An Italian restaurant with a container-industrial style décor, offering pizzas at an affordable price of around 200 NT

Text and photos byOrange Dog Loves Candy

Is it the chefs who especially love selling pasta… or the diners who particularly love eating pasta? Every time I see how densely packed pasta shops are on the streets—almost as common as convenience stores—I can’t help but wonder... If I were to recommend an Italian pasta spot, it’s really hard for me to absolutely guarantee that any one place will leave you raving non-stop.

That’s because in Taiwan, there are two types of pasta lovers: those who prefer their pasta drenched in thick, saucy Taiwanese-style sauces flowing like a river, and those who lean towards the Italian way, where the sauce is concentrated right on the noodles. Not to mention everyone has their own favorite pasta joint. A cuisine not even originating from Taiwan, yet the market competition is so fierce—I bet it’s almost as lively as in Italy itself.

I heard that a new Italian pasta shop called 【Yi Lou】 had just opened in the North District. It seems to be somewhat related to Kaohsiung’s Little Yi Lou, but what first caught my attention was its bold, container-industrial style exterior décor.

In the past, if you wanted to talk about international cuisine in the North District, I actually think the local Taiwanese snacks are far more exciting, not to mention more affordable. But because the area is close to China Medical University and hospitals, international cuisine and budget-friendly eats are both thriving in stiff competition.

This eye-catching 【Yi Lou】 can actually be spotted from quite a distance down Xueshi Road, thanks to its bright yellow color scheme. The whole design is vibrant and youthful, a far cry from other countryside-European-style Italian restaurants, clearly targeting a younger demographic. Floor-to-ceiling transparent windows offer an unobstructed view inside... the entire industrial-style, hard-edged vibe is consistent—from the seating, wall decals, to the bar counter.

The semi-open bar lets you see the kitchen where pizzas and pasta are being prepared. This kind of setup has become pretty much essential these days. Thankfully, the ventilation isn’t too bad—at least you don’t come away smelling too strongly of food, which is a plus.

Actually, I came by on the first day of the soft opening to help finish up some leftovers XD. I liked it on the first day, so I came back for lunch the next day. Their main focus is Italian cuisine (pasta, pizza, and risotto), and the service was fairly enthusiastic, though the staff didn’t seem to know all the details about the dishes. But that’s a minor thing. Price-wise, pasta and risotto are a bit on the higher side... whereas the pizzas felt much more affordable to me.

There are about ten pizza flavors, each around 10 inches, and none exceed 200 NT for a single order. Of course, if you want to upgrade to a combo meal, that’s extra. I’d say most people would probably spend around 300 NT per person. Anyway, enough chit-chat—let’s get the food out already. Dwelling too much on non-food stuff isn’t very meaningful.

【Devil Jack Beef Pizza / Spicy / 10-inch / 229 NT】
Actually, I was more interested in the basic Flamin’ Hot. The evil combo of spinach, egg yolk, and cheese is always hard to resist, but I’d already had it the day before, so I didn’t want to order the same one again. I always want to try something different on revisit. But the first pizza already dampened my excitement a bit... The menu said this Jack Beef pizza came with arugula, but when it arrived, it had been replaced with shredded onions... The waiter explained that the arugula purchased that day wasn’t up to standard in terms of appearance.

So the chef decided to swap in another ingredient to keep the dish looking presentable. I can understand that, but the issue then became the flavor pairing... The spice level was noticeable, the beef was tender enough, and there were tangy Mexican chilies, but the onions also added a sharp bite, making the overall taste experience rather one-dimensional. Without the arugula, it was completely different... Also, the pizza seemed a bit smaller. The kitchen said it was due to the weather affecting the dough stretching and final product quality that day.

I didn’t really mind the size—it was only slightly smaller—but the chewiness and elasticity of the crust were noticeably weaker than the texture I enjoyed the day before. It’s a shame, because the flavor itself should have been good (in fact, I really liked it the previous day), but the second visit left me feeling a bit let down... These two issues should have been communicated upfront, yet they both happened with the same dish.

【Classic Garlic & Chili Pasta with Grilled PRIME Wagyu Beef / Spicy / 269 NT】
This is the pasta I really enjoyed the day before and came back to have again. I’m glad the pasta itself still performed well—the springy texture and oily fragrance, especially the aroma of sautéed garlic slices and chili that coated every strand of noodle, blending with the bold spiciness upon entry... Every bite was appetizing and delicious, spicy but not overpowering.

Paired with the iron-plate PRIME Wagyu beef, the tender meat, sprinkled with a bit of rose salt and fat, was pretty good, but what I loved more was the rich beef aroma that came through with each chew... Thankfully, the pasta was still delicious.

【1970 Butter Bamboo Shoot Pasta / Mildly Spicy / 179 NT】
I didn’t have high expectations for this one, but it turned out to be a small surprise. It looked a bit simple and veggie-heavy XD. I’m not one of those “no-meat-is-boring” purists, but I wasn’t particularly excited about the ingredients either... I kind of got tricked into trying a bite, and the springy noodles coated in a creamy sauce—though slightly sweet—had a refreshing and smooth sweetness. The sauce wasn’t overly rich or heavy, and the hint of mild spice made the sweetness even more appealing.

【Devil’s Wings / Spicy / 160 NT】
The plating was actually quite fun—they used a fried chicken tool as the serving dish. They’re basically spicy fried chicken wings. The wings were fried a bit dry but not tough, with a crispier exterior and juicier, fattier meat inside. Most of what I ordered today had some heat, and honestly, their spicy dishes are pretty tasty.

【Genoa Anchovy Seafood Risotto / Pesto / 249 NT】
This dish had quite a generous amount of seafood: large scallops, shrimp, clams, and squid... plus anchovies. The day before, I had a vegetarian risotto with a nice al dente texture paired with white sauce, which I quite liked.

Today, however, the toppings stole the show—the rice itself was unexpectedly soft for some reason... Otherwise, the combination of seafood and anchovies had a pretty good flavor profile.

【Iced Rusty Coffee】
I’d never had this one before. It’s sort of like an Americano with black sugar-soaked lemon slices. One big sip gives you the tartness of the lemon and the caramelized sweetness of the black sugar, followed by the mature bitterness of the coffee. It’s a pretty interesting flavor.

【Add-on sides: salad, soup, and bread】
These are available at an additional cost. The salad looked simple and fresh, served with homemade yogurt dressing. The soup was decent—nothing special, with not many ingredients.

This should be the food review from the second day of the soft opening... Although the text keeps mentioning comparisons with 'the previous day,' it's because I had already eaten here once on the first day and felt reassured enough to bring friends back for a second visit. But for some reason, there was a difference in the taste performance. The only thing that didn’t change much was the pasta, but the biggest difference between the two days was how 'packed' the place was. On the first day, there were hardly any customers, but by the second day, when the restaurant was full, the quality of the dishes seemed to have changed, which was a bit disappointing.... I hope that once the official operation is running smoothly, they can maintain the same food quality as on the first day of the soft opening!!

◎Shop Introduction: [Italiano PIZZAxPASTA | Student Road | North District]
◎Address: No. 234, Student Road, North District, Taichung City. (Opposite Fuman Bakery)
◎Phone: 0982-233234
◎Business Hours: 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM + 4:30 PM - 9:30 PM
◎Consumption Reminder: Open all day on holidays, no announced days off at present

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