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A big fried chicken sandwich and braised pork over seasoned rice, in a neon room on St. Marks that puts tables in the street when the traffic stops.
Why go
The room is narrow, loud and lit like a small club, and The Infatuation says the cooking is what actually holds it up: the real reason you come here is for the excellent Taiwanese food.
Hannah Albertine wrote that in January 2022, when nothing on the menu passed $16, and the street trade is part of the offer: on weekends they set up stools and tables in the middle of the street when traffic is blocked.
Order this / avoid
- Order: the big fried chicken sandwich and the braised pork with a soft-boiled egg over seasoned rice, which are the two dishes the review names. A Taiwanese beer with them.
- Avoid: treating the January 2022 price ceiling as current. Four and a half years is long enough for a menu to move.
What locals & experts say
- The Infatuation (14 January 2022, 7.7):
The neon-lit narrow space could easily be converted into the city's smallest nightclub, and the outdoor dining area is pretty much always a Taiwanese-beer-fueled St. Marks party.
1 - Local rec: Jeff's note credits Alvin.
Good to know
- Timing: evenings and late, with the street seating on weekends in warm weather.
- Booking: book for a group. Walk-ins go outside.
Jeff's take (his words)
- Rec via: Alvin rec
- Note: Alvin rec
Verdict
could-visit — A narrow neon room on St. Marks that puts stools in the street when the traffic stops, and the food is better than the format suggests. Hannah Albertine wrote in January 2022 that the party is real and beside the point: the reason to come is the Taiwanese cooking, specifically a big fried chicken sandwich and braised pork with a soft-boiled egg over seasoned rice. Nothing on the menu cost more than $16 then, which made it a cheap dinner for a group. The caution is the date. That is the only published verdict on file and it is four and a half years old, so treat the prices as history and the dishes as a starting order. Jeff's note records that Alvin sent him and nothing else.