My first experience with Taiwanese food was at 886, a delightful restaurant on the lower east side. Luckily, I met owner Andy Chuang who helped me understand the dishes and the cuisine. Sweet-salty is a trademark of modern Taiwanese cuisine as is basil, garlic and scallions.
They have Kura sake on tap (15) served chilled. Delicious. We also shared the Les Beaux Jours 2017 Emile Zalland, France, 2017 Sauvignon blanc ($48)
Our first dish was a sausage in a “bun” made of glutinous rice topped with lots of cilantro and sprinkled with a crumbled duck egg. 886 calls it a Sausage Party ($8).
Next to the table was the Shaky Fries ($7) along with a curry-seasoned mayo. When ordering, you choose a seasoned powder for the potatoes. Our waiter had suggested we not order the “mala” spicy version as it was tongue-numbing. Really spicy he said. After a little nudging, we were brought a small bowl the spice blend with Sichuan peppercorn, chili pepper and more. We all happily dipped our fries into the mayo then the blend, which is how I suggest doing so.
Don’t miss the sweet and salty three-cup chicken (San Bei Ji, $16) so named for the equal parts of rice wine, soy sauce and sesame oil used as the braising liquid. It comes served in an earthenware dish with the addition of fresh basil and crunchy fried rice. Also interesting is the Lo Ba Beng ($15), an unusual blend of bamboo shoots, pork belly, rice, cilantro, an egg and a side of pickled Daikon radish to balance the fattiness of the pork.
By the time we got to the Ge Song lettuce cups ($15), we were almost too full to enjoy. Small iceberg lettuce pieces are used as wrappers for the minced pork, fermented black beans, lots of whole garlic cloves, chili and chives give a crunch from deep-fried wontons.
I’d recommend a visit.
886
Lower East Side
26 Saint Marks Pl
New York, NY 10003
(646) 882-0231
https://www.eighteightsix.com/
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