Taste Good in Elmhurst! 03-02-2010

Location: 82-18 45th Ave.
Time: 7:30pm
People: 19 Ramen and Friends: SWard, ALev, MGru, JBH, JLam from MeSoHungry, MDunc, Binx2, PMont, GiselaM, MLev, Rich, JT, Dan from VendrTV and his friend, Sekita, Gabby, StevenC, RB and myself

Feelings: I take fashion quite seriously, perhaps more seriously than noodles if that is possible. As a result, I ended up well acquainted with my dry cleaning lady and tailors. And let me tell you, they know food, and they eat well. My lovely dry cleaning lady, who lives in Elmhurst and works in Midtown, brought me a menu from Taste Good in her neighborhood. "This place is very authentic, and it's the cheapest place in the city." With those words, I knew I had to make the next Ramen and Friends outing in Elmhurt.

Taste Good is a small Malaysian restaurant, and 19 of us took over the half of their space. It is BYOB, and supermarkets and a liquor store are nearby if you want to pick up some Tsingtao or a bottle of rum.

The service was cordial and extremely attentive. Despite the big group and various orders and demands, the staff never lost their smile. When we asked for water, ice, tea, utensils,.. you name it, they got it for us right away. They seemed to have forgotten MLev's order, but that was the only mishap they had for the entire night. We have been doing Ramen and Friends outings for a year and half now every month, but that is the record so far. Their accuracy and hospitality are something to be recognized.

Taste Good also had the most authentic Malaysian food I have ever tasted, and the entire group agreed to its authenticity. Roti Canai ($2.35) was the most popular dish of the table. "It was buttery, flaky and amazing," JBH said. StevenC mentioned that it was sweeter than other places, which added another level to the dish. I enjoyed pretty much anything I could taste. Singapore Kari Laksa ($5.75), Mee Siam ($6), Indian Mee Goreng ($6), and Char Kway Teow ($6) were all full of flavors and spices. The powerful flavors left me satisfied and happy. Rich's Indian Rojak Mee ($5.75) had the most interesting flavor of all with a bit of sweetness, and JLam said it was also his favorite dish of the night. Hokkien Char Mee ($6), Beef Rendang ($11.95), Sambai Shrimp ($16.95), Seafood Egg Ho Fun ($6.50) all got raving reviews from the table as well.

Did the night get any better than this? Yes, it did. Our bill turned out to be $12 per person, including tip! We ordered tons of food, to the point we could not take all the food pictures and did not exactly know what we were eating. How does this place make any profits? If you have not tried this place, I urge you to head out to Elmhurst immediately. It is not as far as you may think, and it is definitely worth it.

I now have to go and give my gratitude to the dry cleaning lady. I wish she would start a food blog.