Flaming Ox — Restaurant in San Jose

Man finally a legit and modern Taiwanese place here in North San Jose! Gf and I went to Taiwan last year and we're still reminiscing about the amazing food there, so when we saw Flaming Ox we had to give em a try. We had the beef noodle traditional style w/thin noodles, fried pork rice bowl, sautéed veggies, pickled cucumber and green onion pancakes.

That beef broth hits the spot! Instant Taiwan vibes came rushing back with each sip. That braised beef was oh so tender and a balanced mix of meat and tendon. Melt in your mouth with just the right amount of chew. Loved the crispy bok choy and pickled cabbage to complement the rest of the soup, and the housemade crispy, sweet chili oil. I think we should've went with the thick noodles just for more doughiness, but we had no regrets with the thinnies. Mm mouth is still salivating..

The pork rice bowl was great as well. Learned that there are 2 different types of Taiwanese crispy pork - one with crispy batter and the other with minimal batter and mainly just the frying the meat. This style is the latter. As long as you know this, it delivers on the flavor and texture. With the braised pork over rice and crispy chili oil, all you can do is chef's kiss

Sautéed spinach was awesome, perfectly cooked and seasoned with garlic and sauce. I prefer the long cut baby cucumber with sweeter, garlic sauce, but this tangier cucumber gives a nice refreshing pickled flavor break from the rest of the items.

Green onion pancakes were fried crispy and paired nicely with their sweet savory sauce.

Service was prompt and friendly, and our server came to check in on us twice.

Owner said they may be bottling their crispy chili oil soon and introducing dessert, so we'll be back for that fosho. If you love Taiwanese food or have never tried, this is a...

Came for lunch on the first Sunday of the soft launch, which also happened to be Super Bowl Sunday. It was crowded; had to wait a few minutes (less than five) for a table for four.

Bone Broth Noodle Soup Generous portions of the noodle. The brisket was tender. This was a no spicy dish and it lived up to that. I would order this again.

Popcorn Chicken (mild) Chicken was yummy and they didn't overwhelm the dish with rice. However I thought the portion was on the leaner side; though for the price it was fair. Like any popcorn chicken, it felt salty at times. Also I should have ordered the mild spice on the side.

I was glad my wife and I shared two dishes. The noodle portion was a little too much, and the popcorn chicken was a little too little. In the end it averaged out to be just right between the two.

Others in our party got the traditional beef noodle soup and the minced pork belly rice. They liked both and they're of Taiwanese descent.

The restaurant had a soft launch just a few days ago. Although the server (and co-owner) gave the disclaimer that they were still streamlining, I thought they were on a great track. A few small hiccups but I have every confidence they'll work it out soon. It was a great sign that we had to wait for a table and it was nearly a full house at 1:00 on Super Bowl Sunday.

Overall, I recommend...

I've been eyeing this place for a while now, and I'm so glad I was able to check it out.

My husband and I got here a little before 7pm on a Thursday night. It wasn't too busy and we got seated right away. There's a QR code for you to scan at the table, so it was pretty easy to order the food off your phone.

My husband got the traditional beef noodle, I got the Mala beef noodle soup, and we also got the fried pork chop as an appetizer. Both beef noodle soup were very delicious in their own way! We both ordered the thick noodles, which had an al dente texture we enjoyed, but others may not. The meat was soooo tender and delicious. Literally would just break apart the moment you picked up the beef.

There is a chili oil that you get on the side with the traditional beef noodle. This is such a game changer when you add it to the broth. It has so much flavor! I asked if they sold it for take out. It's currently not available but could be for sale soon!

Our server, maybe the owner?, was super friendly and attentive. He was continously cleaning up the tables and tidying up the restaurant.

Parking here is...tough! It's in a super busy plaza with city sports and so many other restaurants. We got lucky with finding a spot but parked on the opposite side.

The food was so delicious and hit the spot. We're definitely...