Restaurant in New York City, United States
Michelin-noted Taiwanese worth the G train.
A Michelin Plate-recognised Taiwanese restaurant in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Wenwen delivers technically serious cooking — whole striped bass with black sugar-yuzu vinaigrette, 16-hour oxtail broth beef noodle soup — at a $$$ price point that undercuts Manhattan's tasting-menu tier. It earns a 4.5 Google rating across 578 reviews and is a strong choice for a special-occasion dinner without the $200+ per head ceiling.
Wenwen is not a casual takeout spot or a quick boba-and-scallion-pancake Taiwanese canteen. It is a Michelin Plate-recognised full-service restaurant in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, that treats Taiwanese cooking with the same seriousness you would expect from a $$$$ tasting menu room in Manhattan — at a fraction of the price. If you are looking for a special-occasion dinner that skips the formality and price ceiling of Midtown, Wenwen is one of the stronger arguments for staying in Brooklyn.
The tall, narrow wood-framed windows that define Wenwen's facade give the dining room a clean, airy quality that reads well for a date or a small group celebration. The interior is not hushed or reverent — this is Greenpoint, and the energy skews lively , but it is not a shouting-over-cocktails situation either. Early evenings run calmer; expect the room to build as the night progresses. If you want a conversation-friendly table, arrive closer to opening. For a special occasion where ambiance matters as much as the food, the room delivers without the theatrical staging that some Manhattan tasting-menu venues lean on.
The kitchen's menu is anchored in Taiwanese technique and flavour combinations that are harder to find at this level of execution in New York. The sacha hot honey popcorn chicken , garnished with what the kitchen calls Taiwan dust, a sugar-spice blend , is the kind of dish that makes the $$$ price range feel like a deal. Whole striped bass stuffed with fish paste, served in a pool of black sugar-yuzu vinaigrette with fermented black beans, is the table centrepiece worth ordering if it is available. The beef noodle soup, built from a 16-hour oxtail broth with tender braised beef, is a serious version of one of Taiwan's defining dishes. These are not approximations or riffs , they are dishes that hold up against what you would find at destination Taiwanese restaurants in Taipei, such as Fujin Tree Taiwanese Cuisine & Champagne (Songshan) or Golden Formosa.
Pairing wine with Taiwanese cooking is a genuine puzzle, and how a restaurant handles it tells you a lot about how seriously the team thinks about the full meal. Taiwanese flavours , fermented black beans, black sugar, yuzu, sacha, fish paste , push hard against conventional European pairings. A list that simply defaults to safe Burgundy or Champagne is not doing the food any favours. Without specific verified list data available, what can be said with confidence is that Wenwen's positioning at $$$ in a Michelin Plate-recognised room in Greenpoint suggests a drinks program designed to complement bold, acidic, umami-forward cooking rather than override it. Natural wines, orange wines, and lower-intervention bottles with textural grip tend to work well with this flavour register , look for those when you scan the list. If the team has thought carefully about pairings, they will likely be able to steer you. Ask directly: a confident answer is itself a signal of how seriously the program is curated.
The main alternatives in Manhattan and Brooklyn for serious Taiwanese cooking are 886 and Ho Foods. 886 is the more accessible, walk-in-friendly option with a bar energy and a tighter price point. Ho Foods keeps it simpler, focused on a short menu of Taiwanese beef noodle soup done with care. Taiwanese Gourmet skews more traditional and less dining-room oriented. Wenwen is the option when you want a full sit-down experience with Michelin recognition behind it, a proper drinks list, and a room that works for a birthday dinner or a first date where you want to impress without booking three weeks out to a $300-per-head omakase counter.
Wenwen is at 1025 Manhattan Ave in Greenpoint, Brooklyn , a 20-minute subway ride from Midtown via the G train to Greenpoint Ave. Booking difficulty is moderate: you are not fighting the same reservation pressure as a Manhattan tasting-menu room, but this is not a walk-in-whenever restaurant. Book a week to ten days in advance for weekend evenings; weeknights and early slots are more forgiving. There is no booking method listed in public records, so check the restaurant's social channels or use a standard reservations platform to confirm availability. Dress code is not enforced, but the room and the occasion framing warrant smart casual at minimum.
At $$$, Wenwen is priced below the Manhattan tasting-menu tier where you would spend $200+ per head before drinks at rooms like Le Bernardin or Atomix. The Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 confirms the kitchen is cooking at a standard that earns serious attention, not just neighbourhood goodwill. A Google rating of 4.5 across 578 reviews is consistent performance, not a spike from a press moment. For Taiwanese cooking at this level of technique and intention in New York, the price-to-quality ratio is strong. Book it for a special dinner, arrive early for the leading atmosphere, and order the beef noodle soup alongside one of the larger fish dishes to get the full range of what the kitchen does. For more dining options across New York, see our full New York City restaurants guide. If you are planning a broader trip, our New York City hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide cover the rest.
Smart casual is appropriate. The room is clean and airy rather than formal , you do not need a jacket , but this is a Michelin Plate restaurant at a $$$ price point, so dress as you would for a proper dinner out rather than a casual neighbourhood meal. Jeans are fine; trainers are a judgement call.
The sacha hot honey popcorn chicken is the entry point , a sugar-spice combination built around sacha and Taiwan dust that demonstrates the kitchen's approach quickly. Order the whole striped bass with black sugar-yuzu vinaigrette and fermented black beans if it is on the menu; it is the dish that leading shows the technical range of Taiwanese cooking here. The beef noodle soup, made from a 16-hour oxtail broth with braised beef, is one of the more serious versions of this dish in New York and worth ordering as a table-sharing component rather than a solo bowl.
Yes, with the right expectations. The room is lively rather than hushed, so it works better for a birthday dinner or a celebratory date than for a quiet business meal. At $$$ with Michelin Plate recognition, you get a genuine special-occasion experience without the $200+ per head commitment of a Manhattan tasting-menu room. Book early in the evening for a calmer table; the room builds as the night goes on.
Wenwen is a full-service Taiwanese restaurant , not a casual noodle shop. First-timers sometimes arrive expecting a quicker, cheaper format. The kitchen is doing technically serious cooking with Taiwanese ingredients and techniques that are not widely represented at this level in New York. Come with time for a proper meal, not a quick dinner before a show. Greenpoint is easily reached on the G train from Manhattan, so the Brooklyn address is not a barrier worth overthinking. Check reservations a week or more in advance for weekend evenings.
At $$$, it is well-priced for what it delivers. The Michelin Plate recognition (2024) and a 4.5 Google rating across 578 reviews point to consistent quality rather than a one-off press moment. You are getting Taiwanese cooking at a level of technique and intention that is rare in New York at this price tier. Compared to spending $$$$ at a Manhattan tasting-menu room, Wenwen gives you more food personality per dollar and a room that feels personal rather than institutional.
Specific tasting menu details are not confirmed in available records for Wenwen. If a tasting menu option is available, ask the team directly whether it covers the signature dishes , the striped bass, the beef noodle soup, the popcorn chicken , since those are the clearest expression of what the kitchen does. A tasting format at $$$ pricing would represent strong value relative to comparable structured menus in New York; at $$$$ rooms like Atomix or Le Bernardin, you are paying significantly more for a different register entirely.
For Taiwanese cooking in New York, 886 is the most accessible alternative , more casual, walk-in-friendly, and with a bar-forward format that suits groups or a lower-commitment evening. Ho Foods is worth visiting if the beef noodle soup is your priority; it is a more focused, stripped-back operation. Taiwanese Gourmet is the more traditional option. None of these operate at Wenwen's full-service, Michelin-recognised level. If you are open to other cuisines at a similar price and occasion level, Smyth in Chicago and Providence in Los Angeles are useful reference points for what serious regional cooking looks like at this tier in other US cities.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wenwen | Taiwanese | Chef Eric Sze and partner Andy Chuang bring the vibrant flavors of Taiwanese cooking to Greenpoint with Wenwen. The façade is unmissable with its tall and narrow wood-framed windows allowing for a full view of the clean, airy interior. Menu highlights include the sacha hot honey popcorn chicken garnished with Taiwan dust, a sugar-spice combination that ratchets up the flavor, as well as whole striped bass stuffed with fish paste and glistening in a pool of black sugar-yuzu vinaigrette and fermented black beans. The 16-hour oxtail broth and tender braised beef share the spotlight in the beef noodle soup that nourishes body and soul.; Michelin Plate (2024) | Moderate | — |
| Le Bernardin | French, Seafood | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Atomix | Modern Korean, Korean | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Per Se | French, Contemporary | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Masa | Sushi, Japanese | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Eleven Madison Park | French, Vegan | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
The room is clean and airy rather than formal, so neat casual works fine. No jacket required. Think the kind of clothes you'd wear to a well-regarded neighbourhood restaurant where the food is serious but the vibe is not stiff.
Start with the sacha hot honey popcorn chicken — the Taiwan dust seasoning is the detail that sets it apart from standard fried chicken. The beef noodle soup, built on a 16-hour oxtail broth, is the anchor dish and worth ordering regardless of what else you pick. The whole striped bass in black sugar-yuzu vinaigrette with fermented black beans is the showpiece if you want a centrepiece for the table.
Yes, particularly for a date or a small group where the occasion calls for something memorable but not stiff. The Michelin Plate recognition (2024) and full-service format give it the credentials, while the $$$ pricing keeps it below the $200-per-head Manhattan tasting-menu tier. It's better suited for a birthday dinner than a power lunch.
This is not a casual Taiwanese canteen: expect a full-service, sit-down dinner with composed dishes rather than quick plates. It holds a Michelin Plate (2024) and sits at $$$ pricing, so come with an appetite and a reservation. The G train to Greenpoint Ave puts it about 20 minutes from Midtown, which is manageable but worth factoring into your evening.
At $$$, yes — the Michelin Plate (2024) reflects a level of execution that is hard to find at this price point in New York for Taiwanese cooking specifically. You are paying for technique and sourcing that goes well beyond what 886 or Ho Foods offer, without crossing into the $150+ Manhattan tasting-menu bracket.
The venue data does not confirm a dedicated tasting menu format at Wenwen, so it is not possible to give a direct verdict here. Order-driven dining at $$$ is the documented format; the beef noodle soup and whole striped bass are the anchor dishes to prioritise.
886 in the East Village is the most accessible alternative: walk-in friendly, lower price point, and consistently good, but it does not match Wenwen's level of culinary ambition. Ho Foods is the go-to for beef noodle soup purists but operates in a much simpler, counter-service format. If you want to stay in the $$$ tier with comparable seriousness, Wenwen is the stronger choice for Taiwanese specifically.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
