Formosa Cafe West Hollywood

"Delicious Chinese food with unique menu items all delivered in a fantastic old school Hollywood atmosphere. From the pictures on the wall of the great stars of the past and the booths where Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Burt Reynolds hung out, you can feel the history and reminisce about the past. The boa, lettuce wraps, scallion pancakes, fried tofu, and chicken salad all were excellent choices. They also had great drink choices. The only downside was that parking was in a paid parking lot and the restaurant prices were very high."

AdamLTW

"Come for the history, not the food.

There was a time period in Hollywood when Asia was fetishized. The architecture, Asian women in tight dresses, and the color red. This restaurant (and the Chinese theater) are relics of that history.

Ordered their lunch box as takeout on a weekday. To be fair, I think the appeal of this place is the atmosphere and interior aesthetic. You get the chance to sit in the theoretical exact same spot as some of Hollywood’s most beloved stars. I didn’t experience any of that, so I’ll just review the food.

Their food is targeted toward an older American generation who wanted to say they’ve had a taste of Asia without the actual commitment to eat anything authentic. But in a time when younger generations seek out the latest authentic niche food spot to post on their socials, The Formosa is far-and-away out of date.

The fried rice is under-seasoned, if seasoned at all. The orange chicken is edible but not orange and a tiny bit bitter. The walnut shrimp had a nice bite to it with your standard coconut flavoring. Generally speaking, their food is edible. And to top it off, it’s all rather overpriced.

I’m not the target demographic for The Formosa and I’m sure that many people go and have a great time. But, respectfully, if you’re not a tourist and you’re just looking for food, I would try looking elsewhere first."

Dylan Yang

"With the history of this place I was expecting decent to ok food but I was happily mistaken. Everything was fabulous and the fries cauliflower was the absolute best I have ever tasted. The service was attentive, the atmosphere was iconic, and the food was top notch. Must vist!"

Sarah Beckcom