This Japanese restaurant is located in a small town in New Jersey. While passing through NJ, I wanted to have Japanese cuisine for lunch and found this place online.
As soon as I entered, I saw the lucky cat, a typical Japanese restaurant mascot. Looking up, I noticed the plaque that said "Nichi Shin Tōkin," which complements the mascot nicely.
They happened to have a lunch set (bento) available to order. I ordered the teriyaki chicken bento. I also ordered grilled squid for sharing. The kids were clamoring for "edamame." Perfect, because edamame is one of my favorites as well.
Before the main course, we enjoyed an appetizer salad. The miso soup was quite good, with small pieces of tofu and seaweed. We quickly finished off the edamame.
The grilled squid was served. I noticed the chopsticks cleverly placed in a folded napkin, resembling origami, so I took a photo to study it first.
Picking up the chopsticks and eating the grilled squid made it even more delicious.
The teriyaki chicken lunch was served in a square bento box. There were plenty of side dishes, including dumplings and California avocado sushi. Although the chicken wasn’t grilled, it was well-seasoned. I enjoyed every bite, and the taste lingered on my palate.
After such a satisfying meal, I will definitely come back next time I pass through. I would also recommend it to everyone.
Taipei Neihu - A family-style Japanese restaurant offering set meals, hot pot, curry, and more. The grilled mackerel is exceptional!
📍 Grilled Mackerel Set NT$168
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌘
The mackerel is rich in oil, grilled to a crispy perfection, delicious! It's served with pepper salt which adds a great aroma, and drizzling lemon juice enhances the flavor even more.
The salad dressing is a Japanese-style vinaigrette, tangy and refreshing!
The pickled vegetable is white radish, which has a strange taste.
The miso soup is slightly sweet and a bit salty.
The white rice is ordinary, cooked a bit too soft and wet.
📍 Fresh Shrimp Chawanmushi NT$58
🌕🌕🌕🌘🌑
The chawanmushi contains fish cake and shiitake mushrooms, overall a bit watery with a sweet flavor from the broth; it’s slightly salty but acceptable.
▶️ Environment
🔹 5 four-person tables and 1 two-person table for dine-in, 5 individual counter seats
🔹 The decor style is very Japanese
🔹 Free barley tea is available for self-service
🔹 Cutlery is self-service
🔻 The environment is a little stuffy
▶️ Helpful reminders
🔹 Find a seat upon entering, there are menus on the tables to fill out.
🔹 Pay after the meal, mobile payments are accepted (EasyCard, AllPay, Taiwan Pay, and Street Payment).
▶️ Overall rating
🔹 The quality of the meals is quite good; I liked the grilled mackerel as it’s not too salty and rich in oil. Unfortunately, the environment is not very comfortable. Overall, the price is reasonable!
This time I came to the well-known Japanese set meal chain, Daohutian, for lunch. There were quite a few people, so I had to take a number and wait for a little while.
I ordered the grilled chicken donburi, and the side dishes were a plate of cold dishes and pickled radish. The miso soup could be refilled, but I personally felt that the flavor was not quite right. The side dishes were decent. As for the main dish, I didn’t really get the grilled flavor; it was just an ordinary chicken rice bowl, nothing special.
Overall, it was acceptable, but it’s just of the standard quality you’d expect from an average chain.
📍Located in the Guanghua Digital Plaza, the store's decor is quite interesting, the seafood is fresh, and the prices are reasonable, making for a good business.
🍽️ Environment
There are plenty of seats inside, and there is also a second floor available. Due to the decor, the distance and privacy between tables are quite good. However, the height of the chairs does not match well with the tables, requiring some bending over. You can make online reservations in advance or wait for a table on-site. Once seated, you can order using a QR code, and if you join the store's group, you can show your phone screen to receive the group's gifts for the day. The serving speed is not very fast, but you can drink miso soup and lemonade while waiting. There is a 10% service charge for dining in.
🍣 Meals
▪️ Explosive Fish Bowl $390
This time I ordered the Explosive Fish Bowl, initially thinking it would be similar to the seafood bowl from Donburi, but it turned out to be even more extravagant when served. It has four types of sashimi totaling 20 slices, two shrimp, some salmon roe, and a soft-boiled egg. The fish and vinegared rice are served separately, so it doesn’t really qualify as a traditional donburi🤣.
Perhaps expecting customers might take their time eating, the sashimi was placed on a bed of crushed ice to maintain freshness. The fish quality was quite good, with no chewiness or sinewy texture, and the fat distribution was decent. However, 20 slices felt like too much for me, and I got a bit tired of it by the end. I ended up asking the store for a box to take five slices home to cook with noodles😅.
The soft-boiled egg was also quite good; pouring it over the vinegared rice made it easy to finish the rice. The miso soup, although a bit strong in flavor, was not overly salty.
😁 Overall, the experience was quite nice. Aside from the uncomfortable chairs, the overall meals and atmosphere made me willing to return!
🔅Actual dining date: 2024/08/24
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It's been a while since I've saved this (Ba De store), and this time I chose to eat at this branch due to the location. After a careful search, I found that they share the same address; the first floor is for seafood rice bowls, while the second floor is the original sushi restaurant (reservation only, no menu). On Google, they show up as two different landmarks. Below is a brief introduction of the dishes.
▪️Special Assorted Seafood Bowl $590
·Less rice·Additional salmon sashimi/2 pieces $80
The seafood bowl includes salmon, trout roe, tuna, tuna paste, sea urchin, sweet shrimp, flame-grilled scallops, flame-grilled flounder, mackerel, red snapper, tamagoyaki, and one kind that has shrimp roe on top (some items may be seasonal fish, so it varies). Since I love salmon, I ordered an extra portion.
I must say, when it was served, it looked really good!!! The plating was beautiful, and there were many items ~ I think it was normal tasty, the sweet items were sweet and nothing was soft or hard to bite, the trout roe and tuna paste paired excellently with the rice, and I was most surprised that there was even sea urchin with no strange taste—it was sweet, and the sushi rice flavor was just right for me (not a fan of too sour).
▪️Fish Bone Miso Soup $60
▪️Mentaiko Fried Chicken $180
The fish soup had decent chunks of meat (all the meat near the bones that you need to gnaw at); the fish was fragrant, but the miso soup itself was quite light. The fried chicken was very delicious with juicy meat, and the mentaiko flavor was strong.
The following were ordered by friends:
▪️Sweet Shrimp, Sea Urchin, and Scallop Bowl $660
▪️Sea Urchin Hand Roll $280
▪️Plain Chawanmushi $60
▪️Clam Miso Soup $60
▪️A la carte: Red Snapper Sashimi $80, Tuna Sashimi $90, Snow Crab Legs $120
▪️Passion Fruit Sours $180
Friend's thoughts: Sea urchin was okay, miso soup was lighter, crab legs weren't what I expected, and the passion fruit was really low in alcohol content but overall I felt the quality did not match the price. (For your reference)
Overall, it's a once-visit kind of place, I wouldn't proactively return (but it’s not bad), as there should be many options at the same price range. The dining environment is nice. However, on the day I visited, I don’t know if there weren’t enough staff or if it’s usually like this; there was only one person on the first floor handling reception, seating, taking orders, serving, and even clearing tables, and their hands must have touched a lot of things. They even stacked plates before taking them away from the table, which I’m not very used to at this price point and atmosphere. However, the staff’s attitude was very good. The dining time of only one hour felt a bit short—suitable for serious dining but not for casual chatting. The business was quite good that day, it was a holiday lunch. For everyone's reference.
Although I wouldn’t proactively return, I’d give it three stars because I would be willing to recommend this place if someone asked me. The rest is for individual evaluation.
·Reservation is recommended
·Additional 10% service charge / Dining limit of 60 minutes
❤️ The takoyaki with a whole octopus was not as delicious as I had imagined...
Each post includes actual dining photos, even if it’s just a picture of a drink, to prevent some users from pretending to dine out without including food pictures.
Overall rating: 🌕🌗🌑🌑🌑
📍 Located inside the Sanhe Night Market, I have somewhat forgotten the exact location, but it is situated on the central walkway.
🚗 If you’re driving, I recommend not parking at the Ping An Street parking lot, as cars can occasionally be moved. It’s better to park at the Justice Elementary School parking lot (30 TWD/hour) or the Guangxing Elementary School parking lot (30 TWD/hour).
🏍️ Motorcycles are mostly parked in the alleys near the Sanhe Night Market.
💬 To conclude, if you want to eat takoyaki at Sanhe Night Market, there are three other options to choose from. Although the ingredients are a bit different (a whole small octopus/squid pieces), I would recommend those over this one.
The only selling point is that it has a whole small octopus in it. The owner was vaping while preparing it (shown in the last photo). It was a friend of mine who wanted to eat here; otherwise, I would have just walked away upon seeing that...
Additionally, there is a wait time of about 5-8 minutes, so be prepared to wait.
The shop offers six different flavors you can choose from.
Food quality: 🌕🌗🌑🌑🌑
Service quality: 🌕🌗🌑🌑🌑
Restaurant atmosphere: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
Value for money: 🌕🌗🌑🌑🌑
📍 No. 26, Zhongyang North Road, Sanchong District, New Taipei City
☎️ None
⏰ 17:00 - 23:00
💰 No service charge
🚇 You can take the MRT to Taipei Bridge Station, which is only a 3-minute walk to Sanhe Night Market, and then about a five-minute walk into the market.
For detailed food reviews, please continue reading below ❤️
Taipei Neihu has very high CP value seafood bowls, which come with soup, side dishes, and drinks, and you can even refill the soup—it's amazing! This location is the first store near the Huguang Market, and there are two other stores closer to Neihu MRT Station.
📍 Sashimi Bowl NT$280
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌖
If you’re hesitant about eating raw shrimp, I recommend this dish; it has a generous assortment of sashimi piled on sushi rice. The highlight of this dish is the seared tuna pieces sprinkled with chopped green onions. It also comes with small clams, black beans, and tamagoyaki, making it very hearty and sincere. With the added kumquat lemon, it enhances the flavor even more!
Ordering a main dish comes with a side of soup and side dishes.
The soup is very satisfying, filled with clams, a bit of fish meat, and shrimp. If you want more, you can refill the soup.
The side dishes include edamame and broccoli, which are also great! You can refill the edamame too!
📍 Cheng Food Bowl NT$270
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌖
The most popular bowl comes with an extra raw shrimp; the other ingredients are similar to the Sashimi Bowl, except it doesn’t include the seared tuna pieces.
📍 Chawanmushi NT$60
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
It has a shrimp on top, and the egg is very tender without being too salty, plus the fillings are abundant!
▶️ Environment
🔹 The indoor seating is not too large, with about 8 bar seats for solo diners and 3-4 four-person tables (some are in a separate area).
🔹 The decor has a very Japanese style, comfortable and clean (it was recently renovated).
🔹 Free hot barley tea is available.
🔹 Cutlery is self-served at the table.
▶️ Gentle Reminder
🔹 You need to wait in line for staff to take you in (wait outside), place your order first then pay.
🔹 Cash only.
▶️ Overall Evaluation
🔹 This place is a well-known Japanese seafood bowl restaurant in Neihu with an excellent reputation. I have been here many times; the soup that comes for free is really generous, and you can choose from a can of drinks from the fridge! I highly recommend it for those who love seafood bowls!
The name of this Google Map location is incorrect; the shop has already changed its name.
This place offers some bento boxes and freshly made dishes, and it gets very crowded during meal times. If you're ordering a freshly made dish, it's recommended to call ahead to avoid wasting time waiting.
This time I ordered stir-fried pork with udon, and overall, the taste was a bit salty; they probably added too much sauce. The pork was just meat slices, which were acceptable. The udon was stir-fried a bit too soft and didn't have much chewiness.
Overall, it was still okay, but it would be better if the flavor could be a bit milder.
Summary: 🌕🌕🌕🌖🌑
Dickson's Fooday food blog update!
This time, I visited an affordable Japanese restaurant~~
Located on Yanji Street next to Zhongxiao Dunhua,
and you can also make reservations online! 🌟🌟
The atmosphere inside is quite nice~
There were many friends accompanying me that day,
so we made a reservation in advance—when we arrived, we found out there was a private booth as well!!! Amazing!!! 👍👍👍
Additionally, this restaurant is also quite advanced,
as they currently use a QR code scanning system for online ordering!
And the online ordering part is pretty detailed—
it lists what can be added to each dish!
So ordering is very convenient!
(You can also secretly send it to friends who are late and ask them to order online with you! 🤣🤣🤣)
However, it’s a pity that although there is online ordering,
they prefer you not to use online checkout.
It feels like the automation is only halfway done; it’s a bit of a shame~ 🥲
The Japanese cuisine at this restaurant is quite basic;
everything that should be there is present~
Moreover, the flavors and ingredients are good and fresh! 👍
I would give it a good rating in this aspect~
You can also freely add toppings or other ingredients
to create your ultimate personalized Japanese dish~
A rice bowl can be turned into an exceptionally luxurious seafood combination!
It's just too bad that the prices are a bit high~
But with convenient transportation, a pleasant atmosphere, and delicious food,
there's really not much to complain about!
Food: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
Drinks: 🌕🌕🌕🌖🌑
Atmosphere: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
Service: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
Price: 🌕🌕🌕🌘🌑
Location: 🌕🌕🌕🌖🌑
🤪🤪 Dickson's Food Blog 🤪🤪
There are many eateries on Yanji Street,
after all, it’s a top-tier competition zone in the Zhongxiao Dunhua East District.
Without a bit of strength,
you might just disappear in the crowd! 🥺
This restaurant can be considered a very safe dining option~
If you’re shopping in the East District with friends,
or if you meet for dinner before moving on to other plans,
this Japanese restaurant is a very safe choice for a dinner outing.
As long as you’re not averse to Japanese cuisine,
most people should be able to accept it~
It’s great for after completing your earlier plans,
having dinner, and then continuing on to drinks—
it’s a perfect mid-point!
After spending an afternoon shopping,
both of you would need to take a break,
share thoughts from the afternoon~
Then after eating and drinking enough, you can transition to a more exciting night! 😍😍😍😍(!?
So it all depends on how you plan it~~~~ ❤️
📍Summary: If I were to dine here again, I think I would still come back, but the probability of choosing this place while passing by might be slightly lower, mainly because there are too many other options nearby that might be a bit more affordable.
☕️This time I came mainly to enjoy afternoon tea!
(So the average spending is just for reference; I personally think an average of $500 per person is more appropriate!)
Looking at the rich menu in the store, they actually have both main dishes and snacks, but when coming here with friends, we mainly wanted to relax, rest, and chat. So we ordered some small dishes to pair with tea, simply spending a few minutes of our break time.
Although it is a restaurant in a bookstore, the environment is not very quiet (too many people). The tea and small dishes can be enjoyed slowly while chatting. It feels like a suitable place to enjoy meals, but in terms of price... I think there are other better options nearby. Indeed, we chose this place because other restaurants were full or had long waiting times. For me, this place is not my top choice.
P.S. If you want a quieter spot, you might consider the other restaurant next door, but it is a bit more expensive 💸
I saw others ordering pancakes, which I've heard are good and look delicious, but this time my friend wanted something savory 🤷. Next time, I’d like to try the main dishes and pancakes 👀.
👇I will leave the details of this meal below!