Jane D.
Yelp
I prefer savory breakfasts over sweet any day. (Think: tamales, shakshuka, menemen, grilled fish and miso soup, etc...) So no surprise: Nuan Xin's warm, Taiwanese-style fan tuan are exactly how I like to roll -- especially on a cold winter's morning when temperatures are hovering well below 20F.
These fan tuan rice rolls (distinct from cheung fun, which are also often identified as "rice rolls" on menus) are big, hearty, sushi burrito-like cylinders, wrapped with nori and a high-quality, warm purple rice. You choose a "main" filling, which can be anything from curried vegetables, shrimp, or chicken to duck, beef, or eel. Unless you ask for omissions, your chosen ingredient will come alongside lettuce, cucumber, Taiwanese pickled radish, fried cruller (yiou tiao), pork floss, and a "special sauce". The ingredients and textures are nicely balanced, though as a personal preference, I could do without the creamy, mayonnaise-like sauce. I'll ask for that to be omitted next time.
Also on the menu: Taiwanese sausages; shaved ice desserts; grain and nut-based drinkable porridges (similar in texture to avena); various milk, herbal, and fruit teas, which can be ordered hot or cold, with or without bubbles (tapioca pearls), jellies, popping fruit boba, or red bean.
My nine-year old and I shared a hot taro milk tea, which was from a mix and standard issue, but of course very welcome for defrosting purposes.
There are a few bar stools at counters along the east- a south-facing windows (five seats in all), but the seating is clearly designed to discourage loitering.
Staff were absolutely wonderful and hospitable and I do wish I'd been given the option to tip using my credit card. (Speaking of credit cards, there's a $10 minimum.) I'd like to come back for the fresh teas, soon -- especially since Nuan Xin is right next to Sun Ming Jian, an old favorite.