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    Java Cafe Taiwanese

    3.8 (177 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese, Taiwanese
    Open 11:00 am - 2:30 pm, 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Java Cafe Taiwanese Photos

    Business Info

    JAVA CAFE TAIWANESE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Java Cafe Taiwanese

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    Jenny S.

    This is my go to spot for authentic Taiwanese food. The quality is pretty close to Taiwan compared to other restaurants. The staffs are super friendly and knowledgeable. It is on the pricier side. I would recommend it.

    As of Jan 17, 2026 Need to try this next time!
    S M.

    1/17/2026. I've seen this place but never tried it because the name is 'Java'; sounds more fitting for a coffee shop. Anyway, finally tried it after all these years and have definitely been missing out. It's a small place and very packed on a Sat afternoon. We got a table right away luckily. Service is friendly and efficient. Food is delicious, Tasty and super generous portions. One of the ladies speak Cantonese and she took the time to introduce specials on the board which were only written in Chinese. She was patient with taking our order. And check this out because nowadays, there's nothing free! However, you get free tea and a little plate of peanuts! Wow, those freebie days are long gone so it was a nice surprise they offered tea PLUS stewed peanuts! Stinky tofu: not my fave. They used firm tofu and the dipping sauce was not the Taiwanese garlic sauce; a little disappointing there. Four God Soup: yes, will reorder. Generous portions of barley and tender pork stomach. Comforting! Rice noodles with pumpkins: one of their signature dish- rightfully so! Comes out piping out. Green onion pancake: skip, not worthy. It's thick and barely has any scallions. Intestine with basil: delish!!!! Made very well and definitely needs to pair with rice! Pork chop rice combo: fried just like popcorn chicken. I would highly recommend asking them for no ice in the drink (black tea). The ice is 'cloudy'; a sign that they desperately need a new filter! (Wink wink) Overall, definitely a hidden gem and authentic Taiwanese cuisine! Will return for sure!

    Bamboo Shoot with Shredded Pork(桂竹筍肉絲)
    Kwang C.

    Pan-fried Fish Stomach dipped in pepper salt and drizzled with lemon juice was good, but I thought Eat Joy Food's was slightly better. Organic Chayote Vine was crisp. This restaurant stir-fried it, while Eat Joy Food served it as a cold dish. Bamboo Shoot with Shredded Pork was good, but I thought Newleaf Bistro's was slightly better. Sauteed Shredded Pork, Squid, Celery & Bean Curd and Cilantro Root with Beef were both excellent with rice. The meat in both dishes was tender, and the sauces tasted the same, but I preferred the one with more beef slices. Minced Pork Over Rice was good, but I thought Tofu King's in Irvine was slightly better. The bean curd in Stewed Combo: Seaweed, Soy Sauce Egg & Bean Curd had a texture similar to fish balls, which I didn't like. The braised peanuts served before the meal were delicious. For three people, with two bowls of white rice and seven dishes, the total after tax and a 15% tip was $149.14. For convenience, we rounded it to $50 per person. The price was reasonable and cheaper than Newleaf Bistro and Eat Joy Food. 蘸胡椒鹽和淋上檸檬汁的乾煎虱目魚肚不錯,但我覺得頤中福的略勝。 龍鬚菜口感爽脆。這家是清炒,頤中福是涼拌。 桂竹筍肉絲不錯,但我覺得欣葉台菜的略勝。 客家小炒和香根牛肉的肉片都夠軟嫩,且醬汁味道幾乎相同,但我更喜歡牛肉片多些。 滷肉飯不錯,但爾灣的臭豆腐大王的略勝。 滷菜三拼的豆干口感似魚丸,我個人沒有很愛。 餐前滷花生很好吃。 三個人,兩碗白飯,七道菜,15%小費含稅後,總價149.14美金。為方便計算分賬,平均每人算50美金。這價錢還可以,比欣葉和頤中福便宜。

    Front
    Travis P.

    This little spot servers authentic Taiwanese food. It got reasonably busy during lunch time on Sunday but we were able to get seated a little after 1:30pm without waiting too much. When we entered we smelled a strong smell of stinky tofu so we knew we had to give that a try. Here are my thoughts on the food. Clear Stewed Beef Noodle Soup - I liked it, it was simple, clean and meat was tender. Pretty delicious. (4.5/5) Deep Fried Salt and Pepper Oyster - This dish was good. Its fried well and the oysters were tasty. Great seasoning. (4.5/5) Stinky Tofu - Personally didn't like this but also I'm not a big fan of stinky tofu in general. I think the tofu could be crispier overall but yeah it's pretty smelly. (1/5) Sauteed Garlic and Vegetable - Personally thought this was whatever. It's basic but if you need greens its not bad. (2.5/5) Minced Pork Over Rice - The portion was small but the flavors were good. Best thing we had easily. Very tasty dish. (5/5) Deep Fried Fish - Fried perfectly and flavors were good. Wasn't too greasy which was great. (4/5) Overall it's a pretty good spot for authentic Taiwanese food. Prices were reasonable and we spent $95 for 5 people before tip. Would I be back, I thought it was on the more okay side so probably not but glad I gave it a try.

    Menu 2025/10/28
    Catherine L.

    If you're a fan of real-deal Taiwanese flavors, this spot is a must-try! I came mainly for the stinky tofu and three-cup chicken, and both were incredible. The stinky tofu had that perfect level of funkiness--crispy on the outside, soft inside, and paired with tangy pickled cabbage that balanced everything out. The three-cup chicken (san bei ji) was full of flavor--savory, fragrant, and slightly sweet with that rich basil aroma that fills the whole table. It reminded me of home-cooked food in Taiwan. Everything tasted fresh, portions were generous, and the service was friendly and fast. The atmosphere is casual but cozy--great for a comforting meal or bringing friends who want to try real Taiwanese dishes.

    四神湯 For daddy's soup
    Theresa L.

    The restaurants name in Mandarin means"TEN" So you understand why it is so popular and loved by the guest ! Here they serve their authentic Taiwanese food ! I'm very surprised and happy to taste so delicious authentic Chinese food like the country I was born ! Which the food I missed so much like I missed my country! Actually, there are only four of us , can we order a lot since I want to try each every favorite food that I missed?, And I'm sure I'm coming back again to try all the other delicious dish that I didn't order.!

    Coco D.

    This was our first visit and we first arrived, I felt very rushed. Later, I realized that I barely made the cut before their lunch break which made sense of felt rushed. I'm glad they took us in instead of sending us away! I went specifically for the rice noodles soup and the stinky tofu and both didn't disappoint. Coming from a picky eater, that means something. At the first bite, I thought the rice noodles were not salty(flavorful enough) but when I added the white pepper, the flavor popped. The soup came out HOT, which is exactly how I like it! We ordered two stable side dishes and both were flavorful and tender. The stinky tofu was served last but it was worth the wait! It is quite authentic especially pairing with the pickled cabbage and the hot sauce. Speaking of the hot sauce, did I mention that I am a picky eater? I am not the one hot sauce goes with everything kinda gal and their selections were perfect for what I needed. Another worth mentioning, their restroom was very cleaning!!!! That alone is worth the 4 stars. I will definitely go back again and will recommend to anyone who craves a bit Taiwanese dishes. 我想吃米粉湯跟臭豆腐但又不想去之前去Temple city 吃過的那家,正在頭痛不知所措時突然看到Java Cafe. 點進Yelp看到米粉湯跟臭豆腐,尤其臭豆腐的照片就像是台灣的一樣,我立馬加足油門「宏前ㄍㄧㄤ」(台語不好請見諒)。 剛坐下就聽到,我先幫妳點吧!對我有選擇障礙的人來說,這句話有點壓迫感即使我知道我想吃米粉湯跟臭豆腐。 後來發現是因為他們要午休了,難怪。 我們點了兩碗米粉湯,臭豆腐跟滷味三拼。 老闆娘跟菜單上都推薦米粉湯配黑白切因為老闆娘說米粉湯只有米粉跟湯而已。 我們也追加了黑白切(嘴邊肉、大腸跟油豆腐)。 米粉湯蠻大碗的(難怪老闆娘只上一碗)不過我們太餓了並都想吃獨食,所以又叫了一碗。 第一口米粉湯入口時覺得味道不夠但加夠白胡椒粉後,整個味道都提升了。 太久沒吃了,忘了要加胡椒粉。喔,對了,米粉湯出來時是熱騰騰的,加分!!! 滷味三拼(豆乾、滷蛋跟海帶),豆乾入味柔軟,海帶香甜脆口而滷蛋更是一級棒。 臭豆腐配著台灣泡菜別家也有不過他們家的是真的好吃! 泡菜脆脆的,微甜,味道不重當配菜剛好。 除了東西好吃外,另有兩件事也值得一提。 其一,我是無辣不歡的人,也不是ㄧ辣走天下的人。 不同的菜要配不同的辣椒。 他們備足了兩種,辣椒醬(吃臭豆腐跟黑白切),辣油(吃滷味),雖然辣油不是很辣不過意思到了,加分! 其二,這也是對我很重要的一點,他們的洗手間很乾淨,看得出來他們很用心經營。這個加巨分!!! 我不住附近不過還是會再去的,以後還要帶其他家人跟朋友。 難得一次吃外食沒有後悔去了那家餐廳。 我是個無辣不歡的人

    Menu (Aug 2024)
    Luke L.

    Java Cafe Taiwanese Cuisine is located in Rowland Heights (directly across from Boomers Los Angeles). The restaurant has been around for at least 15+ years and I stopped by this cafe for a quick lunch in recent months. [Parking]: Has a free private parking lot and I had no issue finding a spot to park. [Service]: Subpar service, but there were complimentary peanut appetizer and hot tea. [Menu]: The restaurant advertises their Taiwanese hot stir-fry dishes as their speciality and this places also sells special Lunar New Year dishes every year, but some of hot stir-fry dishes are seasonal. Some of more unique and highlighted stir-fry dishes include #27 Gracilaria aka Dragon Whiskers (龍鬚菜 - seasonal), #3 Water Bamboo Shoot (aka Wild Bamboo Shoot) with Shredded Pork (筊白筍炒肉絲 - seasonal), #1 Cilantro Root with Beef (香根牛肉), #7 Deep Fried Salt and pepper Oyster (蚵仔酥), #5 Taiwanese Salted Pork (台灣鹹豬肉) / #6 Stir Fried Tender Garlic w/ Salted Pork (蒜苗鹹豬肉), #18 Stewed Chinese Cabbage (白菜滷), etc. I was pretty overwhelmed with their selection of Taiwanese hot stir-fry dishes and I ended up with Yelp's highlighted dishes - beef noodle soup and stinky tofu. Please note that they also sell this special clear broth beef noodle soup for $49 (as of August 2024) in limited quantity. *** #3 House Special Beef Noodle Soup ($14.95): It was basically the classic braised beef noodle soup. Everything was generally good from broth, noodle, and beef. However it was my 1st time having a beef noodle soup with ginger slices instead of Chinese cabbage. That left much to be desired. #2 Deep Fried Pork Chop Rice Combo ($12.95: I sampled their pork chop and it was pretty solid, but side dishes like cucumber tasted pretty uninspiring. #7 Stinky Tofu ($10.95): Stingy portion on Taiwanese cabbage. While stinky aroma and crispy tofu texture were on point, I was somewhat disappointed with this dish. *** 3-star mostly on their popular highlighted dishes via Yelp, but I am willing to give this place another try, but only for their Taiwanese hot stir-fry dishes as not many restaurants in SoCal cook some of these specialty dishes. P.S. - The only other Taiwanese restaurant that offers Gracilaria is Eat Joy Food (https://www.yelp.com/biz/eat-joy-food-rowland-hghts-3) and the restaurant received Bib Gourmand from Michelin (https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/california/rowland-heights_2880170/restaurant/eat-joy-food).

    Su S.

    Authentic traditional Taiwanese food, good food and great service. Would definitely recommend

    21. Pan Fried Fish Stomach

    Great Authentic Taiwanese food. We went in at lunch rush. Everything was delicious and full of flavor. Make sure to order rice bowls per person

    Menu
    Ruth H.

    Absolutely love this restaurant! The food is incredibly delicious, delivering an authentic taste of Taiwan. Despite its small size and simple decor, the cozy ambiance adds to its charm. The staff is exceptionally friendly, providing top-notch service. A bonus is the complimentary hot tea that truly warms the heart. It's not just a meal; it's an experience filled with flavors and warmth. Free parking and easy to find parking. This place is across from Boomers.

    3 cup chicken

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    2 months ago

    Food very bad. Don't recommend. Boiled meat with no flavor whatsoever. Tofu is sour not sure if it has gone bad

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    7 months ago

    The food was great! Large portions, good flavors, and a great ambiance. I wouldn't change a thing.

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    9 months ago

    This is the restaurant I have been to for years. They offer the best Taiwanese cuisine.

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    1 year ago

    Food is really good , taste is real Taiwaneses food , service is ok, recommend go to try it

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    Yumi Time - Fried Red Yeast Pork (炸紅糟肉)

    Yumi Time

    4.0(147 reviews)
    3.8 mi
    $$

    Finding authentic Taiwanese cuisine in this area is an uphill battle, but Yumi Time is a true…read morehidden gem that gets everything right. It's easily one of the most authentic spots around. My favorite thing here is their combo deal--it is such a great value. You get to choose a main dish and a soup, and it comes served with two side dishes and a drink. The soups are clearly made with care; the crispy pork rib soup with radish is a standout--flavorful, comforting, and exactly how it should taste. If it's your first time, you have to try the braised pork leg rice. They are famous for it for a reason: the meat is perfectly tender and packed with savory flavor. A quick heads-up: they aren't open for dinner, so you have to catch them for lunch! Also, keep an eye out for their Taiwanese baked desserts. They don't have them every day, but if you're lucky enough to visit when they do, don't hesitate--buy them immediately. They are absolutely delicious!

    Yumi Time? more like Not Me Time…read more Braised Pork Rice is one of the most common dishes you can find at a taiwanese restaurant and I decided to give this place a try after seeing a lot of glowing reviews for it. But to my chagrin, do you know who received actual pork meat in their meal? Not me!! So what did I get instead? just pork fat and pork skin. No pork meat at all. I checked every piece 1 by 1... I must look like a chef because they probably thought I would use the pork fat for cooking. And the plaza itself is quite shady, its very unpopulated and away from where the main city of industry is. When I was leaving, I saw a few people who were exchanging stuff for cash. So you know who is coming back? Not me ;_;

    Photos
    Yumi Time - Station for chopsticks / forks / knives / spoons (Jul 2024)

    Station for chopsticks / forks / knives / spoons (Jul 2024)

    Yumi Time - Pork Ball Soup (貢丸湯)

    Pork Ball Soup (貢丸湯)

    Yumi Time - Miso Fish (味增魚)

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    Miso Fish (味增魚)

    Dago Taiwanese Restaurant - West Covina - Menu

    Dago Taiwanese Restaurant - West Covina

    4.1(181 reviews)
    5.5 mi
    $$

    Gotta love my Taiwanese food fix in this area. Dago had generously portioned bento boxes, each with…read morea few side veggie dishes. Bento options include minced pork over rice, stewed pork and a few variations of it, popcorn chicken, fried pork chop or chicken. They got street food options like oyster omelette, shrimp omelette, assorted marinated meats, and popcorn chicken. If you dont feel like bento boxes, they also have noodle soups. I ordered a preserved veggie stewed pork bento along with an oyster pancake. I was able to do less rice and more veggies, they just switch the placement of rice with the broccoli, the difference is very small, you still get a hefty amount of rice. While the veggies were great, I ended up needing more rice because the stewed meat was on the saltier end. Oh well, mistakes were made and the whole meal was eaten nonetheless. The omelette however was a bit of a disappointment. The texture was lacking in eggs and the veggie wasn't A-choy. The pieces of oysters were clustered in one section, you get huge chunks of the corn starch filling. The whole thing wasn't mixed in too well. Next time I'd just do a bento and nothing else. Portions were very generous and I was decently content with the food.

    This Taiwanese restaurant has very large portions for competitive prices. I had the popcorn chicken…read morewith rice, which had side servings of curry and vegetables. You order your food through their website accessed with a QR code. Then, you can self-serve water, iced tea, miso soup, and jelly desserts from a counter. The restaurant flavored the popcorn chicken well and didn't make it too oily. I enjoyed how the rice had minced pork on top. In general, the many flavors made the dish interesting. However, the curry and vegetables tasted a little bland for my taste. They had red pepper seasoning on the side, but I wish there was an option to make the popcorn chicken spicier. We enjoyed the miso soup as it was hot and flavorful. The self-serve aspect here reminded me of some restaurants in Taiwan in which you pick up your own water, chopsticks, and condiments. I have no meaningful comments about their service since the restaurant mainly just provides to food to you. Then, you go up to the cashier counter to pay for your bill. There is a lot of seating inside, and it was quiet when we visited on a late morning. The restaurant was hard to find since I wasn't familiar with the area, so it took me a couple tries and careful navigation to arrive.

    Photos
    Dago Taiwanese Restaurant - West Covina - Menu

    Menu

    Dago Taiwanese Restaurant - West Covina - Menu

    Menu

    Dago Taiwanese Restaurant - West Covina - Menu

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    Menu

    Thumbling - Crab Roe and Pork Xiao Long Bao, very good!

    Thumbling

    4.0(2.1k reviews)
    5.5 mi
    $$

    The food and portions are amazing and perfect for sharing, the prices are good as well, the service…read moreis fast and easy to order from, But the waiting time is long I will say but it's worth it! definitely going to back!

    I love Thumbling it's definitely one of THE spots in West Covina! Be prepared to wait closer to an…read morehour if your party is large, and maybe 10-30 for smaller parties. There's plenty to walk around in the plaza (desserts, pastries, açaí bowls) while you're waiting and even a fountain. Once seated everything moves relatively fast. The menu is extensive, food comes out quickly and fresh, and workers are attentive even though you order through a tablet and it's super busy inside. Food is stellar and of value (6 XLB for $8!), portion sizes are good, and everything is piping hot! The soup dumplings have soo much soup IMO beating out Mama Lu's which is what I would consider to be their nearest competitor. The spicy shrimp wontons are also good, but I think the flavors don't quite hit as well - big pieces of shrimp are enclosed though! The Peppered Beef Udon was great the beef pieces were tender and juicy and great textured noodles. Onion pancakes are a staple along w/cucumber salad (not pictured) , and their pan fried pot stickers are my favorite along with the sauce it comes with. Sooo crispy. Pro tip: If you are a first timer/came from far and waited a while don't let them seat you at the bar the experience is not as nice by far (I saw someone say it's like paying to stare at a wall - I concur) Being seated at a booth or table will allow you the full experience but I do understand there's only a limited amount of room in the bustling place.

    Photos
    Thumbling - Thumbs up from me too!

    Thumbs up from me too!

    Thumbling - Marinated Seaweed and Bean Sprouts Salad

    Marinated Seaweed and Bean Sprouts Salad

    Thumbling - Popcorn Chicken

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    Popcorn Chicken

    LaTa Kitchen - Popcorn Chicken

    LaTa Kitchen

    4.3(11 reviews)
    3.8 mi

    Okay if you choose to eat here, eat with caution. Don't get me wrong, the food is delicious. I feel…read morelike I'm back in Taiwan having snacks at the night market. The storefront was located inside of the market. The person taking my order was very kind and i had no issues with him. My biggest issue is the cross contamination. One of the workers( older Asian woman) had the same blue gloves on when she was handling raw chicken, she never changed her gloves when packing our food in a bag and never changed them when preparing our boba milk tea. After taking someone's order and handled CASH, I saw her go back to her station and continued handling raw chicken wearing the same gloves the whole time. Like I said, I had no issues with the Hispanic gentleman working there. I'm not sure if I'd come back because witnessing how unsanitary that worker was being, made me feel gross. If they had proper training with the use of gloves, I'd give it another chance.

    This place may actually be the best taiwanese fried anything I've had in the states. If you want…read morepopcorn chicken, fried pork blood, or deep fried squid, this is your spot. In terms of location, this is inside the Secoya market so it's not the easiest to spot from the street. So the way they work is that they have a selection of ingredients available (string beans, chicken, pork blood, etc.) like a taiwanese stand would, and you basically select what you want. They batter that sucker up with their beautiful batter and then they double fry it on the spot, which I don't see a lot of places doing. The result is a nice crispy batter with the moisture sealed into the meats. The texture is very, very nice and the meats are properly marinated. You can also order a whole foot long squid that they'll just chop up and fry for you, and apparently you can buy seafood from the market and have it fried there as well. Actually, aside from the fried goodness, this place also doubles as a very solid traditional taiwanese slush place. While the slush itself isn't fancy, it had the same flavor profile and feel as Dong Qu Fen Yuan in Taipei. The textures and flavors were very nostalgic and it really reminded us of Taiwan. This place is an absolute gem. If you're in the mood for some fried taiwanese food, it might just be the best in the area.

    Photos
    LaTa Kitchen - Counter display

    Counter display

    LaTa Kitchen - Popcorn Chicken

    Popcorn Chicken

    LaTa Kitchen

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    Cindy's Kitchen

    Cindy's Kitchen

    4.4(255 reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$

    The Beef Noodle Soup $13.99 and Beef Noodle Soup Combination $14.99 was very delicious. Noodles…read morewere cooked aldente. The beef was very tender and perfectly flavored. The soup was also perfectly seasoned. Free tea or water. You can pay first or after your meal. There is restroom, but ask the sever first. Limited parking, so if it's full, you can park at residential area.

    Wow, I lived/went to school in Hacienda Hts from 1988 to 1992 and I don't remember eating here back…read morethen, but when I came in, it felt like this spot existed that far back, as indicated by the fallen off Cindy's Kitchen sign and very faded photos of dishes in the window. This is a no frills hole-in-the-wall and only locals visit. The restaurant is definitely a casual location, with some cold dish items in large bowls in the glass deli counter and then there were pre-made & pre-packaged dishes such as dumplings, asian tamales and drinks in a commercial refrigerators on the side. There are only a handful of tables as the dining room isn't very big. There was a steady stream of customers for dine in and take out. This place was listed as serving Taiwanese food, but I feel like it serves more Chinese dishes than Taiwanese. They did have beef noodle soup with lean meat, tendon or lean meat & tendon. It was good but the broth was not as deeply unctuous as the Taiwan versions. I am Taiwanese and my relatives were visiting from Washington and Alabama, so I was hoping they had more Taiwanese dishes like oyster pancake, rice meat balls, squid vermicelli soup, gua boas, etc. The waitress and cooks were from China and not Taiwan. Maybe the original owners were Taiwanese...idk. The menu is extensive for such a small mom & pop type restaurant and had nice photos of some of the dishes. The menu was a lot fancier than the restaurant! We ordered beef noodle soup, bitter melon, sautéed intestines, string beans and it all tasted delicious. There was some picked mustard greens on the table for the beef noodle soup and it was the perfect add-on! We were all very satisfied.

    Photos
    Cindy's Kitchen - I think this place was once a Mexican restaurant?

    I think this place was once a Mexican restaurant?

    Cindy's Kitchen - Phenomenal stirfried beef

    Phenomenal stirfried beef

    Cindy's Kitchen - Spicy sliced beef ($11)

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    Spicy sliced beef ($11)

    Java Cafe Taiwanese - chinese - Updated May 2026

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