Bian Dang Truck
“I got the chicken leg over rice for $7, great deal especially compared to how pricy lunch can be around midtown.”
“For an extra $1, you can get a tea egg to your meal and make it the real traditional Taiwanese bian dang!”
“I also would have liked more of a gravy-like consistency to the sauce (a la the pork sauce), but this example was more of a consomme.”
Bian Dang Truck
Take-out: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
8 reviews
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I got the pork belly over rice ($8), which I think is a new item they've added. I had no complaints about the amount of food they gave me, but I might have gotten a ton of meat because I got the last pork belly order of the day.
The pork belly was decent with a lot of fat (some of which I ate). The rest of the meat that wasn't fat was chewy and a little too tough. I really liked how the meat flavored the rice underneath and mixed well with the veggies.
Line moved pretty quickly for 1pmish on a Monday. My dish wasn't capped properly so a ton of liquid soaked the bottom of the bag and then my desk which I wasn't happy about…
On one of the polar vortex freezing days I stopped by to get the "famous" pork chop over rice with a Taiwanese coworker. There was no line at about 11:45am and the food came out within seconds after placing an order. The pork was apparently pre-cooked and was barely warm. Two slabs of bland chewy pock over white rice. Just carb, fat, and protein, no veggies. We were both disappointed. No love, no passion.
I ordered here 3 years ago & forget what I got other than to say from the buzz in line, truck decorations, brief service, and food itself, all of it was great. Sorry I couldn't offer more details. They're on break until springtime.
Ever since I came back from Taiwan, I began to miss Taiwanese food, especially the lunch box. With a bian dang truck so close to my place, I almost tried every single option on the menu. I liked the fact that you can ask for additional sauce/tea egg, however the fish cake platter that I have got was a bit difficult to chew. On the other hand, their beef stew and chicken leg rice were good choices. There will be long lines during lunch hours, so be sure to come quick. Credit cards are accepted, very considerate!
You know this spot is authentic if everyone in line is of Asian descent, older Asian descent to be specific. I commend Bian Dang on their prices. Prices at most food trucks hover around $10 to $10+. A glance at their menu and you'll notice their prices are very fair. The chicken leg over rice I ordered was $7, which is the same price as what I would pay in Flushing. The skin on the chicken was crispy and flavorful, the meat was juicy and tender. Cooked to perfection!
I can't wait to come back and try the other items on the menu. If I had come on a Friday, I probably would've ordered a zongzi ($4) to go along with the chicken.
On a cold winter day, I cracked and went back. The food was just as good as I remembered but they made some small improvements here and there. The chicken leg over rice now comes with some cabbage for veggies. They also started making a homemade chili sauce which is delicious and way way better than Sriracha. Prices kept the same… 4 stars.
Just don't write to them on Twitter.
Reviewing this great truck again is a no brainer. Consistently delivers delicious Taiwanese food at 53rd and Park. Today I had the pork belly with mustard greens over rice with a tea smoked egg. Absolutely delicious. Pork belly was melt in your mouth good over the super flavorful mustard greens. Yum I will be eating this again. The tea smoked egg was so subtle and just amazing in your mouth. Food here is reasonable and so worth getting.
I'm a huge fan of Taiwanese style rice dishes, specifically May Wah in Chinatown, so Bian Dang definitely had a lot to live up to! Having been to 2 other Taiwanese Chinatown restaurants, Taiwanese Pork Chop House and Hua Ji Pork Chop House, May Wah was still king to me, however Bian Dang seems to have surpassed the other 2 in my books.
The prices are going to reflect the area of operation, but with that said, you're still getting your money's worth with the generous portion size. The stars of the show are the Fried Chicken or Fried Pork Chop over rice, each being $7. I highly recommend getting a "half and half"/half-chicken and half-pork chop order, which comes with 1 chicken leg and 1 pork chop. For $7, that's pretty generous!
As for the rice dish overall? It definitely surprised me as I thought the meat sauce on the rice was very good and flavorful and the fried chicken & pork chop were marinated very well. The only thing missing that I was used to were the little greens. The meats were juicy, tender and I was definitely taken aback by the quality. Like I said, May Wah is still king, but Bian Dang more than holds its own above Chinatown.