Taste House is a Taiwanese restaurant that has opened in the old Bison County space. Has anyone else tried it yet? I think it’s a bold move, what with Mulan just up the street.
We’ve been twice now, once in November and again last night. While I wish the lighting in the space was warmer, I did really like that I could just eat at the bar. They have kept the full liquor license of its predecessor. There is a full compliment of tiki drinks from which to choose, as well as beer and wine. Sadly, there is no baiju. I know, because I asked.
On both occasions, we started with a mai tai. I say “a” because they pour them strong, which in my opinion is a good thing. You will get them garnished with an orange slice and, sometimes, a cherry. Depends on who is behind the bar.
In November, we tried the beef and cabbage dumplings, beef brisket in sichuan sauce (a house special), garlic pork, stir fried bok choy with garlic, and sausage fried rice. There was a lot more I would have liked to try, but we were only two diners and, as it was, ended up bringing home some leftovers.
The dumplings were steamed. Well filled and compact, they weren’t too thick and had a nice texture. There was an accompanying soy based dipping sauce that was a nice compliment. The brisket dish was well spiced without being particularly hot. In addition to the brisket slices, the casserole contained bean curd sheets, shiitake mushroom, carrot, and bamboo shoots. There might have also been some other items, but I didn’t take notes, just enjoyed it. My BF got the pork in garlic sauce from the “Old Time Favorites” section, which I think was a take on a fish fragrant dish. I liked it, but it was a touch sweet for my preferences. However, it was well cooked and not oily. The fried rice was fluffy and flavorful with some wok hei. The bok choy was well executed as well, the greens tender, the whites still with some crunch, and lots of big pieces of toasted garlic.
Last night we returned. Originally, I thought we might get the chicken leg noodle soup (which, with the falling temps seemed like a good idea) or the country style pork (lots of chiles), but we decided to start with a couple appetizer plates - the beef and tripe in spicy flavor and the pork and shrimp wontons in chile sauce. Can I just say, if you come to this restaurant for any reason, it should be the beef and tripe? You should come to this restaurant for the beef and tripe. Again, well spiced without being too hot, although there were chopped chiles and lots of garlic nestled among the slices if you wanted them. The tripe was perfectly cooked with just enough texture without being too soft (if that makes sense). The honeycombs of the tripe held the sauce well. Even BF, who is not an offal guy, enjoyed it. The beef slices (tongue maybe? I didn't ask.) were tender and a good textural counterpoint to the tripe.
The wontons were well filled, rather than being a rosette of wanton wrapper, as can often happen at some places. There was a nicely bounciness to the dumplings. BF even ate the bean sprouts (and, again, he is vocally not a bean sprout guy).
After the two appetizers, we decided we would stick to another round of small plates. The dumplings are filling. Our second, and final, round was the oyster omelet, cucumbers in garlic, and the beef wrapped in scallion pancake. I knew the latter was going to probably put us over the top.
The oyster omelet was the soft version. It came with a slightly sweet gravy. The texture, enhanced by a starch slurry, was delightful. I wish, however, that the oysters were more plump and plentiful. Still, I think this is a good entry level version of the dish. Did I mention BF also isn’t an oyster guy (bad incident with too many fried ones as a kid)? He liked it very well. The crunchy cucumber dish was nice to have as bites between other items. I wish I had thought to order it at the start of the meal.
The beef wrapped in scallion pancake comes in two versions - one with a sweet sauce on the beef and another with long horn peppers. We got the former at our server’s urging (he liked the sauce a lot, he said). It is a well executed version of the dish. The pancakes are crispy without being greasy. The beef are the same slices that appeared in the tripe dish. The sauce was a sweet soy sauce, with some raw scallions sprinkled through. I do still want to try the one with the long horn peppers; I like my spice. This is a heavy dish, better shared by four than two. We were extremely full at this point.
Overall, while some items were better than others, we really have had enjoyable experiences on both our visits here. We've gotten there fairly early on both visits (~4pm). While we were there this past time, another couple of folks came in to eat at the bar, a family with a couple kids in tow came to have the mini juicy buns (soup dumplings, I think), and couple other tables filled in as well. The bartender mentioned to the other guys at the bar that the previous night had been busy, so I hope they are doing well enough to stick around. I would encourage Boston area HOs to come give it some love! There are some larger tables for bigger parties with lazy susans to more easily get at multiple items. https://www.tastehousewaltham.com/
