A-Pou’s Taste
“The pot stickers are of a Taiwanese style, and it was authentically made to a tee.”
“in fact, I've never tried any other item on the menu besides the corn chowder.”
“They even have the truly legitimate hot&sour soup, like all the joints back in Taiwan.”
A-Pou’s Taste
Take-out: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
7 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
I got 10 potstickers — 5 pork, 5 beef — for lunch last week, and was pleasantly surprised by how much they filled me up. They're pretty big, and the filling is very substantial. The garlic soy sauce and chili sauce (ask for some extra, it's truly excellent) sank into the skins and contrasted nicely with the dumplings' crispy skins. These weren't the BEST dumplings I've ever had, but for the price and the fact that you don't have to wait on service, this is a great find for a quick lunch.
For those who are looking to buy food here, an important note: THEY DO NOT TAKE CARD. It's cash only, so definitely be sure to have a few dollars on you when you come here!
With that said, a few issues to note:
-There are no steam dumpling options. I am personally of the opinion that dumplings should always be offered both steamed and fried.
-A friend from work went today, hoping to get lunch here, and wasn't able to find the cart… if it isn't consistently at its normal location, it would be nice to get that information up here so people can know when they can frequent this establishment.
-The dumplings were served a little under their ideal temperature, which is somewhat to be expected when you're not being served to order, but is still a little annoying. Perhaps the proprietors could fry their dumplings most of the day, and then do the last bit of fry when they're ordered? Just a thought — it would improve the crunch on the skin.
I'm Taiwanese. I love dumplings. I should naturally LOVE A-Pou's! However, like a prospective date that looks promising on paper but disappoints in person, I'm surprisingly indifferent to the food at A-Pou's cart. I appreciate the Taiwanese food option in my area, but I find the dumplings to be a bit underwhelming. The fillings are pretty good and with the chicken a bit bland but the pork very tasty but I am skeptical about the way that they fry the skin (or perhaps its the turnover time and rest time?). The first time I ate here, the skin was rubbery in several spots that I couldnt' even chew through. Needless to say, that's not ideal. I tried it the next time, and it was pretty perfect in consistency. Third time, again a bit rubbery but much better. I hope they sure up their consistency b/c A-Pou's has a LOT of people out there rooting for its survival. I'm hoping they add more taiwanese food options also. Here's crossing my fingers.
We gave it a try and actually were pleasantly surprised. The dumplings were pretty tasty for street snack food. The price was reasonable, so this makes a great small snack on the go.
Dumpling cravings overcame what reservation I had for a Taiwanese dumpling truck far away from a Chinese neighborhood and a Chinese clientele. Menu is prominently displayed in English and Chinese. Four options for dumplings. As we only wanted a small snack (and a sample of what they make), we went simple and just ordered pork pot stickers. These are pan-fried and long in shape. Unfortunately, not freshly made and the dumpling skin suffered for that, hardened at the thickest point. While not exceptional, these were respectable dumplings and a fine snack. Will keep them on the radar in case I'm in the area and want that low commitment snack.
My horrible sense of direction and lack of GPS-capability on my phone led me astray in NY again.
I could have swore I was somewhere in the Upper West Side when I rubbed my eyes and A-Pou's Taste truck appeared like a miraculous oasis in the middle of Death Valley. Later on I would realize I was actually near Astor Place. (Like I said, my sense of direction ain't too keen.)
It's a rarity to see Taiwanese cuisine…well….pretty much anywhere except Taiwan so I knew I had to give A-Pou's Taste a try.
The menu is simple and straight-forward. The pot stickers come in:
Taiwanese Special (Pork)
Hong Kong (Chicken)
Korean Kimchi (Beef)
Japanese (Vegetables)
The guy, who was definitely not an A-Pou (grandma), told me they only had Pork and Beef left when I said I wanted each flavor. I told him it's OK, just give me what you got. The pot stickers were a lot bigger than I expected, which was great because I'm all about getting the best deal for my dollar, dollar, gotta holla. I paid $3.50 for 5 dumplings.
The Taiwanese flavor tasted truly authentic [1] but I actually preferred the Kimchi Beef flavor more! The Korean Kimchi pot stickers were robust, meaty, and flavorful.
So what's the deal? Why 3 stars?
Price is on par.
Fillings were pretty good.
Sauces were great. (get all of them)
But the skin.
They were buuuuuuurrrrrrnt! on the bottom. Only one of them was not burnt. The frying wasn't consistent. I would love to give A-Pou's another shot because I think the dumplings would be delicious if they were hot and perfectly crispy, based on the filling taste.
But A-Pou's is a no-frills dumpling truck. Somehow the name made me imagine that they'd have more to offer.
3.5 stars
____________
[1] Authentic recipe but there are subtle taste differences between American pork and Taiwanese pork, based on how the pigs are slaughtered, according to my mama. How gruesome, now you don't want to eat pork anymore, but it's okay, I'll eat them for you. 🙂
The pot stickers here are reasonably priced and taste quite good. I also enjoyed the corn soup. Are they authentic? Um, I guess so to a point. I liked the food but I wasn't blown away. If I was in the area though and wanted a snack, I'd probably go again.
Amazing Corn Chowder Soup! it is Taiwanese style with eggs, potatoes and corn. The large one is only 3 dollar! I want to try some of those pan-fried dumplings as well!