Chosen by the customer, the ingredients in a bowl of Taiwanese lu wei generally pick up the color and flavors of the long-simmered, aromatic liquid in which they are braised; here the house blend reportedly includes star anise, cinnamon, and licorice. Varying textures, then, have an outsized importance. My picks for the cookpot: daikon, beef tendon and stomach, black-rice cakes, and the Prince brand of wavy instant noodles.
The Braised Shop
241 East 10th St. (First-Second Aves.), Manhattan
646-863-3200
www.Facebook.com/TheBraisedShop
Closed Monday
