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In 2020, we all fell in love with chef Eric Huang’s chili-spiced, fried birds. While billed as an “underground” operation, during the peak of the pandemic, the takeout and delivery pop-up generated lines and a waitlist that nearly topped 10,000 people. Its fried fowl, spiced in a bath of Tianjin chilies, Szechuan peppercorns and MSG, earned them a spot in our best new restaurants list, even when they technically didn’t have a home base. After two years on the pop-up circuit, Pecking House came to roost in Brooklyn back in 2022. But Huang’s birds couldn’t stay in the coop too long. This month, the fried birds are flying over the East River, landing in one of the city’s most historic neighborhoods.
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Opening tomorrow, Pecking House (83 Henry Street) is coming to Chinatown. Parked right under the Manhattan Bridge, the newest locale is much smaller than the original coop. With only 10-seats at his disposal, Huang plans to lean into the takeout and delivery arm of the business. Intentional about his next space, chef Huang sees the newest locale as a homecoming, hoping to “reclaim Chinatown’s narrative, honor our heritage, and shape its future.”
"While the first generation of Asian Americans were known for running restaurants, the second generation was pushed to pursue careers in more stable fields like medicine, law and engineering," said Huang in a press release. "Now, it is time for us, as second-generation chefs, to reclaim Chinatown’s narrative, honor our heritage, and shape its future."
And in a world where prices continue to go up, Huang is doing the opposite. At both locations, Pecking House’s quarter fried chicken with a side will be priced at $15 (previously $18 for a two-piece chicken with a side) and the half-fried chicken with a side will be set at $23 (previously $27 for a three-piece chicken with a side). New items to drop include a non-fried Blackened Chicken Sando, two salad options, and a Coconut Rice Pudding to sweeten the deal.