The deliciousness of grilled sushi—slightly cooked with a firm yet tender texture, or raw and soft.

Text and photos byGui Xiaosun

Haha, this hidden gem from my July trip to Tainan and Kaohsiung has finally made it to the spotlight. XD This place was recommended by a follower who tracked me down, so I immediately added it to my itinerary: 【Xiao Yilang, Sushi Only】.

Of course, many people know I don’t eat raw fish, but interestingly, I’m a big fan of 【grilled sushi】, which has that semi-cooked texture and the oily flavor from grilling—I absolutely love it. So when I saw 【Xiao Yilang, Sushi Only】, I went online to look up reviews and found out they have tons of grilled sushi. I just had to go there, XD.

That day, we were probably the first customers. The simple, Japanese-style little shop had a natural wooden vibe. Then more and more ‘family-style customers’ came in, as well as friends having meals together. I couldn’t help but think that maybe because of the local residents nearby, it felt like we were definitely the outsiders here. XD

But the atmosphere created by these groups of customers—and the fact that many brought their kids along—made us feel like it must be a great place. After all, for a place that even kids can enjoy, the parents must’ve done some serious vetting, XD.

Now then, yes, I did take photos, but this menu doesn’t even show everything. It’s been over two months, and with my inability to distinguish types of fish, I could only drool over the pictures without knowing which was which—it was quite the dilemma.

Of course, 【Xiao Yilang, Sushi Only】 focuses on sushi, but they also offer side dishes and salads, so there’s still quite a variety to choose from. We ordered some cold mixed greens and a wild vegetable salad, both of which were really good—refreshing and appetizing. I especially loved the wild vegetable salad; the tangy dressing really brought out the flavors of the vegetables.

Then I hit a dilemma. What exactly are these three small rolls per serving? XD. The one below I clearly recognize as shrimp hand rolls—they’re all refreshing and fresh, and you can tell they were just made. For the hand rolls, the five or six of us each got one, starting with one per pair, and then ordering more if we really liked them. XD.

Then there were these rows and rows of individual pieces—aside from fish and beef, there was also squid. For the most part, I went for grilled sushi. XD. Don’t let the rows fool you; I noticed that each piece had different combinations of scallions, sauces, or onions, and the best part is that every single piece was super fresh. The semi-cooked, semi-raw texture literally melts in your mouth—it’s almost too good to be true. XD.

The one above was ordered by a friend. I thought it looked nice but didn’t dare to try it. My friend, though, enjoyed it thoroughly. XD. We ordered both à la carte items and set menus from 【Xiao Yilang, Sushi Only】—like the six-piece, ten-piece, or twelve-piece sets—because thinking about what to pick was too much effort, so we just went for the combos. When they arrived, the presentation was amazing. Rows of sushi with those glistening oils and gleams were simply mouthwatering. XD. The subtle flavors of Japanese soy sauce or the juices from the fish seared right there made every bite an unforgettable mix in your mouth. Amazing.

Among them, besides the squid, there were also scallops. Those semi-cooked scallops—with that contrast between the cooked and raw textures, slightly firm yet soft—were sweet and savory, giving a bite full of happiness. I truly think making grilled sushi is an art—you have to pay attention to the different levels of doneness for each piece. It turns out loving food is easy, but cooking it well—that’s the real skill. ^~^

In the end, we also ordered a few more pieces of beef. Because once that beef hits your mouth, it’s pure indulgence. The rich aroma of beef, the tenderness, and the richness—absolutely a must-try piece for any beef lover. There were also some small desserts afterward. Let me briefly introduce you to this 【Xiao Yilang, Sushi Only】. If you’re ever in Kaohsiung, definitely add it to your list. ^~^

【Xiao Yilang, Sushi Only】：
No. 1942, Yucheng Road, Gushan District, Kaohsiung City 　
07 553 1283　

Article by:［Enjoy Life Without Boredom. Gui Xiaosun］