🔹Appetizers and Main Dishes
Marinated Tomatoes $80

• Super tasty tomatoes, you won't be able to stop eating them; they're very appetizing and also great for refreshing your palate—definitely a must-order!

Sea Urchin Hand Roll $290

• The sea urchin is fresh and has no fishy taste, paired perfectly with seaweed and rice!

Braised Pork Rice $60

• Everyone has been recommending the braised pork rice, so I ordered a bowl to try. It has a bit more fat, but it isn't greasy at all; even my friends said it was delicious...

Seafood Fried Udon $150

• Pretty ordinary, but the udon doesn't have the texture of Sanuki udon, which I personally don’t like; it’s suitable for sharing among a group.

🔸Fried Dishes
Salted Egg Squid $260

• I already like salted egg dishes, and this one suits me quite well; the squid is fresh and tasty!

Karaage Chicken $150

• The skin is crispy, and it’s juicy when you bite into it; the portion isn't small, making it great as a drinking snack.

Thick-Cut Pork Chop $160

• The skin is quite crispy, and the flavor is average; it can be ordered or skipped.

🔹Grilled Dishes
Beef Short Ribs $180

• The meat is very tough and has a lot of fat, hard to chew—definitely do not order!!!

Beef and Scallion Skewers (2 skewers) $130

• The scallions are hard to chew, and the layer of beef outside looks like brisket but is also hard to bite through; don't order 🙅🏻.

Pepper Salt Pork Belly $250

• The thickness is just right, but there’s still a bit of a pork smell. I'm sensitive to the smell, but my friends think it’s fine.

Stir-Fried Water Lily for Health $120

• No bitter taste, which is quite good for this dish.

Mentaiko Yam $180

• The yam is coated with mentaiko sauce and then grilled; it’s grilled perfectly and has a soft texture, delicious!

Mackerel Teriyaki $320

• The mackerel is marinated in miso and grilled but still has a bit of a fishy smell; the miso sauce is quite salty but still cannot mask it.

Squid Sausage $150

• It’s pretty standard, but if it could be crisper, the texture would be even better.

🍶 Tsunji Bistro
📍 No. 117, Section 1, Lanfeng Road, Yilan City, Yilan County 260
🕓 Tuesday and Thursday 16:00–00:30; Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 16:00–01:00; closed on Wednesdays

This time we gathered at Tsunji for a meal, and our table was almost full with dishes ordered. The braised pork rice ($60) was surprisingly delicious, with a perfect balance of fat and lean meat, mixed with rice just right. The fried chicken ($150) was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, while the deep-fried cuttlefish ($260) was salty and flavorful, making it one of the recommended fried items. The seafood fried udon ($150) and the healthy stir-fried water lily ($120) had good flavors and were not too oily.

The mentaiko yam ($180) was enhanced by its grilled fragrance, with the yam being creamy; the grilled fish ($320) was cooked perfectly with a salty and delicate taste, making it something you could slowly savor. The sea urchin hand roll ($290) was paired with lettuce and seaweed, making for a refreshing and not greasy dish. The pickled tomatoes ($80) were sweet and tangy, providing a perfect balance.

However, the beef short ribs ($180) were really tough to bite into; chewing them for a while made my jaw sore. The beef scallion skewers (2 skewers for $130) were also hard to chew, so I wouldn't recommend these two. The squid sausage ($150) was mediocre, without much standout quality. The thick-cut pork chop ($160) was crispy and had good thickness, with a slightly sweet sauce that still tasted good overall.

The spicy chicken soup ($150) was mildly spicy and warm, with generous ingredients; the baby corn (5 pieces for $140) with husks had decent sweetness. For drinks, we ordered one cup of Calpis ($80) and one cup of cola ($60).

Surprisingly, the complimentary fried cod fish shreds were the most impressive, salty and crunchy, becoming increasingly addictive, quietly turning into the most sought-after snack of the evening.

The total for this meal was $3,170 for 22 dishes, perfect for a group looking to order a variety. While a few dishes were hits and misses, overall satisfaction was quite high, and the atmosphere was relaxed. I would want to visit again.

We treat the gastropub like a restaurant, and since we always go during meal times, we don't have to worry about taking the kids and disturbing others. Plus, it's likely that we'll encounter a private booking situation, which means we can avoid waiting in line and enjoy delicious dishes. I recommend this method to everyone! 😋

Today, we booked the same private area for 17:00, as it’s probably rare for people to start drinking at this time in a gastropub. 🍺 The menu offers quite a variety typical of a gastropub, including main dishes, soups, fried foods, grilled items, sashimi, and small plates. Of course, there are also many options on the drink menu. The staff informed us that the portions for main dishes and soups are meant for one person, while the other menu items are about 1-2 servings.

We, two adults and one child, ordered salmon roe fried rice, braised pork rice, stir-fried water spinach, salmon sashimi, squid sausage, fried chicken, and grilled mullet. After eating, the portions were just right, leaving us about 80-90% full.

Although there weren’t many salmon roe in the fried rice, the grains were distinct and not greasy; my daughter rated it as delicious and had two big bowls. The braised pork rice had a very homey flavor and was relatively ordinary. Surprisingly, the stir-fried water spinach was quite tasty, having a nice wok flavor along with ginger and garlic. The sashimi was fresh, but it was too expensive, costing 50 per piece, making it hard to eat more. The squid sausage had a crispy skin, and it was filled with chewy squid pieces, adding to the texture. The grilled mullet had an incredibly crispy skin, even I, who usually doesn't eat fish skin, loved it. The pickled tomatoes were refreshing and made for a nice appetizer. Among all, the fried chicken was my least favorite today; the skin was too thick and soft, though the special sauce helped it a bit.

Overall, the food was quite good, at a decent standard. My husband said that if we came with friends for drinks and paired these dishes, it would be great (too bad he had to drive today and was with his wife and child). The only downside is the pricing; it's not cheap since most people come primarily for drinks, with the food just being a pairing. It's probably rare for someone like us to order a full table of dishes without any drinks. 😂

Food quality: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
Food pricing: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
Service quality: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
Dining environment: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑