All reviews of category "Izakaya"
A family-style skewered food izakaya, clean, bright, comfortable, and warm, with a bar counter, tables, and tatami mats. It has a very early Japanese style, and it feels like it's being run by a grandmother and the next generation together. However, I'm unsure if it's the end of the snow season or due to population decline, but it feels a bit quiet with not many customers.
I ordered some skewers and snacks to go with the drinks, and had beer warmed with sake, following the standard izakaya set. The dishes were served quickly; the skewers come in pairs with generous portions. The pork tongue was tasty, the pork liver was super large but not overcooked, and the chicken wings were juicy. Fried tofu is a must-order at a place like this in Japan. Overall, it was standard; the snacks weren't overly salty but didn't impress either. Enjoying big bites of meat and sipping drinks, I felt pleasantly tipsy while walking on the snow-flaked streets… so cold~
After running the shop for 12 years and experiencing the hardships of the pandemic, it has now regained popularity, making it hard to get a table. Celebrating the 12th anniversary is truly not easy. I arrived around 8 PM and waited for about 30 minutes, just as a customer finished their meal, so I was able to be seated smoothly. The place is clean, bright, and comfortable, with a standard Japanese izakaya style.
The main feature of the menu highlights various parts of the tuna head, with each part prepared in different ways. The set meal paired with sake was very appealing to me. The boiled tuna eyes were flavorful, and the fried tuna cheek meat was extremely tender, which I really liked. The seared tuna salad was refreshing, and the fried vegetables were quite special. Overall, the flavors were spot on, delicious, and unique. Coupled with the sake pairing—six different local sakes—all had various flavors that complemented the dishes well. I left feeling satisfied and full.
Although the owner seems cold, he is actually very kind and enthusiastic. Before the pandemic, he was invited to promote Hokkaido cuisine in a department store in Taichung. While chatting, he suddenly treated us to two pieces of raw scallops and kindly helped us find out which Genghis Khan-style restaurant was good. I’m grateful for such a happy evening.
It seems to be the birthplace of robatayaki, which started the concept of robatayaki in 1951. This refers to a cooking method in which food is grilled over a large open rectangular hearth set up inside an izakaya. It is said that in medieval Japan, only samurai were qualified to enjoy robatayaki, so this type of cuisine often carried a certain class-based prestige. There are also claims that it started in Sendai, Tohoku, but this may be unconfirmed.
The grandmother has a strong personality; it really feels like she’s not happy, ha ha ha! The overall environment is clean and comfortable, but the atmosphere in the restaurant is a bit serious, and the menu doesn’t list prices, which I'm not fond of.
As for the food, it’s quite standard; they use local ingredients, but nothing really spectacular, plus the portions aren’t large, and the prices are slightly high. No wonder when I inquired at the hotel front desk, it didn’t feel highly recommended; most of the customers were foreigners, and it seems that even the Japanese weren't locals, leaning more towards one-time pilgrimage-type guests.
This is an old local shop, currently managed by the second and third generations together. It's a small shop with a very distinctive style. There might be a lot of foreign tourists here, so they can speak some simple English. The decor is very clean and comfortable, in a distinctly Japanese style, which I like very much.
The chef is from the third generation, while the second generation, the grandfather, is in charge of the front of the house and enjoys chatting. Most of the dishes are made from local ingredients. I love this kind of restaurant—fresh, delicious, warm, and welcoming. The stove in the middle has warmed sake, and the fresh cod roe has no fishy smell, it's refreshing and smooth. The asparagus is sweet, and the local grilled fish is tender and fresh. The early wheat beer is great and light, and the local sake pairs perfectly with the meal. Although the prices are slightly higher, I really enjoy this authentic Japanese local flavor.
This well-known local establishment was originally converted from a sake brewery. In the past, it was designed to preserve the storage of sake, and the unique design keeps the indoor temperature cool, which is really remarkable. It seems that even in summer, there's no need for air conditioning—such is the wisdom of the ancients.
The "Yamanzakubo" is a miso hot pot base mixed with duck, chicken, vegetables, and venison. The portion of venison is just one slice per person, and it has a texture somewhat similar to beef. At the end, there's also a savory rice dish, which is wonderful in winter. The wagyu beef filet rice bowl is also a must-try; it’s essentially served like sashimi—raw beef paired with wasabi and soy sauce. The rich fat melts in your mouth, and paired with white rice, it’s simply irresistible.
The selection of sake here is also unique to this place, and it pairs well with the meals. They do not take a break in the afternoon, and they also offer other items similar to izakaya dishes, making me eager to come back and try more. Pairing with other sake would surely be great!
The in-store seating is limited, and you may need to wait in line during peak dining times. All dining guests need to be present before being seated.
🥢 Scallion Salt Cold Noodles + Golden Fried Pork Cutlet $189
It was quite hot on the day of our meal, so we chose to have cold noodles, which turned out to be a great decision.
The cool sauce had a salty flavor with a hint of sweetness, and the cold noodles were tasty just by dipping them. Adding a few pieces of delicious fried pork cutlet, I was surprisingly quite full after finishing everything.
🐙 Wasabi Octopus $89 (shared with a friend, so $44.5 each)
If the wasabi is a pleasantly stimulating experience, the onion is straightforwardly pungent. Together with the octopus, it's a refreshing cold dish that is very enjoyable.
🫕 Chicken Broth $0 (free refill)
Warm chicken soup gives a satisfying feeling as it fills the stomach, with a subtle and gentle savory taste. Even after finishing, the flavor of the chicken soup lingers. It doesn't overshadow the main dish but serves as a very good complement.
If I weren't so full and it wasn't such a hot day, I would have probably drunk a few bowls of this chicken soup (?)
🥤 Calpis $0
This was my first time becoming a member, and I received a free drink when I presented my membership at checkout.
❗️The above are personal taste preferences, please take them into consideration, thank you~
📍Location: Taichung, North District
Brief Review: A great place for chatting and dining, and a nice spot for late-night drinks.
Initially, our family didn't care much for drinking, so izakayas 🏮 held no appeal for us. However, the food was so delicious that after our first visit, it became one of our favorite spots.
We ordered some grilled items, and since we weren't pairing them with drinks or alcohol, we ordered a few rice dishes to enjoy alongside.
The grilled items are categorized as regular or a bit drier; this time we chose the regular ones, so they weren't too dry or tough.
Here’s what we ordered:
- Grilled tofu skin (highly recommended and a must-order)
- Grilled sun-dried fish
- Grilled squid
- Stir-fried water lily
- Stir-fried asparagus
- Loofah with clams
- Salmon floss fried rice
- Grilled short ribs
We redeemed the grilled short ribs through a promotion. As we had eaten some snacks in the afternoon, we weren't very hungry during dinner.
Therefore, we ordered fewer dishes than usual, resulting in a slightly lower average dining price than the actual average.
If someone comes here on an empty stomach for all-you-can-eat, not including drinks, I estimate it would be around $500 per person. If you want to add some sashimi or drinks, the budget may need to increase.
Details of the dishes are left to the photos below ⬇️
This izakaya🏮 is the kind that locals would come to～
When we entered, the entire place was filled with Japanese people,
but the staff was still very considerate to prepare an English menu.
Since we had already eaten quite a bit before, we just came here to taste some flavors, so we simply ordered chicken hearts and beef～ of course, everyone also ordered drinks🍶.
One thing to particularly note is…
most izakayas of this type require at least one drink order per person.
Overall, the food was very delicious. The chicken hearts had no fishy taste, and they were a bit sweet and salty, quite similar to the sauce used in sukiyaki🍲. It really enhanced the flavor of the chicken hearts! The beef was also simmered well, but unfortunately, the quality of the beef was average; it was not tender enough to chew easily. However, the chef's excellent skills made the beef very tasty!
Overall, I think if you're looking for a local-flavored izakaya, this place is definitely worth considering! It’s a great choice that is both cheap and delicious!
This izakaya🏮 looks really nice in the photos. I was initially worried about there being no available seats, so I even checked online and found out that reservations can be made! Friends who want to go should definitely make a reservation, but I decided to try to see how many izakayas I could visit that night, so I went straight from the previous izakaya to this one!
Upon arriving at the entrance, I felt that the exterior had a pretty Japanese atmosphere, but the interior was completely empty. The owner’s English was average, so simple communication was fine, but it was difficult to ask too many questions. Additionally, when I first walked in, there was a smell of disinfectant. Even though it should mean that the owner keeps the place clean... I still felt a bit unaccustomed at first!
Later, we ordered:
❤️ Sake🍶 and whiskey🥃 with soda, along with some grilled items～
Of course, there were more dishes than just what’s in the photos. We ordered grilled chicken hearts, chicken skewers, beef skewers, and chicken cartilage…! To our surprise, everything we tried from this seemingly unassuming little place was delicious. The grilling was precise, with the right level of seasoning and doneness. Although the service wasn’t very fast, each dish arrived at just the right time to pair with our drinks, enhancing the flavor even more!
The sake🍶 was also very generous in portion and had a wide variety of options. Besides having many choices, the quality of the alcohol was also excellent!
Overall, I highly recommend this izakaya! We were all surprised that there weren’t many customers, but it could be because we went on a weekday, so if you have a specific time in mind, it’s better to make a reservation!
🔅Actual visit date: 2025/03/14
*Please do not reproduce or use photos without permission & for commercial purposes
I made a last-minute plan with a friend and found this izakaya on Google. Since it was a special holiday, there were quite a few people that day, and as soon as a table was available, customers sat right down. The interior decor is quite Japanese, it's a small space, and the lighting is a bit dim, so the food photos came out a bit dark. Below are the dishes we ordered that day.
▪️Mentaiko Chicken Thigh $140
▪️Wasabi Chicken Breast $130
▪️Mustard Matsusaka Pork $140
▪️Pork Roll with Tomato $120
▪️Salt-Grilled Zucchini $100
▪️Salmon Fried Rice $180
▪️Stir-Fried Chives with Pork Liver $140
▪️Stir-Fried Matsusaka Pork with Water Lily $150
▪️Pudding of the Hour $100
▪️Condensed Milk Dumplings $90
▪️Sayama Black Tea Plum Wine $170
▪️Green Tea Plum Wine Shawa $120
Everything was quite delicious; the mentaiko chicken thigh had a generous amount of mentaiko, and both the mustard and wasabi dishes had a nice kick (which I like). The stir-fried water lily, fried rice, and stir-fried pork liver were also good, with decent portions, but these three dishes were a bit salty—maybe intentionally so to pair with drinks (the pork liver took a long time to arrive…).
Seeing pudding at an izakaya was quite special! However, it was a bit not sweet enough haha. The texture was okay, and the dumplings were also decent, but the condensed milk and peanut powder didn't taste fragrant enough. The black tea plum wine was a bit too light, while the shawa was pretty good.
Overall, many prices were a little cheaper than expected, and the portion sizes are decent, although some items felt a bit small (like the pork skewers). The food was standard; I wouldn’t specifically revisit, but if I’m nearby, I might stop by.
P.S. That day I suddenly saw that pets were allowed, which I found to be pet-friendly~~~