A-Pou’s Taste

I really wanted to like this, especially because it was affordable. But I doubt I’ll be led to try this again.
I had the Chinese spaghetti with vegetables dumplings, which came with a complimentary corn chowder, just for $ 6. Sadly, the Chinese spaghetti was way too greasy for me, and the vegetable dumplings overcooked. All my dumplings were served up in their disintegrated state. Yes for $ 6, the servings almost filled me up, but I respect food, so I could not force myself to finish what I paid for. I’m glad I tried the cart, but for the surprise price + taste combo I was seeking, I was let down.

They are not «fake» Chinese potstickers, they are just authentic Taiwanese potstickers!
Someone please tell me where to find the carts! I wish they had a website so I can spot the carts.

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.

Did this food truck get sold to a new owner or something? Haven’t seen a Taiwanese person running this truck in years. I vaguely remember getting food from here once like 5 years ago when it first appeared, and I think it was pretty fine.
Nowadays? I want to say this stand is good for a cheap lunch, but the food is almost inedible if you have any sort of preferences regarding food. There’s nothing authentically Taiwanese about any of this food. Shrimp fried rice is mediocre and flavorless; the shrimp doesn’t have that juicy, crisp texture like it should. the texture is pretty grainy in fact. The potstickers were soggy and could barely keep hold themselves together. Flavor was also indiscernible here. I really couldn’t even finish my meal. Go by St. Alps for your closest Taiwanese food fix, honestly.

The briyani rice with chicken is good but don’t ever try the shrimp fried rice, is not worth your money even though it is just 6 bucks

The corn soup is great. The dumplings are very different than typical Asian ones, they look like little logs. Good taste though.

Not bad, for being fake chinese potstickers haha.
The first bite I took was pretty mediocre — the skin was tough and hard to chew. After letting them soak in that yummy salty-​sweet soy sauce and spicy chili sauce mixture for a few extra minutes, the skin got more soggy and the potstickers tasted much better. Overall, it was a nice snack and probably worth what I paid for it.
$ 3.50 for 5 pieces. Puhretty good
They had boba too. I was slightly tempted to try it, but I generally don’t trust boba from non-​chinese sources.

Pretty good for a snack. Stopped by for lunch and ordered a small serving of the Japanese vegetable dumplings, which were warm and a tiny bit spicy (not sure if that was the sauce or the dumplings, but I enjoyed it). The dumplings aren’t small, but 5 weren’t that filling for lunch. I’ll be interested to try the kimchi ones next time!

Their dumplings were pretty good. I like how they fry the skin to a nice crisp. I wouldn’t go out of my way to get these since it didn’t surpass all the other dumplings in my life nor was it dirty cheap like Prosperity, but all in all, it was pretty good.

I love pot stickers! And I loved this cart. I never had taiwanese styled pot stickers before and I was curious. My friend brought me here and we ordered 10 of the taiwanese special. That garlic soy sauce is delicious and the hot sauce was great.
My major gripe was the fact that it was soggy. I would’ve liked it a lot better if the dumplings were fried more. It wasn’t crispy even though it looked like it had been fried before.

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
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[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. :)

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.

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.

This place sells authentic Taiwanese pot-​stickers. I spotted the cart accidentally while in East Village. It might be difficult for people who don’t read Chinese to find because the sign only showed its Chinese name. But it’s right in front of the chase bank, so you should be able to locate it by process of elimination.
The pot stickers are of a Taiwanese style, and it was authentically made to a tee. Everything from the wrapping technique, the dough, the filling, to the garlic soy sauce, are the way you’d find in Taiwan. The only downside is that depending on how busy it is, the pot stickers may not be made to order and may have been sitting on the cool part of teppan grill for a while (leading to a less crispy experience). But even then it is still delicious. Bonus points for its affordable price.
So do go and get the Taiwanese pot stickers and have them add soy sauce on top. You won’t be disappointed.
I’m so glad I found this place. It reminds me of home.

Hit or miss here, sadly.
They are the first people I see after a hard workout at the gym and the aroma definitely gets to me. Some times the dumplings are AWN-​point and some times it is just a slurpy mess. Who wants inconsistencies? I understand they are cooking out of a truck but please no soggy and broken «skin» dumplings :(
I’m rooting for you though because I think your pork is amazing!

I would love to see this cart do well, but there’s no getting around the bad potstickers. They were basically wrinkly meat balloons. I know that SOUNDS awesome, but they were just way tooooo rubbery and thick.
For $ 6, my five meat-​filled socks came with a generous amount of chinese spaghetti (exactly what it sounds like) and an iced taro milk tea, which was actually excellent.
I went to this place when they were set up by Liberty Plaza, so maybe it’s different when they’re at the Astor location.

Just when I was starting to think the lines separating a good potsticker from a bad potsticker were getting blurry, this Taiwanese potsticker cart, A-Pou’s Taste, HAD to come along. Just when I thought I was nearing the clear from my dumpling phase, this cart pulled up just in time to get me right back in the mix.
It’s not often that a food cart surprises my taste buds as much as A-Pou’s did. I had walked by it a few times in Astor Place, but never stopped because I’d usually walk by after a meal. But, in this case, I was going to a meal, so I was not full… yet.
This tiny food cart, run by, what looked like, a mother who was in charge of cooking, and a son who collected money and poured drinks, may quite possibly hold the best potstickers in town. I had never had a potsticker similar to this, but these babies were definitely made with a home-​y kind of cooking love, straight from the kitchen of this Taiwanese woman who cooked me my first batch of A-Pou’s potstickers.
They are pan-​fried, and rolled similarly in the style of a blintz, kind of like the lazy, but smart way out. The potstickers are filled with fresh, greasey pork that packs tons of flavor. Long, tender pieces fill the wraps, rather than the minced, mushy pork you get in most dumplings or potstickers.
The homemade hot sauce that is served on the side is delicious, as well. It is quite spicy, but has a great chile/​garlic flavor to it, and boy, does a dab of that sauce on each potsticker go a long way.
I also got the Taro Milk Tea, which happened to be very good. Perfectly sweetened and a nice way to cool the throat down after munching on those potstickers with the sriracha-​like chile/​garlic dipping sauce.
All for under $ 5, I ended up arriving at my meal that I was walking to completely full, but so happy and content with my decision. The potstickers ended up being my food highlight of the night, even after my $ 18 pasta dish that was just a fancy way of serving Ronzoni, but I won’t bash that place yet.
Go give this place a shot, they have only been in Astor Place for a short time, but give them the business they deserve, and do yourself the favor of trying these authentic Taiwanese potstickers that blew me away, and will probably do the same to you.

The the dumplings on this cart are exceptional! They filled with REAL meats which have that fiberous texture, unlike many of the Chinatown joints and there conglomerate type stuffings.
And you should have a milk teas which compliment these fine dimplings very well.
A-​Pao, holds their value, very cheapy.

So on my way home, I was overcome by joy when I saw a new food cart by my apartment, especially since it was something different from the standard Halal cart. This place specializes in pot stickers (pan fried dumplings). They have pork, chicken, and beef, and they run $ 9 for 15, $ 6 for 10, and $ 3.50 for 5. They also have hot & sour soup and corn chowder soup, plus about 10 different types of tea.
I ended up ordering a large dumplings and figured I’d sample a few. Overall they’re okay, probably as good as you’ll get in the area, but they definitely fall short of what you’ll get at any place in Chinatown or Flushing. I just didn’t like how the skin of these dumplings were too thin, and thus they didn’t have that nice crispy texture that pot stickers should have.
The dumplings themselves were a pretty good size, but for some reason whenever I eat these things I never get full no matter how many I have. So it’s a good place to pick up a quick snack on the way home if you want something to hold you over until a late dinner.