Mr. Kuso Cafe è Gǎo Xiān Shēng Qīng Shí Fāng

TL;DR: strange decor, but comfort Taiwanese food that hits the spot! AMBIENCE: This is an unassuming cafe located in a plaza. We came at an odd time (I think around 3 PM) so it was hard for me to tell if it's usually busy or what kinds of other patrons there are. Half of the restaurant is visibly partitioned off as storage, and you have counter service with a couple tables and some Nightmare Before Christmas decor (is it up year-round? Not sure) FOOD: My fiancé and I shared the braised chicken leg rice and the popcorn chicken/Mapo tofu combo bowl. We were actually really hungry, but we thought this might be enough food- and we were surprisingly satisfied! The braised chicken was very tender, like fall-off-the-bone and had a good tea/star anise flavor to it. It came with the typical vinegar cabbage (fresh and balanced it out well) and a tea egg! We really liked the popcorn chicken and mapo tofu combo bowl. The mapo tofu was pretty solid, maybe could have been a little spicier. But the star of the show was the popcorn chicken. It's been a while since I've had SOLID popcorn chicken. This was spicy and juicy and DELICIOUS. I might consider just getting the popcorn chicken next time. It would be so good as a snack.

There are plenty of parking. This review is for a Sunday late lunch. The dining area is small but very comfortable. I love the wooden bench against the wall. There is only one bathroom for customers and staff. It is clean. For lunch, I had a sukiyaki beer bowl and a ice green tea. I also had the Honey garlic chicken wing. My honey had the spam Loco moco and a sesame smoothly. Our meal was delicious and finger licking good. After we order, I found out that there is an afternoon tea meal deal for 10.99 that comes with a drink. Oh, maybe next time. Many other customers order Togo. Food comes in a plastic bowl with plastic fork and plastic spoon. Minus 1 star.

I used to really love this restaurant, but it doesn't seem to maintain the same quality anymore. I ordered mapo tofu to go, which is one of my favorites. Unfortunately, what I got was definitely not mapo tofu. It was simply tofu, oil, and rice with a bit of green onion on top. The excessive oil made it inedible. There was no ground meat, garlic, ginger, or any of the other flavors I've come to expect from mapo tofu.

Mr. Kuso Cafe truly embodies the spirit of Taiwan with an impressive selection of Taiwanese-inspired snacks. My personal favorites include: 1. Fried Pork Blood Rice Cake, which is a delightful dish featuring a crispy rice cake bursting with flavor. 2. Pork Cheek Meat in Garlic Sauce, where the tender meat is perfectly complemented by the rich, aromatic garlic sauce. 3. The Duck Blood Spicy Sticky Tofu Combo is an absolute must-try. The only drawback I found was the early closing time for dinner at 8:15 PM, which can be a bit early for those who enjoy a relaxed evening meal. However, the exceptional dining experience more than compensates for this minor issue.

Besides the dumplings that won my heart, I also tried the three-cup chicken and pork belly rice. Both dishes were tasty. However, if I could change one thing, it would be the pork belly to rice ratio—I wished there was a bit more sauce on the rice. Overall, the food was fantastic, and I can’t wait to go back. Next time, I plan to try the minced pork bowl and, of course, those amazing dumplings. Until next time, Mr. Kuso!