The Collab: Who's Behind It
Titi’s Empanadas is an empanada pop-up recognized at the 8it Awards as Collab of the Year. The team has built a following through limited-run formats and chef partnerships, a drop-first approach that fits the 8it Fam’s food culture.
After Eden is a new all-day café and cocktail lounge at 162 Orchard Street on the Lower East Side. The space shifts from Vietnamese coffee by day to cocktails and Vietnamese small plates at night. Chef Nancy Nguyen, whose résumé includes a stint at Eleven Madison Park, leads the kitchen program across both the daytime café and the evening menu. Her bánh mì sandwiches have been selling out every weekend in 15 minutes since After Eden opened, which makes her the perfect partner for this format. Gelo Honrade leads After Eden’s bar program and brings a style that blends New York cocktail discipline with Southeast Asian flavor sensibility and subtle French influence. He will be behind the bar at First Taste 001 debuting exclusive Hennessy cocktails.
The Bánh Mì Empanada comes from pairing Titi’s empanada format with After Eden’s Vietnamese flavor expertise. The mash-up needed both kitchens to pull it off.
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The Drop Itself: What The Bánh Mì Empanada Actually Is
The Bánh Mì Empanada carries the full flavor architecture of a traditional bánh mì inside Titi’s empanada shell. This dish has never existed before September 19, 2026, and will not be available anywhere after that date.
Structurally, the empanada shell does the same job as a bánh mì’s light, crisp-crusted baguette. It is a sealed, handheld exterior that shatters on the first bite and gives way to a moist, layered filling. Inside, the bánh mì flavor profile stays intact. A rich, savory base anchored by pâté and house-made headcheese acts as the bass note in a complex chord and bridges the savory filling with the bright, acidic elements. Đồ chua, the lightly pickled carrot and daikon central to any bánh mì, provides acidity and crunch that cuts through richness so the bite never feels heavy. Fresh herb lift and controlled chili heat complete the profile.
The result hits every dimension that defines bánh mì. It is savory, tangy, fresh, and spicy, compressed into a sealed empanada format that holds the contrasts together in every bite.
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How To Eat It (And What Else Is Dropping)
Eat the Bánh Mì Empanada immediately after receiving it. The crisp shell is at its best fresh off the heat, and waiting softens the exterior and collapses the textural contrast that makes the dish work. Hold it out of hand and bite straight through so the shell, filling, pickle acidity, and herb freshness hit together. Bánh mì flavor balance depends on every component landing in the same bite. The same principle applies here.
The Bánh Mì Empanada is one of three exclusive food drops on the First Taste 001 lineup. The full food slate:
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Titi’s Empanadas x After Eden, Bánh Mì Empanada
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Potluck Club x Ace’s Pizza, Chinese Sausage & Peppers Detroit-Style Pizza pairing Potluck Club’s Chinese-American cooking with Ace’s signature square pie
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Loser’s x OREO cookies, The Big OREO Roll, a cookies-and-cream take on Loser’s cult-favorite cinnamon roll
Beyond food, First Taste 001 layers in drops across every category. At the main bar, Gelo Honrade of After Eden debuts two original Hennessy cocktails created exclusively for the festival, alongside a collection of ready-to-serve bottled cocktails crafted with Hennessy Very Special cognac given to each guest (21+) as a welcome sip. The fashion drop comes from New York Penno, who debuts a customizable jacket, available only at First Taste 001, in three color ways personalized onsite. The DJ lineup is built entirely around unreleased music. Sunny Cheeba goes back-to-back with Curly Nez, Just Dimy and Rae Sada drop new tracks, and Dos Flakos premiere material ahead of their October release. To tie it all together, every guest receives a First Taste 001 passport at check-in. Collect a stamp at all three food drops and earn a limited-edition New York Penn tote customized onsite with patches inspired by the lineup and New York City.
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How To Get It: First Taste 001 Logistics
First Taste 001 takes place on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 2:00–8:00 PM EDT at LilliStar, the rooftop of the Moxy Hotel, 353 Bedford Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11211. The event runs rain or shine.
First Taste 001 uses tiered ticket pricing, with limited tickets available at the door. Food drops are purchased separately onsite. The event is 21+ and valid ID is required for entry. Every guest 21+ is welcomed with their choice of one Hennessy Very Special Cocktail on arrival: Henny Rita, Henny Berry, or Henny Iced Tea.
Tickets are available online in advance.
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FAQ
Where And When Is First Taste 001?
First Taste 001 is on September 19, 2026, at LilliStar in Williamsburg. See the logistics section above for the full address, timing, and weather policy.
How Much Do Tickets Cost, And What’s Included?
First Taste 001 uses tiered ticket pricing, with limited tickets available at the door. See the logistics section for full details on availability and age requirements. Admission includes a welcome Hennessy Very Special Cocktail for guests 21+, a First Taste 001 passport, and access to all drops and DJ sets. Food drops are purchased separately onsite.
Is The Bánh Mì Empanada Available Anywhere Else?
No. The Titi’s Empanadas x After Eden Bánh Mì Empanada was created exclusively for First Taste 001 and is available only on September 19, 2026 at the event, as noted above.
What Does The Bánh Mì Empanada Taste Like?
The empanada delivers the full bánh mì flavor profile in a sealed, handheld format. Expect a crisp shell, a moist and savory filling with a rich pâté base note, acidity and crunch from đồ chua (pickled carrot and daikon), fresh herb lift, and controlled chili heat. Every element balances richness against brightness in a single bite.
Is First Taste 001 A 21+ Event?
Yes. First Taste 001 is a 21+ event and valid ID is required for entry.
8it Is Your Radar For Drops Like This
First Taste 001 is the kind of event that disappears before most people know it happened. It offers a one-day window, a dish that will never be made again, and a lineup built entirely around things that have never existed before. 8it exists to make sure the people who care about this kind of drop find out about it in time to actually show up.
As 8it co-founder and CEO Steve Raggiani put it: “8it has always been about helping people stay tapped into what’s next in New York food before everyone else is talking about it. First Taste 001 takes that same idea out of the app and into real life. When you walk through the door, everything you’re tasting, hearing, seeing and wearing is new.”
The app’s dedicated Drops section surfaces limited-run dishes, chef collabs, and one-day events. It includes exact logistics, dish-level detail, and calendar integration so nothing slips through. For NYC food lovers who track what’s next, it serves as the single source that replaces the screenshots, the group chats, and the fragmented feeds.
Don’t miss the First Taste 001 drop
