Located inside of Kingchops, Pang Shi Fu is the newest Taiwanese spot in Irvine. While the menu is small and only contains 16 items, Pang Shi Fu is a must for Taiwanese food lovers across Orange County.

Pang Shi Fu’s affordable menu is made up of entrees and appetizers ranging from $5.50-$14.95 with some entrees as low as $6.75. The entrees consist of Taiwanese classics like beef noodle soup (Taiwan’s national dish), braised pork, Taiwanese sausage rice, and soups, while the appetizer section features many finger foods regularly found at boba shops like popcorn chicken, sliced fried sausage served with raw garlic slivers, fried squid balls, and fried fish cake.

I tried the herbal spicy beef noodle soup, the curry beef short rib rice, and the super yummy braised pork rice.

Curry Beef Short Rib Rice (Audrey Fong)

The herbal spicy beef noodle soup had a deep, savory beef flavor to it and like all the best beef noodles soup I’ve had in my lifetime, the soup was opaque, a sign of all the flavors it contains. While I do not know the exact herbs that went into their herbal spicy beef noodle soup, it is common for Taiwanese beef noodle soup to be made with cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, Sichuan pepper, and star anise. Whatever herbs the chefs did use added a richer, more complex flavor to the broth and lent it a slight tingly spiciness. They topped the noodles with tender beef slices, soft beef tendon, flavorful daikon, green onions, and bok choy leaves.

The curry beef short rib rice came with a large serving of beef short ribs and potato chunks plus a side of cabbage and corn, which was surprisingly savory and flavorful.

Super Yummy Braised Pork Rice (Audrey Fong)

The super yummy braised pork rice was the star of the menu. At only $8, this dish is a deal that cannot be missed. It comes with about a cup’s worth of braised pork belly stew, a tea egg, picked mustard greens, and corn. The mixture of fatty and salty pork with the vinegary mustard greens and fluffy white rice was delicious. When I originally looked at the price, I was worried that the portion would be too small and wouldn’t leave me full, but if you eat the side dishes and rice, it’s more than enough food.

Currently, there is no sign for Pang Shi Fu at the center, so in order to find it, head into King Chops. You can then order to-go from a counter at the front of the store. Service is quick, so my meal was wrapped up and ready to go within 15 minutes.

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