off.
(5)jazzy l.
Decent taiwanese bento box. $7.50/lunch plate.
(3)Gj D.
Went here last Sunday for lunch to celebrate my bfs parents anniversary. Had a reservation at 1245 but we came in 10mins late so when we got there it was already packed and busy. I informed one of the lady that I called for a reservation and she knew that about it already.. Seems like I was the only one that called to reserve. So she told me that my reservation was at 1245 and that it had pass.. I was almost going to be irritated because I was super duper hungry and my bfs family are not even there yet and our reservation has been given away.. But she told me to hold on.. After less than 5mins I saw a group leaving and I looked at the attendant and she looked at me while pointing on the table letting me know that we're going to get seated on that table. Made me happy right away! Great service right there! Even though there were a lot of people waiting already she still gave us priority since we had called for reservation ahead of time.. Although we were late.. While waiting for my bfs family, we ordered the oyster pancake for appetizer to fill in our hungry stomach.. Which was I think pretty weird but good.. Then 30mins after they finally came and since it was all our first time to eat there the server was pretty helpful with helping us order our food.. I love their service and food! I'm not too sure what are the other dish that we ordered but they we're all good. Just see the pictures and decide.. This review is more of the great service we experienced! Food could be better but I still liked it.. I will be back to try other food and maybe remember what they are so I can actually right something about it.. Hehe
(4)Judy W.
The fried chicken and noodle soup is really good!! I love the vegetables. It's so tender. Definitely coming here again.
(4)Joanah N.
SERVICE SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!! FOOD WAS OK!!!! I'm not coming back!!!! We had to call the lady over to order.. Otherwise she would just stare at us. Honestly wouldn't give them any stars..... I'm still hungry.
(1)Brooke T.
Tried this restaurant for the first time today. First, I have to say that we were greeted promptly and had the sweetest server. Unfortunately, we will not be returning. The food was brought out at completely different times. By the time our meat plate came out, the rice was cold. To top it all off, the food was beyond oily and we found hair in the Kung Pao. Sorry, but I will not be returning...
(2)Bunni L.
I live in SF but came down here for their authentic Taiwanese satay beef chow-mein! It tasted soo goood just like the ones I could get in Taiwan (or SoCal!) Although it's pretty far from me, I see myself coming back here again and again. I am a fan! Can't wait to go back and try their other dishes! I also ordered a pork chop rice to-go & it's pretty yummy as well. very generous portion for $7.75.
(4)Sophia H.
The food is extremely authentic and the portions are generous. My mom and I ordered a fried chicken rice plate and wonton noodle soup. The total bill was only $14. The fried chicken was juicy and it comes with lettuce, pickled veggies, egg, and ground pork on top of a mountain of rice. They definitely do not skimp on the veggie part which I really appreciated. The wonton noodle soup was not oily at all and the broth was light. The noodle amount is huge and I definitely could not finish it on my own. It comes with lettuce and celery, as well as delicious small wontons. The wontons were small but really good! Overall my mom and I were both very happy with the food. However like many Yelpers pointed out, service is not that great here. We had a male waiter who was pretty rude. The females ones were much nicer though, which is why I'm giving this place 4 stars instead of 3. Don't expect people to be attentive here! Tip: If you want beef noodle soup don't come too late. We came here around 8 pm and tried to order it but they ran out. :( I will definitely be back to try it since I love beef noodle soup!
(4)M J.
Parking in the lot is a nightmare. I did take out. Fish & Tofu in bean sauce and kung pao chicken. I'm not a huge kung pao fan, so didn't eat much of that. I was nervous about fish & tofu together as I'm used to having fish in hot sauce in other Chinese restaurants, never with tofu in it. Since there was no other option, I bought that but to my surprise I quite liked it, my daughter liked the tofu more than the fish. The dish overall was a hit. I'm not sure if there would have been more sauce had we eaten in, but we ran out of sauce in the take out box.
(5)Janetto L.
Lard rice?!? Stinky tofu?!? Taiwanese bao buns w/ meat and sugar?!? Yup, these are some of the more "interesting" items on their menu and I must say, they're all pretty tasty just not something you should have too often. They also have your usual pig's blood and intestines that you see in most Taiwanese restaurants as well. Not feeling that adventurous?? Stick to their staples and go for their green onion pancakes and noodles dishes. They are all prepared well, especially their dry noodles (lo mein). If you come during the summer months, give some of their cold appetizer dishes a try (pickled cucumbers, spicy tripe, bean curd and tofu) to cool down your palette. Overall, Cupertino is probably known as the Taiwanese food hub in the Bay Area and Mama Chen is amongst one of the better ones. Reasonably priced, spacious, and clean...you often see a line here on the weekends.
(4)Lubs Y.
I have an unhealthy addiction to Taiwanese fried chicken cutlets and this is my go-to-spot! It's pretty cheap and my parents like the food here too, which must mean it is pretty authentic. Service can be hit or miss. Whenever I'm lunching here with my mom, they're quick and attentive. Yet one time when I was having dinner with the BF, service was super slow.
(5)David S.
Pretty mind-blown this time I came here to find out that the owner of Mama Chen, the mama chen, is the previous owner of Southland Flavor Cafe in Cupertino Village. Deja Vu! No wonder the similarities between Mama Chen's and Southland Flavor Cafe are uncanny! Came here with a party of 4 and ordered: Order the starred dishes. 5 Appetizers: *1. A-èœ . A-Tsai. A-Cai. aka Indian Lettuce. Garlic and sauteed greens are a staple food. It's not just restaurant food, but I also eat this stuff at home. Unassumingly tasty. 2. è‡è±†è… Stinky Tofu. I really am just a sucker for tofu. Not for those who can't handle a malodorous stench. If you like fried tofu and can develop acquired taste, go for it. 3. Oyster omelette. Ou3 a1 jian1. I don't usually get this, but this is one of the unique dishes to Taiwan. Compared to korean pancakes, this dish is served with a runny sweet and sour sauce. Tastes more glutinous and sticky as opposed to crispy korean pancakes. 4. 糯米大腸 intestines with glutinous rice. Again this is an acquired taste. If you need to prevent yourself from gagging, just pretend that it is a de-constructed Taiwanese sausage stuffed with glutinous rice. 5. Beef shank and tendon. My parents also make this at home a lot. 3 Entrees 1. shrimp over rice. è¦ä»ç‡´é£¯. Apparently 燴飯 is risotto on google translate. I ordered wrong on this. I meant to get the 滑蛋è¦ä», which is like runny eggs and shrimp friend rice. *2. 2 x 擔仔麵。 Dan zai noodles. Minced pork with noodles. Bean sprouts. Minced pork cooked in soy sauce. One sauce sauce egg. Drizzled with cilantro. Simple but good. I always order this over Beef noodle soup. If you want that go to Ai Noodle and Mama Liang's. Summary: The most unassuming dishes are some of the best. Portions are filling enough. One to one ratio between entree and patron should be good enough. Throw in an appetizer if your interested. Yes there is some MSG/umami, so careful on ordering too much. Decor: The decor step up from Southland Flavor cafe and has a chic modern feel. There is some flower art on the walls, which is debatable and some undertones of religious symbols such as a cross.
(4)Shanna W.
Had the Taiwanese beef noodle soup, thought this should be safe enough to order since this is a Taiwanese restaurant. The beef was so rough and big that I couldn't even chew on them. The noodle was not hand made, more like some udon noodle. The veggie (bok choy) was already rotten leaves, are not fresh at all! The bok choys are so cheap yet they won't even put a few fresh stems in the soup. Pretty disappointing and won't go back again.
(1)Jonathan l.
Ordered Gua Bao, sort of a Taiwanese hamburger, it was ok, not too memorable. stinky tofu was fantastic, and not too stinky. It's great that so many people order it, so you don't feel bad for stinking up the place. The beef noodle soup is decent, but I like the dry noodles as a personal preference.
(4)Cindy S.
I WOULD NEVER COME HERE AGAIN, we only came because Michelle's Pancake's next door was closed. I am Chinese and I have never felt so uncomfortable in an Asian restaurant. I went with my boyfriend who was not Asian, and I think that might've been it. The service was absolutely horrible, they ignored us for a good 10-15 minutes after we were first seated before coming to take our order. The people who were seated after us had their order taken way before we had our order taken. They were rude, not smiling at all when taking our order, slamming dishes down on our table when it arrived, and then afterwards leaving our table without even looking us in the eye. I spoke Chinese to them and that didn't even seem to help with their service (usually at other Asian restaurants, it helps a lot.) No one came by to give us more water. The food was less than mediocre. We had the beef noodle soup, nothing to be excited about. I've had way better. Also had the lamb chow mein. Also nothing to be excited about. Everything tasted starchy, and a bit heavy. I'm pretty sure there were tons of MSG in there. The noodle tasted meh. I could make better at home. It eventually became so uncomfortable for me that I was afraid to ask for more water. We ended up leaving the restaurant after eating quickly to get some water in the car. I think this is one of the few restaurants where we left the restaurant feeling as if we'd made a huge mistake in picking the place to eat. Would NEVER EVER come back here again.
(1)Xu C.
It's quick and delicious. The waitresses there are friendly and efficient. Nice choice for lunch for the lunch break. Btw, they only accept one debt/credit card, so prepare cash if you want to AA.
(3)Tiffany H.
Been here for both dinner and lunch and I like the cleanliness of the space and quality of service. Definitely above average for a Chinese/Taiwanese restaurant. As for the food, I read somewhere that Mama Chen's has the Taiwanese best beef noodle soup in the Bay Area (and on this list, Mama Liang's was third best and Mama Chef's was fourth best, just to confuse you more). I think it ultimately comes down to a matter of preference, as I still prefer Liang's signature thick and chewy hand-pulled noodles and the option to get all tendon (I like tendon and fat, but not "real" meat). Nevertheless, Mama Chen's definitely deserves to be near the top of any Bay Area list of niu rou mein. The broth was clean--flavorful but not greasy--and the noodles were quintessentially QQ. The beef pieces were of moderately high quality and consistent in size and texture. Bai cai tasted fresh, which was especially impressive. But believe it or not, the highlight of the meal for me was the sweetly marinated pickled cabbage sprinkled generously over my bowl, definitely some of the best I've ever had. Other recommendations include the tongzai migao and pork with rice noodle. I wasn't as impressed with their gua bao, oyster omelet, and scallion pancakes. But really, Mama Chen's has such a large menu and enough really solid Taiwanese dishes that I don't think one can really go wrong coming here.
(4)Renée T.
We got here at 8:15 and they close at 8:30 but still they were nice enough to let us in and wait on us. Service was fast food was delicious very friendly staff!
(5)K Y.
Many choices for Taiwanese dim sum, I am officially a fan now! Gua-Bao is definitely a pleasant surprise, had it for the first time and I liked it a lot!! Unmelted Sugar in bun is the key...lol We also tried Stinky toufu : pretty yummy (recommend) Oyster egg pancake : yumm and tasted fresh, does not have the can oyster after taste Bean spiced toufu fish ( dou-ban-yu) : yumm, we asked without chilli and it was pretty good, I am sure with chili it will be even better, since that is how it should be cooked anyways Beef noodle soup: ok . soup base was pretty flavorful, but I could taste a strong hint of herb in it which I am not found of it, probably will skip next time . They use flat noodle in it which probably mean home made, so that is a plus Sticky rice roll ( tong-zai-migao): nice presentation and yummy as well. Taiwanese hamburger ( Gua Bao ): yes! Absolutely will have it again til I get sick of it. Lol Diced beef stir fry( niu liu li) : pretty good and very nice presentation as well. Environment and the look of the restaurant was clean and modern, so a plus! Only complain is parking, soooo small and not a lot of spaces. But that shouldn't be a road block for me returning for a second visit!
(4)Chinh T.
Little sheep next door had a wait, so I decided to give mama chens a try. I went safe with my ordering and tried the beef noodle soup, beef chow fun, and green onion pancake. The beef noodle soup was very plain and ordinary...nothing interesting or complex about it, but I did enjoy the addition of the pickled vegetables. The chow fun was as expected, except with too many green onions. The green onion pancake was nice and crispy, but not as flaky as I would have liked. Cons: Only 1 credit card per table. The wait staff was not attentive and it took awhile to try to get hot sauce and also place an additional order, but somewhat expected in a busy Chinese restaurant.
(3)Brandon C.
It is said that this place is one of the better Taiwanese restaurants in the bay. I cannot agree or tell at all. The dishes are either soaked in oil, or cooked with a whole bulb of garlic. It makes it look unappetizing, and prevents you from getting a date. The food here is like any typical restaurant. The service absolutely sucks. As for the food, each dish has its fair lacking of vegetables. One thing I must comment on, is their herbal soup. That is an absolute MUST get when you are here. On the other hand, the "jellyfish" is rancid, and tastes like it was from the freezer a couple months ago. Absolutely disgusting. Like anything here, nothing ever changes. So theres nothing to ever report. Why do I bother? Can't even write a full review because of that.
(2)Vy H.
I've ordered to go items for a couple times lately. The food is ok. The green onion and on choy is good. Who can mess up on choy right? So the food is 3 stars because it's average. The one bad thing is they don't have soy sauce and they only give you one hot chili sauce if you ask. It's like those random McD's that charges you for condiments. I mean it's condiments...the more the merrier!
(3)Tiffany L.
My colleague had a craving for Taiwanese stinky tofu so we ended up here during a conference. Mama Chen's Kitchen has a menu all over the map. Some Taiwanese items, Chinese dishes, "Thai-style" dishes... pretty big menu. The Chinese staff delivers the bare minimum service. One thing we noticed immediately upon entering was the choking scent of bleach like someone had just scrubbed out a restroom and was airing it out into the dining area. We tried the gua bao because of the Yelp mentions. Decent although if you dislike fatty meats, this dish isn't for you. Stinky tofu was actually not as odorous as it could have been. The minced pork over dry noodle was pretty good. I'd avoid the Thai-style fish. Mealy flesh that was a strange texture like it was frozen and defrosted too many times. When clearing the plates off the table while we were still sitting there, the server sloshed the sticky sweet Thai sauce from the fish entree all over my phone and keys. She clearly saw the mess and didn't even come back with more napkins or a towel. I had to mop things up with the one napkin they provide customers for the meal. I can see how parking would be a pain but for a Thursday lunch, there were only 4 tables occupied including ours.
(3)Kyle F.
I had the exact experience as Cindy, I went with a co worker who was also, definitely not Asian. We experienced the same delay in service amongst a thousand looks from both the staff and the patrons. We felt extremely uncomfortable and judged. I am not familiar with Taiwanese food, but I've eaten my fair share of different Asian cuisine throughout my life and I didn't like anything I've ever eaten here. We've tried this place 3x since we work across the street. I found most things way too sauced, salty and just... kind of disgusting. We'll never go back.
(1)Auden W.
Clean and bright feeling to the restaurant. The flavor is great. Ordered the lamb chowmein and the pork chop over rice. The pork chop is so soft in texture and full of flavor. The lamb as well, has a great flavor to it. Prices range from 6-10$ per but the clean environment also makes up for the experience. Recommended to all.
(4)W C.
Pretty good place to go, or rather, a safe place to bring friends and family without them complaining about the food. Not super amazing, but not terrible. Service is okay, people are nice. Just wasn't anything that made me want to plan my next trip back. Wouldn't mind going here again though.
(3)Cece W.
The place has solid Taiwanese food. The food is really good, the portions are generous and it is super cheap! The service here is a bit lacking, I might even suggest bringing your own soda/water to avoid dehydration. We ordered: Green Onion Pancake w/ Egg - Definitely get this! Minced Pork w/ Rice + Soy Sauce Egg - $3.50 - Definitely get this! Pork Chop Rice Beef Noodle Soup
(4)Belle C.
Don't recommend pig knuckle, so much hair on it, they didn't do a good job clean the hair before cook! And when I told them about it, they don't seem care as said nothing at all!
(2)Jenny L.
I wish I could give this place 0 stars. Yes, it was that bad. Friend and I came and we ordered the beef noodle soup and the oyster omelet. Beef noodle soup came out first, lukewarm. We didn't say anything. It had 6 small pieces of beef in it and half a piece of bok choy, cut in quarters. Flavor of the soup was good, but I really wish it was hotter (temperature wise). Noodles were thick cut, but not handshaven like the other Taiwanese places in that area. When we were done eating the noodle soup, the waitress came by and plopped down a plate of green onion pancake. We didn't order that. It took a while to flag down the waitress and let her know that it was the incorrect order. She didn't apologize. She just took it...and put it down on the table behind us. Apparently, she had gotten the tables mixed up? She brought us the oyster omelet eventually and it was all covered in sweet and sour sauce and was soggy. We couldn't finish the omelet and asked for it to be boxed up. Somehow, the box she brought back to our table wasn't filled with our leftovers. The table next to us got our leftovers...and we got theirs? She was quick with bringing us the check. The total was slightly less than $15 and I put a $100 bill down. I received $75 back. Ummm...? What's going on? I brought it back up to the counter and I'm not sure why, but I had a feeling the guy at the cashier short-changed me on purpose. It was just the look on his face like he didn't expect me to count the change. Sorry, sir. One thing wrong with my meal and I can overlook it.. But one thing after the other? No thanks, I won't be returning. Food wasn't that great anyway.
(1)Christina N.
Pretty authentic Taiwanese food I must say. I love the wide selection in the menu, and on days where the line is long, I'd just order take out. I find the prices pretty fair, and am always spoilt for choice of wanting to order too many things simply because the price is so affordable. Their shrimp and egg fried rice is a great option for take out. Definitely try their appetisers and items on the chef specialty section of the menu!
(4)Alice C.
3.5 stars. Beef noodle soup: denied. They sold out of it earlier in the night, so I have to come back again some time to verify if it's that good. We ordered minced pork rice, some other sort of rice noodle soup (擔仔麵), dried bean curd, and taiwanese sausage. The food was pretty good, I would say, these particular dishes even better than Liang's Kitchen's, but it didn't cure the itch for Taiwanese food. Maybe I just need to order other stuff... Also, the service was really slow. I don't have much expectations going to a Chinese place, but it was really...really... slow. They passed by our table many times when we needed something, while there were still people waiting for a table.
(3)James T.
Decent place when you are looking for Taiwanese Chinese food around San Jose area. Have variety of choice to get. The food taste good and me and my friend have good time dining over there. I will go there again if I have chance.
(4)Joy L.
This is a solid place for Taiwanese food. A couple years ago, there weren't that many places where you could get authentic Taiwanese food. In the past couple of years, a bunch of new places including Mama Chen's Kitchen opened up. I came here on a weekend for lunch. The place was quite busy when we arrived, but we were promptly seated. We ordered the chitterlings rice noodle soup, pig feet over rice, beef noodle soup, and the pickled cabbage. This isn't the best Taiwanese restaurant in the bay, but the food is always filling and delicious. The pickled cabbage paired perfectly with the other dishes. However, it seemed like the cabbage was not super fresh, and it was also a bit too sweet. The chitterlings rice noodle soup was a bit on the bland side. There weren't that many oysters and intestines in the dish, and it was a bit too soupy. However, it was still filling, and satisfied my craving for the dish. The pig feet over rice was also okay. I think the pig feet could have been cooked for a bit longer. The best dish was the beef noodle soup. The noodles were cooked perfectly, and had a wonderful texture. I love how they do not skimp on veggies, but the beef could have been cooked a bit more to get that fall-apart texture. Overall, solid meal. Mama Chen's Kitchen has a very extensive menu. There's something to satisfy anyone there. Prices are very reasonable, and the service was great. Definitely recommend this place for some authentic Taiwanese food.
(4)Levin C.
Generally nice food.
(3)Sukkau S.
Came here for a friend's BD. Prices are okay. Not too familiar with what the dishes are. Lots of dishes that contain "blood" in the description or intestine of some sort. Not too crazy about either so many body parts. Tried the following: 1. Rice Cake Bai Choy - looks like napa cabbage but more white 2. Onion Pork Egg Noodle - on the salty side 3. Beef Noodle Soup - very tasty (think it had msg- gave me a headache), thick noodles 4. Combo rice noodle - chow fun I am not a fan of msg because I get a headache afterwards. They did not charge for tea like most Chinese restaurants.
(3)Joseph Y.
Some pretty decent Taiwanese food - meat ball soup, popcorn chicken, beef stew noodles, green onion pancake, chinese sausage and fried rice.
(4)Marshal L.
My friends and I recently visited here. While the place was quite crowded, we were able to secure a table within 5 min. Talking about good mojo. We ordered a slew of different dishes,. .. The quality of food is really good here and the pricing of the various food items is quite acceptable. I thought the soup was quite good. You will get the best bang for your buck!.
(5)Angela V.
So we wanted to try something different and decided on Ma Ma Chen's. It was on a Fri evening and the restaurant was full. We were the only non-Asians in the joint -- it was awesome! This place is clearly authentic. The menu has names in English but not the item descriptions. With the help of a very nice and patient waitress we placed an order for safe dishes. The fried bread was a little sweet, flaky, and delicious. Ditto for the Walnut prawns. The veggie chow mien was pretty bad. Zero flavor. It just tasted like fake smoke that they added. The seafood fried rice looked incredible but tasted supremely average. It was fun to try a new place but we won't be back. I think it's one of those places where you have to know what to order.
(3)Jen S.
expect a wait on weekends unless you come super early or late. solid taiwanese food. not so solid service but at least they'lll try. the food is good though so who really cares my friend and i ordered: - 3 cup chicken is a taiwanese fave. but they also have other dishes similar. we had the 3 cup squid? (i think it's squid in english?) the 3 cup flavors are just so good! - rice cake with salty veggies (or you can get it with napa cabbage) either is delish. a good alternative to your normal noodle/rice dish - beef noodle soup - you just can't go into a taiwanese place w/o trying this. not the best one in cupertino but its still good.
(4)Hsiuhsien L.
My daughters always order their Special cold noodle,ground pork rice and pork chop rice. The pork chop is huge which really satisfied my meat-eater one! ;)
(4)SuperGirl T.
This place made my first time trying beef noodle soup a very pleasant experience! The soup was SOOO good that I still can't get over it. Sweet, savory and not too salty. It was perfect! I loved it so much I took the soup home and reused it . I definitely recommend trying this place just for the soup! Ok ok enough about the soup, the noodles were nice too. Not really a big fan of the meat though. It was mediocre. Portion size: Big for a petite asian girl like me. It satisfied my lunch and dinner. Service: Decent, nothing out of the ordinary. They were friendly and fast . Waitress assumed I spoke mandarin but I don't mind that.
(4)Jade D.
clean & prompt service but parking is extremely difficult comparing to other chinese restaurant in the area.....and the waiting list is long during peak hours. Close on Tuesday!
(5)Andy E.
a favorite for Taiwanese food.
(4)Vicky L.
Stinky tofu = Lurrrrrve at first sniff.
(3)Dennis C.
I think someone said it best: Comfort-food. And please don't mistaken this place for your Chinese restaurant. The beef noodle soups and the cold duck dish hit the spot after a day at the Sunnyvale Rod & Gun club.
(4)Darrin K.
Mama Chen's Beef Noodle Soup - served on the spicy side - is one of the South Bay's great comfort-food options. Rich but not greasy, slightly sweet and oh-so-savory, this soup's broth is very close to liquid bliss. It's complimented with a generous portion of pickled cabbage, tender beef chunks, al-dente bok choy and a load of perfectly chewy thick-cut noodles. Best soup in the Cupe. While the soup reigns supreme, I try to always enjoy one of these sides at any outing: - Deep Fried Stinky Tofu - packs a pungent punch, with a funky, slightly sweet flavor. - Spicy Deep Fried Chicken - perfectly stir-fried with a nice balance of salt, pepper and just enough chili seasoning to add sweat to the brow. - Gua Bao - Generous portion of pork belly with more of that awesome picked cabbage and the trademark peanut/sugar combo. Great lunch or dinner option - good service and I love the layout of the restaurant.
(4)Tiff W.
Average Taiwanese food, nothing really stood out for me, beef noodle soup wasn't that great. Meatball dish was strange
(3)yota L.
Knowing more than 1/5 of SF population is Chinese, I've been always wondering why there are not many excellent non-Cantonese Chinese restaurants here in the city. I've had far better experience with Chinese cuisine in Canada or England....let alone Japan. I know how good they are when good Chinese chefs cook the food, so I am disappointed with the standards in SF. Where are all the good Schezuan? Taiwanese? Cupertino is the answer.
(3)Eric L.
Came here once to find out what's special about this place as opposed to the other "Mama Chef" about half a mile away. Found it trying too hard to appear elegant and hip at the expense of good value. Dishes are OK but on the pricey side compared to its other unassuming twin. Will probably not come back.
(2)Holly V.
THEY HAVE STINKY TOFU! its not as good here though cause its not as stinky, but it is crunchy its pack here but they seat you quick and your food comes out quick. i wouldnt mind coming back to try new things
(3)Carol Y.
Visited for the first time and ordered combination noodles, pea sprouts, shrimp lettuce cups, and oyster pancakes. all the dishes were okay but none stood out as something I would want to order again. The shrimp cups had fried dough chopped and mixed with the shrimps and made it oilier than it should have been. With at least 3 waiters standing around, I still had to call someone to refill the tea cups.
(3)Soojung O.
I and here with my father and husband. My husband is a fan of Chinese food, but I'm not such a big fan. Let me tell you! This food is amazing! The chicken with mama Chen sauce was amazing and I totally recommend it. I won't be returning anytime soon be I'm new to the area from NJ and want to try all the other places but I recommend Mama Chen's if you want some great Chinese food.
(5)Kelly W.
Really impressed! I was surprised at how clean and nice looking the place was, considering the plaza the restaurant sits on is kinda dinky. My friend and I only got two dishes: Beef noodle soup: flavorful, not too oily, tasted clean. Thick noodles. Not much beef, but satisfying nonetheless. WOULD RECOMMEND. Popcorn chicken: I'm finicky about my popcorn chicken. This dish was good texture-wise, but just a tad sweeter than I would like it. Still pretty good! All the other restaurant goers at the time were straight up Chinese/Taiwanese, like you could tell from how they dressed (and spoke, more telling I guess) they're legit Asian. And if legit Asians come here, this place has to have good Asian food right? /not racist
(4)Simon N.
It has been a disappointing experience. The food quality was mediocre at best. Garlic cloves were burnt, spare ribs were not well cooked. The soup was only barely enough for one person. The waiters were inattentive and very slow to respond to requests. There was obviously an empty table from the very beginning but it took 10 minutes wait to be seated. After sitting down we were only given one cup of hot tea because they "ran out of clean cups". After a while another hot cup was given, but no more refills of either tea or water was provided. We also had a pile of empty dishes on the table and the waiters chose to ignore them.
(1)Michelle N.
My husband know that I like to eat funky foods, like pig intestines, so he took me here. I had their basil pig intestine stir fry. I really really like it. I had a couple of other dish, but I don't think it was memorable. But all in all, the food is pretty good, and the decor is nice too. Would definitely come back.
(4)Grace L.
I'm so pleased by this place! It's clean, spacious, modern, and some of the dishes are fanTASTic. My personal favorite that my friends have all enjoyed as well is the green onion pork and egg dry noodle. One dish can feed three people well. The egg noodles are cooked perfectly and it's topped with this brown oyster sauce that is very delicious. There's another dry noodle dish I forget what's it called, but it was also very yummy! The MA-PO TOFU is also a crowd pleaser (at least in my crowd of friends). It's not that spicy, so the spicy-adverse folks also enjoyed it a lot. The sauce is so great over rice. The ma-po is a tad pricier, but it can feed more people. Kong Xin tsai - YUMMY. Crunchy and amazing. The rice dishes are all kind of meant for one person because they're smaller in portion, but they're amazingly priced. The minced pork over rice is fantastic. And the fried fish fillet over rice is to DIE for. It's so crispy on the outside but OH so tender and fresh on the inside. My boyfriend felt pained inside as he was giving a piece to share with me since it was so good. The noodle soups have not been very good, so I'd advise staying away from them. The glutinous rice is also not that great. It's tasty, but not mushy enough. Seafood and tofu soup is not very good. Very starchy and tasteless. Credit card accepted! Oh, and it tends to get very loud inside. Loud Chinese people. The place is also very accommodating for large groups. I went with a group of 21. Yes, 21. We split into a group of 10 and 11 and it worked out great.
(4)Norman S.
After the overly long Cloud Atlas movie clockiing in at 3 hours, we were ravenous but it was getting late on Sunday. So where to? Yelp yielded Mama Chen's closing at 9:30pm. We scramble over and get there just around 9pm. The waiters were a bit hesitant at first since it was almost closing time but they let us in. Interior is clean, bright and modern so they have a leg up on the other 2 Taiwanese places in the area, Mama Chef and Southland Flavor. Noodle soup with pork came first and was a pretty good size bowl of noodles. Thick yellow noodles were cooked al dente and partnered well with the veges and crunchy bean sprouts. The pork was a bit bland and tough so they'd do well to marinate and season the pork strips. Mama Chen scores the extra points for their ground pork roll. This is ground pork with bits of chestnuts all rolled inside a crispy tofu skin. Served with pickled vegetables and sweet chili sauce to make it so fantastic. Prices are very reasonable for around $6 for a piping hot bowl of noodles. Can't go wrong with that!
(4)Ben H L.
I usually don't go to Chinese restaurants anymore due to the gluten type products that I will need to consume to properly enjoy a meal there. Then again, I heard about Mama Chen's from my parents who heard it from their friends who heard it from their friends that this place is new and pretty good. Taiwanese food which I have to admit that I haven't eaten too much of. So I came here on a Sunday night expecting to line up here in long lines like Cooking Papa...but to my surprise, no lines, available seating! Great start!! Go to the menu and it's pretty big. Long lists of soup noodles, dry noodles, small plates, rice dishes, the thing is massive. I relied on my parents who accompanied to show me the way and they got the oyster omelette, the pork spareribs soup noodles, and I got a rice noodles dish. First of all, the prices are pretty good and the serving sizes are just as large. This can be a very budget friendly option for families and groups. Foodwise, I enjoyed the pork although not so much the soup since the pork was served separately from the soup. I would literally order a plate of that pork alone when I come back here and if they allow me. The rice noodles were very bland...no seasoning and flavor. I'm passing on that one. The oyster omelette was a first for me as there were oysters inside with eggs, green onions, and then topped with a very sweet plum sauce of some kind. Altogether, it was a lot to digest but overall I think I liked it. At least that's what I tell myself...I may have to try it again to make sure. Service here was standard for Chinese cafe service restaurants like this. Raise your hand or go up to the counter and tell them what you need. They most likely will not check your table or ask you how you're doing... This place deserves a revisit and my reacquainting myself with some pork spareribs!
(3)Aaron T.
bottom line: great taiwanese food, updated digs this was my first time at the new location and i loved the clean and modern atmosphere. we ordered some of our usuals, such as the beef noodle soup, in addition to gua bao (taiwanese hamburger). both were excellent and portion sizes were more than enough here. service was speedy and i appreciate the fact that they accept credit card now.
(4)Michelle W.
Attracted by online review as best beef noodle in the bay; try to have lunch. Then I witnessed wait staff fighting, one is throwing teapot at another. Still traumatized. Maybe it has the best food here; they might want to spent some time on basic training for their staff.
(1)Rita V.
Mama Chen is a great place for authentic Taiwanese food. I came here for lunch with my family. I tried the following: Green Onion pancake with Egg - This is not that crispy since the egg is on top. The egg did provide a buttery texture though. I prefer this without the egg. Wonton Soup - The wonton was very good. There were a decent amount of mini wontons inside the soup. The actual soup was ok, and it reminded me of a Udon broth. Taiwanese Hamburger - This is a mini steam bun filled with braised pork, pickled veggies, and some sugar. This was pretty good, but I would have prefered it without the extra sugar. The pork was tender and flavorful. Ground Pork & Rice - My favorite dish overall. There was pickled lettuce, sour pickles, ground pork, rice, and an egg. This dish is very filling for only $4.50! I"d highly recommend this dish. Overall, I would come back to try other dishes. I love how there were pictures for some dishes on the menu, too. Service was very good.
(4)May L.
Love their taiwanese fish with clam noodle pot soup
(4)Sherin L.
sure it taste good right at the moment, but the same night til next day was a suffering for me... Wayyyy to much msg and i was drinking tons of water and didnt feel well until the next day late afternoon. now i have fear in chinese restaurants... thanks to them :\
(2)Vivian L.
Service is horrible. Our party of six waited as a number of parties behind us got seated even though those tables could have been easily configured to accommodate us. In fact, they actually broke apart tables for six to fit tables of 4 and 2 behind us. We also witnessed a party of 2 get passed over. When they came in to check on their table, the hostess said she had yelled for them twice. She never opened the door--they were waiting just outside (and the restaurant is definitely not big enough for everyone to wait inside). Bottom line: the hostess is completely incompetent, and the food is not anywhere near the level to make up for the lack of service.
(1)Ai L.
I like their new location with nice and newer decor in the restaurant. I've been visiting a few times already. i like their oyster pancake, but would love more sauce on top. it's a thicker version of the pancake but delicious and FAT oysters! The taiwanese meat ball was decent too. LOTS of meat fillings in the glutinous wrap and the sauce was good, but could use more garlic. the pork chop was delicious and juicy. the house special fried noodles is a hit with my niece. ok, the stinky tofu.... eh... it's the healthier version of Taiwanese stinky tofu. it's not as crispy as what I remembered the ones from Taiwan. but it is stinky. and i do wish that they would have pickled cucumber to go with it. it is legit here though. definitely recommend this place. just don't expect super service. you need to wave your hands a few times...
(4)Marilyn T.
We snuck in right before closing on a Sunday night, but they were pretty patient with my indecisiveness as I pored over the more traditional Taiwanese food and all the soup and noodle options. - Taiwanese pickled vegetables (pao cai), which was the biggest plate I've ever gotten for $3.50. Flavor was good, slightly sweet, slightly spicy - Stir fried vermicelli with pork (rou si chao mi fen): this was a HUGE plate, and it was very well seasoned, not too oily. My only complaint was that the vermicelli was a little long and would have been better cut, but it was very generous on pork and had good flavor - Egg with shrimp (hua dan xia ren): it's basically an egg and scallion gravy with shrimp and some water chestnuts. It was better with some white pepper, and it's a good dish for rice or if you just want something warm and saucy - Gua bao (they called it a Chinese hamburger?): pretty authentic with the cilantro, pickled mustard, and pork. The pork is lean, which I liked, and the bun was soft. They come in an order of 2 and are individually wrapped to hold all the filling in. The peanut powder was heavy on the sugar and would have been better if it had more peanut flavor, but overall, they did a pretty good job - Scallion pancake with egg (cong you bing jia dan): probably better without the egg since it makes the scallion pancake soft, but there was sufficient scallion flavor All of this was under $40 with tax/tip, and we walked away with a LOT of leftovers. Mama Chen's is a really good value - portions are VERY generous, and the food is flavorful but not too greasy. Something about the servers and the flat screen TV with Taiwanese news just reminded me of Taiwan in a happy way. It's definitely going to be one of my go-to Taiwanese places.
(4)Eva Y.
My husband and I come here from time to time for some awesome Taiwanese food. The food is pretty authentic and there is always a line. The goose is yummy and I come here for some of the Taiwanese dished that I don't usually make at home... stir fry eel, bamboo shoots stir fry with marinated pork. Overall, I enjoy this place as this place is probably the best one in N. Cali.
(4)Hannah C.
Summary: Order the gua bao. DO IT. It was the star of our meal. We came here on the recommendation of our Taiwanese friends, but found some of our favorite dishes much saltier than our usual go-to Mama Liang's. But! The gua bao. SO GOOD. Yes, the presentation is a little silly (individually stuffed into plastic bags... um. Did you guys just microwave them?), but the taste is really really great. Think Chairman Bao for cheaper, sitting down, and without the wait. And they had stinky tofu. Which stunk up the restaurant. We might come back and make our friends eat the stinky tofu as some sort of game punishment while the rest of us gorge ourselves on gua bao.
(3)J G.
Love their variety of Taiwanese snacks. Reasonably priced and yummy. Only one compliant is the Taiwanese Sausage. Went there twice and ordered it and they don't have it. Then why list it on your menu? Other than that, their food was great. Very authentic.
(4)Alana L.
Mama Chen's is a very delicious authentic Taiwanese restaurant. It is my #1 choice for Taiwanese food & is exactly like real Taiwanese food from Taiwan. The ambiance is very clean and modern. I love the chairs and white dishes. As for the food, it is top notch Taiwanese food. My favorites are the Mama Chen minced pork noodles, the soft crispy tofu, the eel noodles, and their bok choy. As for the service, I think they need more English-speaking waiters and waitresses. I am not completely fluent in Chinese, so it was very hard for me to communicate with my waitress. She had to call over one of their English speaking waiters to help her out a bit. Other than that, Mama Chen's Kitchen is a definite must try if you want to enjoy some real Taiwanese food!
(5)Top Raymon A.
This is a great restaurant. Reasonable prices, helpful staff. Although many of the food servers do not understand English well - they are very gracious to have someone come over who does speak better English. Clean. Not too crowded, wheel chairs can fit very well throughout the restaurant. Accessible bathrooms, and there are no boxes, chairs, or cartons stored in the hallway that can block access. Tasty food. Hands off to this great place.
(5)Ashley K.
Food excellent, service excellent.... Wonton soup is the best I have had! Will be back :)
(5)Judy L.
I'm a bit biased, because I have been a patron of the owners ever since they opened their first Taiwanese restaurant in Cupertino Village (and one of the first ever in South Bay). Then they moved the business to Santa Clara, and I followed them there. Hooray, they are back in Cupertino! I value their commitment to selling authentic Taiwanese food for so many years in South Bay. When I come here, I expect Taiwanese street food, and with Taiwanese street food comes Taiwanese street service. I don't understand all the hatin' on the service, because that's the service you get in the streets of Taiwan. Quick, fast, and possibly a little dirty & rude. And who really gets good service at Chinese restaurants anyway? If you do, you're probably at some Chinese-American restaurant. Or an American restaurant trying to sell "Chinese" food. Many years ago at their Cupertino Village restaurant, I loved these dishes and still do: -Oyster pancake -Pork chops over white rice which is served w/ soy sauce egg, stir fried cabbage, and pickled veggies -Fried rice w/ omelet covering (a little too much ketchup but it's ok) -Meat roll (ground meat w/ lightly fried covering shaped in a roll) -"Ba wan" (I only know the Taiwanese for this dish but it's a huge meatball covered with glutinous skin served with spicy & sweet sauce) Unfortunately, they don't have their fried chicken legs/wings over rice anymore which was awesome as well. I have yet to find a restaurant that makes it like they did. I plan to support this restaurant until I die. Hope my friends can join me in this commitment too.
(5)Cutie Cleo Y.
At Ma Ma Chen's Kitchen, the waiters and waitresses are remarkably friendly and approachable. They always smile and offer to get anything for you. The chefs are fantastic cooks. Once, I sat next to someone. He looked as though he hadn't eaten in a month. When his food was set down, he wolfed it down in five minutes! He then politely thanked the waitress and exit the door. I was astonished by his behavior. His behavior showed me he loved Ma Ma Chen's food very much. I, too, love Ma Ma Chen's food tremendously. Every time when I am done slurping down the good food, I feel warm and cuddly inside my belly. Always eat at Ma Ma Chen's Kitchen!!! One of my favorite dishes at Ma Ma Chen's Kitchen is the Taiwanese Promfret Fish Rice Noodle Soup. The soup has plenty of clams, rice-white noodles, and fish pieces. The clams taste like meat cooked with scallions. The delectable noodles taste like rice with traces of aromatic fish bits. The fish has a meaty flavor with the most wonderful tang at the end. The broth is smooth and silky, and it feels lovely in your tummy. All in all, Ma Ma Chen is the best eatery to go enjoy a bowl of piping hot rice noodle soup if you like fish and clams.
(5)Nate L.
Decent food and I went here a couple of times because my rommate likes it. However the service here is really bad. If you dont mind this, then it's the place to go.
(1)Shinny L.
Finally ! Can't wait to et me some Taiwanese food!!! We had the seafood pottage, beef noodle soup, and green onion pancake with egg. Green Onion pancake with egg: Luckily not deep fried (which I don't like), but the one at my dumplings was tastier to me, probably because it's prepared here like a pie instead of rolled up. Plenty of egg and the pancake itself was not too crispy or too soggy. The crown jewel of our meal was the beef noodle soup, of which I tried just a bit - the noodles had a great size and texture to it, similar to a true taiwanese beef noodle soup, and the soup was quite savory and flavorful. The seafood pottage with noodle was good in the beginning, but for those of you familiar with this dish, it gets watery after it gets cold (in chinese it is referred to as "gen"). I have had better made seafood "dumplings" in this dish. The dumplings lacked the complexity that I am more familiar with and crave from this dish. After the soup cooled it began tasting too sweet. Clean place, good ambiance. The 4 stars is mainly because the menu looks so amazingly extensive and I can't wait to return to try more things!
(4)Jacklyn P.
Technically, 3.5 stars. I came back here again a few nights ago, only to find that the menu has changed. Items are the same, but the price of most dishes are now 1-2 dollars higher. Why!?!? :( Ah well, food was still good and reminded me of Taiwan. However, don't order the "Thai-style fish" dish! It is absolutely terrible and I don't know why we got it in the first place.
(4)Di H.
The first time I walked in there, I almost left in less than a second. The place smelled like all the patrons had diabolical diarrhea in the middle of the floor. However the chinese part of me quickly realized that's just fried smelly tofu. If you can overlook the occasional shock an awe to your nose that a portion of tofu can and will deliver, then it's a great place. I love the Thai fried chicken and their soups. The decor is modern and clean unlike most other chinese food places (although the fake wood ceramic floor is take it's toll).
(4)Marc K.
First, you need to be able to go through the menu with a Chinese reader, otherwise ordering will probably not result in what you want as their English dish names don't always coincide with the Chinese words. Let me rant before I talk about the food, which I thought was really good. We went in around 2:10 for lunch, and apparently they are not open all day straight from morning til night. They must close between lunch and dinner I'm guessing. Anyway, the waiter came over and asked if we were ready to order. We were not, since their menu is huge. He said, oh, but our last call is now. I would normally be ok with this, but then about 5 minutes later two people walked in and he sat them down and told them to order within 5 minutes. So why couldn't he wait longer for us to order? Anyway, that was bad taste number 1. Number 2 came when I asked, what's the most popular here. I only asked this because he was rushing us to order when we clearly didn't have time to go through the whole menu. He said, well, what are you looking for? Something less Chinese, like Kung Pao Chicken? OK, I get it, I'm white, but that doesn't mean I'm naive to Chinese food. I probably ate at more Chinese restaurants than him, have more Chinese friends, and live in "little China" of Cupertino! Let's not stereotype, right? I mean, really, would it be ok for me to say something like "you wouldn't know what Pizza tastes like since you are Chinese". Come on, I am not even sure if Panda Express has Kung Pao Chicken and I'm sure I didn't go to this little Chinese restaurant to get it. Maybe he was trying to be helpful, but it hit me the wrong way. Ok, ranting over. Now for the food. Very tasty. The pig cheek dish was flavorful and their beef noodle dish (not sure of the exact name of this one) was also really tasty. Their cold tofu dish (again not sure of the Chinese name) was also very good. All in all a good meal. I'd definitely go back.
(4)Cori R.
So so good... My first time there...eating with a friend. She's Taiwanese so I let her order. Never had tofu that I actually liked... loved the fried tofu with sauce. Had the pork chop over rice.. really good.. Our service was great..although we did go after the lunch rush.. I will certainly return to try a few more things.
(3)Tiffany T.
Been here a few times in the past year. The wait is usually not bad. So far the dishes I've tried have all been pretty authentic. A favorite of mine is the beef watercress- which is generous on the meat although they could make the vegetable portion better. Tip: Maybe pass on their 3 Cup Chicken. Although it tastes fine, the whole dish consist of the lower part of the chicken wing chopped in half- making it quite a task to eat.
(3)Lori T.
A friend recommended to come and try the beef stew noodle. It was pretty good. Also tried some Fried Pork Chop noodle and dumpings. They were very tasty. Saw a lot of people ordered some kind of hot pot, must try next time.
(4)Kevin N.
Solid Taiwanese restaurant! Came here for dinner around 8 on a weekend. It was pretty packed but the wait wasn't bad, maybe around 5 minutes for a table for 4. The decor here is clean, modern, and inviting. What we ordered: Tofu and Fish Fillet in Bean Sauce - Very tasty and satisfying, the heavy sauce pairs well with rice. Minced Pork Rice - I loved this dish, very tasty and cheap. It is quite oily though, but I guess that's what makes it so delicious. Popcorn Chicken - Pretty standard nothing too special. I did like how they included crispy basil leaves though. Beef Noodle Soup - Just okay. The broth needs more flavor and spice. Noodle texture was pretty good though and the beef was tender. Honey Walnut Shrimp - I'm not exactly the biggest fan of this dish in general. It's usually too rich for me. Sister wanted to order this one. Nothing wrong it though, tastes just as expected. Solid meal overall. The menu is huge, they have a very comprehensive selection of Taiwanese food and it's all priced reasonably. Service was meh, but I never expect too much at a Chinese restaurant.
(4)Jason T.
We dined here several times. The southern style Taiwanese food is authentic. The place looks pretty nice for a Chinese resturant though a bit noisy if you arrive during peak time. Some dishes taste very authentic. The presentaton looks nice and clean. It is still my favotite Taiwanese style resturant in South bay.
(4)Vivian H.
Pretty good Chinese food, lots of options, but there are other perks. The staff is super super nice. They take credit card. The place is bright and clean. The portions are pretty huge. We had one weird dish once but everything else has been spot-on. Get the staples (fried tofu, pork cheek, noodles and rice) and you won't go wrong there. Also it was open on xmas :)
(4)Larry W.
Friendly and efficient service (for a Chinese restaurant). Consistent food quality. Go early to avoid the crowd. Parking is difficult if you arrive during the middle of meal hours - may have to park on the side streets. My family's faves: pork chop rice beef noodle fried tofu (like stinky tofu, minus the stink) green onion pancake oyster pancake veggies (A-chai; avoid the bean sprout leaves - too fibrous on multiple occasions) - it's most expensive dish in our order (?!)
(4)Esther S.
Good food for cheap! They also give large portions for the price you pay. Had the omurice, beef noodle soup, oyster pancake and minced pork over rice. All in all a great place to eat on the cheap for Taiwanese comfort food!
(4)Kathy L.
Accidentally came here when I was really trying to go to Mama Chef, but no biggie- I was craving Chinese food and still got to order my pork chop fried rice. Clean, bright decor with lots of natural light, making it feel more "modern" or cafe-ish, I think. Anyway, bf got ground pork noodles, I got pork chop fried rice, and we also got barrel shaped rice and fried pork onion roll to share. Wasn't really sure what the roll was when we ordered, and that was my least favorite thing- the skin was too thin and crispy for me, but I liked the filling just fine. Overall, decent food and okay prices, and I'd come back if I were in the area, but I much prefer Mama Chef to here.
(3)Angie L.
Delicious Taiwanese food for a good price! The place is very clean and all the waiters/waitresses were nice. I didn't have to wait long to get their attention to order. I ordered the chicken roll, fried salty chicken, beef noodle soup, stinky tofu, and fried rice. Everything was delicious and didn't leave me with a heavy feeling in my stomach hours later. The portions were large, which is a plus. I will be coming back for more!
(5)Naruto G.
This is a place where you can find a typical street food in Taiwan, almost similar. If you ever want to know the real stinky tofu then go to mama chen kitchen. Over the year, the owner had moved to many location and this particular location has the best interior. Price is reasonable. My fav dish will be: Pork Chop over Rice Oyster pancake Dry noodle with pork. Be aware, you won't enjoy your meal if you can't stand stinky tofu.
(4)Jasmine C.
So if you don't take service into consideration, this place has pretty darn good Taiwanese food! Service can be slow because it's always so freaking busy here! It's highly likely that you will have to wait for a table if you come with a big group at peak meal time hours. But the restaurant is clean and the food/portions/prices are pretty great. Also, I've been here twice and both times it can get really cold inside for some reason (they like to blast the AC) so bring a jacket! Food: I like their Deep Fried Chinese Bread...if you've never had it before, just try it. I can't explain what it is, but it's almost like a dessert :P Will upload pictures later. The pork chop rice is delishhhh! Super tender and comes with rice, picked veggies, egg, steamed veggies. It's a huge plate for only $6.50! Their stinky tofu is not bad either if you like stinky tofu :) I also like their spicy pig ears and wan gui (rice cake/meat sorta thing). And these are just the small orders of Taiwanese food...but they also have great noodles and rice dishes! I like their pineapple fried rice and minced pork rice :D Tried the beef noodle soup before too, and that was okay. Always down to try more food here! :D
(4)Crystal H.
Came here around 6ish and got seated after a few minutes. Ok size restaurant and busy. Service for food is fast, but didn't come around to refill tea until we flagged them down. Pigs feet with noodles- the pigs feet is so soft and melt in your mouth good Pigs feet appetizer- can be softer Taiwanese Hamburger- soo good! Must get! Mix Mix- i loved this too Shrimp fried rice- this is basic, but still good Stinky tofu- I don't think I can eat this haha. must be acquired taste Spicy fried chicken- not spicy at all, very basic pickled veggies and pork stomach soup- this was really good Bill was around $30? Very cheap and good food! I will be back!
(4)Emily W.
I can't wait to come back and try more items on the menu. Came here with P and since we only had two people, definitely cannot finish the 5+ dishes I wanted to order. We ended up ordering the Satay Beef Fried Rice, the Pork Belly Buns (Gua Bao), and Cumin Lamb. They all exceeded my expectations. Satay Beef Fried Rice, was a bit bland, but I can definitely deal with that since I do prefer a lighter diet, but I did expect the satay taste to be a bit stronger. Cumin lamb was flavorful and delicious. That lamb smell was completely covered by the cumin and all other flavors they put in there. It was cooked with a lot of "wok hay", meaning it was cooked with a high fire and with a lot of oil to create that type of .. taste. Definitely lacking words at the moment and had to plug in some Cantonese. The pleasant surprise is the pork belly buns. It was perfectly grilled/cooked pork belly and Taiwanese preserved vegetables inside a super soft fluffy piece of bun sized and shaped like a tortilla. SPRINKLED WITH SWEET PEANUT BITS ON TOP. Was not a bun person, but I think I definitely developed a new appreciation towards buns now. Service was also better than expected. The waitress was very nice to put up with our indecisiveness since we wanted to order 5+ dishes, but yup... we didn't, neither did the waitress, think we could finish. Can't wait to come back to try out the other menu items!
(4)Jonathan W.
Quick assessment: extensive menu to choose from; large dishes; salty (but doesn't seem to use msg, cuz I'm alive!) Beef noodle soup: meh. Soup was warm (not hot enough) and not flavorful enough. Hence the chunks of beef were a bit just there and not amazing. Guabao (Taiwanese burger): pretty decent, but pork could be fattier/juicier. Presentation: meh (wrapped in a plastic bag, so it almost looks microwaved) Lettuce wraps with shrimp: fairly yum. 5-6 servings. Oyster pancake: fairly simple dish. I'd tap that again. ä¸‰æ¯ salmon: tender as f, but waaaay too salty. Too heavy on the sauce. ä¸‰æ¯ squid: usually done with larger squid, so you get calamari like slices. But their dish comes with whole small squid. Judgement: not enough basil Conclusion: to be continued...
(3)Brandon L.
Best pork chop dish I've had, better than Vietnamese pork chop rice. Their beef noodle soup is good too but not spicy as we wanted. Price is so reasonable. What a find.
(5)Kellie H.
Horrible food but excellent service. This seems like a Mama Chef knock-off. Food here is way overpriced and not nearly authentic enough. I keep reading from the fellow reviewers that the owner of this place used to own Southland Flavor Cafe in Cupertino Village (Used to go there a lot during high school, the ONLY Taiwanese restaurant authentic enough but then slowly lost its flavor...) and they also owned Mama Chen on Stevens Creek. Unfortunately a lot of times although the owners are the same I doubt that they are doing their own cooking, the only logical explanation I have is they have hired new chefs. I still go to the original Mama Chef location out of habit because this place did not impress me at all. My friend and I were both anxious to try this place after we saw its grand opening sign. We were both ready to devour our lunch, but the soup she ordered was bland, the food I had was so so and we actually didn't take any of our left over food to go with us (which says a lot, I always take my left over food home) Service was awesome, this seemed like a modernized restaurant compared to Mama Chen's small town vibe. This would definitely appeal to a younger crowd I would say. I have held off on writing this review because I wanted to give them benefit of the doubt but unfortunately they just did not win my tummy over.
(2)Dee K.
Tried Yelpers basic recommendations - Taiwanese beef noodle soup, green onion pancake with egg, pork chop with rice and Taiwanese hamburger. Soup broth was rich and beefy, mildly sweet and spicy. Braised beef was soft and chewy, as were the noodles. This is a great alternative if you're getting tired of pho. Would definitely order again. Pork chop and rice very similar to Southland Cafe, still solid. Green onion pancake with egg was okay, not sure we'd order again. Burger was interesting, could do without the brown sugar sprinkle, but cilantro and pork belly is a good combination with the bao. Very affordable, service was okay, not great.
(4)Bee M.
The worst Taiwanese food ever in bay area!!! We went with high hope because of the line we saw the other day, we ordered 5 dishes, everything either tasted badly or not authentic at all. Will never go again. On the other hand Du Xiao Yue in Fremont is much closer to authentic Taiwanese food.
(1)Madison W.
3.5 stars - rounding up because service was very gracious and efficient. The food was fine but not mind blowing. Here is our run down: - pork chops - good, but nothing extraordinary. - stinky tofu - crispy but the saucy was meh; we've had better. The pickled veggies were good. - spicy beef tripe - done VERY well. excellent dish, best of the night - sticky rice (with weird sweet sauce) - meh, nothing special - Gua bao - the bun was tasty, but the crunchy sugar inside was weird. Others liked it, me I didn't like it. - internal organ thick noodle soup - a very Taiwanese dish... meh, very thick corn-starchy soup (too think in my taste), and the thin noodles could have been more al dente (too often they are over cooked) The restaurant is clean and the staff was super nice and super efficient.
(4)Daniel H.
Loved it, great interior and extremely neat and clean. Owner is real nice and pretty humble. The waiters and waitresses are real caring and nice as well. Now to the food. Coming from LA, I'm real picky with Taiwanese food. Especially in the Bay Area, there are NO legit authentic taiwanese restaurants because there's is just too much Mainland china peepz here. Food was really good, I got the noodle soup and some rice dish. After eating the food, it reminded me of the authentic taiwanese food I had in LA. Price was super reasonable as well. Recommend this place! P.S. Don't goto that crappy overpriced Little Sheep hotpot place next door, that is a rip off and their meat is low quality.
(5)Sam C.
2.5 stars. Came here since we couldn't get into Mongolian hot pot. Service was a little rude. We told them were needed a table for 5.. but they never came to get us. and we had to remind them we were still waiting. The Spicy Beef noodle soup was okay. The broth lacked deep flavor. The noodles were good. The pork ears weren't good. Too thickly cut, needed more sauce. The pork steamed buns were good. We had lots of other stuff that wasn't very memorable .
(2)Gary J.
Yummy The extensive menu provides an opportunity to expand on your taste for Thai food. After having tried many Thai restaurants I have never been to one with so many different and exciting dishes to try. We tried a spicy chicken. It was deep fried with a layer of red sauce over the top. The second dish was a tofu with fixh in a very tasty sauce. The Thai pancake was also very good. Serving size is more than ample. The server was very helpful and stopped us form ordering a medicinal health soup she said we would not like. The service is good and friendly.
(4)Chers S.
Came here on a rainy Monday for lunch at 11:30a. First one here and not crowded at all. Ordered: Green onion pancake - pretty good, typical flavor as every other restaurant. Fried Tofu - okay, nothing special Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup - really good, lots of spices but not hot spicy. The beef was really tender with fresh, hand made noodles.
(3)Coco L.
This is not as good as Mama chef - beef noodle soup - it was lurk warm and not a lot of favorite and it doesn't have the choice of beef tendon - popcorn chicken rice - this was decent but nothing wow They are busy so the isn't much service,
(2)Lilly W.
We actually meant to go to the original Chen Mama's (I guess on Yelp it was called something else, can't find it at the moment), but we ended up here. I knew right away it wasn't the right one since it looked new and not a hole in a wall. And we decided to stay since it was a Monday and they were super busy!! For the three of us we ordered a lot of stuff. Let me try to remember some of the dishes. Jelly Fish: bleh, wouldn't get it again, not very tasty, just bleh. Pig Ear: one of their specialty, I am not a huge fan of pig ears, but the sauce for it was tasty. Yan Shu Chicken: it's like popcorn chicken. Again, it was okay, nothing too special. Three Cup Chicken: I don't like it that it's little chicken wings, but the taste was good. Sa Cha Beef with veggie: good but salty. Since I was trying to skip rice, it was too salty. Short Rib rice: tasty, but this is my fav dish at the other Mama Chen's and it wasn't as good. Beef noodle soup: bland, wouldn't order again. So overall the experience was an okay. The food is doable, but nothing I would be craving in a long time. I am not sure why the name on the original Mama Chen doesn't even have the Chen in it. Too bad, they will probably lose alot of customer to this place.
(3)John H.
Pretty good Taiwanese food. Review is only for 3 items. The oyster omelette had plenty of oysters but the texture was a bit more soggy/runny than I prefer. The chicken roll had great flavor and crispness, but there were still bones in it! The beef noodle soup was a disappointment. I love the actual noodles, it was QQ. But the broth was too sweet for me...I normally prefer it spicy. The beef was hard to chew as well. Since the menu is quite extensive, I will be back to try some of the other items. The lady that greets you when you walk in was nice. The restaurant was clean as well, with plenty of space.
(4)Rick W.
This is now my wife and I's go to place when we are craving Chinese food to go. My wife loves the onion pancakes here and I agree, they are pretty good, but I prefer the onion pancakes with egg. The egg adds a nice density and heartiness to them which I like. The minced pork with rice is a steal for 3.50. Next time I go I think I may get two orders, one for dinner and one for lunch the next day. The chicken fried rice is also a favorite, nice flavor and a fair amount of meat. I would prefer more veggies but this dish is more for my wife then me. The pork with egg and dry noodles was really good. It was on the greasy side but hey, its not like I was expecting health food. The only thing I've had here and didn't care for was the Taiwan hamburger. While a lot of people on here like it I couldn't get past the sugary sweetness and fattyness of the meat. I threw most of it out.
(4)May H.
A affordable great place with good customer service. They have pretty authentic Taiwanese dishes. I come here whenever I am in the area. Very tasty, you should give it a try.
(4)David C.
I really wanted to like this place with all the yummy options and the prices except I had two bad experiences. The first one wasn't too bad when they made my food with the wrong noodles, no biggy. However the second mistake was unrecoverable - HAIR in my pork chop. Last time i'll eat here.
(1)Josie C.
Gua Bao Gua Bao Gua Bao! I will be coming back for their Gua Bao! MaMa Chen's Kitchen is the new fancy looking Taiwanese place at this otherwise sad looking strip mall which has been getting popular due to several other good Chinese restaurants here (Michelle's Pancake House, Little Sheep Hotpot etc.) I initially thought that the Mama Chen in Santa Clara has moved here. But when I asked the waitress about it, her response was: "Oh! I thought that place was sold." I guess the answer is no? This place is definitely a lot more spacious and upscale looking. They even use Japanese in the menu! To be honest I was taken aback by all these; I guess I am more used to hole in a wall type of TW places. We got the following items (also see the pictures I posted): - Taiwan's Burger (aka Gau Bao) $4.50 - Pork Chop Rice $6.50 - Grilled Green Onion, Pork, Egg with Dry Noodle $6.50 - Green Onion Pancake with Egg $4.50 - Sautéed Bacon and Cabbage $9.00 The Gau Bao was the best. An order came with two steamed buns filled with stewed fatty pork, sour pickles, sweet ground peanuts and cilantro. The buns are individually wrapped in plastic bags. These are the best Gau Baos I have had recently (not counting the ones in Taipei). I do wish that the stewed pork were fattier. Everything else was good except for the sautéed bacon cabbage dish. The bacon flavor was great but the cabbage pieces were cut too large and not cooked down enough. One observation: they need to get rid of those Korean style round metal chopsticks. I kept hearing chopsticks rolling off the tables and hit the ground throughout the meal! I will be back soon to try their stinky tofu, oyster pancake, intestine noodle, and sautéed liver/kidney with sesame oil. Oh and the Gau Bao!
(4)David K.
Another Mama Something Taiwanese place! I was a bit confused since Mama Chef, which I reviewed a whiles back used to be called Mama Chen, but is now Mama Chef...and then this new Mama Chen showed up a few blocks away...but I'm sure you don't care. Onto the food! It was pretty busy even for a late lunch on Sunday. Parking is somewhat limited, but there's street parking you can also utilize so I don't think it's a huge issue. The interior is pretty spacious and has a nice new/clean feel to it. Gua bao: Everyone really likes these, but I thought they were just ok. The steamed bun part actually seemed a bit stale to me. Oyster Pancake: I wish I could review this for you, but they ran out. Sorry I tried! Minced Pork Rice: 3.50 for this? What a bargain! It's good, not very oily either. Some other places will have this swimming in oil. Ji Juan (I think it was Pork Onion Roll on the menu): Funny side note, the literal translation is Chicken Roll, but it's not chicken, it's pork. Not too bad, a teeeeny bit too mushy for what it should be. Again not too oily (which happens elsewhere). Chicken Steak Rice: Another staple I tend to try at Taiwanese places. Huge portions. Chicken wasn't bad, but it wasn't the best I've had either. I saw a lot of people order these giant pots of soup things and will be back to try those at least. Also these place takes credit cards! (sorry no Amex) There were complaints about service, and while it wasn't the best (we had to flag them down a few times for stuff) they did respond pretty fast once we did get a hold of them. Overall, solid place that delivers really good value. I mean where else can you get a solid meal for under $10 nowadays.
(4)Patali S.
Love this place!!! The cumin lamb is out of this world good!!!! Also love their green onion pancake. Not too crazy about there soups but lunch here has not disappointed me.
(4)Melissa S.
A nice, clean and brightly lit Taiwanese restaurant. I really like their location (next to Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot). They are always packed during dinner time. I think this place has successfully differentiated itself to the other Taiwanese restaurants in the Cupertino area because they serve some of the "stranger" Taiwanese dishes - by strange I mean animal internal organs. Some of the stuff I would recommend ordering include: - jellyfish (appetizer) - liver dish - spring onion pancake - I really enjoyed theirs If you're adventurous and dare to try some of the stranger dishes, this is the place to go. In terms of service...well, they're okay. Just like any other Chinese restaurants, you should not expect too much out of their service, especially during rush hour because the servers are super busy trying to cater to everyone. On the positive side, parking is not hard to find!
(4)Kim N.
It seems that the proliferation of Taiwanese cuisine in Cupertino is on the rise. Not sure why it's happening now but I guess they're cropping up like a couple a year between the restaurants and milk tea joints. So if I remember correctly, there was Mama Chen in Santa Clara, which got sold and is not Mama Chef. Then the kids of the original Mama Chen now has Mama Chen's Kitchen. Brand new and in the strip of Tantau and Steven's Creek that has some pretty good places. So I brought a token white friend and a Taiwanese friend to hit of the fare. After looking at the menu said Taiwanese friend is excited and we start ordering u pa storm. Between three people we get: -Pork Belly Bun -Beef tripe in spicy oil -Cumin Lamb -Taiwanese style sausage -Deep fried stinky tofu -Oyster omelette -Glutinous rice sheet covered meat with bamboo -Beef and scallions -Green onion pancake -Deep friend intestine -Egg noodle with pork and mushrooms so yeah we had a few things to snack on. Everyone around us was freaking out at the amount of food we had. A table of Taiwanese locals asked about what we ordered and who seemed Taiwanese. I tried to point at my white friend to make it really confusing for the,. Hahaha. So the food is quite good. I've had plenty of Taiwanese food before, even though Im someone who grew up eating at mostly Cantonese style place which has a bigger emphasis on savory. They have a ton of dishes so there are many things I need to try. My Taiwanese friend is already plotting how to get the parents there. The staff are actually fairly friendly and based on the fact that two out of three of us were confident on our orders they realized we were serious about the food. Better hit it up while it's new as I cna only see this place getting busier. 4.25 stars
(4)Diana Y.
Came here on the rave about their beef noodle soup (and no one does it better than Taiwanese restaurants, let's be hones there). Loved the noodles and the beef but the broth was a little on the bland side. I'm the biggest fan of bland flavors (according to my friends) but this was a little too bland for me. Still, a good soup when you don't have any options in SF and you're just mad craving it. Came here right when it opened and it was packed within the first 45 min.
(3)Jeff J.
Name a Taiwanese dish, and this place has it. The menu is extremely expansive and really covers the whole gamut of Taiwanese cuisine. I got stinky tofu, rou geng tang (think pork soup), and a lu rou fan (minced pork on rice). The last is an absolute favorite, so expectations were high. Mama Chen's delivered! The stink tofu was spot on, though I wish the cabbage that accompanies the tofu would be a little bit spicier. The rou geng tang was spot on flavor-wise, though I'm used to the soup being thicker than it was. The lu rou fan was perfect-- no complaints here. The interior decor is also very reminiscent of the newer restaurants in Taipei. Felt great to eat here.
(4)David L.
Very good Taiwanese food based on the noodle and fried oyster dishes we had ordered earlier today. I was a bit surprised that they did not offer boba tea drinks. Is this really a Taiwanese place? It's OK since my favorite boba place Cafe LaTea is near by! The food is good and inexpensive; the service is friendly and fast! Definitely would return to try other dishes! This place closes on Tuesday so plan accordingly.
(4)Evie H.
Apparently this restaurant is the real Mama Chen's! I believe Mama Chef (also on Stevens Creek) has changed owners now. We got the Mix Mix appetizer which comes with beef tripe, pig ear, and stewed bean curd (dou gan). This option is a pretty good one if you want a variety of appetizers and can't decide on which one to get. They give you a decent platter of food for only $8 and considering the pig ear by itself is $5 and the beef tripe is $5.25, you're in for a good deal! It'd be even better if they didn't skimp on the beef tripe though! We noticed that there was considerably less of that compared to the other two. Other good dishes which made us think of Taiwan: Deep fried chinese bread - YUM. I'll get this every time now. It's so good. They fry the outside perfectly so when you bite into the bread there's a good crunch. The inside is soft and hot and don't forget to dip your bread in the condensed milk provided! Stinky tofu - a pretty classic dish which they made nicely So-so dishes: Vegetable Chow Mein and Sauteed Cabbage - I don't even know why my family ordered these. Both were very very plain. My mom can probably cook both better. Fried chicken fillet & rice - ehh.... they didn't fry the chicken very well. It was kind of soggy and soft actually. The flavor from the spice on top was good though. Overall, they have a HUGE amount of items so you can come several times and get something different each time. We also ordered frozen zhong zi (glutinous rice) to-go. It's only $3 for one if you get 10 or more and these are pretty big zhong zis packed with a decent amount of meat, mushroom, egg, and other goodies!
(4)Nancy B.
Epic fail. I came here with three other non Chinese speaking friends, and it was just pathetic what we ordered. We asked the waiter to bring us the four most popular dishes, and they were not tasty. Even the gua bao was disappointing. There was way too much sugar and not enough pork in it. The veggie deluxe thing we ordered tasted like frozen vegetables tossed in soy sauce. The three cup chicken was the most popular dish, but the meat was very bony. Excellent sauce though. I never understand how it's possible for food to be terrible when it's recommended to you by someone who works there. I probably need to come back here with someone who speaks Chinese so they can school me.
(1)Tokyo T.
You can find all your traditional Taiwanese dishes here. There's stinky tofu, oyster vermicelli soup, fried pork chops over rice, crispy intestines, etc... Basically, it's all the exotic stuff that some other restaurants are afraid to sell. The selection is impressive. The taste is pretty spot on to my experiences living in Taiwan for 5 years. The prices are dirt cheap. You can get lunch for around $6.50. I 'm wondering how they can survive with these prices. The portions are generous. Sometimes, I don't have enough room to finish my lunch. This never happens to me at other restaurants. I'm docking a point because every time I'm here with friends, at least one of us gets a tea cup with lipstick still engrained on it. This makes me think that they don't clean their dishes very well.
(4)Susanna W.
The new space is so much larger and nicer than the previous one. AMBIANCE: Spacious and CLEAN. Has a Asian cafe (like in HKG or Taiwan) sort of vibe, minus sticky table tops and less than stellar lighting. SERVICE: Friendly and prompt. There's always someone roaming around ready to refill your teacup. FOOD: - Tongzi Mi Gao (bamboo sticky rice) ($4): comes as a cylindrical shaped sticky rice segment with a generous pool of spicy/sweet sauce. The cylinder is topped with pork floss (ro song) and studded throughout with Chinese bacon bits. Good snack for the price. - Green onion pancake ($3): I'd avoid this in the future-- the pancake was HARD and difficult to chew. I ended up soaking it in the beef noodle soup broth to soften it up a little. Flavor was fine, could've been more green onion-y. - Beef noodle soup ($7.75): A pricier BNS, but I think the higher cost is reflected in the higher quality ingredients. The noodles are freshly made, the beef chunks are so tender they melt in your mouth, and there is an ample amount of both pickled and fresh veggies. Portion size could be slightly larger, and the broth could be a little less sweet, but it was overall quite satisfying. OVERALL: Good food at a fair/reasonable price. I'll be back.
(4)Justin S.
I came here after high recommendations from various friends. This place is ALRIGHT, maybe the hype killed it for me. Lu ro fan: It was decent, for the price. Gua Bao: Had to get this since everybody was raving about. It was not too bad, but it didn't wow me away either. My friend didn't get any meat in his but the server apologized and got him some meat.
(3)Isaac W.
Place is compact and clean. Service is very good. Food is reasonably priced and we ordered 4 dishes. Oops, not sure how to spell them in English here. They taste good.
(4)Ellin C.
This past week me and my hubby have visited this restaurant a total of three times. Some of the highlights: Gua Bao: You get two large ones for $4.50. Definitely one of the better items on the menu. Minced Pork over Rice: Can't go wrong for $3.50 for a bowl of minced pork over rice. Really delicious. Pork Chop with Rice: The pork was crispy and sweet. Stinky Tofu Beef Noodle soup was a little too sweet for my taste. This restaurant is already pretty busy. Even on a Monday evening, there were people waiting to be seated. All three times, the service has been great. Nice decor, atmosphere. A step up from their old location, and their old menu.
(4)Eddie P.
We arrived at 2:27, and were told it's closed while there are more than half of the tables full. We ask first when should we arrive, and we're told "earlier." Asked for time other than arbitrary, and was told 2:20. food has been pretty good and genuine Taiwanese. Sometimes inconsistent, and I think has a lot to do with chef.
(3)Arick W.
Their minced pork over rice with pickled veggies and soy sauce egg is one of the best I've ever had. It comes in a medium sized bowl and only costs $3.50! My wife's beef noodle soup was just ok, not a lot of flavor in the broth. Their green onion pan cake in egg is pure genius and awesome. The service is a bit lacking but because they were slammed when we were there I could understand. Also Mama Chen it would help if you serve your pork chop rice with something other than a spoon and a pair of chopsticks. Not ideal.
(4)Jonathan K.
Food isn't too expensive but the taste isn't that great.
(3)Jamie T.
This place has meh service - I guess they're really busy and it doesn't matter to them. Every time I'm there I'm curious to what that big cauldron of soup w/ noodles and clams is but I'm never able to try it due to the group being too small and no one as interested in it as I am. But we've tried the gua bao (huge here), the dried style sliced pork with rice mifun ($5.25?), the garlic tossed kong xing cai (water spinach), pai gu fan (pork chop with rice), taiwanese sausage, beef noodle soup, fried wings, and this grilled chicken with special sauce that actually doesn't look grilled but fried and doesn't come with sauce. It's misleading but it actually was really good... Give it a shot if and you'll be surprised. Must gets: sausage, wings, dry noodles...
(3)Ken K.
Oh man where do I begin... Dropped by to give MC another shot. Suan Mei Jir (sour plum drink) - I asked specifically in Mandarin if this was made in house, and the waitress said yes. While it had a slight herbal taste to it (which it should not), but in the end the whole thing felt flat. There was a lot of ice in it, so if you don't drink it quickly, it will get diluted quickly. Why is it that the best available is in a bottle, sold in Chinese supermarkets (Hsin Tung Yang brand is probably the best one?) or the fact you have to drive to SoCal to places like (Stinky) Tofu King Rowland Heights or Arcadia to get a kickass rendition? If MC gave me the Hsin Tung Yang bottled sour plum drink and just poured it into a cup with ice, at least I would have been happier. Lu Hai Dai (marinated cold seaweed appetizer) - The first few bites were decent...the sesame oil drizzle really added a nice fragrance to this dish....but after that the whole dish was otherwise quite salty. Beef noodle soup - dubbed "Taiwan style". Uhhh sorry no. The thick mildy chewy noodles resembled udon in bite...but there's an even weirder familiarity element to it. The noodles tasted very much like the Shaan Xi knife shaved noodles that you can buy from the frozen section of Marina Supermarket, which after boiling has that QQ light chewy slurpy factor. Oh please tell me they didn't use this, but I totally had deju vu eating it. The broth was on the sweet side....now I don't mind if they stewed it with carrots or dunked an apple or some other non citrus fruit in the broth to simmer (like the defunct Formosa Bento House in Redwood City, now that momma did some real ass homestyle cooking that warmed my heart)...but the broth here was not naturally sweetened, at least by taste. Lastly...beef brisket cuts...while somewhat tender...is a big no no....TW style should be slices of shank with tendons inside...look at defunct A&Js, ASJ, even San Tung (SF on Irving) using shank cuts, as well as Chinjin Eastern House (Islamic Chinese), Sun's Chinese Cuisine (even though the shanks are on the dry and very chewy side), all use shank. Mama Chen in its former location did a much more stellar rendition of this...did she leave the original staff behind? Why is the current chef have a fondness for refined sugar?! Or is it because the current crop of Asian Americans in California love their boba milk teas to be extra sweet and calorific? Case in point, Fung Brothers youtube video about Boba Life and some doofus finishing 19 Half and Half boba drinks (a SoCal chain) in a competition....instant diabetes right there. Maybe there's no longer any good TW food in NorCal, because TW expats are either working in Silicon Valley, real estate or some more profitable venture. Their wives take the kids to back to back activities after school and into the weekend (and maybe don't cook much, or even if they are great cooks, only cook amongst themselves). And maybe some of their kids become so Americanized they end up idolizing the Fung Brothers and become boba fanatics and hip hop wannabe types, where sweetness of the drink is more important that the quality of the brewed tea. A table of four high school senior A$N kids next to me spent most of their time face down on their electronic gadgets...tablets or some sort of phone. One of them ordered stinky tofu. The stench was thin but sharp....in a brined tofu kind of fashion (a shortcut to actual properly feremented stinky tofu). It was more of an annoying smell than stinky smelly. But after 1 minute, the stench disappeared. They say in Taiwan, the stinkier the tofu the better it tastes. Mama Chen's "stinky tofu" stench only lasted ONE MINUTE! So there you have it...if you care to order this, try to finish it before the stinky goes away. Or maybe the horrid taste lasts longer than the stench. It's a shame the décor is way better than the food. It should be the other way around :-(
(2)Toshinobu K.
Direct competition with the similarly named "Mama Chef" down the street close to Lawrence. Both serve Taiwanese food, and the menus are eerily similar. Based on my personal preference, I Ike the taste here better. I feel the food is better prepared and more authentic. The location is also newer and the space bigger. All good, right? So why the 2-star rating? After enjoying the meal, we asked the waiter to help us pack up some left overs from the table, and he rudely grabbed another waitress to help him. He was so impolite, even his female colleague had to remark "can you take it easy? That really hurts my arm." While the waiter was stacking plates onto his arm for packing, a dish with a lot of sauce got tilted from his grip and poured about half of the sauce onto the table, splattering everyone including young children sitting nearby. No apologies were made, not even a recognition that he screwed up. He walked away and only later returned with the take-out boxes, once again, no apologies, and no offer to help clean up. I counted two items of clothing ruined, a dish wasted, and they have forever lost my recommendation to my family and friends. Poorly handled, Michael (the waiter's name), poorly handled.
(2)Ceecee W.
Yippee! I have found my go to Taiwanese food in the South Bay. This place recently opened and has very clean and simplistic decor. They close every day at 2:30pm and reopen for dinner. I came here a couple of times, and each time I have to have the Lu Rou Fan ( s3-media4.ak.yelpcdn.com… ). Other than LRF, here are some of my other favorites: - Grilled Green Onion and Pork and Egg with Dry Noodle ( s3-media3.ak.yelpcdn.com… ) - Sauteed A Cai ( s3-media2.ak.yelpcdn.com… ) - Fish and tofu ( s3-media4.ak.yelpcdn.com… ) Their Gua Bao is fantastic too. Def coming back here more often!
(5)Jackie L.
Um, everything we ordered was off. Spicy cucumber was good, but tasted sweeter than usual, stinky tofu wasn't very smelly and the sauce was weird =(, fried green onion pancakes were too oily, fish ball noodle soup was super bland as well. Service was excellent but the food needs to be better. Overall, I won't be coming back here.
(2)Gilbert L.
Tried their signature "pigs feet" noodle soup but it was not my cup of tea. But I would like to return and see what else they have that made all the Taiwanese people crazy :)
(3)Carol C.
First, I apologize to my ancestors and beg the forgiveness of all Chinese luck-bringing deities for ruining the perfection that was 88 reviews for this restaurant. Sorry sorry. 888 will come no time..? Anyway, I think I'd give this place a nice 3.5. We ended up here after Little Sheep next door had too unholy of a wait time for our starving post-hike bodies to handle. I went in Yelp blind, lured in by the full restaurant, the epic Taiwanese menu, and the fact that it's friggin called Mama Chen's Kitchen. I guess I can forgive them for stealing my future restaurant name. I wouldn't say this is the most authentic Taiwanese food I've had, but it's awesome that they had just about every Taiwanese dish, from quick n dirty street food style to more restaurant-type fancy dishes. I spent a really long time perusing the entire menu and getting major nostalgia episodes. I ended up forcing myself to go with the gua bao ("Taiwanese hamburger" pork buns), oyster pancake, beef noodle soup, and sauteed snow pea shoots. The gua bao were so big and chock full of the heavenly combo that is cilantro + peanuts. The pork itself was a little bland and there was a little too much bun but it was still wonderful in the way only the food of your people can be. The sauce on the oyster pancake was on the sweeter side but the pancake itself was full up with ingredients and had a great balanced texture. I was impressed with the noodles in that they retained their Q Q chew factor for a long time despite sitting in the broth. The broth itself was nothing to rave about but it was also stocked with all the fixings. Lastly, the snow pea shoots came in an epically large portion and were pretty much perfect, not too greasy, not too salty. The servers are friendly, and the restaurant is open and clean. The food is hearty and comforting gives your insides a wonderful warm greasy (but not too greasy) hug. Yeah mama!
(4)kharazm s.
Mama chen. This is directly for you. After a long time waiting to try your food, finally we came over and asked waitress for suggestions. The fried rice/shrimp dish smelled really bad and we returned it. Yet they fully charged us !! The waitress tried to be nice. I wasn't really expecting a refund but the manager/owner attitude was really RUDE !!! It is obvious some people will jump up and down for $10 ---- I did not want to ruin our night otherwise I could refuse to pay for that ****. WILL NEVER GO BACK AGAIN .
(1)Jeffrey T.
Overall a decent place to dine. Chicken cutlet is great!! crispy and flavorful. Stew Port Belly with Bamboo shot goes very well with rice. In general, the food is good if you know what to order. some are really good/authentic and some just so-so. Clean and well organized dinning area with good staffs. Noise level is medium to High depend on the day. A bit pricy compare to other similar food serving places. Worth trying for the first timers.
(3)Larry L.
What on hell happened to this so called Christian owned restaurant? Really? Stop disgracing God! I got there at 6pm while my other guests still on the way, the darn waitress didn't allow me to take a table even though there were 7~10 tables available. Her foolish manager held the same messed up theory: because your friends have not all arrived yet. What kinda retarded logic is that? Makes you disrespected? It more shows their damaged brain by too much money making. A bunch of morons just like their stinky tofu! Really wish Yelp had 0 or negative rating.
(1)Sherry L.
Great authentic Taiwanese food, great prices. Establishment is clean and modern. We had 5 people in our party and had to squeeze into a small 4-person table because they didn't have bigger tables at that time. I really enjoyed their pork chop rice and minced pork rice. Will come back again when I'm in the area!
(4)Connie C.
Another yummy Taiwanese restaurant in Cupertino? Yay! I came with my family before the lunch rush on Sunday (around 11:30) and was seated right away. Tip: This place gets busy and since Chinese people love to take their time when sharing meals with friends and family, come early to secure parking and a table! We had: - Kong Xin Cai (chinese water spinach) plain but just the way it should be cooked. very fresh! - Tongzi Mi Gao (sticky rice cooked in a barrel with sweet and spicy sauce) one of the best sticky rice dishes i've ever had! even though the sweet and spicy sauce tasted like the thai sweet chili sauce you can find at any grocery store, it all fit together quite well. - beef noodle soup meat was tender and the noodles were chewy but i do wish that for the price, the portion was larger. - stinky tofu had that stinky tofu smell but it didn't have that familiar strong taste that stinky tofu bears. small portion for the price too :\ - fried fish fillet rice over-peppered fried fish but with preserved vegetables, rice and egg, the plating was pretty and neat - Pork Mi Tai Mu (silver needle noodles) a simple dish but it still tasted really good! wonderful smell and taste when the noodles are all mixed together. - Wa Gui (Tainan rice bowl cake w/ pork) a classic taiwanese dish executed perfectly! i loved the meat and sauce with ricecake . it reminds me of dim sum's luo buo gao (: service was fast and friendly, the place looks quite modern and very new and clean. overall, i enjoyed mama chen's and will be back soon!
(4)L.L. M.
Inconsistent quality of food. We went with some friends visiting from Taiwan a few times. The first time, the food was ok and relatively authentic. Subsequent times, the food were borderline awful. We had the mixed fried rice and they added pork liver & chicken gizzards. We have never had fried rice in Taiwan (or anywhere else) like that. Service was slow on a regular weekday lunch.
(2)Tommy Y.
Very authentic TW food. Had the beef noodle soup, oyster cake, minced pork rice and ga bao. Would be back! if only i could read more chinese though....
(5)Andy M.
I visited Mama Chen's Kitchen for a going away lunch as my colleagues highly recommended it. They come here once a week for a team lunch because rate the food highly. Coming from Melbourne Australia and of Asian background I was super excited to be eating some Asian food in the US. I let my colleagues order as they knew what was best and how it should be eaten. The best part of our feast was the dumplings. We got some fried rice and a few noodle dishes but they weren't anything spectacular. By far the best was the pork fried dumpling. A little on the large side as I wasn't able to put the whole dumpling into my mouth. Worth trying out if you're in the area and craving some Asian food.
(3)John J.
I regret not getting the stinky tofu. I didn't order it, but I remember the next table's stinky tofu was really pungent. In terms of stinky tofu, the more pungent it is, the better. The last time I had it was in Taiwan, and Mama Chen's is as authentic as you can get. They had all the Taiwanese dishes you could want including 3 cup chicken, braised beef noodle soup, and glutinous rice-covered meatball and the price is right. I recommend going, it's great here, and it's even better if you have an inherent love of Taiwanese food. The one criticism I have is that the scallion pancake is not as good as Michelle's Pancake House next door, but that's to be expected since it's not their specialty.
(4)Louise L.
Very good :) but a little bit too salty. Very delicious Taiwanese food. Strongly recommend!
(4)Justin H.
Upon curiosity after reading an article about the best Taiwnese Beef Noodle Soup in the Bay Area, I had to give this place a try as it was #1 on the list (I'm sure many others have as well!). The restaurant is located in a small plaza next to one of my favorite hot pot places (Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot). The interior was very well decorated, modern looking, and clean. My date and I were seated immediately as the crowd on a Sunday afternoon was not too packed (but still fairly busy). While checking out the menu, I was set on just the beef noodle soup but my date noticed they also had Fried Stinky Tofu under their "Snacks" section. She's never tried it before, so we had an order of that and green onion pancakes as well (we were hungry!). The "snacks" came out first and they did not disappoint! I was glad my date liked the taste of the stinky tofu because I would have had to finish everything myself if she didn't! I was also afraid the stinky tofu would bother others around us, but it was surprisingly not that strong smelling (even at our own table, we had to get close to the dish to get a whiff of that yummy "garbage" smell, haha!). The green onion pancakes were perfectly crispy and we finished everything halfway when our beef noodle soup came. We put our snacks to a halt and savored the sight of the "Best Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup in the Bay". The noodles looked perfectly cut and thick. The beef was plentiful, juicy, tender and meaty (not as much fatty/cartilage parts compared to other places). The broth was heaven in my mouth (probably the best beef noodle soup broth I've ever had). Topping off the dish was a small mound of sour cabbage. The presentation and execution of the "#1 Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup in the Bay" was flawless! Would definitely come back again to try their other dishes as everything else around us looked delicious!
(5)Chloe F.
Nice
(4)Maggie C.
average $1~3 more expensive than other taiwanese deli, yet the portion is small, and nothing special about their food. i guess i just helped them pay for their expensive interior decor, i will not come here again
(1)Himanshu S.
Could have given 0 or even negative if that was an option. Average food, poor service & arrogant staff. After the experience when i did not tip, I was followed to my car and was told "Sir this is America, it is unlawful not to tip" .. Seriously .. Never coming back again ..
(1)tony l.
The food here is halfway decent (there are better taiwanese restaurants in the area, and Michelle's pancake house next door is great if you're in the mood for that). The reason for the two star rating the the subpar service. Specifically one tall Asian waiter with long sideburns. He was extremely inattentive (did not clear plates), but also seemed to have an extremely bad attitude. When our table had empty water glasses, I asked him for a refill. He glared at me, and retrieved the water pitcher. Then proceeded to poke my straw out of the way with his FINGER and refilled my glass. He looked at the other empty glasses on the table then just walked away. It is disgusting and extremely unsanitary to touch someone's straw with your finger. That attitude just soured the entire experience. The food is not good enough to make me want to return to such a low level of service.
(2)Yao Z.
It is decent but not great! The beef noodle soup was just okay. Try it for yourself. I wasn't too crazy about it. It is a quick lunch place if you craving some Taiwan style cuisines however it will not be my first choice.
(3)Kelly S.
The BF and I are always on a search to find the a good bowl of beef noodle soup and we found our new favorite spot! ORDER: Tawainese Beef Noodle Soup - Chewy handmade noodles, delicious broth that is not too sweet or salty, lots of vegetables and meat Ground Pork w/ rice - great portion and CHEAP! Pork chop with rice - I hate that i love pork. These chops are so delicious. I'm a sucker for them. Guo Bao - I would skip. There is too much sugar Mama Chen's clean space, extensive menu and friendly workers make it easy to decide where i want to go when the craving hits!
(4)Cathy U.
Not particularly tasty, but nice decor and well made. I tried Stinky Tofu with my coworker.
(4)Charlie L.
bad service. food is cold.
(1)Ronny L.
Love the new Mama Chen's!! Decor, atmosphere, and food are great! So much better than their previous location. Of all things to rave about, they have a Lu Ruo Fan (Minced Pork Rice) bowl for only $3.79!!!! So delicious. Reminds me of how my grandma used to make it (I should ask her to make it again). The bowl was very filling. I cannot believe how cheap it is. I've had it 3 times now! They usually have this already made, the meat is probably just stewing in the back. Easy to come in, pick it up as a to-go order.
(5)Louie P.
I guess I wasn't descriptive enough! :( I wanted cheong fun which is a steamed rice noodle roll, sometimes people sauté it with soy sauce. I said it three times and showed a picture and then they asked three people to come and look then finally the guy said so you want chow fun, I said no not noodles rolls and then he said he knew what I wanted and would bring it out. He brought out noodles! And they were greasy!!!!! The fried rice was greasy too! It was shinny greasy! The fried chicken with rice was good, it was like popcorn chicken with rice. I might try this place one more time to see if other things taste better. I was really hoping this would be like cooking papa but its totally not! Too bad because its a beautiful place.
(3)Xander C.
Solid taiwanese food! lu ruo fan is solid here. not my favorite kind of lu ruo fan (i like mine a bit saucier with fattier pieces of pork) but still good and great value. fried pork chitterlings were excellent. stinky tofu was average (hard to find good ones this side of the pacific). the ruo gen (thick viscous soup) was not bad... not taiwan quality but good when you need a fix. the gua bao (taiwanese hamburger) was a bit too sweet (sugar added on top), but not bad.
(4)Jean L.
The food deserved a 4 stars. However the wait time was incredibly long (40 min.). I will not come back 'cause nothing is that good for my precious time.
(4)Sean T.
HUGE menu that will cause nostalgia in any Chinese or Taiwanese food fanatic. In my case, it's been over a year since I've been back in Taiwan and I know it would be at least another year before I can go back. So when I Saw the menu I was just ecstatic and excited to order everything. Some things might not be traditional or as authentic as back home but the effort is commendable and the taste and flavors are on point. Most of the food was good so my only gripe would be with the service. First off, there was an older waiter that was obviously a veteran and took good care of us, but that is after we had to switch 2 waiters because there were both new and young and cocky. There were two dishes that weren't what the menu described and also they made it differently than before (As my brother who frequents there can confess). The waiters were rude and gave us excuse and BS reasons after another until we had the veteran waiter come over and take care of us.
(4)Natalia H.
where can you ever buy a meal for $3.50?!??!?! at mama chen's you can. their minced pork rice thing is $3.50 and dude it was delicious! i ordered it both the times i came here. i've also tried their - pork chop appetizer ($5) - beef noodle soup (so-so) - the hakka style soup (soooooooooo good!) - the crispy fish filet thing (i probably would not order this dish again. it was soggy instead of crispy) - the mushu (so fresh and light!) - and one of their pot dish thing that i can't remember its name (sorry!) overall, i like mama chen's. it's cheap and satisfying. there's always a line when we come here though, but it usually goes really quick.
(4)Joey C.
Same menu, higher prices, bad food, slow service. What happened to Mama Chen? Everything we ordered came out really bad - they didn't even do the mix mix right! The sauce is all weird! The sesame chicken soup tasted yucky and bland. We used to love the old Mama Chen (next to Bed Bath Beyond) and continue going there after they changed owner. I'm surprised the new one opens so close to the one they just sold and competing for business with the exact same menu. Anyways, this is not my cup of tea.. There are many other restaurants that offer good solid Taiwanese dishes in Cupertino. I won't be back.
(2)Eva T.
Tried it tonight. Not as good as Mama Chef. The decor was clean and the space was more spacious. However, the food was not as good and the quantity was smaller in general, as compared to Mama Chef. We have had the same food in both places - scallion pancake, mix mix, pork blood and intestine soup, and dry noodles. The intestine in the soup was chewy. Overall, the food here tends to have a sweet undertone in its sauce. Service was not good and the place was very crowded. It was extremely difficult to get any service - to get menus, to get a check, and to get them to take our credit card. The table next to us bussed their dirty plates to the kitchen themselves since they ran out of table space. Won't be going back there. Will stick with Mama Chef.
(2)Kevin V.
Mama Chen's Kitchen is ok. I went here with a couple of friends because I was craving some Taiwanese food. The only dish I could clearly remember was the stinky tofu because it was my first time trying it, honestly it was decent. But I cannot remember any dish specifically. Nothing really stood out. No complaints, but nothing amazing either.
(2)J T.
For P and me, our meal only costed us ~$20 before tips. What a deal for the quality of the food! Super duper affordable and we were stuffed. We ordered 4 items: Taiwanese beef noodle soup (my staple at every Taiwanese restaurant!) Minced pork rice bowl (only $3.50!) Green onion pancake Taiwanese burger (we had no idea what this was but the ingredients sounded intriguing) Our favorites were definitely the taiwanese burger and the minced pork rice bowl! Both were delicious. The beef noodle soup was not the greatest, although the noodles' texture was perfect. Nevertheless, I prefer A&J's for quality, quantity, and price. The pancake was standard. This might be my new lazy place to get take-out from, other than Cooking Papa!
(4)Andy S.
Three star for the awesome food they have!!! My favorite is the beef noodles and the Dry noodles with egg. But why not a awesome 5 stars? It's because while dining, i saw one of the waiter dropping the chopstick on the floor while setting up the table and then NOT getting a new one but slyly ( not sure if that's how its spelled or even a word) put the chopstick he dropped on the floor back. OMG...
(3)D N.
My family and I eat here at least twice a month. We're big fans of the scallion pancake with egg, Mama Chen's style minced pork over rice, shrimp fried rice, shrimp with egg, and the fish and tofu in bean paste. It's quite clean and nice. Everything comes out incredibly fast, and we've never had a single issue with our food. The pork is always savory. The scallion pancake is always crisp. We find the prices very reasonable for the Bay area.
(5)Sidney C.
Food - 2.75 stars: large selection, but they use too much sugar. The Gua-Bao had two times the sugar as peanut powder. Taiwanese food is NOT all about sweetness. Service - 2.5 stars: the waiters and waitresses are a bit inexperienced Decor - 4 stars: clean and modern Atmosphere - 3 stars: typical loud Chinese restaurant... kids squealing, ppl "visiting" from other tables Value - 3.25 stars: large selection and not expensive makes decent value.
(3)Alice K.
I think I would actually give food a three or even 4 if I ordered something they are actually good at. But since their service are consistently bad, I can bare myself to give them a 3 stars. In term of food, as with the orignal Mama Chen and the one the was on the other side of Stevens Creek before they become Mama Chef, in their huge menu, if we ordered "correctly", we were totally wow; but if we ordered the wrong dish,it leave us wondering why we even come here in the first place. For example, I had tried their sticky rice cooked in barrel, they were so suprisingly good that it brought back fond memory of eaching them in Taipei when I was a child. Then I tried their steamed Meat Ball, the skin were so tough, it's clear to me that they use either wrong type of flour or the ratio was all wrong. It was hardly atable. As a result, I am often nervous when I ordered there; I never knew what I'll get. As far as the service, first thing I noticed is there are no condiments what so ever on any table. So, we have to ask the wait staff for hot sauce, vinegar,...everytime. It's 50/50 that we'll ever get it. One time, I actually had to lean over to ask the table next to me who are lucky enough to get a whole bottle of black vinegar to see if I can borrow the bottle. Then the lady that took our initial order never ever comes back to our table again, sometimes we even have to wave her down a couple times just to get our check. So, the chance of getting a refill of your tea or water is never. I get that they are busy and they maybe overwhelmed but the feeling that most of them are just putting up with their customers and they can careless what so ever(except they want our money) made me wonder every time if it's really worth the trouble or not.
(2)An N.
The food was good. Can't really go wrong with Taiwanese food.
(3)Kristen T.
After my friend told me that this place triumphs over liang's kitchen, I knew I had to come here and try it! The place was pretty packed on a Saturday night around 7:30pm and we waited about 10 min for a party of three. The decor of the place was pretty fancy for an Asian restuarant which earned Mama Chen's Kitchen a star. Everytime I go to a Taiwanese joint, the place always looks a bit unsanitary. Now onto the food, we ordered rice with minced pork, fried tofu, and beef noodle soup. The rice dish was simple yet delicious! The bowl could easily be shared between at least two people. The tofu was also pretty amazing for what it was. The outside was perfectly crispy, while leaving the inside moist and silky. The only downside for this place was their beef noodle soup. I thought the broth was a little bland and the noodles weren't thick enough in my opinion. 4 stars for great food, great atmosphere, AND great prices! :D
(4)Vivian L.
Great Service and all the waiters was very friendly. Authentic Taiwanese Food. Best Taiwanese Food in the Bay Area. Strongly recommend anyone who likes Taiwanese Food. Seats was very comfortable and the inside of the restaurant is very pretty. Menu has a variety of food to choose from too :D
(5)Vivian Y.
tried the å¤é¹…, i like it.
(4)Subrosa I.
FOOD: The food here is not bad. The bitter melon soup and the house special chicken are fairly tasty. Our favorite is the cauldron of pig intestine, pork blood, tofu, and picked vegetable. SERVICE: Sadly, the workers at this purportedly Taiwanese restaurant greet and serve their customers in Chinese. The discordant sound of Chinese makes the food seem less authentically Taiwanese and, thus, detracts from an otherwise enjoyable dining experience. PRICE: Factoring in the tightfisted portion, the dishes here are somewhat pricey. Our bill averaged out to around $24 per person. Credit cards accepted. PARKING: Mama Chen's Kitchen shares a tiny strip mall with a rather popular hot pot restaurant. Consequently, parking here is horrible.
(2)Byron L.
The place seems well kept. This is a spill over place when Mongolian Sheep has a long wait which is almost every weekend.
(2)Tom C.
Great selection of Taiwanese food. Large portion with homemade feel. I thought the quality is average. However, the selection out weight the quality.
(4)M L.
I want to like this restaurant. I really do. As a Taiwanese, it would be great to have a fantastic Taiwanese restaurant in my neighborhood showing off my homeland's cuisine and hospitality. That's why Mama Chen is such a let down to me. We ordered to go twice. They messed up our orders both times. Today, we ordered sliced boiled goose meat to go. They promised 20 minutes. We waited there for an hour. In the meantime, they didn't bother to explain why it took so long or at least offer a cup of tea. When giving them feedback, they seem to have an attitude. Food is mediocre at best and overpriced. Not going back any time soon.
(1)Kid S.
Well apparently this Mama Chen was the original owner of the previous location a few blocks away but sold that restaurant more than one year ago, thus the name change to Mama Chef.on the old location. We went there on Friday night around 8pm and the place was packed!!! Fortunately the wait was not too long and the food came out pretty quick also. Had mostly traditional taiwanese snacks; glutenous meatball, green onion pancake, ground pork noodle dry style, egg&ham fried rice, and the bamboo sticky rice. All were delish and I rate their dishes higher than Mama Chef's for sure. Washed down with Taiwan apple cider and root beer soda for the total Taiwan experience.Service was prompt, and the place is new and fairly clean (hopefully they can keep this up). One star off for putting christianity materials on the wall and also in the menu. No mixing religion with food please.
(4)Toby X.
I like the Taiwanese food here. We have 5 people, cost is 15 per person. BTW, There is another comparable Taiwanese restaurant called Red Hot Wok at Cupertino. I also recommend that.
(4)twosomething t.
2.5 stars. A friend brought me here for lunch; I thought the pork chop over rice was good. I ordered an extra one to bring to my parents, who upon knowing where it had come from, were not impressed. I had not realized they had been to Mama Chen and knew the menu. I then brought my family back for dinner, on the same day. We ordered the $23 fish vermicelli soup and a lamb stir-fry (and another dish I can't remember what). The fish soup was flavorful (and BIG) but it was so full of clam shells as if someone had dumped a whole bag of frozen clams into the pot. And MSG...lots of it. The lamb dish was essentially lamb pieces and julienned onions. It would have been much better if the onions were lightly cooked, but since it was not, the dish turned greasy and rather un-appealing. I'll go back to try other smaller dishes; otherwise I can do without it for a long time. I think the place is busy because it's a smartly designed restaurant - which is not all that common in the Bay Area.
(2)M L.
Came here for lunch today with my co-workers. Very authentic Taiwanese food and cheap price with generous portions. Lots of choices and services was OK. Sometimes when they get too busy, they can be a lil impatient. A lil too salty for some dishes but so far so good. Food recommendations: minced shrimp lettuce wrap, spinach pork blood pudding soup and beef noodle soup.
(4)LX I.
LX 3 stars Internationally: Great Cupertino level but nothing compared to Taiwan or LA. Interior: new, decent interior. Nice garnishes, cups, and plates, which are expected for a new restaurant. Service: fast for a Taiwanese restaurant during peak hours. Servers range from happy to nonchalant. Food delivery speed approximately 10 minutes. Order: Great appetizers, entrees, and rice plates. Avoid: Okay fish plates which are clean tasting. Not so good noodle broth. 411: Food is flavorful, but depending on what you order could be good or bad. For example the taiwanese sausage has a hint of garlic which is just right and not overpowering, also the sausages are moist not dried out. Big sausage with rice has a consistent texture and is with thin spin which isn't fatty. Where it fails is the soup in the classic beef noodle soup. One of the good ones in Cupertino but that's not saying much. It has chewy fat noodles but a soy broth where the soy sauce over powers the "red spices". The beef is chewy and not to sinewy and not too many hard joints.
(3)J. W.
I love this place, it has a very good selection of Taiwanese/Chinese food. Everytime I go there, the menu never fails to surprise me in a good way. I go there with my girlfriend, co-workers and friends all the time and they always have something for everybody. Their bun with pork inside ( Gua Bao) is delicious. Served hot and the meat is just right. There are many other choices to go for, to name a few, pan fried oyster cake, fried tofu, oyster vermicelli, chow mien, oh did I mention Gua Bao? Oh I did already, and so did many other yelpers! One downside about the place is parking. I would say I have trouble finding parking quite often, I am not sure if it is because I go on busy hours. Their service is fast but the wait can be long, again perhaps because I do go on Friday nights and such.
(4)Tiffany H.
Very dissappointed, i order three dishes, one is seafood fried noodle (just ok), mountain yam pork soup $10(very dissapointed, no taste, no sesame oil inside, and not worth to pay for it.), another dish, too oily and too much soy souce. I can not believe how could it be. I know Chef mama chen has good experience in cook, but very dissapointed this time especially in this new open restaurant.
(1)Mr. E.
Super excited about this place since its walking distance from me for lunch. Sometimes I just want rice and something on top for lunch and this hits the spot for me. I've been here twice now and ordered: Mama Chen's minced pork over rice - good stuff, will order again The Gua Bao or Taiwanese hamburger -- its good, but I like a little more sauce -- was a little bland for me and not sure my body can really handle eating so much fat anymore. Kong Rou Fan -- the same fatty meat in the burger over rice with veggies -- good stuff but again, I have to cut off all the fat on the meat. Pickled cucumbers -- its good, but I wish it was cut up into smaller pieces and had more of a pickled taste than a spicy taste. Overall, I'm a fan... simple good eats and a super price. Looking forward to the rest of the menu.
(4)Peter W.
As other Yelpers pointed out, this place looks modern and spacious. Not sure why they pick their name so similiar to Mama Chef (used to be called Mama Chen) couple blocks away, confused the hell out of me. Despite their huge selection of authentic Taiwanese cousines and modern ambience, the food is on a pricier side and portion is smaller than usual. As a comparision, for $5, their soup serving is about 1/2 the size of what Mama Chef would serve. Pork chop over rice? About 2/3 the size vs mama Chef's yet cost about $1 more. Don't get me wrong, i enjoy dining here tonight. The extra $1 or $3 I paid is well justified for their menu selection and modern ambience. I just wish they weren't so consevative about the portions they serve to guests.
(4)Irene L.
Absolutely ridiculous server at the door trying to check people in. We are a party of six and he let two other LATER parties sat down before us (one was party of 3, another was part of 5). When I ask how long should we wait if he keeps on giving away all the tables with 4 seats, the server replied in utmost rudeness saying "if you can squeeze in I can ask them to leave and you can sit." So i said you never asked and what if people eating next to the table you just gave away leaves? And a ridiculous defense along the lines of "I will arrange for you/ kitchen closes at 2:25pm." Dude- you hate your job and your arrangement Sucks! Totally unprofessional and incompetent. Waited for around 30 mins at around 1:45pm. RIDICULOUS. Food was average. There are lots of substitutes around there. Liang's beef noodle's way better. Yes your competitor is beating you on SERVICE and FOOD! Cleanliness of utensils was below standard. Dirty glasses paired with rude server is a no go for me. Like they said "it's all downhill from here!"
(1)T Bird W.
Although the employees here choose not to care and always try to ruin the mood I still love the food. Guess I cant expect too much. Wish the owner would take notice. I still come here for my Taiwanese food fix.
(3)Frank L.
The owner of this restaurant used to own Southland Flavor Cafe in Milpitas and Cupertino. Later, they sold them to others and started Ma Ma Chen for another year and sold that too. From the above statement, you could tell that I used to love their food and services so followed them to their new venture. However, this one seems like going down quickly. The prices are higher than those similar restaurants such as current Southland Flavor Cafe and Mama Chef (old Mama Chen). At first, I don't mind about higher prices because the overall deco is better. Unfortunately, the food is not as good as before. Not to mention, there is no service at all. Can you imagine while you are in the middle of eating your noodles and the waiter moved your table because they want to squeeze more people next table?! I literally had to hold my chopdticks and move at the same time so noodle wont drop on the floor!!! When I asked the waiter to get the manager. The waiter actually refused and said manager was busy. The owner recognized me later and came over to apologize. Too bad, the old friendly home food feeling does not exist any more. Why should I come here to pay higher prices just for the deco and suffer from lousy food and unbearable services?! Bye! Ma Ma Chen!!!
(1)Gina Z.
The service is bad... And its fake open on yelp... The waiter will kick you even if yelp says it's open... Well, they have their own hours....
(1)Joe C.
Service was really bad. We waited for a good 25 minutes or so until we got the food we ordered and then they literally started taking away dishes even though we were still eating and gave us our check to rush us out the door, WTF?!
(2)Greg D.
This would be a 3.5 star review for me, slightly above average but not enough to get that 4th star. Came here on a week day with two friends, the food was prety typical, nothing really stood out to me tho.
(3)Bucky M.
Excellent and authentic Taiwanese lunch/dinner cuisine (unfortunately no Taiwanse breakfast). This is their new location, and it's no longer a hole in the wall. It's very clean and new, but don't let that fool you. The food is still awesome! I hate to sound generic, but everything we ordered was good. The flavor of all the dishes were intense and delicious. You get all the authentic Taiwanese dishes, like large intestines, pork blood cake, stinky tofu, etc. They have some expensive soups for $20, but if you're with a group, you should try it, it was really good (I think it was called Buddha Jumps the Wall).
(5)A C.
Great food!
(5)Eric L.
I haven't been here in awhile but from what I remember, the food was decent. The oyster pancake was interesting and minced pork rice was okay. I don't recall what else I ordered but I had a lot of food and remember telling myself to come back. As some others mentioned, parking is a drag but you can always leave your car in the parking lot across the street and walk on over.
(3)Newton L.
My mother comes here because it's the closest she can get to Taiwanese cuisine and Xiao Chi here in Cupertino. It's not the best, they tend to skimp on meats and overload you with noodles etc. But it's pretty good, can satisfy some cravings. Waiting staff is friendly, and does their best.
(3)Shelly C.
MCK is a new constructed restaurant. It looks very modern. We came here during dinner hour and order the Taiwanese burger and mince pork with pork plate. The burger had a slice of pork, with lots of cilantro and persevered veggies. It also had peanut mixed with sugar all in a white bun. An order comes with two burgers. I thought it taste great...without the pork. The pork plate, had the same tasting pork from the burger, along with the same perserved veggies. It also came with rice and a salad. This plate I can do without. Everything is served with tea. You have to ask for water. Service is quick and price is very reasonable. Overall, 4 stars.
(4)Phebe T.
new taiwanese go-to. mama liang disappointed me, and everything was great here, except our server was a bit lacking. but can't ask for too much =P food good, interior good, love it!
(5)Josselin A.
If I was writing my review solely based on the plates I ordered, then the place would get two stars. However, the service was so horrible that the food was not able to make up for the sour experience. First off, I'm not an expert on Taiwanese food so I ordered some pineapple and ham fried rice (which was pretty tasty), "fried" shrimp and tofu (it was not fried, just barely cooked and soupy, and kung pao shrimp (good, but I've had better). Now I know my selections might have been weak, but perhaps if the waiter was friendly I would have felt comfortable enough to ask about the plates and what he recommended, but no. There were 7 servers on the floor (I counted) and not once did we get asked if everything was okay or if we needed more water. I got tired just watching the waiters laze around looking like they hated their job. We waited 15 minutes before anyone came to take our order until I decided to flag someone down. We were never offered any tea even though I watched as all the tables around were given tea as soon as they sat down. I assume if you're not white, you won't get good service here. Just from my experience.
(1)Leslie N.
Nice decor.. but the food was not good. My friend ordered minced pork noodles and it was way too salty. I ordered fatty pork rice and it was bland, the meat was dry and tasteless. Even the boiled egg looked like it was boiled 3 days ago.. it was so dried out. The worst part was that the next table ordered smelly tofu and it STUNK!!! Why would anybody serve this in a restaurant.. I'm definitely never going back
(1)Michael W.
Pretty good Taiwanese place in Cupertino right next to Little Sheep hot pot. It has a clean modern atmosphere, nice place to hang out with friends. Came here on a Saturday night and was crowded but didn't have to wait long (less than 10 min) to get seated. Food: most of the standard Taiwanese fair. Minced pork rice - very flavorful, liked the pickled veggies that were included, also cheap. Popcorn chicken (yan su ji) and gua bao - good flavor, pretty standard. Shrimp pancake - wanted to get the oyster pancake but they were out of oysters :( so ended up getting the shrimp instead. pretty good, but was disappointed that we couldn't get the oyster one. We also ordered a soup which had lots of veggies but didn't remember the name - it was gigantic! Each person could have at least 3 bowls. Overall, enjoyed the place and was glad that I could get a lot of typical Taiwanese dishes here. Price was also pretty reasonable, ~$15 per person and we were completely stuffed.
(4)Yiming H.
I've read a lot of good reviews for this place so I came here with some friends. We were not disappointing. We ordered Sha-Cha Beef, Salt and Pepper Shrimp, Fish Ball Soup, and rice. The food was great and I think the quantity was decent as well. Service was also better than most of the Chinese/Taiwanese places I've been too. The place is rather new, so the interior is really clean and shiny.
(4)Steve Y.
The service was kind of poor. The waiters have a chunk of improvements to make in their service. We were ignored most of the time and it was hard getting their attention. Nobody came on their own to check on the tables, to see if the customers needed anything. They also seem to operate in a "1 task at a time" mode, since they leave abruptly after finishing something for a table. One of the younger tall guys can't even do a simple task, such as getting the check. He would acknowledge your request, but go on to do something else. Its as if he just forgot that you asked, or he treated the words like it was BS. The fried rice was kind of bland, even though it was supposed have satay in it. Overall, this place is sub-par (so far), due to the mediocre food and poor service/attitude by the staff. I don't think I would be that willing to go back after this experience.
(2)Willy R.
Good beef noodle soup. Nice noodles. Good veggie chow mein. Yum. Cash only!
(4)Kao L.
This is my new favorite Taiwanese restaurant and I love Taiwanese food. I used to frequent the old one next to BedBathBeyond. Now I just come to this one now. The same great food, same prices, but better atmosphere. I usually go during the week night, they are busy but I never had to wait for a table. Will be going back again and again.
(5)Holden L.
Came in and the first thing I noticed was a cross in the middle of the room. Proceeded to open the menu only to be bombarded with bible scripture. Lovely. I came with a group of 12, four of us being vegetarians. The waiter sulked around like he hated his job, and when I asked if he could take a group photo of us, he grudgingly obliged only to be called away by my friend who had not ordered yet. He did not return. When we placed our order, we told him that we had four vegetarians in the group. He said that everything would be cooked in the same pans and made no attempt to accomodate us. We ordered the green onion pancakes, eggplant dish, vegetarian noodles, and stinky tofu to share family style. The food was delicious. The portions were tiny, barely enough for one person, let alone four. Needless to say, I went home hungry.
(1)Phuc B.
the taiwan burgers are actually not bad, would be better without the sugar though. long wait during lunch time.
(3)Kyle F.
typical taiwanese dishes, i like the clean and organized layout of this restaurant. usually crowded on the weekends. and the servers are pretty efficient in catering your needs! give it a try guys.
(3)Brian C.
Came here for lunch and was quite pleased. Pros: -really nice decor for a Chinese restaurant -tried 4 dishes and they all tasted pretty good -entrees are between $7-$11 -generous portions. I got more honey walnut prawns than I was expecting. -quick service. Food arrived 5 mins after we ordered. Cons: -None really. They don't take AMEX.
(5)Tom C.
Food taste good on the first bite because they are salty and greasy. not worth going. I like their original place better.
(1)Harvey C.
we have a party, we need to order 20 dishes, they provide good choices, and reasonable prices, free plates, all the guess are very happy with the foods.
(4)Jessica S.
Came with family after father read a recommendation on it in a newspaper. The place was packed on a Saturday evening, with a visible queue of people waiting to be seated the whole time we were there. The overall wait wasn't too long considering how busy the place was--our orders came in a timely manner, and everything tasted good. Unfortunately, due to how busy it was, we had to flag a few people down to ask for drink refills. An interesting note is that the menu is trilingual--it is in English, Chinese, and Japanese.
(3)Thomas T.
We were at the restaurant the 3rd day after the restaurant opened. It already had plenty of customers. The waiters and waitresses are all in black uniform. They are all very courteous. The menu is extensive. The dishes are Taiwanese, yet the menu is in Chinese and Japanese. The price is very reasonable. It is comparable to Ma Ma Chef's which is located only a few blocks west at 5075 Stevens Creek Blvd. The food are all pretty authentic Taiwanese. The chopsticks inside the paper wrapping are not disposable bamboo chopsticks as in most Chinese restaurants. They are silver coated chopsticks, not to be thrown away after you use them. This is arguably the best Taiwanese restaurant in the Bay area.
(4)Jesse H.
Just opened across the street from where I work. I had the basil and fish tofu. It was delicious. The place is on the pricey side for the cuisine. Most dishes are $10-$12 for lunch. No lunch specials yet. Instead of soup they offer a noodle salad which is a pleasant change. The service is top notch. Lots of unusual tastes and unusual animal parts are on the menu. Several tables ordering the stinky tofu adds unmistakable authenticity.
(4)CL W.
We used to go to Mama Chen once a week since we liked the food. After today's experience, we'll never return. I went today right at 11am to get some food to-go. One of the items was sliced pork with rice stick noodle soup. I saw the waitress sniff the noodles and asked the boss if it's okay several times before she packed it in the bag. I went home and opened it. Immediately, I smelled the foul noodles and bean sprouts. It was disgusting!! They were old, probably leftovers from several days ago. The waitress and the boss knew that before they packed it. It just shows they don't care about the quality of the food. I'm very disappointed! Bye, Mama Chen. We are going back to Southland Flavor Cafe for our Taiwanese food cravings.
(1)Kat Y.
One of the waiters named Michael (a very tall guy) was VERY RUDE. The owner of the restaurant needs to teach him about how to serve the customers.
(2)Min P.
We decide to give it a try since it's new. The food isn't much special. You could get better Taiwanese style food in Cupertino. The owner is nice but the servers are slower and they seems not well trained. The water was empty and you have to wait to get them to fill out. They took the order and turn and won't come back and check if you need anything. We only have one napkin on our table. We don't even bother to ask. The waiter bought over check with one hand put it down and say no word (no thank you) or anything. Then leave. I don't think we will go back again and there are more better tasting then this.
(2)George T.
Not impressed. The three dishes we had were: popcorn chicken, A-tsai vegetables, and beef noodle.
(3)David O.
food is only ok for the price. no beef in the beef noodle soup.
(2)Jennifer H.
went back a few weeks after they open as i wanted to give their other dishes a try, and they were ALLL delicious!!! the customer service was super nice, friendly and we got tea refilled so frequently it was AMAZING!!! i loved the service there. even though the restaurant was packed with people, i still felt they really pay attention to our table. we had so many dishes to share among 4 people. here is the delish list: 1. gua-bao... yummy fatty pork with the perfect QQ texture and peanut sauce/powder 2. meat ball covered in gluten ball taiwan style, big portion with yummy meat and bamboo shoots inside. it would be nice if it has more meat though! i also wish they had more of the traditional pink/white sauce, instead of the soy sauce based sauce 3. minced meat noodle dish..........THE BEST i have ever had! the waiter also highly recommend this dish! 4. eel noodle. i like it! yum!! didn't know what to expect as never had this dish, but it was very good. you also get many small pieces of the eels. 5. taiwan beef noodle. loved the thick noodles, the broth was good. the meat and tendon got really good texture and taste! 6. fried pork chop, yummy. they did a good job with the marinade. it also got an interesting sweet taste to it. pretty soft and tender too. 7. fried chicken cutlet... this was so so... too cripsy on the outside i think. for a group of 4, we spent $12-13 dollar each, for a total of $48. loved this place. highly recommend to everyone!!! going there for the 2nd time totally changed how i felt about this place from a 2 star to 5 stars!!!! YUMMMMMMMMMM.
(5)al t.
this "mama chen" is a horrible knock off from the original southland taste owner's restaraunt , who later opened up her original "mama chen" , which is now "mama chef." the food is not authentic taiwanese style. it is more mainland china style flavored, wanabee taiwanese food. the chicken and egg fried rice was mediocre along with the barrel rice, and pickled veggies. i would have to say that the sesame wine soup chicken was absolutely terrible. it was lukewarm when it came out, and the flavor was just plain wrong. pair this with the nasty fried stinky tofu we ordered, and now we have a place that we will never revisit. hope this helps.
(1)Lucy L.
The food was yummy. Especially popular with my kids, 8 and 6. I think the ambiance and fast service is wonderful. I would definitely return.
(4)Brian C.
Not sure what happened but I like the old Mama Chen's better. We ordered this spare rib noodle and the spare ribs were deep fried and then dunked in the broth. The breading was soggy and melting off, which tasted/looked horrible. Also had this meat roll, beef tendon appetizer, and onion/egg cake, all of which weren't terribly impressive. To top it off, I think the place is way over priced!
(1)Gina C.
Overtook Southland Flavor as my favorite Taiwanese restaurant. Better quality than Southland. Love their stinky tofu. Love their extensive menu. The plaza is crazy - go early. Plan to park on the street.
(5)Jessica L.
overall, it's four stars for me. our first time here and we were seated by friendly staff. yes, i said friendly! come on, you know it's rare to have attentive staff in a Chinese eatery. they came over not once but three times to check on our tea and water..amazing. AND with a smile. wow, just for that alone, i need to come back. but seriously, the food was good and tasty. we came on a weeknight around 5:30 so there was no line to speak of. what we ordered: stinky tofu Taiwanese beef noodle soup fried octopus balls pork chop rice Taiwanese burger beef noodle soup was delish..nice and hot soup. melt in your mouth tender beef and good, homemade thick noodle..like udon but flatter. octopus balls is the basic dish you find anywhere so it's okay. pork chop rice was nicely marinated and tender, not dry. sticky tofu..meh. perhaps, i was setting myself up for greatness but it didn't WOW me as i thought it would. not sure if i'd order that again. the tufo did have that distinct stink to it but not too overwhelming to scare the other guests away..like my hubby! Taiwanese burger was also okay..not what i was expecting. it was on the bland side with no punch to it but the baos are nice and fresh. perhaps, it's a bland dish. btw: chairmen Mao Bao, you are copy cats!!! your baos are just like these but with more of a spicy kick to the sauce. i would differently come back to try other things. also, i didn't notice that after taste of dry mouth one gets eating way too much MSG and NO headache. how ya like them apples.. try mama chef /mama chen but i think you must order what the Taiwanese orders..when in Rome do what the Romans do. hehe
(4)