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Come Wednesday, July 11, the East Village will be up a hip Taiwanese restaurant with the opening of 886.
From the co-founder of the Tang nearby, 886 — at 26 St. Marks Pl. between Second and Third avenues — has more playful takes on traditional Taiwanese dishes. Three-cup chicken becomes three-cup glazed chicken wings, and a traditional “small sausage in large sausage,” or sticky rice-wrapped pork sausage, is renamed to “sausage party” and served with peanuts, cilantro, and cured duck yolk. Drinks focus on beer, wine and sake, with Brooklyn sake brewery Brooklyn Kura on tap.
Co-owner and chef Eric Sze, along with fellow owner Andy Chuang, is looking to East Williamsburg hit Win Son as a good model for Taiwanese restaurants in New York City. They want to channel the same idea of taking classic dishes and putting their own spin on them in innovative ways.
As for the space, the duo brought on a fairly high-end designer in Scott Kester, who worked on fine dining Japanese restaurant Uchu and several tasting menu spots in San Francisco. It’s 42 seats with a lot of bright colors and neon to bring in late-night Taiwan vibes, where neon is especially popular right now. A mural displays some Taiwanese celebrities playing games, drinking beer, and eating hot dogs.
When 886 opens, it will join a slew of new Taiwanese restaurants in the neighborhood, including dessert chain Meet Fresh, beef noodle soup shop Ho Foods, and dumpling purveyor Mimi Cheng’s. Stay tuned for more.
