Kung Food

I used to order from here weekly. The curry noodle is very good. If I get a crispy entrée, I go with the night market powder. If I get a grilled entrée, I go with the Kung food sauce and white rice. My two sides are always the Korean glass noodles and the potato salad. If one of these are out, I get the seaweed salad. The $ 1.99 bubble tea add on is very worth it but the tea is just okay. I used to order the Kung Food Special but there was always too little pork stew and too much rice. Plus, I’ve had way better versions of this traditional Taiwanese dish elsewhere.
I’ve only been grossed out by one incident where an employee sneezed into her hand and proceeded to pack my food.

My review is based on food BEFORE the menu revision…
What can I say about this place that hasn’t been said already! This place reminds me of the food back home in Hawaii which is great! My favorite from there is the chicken katsu with the spicy mayo sauce. My favorite two sides is the glass noodles and the garlic noodles as my starch. The great part also was the bubble tea at a discounted price. The bubble tea I usually get is the honey dew!
From recent reviews though, it looks like portions got smaller, and pricing went up. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. I will go back again for sure and try it out with their new menu structure and then update my review accordingly. But until then, this place is for sure a place to book mark and try.

I used to LOVE this place. They have gone downhill very quickly and it’s kind of upsetting because of what it used to be.
Their old menu used to have meals that came with the entrée and two sides and you were able to add a bubble tea for a discounted price. Now they offer those same entrees but they are now half the size and they do not come with sides. You have to order your sides extra and obviously pay for each one. They explained to me the reason they did this was because the college students were complaining that the portions were «to big» for lunch. I personally thought they were average size, at least for dinner. They could have just made a lunch menu with smaller portions. Now, it wasn’t only the portions that bothered me or even the sides that were no longer included but the food definitely took a toll for the worse. The quality just went south and not one thing was made or tasted as well as it did in the past.
I wish this place would go back to how it used to be and maybe I will return. Until then they’ve lost me.

This place used to taste so good but they keep trying to change things and taking calamari out was the worst idea ever. The food quality keeps going downhill after the try to fix things up. They told me they were getting a new menu but there is still no change. The took out the side dishes but made the food cheaper. They are losing profit from doing that. Most people wont bother paying 1.50 extra for a side dish.

Basically, this is cheap college student food, or evening drunk person food, but it’s pretty decent. I ended up with salmon curry noodles — the noodles were a bit on the overdone side and mushy, so not really super awesome, but the taste was overall good. I got the potato salad on the side, because why the heck not. The potato salad was probably the best thing, with good potato flavor plus little bits of corn and egg. I’d definitely give it another try, perhaps when it’s not about to close.

I am more excited than anything to see the new things they are adding to the menu! The people here are super nice, and are always willing to talk and help you out with your order. Food comes fast and fresh.
I always get the garlic curry noodles, veggie delight, with potato salad and cucumber salad on the side.

I decided to take my boyfriend here after reading the rave reviews. I also pass this place on a daily basis and was interested in the food anyways. I ordered the teriyaki chicken with the potato salad and glass noodles. My boyfriend ordered the kung food pork with a side of seaweed salad and cucumber salad. We both ordered an almond bubble tea. We purposely ordered different entrees and sides so we could sample them together, and each and every one did not disappoint.
Upon entering we were greeted right away, the cashier was happy to explain the sauces and sides to us. The restaurant was a bit small inside but cleanly. We planned to order our food to go, but the environment was inviting enough, I would gladly come back and eat in. My boyfriend is taiwanese and he loved the cucumber salad and pork, he commented that is was the most authentic he’s had in the area. The chicken was tender and delicious. The pork was crispy yet very tender on the inside. The potato salad was a surprising treat, yet all of the sides were enjoyable. I’m glad we decided to order a variety. The bubble tea was perfectly sweet and the tapioca was very soft. I’m already planning to bring my sister here because I know she’ll really like it. I will certainly be coming back here instead of ordering from my usual take out place.

This was originally known as «Hung Food» because the animals served on the menu, as well as the owner and all the employees, were rather well endowed. However they soon realized that they were having to fend off scores of UB College Girls (and single parents, and widows, and married women, and underage girls, and gay males, and bi males, and a surprising number of straight males too), who were there not for the food, but, shall we say, for a meal of a different kind.
Having altered just one letter, order has been restored in the Universe. Now, nobody knows the anatomical detail of the employees or owner, and now they can buy the best quality meats instead of trying to focus on the best-​endowed animals in order to fulfil the name of the restaurant.
How do you say «I am very impressed» in Japanese? The owner of this place is actually Taiwanese, which is a small island off the coast of China whose independence is consistently threatened, and is a bit of a touchy subject really. He makes both Chinese and Japanese dishes here, and I’m sure some of the food is Taiwan-​influenced.
It’s quite a fancy place, in that it feels clean, nice, and like it would be a good sit-​down spot. It feels significantly fancier than 95% of East Asian restaurants in Western New York. And for that reason, you’d probably assume (if you didn’t know any better) that you were going to be paying $ 20 or so for a dish.
You would be very wrong.
I was amazed, upon ordering Alex’s favourite Japanese Fried Pork (I went here because of his review as well as plenty of others), that it came with (a) a good portion of rice, (b) a side of glass noodles (or something else if you prefer), © an amazing and decent size portion of delicious potato salad, and (d) best of all, a free bubble tea! Which I was going to order anyway, separately! Those things are usually $ 3-​$ 5, but here, it’s included with the meal!
So how much do you think ALL of that set me back? Fifteen maybe? How about twelve? No, no, and no again. Keep guessing. No, not $ 10. A mere nine dollars. Yes I am serious. All that delicious fancy refined Japanese food, with a very generous sized bubble tea, all for $ 9.
Now I have to admit, I am not a big fan of East Asian food, and have never really enjoyed Japanese cuisine… and this dish didn’t really change my mind on that. I could tell that it was VERY GOOD Japanese food, and could have easily finished it all myself and been very satisfied. It was one of the best Japanese things I’ve ever tried. However I still didn’t go crazy for it, as I do for some of the other food in WNY or from other cultures. So my friend, who also isn’t really into Japanese food, tried it, and absolutely fell in love. I mean, she was raving about it from the first bite. She loved everything — the glass noodles, the potato salad, the fried pork and the Passion Fruit Bubble Tea.
So being the gentleman I am (and desperately wanting to get her into bed*), I gave her the whole thing, after having maybe a little less than a third of it. Which left me plenty of room for my other food (this was the last stop on a very hefty Monday night food tour), and gave her the time of her life (no, not what you think… I mean with the Japanese food, by herself, alone in her room).
*I was only kidding about this by the way. As I usually am. Don’t ever take me too seriously. Except with food ratings and recs. Take me very very seriously in those cases.
I’d also like to add that the Bubble Tea is not like other Bubble Teas, which are syrupy sweet and overly dominated by fruit, and don’t really taste like tea at all. This really is TEA, it’s very tea-​heavy, and the fruit is more akin to what you get when you have a lemon iced tea or something… but the tea is even stronger. I had the Passion Fruit and it was refreshing and amazing. Most places use old, rubbery tapioca balls that are flaky because they are so un-​fresh (my new word). So usually I get it with no tapioca balls. But the balls here were fantastic. Let me say it again. Squidgy, soft, fresh and perfect. I loved these balls. I love the balls at Hung Food, now known as Kung Food. There, I said it. Several times.
Oh and this is beside the point to me because it’s all about the food, but the guy here (I assume he’s the owner, but he’s quite young), is one of the NICEST people who has ever served me in the USA. He was so attentive and detailed and ridiculously nice, he made sure everything was exactly the way I wanted it. $ 30 service, $ 20 portions and ambience, and all for $ 9. Bravo.
Just make sure that at the end of your Taiwan meal, that you don’t forget to Tai-​PAY. :)

Best Bubble tea in town. Place is very clean and food is fresh and well prepared. Service is always so friendly, they really make you feel welcome. My only wish is that they would open Sundays, I always seem to crave a Bubble Tea and no one else’s is as good.

Kung food is a great place for poor graduate students like me. The food is amazing and prepared right after you order it as you watch. The environment is clean and its never too busy.
For me the best aspect is the price and quantity. You get a ton of food for around 7 to 10 bucks depending if you get their bubble tea which i highly suggest! The only reason I didn’t give it a ⁵⁄₅ is because the staff is a little hard to work with sometimes.
Highly suggest it for students on UB south campus or anyone on Main St.
Disclaimer: its not really ethnic, its pretty Americanized but a MUCH MUCH better option over Chinese take out

Hey, I’m a broke college student and where there’s cheap, plentiful food, you best believe I’ll love it.
Seriously though, Kung Food is awesome! It is right across the street from UB South Campus, making it quite popular with the students. It is a nice change from the stereotypical greasy, takeout Chinese that we, as students, get all-​too-​familiar with. The portions here are super generous, also! No, seriously, I’ve always had to take some home, which is rare for me.
The staff is young and energetic and always love to have small talk. They add to the great experience of being there!
I have had the teriyaki chicken, glass noodles, and cucumber salad, all of which were very good. Their glass noodles are quite tasty, probably my favorite, but the teriyaki chicken is up there as well. Is this is the most authentic Taiwanese food you’ll find? No, definitely not, but it is a refreshing alternative to greasy, oily takeout Chinese food for the local residents around the area, which is something everyone can respect.

I never had a problem with Kung Food service but today, I order through the phone.
I called for a delivery order and the woman who was taking my order was pretty impatient with me. I order 3 kung food specials, all with the same sides (so that shouldn’t be confusing.) then 2 teriyaki chicken each with diff sides but I said «can i get 2 teriyaki chicken over rice, one with potato salad and glass noodles and one with potato salad and cucumber salad. She somehow got confused and then I overheard her say «omg this is friggen annoying». Lastly, I wanted a Kung Fu Chicken and I wanted a classic bubble tea with my order. She asked green tea or black tea and I said green tea. Then she asked bubbles or jelly I said bubbles. 5 seconds later, she asked me green tea or black tea. bubbles or jelly AGAIN. like what.
I dont believe I was being annoying. Even if I was, you are suppose to be patient with all your customers no matter how crazy, stupid, or slow your customers are.
***Kung Food, your food is good. Just work on your customer service ON THE PHONE.

They were out of any noodles, beef, or calamari. We also waited 30 minutes for our food and about 15 minutes after paying for our order, someone comes by and asks us if «We made another order.» After 15 minutes, someone else asks us what we ordered, and it seems they forgot we even had an order.
I had the katsu pork with curry sauce on rice with sides of potato salad and seaweed salad. The pork was not too bad, but the rice had already somewhat started cooling by that time, making it somewhat stiff. The seaweed salad was lacking taste and could have been seasoned better and the patio salad was just as expected. Also, I had the lychee bubble tea, but it’s basically a bunch of flavored powder dumped in tea with some off-​tasting tapioca pearls.

We come often. Always for takeout. Sometimes we go in and others we call in the order. Either way it’s easy.
I still don’t understand the styrofoam.
But they have expanded the menu recently. We have tried the pork stew (rice) thing, it was good, but could use a little higher meat to rice ratio I think. They also have popcorn chicken now, which is their chicken cut into smaller pieces. With dipping sauces.
What I love most about this place is that the employees are super friendly and pleasant. They either like working there or the owner so terrifies them that the pretend (well) to love working there. I went in with exact change and a tip most recently. Even though we take out, tipping is nice. But then I saw they now have a dessert bar as well. I literally said, well, I have just enough for a tip for you guys, but would have considered a piece of cake if I had known it was on offer. They gave me a piece of key lime pie to try. They also had a red velvet and some others.
In addition to the piece of cake, they put in some extra sauces so we could try them. I like that they just take initiative and do these things. The owner has empowered them to do «what feels right» and that’s a nice environment.
Im not an expert on food from Taiwan, so I really cant comment on that with authority. What I can say is we enjoy the food here, the prices are terrific, the employees happy, and its easy. None of those are bad things. Oh, and we enjoy the food.

Being Taiwanese and somewhat of a foodie… I would say this place was just ok. I can see how it’s cheap prices would attract local UB students even though I’m sure they’d all agree that the food there DO NOT taste like home… I will begin by taking a star away for the kid who was working the counter didn’t really know much about the dishes, despite their very limited menu. I could tell he was new — but hey, don’t stick the new kid to take orders if he’s not familiar with the dishes yet.
I ordered the signature Kung Food chicken with glass noodles and potato salad. The chicken was thin and crispy, the rice was nice and chewy. There was not a lot of the sweet sauce (which i liked), and the glass noodles were good. I did not care for the potato salad — it was bland and tasteless, and i’m not even a picky potato salad eater!
My boyfriend’s Kung Food pork was very much the same — i’m not even sure that I could tell between the taste of the chicken/​pork, since the meat was pounded sooooooo thin, and the breading and sauce taste overpowered everything else. Nevertheless, a nice piece of crispy meat. The korean garlic noodles were delicious (although not on the menu officially, i think you have to ask), and the dressing on the side salad was decent as well (some mixture of soy sauce and sesame oil).
I think the biggest disappointment was the bubble tea. For $ 1.99, i added a passion fruit green tea bubble tea. Now, being a true Taiwanese who regularly goes home to Taipei at least once a year, that bubble tea was pretty much worthless. It was probably the worst tapioca I have ever had, and i’ve had some pretty terrible ones!!! they were severely overcooked and soggy, there was no chewiness or a hint of sweetness whatever, it was NOT tasty. The tea itself was decent — I liked how they asked you exactly how you would like it made just like an authentic Taiwanese bubble tea place would — more/​less sweet? more/​less ice? green or black tea base? etc.
This is some place that I might return to if it was across the street from my work or home… but honestly, given that it is about a 15 minute drive from my home, I will likely never return.
Oh, and I know it’s 2013 and all and that everyone should be free of prejudice blah blah blah. But, I have to admit that when i walked in, and none of the 3 – 4 staff members who worked there were Asian (let alone Taiwanese), I was slightly disappointed… and then the new kid not knowing how to explain to me how each dish is made or what the ingredients were… I kind of already disliked the place before I even got my food… in styrofoam containers!!!

Came here two more times whilst I was on campus. Some updates:
Bubble tea: more tapioca, thank you! Def adequate amt now, but still Tea Leaf is my fav bubble tea place in Buffalo.
Short ribs: Still so damn good!
Sides: Def get the cucumber salad and the glass noodles!

Brought my mom here after a doctor appointment this morning. The staff is very friendly and helpful with the menu! I ordered chicken teriyaki over noodles with glass noodles and potato salad, and an almond bubble tea. The dining area is really small but not too uncomfortable, clean. Though eavesdropping is a given! I heard more about Freakonomics than I ever care to hear again (it is right across from UB after all!). HAHA!
I agree with Ryan W. that they should invest in reusable plates or at least eco-​friendly/​reusable plastic containers instead of black styrofoam cartons, given whether eating in or carrying out. I felt guilty when I dropped my container in the trash at the end of my meal! I’m sure even paper plates would be a more earth friendly option than styrofoam. I still feel guilty for chucking all of that waste that won’t biodegrade in my lifetime…: /​
The food was good. Chicken, salads, bubble tea even… But it didn’t blow me away. PLUS… The noodles under the chicken were mush and sitting in liquid. They didn’t have much taste on their own. I would choose rice under the meat exclusively if I visit again. My mom had rice and it looked much better than my liquid-​logged mushy noodles. The glass noodles too seemed overcooked and mushy. I’ve had glass noodles cold and I much prefer them cold as opposed to hot, as they were today.
It’s great to see a place like this in the University Heights area. I always wondered why more businesses didn’t take advantage of the proximity to 28,000+ potential customers, with UB being across the street. Hoping the trend continues and the area continues to improve.
In the meantime, try Kung Food. It’s certainly worth a try! Just get the rice, not the noodles under your meat choice… And yes, I can totally see the food truck concept now… Hope it happens!

On their menu it says, «Our mission is to provide fast, fresh food in a fun environment with amazing customer service.» … Mission accomplished, Kung Food!
— small dining area with limited seating
— very down to earth, friendly, helpful, accommodating staff
Their customer service is amazingggg! They helped make my decision a little easier by providing me with samples. I love the simplicity of their menu with steps to create your own meal. You can definitely feel free to ask about everything on their menu! They are patient and willing to answer!
Food: ($ 6.99)
Step 1 — Base: Noodles
Step 2 — Main: KF Fish
Step 3 — Sauce: Kung Food + Night Market
Step 4 — 2 Sides: Cucumber salad & Glass noodles
Beverage: (Bubble tea is $ 1.99 with a meal, instead of $ 3.49)
Hot organic green tea with mango flavor, no tapioca for me (not a fan of tapioca)
The staff recommended that noodles are best with a saucy dish, such as chicken teriyaki and grilled pork. However, I couldn’t resist my obsession for noodles and appeal for fish, so I decided against the recommendation. Unfortunately, the staff was right. The noodles were bland with the KF fish because the fish was fried. This is probably why there are ‘chef’s recommendations.’ Besides the noodles, everything else was quite delicious! They use tilapia for their KF fish, and it was cooked perfectly. Even though it was fried, it was not burnt or greasy. My favorite side was the cucumber salad. It had a nice spicy kick to it that I absolutely loved. The glass noodles were also pretty tasty. I enjoyed my hot green tea with mango flavor! I definitely want to return and try other things on the menu!
Oh yeah. they also gave me a free cup! :)

When I left Japan for New York City three years back, I expected that I should be able to find excellent tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) somewhere in the city. I did. When I left New York for Buffalo a month back, I never dreamed that I would be able to find even a remote approximation. I figured that if I wanted any sort of Japanese food, a trek to to Toronto would be required. (See my review on Kuni’s for my thoughts on Japanese food otherwise in Buffalo.) Boy, was I wrong!
Kung Food’s menu only lists a half dozen entrees and four sides, but each item has been engineered to perfection:
The fried pork cutlet (tonkatsu) is the best I’ve had in the United States since my return from Japan. The night market chicken is spicy and peppery. Even the chicken teriyaki, the token offer to American sensibilities, is more than worth the trip. Each entrée is served over a delicious bed of hot sticky rice. I should note that it *is* white rice.
Sides stand out as much as the entrees do. At present, they offer a standard side salad, glass noodles, cucumbers, and potato salad. The standard salad is solid but by far the weakest option. The glass noodles are tempting enough that when I finish them, I always wish I had a plateful. The potato salad boasts more flavor than anyone could expect from potato salad. The cucumbers truly stand out though. Though marinated, they remain crisp, never soggy. Though marinated in kimchi-​flavored brine, the cucumber’s natural flavors remain strong. The complement that these side items provide to the entrée dishes cannot be understated.
The owner of Kung Food is a Taiwanese chap, but I have not seen him here but once. The store attendants are that distinct variety of youngster seen at so many other Buffalo establishments, but the service provided here, unlike other places, has so far been exemplary. I first visited the store a day after a big snow storm this winter. Seeing me peer in at the menu, the attendant rushed out herself and invited me in to warm up and take a closer look at what they serve. I was impressed. A sale was earned. Since then, I have been back several times, and various attendants have provided me with every request.
I should note that though Kung Food is listed under «Japanese» and «Chinese» cuisine, it shouldn’t truly be understood as conventionally or authentically either. Taiwan, thanks to historical circumstances, has integrated many Japanese, Chinese, and European foods together such that they can all be found in an ensemble at delis and cafeterias, the way that burritos and tacos might be found together with pizza and gyros here in the United States. Kung Food fits into that distinct niche, a delicious niche.
Enjoy! =)

So cheap, so much food, and so good. It really doesn’t get any better than that. I got the Kung Food chicken with the potato salad and cucumber salad. My bf got the chicken teriyaki with the cucumber salad and noodles. Holy cow was it good. My Kung Pow chicken was super crispy, and the sweet sauce was fantastic. We both loved our food!
Under $ 7 for huge portions, and then you can also add a bubble tea for $ 1.99 more! The restaurant was also very, very, very clean (a HUGE plus). I really can’t think of anything else to say. Delicious food, great price, and all around just awesome.