Family-style affordable Japanese cuisine in Taichung   with super cute "soufflé teppanyaki noodles"

Text & Photos /By Mon

After wandering abroad for a while and returning to Taiwan, I hadn’t had Japanese food or sashimi for a long time, so I was craving some. Then I happened to receive an invitation from Yun Niao Japanese Cuisine and decided to check it out with friends. This place has tons of positive reviews online. Yun Niao Japanese Cuisine is located in Beitun District, a bit farther from the city center. Coming from Section 1 of Chongde Road, you’ll know you’ve arrived when you see the Starbucks at the intersection of Chongde Road and Chongde Road Section 9. Just make a turn and you’ll see Yun Niao Japanese Cuisine. There are also quite a few parking spaces nearby, so parking is pretty convenient.

As soon as we walked into this Japanese restaurant, we were a bit stunned — it’s such a pink-themed Japanese eatery, completely different from traditional ones. There’s no open kitchen where you can watch chefs cook, but instead, it creates a cozy, homely vibe with slightly Western-style tables and chairs, European-style lampshades, and pink-purple walls. It’s really quite unique. Since it had just started evening service, the place was still empty, but in less than an hour, it was completely packed. Business is really booming here.

We were pleasantly surprised to see high chairs for kids — it felt like the owner had thoughtfully prepared for families with children, which is rare in most Japanese restaurants.

There are photos of some dishes on the walls that look super delicious XD.

After sitting down, you can find the menu right on the table. The cover looks pretty classy. With our stomachs growling, we called over the server to order. At Yun Niao, you pay after the meal, not before ordering. Flipping through the menu, you’ll find a wide variety of dishes with plenty of choices, all at affordable prices. Here’s the menu for your reference.

Grilled & Fried Dishes

Sashimi & Nigiri
There’s a great selection of sashimi and nigiri. The sashimi even comes in single fish varieties, and for larger groups, you can just order the mixed sashimi platter. Nigiri can also be ordered individually or as a combo.

Sushi & Seafood<

Salads & Hot Pots
They even have hot pot here — perfect for larger groups to gather around and enjoy.

Rice Dishes, Teppanyaki & Hand Rolls

Drinks & Desserts

If you don’t have any specific dish preferences, you can also check out the popular recommendations on the small blackboard. These are the restaurant’s most popular dishes and can be a good guide for ordering.

Yuzu & Green Apple Soda $100
On a hot day, you really need a refreshing drink, so we started with fruit sodas. We ordered the yuzu soda and green apple soda. Both were quite tasty, with a bubbly feel, cool and thirst-quenching. The yuzu soda even had bits of yuzu peel, which added a nice texture. Note: Sodas contain a bit of alcohol, so they’re not suitable for minors.

Japanese-Style Umeboshi Seafood Salad $138
This salad was recommended by the staff. It combines plenty of greens, agar seaweed, crab meat, octopus, shrimp, and more. The dressing isn’t the usual Japanese-style vinaigrette but a specially chosen ume plum sauce. The unique aroma and sweet-sour flavor of the ume plum elevate the salad, making it refreshingly delicious. Even I, who doesn’t usually eat much veggies, couldn’t help but have a few extra bites.

Sashimi Platter $398
Sashimi is almost a must when eating Japanese food, so we ordered some. We originally only wanted salmon, but then we saw options like sweet shrimp and red snapper, so we went for the mixed platter. It’s a small portion with five types of sashimi: sweet shrimp, red snapper, tuna, scallop, and salmon. The fish looked very fresh in color, and the slices were decently thick and big. The chef didn’t hold back.

Red Snapper & Sweet Shrimp
Out of the five types, I think the best was the red snapper — sweet, rich, and with large slices that gave a satisfying bite. It made me want to order another plate of just red snapper sashimi. Highly recommended. The salmon was from the belly part, so it was quite sweet too.

Raw Scallop & Tuna
There were three generous slices of scallop — quite a generous portion — and they tasted sweet. My friend was smiling happily while eating them, so they must’ve been fresh and delicious. The tuna was from the akami (lean) part, which was more average in taste.

Grilled Beef $198
I personally really liked this dish. Tender, juicy beef is grilled with onions on an iron plate, then topped with miso mash and green onions. When the beef arrived, the aroma wafting off it was mouthwatering.

I originally just wanted to have this as an appetizer, but didn’t expect the beef portion to be quite generous—each piece is thick and large. When eating, you can start with one plain to appreciate the tenderness of the meat and the sweet juiciness of the broth. Then try another piece with mashed radish and onion, which makes the flavor fresher and more refreshing. Two different flavor profiles, all in one serving of beef.

Yakitori Combo $198
I’ve been working abroad recently, so I hadn’t had yakitori in a while. Not knowing which skewers to order, I simply went for the yakitori combo. It comes with five skewers, curated based on daily ingredients, so the selection might vary each time—adding a bit of anticipation and surprise XD. The yakitori are grilled to order. Today’s set included grilled shiitake mushrooms, chicken skewers, beef skewers, pork rolls with king oyster mushrooms, and scallion pork skewers. Calculated per skewer, it’s about $40, which is similar to the price at other yakitori shops. I shared these five skewers with friends at the table, and I’d say the beef skewer was the best—tender enough with a sauce that complemented it perfectly.

Chicken Skewer
I think the second-best was probably this chicken thigh skewer, served with a teriyaki-style sauce, giving it a slightly sweet flavor. The chicken thigh meat is also very tender, and it’s amazing when hot—you really must eat it while it’s hot, because it’s not as good once it cools down.

Scallop Nigiri $89
When visiting a Japanese restaurant, scallops are almost a must, so of course, I couldn’t miss out on scallop nigiri. This portion comes with two pieces, and at this price, it’s quite affordable—outside, a single piece often starts at $60. These are also lightly grilled to enhance the sweetness of the scallops. To be precise, they should probably be called grilled scallop nigiri XD. Taking a big bite, the tender, sweet scallops instantly won me over. The vinegar rice in the nigiri has a relatively mild flavor—I feel the vinegar could be a bit stronger. There’s also a hint of mustard mixed into the rice for added taste. If you’re not a fan of mustard, remember to ask the server not to add it.

Conger Eel Nigiri $88
I didn’t expect them to have conger eel nigiri here, so I gave in and ordered it. This portion also comes with two pieces. Upon closer inspection, I noticed the conger eel has been lightly grilled too—that explains the subtle eel aroma. The surface of the conger eel is also sprinkled with some white sesame seeds, adding more texture and fragrance. A large slice of conger eel covers the rice underneath almost entirely, and when you take a bite, you can feel the delicate texture of the eel meat paired with the sweet sauce—it’s really delicious. A must-try for conger eel lovers.

Sea Urchin Gunkan Maki $128
My friend, tempted at the sight of sea urchin, immediately ordered it. Unbird’s sea urchin is served as gunkan maki, with two pieces per order. Since it’s sea urchin, the price is a bit higher. The vinegar rice is wrapped in crispy nori, topped with sea urchin and a slice of cucumber. You can eat the cucumber along with the rice, which adds a bit of texture. This gunkan maki is pretty good—the sweetness of the sea urchin makes you want to order another one XD.

Fried Shrimp Sushi Roll $168
Served after the nigiri is this oversized sushi roll. Made with fresh, springy shrimp that’s been shelled and fried, then combined with mayonnaise, shredded cucumber, lettuce, and rolled in nori. The flavors are refreshing and not greasy, with a lot of texture. If you prefer stronger flavors, you can also pair it with some ginger slices, but I think it’s delicious on its own. One sushi roll is cut into eight pieces, and the portion is quite generous. Ideal for family meals—one roll shared among everyone works perfectly.

Soufflé Pot au Feu Udon $288
Recommended by the staff, this is a super popular udon dish. At first, I really didn’t understand what a soufflé pot au feu udon was—how could a dessert soufflé and a hot pot udon be related? But once the udon arrived, we understood. This dish is just too cool. By the time I finished eating the udon, I still didn’t fully get how it was made XDD. Somehow, they managed to add a layer of fluffy, marshmallow-like bubbles on top of the pot au feu udon, making it look like a giant soufflé. It’s super creative, and those bubbles don’t disappear—they stay there the whole time. The appearance is just so CUTE, I didn’t even want to eat it.

Looking from directly above, those bubbles are almost seamlessly fused with the bowl—once again, I’m impressed by the creativity of the kitchen chefs.

Because the top layer of bubbles is so thick, you can’t really see what’s underneath the pot au feu udon. I scooped around with a spoon and found it stuck everywhere, realizing there’s also a thick layer of ingredients underneath. Look at this—generous portions of chicken, hot pot ingredients, pork, fish cake, paired with springy udon and a milky broth. It’s really delicious, highly recommended, a must-order.

Ishikari Salmon Head Soup $329
This salmon head soup is also one of the shop’s popular dishes. After having several dishes already, I was actually quite full, but my friend is very particular about salmon heads, so this soup ended up on our table. Seeing the huge portion in this pot, I knew we definitely wouldn’t finish it—but no worries, leftovers can be packed to go. The soup contains a lot of onions, tofu, mushrooms, miso, and is simmered together with a fresh salmon head. The broth is rich and savory without being overly salty from the miso. The salmon head has been pre-cut into small pieces for easy sharing, and there are plenty of meaty parts. Salmon and salmon head lovers can definitely enjoy this to their heart’s content. Highly recommended in winter.

From ordering to starting the meal, it took less than an hour, yet the shop quickly filled up—no wonder the business is doing so well. Latecomers will only have the option to take out or find another place, so remember to make a reservation by phone.

Matcha Kuzuko with Brown Sugar Syrup $50
After the warm hot pot, looking at the menu, the desserts seemed pretty good too, so I added two more: matcha kuzuko with brown sugar syrup and crème brûlée. The matcha kuzuko with brown sugar syrup is a very Japanese-style dessert, quite common in Japan. This dessert seems to be homemade by the shop’s chefs. Matcha powder is made into kuzuko, then served with a small spoonful of sweet red bean paste. It has a chewy yet soft texture, with a delicate and elegant matcha aroma lingering in the mouth, making you want to keep eating one after another.

French Crème Brûlée $45
This is a classic French dessert. The crème brûlée has a golden, tempting layer of caramel on top. When eating, you crack open the caramel and enjoy it together with the custard beneath. The crunchy, slightly bitter caramel pairs with the richly fragrant custard, loved by both kids and adults. (PS: This review is a contributed piece)

Overall
This restaurant offers affordable, family-style Japanese cuisine with a wide variety of dishes—everything from sushi and yakitori to sashimi and hot pot. The flavors are quite authentic to Japanese cuisine. Parking is convenient, making it great for family gatherings and group meals. I recommend the soufflé pot au feu udon, assorted sashimi, and grilled beef. The above are just my personal thoughts, for reference only.

Restaurant Name: Unbird Japanese Cuisine
Phone: 04-24226178
Address: No. 570, Chongde 9th Rd., Beitun District, Taichung City
Price: $40 and up
Dining date: May 2017

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