Trained by master chefs from top restaurants – budget-friendly Japanese cuisine at Yonghe with creative “Seafood N<”

Text and photos by /KUNI

(Seafood N< at Oedo)<)

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Oedo Sushi
Address: No. 109, Dehe Road, Yonghe District, New Taipei City
Phone: (02) 2920-8802
Hours: 11:00–14:30, 17:00–22:00
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A netizen mentioned an affordable Japanese seafood N< in Yonghe, Oedo Sushi, which they haven’t visited yet and has been on their to-eat list for a while. It is located on Dehe Road, right across from Sakura Sushi: http://goo.gl/3neiEl

I made a last-minute reservation that day and arrived in the evening. The shop is simple, with a standardized, Japanese-style decor that’s becoming increasingly common. The sashimi laid out in the glass display case at the counter looked fresh and gave me something to look forward to.

(At the entrance)

(Sashimi in the display case)

I ordered the Seafood N
The first dish was yellowtail tuna belly – it turned out to be a complimentary offering from the chef, which was a nice surprise and a great appetizer. Nice. Looking around, I noticed every guest had received one. The front-of-house service was good, not pressuring, and the staff were calm and natural.

The first to arrive were two nigiri of black tuna (akami), served chilled – a good touch for the price. But the knife skills were weak, with lots of annoying sinew ruining the smoothness. The slightly soft vinegar rice lacked stickiness, and the overall presentation of the sushi felt unfinished.

(Chef’s complimentary yellowtail tuna belly)

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(Black tuna akami nigiri)

The pacing of the meal was overly rushed today — grilled items, miso soup, and sushi all arrived at once. I hope that was just an oversight. The soup was part of the Seafood N< and was surprisingly well prepared, with generous pieces of fish. The salt-grilled prawns had a delightful amount of roe, and the flesh inside the peeled shell was juicy and fresh.

(N< miso soup)

(Salt-grilled shrimp)

Finally, the main event of the visit — the Seafood N< arrived. Better than expected, and attention to detail was clear. Just the tamagoyaki (Japanese omelet) alone had a rare light sweetness and soft, moist tenderness. The sashimi was at the perfect temperature. The salmon roe had a totally different style from nearby places — not overly sweet, but gradually revealing a delicate sweetness within a savory, gentle flavor. The rice underneath was slightly warm, with a plain vinegar flavor, though it was a bit packed down. But the toppings were handled thoughtfully, like the choice of shrimp with a silky texture compared to regular sweet shrimp. Or the salmon onion roll, or the wasabi octopus sauce.

Thinking about it, I suddenly missed the great trio of Japanese eateries from years ago: http://goo.gl/KXT0e0Sadly, they’ve been closed for many years now, and their classic chirashi sushi has become a thing of the past.

(The Seafood N<, created by chefs from Hashi Sushi)<)

(The Seafood N<, created by...)

Before paying the bill, I was curious and asked the head chef, who also owns the place, about his background. Turns out he’s a first-generation chef from Hashi Sushi, who came from Take Sushi. The Seafood N< was...<,,,,.

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