| rev:text
| - Living in New York City, it's actually quite difficult to get good Taiwanese food. There are only a few select spots and and most of them are in Flushing or in New Jersey. Yikes. Rose Tea Cafe blows most of these spots out of the water. Most of the Taiwanese specialty dishes here are done very well, like the Taiwanese Chunk Chicken (Three Cup Chicken) which comes out sizzling in a clay pot and with tons of garlic and basil. The shredded pork with bamboo, salt and pepper pork, and the ganbian string beans are also my go-to dishes here too. The portions are great, and I usually always end up bringing extra food home.
I'm a fan of the lunch specials as well, and at those prices ($5-7), definitely a steal. My favorite is the pork chop over rice with a hard boiled tea egg. Pretty much everything is better with that tea egg. Definitely a good value if you want a hearty, high-quality meal on a college student's budget.
The milk teas and the smoothies are always better here, definitely better than Orient Express or Lulu's Noodles, likely because the ingredients are fresher and I just feel that they have more experience making these great drinks. I never really drink bubble tea anymore, but in all the years I've been going to Rose Tea, it has never disappointed.
Service is actually pretty good here, minus the actual seating part. The host/hostess always struggles with seating people efficiently, but the actual waitstaff is always pretty friendly and attentive, something that isn't common among some Asian restaurants. Service can become a little spotty when it's super busy, but it's never been enough to ruin our experience.
Overall, Rose Tea is a place that you'll see a lot of Taiwanese students/patrons at, and I think that's a testament to their authenticity and quality. The food, drinks, and better-than-average service should keep you coming back for more.
|