My brother @andersonachen did his Columbia journalism thesis on the Taiwanese food scene in NYC and I got to go down the rabbit hole with him. Spoilers: it’s legit af, a thread of recs👇
紅燒牛肉麵 (beef noodle soup) @ Ho Foods — I had this every Wednesday when I worked near Astor Place, cried the first time I tasted it because it reminded me so much of home.
滷肉飯 (lo ba beng) @ 886 — Also near Saint Marks and named after Taiwan’s dial code, they serve the best bowl of braised minced pork over rice money can buy this side of the Hudson. The cabbage and the clam dishes are also great.
仙草/豆花/芋圓 (grass jelly/tofu pudding/taro balls) @ MeetFresh — Across Cooper Square you’ll find this shrine to my favorite Taiwanese desserts. If you enjoy boba you’re gonna like the endless variation of bean/jelly/nut/starch ball toppings in sweet, brothy concoctions.
熱蜂蜜炸雞漢堡 (hot honey fried chicken sando) @ Double Chicken Please — Discovering this new LES gem was the highlight of my pandemic. Their 🥵🍯 chicken sandwich, served with a 🇹🇼-inspired, Thai basil and five-spice infused sauce on a pretzel roll, is absolutely sublime.
飯糰/鹹豆漿/蔥油餅 (rice roll/savory soy milk/scallion pancake) @ Win Son Bakery — We’re entering Taiwanese-American territory so some of the menu is lost in translation. But the standouts are the breakfast items and the Asian-inspired pastries. Their sister resto serves brunch.
香腸炒飯 (sweet sausage fried rice) @ Fan Fried Rice Bar — Taiwanese fried rice is different than the Chinese one as rice is coated with eggs before frying and it’s seasoned with lots of white pepper, no soy sauce. This Bed-Stuy shop is the real deal, their popcorn chx slaps too.
雞腿飯/魚丸湯 (chicken leg over rice/fish ball soup) @ May Wah Fast Food — My go-to no-frills meal when I had to commute from Midtown to SoHo for culinary school. $7 plus house tea to get you back on that city life hustle. It’s my kinda fast food.
炸豬排飯 (fried pork chop rice) @ Yumpling — If you venture further out to Long Island City you’ll be rewarded with the best fried pork chop I’ve had in all the boroughs. Don’t sleep on their pork dumplings and boba either.
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