JAI宅 西門店

Foodholic Niko @ Taipei

To conclude: it's a moderately priced Italian pasta and risotto restaurant that can fill you up, but it's not particularly exquisite. It’s quite suitable for budget-conscious diners gathering, though it can get noisy when the restaurant is full, making it less ideal for those wanting a quiet chat.

"JAI宅" is a restaurant brand under the Zun Hong restaurant group, which also includes "SUNG." I recently dined at SUNG and earned some membership points, so I decided to try JAI宅 and use those points.

The "JAI宅 Ximen Store" is located near Ximen Station, about a 3-minute walk from Exit 6. It's on the second floor, tucked away in an alley, making the entrance a bit hard to find.

The restaurant is decorated mainly in beige, blue, and wood tones, mixed with green plants. The design resembles a simple European-style cottage combined with a green greenhouse, which should appeal to young women.

There are many seats available. We arrived around 5:30 PM on a weekday, and it was still quite empty, but by about 6:30 PM, the restaurant was nearly full; the business is quite good!

For couples on a date, they can order a couple’s set menu that includes a main dish, side dish, drink, and dessert for about 700 TWD per person, plus a 10% service charge.

However, since we weren’t very hungry and could use our membership points for a free order of fries, we opted for a la carte.

Sparkling Strawberry Mate Tea $120
I wasn’t very interested in this photogenic drink at first, but surprisingly, it was quite good! The sparkling sensation is mild, without the intense feel of carbonated drinks. The herbal taste of the mate tea is not strong, and it has small pieces of strawberries inside, making it taste sweet and tangy, which young girls would love!

JAI Fresh Fried Fries $160 (point redemption, so $0)
The fries are topped with some cheese powder, and while they don’t look great, I think they are well-fried. They are crispy when hot, and it comes with regular ketchup. It would be nice to have a more interesting dipping sauce.

Orange Sauce Italian Herb Mussel Clam Pasta $299, Orange Sauce Chef's Roasted Chicken Thigh Pasta $330
The orange sauce seemed to be the restaurant’s recommendation, so both of us chose dishes with this sauce. The staff said it’s made from a base of white sauce combined with many vegetables and fruits, but to us, it tasted like a mix of white and red sauces, haha. It wasn't bad, and its sourness was quite appetizing, although it became a bit rich towards the end.

Although the mussels were large, there were only three; luckily, there were some clam meat-like items inside, so it wasn’t too empty. However, the mussels had a slight fishy taste, which could use a squeeze of lemon to tone it down. The roasted chicken thigh was a nice size and seemed to be marinated with Italian herbs before roasting, making it quite tender; next time, I’d choose the roasted chicken thigh again!

P.S. You can add noodles for free, making it quite suitable for budget-conscious diners! (But for women with normal appetites, adding noodles might be too filling?)

Overall, the restaurant's decor gives a comfortable feel, but the dining atmosphere can be quite noisy. The food is acceptable and not unpleasant, but it doesn't leave a strong desire to return.