Win Son
“The pork buns come as 6 well portioned/made buns in a large bowl sitting in chinese vinegar.”
“Sesame peanut noodles were bomb, and according to my companion, so we're the zhajiangmian.”
“Our favorite entree so far is the beef roll which is beef with an omelette wrapped around it and a scallion pancake wrapped around that.”
Win Son
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
3 reviews
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Win Son is a modern take on Taiwanese food. Built in an old deli, it's exterior looks almost deceiving. We started with Taiwan Beer and the Chiña Colada ( super creative name ). The colada is rather foamy and thick, so be prepared for a heavier beverage. We got the Pork Buns (dumplings), which were amazing. The sauce definitely adds flavor. The Fried Chicken Bun is also to die for. It reminds me of Baohaus's Chairman Bao, multiplied in size by 5. It's a large portion. Lastly, we got the Zhajiangmian. The noodles were yummy, but I felt like the lamb lacked something; it tasted more like ground beef. The staff was great! I wish they delivered, but I will definitely be back for more!
Great modern interpretation of Taiwanese classics. Everything tasted clean. Yes, more expensive than Flushing, but the food here was refined, well plated, and less rough around the edges. The chef is ex-Craft and Upland, and not Taiwanese. I really appreciate how well he creatively put his twist on these dishes while not sacrificing the authentic flavors.
Table for 4 on Saturday night ~8pm. No wait when we got there but there were pockets of waiting time for people who came later. They take reservations for 5+ people. We went family style and ordered half of the menu. Half of us had never tried Taiwanese food before.
Ambience is relaxed, retro decor. There was a table of 10+ behind us and it was noisy – either it's the acoustics or it was the table of 10+. There are a few round tables, booths along the walls. Bar in the back.
The drink menu is pretty long. There are Taiwanese beers, cocktails, and even Apple Sidra (apple soda).
I noticed some items on the online menu that weren't on their menu, so keep that in mind. I liked the fresh/green ingredients in the dishes. We had:
– Oyster omelette. Hate the starchy mess that you get in Taiwan? This is mostly egg, veggies, and some plump oysters. No starchy mess.
– Cucumber salad. Very nicely seasoned. My friend who cooks often asked for the recipe and they shared it with her.
– Fried eggplant. Also delicious.
– Turnip cake. Dish was smaller than expected. Wrapped in a thin layer of egg. We asked for a knife.
– Beef roll. This was yummy. Very authentic.
– Flies head. No actual flies, just a stir fry of ground pork, chives, and some other stuff. There is a place in Flushing that had a spicier version, which I liked more. This dish goes great with some rice.
– Chicken Bun. This is a fried chicken sandwich on a bun, sliced in half. Very Western, but this is like something you would find in Japan/Taiwan.
– Sesame peanut noodles. We asked for it without pork since we had one person who didn't eat pork. (Overall there was enough for her to eat but there is a lot of pork on the menu and you can't omit it for certain dishes, not that we ever asked.) This is normally a cold dish. They served it hot. Sadly, this was the weakest link of what we ate. Needed more flavor. But, since it's a noodle dish, the portion size was fairly large.
– Zhajiangmian. This is the Taiwan version (there is a black bean Korean version) and I loved it. The egg noodle was perfect complement for the lamb mixture.
Service was really friendly. I recognize that they're a new restaurant and that there are small hiccups – which still makes them better compared to a super authentic Asian place that lacks customer service.
Parking was easy.
With some drinks, we made out $40/pp.
The idea that this far stretch of Eastern Williamsburg can support a Taiwanese restaurant is an exciting proposition. I anxiously waited through the long months as Win Son (née Winsome) rose from a long abandoned Puerto Rican restaurant on the corner of Montrose and Graham Avenue.
After two visits – one during the "soft" opening and one shortly launch – I think it's clear that while there are many solid elements, the restaurant isn't quite fully formed.
I'll start with what I liked, because it's a sizable list. The inside space is inviting, softly lit with a largely white interior. I love that they kept elements of the old aluminum awnings, all with a new interior. The servers are very friendly, ready to tell a story and refill drinks at the same time.
I appreciate the deep drink list, which includes several surprising draft beers, more than half a dozen cocktails and wine. I found my cocktails on both occasions to be strong in both flavor and alcohol, mixing in spice and unusual ingredients in combinations that were very drinkable.
Where I get concerned is in the overall direction of the menu. There are no Taiwanese restaurants for miles around, so this can be a vital place to get dishes not available elsewhere. I thought the very first iteration of the menu sometimes seemed to sacrifice great taste for "clever" updates on classic dishes. The best example of this was the three cups chicken (sometimes just called san bei ji on English menus) where the juicy chunks of chicken meat had been swapped out for fried chicken livers.
I'm glad this dish is gone on the most recent version of the menu, although I hope it returns in a more traditional version. Also appearing recently is a "scallion pancake," which is really more of a roti with an excellent chili oil sauce. The zhajiangmian is a great weekday dish, lighter than it would be served in China's northeast with the addition of lamb. It's not exactly traditional,but it's also not fussy, and tastes great.
I see Win Son is closed today, Memorial Day. The sign on the front door promises behind the scenes they are working to create an ever better, more delicious experience. I don't doubt that – and I have high hopes for this restaurant as it continues to evolve and grow in the months to come.