Limited edition cuisine at Parkson Songgao: Black as night, glossy black pork loin cutlet

Text & Photos /Viviyu

Iseji - Shouseki Japanese Pork Cutlet, Parkson Songgao Branch
Address: B2, 16 Songgao Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City
Phone: (02) 2722-0128
Business Hours: Sun–Wed 11:00–21:30 / Thu–Sat 11:00–22:00

I’d heard for ages that there’s a lot of great food at Parkson Songgao and was really curious. There was an event at the nearby Le Méridien, so before heading there, I met up with a friend at Iseji - Shouseki Pork Cutlet for a meal and to hand over a Starbucks City Cup. I thought it would be crowded, but we arrived just before lunchtime and there weren’t many people. However, by the time we finished eating, there was already a line at the door. If you don’t want to wait, come earlier to eat~

Upon arriving at the entrance, you’ll immediately see open seating—you need to wait to be seated. Actually, the setup is similar to that of the group’s other branch, Shizuoka Shousei Japanese Pork Cutlet, except this location has fewer seats, but diners tend to eat quickly and don’t stay too long.

Hailing from Mie Prefecture in Japan, home to Ise Grand Shrine and located near Ise Bay, Iseji - Shouseki Japanese Pork Cutlet has long been famous for its abundant and delicious seafood. Of course, seafood is not missing here—don’t the food models at the entrance look appetizing? There are also seasonally available fried oysters.

The menu offers quite a few choices—please check it out for yourselves. Currently, there’s also a seasonal limited set: the Mentaiko Black Pork Set. Mentaiko from Fukuoka’s Hakata—a famous local product—is cod roe marinated with pepper and chili, and it looks delicious too. But my heart was set on something else...

The miso, salad dressing, and Japanese-imported breadcrumbs used in the store show a certain dedication to ingredient quality.

I originally wanted to order the weekday-limited Commercial Lunch—“Sai no Zen”—because it seemed like every table was ordering it. But my friend doesn’t eat very fatty meat, so we swapped for the less fatty “Extreme Black – Black Pork Loin Cutlet.” It’s a slightly smaller portion, but there are more side dish options.

Once seated, you can enjoy a warm cup of roasted barley tea when ordering. Eating fried pork cutlets can be a bit greasy, so it’s nice to have some hot tea to cut through the richness.

I like the design of the seating in the store—it gives you some privacy while keeping the aisles clear, and it’s also very comfortable to sit in.

The pork cutlet sauce comes in spicy and regular flavors—the spicy one is saltier. As for the salad dressing, I like both, but the shiso-flavored one has a unique aroma.

The shredded cabbage is also unlimited, cut very finely, and it’s crispy and sweet. Tossed with salad dressing, it’s very refreshing.

They also offer a sesame mortar where you can grind your own sesame seeds—I love the aroma the most. You can sprinkle some freshly ground sesame on your rice to enhance the flavor; it’s truly super delicious.

Sai no Zen – $250

The side dishes include passion fruit yam, cold asparagus, and miso cauliflower rolls, all served in an elegant small-plate style. The chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) dish is beautiful, and when you open it, it looks delicious.

Actually, although there seem to be many side dishes, the portions are actually quite small. But the rice here is Koshihikari rice, and you can get refills—you can basically eat as much rice as you want.

The side dishes also include pickled radish and black beans, which pair well with the pork cutlet and help cut the richness.

The commercial lunch also comes with a smaller portion of pork cutlet and includes fried vegetables.

Extreme Black – Black Pork Loin Cutlet – $420

This is a limited-edition dish exclusive to the Parkson Songgao branch—you can’t get it at any other locations. I just can’t resist this kind of thing; I always go for the limited edition dishes, as if I’m conditioned to do so.

Carefully selected premium Taiwanese black pork known for its rich flavor, sweet juiciness, and tender texture—the pork loin, a part rich in fat, is chosen. It’s coated with a natural squid ink breadcrumb made with top-grade squid ink, resulting in a crispy, delicate, non-greasy black crust. From the outside in, it’s truly unforgettable.

Dipped in the sesame pork cutlet sauce enhances the flavor even more, but this one is a bit oilier. I usually don’t eat fatty meat, so I dip it in extra sauce to balance the taste. The outer crust is super crispy—it’s really delicious.

For the main carb, you can choose white rice or multigrain rice. We ordered both to try. In terms of texture, the white rice is tastier, but the multigrain rice feels healthier.

The miso soup and white rice can both be refilled unlimitedly, but honestly, one set is quite filling—only those with bigger appetites might need more.

Add $60 to upgrade the set, and you can choose a dessert and a drink. The juices are made from concentrated juice reconstituted, but the desserts are better.

The matcha ice cream has a fragrant tea aroma without being overly sweet, and as it melts on your tongue, it leaves a lingering tea aftertaste—just as delicious as Sheng Zheng's ice cream.

A 10% service charge is added to this meal, but if you have the Breeze Song Gao co-branded card, the service charge is waived. The price is fairly moderate.

This dining experience was quite good, no wonder it’s still so popular. However, there are many other restaurants at Breeze Song Gao that I’d like to try—next time I’ll come back and take them on one by one.
 

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‘VIVIYU小世界’ ~ Traveling Across Taiwan, Gazing at the World