Tasty Point (Alameda)

Our son is a very picky eater, but he loved the porcini soup base hot pot with lamb! It had a very umami flavor. We also ordered a seafood soup, which was also delicious. He also liked the dragon fruit drink.

It’s a pretty good weeknight comfort food option. I got the black garlic oil ramen. It is a reasonable portion with plenty of ingredients. The pork is well cooked and sliced thin. Next time, I will try the hot pot.

Don’t come here expecting authentic Taiwanese flavors. Nothing we ordered came close. The hot pot tasted artificial, almost chemical, and the ingredients didn’t match the price point. The deep fried stinky tofu was disappointing, and all the fried appetizers were plain, underwhelming, greasy, and served in small portions. The only decent dish was the deep fried pork chop with braised pork rice, which was just okay. We left almost angry, given the quality of food we received compared to the amount of cash we paid. Their dessert was fine.

Came here for dinner on a recent Friday evening. Our party of three ordered a stinky tofu hot pot, an herbal soup hot pot, and a fried pork chop rice plate. The portion size for each order was very good and service was fast and efficient. The two hot pots were okay, nothing spectacular. Their blood cake was very mushy, the pickled veggies very bland, and there were very few intestines. Also, my stinky tofu was not good at all. It wasn't much different than regular tofu. Their dipping sauces were not very tasty either. The three sauces, Chinese BBQ, garlic soy sauce, and hot chili oil were all very disappointing. The sauces were very sour and lacked flavor and had a very watery consistency. Thankfully the pork chop was delicious. Having lived in Southern California, I've been spoiled by Boiling Point and other local independent spots. I guess this is decent for the area, but I won't be going back.

Not many Taiwanese restaurants nearby. Good addition to the Alameda noodle selection that isn't a one-stop-shop of all ethnic asian cuisines (although they do have Korean and Japanese things on the menu, but maybe avoid these?). I can see how they would dial down the tofu stankiness to cater to the American taste buds, but I still enjoyed mine. Lamb skewers and rice dish were great. Taiwanese desserts in general are delicious bc they aren't the sugary diabetes-inducing level at most places. Will be back next time I need a quick fix at the last minute with family.