“Formosa” is the former name for the country of Taiwan. It means “beautiful island”. The owners of the Bistro are lovely people that make the space warm and inviting. They are often there to answer your questions and make sure you are cared for.
Doing my research before I wrote this article was an eye-opener. Formosa has won “Best Asian Food in Canada” from asiastar-tv.com in 2018. I must admit, I have never been to Taiwan but have read that there is a lot of North American influence in the Taiwanese cuisine. Oreo cookies and cornflakes crumbs are two that come to mind. If you read a review from anyone actually from Taiwan, they complain a lot about pricing and state that they could make the dishes at home. Please don’t let them distract you from a visit, I promise the food is good!
I was originally introduced to Formosa through a Northern Bites experience. We were treated to the “triangle sandwich” and a panacotta bagged lunch for the ride to the winery. When we arrived back at the Bistro, we were able to sample the spicy wontons, popcorn chicken, the yam fries and a Taiwanese version of kimchi. Chef Yu-Lin Shen showed us all how to make spicy wontons. The highlight of the night was the high mountain tea and an information session on the different types of tea and how they are served. So informative!
My “solo” journey is when I dragged my husband all the way to the other side of the city because I was craving both the popcorn chicken and the yam fries.