How Chef Eric Sze Is Changing the Game for Taiwanese Food in NYC - Eater New Guard

Chef Eric Sze of Taiwanese restaurant 886 is a member of the 2021 Eater New Guard, honoring the most talented changemakers in restaurants, and those using food to challenge conventions, remake old systems, and better their communities. Here we see him meld traditional Taiwanese dishes with his ideas for what New Yorkers want to eat now. See the full list of Eater New Guard winners here: trib.al/imCLlLs
Credits:
Director/Producer: Pelin Keskin
Camera: Carla Francescutti, Murilo Ferreira
Editor: Murilo Ferreira
Executive Producer: Stephen Pelletteri
Development Producer: McGraw Wolfman
Coordinating Producer: Stefania Orrù
Audience Engagement: Daniel Geneen, Terri Ciccone
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[@chibichumon]

He and his business did so much positive work in New York City during the shutdown/pandemic. They provided so many meals to frontline workers and also paid their staff while others were gutting their staff left and right. He did a lot of the grind work himself just to love back his community. He deserves this recognition and all the best for his business and future businesses. #TAIWANESErepresent

[@HolahkuTaigiTWFormosanDiplomat]

：0

[@evandentes4716]

All I can say is how is he still in business and if he closes because of financial difficulties, how will the community support him?

[@13daniel1974]

Selfless acts like this will pay him back 100 fold, sometime in the future. Love this kind of positivity during such a crazy 2020 year.

[@spcsld]

Yo

[@jb8683]

Would be cool if an overhyped media scam flu didn’t shut down the greatest economy we ever had while China was suffering now many lost businesses and China economy is back on fire.

[@minghan995]

Just a slight correction on the subtitles, when Eric says "cute" at 2:06, he actually said "Q", which is what Taiwanese use to describe soft and springy textures in food, in this case, soft and springy noodles.

[@buddhathegod]

I actually do love the fact that most chefs nowadays seem really open about the entire process, it's not this "secret recipe, fear of copying me" thing. Because it feels like the chefs seem to know that they have such an expansive knowledge and experience that not just any average Joe could copy them. And anyone who's at their caliber of being able to match them in experience and knowledge probably want to do their own creative cooking anyway, so they probably wouldn't just copy them anyway.

[@1flash3571]

That is what is FUN about finding your own recipes. Not everybody even in same town or city makes the same dish the same way.

[@liliachan3753]

I am one of those that rather have him prepare me the meal, than me cooking it.

[@orangehutan]

Glad Chef Eric is getting the recognition he deserves

[@mirnasimmi4901]

Recognise these nuts

[@MrDW72]

@MAJORDOMO MEDIA DAVE CHANG, CHRIS YING-- SUPERCOMPTUER, yall nEED TO GET THIS CAT ON THE POD!!!!

[@HolahkuTaigiTWFormosanDiplomat]

0.0

[@scarlett8782]

that back alley deal where Chef Eric just opened a random door in a seemingly abandoned warehouse and said "hey... can I get 40 pounds" and somehow ended up with noodles instead of an illegal substance was like something out of a movie

[@nizammiah6511]

Loving his take on authenticity - it's a bit nuanced. The reality is that we just wouldn't have so many of the dishes we're used to today if someone at some point in history didn't decide to alter a recipe or substitute ingredients

[@oscarwamburi9420]

The first thing that have crossed my mind

[@faisalsalam4161]

I definitely appreciated his take on authenticity. As a child of Indian immigrants, I always felt like an outsider to my own culture because I know I'm not experiencing it the same as in India. At times kind of stuck in between where I feel like I'm not really Indian but not American either.

[@shemtovo]

That's no native tomatoes in Italy, chili in China, potatoes in India, or beef in America The common take on authenticity is disastrous

[@baras9700]

@@acv5154 there’s a limit😂

[@danielleheath3438]

@@faisalsalam4161 jjbbbbbb be jjbbjjjobj j jhjhjjj j j

[@quiannuful]

This man is a badass, dash of humor and flash of ego, plus this easy manner of preparing his food with no care of how much he is revealing. That is a man who knows it isn't about the ingredients or the equipment when it comes to recreating a recipe.

[@thereissomecoolstuff]

His last comment is shared by many. "Covid made me not care what others think" paraphrased. Used a lot of contemporary terms, "authentic" many times. I believe him. He is doing his thing and it's great.

[@balham456]

He’s very comfortable in front of the camera.

[@devinhalim5194]

He did it quite often already though

[@jenniferatwell9698]

His personality definitely made this a great episode, and I really wish I lived in NY so I could try his food

[@Bojonni]

Not hard to be

[@JonnySublime]

Most teachers are.

[@uncleruckus2487]

Cause he’s an actor and this is fake

[@Astrohhh]

"If you don't like it.. spit it out, it's fine.. but in the global society we live in today, you need to try it at least once before you declare you don't like it" ... THANK YOU. One of my absolute biggest annoyances is how many people I know who proclaim they dislike something and they haven't even bothered to try it. They don't like the idea of eating it, without even caring whether or not it might be good. Drives me crazy.. and even if you don't like 99 of the things you try, there will be 1 that could change your perception of food and educate you into discovering such a beautiful thing that ties everyone together. Food is so much more than what so many people make it.

[@salsanacho]

"Try it once, if you don't like it, spit it out." Words to live by.

[@gershomtan5879]

I tried it with my ex. Worked like a charm.

[@richardmoy9357]

I really love that last point he makes - diluting elements of food culture to cater to a wider audience vs transmitting and sharing something personal and meaningful. Clearly he’s made the right choice. Can’t wait to try everything he makes.

[@1999yanks]

Too many restaurants in Manhattan choose the former and not the latter

[@VegetableFRIES]

Dude is such a kind hearted person. He was donating and helping Asian businesses during the beginning of the pandemic.

[@jlim6262]

I like his no frills attitude. You want food? Eat it. Don’t like it? Spit it out.

[@manofculture3324]

"Aunties boxing you out" had me rolling

[@TheThaiLife]

I'm so impressed that a mainstream channel is willing to talk about Taiwan. Thank you!

[@finnabinnaconna9836]

Could you imagine if Lebron spoke up about Taiwan?

[@johnhui1038]

@@finnabinnaconna9836 dudes Chinas puppet

[@ririraychannel8571]

I like how he kept mentioning taiwan as china/chinese

[@HolahkuTaigiTWFormosanDiplomat]

Where is the Asian Town or Taiwanese Town

[@aroundtheworldinaprildays]

I like how Chef Eric just throws in the ingredients without actually measuring exactly how much goes into the food.

[@zg1710]

As a the famous uncle roger said "don't measure, just throw"

[@josephling9600]

Asian cooking dont really measure, we just based it on what the Malay say agak agak

[@seantien8764]

Our ancestors will tell us "that is enough child", then we stop.

[@gugumgumelar8880]

Asian style baby

[@Vivian_Wong]

But it always comes out exactly the same

[@honiedew]

Chef Eric also helped the nyc community tremendously when COVID first ravaged NYC. He deserves more recognition and I’m so pumped for his recipes!

[@lockiet7227]

10 secs in and I already like this dude based on his “authenticity” take

[@soysauce4223]

So american. It's like saying you're not a man/woman because you identify yourself as a fried rice.

[@hellofromspace]

@@soysauce4223 ??? reading this gave me a seizure

[@soysauce4223]

@@hellofromspace It's like gender in America. More and more people believe that there are more than 2 genders. What I mean is that the Authenticity of a food is based on how it is prepared traditionally, that's the essence of it. If you change it just because you're free to do so, might as well change the name of the recipe and make it your own.

[@showmethemoney7268]

@@hellofromspace He's a bit edgy, but he's not wrong though. Lol

[@pondoz]

@@soysauce4223 he said authenticity is based on regional and personal factors - which is true. You’re also confusing gender and sex, gender being a form of self expression (we invented it), and sex being your biological sex at birth.

[@henrycruz3547]

Currently on vacation for the week in New York and had the honor to eat at Eric’s new restaurant WENWEN for the grand opening… The whole fried chicken was so damn good!!! Texture, flavor, quality. Also had the pleasure of talking to Eric, an amazing chef who truly cares about his craft and authenticity. Thank you Eric.

[@kaleidostar7]

I’m Taiwanese and I’m loving this!!! I know people are always skeptical about pigs blood cakes… the thing is, we usually eat this when we were kids without knowing what it was… and it actually tastes really good. By the time we grown up and learned what it was it’s too late to feel weird. So please try it. (Preferably with soy sauce paste, peanut mill and cilantro) it’s popular for a reason😂

[@4and20blackbirdsbakedinapi6]

I love watching how chef Eric Sze interacts with his buddy chef Lucas Sin, also a very well known chef in NYC. The passion that these young up and coming chefs, and all other young up and coming chefs, have for their food and restaurants is spectacular, makes me desire to travel around with food visits as my goal, more and more real and stronger every day.

[@mikewu6801]

Making us proud, Eric! Way to represent and glad you’re getting more recognition.

[@HolahkuTaigiTWFormosanDiplomat]

:0

[@BiggityB87]

I love listening to people like him talk about food. So knowledgeable and passionate about all of it is so satisfying to listen to.

[@sbblmb]

Next time I'm in NYC coming from the other side of the world, I will wait in line for hours if need be to dine at this man's restaurants. What a great guy, love the hustle dude.

[@nolrinale37]

"Now I don't really give a sh*t!" I felt that in my soul.

[@RiceNoodlestw]

This is great. so many times we get bogged down in the idea of authentic, that true creativity is stifled then. And as someone else mentioned with out breaking the mold we would not have new foods ever, just always the same. Keep it up.

[@recoil53]

Yes, authentic is a nice reference point but it represents a moment in time. Strict adherence is stagnation.

[@zerad3307]

You can see his passion into cooking, that's what i called do what you love for living !

[@joonhou91]

U can tell so much passion from his sharing. Not to mention generous in sharing his experience and knowledge. This is how real chef revolutionize F&B culture

[@BrysonBlt]

Aw, I just love, love, LOVE this *Eater New Guard* series. Really touches my heart. Aaabsolutely love his take on authenticity.

[@Deadaggressor18]

so much respect for chef eric. keep it up. god bless us all to get through this pandemic.

[@EnterGalactica]

Loved this episode. Great energy that kept me watching just to hear his voice... I don’t even eat meat but I’m still going to visit his restaurant when I move back home!!!!

[@LindsayDaly]

"Americans go through the labor of deboning an entire bird just to turn it into a Turducken" 💀

[@bley99]

I mean he went through the labor of it to make it into fried chicken which he cuts into strips anyways 🤷. Everyone knows bone in fried chicken is just better.

[@nyan4x]

@@bley99 i get what ur trying to say tho.

[@rchyl198sj]

@@bley99 Taiwanese fried chicken is very often boneless! It’s a really popular and delicious street food, hope you get the chance to taste it

[@sophiacadiz8016]

So proud of Asian cuisine --- flavorul and filling. Proud to be asian!

[@anklesturnt2dust691]

Super filling…stuffing me until I feel like gonna implode

[@ChowTimeOfficial]

It all looks sooo good! Exciting to see the freedom he's given himself as a chef.

[@joeyliu2653]

As a Taiwanese, I still learned a lot from the video. Much respect for your work, Eric!

[@stoneuniko3057]

I love his energy and his positivity.

[@jeffboyardeeznuts]

So inspiring! Love that he's cooking on his own terms now, can't wait to visit 886

[@NSP70]

Eric. Your technique is impressive. Your passion for food is evident. Awesome work!!!!

[@hernandezmarkie7382]

This guy needs a show id listen to this guy talk about knifes

[@bertamon]

"Dunno what people would want with pigs blood" "Irish, Scotts and Britts drooling for some of that black pudding.

[@Con_Calmaa]

I love his attitude about everything. He literally doesn't care what anyone thinks

[@dobozz]

Didn't think I was going to like this guy but I like him!! Very genuine and unique individual.

[@matthewickman]

Easily my favorite of this series. What a badass.

[@jw6451]

his mindset is so inspirational, amazing

[@zhsome8039]

the setting is great omg, I love the wild Chinese-open-pub vibes

[@ruisen2000]

That last blood cake recipe is amazing! It works super well with heart/liver instead of blood cake too!

[@narttd]

I cannot express how happy I am to see my generation taking over the food industry! When I was a kid, there was a lot of things I wanted to change when I went to the store with my mom. Now I see people my age or younger making those changes!

[@munchylax6932]

I love this bloke. I'll try anything once. Anything. But it kills me so much when people question me after I've tried something and said I don't like it. He gets it.

[@JoonVeen]

I really enjoyed this! Great expose of a great personality. Will be keeping an eye on this series :D

[@gamby16a]

His thoughts on authenticity are great. The self righteousness of the authenticity police in every "ethnic" cuisine's videos is maddening. He's the chef. He knows more than the authenticity police.

[@jz2450]

Love his attitude so liberating

[@marckenleyjoseph9082]

I really like what you're doing and I'm really excited at what our generation holds. I'm very interested in the rice soaked in pig's blood and hopefully soon I'll make my way fown to NYC to eat at your restaurant. Keep up the good work and thank you for introducing the American society to Taiwanese food.

[@bambambooyaaj6239]

This guys taste bud resounds with me. I am salivating with his ingredients in all of his dishes.

[@andrewhoyw]

One of the most enjoyable episodes

[@daycart]

Love how after walking through his unique dishes/interpretations, the video ends with him making (and slurping) a classic Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. No explanation necessary.

[@Alex-zi1nb]

Good lord I don’t even want that whole chicken sliced. I wanna eat it with my hand like a big chicken stick

[@Lobo47478]

Watching him work that whole chicken was magical 👊🏼

[@hall0whall0w59]

So cool this is on my bucket list

[@raphaeldavidgranado9552]

Re-watching this after watching the new doc about the opening of WENWEN

[@quietiger1288]

Solid skill and great attitude. Like this guy a lot.

[@victory01]

Taiwanese beef noodle soup if one of the best dishes out there. I prefer it over ramen and pho...but maybe because its kinda rare to find.

[@MrIcaru5]

Agree, they have more spices than those two noodle dishes

[@sabrinajnguyen]

@@MrIcaru5 depends on what type of pho you’re making

[@makarov-qp6mp]

ramen vs pho vs noodle

[@q.a.2875]

Gosh I love watching him work 👍👍❣️

[@musicfan2000]

give this man a show!

[@tc2010vancouver]

I like this guys! He is keeping it real, easy going and very Taiwanese too! He reminds me of my friend, whom also grow up in Taiwan and a great chef in Toronto. Anyone in Toronto needs to try his foods he is chef in Naru Izakaya, Toronto, name is Pao Pao. Just a block away from College station. Anyone seeking Taiwanese/Japanese cuisine. I highly recommend this place.

[@neptune928]

Such an amazing outlook on food and style!

[@JohnLee-hb9ix]

Can’t wait to visit! Your beef noodle soup looks awesome!

[@cosmosgaminglounge]

If I ever visit NY this will be the first place I visit no joke, not because the food looks good, but because this dude a badass chef :D

[@1d1hamby]

I agree, make what you like to eat and people will remember your unique food.

[@zahndelgado5269]

really good episode, loved the vibe

[@ellenmcivor4108]

The vibe of this Chef!

[@pepprdgefarm]

I just ate dinner, but I'd still be able to put down every dish he showed here. So jealous that I don't live in NYC right now. That looks amazing.

[@chadgehm6971]

Keep up the good work everything looks delicious! Would definitely try the blood cakes👍

[@corgeousgeorge]

That blood rice cake dish looks like comfort food heaven!

[@bernardo9202]

the respect asians have on the portuguese fills me with aprreciation for their gastronomy, that i has a student of the cullinary arts see so much from the portuguese techinics on them

[@actannerBR]

Chef Eric is very nice guy!! Would love more content about him and his restaurant

[@pokemonunitenepalofficial5926]

It will shatter - Most satisfying word for a food.

[@josebedolla8874]

This dude is legit! Love the energy! 🤙🏽🤙🏽💯

[@unisonproductions123]

Well done! You're gunna be huge

[@Not_A-Bear]

If I ever head to New York, I’ll definitely have to swing by!

[@deesong6722]

Can’t wait to visit his restaurant!

[@timshammm]

this chef is gold, hope to try his food one day. All the best in the new resto!

[@onlinecheatersexposed8491]

all of it looks delicious, and id try it if i had the chance

[@jyw003]

Deluxe meat market was my go to back in my days in nyc! Wish west coast had something like that place…manhattan chinatown is still my favorite of all the boroughs!

[@I_NeedCoffee]

It's great to see him doing his own thing. That pigs blood cake sounds great. Might be too spicy for me but that's what the drinks are for.

[@SentimentalMo]

Look wonderful! You create good stuff! When I’m in NY, I’ll make sure to eat at yours!

[@mtregi]

It’s so cool his cooking food from such an awesome COUNTRY!!!

[@yutzukuo8406]

I like his real and authentic Taiwanese spirit!

[@sharpskilz]

That chicken is such a brilliantly simple and delicious idea I wish i thought of

[@HungrySoul-999]

His deboning is smooth 👌

[@aboucard93]

I love this guy attitude! I definitely feel the same way about being Haitian 🇭🇹! Even though Haitians are becoming more mainstream

[@wokgod]

We used to do our lemon chicken the same way but it was way too time consuming

[@somefishhere]

Thanks for your work! and your wok

[@kellyouya9732]

Exquisite cuisine...lovely 2 see....culture@its best....

[@maxsablosky]

Just love his passion for ingredients and people! Love his attitude towards food always exciting to try new things and authenticity is in the eye of the creator I’m down to experience anything!

[@toddmusic]

Looks incredible.

[@christopherderetchin5610]

Yo! This! 100 percent this i got to travel alot when I was younger I care more about what you enjoy cooking then anything else I love when I can truly experience new things more so then what I should expect for groups of people

[@yvonnesevenblue]

This guy needs to have his own Netflix show!!!!!!!!!

[@OYH_Onyx]

Keep up the good work it’ll pay off in the future 加油💪🏼

[@chinouvue6964]

The noodles at the end looked bomb!!

[@JohnVerpeleti]

Awesome, especially that de-boned whole chicken. 👏

[@foodleveling]

Wonderful cooking chef. The dish looks so yummy I Food Leveling