Flavor Trends, Strategies and Solutions for Menu Development

Taiwanese Congee Wows With Wagyu

Win Son Restaurant and Bakery | Brooklyn, N.Y In Collaboration with Aussie Beef & Lamb

Taiwanese Congee Wows With Wagyu

Win Son Restaurant and Bakery | Brooklyn, N.Y In Collaboration with Aussie Beef & Lamb

By Katie Ayoub
July 19, 2024

By Katie Ayoub
July 19, 2024

Trigg Brown

Win Son Restaurant and Bakery features craveable Taiwanese-American fare, helping build momentum in the U.S. behind this global cuisine. Its menu stars flavor bombs like Sesame Noodles with black sesame purée, oyster mushrooms, snow pea leaves and peanuts. But it’s the Xi Fan (the Taiwanese term for congee) that’s earned a deeper dive here. For this dish, Trigg Brown, executive chef, sources Australian Wagyu ribeye cap. “The fat in really good meat carries the story of where it’s from and how it was raised, and it also takes on smoke really well,” says Brown. “I knew this would be a great way to showcase the beautiful beef.”

He slowly chars the ribeye cap over a binchotan grill. “Traditionally in Taiwan, congee is soupy and loose. But I made it a bit firmer as a platform to hold and carry the melted Wagyu fat and flavor; it’s perfect for that,” he says. A condiment made with garlic, ginger, scallion and mustard greens, plus chile oil, lands a punch of herbaceous notes and aromatics. At service, Brown slices the ribeye cap, retherms and plates the portions, tucking in a little pork floss. “The floss is a traditional condiment and adds that bacon-like saltiness and unique texture while allowing the Wagyu to be the star,” says Brown.

Read more Best of Flavor 2024

About the Author

mmKatie Ayoub serves as managing editor of Flavor & The Menu and content strategist for the Flavor Experience, an annual conference geared toward chain operators. She is president of Katie Ayoub & Associates, serving up menu trends expertise, content creation and food & beverage consultancy. Based in Chicago, Katie has been working in foodservice publishing for more than 20 years and part of the Flavor team since 2006. [email protected]

About The Author

Katie Ayoub

Katie Ayoub serves as managing editor of Flavor & The Menu and content strategist for the Flavor Experience, an annual conference geared toward chain operators. She is president of Katie Ayoub & Associates, serving up menu trends expertise, content creation and food & beverage consultancy. Based in Chicago, Katie has been working in foodservice publishing for more than 20 years and part of the Flavor team since 2006. [email protected]