I was first introduced to the “wild side” of chef Eric Sze by visiting his East Village restaurant 886. One of the cooler stops on St. Marks, the tiny Taiwanese hang beckons you inside with neon lights and colorful stools to slurp on steaming bowls of beef soup and knock-back shots of baijiu. It’s not uncommon to leave plenty full and a little sideways, especially if you take on the Bad Idea Challenge—a flaming globet of a drink, that if successfully sucked down within six seconds, warrants sake bombs on the house.
But over the years, Sze has proven he is much more than a good time. During the pandemic, he raised over $100,000 and delivered thousands of bento boxes to healthcare workers around New York (earning him and business partner Andy Chuang a spot on Forbes's “30 Under 30 - Food & Drink” list). As a response to the hateful attacks on his community, Sze started Enough Is Enough, a grassroots initiative that recruited restaurants all around NYC—including Nguyen Coffee Supply, Di An Di and Double Chicken Please, to name a few—to provide meals and funds to underserved communities of color in the city.
This maturity has clearly translated over to his latest Brooklyn restaurant, which opened in 2022. Named after two important women in Sze’s life—his mother is named Wenchi, and his wife, Wenhui—Wenwen seemingly operates as the older, more adult of his two restaurants, with chairs that provide back support and lighting that doesn’t require you to whip out your phone to read the menu. Its larger space, including a larger kitchen, provides enough space for groups and families to enjoy, which they do. However, Wenwen’s Whole BDSM Chicken and shareable cocktail which rings in at a cheeky $69, shows that this younger sibling still has a mischievous side.
Arriving at Wenwen, you can immediately tell who is the more buttoned-up of the two. Inside, the lighting is dim and sultry, illuminating blonde woods and gray-washed walls. Formica tables and diner-like chairs line the brick wall and the small basement down below, nicknamed “The Alley,” is more intimate, fitted with elements of tin meant to model the back alleys of Taipei. There are moments that show its rebellious side, like the red-lit bathroom that invites selfies, but Wenwen is the polished place you'd bring the love of your life rather the love of the night.
With the larger digs, Sze has been able to cook up large-format dishes that make for an amazing group dining experience. One of which is the coveted BDSM Chicken. Before you get up in arms about it (or break out your whips in excitement), BDSM stands for "brined, deboned and soy milk-battered" chicken. A true labor of love that involves removing the bones from the chicken before resting in a two-day brine, only five of these beauties are sold a night. Yet both times I popped in, once on a Sunday night around 6pm, the other near closing time on a Thursday, there were still a few chickens left for the plucking.
Spatchocked and fried, the orange-flecked bird comes to the table, its talons still attached and curled. I started tenderly, pulling thick-cut pieces of fried chicken with my chopsticks and chomping on a crust that shattered, revealing tender juicy shreds underneath. A vinegary yellow chive slaw on top helps to cut the savoriness of it all, providing a needed palate cleanser in between mouthfuls. Toward the end of the meal, decorum fully left the table as I went hands in, grabbing at slices of meat and nibbling on the talons. As a result, my nails were stained an orangey-red, which to me, signals a job well done.
As if the chicken wasn’t enough, we also shared the Beef Fat Chili Oil Noodle. The flat “Thicccc Noodles” come coated in a sweet and sour sauce that clings, leaving a heat that lingers on the tongue. It comes wreathed by a bed of greens: smoky green onions, pea shoots and a tangle of fresh scallions on top. While the baijiu-marinated short rib was brilliantly displayed on top, I am surprised to say, the noodles outshone the meat. Not to say that it wasn’t a tender cut, but as I focused on the noodles, the meat quickly grew cold. And a month after eating, it is the sauce that has had more staying power in my mind than anything else.
For my second visit, I came with fewer people and subsequently fewer stomachs in tow. But between my dinner mate and I, we still had a wonderful feast. Almost coleslaw-like, the Dong Bei Salad is a refreshing start with stems of cilantro, slivers of onions and carrots and a heap of garlic on top, plus a peanut chili oil that numbs and tickles at the bottom of the tongue. For the garlic lover who adds six cloves to a dish when the recipe calls for two, I fully recommend the Peashoots with Garlic Skin. Flecks are found in every bite and the thinly sliced tofu, which almost looks intestinal in nature, helps to absorb all that garlicky goodness. Also from the wok, you can find the Bacon and Clams. While the thick, smoky hunks of Nueske bacon are deliciously salty and fatty, it ultimately does overwhelm the manila clams. Additionally, I only wished for some sort of carb to sop up the broth that pools below.
Rounding out the menu, some hits from 886 have made their way to Wenwen, such as the warming bowl of Beef Noodle Soup. Coming to simmer in a 16-hour, grass-fed beef broth, the only "criticism" is that the beef is too braised and too shreddy to quickly grasp with chopsticks, especially as the dish begs to be eaten quickly. But once you successfully grasp the meat and some of the wonderful bouncy noodles that come with it, your mouth will be handsomely rewarded. Plus, each dish comes with a side of orangey tallow to stir in for even more beef.
Last but not least, the sole dessert on the menu deserves its spot on your table. The tangyuan in the Fried Tangyuan with Ice Cream is a main feature, a glutinous rice ball that is similar to mochi in texture. As you eat, the dish begins to read like a Jackson Pollock as black sesame comes oozing from inside of the tangyuan, mixing with melty scoops of of ice cream, crushed dehydrated peanuts and a drizzle of condensed milk. The addition of chives and cilantro brings a savory note I didn't think I would need, but I did, and I happily spooned up each bite.
All in all, these little touches of fun at Wenwen proves that growing up doesn't mean the fun has to end. In fact, the best is just beginning.
Restaurant Vitals
The vibe: Fun is to be had here, even if it isn't party-central. This nice neighborhood restaurant is a good spot to bring adventurous parents, out-of-towners and a date you wouldn't mind eyeing over bowls of beef noodle soup.
The food: With more space comes larger shareables, like the BDSM Fried Chicken and the Striped Bass with Fish Paste. But tables of two can get plenty full off of Peashoots with Garlic Skin, Huadiao Egg Tofu and noodles, both hot and cold.
The drink: Cocktails are stirred with five-spice honey, winter melon and dark soy sauce. If you feel like sharing, like a whole lot of sharing, order The Shyboy. An updated Long Island Iced Tea, the cocktail comes with a slew of liquor—gin, vodka and mezcal—stirred with Aperol, coconut, and pineapple with a little seltzer.
Time Out tip: If you want to reserve The Alley downstairs for a bit more quiet, you can book it special on Opentable.