Henry's Taiwan in Bellevue: It's like tasting food from the street stalls of Taipei

With Henry's Taiwan now nestled in Bellevue's Pal-Do World grocery store, a trip to pick up kimchi won't be complete without stopping in for sticky rice rolls, dumplings or possibly a Taiwanese Lunch Box.

In other words, perfection.

Henry's Taiwan already has a location in the Chinatown International District but recently opened this outpost at the Lake Hills Shopping Center. The fluorescent-lit entry to the grocery store can be a shock, but once inside Henry's, you most likely will be greeted with a wave and a warm smile.

The menu: Henry's focuses on Taiwanese dishes that include fatty ground pork over rice ($4) and the Taiwanese Lunch Box ($4.95), a mix of rice, pork chop and greens. Many specialties are lifted straight from the street stalls of Taipei.

It's easy to get carried away and over-order at Henry's, but with its authentic flavors, you won't regret a single dish.

What to write home about: Stinky tofu, Taiwan's most famously smelly dish, can be had here, but I prefer other, far more delectable Taiwanese standards. Henry's Sticky Rice Roll ($2.95) is one of the best I've had outside Taipei. A crisp Chinese doughnut, dried pork, mustard greens and a hard-boiled egg are rolled in red rice like a sushi roll.

The shrimp, pork and chive dumplings ($6.95) also are excellent, with handmade dough that was the perfect thickness.

I would return just to eat the Savory Hot Tendon ($4.95), a cold dish of thinly sliced tendon that was a lovely combination of chewy, tart, spicy and sweet.

What to skip: I would never say never to any of the five dishes I tried at Henry's, but the beef noodle soup with hand-shaven noodles was a fairly average version. The soup boasted thick, chewy noodles, but the broth lacked the full-flavored depth of the most delectable examples of this classic.

The setting: The interior is a ho-hum mix of red and yellow with odd touches like a poster of the band the Ruby Suns. But the service is speedy and helpful.

Summing up: A very generous lunch of five dishes including starters and noodles came out to $35 with tip. Even if you're not up for stinky tofu, Henry's is a great place to experiment with Taiwanese specialties and treat yourself to some adventurous, addicting fare.

Nicole Tsong: 206-464-2150 or ntsong@seattletimes.com