Té Company’s New Taiwanese Menu Features Lu Rou Fan

"Tucked in the West Village, Té Company is that rare tearoom I found to be known as much for its excellent food as for its focused selection of meticulously sourced teas and the care with which they’re served. Credit goes to Frederico Ribeiro, a Portuguese-born former Per Se sous chef who eschewed predictable finger sandwiches and scones in favor of a daily-changing menu of seasonal, Iberian-accented small plates and a whole-wheat sourdough bread I thought better than what you find at the city’s top bakeries; dishes that helped him cultivate a following include his signature tortilla de patata. Still, Ribeiro felt his food didn’t always cohere with the Asian-minimalist space or his wife Elena Liao’s Taiwanese tea list, so late last month he introduced a new menu written in Mandarin and English that offers Taiwan-inspired snacks like spicy peanuts and preserved kumquats and centers on a hearty lunchtime bowl of lu rou fan (listed on the menu at $14). Ribeiro developed that recipe from meals the couple ate on trips, the unsparing critiques of his wife and in-laws, extensive research, and a rice-cooking consult with sushi chef Eiji Ichimura, who advised that you only need two things: “Really good water and really good rice.”" - Grub Street