跨力
The izakaya in Jiaoxi that has been on my wishlist for a while is only open from Thursday to Sunday. I knew the place wasn't very big, so I made a reservation in advance to check it out this time.
Their entrance is quite understated; I drove past it before realizing where it was. You have to look for it. There are some parking spaces nearby, and within a 5-minute walk, there are two parking lots to choose from, making parking relatively convenient.
For drinks, aside from draft beer, which needs to be ordered at the counter, you can help yourself to other items from the fridge. Next to the fridge, there are many different sizes of bowls, plates, and utensils available for self-service.
The menu reminded me of an old photo album, with a focus on grilled items. There was a limited menu on the table for the day, and it recommended that grilled fish be a must-try. Today’s menu featured red/black throat, so I asked the owner (or perhaps the hostess) for a recommendation, and she said the black throat looked better today. We ordered it, and the meat was tender and quite tasty. She also recommended the loofah clam noodles as a specialty, and it was a super generous portion that left all three of us very full. Loofah and clams are always a great pairing, and it tasted pretty good. We also ordered the lamb chops; there was minimal gamey flavor, although there was a bit of gristle in the middle that was hard to chew. Other parts were well-seasoned, and the toughness of the beef skewers matched their name, requiring more chewing but delicious while biting down. The zucchini was quite juicy, and the baby corn was fairly standard.
Overall, the grilled items were quite good, and I liked the draft beer, but aside from grilled items, there were fewer options to choose from, making it a suitable izakaya for a small drink. However, a friend accidentally drank some strange-tasting Beautiful Fruit and later found out the juice was expired, which was a bit shocking. I hope they pay more attention to that in the future.