An authentic Japanese-style izakaya from Japan to Taiwan – signature straw-grilled and charcoal-fired chicken

Text and photos by /San Gao Chi Han

Last weekend, I thought I’d check out the last day of the Taipei Lantern Festival at the Flower Expo. The night before, I went out looking for food. I had originally planned to go to Lin’s Vegetable Lamb Hotpot on Jilin Road and even called ahead. But when I got there, they told me they only had medicinal herbal lamb left? Right then, I decided to find another place.

I called Tianqing around 11 PM, one of my go-to spots, and asked. The Japanese staff spoke a bit of Chinese and said they had seats. Tianqing Izakaya has five branches in Miyazaki, Japan, and this is their sixth in Taipei.

Once we got to Tiaotong (the alleys), things got lively. Inside the restaurant, besides the bar counter, the rest are small private rooms. I was seated in one of those, and I could faintly hear the sounds of Japanese patrons drinking and chatting next door. Hehe~ There’s a service bell on the table, and you can just take a look at the menu and ring it. (The menu is at the end of the article)

Just the right balance of sweet and sour~

Their signature straw-grilled dish. Next to the entrance, you can see through the glass how it’s grilled. They use a Japanese katsuo skewer to grill the Taiwanese straw and katsuo fish delivered straight from Keelung at high temperature for a quick sear. Eating it plain lets you enjoy the fresh smoky flavor from the straw, and the slight saltiness really brings out the taste of the fish. Add some sliced onions, garlic, and mustard, and you can sprinkle a bit of sea salt from the table as you like — the flavors become even richer. Really tasty.

One of their signature popular dishes. It’s grilled over charcoal until blackened on the outside. The meat quality is excellent — the leg meat is springy, and I especially love the crispy grilled chicken skin. This dish has its own saltiness and charred flavor. Dip it in a bit of the red yuzu pepper on the side, with its tangy, spicy, and salty notes — it’s a bolder flavor that goes great with alcohol.

A Japanese-style nanban-fried chicken coated in sweet and sour batter. The outer layer has a delicate thin crispness, and the inside remains juicy. Paired with their homemade tartar sauce and the sweet soy sauce underneath, the overall flavor is nicely balanced and also quite delicious.

Eggplants as big as clubs — you could probably use them to knock on a door. The flesh is soft and sweet with a thick miso flavor. You can faintly taste bits of pork mixed in. It seems to have been deep-fried then grilled, so it’s a bit oily. Anyway, it would probably go well with rice. Hehe~

Something a certain lady loves — fresh and delicious.

Ended the meal with a bowl of congee for a comforting finish. I remember it being pretty good~

The total for this meal was NT$1,600 (including 10% tax). I thought the flavors were good, the service was quite friendly, and they even gave me a stamp card at the end. I wonder if you get something free after two visits?

Traditional Japanese Straw Grilling<炭q<天晴
Address: No. 48, Lane 107, Zhongshan N. Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City
Business Hours: 5:00 PM ~ 1:00 AM
Phone: (02)2541-7771


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