Step back in time to a 1931 retro restaurant—unique teriyaki sauce makes fried skewers less greasy

Text & Photos /by mon

The alleys near Zhongshan MRT Station are crisscrossed, and due to historical context, this area hides many Japanese restaurants, including sushi spots, barbecue joints, and more. This time, I received an invitation from Era 1931 Izakaya to dine at this newly opened Japanese pub. It’s located in Chifeng Street, not far from Zhongshan MRT Station—just a 3–5 minute walk away—making it very convenient for transportation.

The restaurant is built with red bricks and tiles, exuding a strong old-house vibe. After asking around, I learned that it was formerly a ramune (Japanese soda) factory during the Japanese colonial period. That makes it even more fascinating—turns out Taipei once had ramune factories too. Nowadays, such factories seem to have gradually disappeared, and you can only find ramune at small specialty shops.<。

Let’s travel back to the 1931 era—GO.

As soon as you step inside, you’re greeted by the giant ship Chifeng Maru. The big ship~~~ is setting sail, probably symbolizing hopes for a bountiful catch to serve fresh seafood to guests. Walking further in, you’ll find the kitchen’s open counter area, where chefs grill and prepare dishes. Designing the counter in the shape of a ship is super creative and ties in perfectly with the era’s theme.

The chairs on the first floor are designed to resemble ship mooring posts—pretty fun and thematic.

The red and white lanterns inside the first-floor interior give off a nostalgic street-food stall vibe. The atmosphere here at night must be great.

The front hall on the second floor has a completely different style, incorporating industrial elements and offering a more spacious and comfortable space. The pipes on the walls are the original ones used to transport soda back in the day—they’ve been preserved.

Private room
At the back of the second floor, there’s a very secluded Japanese-style private room, likely reserved for group guests.

This corner spot will probably be more popular at night—no tables or chairs on either side, so you can enjoy this hidden nook all to yourself. It really captures the charm and mood of the old days.

Edamame appetizer
Did you notice the edamame looks a bit darker? Take a bite, and you’ll taste soy sauce—apparently, the edamame is pre-marinated. It’s flavorful, salty, and has a moist texture. Delicious.

Premium dishes, tofu dishes, sashimi

Skewers, salad

Grilled
Besides skewers, this place offers the most variety in grilled items—seafood, beef, pork, chicken—you name it. All are grilled to order and pair perfectly with beer.

● 《ET News Cloud》 reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, don’t drive if you’ve been drinking.

Main dishes, desserts
If you’re in the mood for rice or noodles, check out this page—options include grilled rice balls, sushi, stir-fried noodles, and more. For desserts, there are two choices, both with a distinctly Japanese flair.

Beer, sours, juice sodas
Since 1931 was formerly a ramune factory, it makes sense they serve soda. It’d be even more atmospheric if they started selling ramune again XD

Drink menu
The bar offers Japanese sake, plum wine, and shochu, with shochu being a rarer find. It’s diluted 1:1 with water at 20% alcohol content—great for those trying it for the first time.

● 《ET News Cloud》 reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, don’t drive if you’ve been drinking.

Skewers always taste better with the right sauce—each skewer joint has its own secret recipe, and flavors vary. Era 1931 mixes Worcestershire sauce with fresh fruits and spices. You’ll see how it tastes soon XD. And for hygiene, please avoid dipping already-bitten skewers back into the sauce. No one wants to eat your spit—dip before taking a bite.

Tuna tartare skewers $380
It’s pretty normal to have tuna sashimi at a Japanese izakaya. It’s served in delicate little bamboo baskets and wooden buckets, giving off a refined and thoughtful vibe. The irregularly shaped pieces of tuna sashimi shimmer with an inviting color. Dipping them in a bit of wasabi enhances the flavor even more. One bite of fresh tuna, followed by a sip of soda, is truly delightful.

Cranberry Soda & Almond Pineapple Soda – $140
Since it’s an izakaya, most of the drinks they serve contain alcohol. If you don’t want to drink too much alcohol, sodas are actually a pretty good option. Most of the soda drinks at Era 1931 are fruit-flavored and come in cute transparent glass jars. The colors look vibrant and cheerful, and many flavors aren’t something you’d find elsewhere—like almond pineapple, orange fruit, and even a coffee soda that sounds pretty cool. You can definitely give those a try, but I will say, after drinking them, we felt the alcohol content might be a bit higher here.

Salmon Cream Cheese – $140
When this side dish was served, a question popped into my head: where’s the salmon? All I could see were chunks of white cheese and slices of red cured meat. Yep, that red cured meat is actually salmon. It was really unexpected—I’d never seen salmon prepared like this before. This combination actually tastes amazing. The rich yet not overly heavy cheese is the highlight of this dish, with a smooth, chewy texture contrasted by the firm crispness of the cured meat. It’s absolutely perfect as a drinking snack—definitely a must-order.

Grilled Mentaiko – $240
I couldn’t wait to order the mentaiko the moment I saw it on the menu. When it arrived, it looked super tempting and reminded me of the mentaiko I’d had in Japan. But because the portion wasn’t big enough to share among our large group, by the time I realized what I was missing, the plate was already empty. So disappointing.

Sashimi Platter – $520
Since we were a rather large group, we decided to go for a mixed sashimi platter as well. It included tuna, salmon, and kingfish, with about three slices of each. The sashimi platter changes based on seasonal ingredients, and generally features around five types. But the most unique item was the bamboo tube octopus. It wasn’t served whole, but cut into slices. It had a very chewy texture, which stood out. I’d recommend it if you’re a fan of octopus.

Pork Minced Miso on Lettuce – $120
This is probably more of an appetizer. On a wooden spoon, there’s minced pork mixed with miso. When eating, you scoop some miso and wrap it in a piece of lettuce. The fresh lettuce is crisp and juicy, and pairs perfectly with the slightly salty miso. I’d definitely recommend this one.

Chicken Meatballs – $120
These are the restaurant’s signature skewered item. They’re tender, savory, and make for a great drinking snack.

Free-Range Chicken – $120/skewer, Premium Beef Neck – $160/skewer
These are skewers grilled to order. This time we only ordered two types: beef neck and chicken thigh. The free-range chicken had a pretty tender texture.

For dipping sauces, there are mentaiko sauce and mayonnaise. It just depends on your preference. I personally prefer the mentaiko sauce—it really gives off that authentic izakaya skewer vibe when you dip and eat it.

Mega Sushi Platter – $500
This is the only sushi item on the menu. When it was served, it reminded me of the mountainous battleship sushi I once had in Japan. The portion was seriously overflowing. This mega sushi platter has multiple layers of nori-wrapped sushi at the bottom, topped with tuna tartare, sea urchin, salmon roe, and shredded crab meat. The portion is incredibly generous and the seafood tasted super fresh. Adding a slice of ginger or a dab of wasabi makes it even better.

Grilled Salmon Rice Ball – $70
This was ordered by a friend. Just one ball per order. The salmon tartare is wrapped inside a rice ball and then grilled. The aroma was super enticing. But since we only ordered one, I didn’t feel right asking to share it.

Thinly Sliced Squid – $380
This was a sashimi item recommended by the staff. Fresh squid is thinly sliced and arranged beautifully on the plate—about ten or so slices. It’s served with the restaurant’s special orange-yuzu sauce. That sauce has a unique flavor. I’ve had yuzu sauce before, but the addition of orange gives it a slight tanginess, making it great for whetting the appetite in summer.

Sake-Steamed Clams – $220
Since someone in our group is a clam lover, we ordered the sake-steamed clams. In addition to the clams, there are also quite a few mushrooms in the dish. The broth has the briny flavor of the clams plus the sweetness from the mushrooms. Eating the clam meat along with the mushrooms is actually really nice.

Crab Roe Tamagoyaki – $280
I’d had crab roe tamagoyaki in Japan before, and that sweet flavor stuck with me. So when I saw it on the menu here, I ordered it as well. When it was served, I noticed the preparation method was a bit different. Here, they use tamagoyaki and mix in a generous amount of crab meat. It’s soft and silky in texture, and the egg flavor becomes richer and more fragrant the more you chew. The sweetness also becomes more pronounced. Paired with the delicious crab roe, it adds even more texture to the dish.

Soju – $320
Soju, the kind you usually only see in period dramas, is also available at Era 1931. I remember seeing a similar teapot back home XDDD. The soju here comes in a pot, and the alcohol content is fairly high. Even though it’s diluted, those who don’t usually drink a lot should be careful—you might get tipsy after just one cup. Compared to soda, I personally prefer soda, as the bitterness of soju is more noticeable. But it’s probably really warming to drink in winter.

● 《ET News Cloud》 reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, and don’t drive after drinking.

Old-School Fried Noodles – $180
I ordered this dish mainly because of its quirky name—everyone was curious to try what old-school stir-fried noodles actually taste like. When it arrived, it looked quite similar to Japan’s soy sauce stir-fried noodles, with a generous sprinkle of dried bonito flakes on top. The air was filled with the aroma of soy sauce mingled with bonito, making my mouth water just from the smell. The noodles were smooth and well-seasoned. Compared to what I’ve had in Japan, the flavor here was much milder—actually a good thing, otherwise it would have been so salty I’d be chugging water nonstop.

Fried Mushrooms, Fried Red Ginger – $40
Next up were the restaurant’s signature skewered deep-fried items. I think we ordered quite a few varieties, but since we shared them, there were some I didn’t get to try.

Fried Mushrooms
The mushrooms were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, locking in their moisture perfectly. One bite released a burst of umami sweetness—absolutely delicious, highly recommended.

Fried Gluten
The green skewer was probably the most eye-catching. The server said it was fried chili, but according to my friend who tried it, it tasted more like green... something? (Can’t quite describe it). Those who were curious could check it out for themselves.

Fried Lotus Root, Fried Bacon with Scallops
I’ve mostly had lotus root in soups or cold salads before, so seeing it deep-fried was a first. It didn’t have much flavor on its own, and wasn’t as crispy as when served cold, though dipping sauce helped. The bacon-wrapped scallops were another story—each piece had a whole scallop encased in bacon, offering a delightful double texture: crispy outside, tender inside, with a rich, savory taste. The scallops were so good, absolutely a must-order.

After trying these skewers, I found the bacon with scallops, red ginger, and mushrooms to be my favorites. The dipping sauce didn’t overpower the flavors but instead cut through the richness, making the skewers even more enjoyable. The sauce itself is pretty magical—definitely recommend ordering a few skewers to try.

Matcha Ice Cream with Red Beans – $100
Probably because it’s a izakaya, the focus is more on fried and grilled items, so there were only two dessert options, both ice cream-based. We got one of each—the differences were minor, mainly in flavor and toppings. Personally, I preferred the matcha ice cream with red beans. The white cube on top of the matcha ice cream tasted a bit like... something chewy and soft (can’t quite place it), and paired wonderfully with the ice cream.

Vanilla Ice Cream with Soybean Flour – $100
The other dessert was vanilla ice cream with soybean flour. It wasn’t as lavish as the matcha version, but it depends on personal preference.

Overall, the restaurant’s atmosphere was fantastic, and the fresh seafood dishes plus Japanese-style skewers made for a great meal. Pair it with some shochu or soda water, and you can almost transport yourself back to that era—definitely worth a visit. That’s just my two cents, take it as you will. If you liked this post, feel free to give it a like or share—thanks ^_^

Restaurant Name:Era 1931 Izakaya & Dining
Phone: 02-25598979
Address: No. 18-1, Lane 17, Chifeng Street, Datong District, Taipei City
Pricing: À la carte
Dining Date: July 2015

Amon’s Taiwan Adventures – Food, Travel, Photography, Outings
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