O2 Valley is an up-and-coming bento box and Taiwanese snack restaurant on University Ave. in downtown Palo Alto. Despite being surprisingly empty for lunchtime on the weekend, O2 Valley holds a delicious variety of Taiwanese bento boxes, snacks, and teas.
Chicken Cutlet Curry Rice Bento Lite ($14.48): 9/10
A perfect take on chicken katsu, this bento “lite”—a more condensed version of their most popular bento boxes—had a superb ratio of crunchy fried chicken to hot steamed rice to nutty, earthy curry sauce. Don’t fear the sight of curry; the spice level was mild and only added to the overall pleasantly warm flavor of the dish. The sauce complimented both the chicken and the rice well, being served fresh and hot on the side of my box. While the sauce made the chicken slightly soggy, there’s not much that could be done to fix that.
Braised Pork Chop Bento ($17.58): 7/10
While the pork chop itself tasted good with a hearty, full flavor, the sauce was added to the pork before being served, leading most of the pork chops to be slightly soggy. The side dishes were subpar, with the cucumber salad being too soft with a slightly unpleasant taste, and the cabbage salad similarly being slightly too soft, but the flavor was more crisp. The rice was great, the perfect mix of hot and crispy with minced pork sprinkled on top. While the side dishes fell short, the main dish redeemed the overall box.
Pork Belly Bento ($17.58): 7/10
Similar to the Braised Pork Chop bento, this box had one serving of protein, rice, and various sides. While the sides were still unremarkable, the pork belly itself was crispy, hot, and overall saved the dish. The portion size was more than enough for one person, so it could easily be shared across multiple people.
Waffle Fries ($5.78): 6/10
The waffle fries were good, but would have benefited from a bit more seasoning. They were very crunchy and had certainly been made to order, piping hot as they were delivered to my table. The large portion size made me feel as if I had certainly gotten what I paid for, only leaving me wishing that there was a little more spice or even a larger dose of salt and pepper.
Sesame Balls ($6.98): 10/10
Despite a common American connotation of sesame being savory, these mochi balls were the perfect sweet treat to finish my meal. Hot from the fryer and filled with sweet, nutty-flavored red bean paste, these crunchy treats were superb. The eight balls served were the perfect portion, just filling enough but not too heavy to make one feel too full.
Rose Earl Grey Milk Tea ($5.50): 8/10
While I am usually a Thai Tea aficionado, I decided to branch out with my order this time, and I was not disappointed. The flavor was a perfect balance of rose and earl gray, with very good tapioca bubbles at the bottom of the drink. The only flaw was the rose petals, which, while great for aesthetic purposes, got stuck on my straw, making my final sips less than desirable.
Strawberry Green Tea ($5.50): 8/10
As I have a sweet tooth, the Strawberry Green Tea was good but a little too plain for me. The strawberry flavoring came through well, balanced by the green tea’s earthiness. The tapioca was very good once again, though it missed some aesthetic add-ins, like strawberry purée, which other stores offer in similar teas. This could be construed as a good or a bad thing, but for me, it was ideal— there is nothing I like less than obstacles to enjoying my food.
