Win Son
You can remember this place as “winsome”. It’s not the name, I know, but a perfect description of the experience of dining here, from the sociable waitstaff to the setting (brick walls, groovy chandeliers and paintings) to the menu, which is an excellent introduction to the delicious hodgepodge that is Taiwanese food. For those who don’t know the culinary history, food on this island nation has a lot of different influences: indigenous tribes, Japanese invasions, and, in the 20th century, the migration of people from across mainland China when Mao came to power. I’ve never tasted anything here that I wouldn’t order again, but some stand-outs are a no-insects-were-harmed “fly’s head” (a stew of ground pork, wonderfully funky fermented black beans, garlic chives, and chile); zha jiang mian (a lamb and noodle dish, with the pleasant lip buzz of Szechuan peppers and a luscious mouth feel from yellow bean paste); and the “nutritious sandwich” (shrimp cake, crispy mortadella, and pickled pineapple on a squishy bun). Cocktails are also first-class and very original, especially the one with mushroom-infused liquor. Tip: Reservations are only taken for groups of six or more diners, so get here early to get a seat. The restaurant has an off-shoot bakery nearby and in Manhattan (p. ###) that is excellent.
You can remember this place as “winsome”. It’s not the name, I know, but a perfect description of the experience of dining here, from the sociable waitstaff to the setting (brick walls, groovy chandeliers and paintings) to the menu, which is an excellent introduction to the delicious hodgepodge that is Taiwanese food. For those who don’t know the culinary history, food on this island nation has a lot of different influences: indigenous tribes, Japanese invasions, and, in the 20th century, the migration of people from across mainland China when Mao came to power. I’ve never tasted anything here that I wouldn’t order again, but some stand-outs are a no-insects-were-harmed “fly’s head” (a stew of ground pork, wonderfully funky fermented black beans, garlic chives, and chile); zha jiang mian (a lamb and noodle dish, with the pleasant lip buzz of Szechuan peppers and a luscious mouth feel from yellow bean paste); and the “nutritious sandwich” (shrimp cake, crispy mortadella, and pickled pineapple on a squishy bun). Cocktails are also first-class and very original, especially the one with mushroom-infused liquor. Tip: Reservations are only taken for groups of six or more diners, so get here early to get a seat. The restaurant has an off-shoot bakery nearby and in Manhattan (p. ###) that is excellent.
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