Formosa Cafe — Restaurant in Northbridge

If you’ve ever thought, “Man, I wish I could sip on some bubble tea, devour a bowl of beef noodle soup, play a round of pool, and read some manga all in one place,” then congratulations—you’ve just described Formosa Café in Northbridge. This place is the definition of doing the most, and honestly, I respect it.

First things first—the beef noodle soup? Absolute fire. The broth is rich, the noodles are just the right level of chewy, and the beef is so tender it practically melts in your mouth like it’s got commitment issues. If you come here and don’t order this, you’re making a mistake.

The vibe of the place is… let’s call it “charmingly run-down.” It’s got that slightly faded, lived-in look, but somehow it works. The dim lighting, the old-school decor, and the mix of arcade sounds and pool balls clacking together give it a real 80s Hong Kong street café vibe. If Wong Kar-Wai directed a movie about people playing pool and eating noodles in Perth, it would be set here.

The menu covers everything from breakfast, lunch, and dinner to bubble tea, so you could practically move in and survive on their food alone (not saying I considered it, but I also wouldn’t rule it out). Prices are pretty reasonable, especially given the generous portion sizes.

Customer service? It’s… fine. You’re not getting Michelin-star-level attention, but you’ll get your food, and that’s what matters. It’s that classic “you get what you need, not what you want” kind of service—efficient, no-nonsense, and sometimes a little indifferent, which honestly fits the vibe.

Final Verdict: 5/5 – Look, if you want somewhere bougie and polished, this ain’t it. But if you love a place with character, great food, and an atmosphere that makes you feel like you stepped into an 80s HK action flick, Formosa is an absolute gem. Come for the beef noodle soup, stay for the pool and manga, and embrace the wonderfully chaotic...

Ordered for take away just now. Although food is fine. If there's negative star, I'll definitely give negative star for the customer service. Worst of the worse. One star is too much for their bad bad bad customer service. It wasn't even busy. Asked the cashier about the menu, and she answered "huh?! I don't know what that is. You should go outside and check out the picture if you don't know what that is." Can you believe it? Such a rude cashier. Please educate your staff to serve with courteous. Other cafe was way busier but still serve with manner and have a smile on their face. Such attitude can spoil someone's mood in second especially that's the first thing she said when I only have a simple question. Not...

A large venue with pool tables to hire, some arcade games, an extensive collection of comics in Chinese, and a restaurant area with Taiwanese talk shows on TV. Some people only come for the pool tables, some only for the food and drinks, others come for both.

The food on offer includes Taiwanese meals, street food and snacks, and drinks include bubble tea. Overall food has a homely taste to it and prices are cheap for what you get which makes for a great casual meal usually attracting a younger crowd.

The venue itself looks like it could do with a renovation, but otherwise it's a great and affordable place to hang out. There's limited parking out front, or else you'll need to look for street or...