[Foodholic Niko @ Taichung]
When the weather gets cold, I really crave hot foods like oden. A friend recommended this place called "Ah Hua Black Wheel" located in Fengjia Night Market (it seems to have two locations).
At the entrance, there's a stall with an enormous pot of oden, filled with a wide variety of ingredients, including whole foods and hot pot items.
We didn’t check the prices and randomly picked enough food for three people, including cabbage rolls, mushrooms, tofu pouches, radish, chikuwa, fish ball tofu, and more. The total cost was around $300, which I personally think isn’t too expensive; it’s quite affordable.
For takeout, the vendor asks whether you want the soup packaged separately and whether you want the sauce to be spicy. The soup they give you is really generous, so if you want hot soup, you're in luck!
However, after bringing it home, we found that the oden and the soup had gotten a bit cold, and they were at room temperature, which took away some of the joy of eating oden.
The conclusion after eating:
I think the broth itself was quite good, but it's a pity that it was cold.
The ingredients tasted average, with nothing particularly surprising, but nothing was bad either.
Highly recommend the sauce!!!!!!!!! It’s really unique; I’ve never had this type of sauce in other oden places. It's a reddish-orange color, and at first, I thought it might be spicy, but it actually isn't. It has a strong peanut flavor (be careful if you have a peanut allergy), and dipping the oden in it elevates the taste to a whole new level!
Without the dipping sauce, I'd rate the oden about 2.5 stars, but with this sauce, I have to give it 3.5 stars!
🌟 Ni Tian Oden: A Culinary Journey in the Japanese Alley 🌟
Visiting Ni Tian Oden feels like an instant time travel to the serene alleys of Japan. The exquisite decor and strong Japanese ambiance inside isolate the hustle and bustle of the city, inviting every diner to savor pure beauty with tranquility.
📍 Store Information
Address: No. 7, Alley 29, Lane 295, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, Taipei City 106
Business Hours: 17:00 - 22:30
Transport: 3-minute walk from Zhongxiao Dunhua Station on the Taipei Metro
Golden and crispy on the outside, each bite produces an enticing crunch. The chicken is tender and juicy, complemented by a hint of sharpness from the yellow onion dust, instantly enhancing the flavor. The salty and savory intertwine in a rich layer of taste, making it an absolute must-try delicacy.
Price: NT$30 - NT$80 per item
Each piece of oden has its own story:
Cabbage Roll (NT$60): Wrapped in a plump layer, the broth spreads a familiar and warm aroma.
Fried Tofu (NT$40): Plain on the outside, smooth and silky within.
Potato (NT$80): Dense and water-absorbing, round and full.
Radish (NT$70): Marinated and flavorful, conveying traditional Japanese taste.
Tofu Pouch (NT$30): Mildly sweet, warming the heart.
A platter seems like a miniature adventure for the taste buds, inviting you to savor every ounce of warmth.
The slightly fatty chashu is elegantly laid over the white rice, with rich Japanese mayonnaise exuding a strong sauce aroma. During grilling, the fragrance of scallions fills the air, triggering a feast for the taste buds. Every bite is a perfect symphony of meat and sauce.
Summary: A Warm Journey of Flavors ✨
Ni Tian Oden is not just a restaurant; it is a blossoming experience of flavors in the city. The light yet satisfying dishes temporarily pause the hectic city life, inviting you to linger and savor the beauty of life.
🍱 Looking forward to your delicious exploration! 🍱
I stopped by a new store I saw while passing by, but I'm not sure if they still have those promotions now. For spending over a hundred, you get to spin a wheel and I landed on rice pudding.
At first glance at the menu, I thought, "Whoa... that's a bit pricey." Are "oden" this expensive now? But after receiving the meal, I was like, "Wow, that’s a lot!"
I had already eaten a soup bun nearby, so I thought I’d just buy a simple set meal for two to take home (mainly I wanted some soup). I looked at the menu and didn't know what to choose, so I went for the cheapest set meal at 100 NT dollars.
When I opened it at home, I found that the whole bowl was packed full of ingredients. Although there’s no meat, one person can actually feel full. If you have a big appetite, you can choose a set with a main dish and definitely be satisfied.
In terms of taste, the texture and seasoning are quite average. The soup base isn’t anything special either. However, considering the value for money, it's not bad.
Underneath the Siwei Road Bridge
There is another restaurant upstairs
Probably from the same group
This time we're eating Oden
🍚 Mapo Tofu
This dish is quite good
🍚
🍜 Tonkotsu Ramen with Pork Belly
Very similar to Pot-Stew Ramen
🍅 Tomato Beef Rice
Very nice ~ the tomatoes are well-seasoned, not just sauce made from ketchup
There's plenty of beef! It's also stewed to a tender texture, easy to chew
The rice is topped with a layer of omelet, delicious 😋
All the Oden is very tasty
The soup isn't salty
One of our friends ordered the meatballs twice 🤣
🥬 Vegetable Tofu was surprisingly good,
It was very flavorful! This was quite impressive
🥕 The radish was juicy and delicious
🍄🟫 A huge mushroom
The business is booming!
After 10:30, a lot of people came!
If you want to eat, it's recommended to come early, so you won't have to wait too long~
Memories of Middle School Wealth Car - Victory Swordfish Tempura, located on the side of Shengli Road of Datong High School in Pingtung City, this sweet tempura stall on a small blue truck is always especially popular in the afternoon. The truck serves a variety of oden, along with fried swordfish tempura and tempura slices, all at very affordable prices, making it a cherished memory for many people in Pingtung.
A piece of fried tempura slice costs five dollars, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and it's delicious with a bit of pepper salt. The daikon in the oden is very flavorful, and the vegetable rolls, rice blood cake, and meatballs are the signature items that must be ordered every time you visit.
There is also miso soup available for self-service, with some tofu and small dried fish in the broth, enhanced with onions and spring onions for flavor. It's a simple but tasty budget-friendly delicacy. 😋
Although there are not many oden shops in Taitung City, this particular one definitely handles the ingredients well!
From the moment you walk into the shop, you can see a variety of oden ingredients clearly displayed in a bright area. The dining space is very spacious, and there is a well-behaved red poodle. The presentation of the dishes when they arrive at the table is also impressive. Typically, food at oden shops in Taiwan is arranged quite randomly, but dining here gives you the illusion that you are really eating oden in Japan. 😂
The ingredients themselves taste quite fresh, and the flavors are very mild and healthy. So, for those who enjoy stronger flavors, you’ll need to add a lot of oden sauce. However, if you take your time to savor it and drink the broth, you can actually taste the sweetness of the soup.
The reason I didn't give it a perfect score is that while the broth has a touch of sweetness, I think it could be improved. Delicious food should make you want to eat more and more. I hope there is still room for further improvement.
A must-visit in autumn and winter! This soup shop not only offers a light and smooth broth but also fills you with warmth on cold nights.
The owner is super friendly, and there's a variety of dishes to choose from. The food comes out quickly, so you can satisfy your hunger in no time! The best part is that the prices are relatively cheap in Taichung, making it a lifesaver at the end of the month!
There are only outdoor seats, located next to the Water Resources Building, and it’s one of the favorite spots for local students. The soup can be taken in unlimited refills for free, truly a great value! Come and experience it; let this bowl of soup be your best companion in autumn and winter!
(If you like it salty, you can ask the owner for extra sauce!!!)
"As my business trip came to an end and I returned to Beitou, I suddenly felt like exploring the nightlife and looking for good food. So, I started riding around on a YouBike and stumbled upon a roadside stall that caught my attention, so I went over..." by Younger Brother
<About the meal experience after dining 🥣>
The oden tasted bland in its original flavor!! Remember to ask the owner for dipping sauce; although you can still taste a hint of the broth's bonito flavor in the original, the soup base is also very mild... The ingredients on site are very fresh, and the owner is very enthusiastic, saying: just tell me what you want. That is very comforting to hear for a busy office worker after a long day. As for the food I ordered, I can only say... it doesn’t have much flavor, but the ingredients were quite fresh without any bad smell.
<About the decor and environment on-site 🐾>
The decor on-site is very old, and the indoor space only has a fan, making it quite hot. The environment seemed ordinary but at least there were no cockroaches."
This is a place you can eat at when you don't know what to eat and just happen to pass by.
It’s the kind of place that exists without needing to make a special trip.
It can also be considered a beloved spot for many Tainan students during their time here,
serving the flavors of living in Tainan—a taste of nostalgia.
The black wheel (a type of food) is too soft and mushy because it's been stewed too long. Not recommended.
The radish is pretty good, it's soft and tender.
The stir-fried instant noodles are just the same as the Uni-President braised noodles 😂, not going to taste bad.
If we’re talking about “stir-fried,” I actually think it’s just boiled noodles with added ingredients.
The oden prices are relatively cheap for a big bowl👌
For stir-fried instant noodles, I think it’s better to just eat pot-stewed noodles instead 🤣; it might have a higher cost-performance ratio.
Foodholic Niko @ Taipei
Have you ever eaten oden inside a century-old historic building?
"Maruyama Station" is a new Japanese oden restaurant that opened in July this year, located near Maruyama Station (Isn't it a nice match with the restaurant's name!). When you exit from Exit 2, it's right across the street, and the exterior has a very Japanese style, making it easy to recognize.
You are required to remove your shoes before entering, and the interior is very Japanese, reminiscent of tatami. There are seating areas where you sit on the floor, as well as tables. As soon as you step inside, you feel a refreshing atmosphere that makes you feel like you've arrived in Japan in an instant.
The oden is sweet and tasty, with each item being quite flavorful. Honestly, everything is delicious! If I had to choose, my favorites are: daikon $40, cabbage roll $65, fish roe pouch $40, egg fry (similar to thick egg omelet) $35, and baby bok choy $40.
I added yuzu sauce $10. It was quite good, and alternating it with the free oden sauce was not bad, but honestly, if you don't want to pay extra, the original oden sauce is already amazing.
P.S. There's also Dongquan sauce.
For fried items, we ordered New Taiwan Fried (similar to sweet potato tempura) $35 and Golden Sand Squid Tempura $45. Personally, I feel the cost-performance ratio isn't very high. The taste is okay, but the portion is really small (I was a bit shocked when it arrived), so relatively speaking, it's a bit expensive. I'd rather use the same amount of money to order more oden.
Noodle soup $40 consists of noodles and a few slices of vegetables. It tastes standard, but the fact that the noodles don’t have a strange oily taste is commendable, and the soup is very delicious. If you don’t want to order noodle soup, there's also free broth available for self-service.
The "Sake Machine" is really novel! It's a machine I haven't seen elsewhere; for $100, you can exchange it for 3 tokens. Each token can be exchanged for a type of alcohol, which is 20ml. We tried matcha plum wine and passion fruit wine, both were very delicious, along with another sake, which was a bit too strong for my taste. It seems I’m still better off with sweeter drinks 😂.
Overall, with such an environment and atmosphere, the food is also above average, and it’s filling. Splitting the cost for two people came to less than $200 each. Highly recommended!
