Formosa Street Food and Bar (formerly Unwind Cafe)

[sooner88]

Wow, I had to glance at your username to make sure I hadn't written this myself. My wife and I had the exact items you did, albeit I had the Washington Square and my wife the Cuban. We also ordered a side of the chimichurri fries as well as the truffle fries. However, we each tried each other's items.

I'm no expert on Cuban sandwiches, as others here seem to be, but the owners are actual Cubans and the sandwich was absolutely delicious.

I agree that the chimichurri fries are among the best fries I've ever eaten in OKC, or really anywhere period.

The plating and flavor layering of the Washington Square was excellent, as is the house coffee.

Also, the place just feels like something you would find in a much larger American or European city. Very cosmopolitan and yet earthy, as many NYC or Parisian places are.

We loved everything about it as well as the owners and staff.

Everyone that worked there seemed genuinely happy to be there, and they all raved about the food and the owners - which is a great sign. They currently do late night tapas and drinks (menu says Fri-Sat, but I believe she said only on Friday nights). They're looking to add live music, specialty cocktails, etc. but are taking it slowly.

The only thing that is a little confusing is the name itself. Unwind Cafe doesn't lead me to believe it's primarily a Cuban brunch spot, but I think as word spreads and their hours expand that will change. The fact that they went directly nextdoor to another successful brunch spot (Hunny Bunny) and are still doing well gives me hope for their longevity.

[AnguisHerba]

Unwind's owner posted on social media they will be closing permanently, mainly due to a health condition.

[Pete]

Unwind's owner posted on social media they will be closing permanently, mainly due to a health condition.

Nooooo!!

How sad for them and for OKC. This place was well-regarded.

[sooner88]

Nooooo!!

How sad for them and for OKC. This place was well-regarded.

We almost went for the second time on Sunday for brunch, but opted for Red Rooster (which was our first time in a long time, and was a great experience). I saw the news this morning and wished we had gone back. It sounded like they were finally getting some good momentum and were excited about expanding hours to have more live music, etc. That's a big bummer.

[soonerguru]

THIS IS A F*CKING TRAGEDY.

Actually, no, it is not, but it is sad. This was my favorite new restaurant in OKC and I loved the vibe and the food, and even more, the owners. They made the place. That this man is struggling financially with health problems is a terrible indictment of our country's health delivery system. I plan to donate to his GoFundMe or whatever but I hope the place lives on. Perhaps an investor will keep the chef and menu. It is terrific! Without the owners, it would lose some charm but the concept is great and it just needs a lifeline.

[shartel_ave]

Dammit, I kept telling my wife we should go and now we won't be able to.

Best of luck to the owner I hope things work out for him and his medical issues, what a bummer!

[sooner88]

Kefren posted “god is working it’s magic” on Instagram. Curious if they figured out a way to keep it going.

[Pete]

The owners just sent me this:

[soonerguru]

Such a bummer.

[Pete]

Coming soon to the restaurant and patio space next to Tower Theater, Formosa Street Food and Bar will offer dozens of Taiwanese appetizers, Asian beers, sake and cocktails.

The operator is Ivan Wong, the GM at the popular Szechuan Story.

Remodeling is underway and they will be open in the next couple of months. Hours will be 4 PM to late every day with live music on Friday and Saturday nights.

Another great addition to the Tower complex which already features Ponyboy, Bunker Club and Honeybunny.

[shartel_ave]

that looks great, I love soup dumplings

[Anonymous.]

I wonder what they mean by late. 2-3am would be amazing on weekends. This area has all these bars, but nothing to eat except donuts or the tacobell and McD down the street.

[shartel_ave]

Formosa is categorized as an Izakaya

[Oski]

The place was pretty decent when Unwind Cafe was there, probably they spent a lot of money remodeling it, now the new operators will take several months to remodel. No wonder why it's so tough to survive in the restaurant industry, it takes $$$ and months to renovate while the concepts are mostly unproven, but the landlords are happy anyway.

[Thomas Vu]

Good get for the Szechuan story people.

[HOT ROD]

very nice, can't wait to try Taiwanese street food next time I visit OKC!! Uptown is really coming together.

hope they stay open late Th-Sat (until 2am), and until at least 11pm Sun-Wed. ...

[Pete]

Last night I ate at Szechuan Story for the first time; it's the same people that are behind Formosa.

I was super impressed. Tried a couple of the items they will be offering at Formosa and they were excellent: unique and flavorful. I also noticed most the diners were Asian, which is always a good sign.

I can see this place being a big hit and a fun place to hang out while enjoying a variety of great appetizers and some cold Asian beer or sake.


The diversity in OKC continues to bring some great restaurants and bars to town, nice alternatives to the plethora of burgers/pizza and bar food types of places.

[Thomas Vu]

I think it was mentioned before but it's worth mentioning again.

Szechuan story has the cook and/or one of the previous owners of szechuan bistro from inside the building next to cao nguyen. Not sure if the cook was in ownership or not.

[baralheia]

Szechuan Story is excellent and though I haven't gotten overly adventurous with the menu, everything I've tried has been delicious. The mapo tofu, chongqing spicy chicken, and kung pao are all my favorites and I always have trouble deciding between them. The dumplings are all great too - my favorite is the pork dumplings in chili oil, but man it's hard to go wrong at this place. And if that carries over to Formosa, so much the better!

[Pete]

^

Many of their appetizers will be available at Formosa.

I had the Mini Scallion Pancake Wrap pictured below. Somewhat like an egg roll but more flavorful. Really liked it.

[baralheia]

^

Many of their appetizers will be available at Formosa.

I had the Mini Scallion Pancake Wrap pictured below. Somewhat like an egg roll but more flavorful. Really liked it.

The regular scallion pancakes they have at Szechuan Story are great - and those wraps look delicious! I can't wait to check out the new menu items when Formosa opens.

[Pete]

Today, Formosa Street Food & Bar will open directly next to the Tower Theatre in Uptown.

Formosa is run by Ivan Wong the GM at the popular Szechuan Story and will feature 22 different Taiwanese/Chinese appetizers plus Asian beers and cocktails.

There is a large patio out front as well as ample indoor seating.

Hours are 4 to midnight Monday through Friday, noon to midnight on Saturday and noon to 10 PM Sunday.

[king183]

My wife and I went to Formosa for the first time last night and were very impressed. The food was fantastic and the drinks were equally as good. Because of time, we only tried 3 things: the popcorn chicken, the scallion pancakes, and the chicken pot stickers. All were excellent. I got an East Old Fashioned--an Old Fashioned using Suntori Japanese Whisky. The staff was also very friendly. Overall, a very good experience. I encourage you all to give it a try if you haven't already.

[Rover]

Last night I ate at Szechuan Story for the first time; it's the same people that are behind Formosa.

I was super impressed. Tried a couple of the items they will be offering at Formosa and they were excellent: unique and flavorful. I also noticed most the diners were Asian, which is always a good sign.

I can see this place being a big hit and a fun place to hang out while enjoying a variety of great appetizers and some cold Asian beer or sake.


The diversity in OKC continues to bring some great restaurants and bars to town, nice alternatives to the plethora of burgers/pizza and bar food types of places.

Been going to Szechuan Story for a bit now. It's our go to for Chinese food now. So, this is exciting to see they are branching out. I look forward to trying the new place. If the food is as good as SS it will be a big hit.

[OKProf]

Just popped in for the first time and enjoyed it! Nice atmosphere and service and the food was great. We ordered the scallion pancakes, cold noodles, soup dumplings, and green beans. Would order everyone of them again. There are several more things on the menu that we want to try next time!