The quietly operated Hasegawa Sushi Shop – Grilled sushi is even more delicious than nigiri.

Photos and text byAmon

I stumbled upon Hasegawa Sushi online by chance. It’s not very well-known, so there aren’t many recommendations, the information available is quite old, and I wasn’t even sure if it was still open. But back then, I added it to my mental list, and in the blink of an eye, more than half a year passed. Then one day, a friend said they wanted to visit Fengjia and have some sashimi and sushi, which reminded me of this Hasegawa Sushi. It’s located on Xitun Road, which also happens to be the main route to Fengjia Night Market, so out of curiosity, I came to check it out — and yes, it’s still open, k8. I was so touched when I saw it. The shop is inside Lane 253, and on top of that, the color of the sign blends in with the building, so if I hadn’t checked the address beforehand and noticed it was in Lane 253, I would’ve zoomed right past it on my scooter. Honestly, no one would ever notice there’s a sushi shop here — even a friend who lives nearby hadn’t heard of it ==.

Lunch is served from 11 AM to 2 PM, and if there are no customers at noon, they might close early. Dinner is from 5 PM to 9 PM. Sushi can be eaten in or taken out, and I think you can also order by phone?

There are very few seats inside, no sushi bar counter like you usually see at sushi shops, just tables for two or four. The maximum capacity is probably around 15–16 people? There really are very few seats. Once lunch service starts, it fills up quickly, and business is pretty good.

Since there’s no counter, you can’t see the chefs making nigiri. I took a quick look at the refrigerated display case — the ingredients seem to be pretty decent.

Although the shop isn’t very big, if you look closely, you’d really say this place is all about sushi. I looked up at the wall and saw it covered with sushi-themed decorations, and even the clock is shaped like a sushi box. The 12 pieces of nigiri represent the hour numbers — I’d love to take one home XDD.

There are also quite a few sushi dish samples on the walls. If you’re not sure what a dish looks like, just look up — you might find what you want to order.

The vinegar rice uses Koshihikari rice, which feels quite premium.

The menu is stuck to the table. Just decide what you want to eat and call the server over. They have nigiri, grilled sushi, and gunkan maki, among others. Prices are per piece. There are also side dishes and soups. The variety of sushi seems a bit less than other places like Wa Sushi or Tachibana Sushi, but the prices are comparable. There are also signature sushi sets you can order, which offer better value. Sashimi is also sold, at $200 per plate — I think it comes with three types of fish, totaling nine pieces.

For special ingredients not listed on the menu, the prices seem a bit higher too.

Chawanmushi $40
The chawanmushi is generously filled and has a delicate texture. Besides the fish cake on top, there are also clams and fish, and you can tell this chawanmushi is made with a lot of care — it’s delicious.

Since it was my first time here, I didn’t dare to order too much, so I just got a little of each to try. If you have a bigger appetite, you could just go for the signature sushi — the quantity and portion sizes are bigger, but you can’t choose the types of sushi yourself, as they’re pre-selected by the restaurant. After you order, the server brings the sushi to your table on a wooden tray, which is different from other places that use ceramic plates — it gives off a nice Japanese vibe. On closer inspection, aside from the gunkan maki, the rest of the nigiri seemed to have a layer of oil brushed on top? They looked shiny and glossy. This seems to be a certain style of sushi-making, but it’s very uncommon. I never thought I’d get to try it here.

Salmon Nigiri $30
My friend ordered this one. There’s quite a generous amount of salmon on top — it looks like it would taste great.

Lobster Salad Gunkan Maki $30
I’ve been craving lobster for a while since I haven’t had it in ages, so I ordered one to treat myself. As soon as I tried it, I realized how delicious it was. The lobster salad here uses less mayonnaise, so it’s not too heavy, and there’s more shrimp meat too. The amount of vinegar rice is just right, and I’d definitely want to eat another one after finishing it.

Tuna Nigiri $40
I ordered tuna to try it, but afterward I felt there was too much vinegar rice — almost every bite was just the taste of rice. I prefer more fish. The freshness of the tuna was still pretty good, though. It would’ve been even better if it were a bit thicker.

Barramundi Nigiri $30
I originally wanted to order salmon, but since I was getting grilled salmon too, I went with barramundi nigiri instead. The barramundi meat is pretty fresh. The wasabi is already placed on the vinegar rice, so the rice doesn’t taste overly sour. The texture of the rice is slightly moist and soft, with a bit of stickiness, which pairs well with the sashimi. It’s a bit different from what I read online saying this place’s vinegar rice is sour?

Swordfish Nigiri $30
I’m not a big fan of swordfish, so this one was ordered by my friend. I don’t know how it tastes.

Miso Soup $20
Ordered by my friend. It has a rich flavor, with seaweed and tofu added. It’s pretty average overall.

Grilled Sushi
I love nigiri the most, so this time I focused on the grilled sushi series. Since the grilled beef nigiri uses Australian beef, I didn’t particularly feel like trying it. And the scallop grilled sushi, which is priced by the day on the menu, costs $120 per piece — way too expensive, so I skipped it. If the price were lower, I would’ve ordered it. From left to right in the photo: grilled salmon belly nigiri, grilled flounder nigiri, grilled salmon nigiri, all garnished with plenty of chopped green onions and white sesame seeds. Just like the sashimi nigiri earlier, these three grilled sushi pieces also seem to have a layer of soy sauce brushed on them, giving them a slightly sweeter taste. The grilled salmon nigiri is $40 per piece — the flavor is pretty average, and the aroma is nothing special.

Grilled salmon belly sushi $60
It’s $20 more expensive than the grilled salmon sushi, but the taste is much better—the rich fat of the salmon melts in your mouth, and the aroma is truly wonderful. The vinegared rice underneath seems to be slightly less, so it doesn’t fill your mouth up too much. I actually prefer this ratio of rice to fish. This is the best sushi of the day; $60 is well worth it.

Grilled flounder nigiri sushi $80
The price and portion size are really a bit on the pricey side. Previously when I ate at Tachibana Sushi, the flounder was served in generous portions, but here there’s just one slice. Paired with the vinegared rice beneath, the flounder on top looks rather thin. It feels like you’re mostly eating rice—the proportion of fish is too small, and the aroma isn’t quite there either, which is quite a pity.

Overall
After randomly ordering a few pieces to try, I felt that the grilled sushi was better than the nigiri. Among the types of fish, the salmon and yellowtail performed the best, and the chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) was also great. The prices are fairly reasonable. If you’re not overly picky or particular, you can come here for a nice treat or to satisfy your cravings. The above are just my personal opinions for reference.

[Hasegawa Sushi Specialty Shop]
Phone: 04-24518811
Address: No. 2, Lane 253, Section 2, Xitun Road, Xitun District, Taichung City
Price: $15 and up
Dining date: May 2014

阿mon台湾趴趴走~Food, travel, photography, outdoor shoots
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