Formosa Cafe in Los Angeles

Iconic venue with great food. Portions are generous. We (party of 4) got the Chinese barbecue pork (serves 2-4), spicy fried rice with chicken, scallion pancakes, and had more than what we could eat (so took it home). The barbecue was authentic, beautiful, and tasty. The presentation was amazing. The buns were very fresh. The fried rice was excellent too. I think I’d go with shrimp next time. We got drinks as well. The Matador was fruity and refreshing with a wedge of fresh pineapple - a perfect summer drink. The staff was both professional and friendly. Parking is on the street. We parked (free) a few blocks away. The history of Formosa is rich with Hollywood lore. The ceiling is border with signed photos of many legends.

The place is all about ambiance, so you can skip out on the food. The interior is really nice and I recommend coming for drinks, but not food. The food is a disgrace to Chinese cuisine and is overpriced as hell. Bless the staff as they’re very kind and friendly but they’re not knowledgeable on the food on their menu.We started off with the scallion pancake and it was not well made. It shouldn’t be this chewy. It did not have flaky layers, which you can see from the picture; it’s clear that they did not make it correctly. For mains, we had the dandanmian and the steak + broccolini. The dandanmian are overpriced at $20 for a mid dish that boils down to overcooked noodles lacking sauce/oil. Yes the portion is large, but other places would also serve the same thing for $13. I understand the higher price point for steak and broccolini, as they use filet mignon. The meat is tender with a good sear here and there, though overly salty.

Back here for dinner, must be the third or fourth time in past 4 months, orange chicken was good. I know it can be better as last time it was crispier (inconsistency can be disappointing..) Chow fun dish was a first for me this time and good: A nice twist on the typical chow fun dish. The chili wonton was excellent as before. Recommended.Entrance has a gatekeeper, nice touch with all the weirdos roaming the streets in Hollywood area. Late hours are a great bonus with kitchen closing in the AMs. Kung Pao chicken was a nice fusion dish, maybe not quite a shareable size but spicing and flavor grew on me. Spicy Dan Dan noodles was a below average noodle dish, the steamed white rice was best I had in years.Service was nice and friendly but not very attentive.Defiantly on my list for additional visits to explore more items on the menu.

The Formosa Cafe is a fantastic place to have a cocktail, eat some food, and walk back into 1940s era Hollywood. They make tasty tiki style drinks. (The Singapore Sling and Mai Thai were very good.) If youre into mid-century history of Hollywood, then youre in luck. Legend has it that Benjamin Bugsy Siegel used the Formosa as an HQ for his operations, and its commemorated with a photo of him above his booth complete with an encased floor safe that was used by Bugsy. There are booths in the main room lounge that are named for celebrities that frequented them. (The Marilyn Booth, The Elvis Booth, etc) The cafe has also been used in films such as LA Confidential. Its a fun place; check their social media/website for weekly special events.

My four stars mostly have to do with the history and ambiance of the place. Its gorgeous! It was recently refurbished and everything sparkles. If you look on their website, I can attest to the pix looking exactly like the reality. Its super authentic with many kitsch Oriental decor items that are campy good fun. That even includes the tableware. You can eat in a REAL train car! This is a terrific place to take out-of-town guests.The foods kinda awful, but thats part of the fun, too ( if youre into that sorta thing ). Everything about this place transports you back to the 1940s. The foods completely unhealthy, but you definitely get the vintage vibe. Warning: I went there for lunch when the prices are reasonable, but I understand at dinnertime it can be quite expensive. You may want to check that out beforehand. It seems like it would be a nifty place just to go for drinks. Both bars are really fun.I cant speak about the drinks because I was there for lunch with a friend and I was driving. The service was friendly, professional, and very accommodating. Id definitely recommend this place, just for the campy fun of it, and the louche fun beauty of the decor.

Food was amazing. Definitely worth ordering a few meals and sharing it. Service was a bit slow.

We had a great time here last night. Our server (manager?) Was so fantastic and really set the tone so wed have a great evening.We stopped by after a screening and wanted a late night snack before dancing in their lounge.We had the vegan Chow Fun very yummy spongy noodles and egg rolls. I ordered the Singapore Sling cocktail and it had hints of Raffles, the hotel the hotel it was created in.After our snack we made our way to the lounge and danced and enjoyed the 60s atmosphere of the Constellation Club, complete with a theramini bonus by the djs!Glad to see the place is holding on to its original flavor. Will be back!

All the food was amazing. Service was a little spotty but I think thats just because they were so packed with people. Its cool to sit in one of the old original train cars from the area. I heard the nightlife gets crazy in there. They said they had a live DJ coming. Definitely will go back next time we are in LA

Fantastic dinner spot. If you’re into Chinese-American food, this is a must-try.Everything across the board was delicious and flavorful, but one thing stood out from the pack and that was the BBQ Pork. The perfectly glazed crispy skin surrounded by the most tender, juicy pork meat was nothing short of phenomenal. Pairing that with the slaw on a Bao bun was absolutely heavenly to eat.Staff was friendly, food came out a little slow but it was a packed Friday night so I don’t blame them. Will absolutely be back here

They provide excellent customer service. Cody went above and beyond to accommodate us. This historic restaurant provides delicious meals and a lovely atmosphere. Highly recommended!!