Taiwanese?: A Rambling Reflection on the Recipes, Cultures, and People Defining This Island

An exhilarating exploration of Taiwanese food in all its complexity and deliciousness, with over 70 recipes.    

Eric Sze, a chef and restaurateur in New York City, explores what makes Taiwanese food so multi-faceted and idiosyncratic with co-author Elyse Inamine. He travels back to Taiwan to unpack the dishes he grew up eating in Taipei, like Lu Rou Fan and Oyster Omelet, as well as gives an inside look at the method and madness behind the recipes he’s made in restaurants, at pop-ups, and at home in New York City, like Beef Noodle Soup Ragù and Mochi Gnocchi with Chili Oil Pumpkin Puree.  

• A new take on Taiwanese cuisine: Eric combines his deep knowledge of Taiwanese cuisine with his experimental approach to cooking, creating dishes that he calls “authentically inauthentic.”
• Personal storytelling: Follow Eric’s journey from a food-obsessed kid in Taipei to his evolution into a chef and restaurateur in New York City. 
• Armchair travel: Discover the best bowls of Lu Rou Fan in Taipei and beyond, as well as essays and itineraries that transport you to the island’s incredible food scene. 
• Stunning visuals: Photography by Alex Lau captures the kinetic energy of Taiwan’s beer houses and bustling markets and Eric’s pop-ups and restaurants in New York.  

Taiwanese? is a rowdy celebration of the richness and depth of Taiwanese food, in all its contradictions and complexities. 

Eric Sze is the chef and co-owner of Wenwen and 886 in New York City. Born and raised in Taipei, Eric taught himself how to cook―and in turn learned about where he comes from, where it’s going, and how all that forms him. In 2021, he was recognized as an Eater New Guard and later received two stars for Wenwen from the New York Times. Now Eric is publishing his first cookbook (this one!), and you can follow him through @esze.e on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube as he continues to explore and examine Taiwanese food.

Elyse Inamine is a writer and editor in New York City. Previously, she was the restaurant editor Bon Appétit, where she first collaborated with Eric on a hot pot primer that was nominated for a James Beard media award. These days, Elyse writes for the New York Times, TASTE, Food & Wine, and Bon Appétit, and is working on a couple more cookbooks (you can follow her on Instagram at @elyseinamine). Once she found out about this cookbook, she immediately texted Eric to ask if he had a co-author―and the rest is history.