I went with some friends to Taiwanese restaurant Chewology the other day and was reminded that it’s the perfect spot to linger over a meal and catch up. The four of us split four small plates and one entree, which left just enough room for a bite of lychee mochi—the ideal way to cap off a meal on a humid summer day.

I was tempted away from the sake-wrench (my usual favorite—and not just because I love the carton they serve it in) by their riff on a daiquiri, the Eternal Spring Shrine. I usually trend away from sweeter drinks, so I wasn’t sure I’d like it, but the sesame oil and kombu cut through the sweetness perfectly and, to be honest, I’ll try just about anything promising cucumber, lime, and liquor.

You really can’t go wrong with any of their small plates or dumplings; Chewology first made a name for themselves with their dumplings, and I highly recommend you find out why. The fried chicken was a bowl of perfect bites, and it came with an incredible hot sauce and a milder option for less masochistic eaters. The scallion pancake and beef was a nice treat, and I have yet to have a meal there that didn’t include the smacked cucumber. I keep thinking I need to go back soon for all the things on the menu I missed—I’m dying to try the winter greens and yuba, and I caught myself daydreaming about their soup dumplings. I hadn’t had any of their noodle or rice dishes before, but we split the lu rou fan and it immediately convinced me I’d been missing out.

The only thing on the menu I’d avoid (other than shrimp—I’m deathly allergic) is the tea, for two reasons. The first is that I’m an incurable snob about tea and very few restaurants are equipped to brew it the way I prefer—a totally personal problem and thus not super applicable to a wider audience, but I stand by it. The second is that I think there are way better drinks on the menu that are more worth spending the money on. Even if you’re not a drinker—or it’s early in the day, or you need to drive home, or you’re just not in the mood—they’ve got two refreshing mocktail options, a non-alcoholic beer, fountain drinks, and even boba tea (I haven’t tried the boba yet—I’ll report back when I do).

Chewology also won’t break the bank—our meal came out to around twenty bucks each without drinks, and none of us walked away hungry. Our server did a great job walking us through the menu and we didn’t feel rushed through our meal. The space was quiet enough that the four of us could talk comfortably and the tables didn’t feel crowded together. It’s a good date night spot, but honestly I’d suggest grabbing a crowd. Four people was great, but if we’d had six we could’ve tried even more things from the menu.

And seriously, grab an order of the gyoza—I still don’t understand how they get so much filling in there without the whole thing falling apart.