Hmm... as a Taiwanese grew up in TW, it is hard for me to give the review on this restaurant which does sort of good jobs in some part but short on expectations in another. The restaurant is crazily difficult to make a table more than 2. With that being said, I made a reservation via Resy ONE month ahead. Therefore, we both already looked forward to this highly rated place and of course held high expectations. It was Sunday 6:30pm and the restaurant was completely packed even at the bar. It was amazing to see a lot of young Americans who seemed to appreciate Taiwanese cuisine and culture. When we entered the restaurant, no one came to us to help check in. We stood there for 2 minutes like we were completely invisible for whole staff- 2 people working at the bar, 3 servers in the restaurant. This negligence deserved one star off. As of the food and drink, I would suggest to skip cocktail that really does not go well with Taiwanese food. My boiling point tasted all gin, no lychee flavor. Taiwan beer is a must. Popcorn chicken (3 stars)- it has a strong fusion flavor targeting on American and young people preference. Extremely sweet for me, not salty or hot that we used to have in TW. We ate 2 pieces and packed to go for my kids at home. Seaweed fries(2 stars) - after reading many good reviews on this appetizer, we ordered it and felt so disappointed. It's authentic American dish in Taiwanese restaurant. Pack entire dish to go as well. Water spinach w. Shrimp paste (5 stars) - very flavorful and fresh veggies. Steamed whole striped bass (4 stars) - fish is super fresh, mostly deboned and still in pretty presentation that I'd give the chef 2 thumbs up. However, when I saw the sauce was really dark in color, I knew something wrong. It's way too salty and completely overwhelming the freshness of the fish. The whole dining experience was a mix of feelings. Whether I would go through reservation hassle to revisit? Meh!! read more

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Taiwanese classics reimagined... but falls slightly short of the mark. My friends and I were really excited to try Wenwen and have some the homecooking of Taiwanese dishes translated to something more modern and there are ways that it comes through, but it's not necessarily worth the full trek into Greenpoint. Here's what you need to know: 1. Lo Fan was really disappointing and not worth the price point 2. Pea shoots were okay but felt like they were missing some flavor 3. Drinks are pretty standard for NYC 4. Reservations are tough. Definitely keep an eye out or try to go with one or two people and come right at opening 5. Portions made for sharing but you should still err on ordering more. I would come back again but it's not worth all the hype that we've been hearing. read more

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Good Taiwanese spot in Greenpoint! I know this is opened up by the same owners as 886 and the food was similar to me, but I'm still a win son stan after trying this place. Cute vibes inside for a date as with most greenpoint places. Service was super good and fast as well. Celtuce Salad - 5/5 Probably my favorite thing I ate, nothing crazy but the mala was great and the texture of the celtuce was nice too. I'd wanna try making this at home, doesn't seem like a difficult dish to make. BDSM Chicken - 4/5 Yummy! They make 5 of these per day so get a reservation at 5PM if you want one. It's a whole chicken, but honestly for all the prep work, I think it would do better as just the wings/drumsticks. Definitely a unique taste with the seasoning and small spicy veggies on top and super juicy chicken and I'm glad I got to try it. Good place if you're in Greenpoint and want Taiwanese but I'd probably go to Win Son if I wanted Taiwanese for my taste! :) read more

Wenwen - bdsm chicken - Taiwanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Visited Wenwen on a Thursday evening. We had a 6:45pm reservation and by then the BDSM chicken was already sold out. All the dishes came out at a good pace and were very unique. More details below - Cold Sesame Noodles: A refreshing appetizer/main dish that was good but could be more flavorful. Popcorn Chicken: Sweet fried chicken bites are always good as a starter. Top pieces were crispy but bottom was drenched with sauce. Water Spinach with shrimp paste: My least favorite dish. The water spinach was okay. Did not like the weird textures of the shrimp paste as some bites were crunchy with the soft veggies. Lily Flemming Fried rice with pork: Giant fried pork cutlet was unexpected but a great addition to the dish. Fried rice was okay imo. You fan with Uni: Crispy bacon was super juicy and savory. The uni was also very fresh and delicious. I'm not usually a fan of sticky rice, but it was still good. Tangyuan with ice cream: Fried tangyuan filled with sesame paste was a great surprise. Loved the hot and cold combo with vanilla ice cream. My least favorite part was the cilantro sprinkled on top. Overall a very good and filling meal with the amount of carbs we ordered. I don't think I will return unless I'm getting the BDSM chicken. read more

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I really enjoyed the food at Wenwen! I loved trying the different takes on Taiwanese dishes. Overall the food was very good and the service was great. I highly recommend the BDSM Chicken Sandwich, which was juicy and had a fresh slaw. I also enjoyed the Lily Flemming Fried Rice with Miso Baijou Steak. The ambiance of the restaurant was also very clean and minimalist. I like how calm the vibe is. Definitely worth a visit! read more

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I've been wanting to try this Taiwanese spot for a while, and overall, it was just fine. I really enjoyed the area outside the restroom, where they display traditional toys and collectibles--it adds a nostalgic touch to the experience. The standout dish for me was the whole sea bass, which was incredibly tender, and they even removed the bones for us. The shrimp floss lettuce cups were also absolutely delicious. The Bye-Joe drink, which includes one shot of baijiu and three of tequila (although we asked for a switched to sake instead of tequila so we knew exactly which shot is which..BUT STILL), adds a fun element of surprise as you anticipate which shot you'll get. The service was good, and since we were the last seating and the table next to us had left, they gave us some extra space for our dishes, which was a nice touch. read more

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This place was absolutely incredible and was flavor for days. The crispy chicken was cooked perfectly with so much flavor. The tofu dish had such unique flavor combos. The fried rice and pork belly were excellent too. Highly recommend all of those dishes, and the rest of the menu look amazing as well. Go here! read more

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Jaw dropping mouth drooling BDSM chicken. I cannot express how amazing this chicken was. They only sell about 5 of these a day, so make a reservation for when it opens (5pm) and try to go early and be one of the first ones in line. My group of four (two tables of two reservation) came around 4:40 and we were first in line. We also asked if we can be seated next to each other. Around 4:45 was when the line started forming. We immediately got sat and then asked to put in an order of the BDSM chicken while we looked at the menu. Everything was delicious but the star was definitely the chicken and the dessert that I did not take a picture of as we dove right into it. Definitely worth and will definitely come again. read more

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The decor was modern yet traditional and the drinks were strong. The highlight of this spot is definitely the dessert and the whole steamed fish. The fish felt like a dish you would eat at a family dinner except they took out the bones and stuff it with fish paste. This was probably the only time I've ever had it this way. The dessert had cilantro in it but don't let that weird ingredient in a sweet dish fool you, it just works so well with the fried sesame ball and ice cream. read more

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My friends and I came back to try the bdsm chicken, which lined up for maybe 30 min before opening. We really enjoyed the chicken although some did not think it was worth the wait. Service was fast and friendly. Even though we weren't very hungry, we still managed to try everything and ate a lot cuz it was soo good. I loved the pork belly and cuttlefish. I also really loved the lo ba beng's noodles. read more

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Had a great time at Wenwen eating familiar dishes with a slight modern/fusion twist! Loved their Taiwanese theme with a NYC flavor. Started off with the sacha hot honey popcorn chicken that featured very juicy and tender chicken pieces with a light cripsy batter. I typically like my popcorn chicken the OG way without any sauces, but I was really surprised how well the sacha honey went with it! I've also never had sacha and honey combined so this sweet savory combo was quite interesting! Wish there were more basil leaves tho. For mains, the peashoots w/ tofu skin brought back many childhood memories. Loved how garlic-y it was but wished it was more salty and less MSG-y. The You Fan was another highlight because it reminded me of the luo mi fan (glutinous rice) that I use to only eat over the holidays. Their version involved lots of shiitake mushroom, dried scallop, and dried shrimp which I absolutely loved. They had a good balance of dark soy sauce, seasoning, and ingredient to rice ratio. The bacon pieces were a nice addition since it added the salty pork aroma and I liked how it wasn't too fatty. We opted to add uni on top, which is a new combo I've never thought about it before. While the uni itself was great, I felt like the seafood vibes didn't really mesh well with pork/mushroom rice flavors. Food came out super quick too! For drinks, I appreciated their creative fusion cocktails that had a lot of Asian influence. I got to try the White Lotus which was a little too alcohol forward for me, BUT still enjoyed cause of all the things mixed in. It included bai jiu, dry vermouth, clarified soy milk, chrysanthemum, and lemongrass shouchu. Really wish I got to try some of their other drinks like the boiling point or the san bei gg. For decor, I loved the retro Taiwanese aesthetic from the 1970-80s! Loved how it was aesthetic but also very culturally informative (show cased old vending machines and soda/beer cases along with some toys/herbal ointments). I also found myself jamming to the classic Taiwanese songs in the bathroom! Overall had a great time and definitely want to come back to try other dishes! read more

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Honestly I was super excited to visit Wenwen. I had heard so much about it and had made a reservation around a month in advance. Maybe I set my expectations too high. My reservation was at 5:30, way too late to get their "coveted" BDSM chicken, which they only make 5 of and even those with reservations at 5pm sharp (when the restaurant opens) still wait in line so they can get it. Most of the restaurant is very bright, with light streaming in from their large windows. However, we got seated in the very back, almost basement portion of the restaurant. I believe the design was suppose to mimic eating outside on the streets, but instead it just felt claustrophobic and very dark. I will say this might have been our fault, as we were ~5 min late to our reservation and if we had gotten there earlier, we might have been seated in the upper area. For appetizers, we got the celtuce salad and the popcorn chicken. The celtuce was a very interesting texture, and probably my favorite dish that I had that night. The popcorn chicken had hot honey on it, which gave it a lot of sweetness, which I didn't mind but it did make the chicken soggy, which is not the texture you'd want for fried chicken. For entrees, we got the 886 noodle and lily flemming fried rice. The noodles were fine, a little spicy. We didn't add the paigu (fried pork) to the fried rich and maybe that was a mistake, because the fried rice was fine, but I wouldn't pay $14 for it. At last we got the dessert, which was fried tangyuan and ice cream, served with cilantro and condensed milk. I will say the cilantro is clever, and that was probably the most interesting part of this dish. Perhaps I ordered the wrong items. Or the BDSM chicken is really the prime dish. For the price itself, I see the intention but I was really disappointed by the execution. read more

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FOOD - wow so good. love the unique flavors sacha honey popcorn chicken (11/10) - by far my favorite. maybe because I have a slight sweet tooth, but I feel like the flavor was so perfectly sweet yet not heavy, and still tangy. the chicken was juicy and the sizes of the chicken pieces allowed for a perfect breading to chicken ratio. it was also very fresh and didn't taste refried or anything. literally craving it as I type this fried tangyuan - if u love asian desserts this is perfect. but honestly kinda expensive like $17 for 5 tang yuans and 2 scoops of ice cream cold sesame noodles - p good, no complaints but not as unique as the other dishes. also not enough toppings compared to the noodles imo. but overall great flavor and texture bdsm chicken - so expensive and kinda a let down, I expected to be a lot better cus there's only 5 a day but it was just normal chicken lol. I liked the popcorn chicken much more PRICE - some dishes are ok, some ar expensive as shit (bdsm chicken, fried tangyuan). SERVICE - normal AMBIANCE - very nice, like very modern authentic asian idk, u can tell the vibe from the menu. read more

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I've been here for brunch and dinner and would definitely recommend dinner out of the two to fully get the hype. Brunch: Seaweed fries - 4/5 Sacha hot honey popcorn chicken- 5/5 wow the sauce was incredible on this Dinner: You fan - 3/5 totally understand why it's pricey because the amount of uni they give you makes you for it. however it didn't wow me as much as i expected. not sure if i like the combo of the pork and uni almost felt like a "surf and turf". would pass if i went again. Fried tangyuan- 5/5 HAVE TO ORDER note - my boyfriend and i both got VERY sneezy at this place both times we went and immediately were fine before and after the place. not sure if it's the ventilation or something but worthy of noting as it bothered us a bit on our second visit! read more

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Amazing food. The BDSM chicken is definitely worth it. It is so flavorful and juicy. The amazing part is that it's fully deconstructed for you. The lettuce cup was actually really good. Usually the lettuce overpowers the meat but the shrimp was delicious and you can really taste the flavors. We also did the Baijiu 4 shots twice.. and it was so fun I was definitely blasted during dinner after losing. Great and friendly server! Definitely had a great time. read more

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I did see a lot of hype for this restaurant...it's extremely popular and always packed.. but I feel that this restaurant is catered more to a certain crowd... came on a Friday night and the entire restaurant was fully booked. pretty loud with a non diverse audience. food... wasn't bad but definitely not what everyone in the reviews are saying that it's to DIE for. this spot is a place to bring your friends from out of town or coworkers, but definitely not a first option for authentic Taiwanese food. The vibes are great and staff seems very friendly. Food is not what I'd consider affordable, so please look at the menu prices first so you know what to expect! I didn't get a chance to try the highly rated BDSM chicken but honestly for $52 I'd probably think twice if it was available..... Sacha Hot Honey Popcorn Chicken $13 - 4/5: Flavors were great - standard popcorn chicken style but made very well. Good appetizer. I would get this again. Lo Ba Beng (Pork Belly, Soft Egg, Cilantro and Pickled Mustard Greens over Rice): $15 - 3.5/5: Really not my kind of dish. Didn't enjoy the flavors of the pork belly and meat but I'd say it's something worth trying since it is one of those staple Taiwanese dishes. Everything was cooked well though (meat was not dry, not too salty) but nothing outstanding. Beef Noodle Soup $18 - 4/5: The braised beef shank was actually cooked to perfection - meat was so, so tender and cooked very well. Very happy to find a place that can cook this well BUT the oxtail broth was just not it. Really would have liked to enjoy this more. Perhaps these just didn't fit my taste palette, but this is my honest review and I thought the food was just OK. Quality of the food was great (texture, seasoning, etc.) but the flavors were just not fitting for me. I would still recommend that you give it a try.. read more

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SOOOO SOOO GOOOD. My Taiwanese heart is so happy. I feel like I was transported back to Taiwan. I LOVEED everything here. If you are looking for authentic high quality Taiwanese food this is the spot. read more

Wenwen - Popcorn chicken - Taiwanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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This was my absolute favorite meal in New York. I even flew home with leftovers to share with my partner back home because it was that good! The service was great and ambiance. There was already people waiting outside for them to open as soon as we got there. Definitely make reservations and ask for the BDSM chicken right away because they only serve 5 a day! I wish i skipped my breakfast that morning and made room for more food because i really wanted to try their pork belly bowl read more

Wenwen - Taiwanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Unexpectedly flavorful dishes! I'm usually wary of dishes that stray away from the typical authentic flavor palate, but Wenwen incorporated the flavors so well. For two people, we got 4 dishes including dessert. I was decently full and we brought leftovers home. Sacha Hot Honey Popcorn Chicken ($16): Five pieces of the juiciest, crispiest chicken I've tasted in a while. The added hot honey flavor was great, but it was the texture that really won me over. Water Spinach & Shrimp Paste ($20): The shrimp paste was excellent and added a kick to an otherwise standard dish Lily Flemming Fried Rice ($18) with Pork Jowl ($11): This was my least favorite dish. Very basic and overpriced imo. Fried Tangyuan w/ Ice Cream ($18): Big fan of the fried tangyuan! It was evenly crispy and the filling (which can tend to get too hot) was the perfect temperature! It's a small space, but if you show up right at opening you can definitely get a seat! I would love to come back for brunch! read more

Food is ugh. The food comes out in seconds, nothing is hot, at best the food is room temperature. We had the Lo Ba Beng and the chicken bites which were boneless. The Lo Ba Beng looked old and was cold, the chicken was room temperature. The inside of this place looks run down. The service was good, the waitresses and bartenders were very attentive but that's about it. The place looks better from the outside. read more

Bdsm chicken is worth the hype! The meat was really juicy, flavorful, and well marinated, and the exterior was crispy and well seasoned, and almost tasted like instant ramen flavoring. The pickled vegetables on top also really helped to cut through the richness of the dish. I don't eat fried chicken very often, but this is definitely some of the best I've ever had. Other than the chicken, we also tried the 886 noodle and the crispy tofu. Both were okay but nothing super special. The dishes felt a bit heavy and overly seasoned, a little too much on the salty side. Would definitely recommend making the effort to get the chicken if you come here. They only make 5 a day, so you need to make a 5 PM reservation and line up a little early outside the restaurant as well. We came around 4:40 on a rainy Thursday and were the first group in line, and ordered the chicken as soon as we sat down. read more

Wenwen - 886 noodle - Taiwanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Really good. Even better if you can get a reservation. From the owner and chef of 886, I think Wenwen is even better and really makes a mark in the Taiwanese restaurants of New York City. Nestled in Greenpoint, it is a welcomed addition to the neighborhood. What the hype dishes are: - You Fan with Bacon and Uni (we did not try, because $33 + Uni ($30-40) makes it ~$70 for a plate of fried rice - BDSM Fried Chicken (Brined, Deboned, Soy Milk) (also did not try because you can only get this at 5PM, they make 5 a night and they're usually sold out by later reservations) - Whole Striped Bass w/ Fish Paste (don't sleep on this!! one of the best dishes in the restaurant) What we got: Cocktails: Kavalan Old Fashion & Boiling Point - both strong but tasted good Appetizers: Popcorn Chicken, Lo Ba Beng (stewed pork belly over rice) Entrees: Whole Striped Bass, Peashoots w/ Tofu Skin and Huadiao Shrimp Total: $153.52 Highly Recommend: Better than 886 in my opinion, prices aren't absurdly high, ambiance and vibes are great and food tastes awesome. Really liked the Whole Striped Bass as it was completely deboned, the kitchen did a great job. read more

Took a few friends last night to my favorite Brooklyn restaurant. Overall dinner was still a success and was delicious. I'm surprised not more people talk about the steamed whole striped bass. It's so good and it's fully deboned, I was very surprised. It drops down a star as the Youfan had some hard pieces of rice and the flavor was a little to overpowering. It was different from the last time I've had it. I probably won't reorder this dish. Also the water spinach was very salty, chef maybe added a bit to much shrimp paste this time. Overall still pretty good. read more

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As incredible as I was told it would be! We were able to walk in (party of two) around 5:15 on a Saturday - but be sure to add yourself to the waitlist on resy. Unfortunately, they were sold out of their famous chicken already, however, the other three dishes we ordered did not disappoint. I absolutely LOVED the crispy tofu and especially the sauce it came with & my partner loved the crispy chicken. Really delicious heated up next day too. We also got a pork entree which was good but not really up our alley - a little too salty for me and a little too sweet for my partner. Still great though! Drinks were okay. Service was incredible. Can't wait to return!! read more

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When we arrived around 9:30 pm we were told to wait 15 minutes for a table that had already been available (complete with all tableware) when we first entered. The food was mostly mediocre. The crispy fried tofu with garlic soy paste had absolutely no flavor and was very dry. The shrimp floss lettuce cups were good but they didn't give nearly enough lettuce, which is a minor issue. The 886 noodles were too salty as was the pork belly (way too fatty and not enough meat) and cuttlefish dish. The flavors of most of the dishes we tried seemed very off balance, but I do still want to try the BDSM chicken which was the popular menu item. Service was pretty good (the food came very quickly), and our waitress was very helpful. read more

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Of course we were really excited to try this spot as soon as we heard about it and even more so when we managed to book a 5pm reservation on a Friday a couple of weeks ago to make sure we could secure an order of the infamous BDSM fried chicken. We had a fantastic experience. We ordered the Crispy Tofu with Garlic Soy Paste, Water Spinach and Shrimp Paste, 886 Noodle, Pork Belly and Cuttlefish, and (successfully) the BDSM Fried Chicken. Everything was really delicious but the fried chicken was the highlight of our meal, super flavorful, unique, and crispy. There were 3 people in our party and we took some leftovers home. In regards to the drinks, one person enjoyed the Kavalan Old Fashioned; two of us had The Boiling Point, which sounded really good, but the flavors ended up tasting a little too strong all together. The space itself is thoughtfully designed, lots of details. Definitely check out the bathroom with the cool disco lights and music. If you want to try the BDSM fried chicken, make sure you get a 5pm reservation or wait in line (there was already a short line when we arrived a couple of minutes before they opened) and order it as soon as you sit down, because they sell out fast. I'm not sure if they'll make more of them available since it's a lot of work to prep the dish, but it's definitely worth getting there early for it! read more

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Came for brunch at 1:45pm and it was bustling inside! The modern interior finishes feel clean and comfy but the tables on the side are suuuuper close to each other so overall very loud. Service was extremely fast, food came out maybe 2 minutes after we ordered?! Numbing celtuce salad $12 - refreshing! Very garlicky and I love how you get the numbing feeling but it's not spicy at all. The celtuce is so crunchy yet tender like a water chestnut / broccoli stem! 4.5/5 Sacha hot honey popcorn chicken $13 - a decent portion! A nice balance of sweet, salty, a bit funky, mildest spice. The breading is thin but crackly and gets a bit satisfyingly soggy in the sauce. There wasn't much basil flavor though and I feel like it was missing something creamy or acidic / bright to dip into. I saw a table next to us order 3 plates of this lol. 4/5 Lo ba beng $18 - large plate with a large amount of rice but not much actual meat, mostly goopy fat bits. However, the flavor of the braised pork was good, flavor is a little different from what I'm used to for 卤肉饭 but when paired with the cilantro, reminded me of sesame hotpot sauce, probably from the mild nutty peanut flavor in the stew! The pickled veg is a bit stinky. But each spoonful of pork, rice, and egg was very comforting and hearty, velvety mouthfeel. 4/5 The bathroom was blasting music and has Listerine the sink faucet was so close to the edge of the bowl though so it's hard to actually wash your hands. read more

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My friends and I finally got a reservation here and were so excited. Our first reservation had to get moved due to Covid with the workers so they gave us the first round of drinks free. We forgot about this and said no to drinks when we sat down, but the server reminded us that it was free. We really appreciated that as he could've easily said nothing! For food, we got the Numbing Celtuce Salad, Sacha Hot Honey Popcorn Chicken x2, Seaweed Fries, Lo Ba Beng and Pork Belly & Cuttlefish. The celtuce salad was so different, but really delicious. Everything was honestly so yummy but my favorites were the popcorn chicken and pork belly. The popcorn chicken had such an amazing twist to the regular and the pork belly was so tender. We had to of course try the Fried Tangyuan w/ Ice Cream, which was sooo good. Honestly, everything on their menu has a nice twist/uniqueness and not a single item we tried was bad. I definitely want to come back to try more items. Service is excellent as well :) read more

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Came here with a group of six and would definitely recommend getting a reservation. Even with a reservation we had to wait a bit for our table because this place is so popular. Got the pickled cucumber salad, the sacha honey popcorn chicken, the water spinach and shrimp paste, the striped bass, the lo ba beng, the cold sesame noodle, the shrimp lettuce, the you fan with uni and the fried tangyuan with ice cream. All were really good, and would recommend getting an earlier reservation so that you can order the BDSM (brined, deboned and soy milk) chicken, as that was out by the time we sat down, which was a reservation at 7 pm. Favorites across the table were the sacha honey popcorn chicken and the striped bass -- very flavorful and well done, definitely felt like we all wanted to eat more of them, although you cannot go wrong with ordering any of the dishes. read more

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I've read about this place, which was one of the top restaurants to dine in at on eater. It has been bookmarked on my yelp as well. Decided to try it out on the whim without making any reservations. I dont suggest doing that as it is a hit or miss with the seating. But we did luck out on a Friday night that walk-in seating became available. After us, there were others who had reservations or were walk-in, so glad we came earlier. Once you walked in, it was a little hectic bc no one greeted us, and you just waited around for some acknowledgment. There were two people walking around doing everything from cleaning, serving, bussing, and hostessing. It was quite confusing. Once someone came by and we got seated. Everything about the place was clean, even the bathroom, but I didn't know who the server was. Regarding the food that was ordered, first started off with the popcorn chicken which came with a sauce but you don't need it. I also got for my entree the noodles dish which you need to wait 10-15 mins for. However, it wasn't worth the anticipation. The lychee drink was really good and tasted like the fruit. Last but not least, the dessert was really good. I thought that their one and only dessert was tasty, which was the fried tangyun with ice cream. I would say I only liked the appetizer and the dessert, but I could've done without the main entree. read more

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Rollercoaster experience here. I'm a vegetarian BTW. Sat at the bar, ordered peashoots and tofu, as it was one of the veggie options. Unfortunately waited 30 min for it, and generally thought it was bland, boiled, and more of a side dish? It must've been 10% by volume tofu and that tofu itself had a very very subtle Shaoxin wine/msg flavor, nothing too flavorful at all. At this point, I was pretty disappointed... 30 min for that? I'll admit, some places just don't do veggie well, and that's fine. The experience then changed when I ordered their dessert. Holy crap, such a delicious dish. I loved the textures, the nutty flavors. Any critical comments would be nitpicking. One of the better sweet things I've had in a while, what a sesame burst. The dessert, coupled with an apologetic bartender who comped my Diet Coke and rice bc of the delay, makes this just barely go to 4-tier. Thanks team! read more

Wenwen is having a moment. Amongst food critics, food blogs, social media and New York City lists. It's no wonder reservations are hard to come by. We only had to wait a month for ours. The ambiance of the first floor of the restaurant, where you enter from, is a mix of modern and classic with a very Greenpoint vibe. A bar on the right, and mostly 2 seater tables on the left, which are combined for large groups. We were however, taken to their dining space a floor below which is not nearly as impressive as their front. Pretty typical of a contingent back space to accommodate the demand. Atleast not at dinner time. It might be a bit more impressive in the daytime. Our order consisted of the popcorn chicken with the sauce on the side for my kid, two Japanese old fashioned's for the adults, the 886 noods, fried rice and the whole striped bass with fish for the entrees. The popcorn chicken emerged as the star of our meal, the noodles a close second and the whole striped bass and fried rice tied for third place. The most coveted part of our order was their one and only dessert, the fried Tangyuan with ice cream. I mean, this is supposed to be the magnum opus for anyone who didn't get one of the five BDSM chickens they make in a day. And I'm sad to report that we were all left feeling underwhelmed. The first bite is an explosion of flavors, good and confusing. The second bite on, the confusing part takes center stage, which then delves into what is an incredibly chewy and salty debacle. The ice cream isn't sweet enough, the dark sesame paste isn't nutty enough and the bed of orange dehydrated peanut butter compounded the salinity. Not how we would have liked to end our first date with Wenwen but if the popcorn chicken was any indication, I will be back to definitely try their BDSM chicken. But I might have to schedule a tarot card reading to determine my odds of that happening. Or build a probability model. Despite the dessert, I still highly recommend you visit Wenwen. read more

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Love Wenwen!! Been here 2 times now. Once for brunch and once for dinner. Both have not failed me. The staff here are amazing and welcoming. Love the interior as well - makes you feel comfy. Their brunch menu is smaller so if you want the full Wenwen experience, I'd recommend going for dinner. Here's the dishes I'd recommend! Appetizers: cucumber salad, celtuce salad, crispy tofu w/ garlic sauce, and stuffed shrimp toast (brunch only). Brunch Entrees: BDSM chicken sandwich, Tater Tot Dan Bing, and Lo Ba Beng. Dinner Entrees: Whole Striped Bass, Beef Noodle Soup, YouFan, Pork belly & Cuttlefish, and Lo Ba Beng. As for dessert, LOVEDDD their fried tangyuan w/ ice cream. Love how they elevated this traditional Chinese dessert. Overall, highly recommend! read more

Wenwen for the win! Taiwanese is a craving of mine often and we lucked out in scoring a table as walk-in's on opening night. Yes, this post is incredibly delayed... but here we are. The evening was incredible. Not only was the food on point with fantastic flavors and creativity, the overall vibe of this this place was downright chill - the music, the staff, the food - everything vibed and we were lucky to experience it. Eric Sze came out a couple of times to check that the customers were enjoying & everything was good to go. Cool guy with a passion for his craft. Be sure to secure an order the BDSM Chicken (for 2 people) - they have an extremely limited amount available per night. We somehow managed to get the very last order of the evening... we arrived as soon as they opened. Get what I'm saying? You'll also want to order the Fried Tangyuan - oh, it's delicious. Cocktails were solid and somewhat creative; we tried a few: Kavalan Old Fashioned, Greenoint Duck, Taipei Piña, etc. And oh yeah, easily one of the coolest bathrooms in all of NYC. read more

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pricy for what they serve nice spot tho a lot of space .... still ain't 100 percent taiwanese taste tho. fried chicken isn't bad but tiny , drinks are good tho read more

Standard Taiwanese dishes. The sauce for the popcorn chicken was really tasty. I liked the addition of tater tots to the brunch dishes. The interior is very clean and servers were polite. read more

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We need more Taiwanese food options and I'm so glad to have this new addition in Brooklyn!! I've been searching for good Taiwanese food for the past five years that I've been here in NYC and I'm glad this place opened in Brooklyn! I've been here a couple of times and got to try the BDSM chicken, the popcorn chicken, the crispy tofu, the you fan (with and without the uni), the water spinach and the cold sesame noodles. This is the perfect place to go with a slightly larger group so you can do family style and try all of the dishes! They only make 5 BDSM chickens per day so if you're hoping to order that, I would recommend you go early! It's definitely one of the most flavorful dishes I've had in a while and worth trying if you're a fan of fried chicken. It's able to be perfectly moist while absorbing ALL the yummy flavors. Also another good reason to bring more peeps to the party. The popcorn chicken and crispy tofu were also pretty good. The you fan the first time tasted good--I never thought uni and pork would be such a great addition to the you fan! However, when I went the second time, I found the you fan to be undercooked and the rice to be hard. The water spinach is a dish I would order everytime--super flavorful with all of the shrimp paste in the water spinach! The fried tangyuan was one of my favorite dishes! It's perfectly light and sweet and reminds me of the ice cream that they serve in crepes as a street food in the touristy areas of Taiwan! The food might be a little pricey but overall pretty worth! read more

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Twelve of us had an absolutely amazing Saturday brunch at Wenwen for a friend's bachelorette. Resy actually doesn't let you book for that large a group so I emailed the restaurant directly, and they promptly responded, happy to make the reservation and requiring a credit card on file for last-minute cancellations. For any cancellations made after 12 PM on the day of the reservation, they may charge a $30 per person fee. We ordered family-style off their brunch menu (which you can find on Yelp but not their website), and everything was delicious. I especially loved the pickled cucumber salad, BDSM chicken sandwich, pea shoots with tofu skin, lo ba beng, savory soy milk, and Taiwan toast (which is BIG. Highly recommend splitting). My favorite was the fried rice. Ngl, I didn't expect the most ubiquitous dish to blow my mind. Pro tips: The brunch menu has a sandwich version of the BDSM chicken that isn't capped at only 5 orders per day. Check out the bathrooms. Follow @wenwenbk and Chef @esze.e to get hype for your visit. read more

Wenwen - Texas toast has got nothing on the size of Wenwen's Taiwan toast. - Taiwanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I wanted to like Wenwen so much, I really did. The interior has a warm feel to it even with the industrial elements - the stark brick wall and bright green wall scones trailing down from white pipe. The bar is lushly decorated with plants and the mirrored wall standing tall behind the rows of colorful glass bottles gives it a prominence as the centerpiece of the restaurant. It was likewise reflected in the meal. I tried the Bird's Eye Daquiri, a mix of rum, cachaça, lime, sugar, and a Bird's Eye Chili. The drink was frothy and light, just the right amount of tart and sweet, and the chili was able to shine through with every single sip. It carried a quiet heat without being overwhelming on the tongue. One of the most interesting cocktails I've tried this year and possibly my favorite! I wish I could say the same about the food. I tried the Lo Ba Beng, a rice bowl topped with braised pork belly, soft egg, cilantro, and pickled mustard greens. While the bowl itself was enormous, it mostly consisted of rice. Rice that veered on overcooked. The pork belly was mushy and comprised mainly of fat. There was no texture to the dish, even with mild snap of the fresh cilantro, and it felt vaguely like eating porridge. For the price point Wenwen's food is set at, I expected far more, especially when Taiwanese food is available at a much, much more affordable price point. Needless to say, I'll come back for the drinks, but staying in Chinatown/Queens for my fill of Taiwanese food. read more

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Hot Honey Chicken and Tang Yuan Dessert (5/5): I'd come back just for these! The chicken was the perfect amount of crispy and moist with such a unique slightly tangy sauce. Pro tip: if you like a little more spice, ask for some chili oil to dip it in! The Tang Yuan was such a unique preparation, I thought the vanilla ice cream complimented the sweet sesame last inside. I'm always a fan of desserts that add some nuts to them, but just a warning that there are some peanuts around the dish. Braised Beef Noodle Soul and Pork Belly Rice (4/5): Good dishes with solid portions to share but both could've been served hotter and better. The beef in the soup was incredibly tender but too thick. The noodles were well cooked, but needed a little more veggies. The soft-boiled egg on the rice was perfect! If you've been to their sister restaurant 886, it's basically the same but bigger portion. If you don't like pickled veggies, make sure you ask for them removed or take it out before mixing in both. Overall (4.5/5): Service was great, definitely busy even on a weekday night, so definitely get a reservation. They have a ton of interesting dishes and drinks that make me want to come back and try new things! I thought this was a super cute space for a date/friend date, especially with the bar seating option. Keep in mind that the dining area is pretty tight so the table next to you can definitely be in on your conversation but that's just NYC haha read more

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