Eric Sze

Eric Sze is a Taiwanese chef and restaurateur based in New York City. Alongside Andy Chuang, he co-founded the Taiwanese restaurants 886 and Wenwen in New York City. In 2021, he and Chuang were named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 for Food and Drink.

Early life and education Sze was born in Taipei, Taiwan in 1993. In 2011, he moved to the United States and studied hospitality at New York University.

Career

Scallion Foods Prior to his own ventures, Sze had never worked in a restaurant other than a brief internship at Momofuku. During college, he created a food startup called Scallion Foods which sold "direct-to-consumer prepackaged beef noodle soup kits" right out of his apartment, "which was very illegal, but people liked it, and it was fun."

Restaurants After a skiing accident rendered Sze bedridden and unable to deliver food, an acquaintance told him to look into the possibility of opening a noodle shop in East Village, Manhattan, which led him to co-found Tang. Sze named Wenwen after two important women in his life: his mother, Wenchi, and his wife, Wenhui.

In 2023, Sze collaborated with Dominique Ansel on a Lunar New Year special: "a French-style shaobing pork belly sandwich, with a peanut rice milk drink."

Initiatives During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sze made thousands of bento boxes for healthcare workers and local institutions. It hosted virtual cooking events and fundraised on behalf of Black, Brown, and Asian shelters.