Taipei Hong

"Tucked in the back of a narrow, noisy food court is the purveyor of one of the best batter-fried Taiwanese pork chops in New York. Not to be confused with its pan-fried cousin, this battered chop is also savory-sweet, but with a substantial crust thicker than the Japanese pork katsu and closer to a Texas fried steak. Easy to overcook and too oily when rushed, Taipei Hong’s take is crispy with a hearty crunch while remarkably tender on the inside.  Since the closure of the beloved Prince 66, Taipei Hong is the next best thing for those seeking a good pork chop fix. Also on menu are other seldom seen items, like a mala beef noodle soup into which the chef throws in everything but the kitchen sink, including rice cakes, fish balls, clear noodles, and a hearty amount of vegetables." - John Tsung, Eater Staff

"Taipei Hong offers a range of ingredients including tripe and Taiwanese sausage, with dishes like a takeout container with crunchy lotus root and hot dogs for $16." - Luke Fortney

"Walk to the back of this long, narrow mini food court on Roosevelt Avenue to get to Taipei Hong if you’re craving fast, casual Taiwanese comfort food. The fried pork chop over rice is the first thing you should order - it’s super tender with a crisp bread-crumb coating - and both the mushroom pork over rice and pork belly over rice come with a good-sized serving of bok choy, cabbage, and pickled mustard greens. If it’s an especially chilly day, try their version of malatang, normally a Sichuan hotpot noodle dish with skewers, that is streamlined here into a noodle soup with your choice of meat, seafood, and vegetables (the combo of thinly sliced beef and enoki mushrooms is a personal favorite). This is mainly a grab-and-go spot, but there are a handful of tables available for seating if you don’t want to wait until you get home to dig in." - diana kuan

"Walk to the back of this long, narrow mini food court on Roosevelt Avenue to get to Taipei Hong if you’re craving fast, casual Taiwanese comfort food. The fried pork chop over rice is the first thing you should order - it’s super tender with a crisp bread-crumb coating - and both the mushroom pork over rice and pork belly over rice come with a good-sized serving of bok choy, cabbage, and pickled mustard greens. If it’s an especially chilly day, try their version of malatang, normally a Sichuan hotpot noodle dish with skewers, that is streamlined here into a noodle soup with your choice of meat, seafood, and vegetables (the combo of thinly sliced beef and enoki mushrooms is a personal favorite). This is mainly a grab-and-go spot, but there are a handful of tables available for seating if you don’t want to wait until you get home to dig in. Food Rundown Pork Chop Rice This super tender rendition of a Taiwanese classic is one of the main draws here. There are two substantial cutlets per serving, along with minced pork, pickled mustard greens, cabbage, bok choy, and rice, making this a good-sized portion for one or easily shareable if you want to try other dishes on the menu. Taiwanese Burger These pork belly buns (gua bao) come loaded with sweet crushed peanuts and pickled mustard greens, which are perfect if you love a lot of extra crunch and tanginess with your pork belly. These are extra-large and sliced to share, and we recommend taking the glove they offer you so your hands stay relatively pork-juice free. Mixed Tempura From the name alone, you may expect fried seafood or vegetables when ordering this dish. Instead, the only fried component here is a bit of tofu. The rest is an aromatic, delicate soup with daikon, fish balls, and fish cake pieces. This makes for a great, light contrast to the fried, fatty, and spicy foods on the rest of the menu. Mala Tang Malatang is normally a hotpot noodle dish with skewers. But this Taiwanese rendition of the Sichuan classic is streamlined into a noodle soup with your choice of meat, seafood, and vegetables. The version with thinly sliced beef and enoki mushrooms is our favorite, but the fish filet and lamb options are also great." - Diana Kuan