Best Taiwanese Restaurant Irvine Near Me

4worldlovers:
Taiwanese spot with classroom-inspired desks & chairs known for shaved-ice treats & hearty dishes. School-themed, cash-only venue offering Taiwanese comfort food & self-serve bubble tea in cozy digs. Casual Taiwanese eatery decorated in the style of a traditional elementary school classroom. Taiwanese food Shaved Snow Honey Boba drinks Tea Drinks.

Fresh boba in my drink (since they just opened)! They were very warm when I put some inside my medium-sized cup, but they have a nice chewiness that I love about fresh boba. I got a Jasmine Milk Tea, and it’s pretty good, but needs to be colder. Then again, I just came when they opened, so maybe if I had come a few hours later, the milk tea would be colder.

Pay for whatever size milk tea drink first before moving on to the next step. It’s a self-serve boba milk tea, so make sure you put as much as you want inside before handing it to the cashier to seal it – no free refills!

This is my place to go when I have no clue what I want to eat and I’m home in Irvine. I know I can never go wrong with the classic Taiwanese dishes. I’ve gone to like 4 different locations and this one is my favorite. It’s not as crowded, parking is good, and the restaurant is clean.

Everything has changed since the remodel to be self service boba like the second Irvine location on Jamboree. I like some of the new options on the menu for set meals that are only like $10.95 for you to pick 2 items and since service wasn’t that good before I like the self serve style for the food. There’s lots of noodle soups to choose from or you can get 米粉Taiwanese dry rice noodle and then you pick either pork hock 豬腳 or popcorn chicken or calamari. I’ve always really liked all of these snack items. Calamari used to come with sliced garlic but now you have to ask for it on the side. Everything is in throw away containers now which is fine so you can take home leftovers easily

Since my visit in 2014, class 302 has undergone a tremendous renovation, revamping of their drink system, and improvement to food quality. Customers will enjoy the novelty of eating in a “classroom” setting, in desks and chairs that are the exact same design as those used in traditional Taiwanese classrooms.

Newcomers should try some of their stock items, including the crispy pork chop or the crispy chicken leg. For meals you can choose noodles or rice, depending on your preference. 302 provides gigantic portions, topped with pickled vegetable, Taiwanese style ground pork, a braised egg, and broccoli.

Having spent four years in Taiwan trying out the local food, by comparison 302’s food is extremely authentic; they even offer stinky tofu and other items that you usually find exclusively at night markets in Taiwan.

With their new renovations, now 302 has modernized the Taiwan boba tradition by offering self-serve stations for all drinks. Try out the pudding with the honey milk tea, or if you want something a little more conventional, the boba with taro milk tea (purple and delicious) is an excellent combination. Couples can try the “couples cup” and enjoy drinks of their choice together, or just drink from the large cup as well.

Despite all these positives, some customers may find the seating to be too crammed and uncomfortable. The downside of self serve boba is not being able to adjust drinks for level of sweetness, and possibly missing the no-refill sign (I didn’t even know I had to seal the drink). The food can sometimes be a little too salty, so you may need to ask for adjustments.

Besides these points, 302 is a great place for lunch, gathering with friends, dates, and families with kids. By borrowing Jay Chow’s song “3rd year class #2” 三年二班, and providing high quality meals and a cool ambience, this restaurant does honor to Taiwanese cuisine in a fun, energetic, and unique way.