New affordable Japanese restaurant opens near Taoyuan HSR Station—huge portion of tonkatsu rice!

Text & photos by /Viviyu

Hetai Homestyle Japanese is located on Jiàn Xīn Street, a street we often pass by. The previous tenant at this spot sold ginger duck, and we’d been looking forward to seeing what kind of restaurant would open here ever since the renovation started. At first, it was only open for dinner, but starting September 1st, lunch is also available—which is a huge convenience for us. We quickly made time to check it out, honestly worried it might disappear before we even got a chance to try it～

On our recent visits, business has been quite brisk. The night before our visit, we even saw a company dinner party there. There’s also a free parking lot at the entrance of Jiàn Xīn Street, so whether you come by scooter or car, parking isn’t an issue, and you can enter the restaurant from either side.

Complimentary appetizer

After being seated, you’ll be served a complimentary appetizer. On the day of our visit, it was edamame. Vincent finished the whole small plate—he loves edamame—and even asked if he could have more. It wasn’t listed as an add-on on the menu, but moderation is key, and it seemed pretty tasty anyway～

The menu prices are indeed very affordable—I tend to lower my expectations because you get what you pay for!

The focus is mainly on Japanese cuisine, but they also offer set meals and omakase options. Since we were a small group, I didn’t ask in detail—interested friends can call the restaurant for more info.

If you’d like to dine outside in the evening, there’s also an outdoor seating area, which is also suitable for smokers.

There are quite a few seats inside, including bar seating up front. Drinks and beer can be selected from the fridge, and there’s also self-serve mugicha (barley tea).

The coolest thing? They also sell ice cream here—35 NT per cup—but no one ordered it during our meal, so we can’t say how it tastes.

Tamagoyaki – NT$60

This was ordered for the kids, but it really didn’t turn out well. It seemed to be pre-made tamagoyaki that had been frozen and then defrosted—there was absolutely no egg aroma or sweetness. The texture was like frozen tofu, and then there was the burnt taste from torching it. Even the kids, who usually love Genki Sushi’s tamagoyaki, rejected it.

Sashimi N<$200

Sashimi N<饭有点迷你，上方有鲔鱼、旗鱼、鲑鱼、花枝，其他还有黑豆和姜片，看到之后还是有小空虚的感觉，幸好生鱼片切的算厚，只是这冰柜可能是新的，吃起来超冰的…

Premium grilled nigiri sushi (6 pieces) – NT$280

We weren’t very hungry at lunchtime, so we ordered some nigiri to share. Later, we noticed other tables ordering rolls—whether they were set meals or popular items like salmon rolls, we’re not sure. We sort of regretted not ordering rolls too, but hey, when in Rome… let’s just try what we got～

We started with the unagi (eel). The chef probably rotates different fish each time. The vinegar rice and eel tasted like two separate things—it lacked that rich eel aroma…

I tried four nigiri pieces, and the only one that really stood out was the grilled salmon—the richness of the salmon fat gave it a strong, savory flavor. No wonder everyone was ordering the rolls～

Chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) – NT$50

Also ordered by the kids, who said it was very smooth and silky. There were also some mushrooms and other ingredients at the bottom—they said it was much tastier than the tamagoyaki.

Pork cutlet N<$120

This might be the most budget-friendly yet satisfying option here. A lot of people ordered it—the price is more like something you’d find at a food court. I think pork cutlet lovers should definitely give it a try.

Freshly fried pork cutlet, coated in panko breadcrumbs. The pork was quite thick, and the portion was generous enough for two kids to share. The sauce that came with it tasted a bit like sweet chili sauce, which didn’t really match well. Later, the kids dipped it in soy sauce and said that was much better.

Miso soup – NT$30

I’ve always loved miso soup, so I couldn’t miss out. This was a Taiwanese-style miso soup, packed with garlic flavor—which actually overpowered the miso a bit—but I still quite liked it. There was also a good amount of tofu and fish inside.

Chicken cartilage – NT$120

We originally wanted to order grilled items, but after seeing the chicken cartilage, we switched to this instead. The taste was somewhat similar to the crispy skin of a 3Q chicken cutlet—the coating was super crunchy, sprinkled with shichimi spice, and the flavor was pretty good. It’s great as a drinking snack.

The restaurant also offers some “private kitchen” dishes, which aren’t too expensive. However, these dishes tend to be more Taiwanese in style. To enjoy Hetai Homestyle Japanese to the fullest, think of it as a Taiwanese-style izakaya.

This meal for two adults and two children cost 860 TWD, with no service charge added—truly great value. It’s a good spot to enjoy Taiwanese-style Japanese cuisine when you’re craving something special.

Hetianju Dining

Address: No. 601-1, Shuren 3rd St., Jianxin St., Bade District, Taoyuan City
Phone: 03-371 5000
Regular business hours: 11:30–14:00 / 17:00–22:00 (last order at 21:00)
Holiday business hours: 11:30–14:00 / 17:00–23:00 (last order at 22:00)
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