Affordable ¥100 Teppanyaki in Taichung—Seafood Delivered Fresh from the Harbor Daily!

Text & Photos byFeitian Xuan

This “JD Sichuan-style Teppanyaki” has recently stirred up quite a buzz, frequently making headlines. Even I, someone who usually doesn’t follow the news, have heard of “JD Sichuan-style Teppanyaki”! Maybe it’s because I rarely write about teppanyaki, so many people assume I don’t like it... In truth, I love it, but because teppanyaki is best eaten hot, I usually end up digging in before I can even take out my camera!

That day, I got an invitation from “JD Sichuan-style Teppanyaki.” Friends who had been there said the ingredients were fresh and the prices weren’t high, plus the reviews on their Facebook page were great, so Xuan decided to gather her girl squad for a visit...

“JD Sichuan-style Teppanyaki” is located on Dongxing Road in West District, not far from the Gongyi Road shopping area. There’s a parking lot about 100 meters ahead... Though I kept mixing up “JD Sichuan-style Teppanyaki” with “DJ Sichuan-style Teppanyaki,” thinking you could enjoy teppanyaki while listening to DJ music playing live!! Turns out JD stands for the initials of the two owners: Julio and Dias.

As soon as we arrived at the entrance of “JD Sichuan-style Teppanyaki,” we spotted a bold red banner hanging above that read “Celebrating the Boss’s Second Wedding”! Way too cheeky!!!! It turns out the boss is an unmarried guy in his 20s, and he put it up just as a gimmick!! But it sure caught the attention of many media outlets who came to cover the story.

Honestly, the humor of today’s youth is a world we overripe maidens just don’t understand. Isn’t it perfectly fine to just enjoy some teppanyaki?!

Also, on the wall hangs these hilarious signs—Boss Went Crazy: Lunch Special Only ¥110, Employees Cried: Insane Couple’s Set for Less Than ¥300 Per Person. Such wild phrases make everyone stop and stare. Why is the boss so KUSO?! Though the promotional text is a bit brash, honestly... at ¥110 for a business lunch, it’s even cheaper than the affordable teppanyaki place near our house!

While writing this, I checked the shop’s Facebook page and realized the editor has quite the comedian vibe.

On the covered walkway, they display live shrimp... The boss said the seafood at “JD Sichuan-style Teppanyaki” is all delivered fresh from the harbor, guaranteed fresh!! But there were only a few left—guess the rest were already on the teppan, on their way out?? ((Amitabha~)

The dining space inside isn’t very large, probably only accommodating about 15 people. We arrived a bit early, but by the time we left, there was already a line forming outside.

That sign on the wall is pretty amusing too. Since there aren’t many seats, during peak hours you might have to wait a while, so they hope customers will be patient and not get angry!

Menu... They offer single and couple sets, as well as à la carte options. The average price is around ¥300, which is quite affordable... Plus, starting in May: the Deluxe Couple Set originally ¥649 is only ¥599 with a check-in deal... (So does checking in twice make it ¥499, boss?)

Quick, decisive, and accurate!! Place your bet and stick with it!

Drinks are on the counter—help yourself DIY style!! The drinks on the right are all-you-can-drink. (The ones in the fridge on the left are also all-you-can-drink, but they cost extra!)

● 《ETtoday News Cloud》 reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, don’t drive if you’ve been drinking.

Soups are also DIY-style, and it seems the flavors change daily. When we visited, they served us meatball and egg drop soup, which reminded me of the school lunch nutrition meals. Back in the day, my friends and I would huddle together during lunch, trading bits of our bento boxes—I loved the egg yolk, you loved the whites—we’d always swap dishes... Though we had exam stress back then, life was simple and easy to satisfy. The older you get, the more you miss those carefree youthful days.

At “JD Sichuan-style Teppanyaki,” both the boss and the staff are young. Aside from cooking, you might occasionally catch a Sichuan opera face-changing performance, though the boss says he’s so busy these days he barely has time for it. So if you want to see it, you’ll need some luck—maybe try visiting during off-peak hours!! XD

Milk tea / Black tea – They use real “milk” instead of “creamer,” so the milk flavor is a bit lighter, but it’s healthier this way. I didn’t try the black tea, but I remember Xiao Qianqian saying it was also a bit mild in flavor.

Couple’s Set - ¥599 (Check-in Price)Main: Choose two from Sirloin / Chicken Leg Steak / Matsusaka Pork / Sea Bass / Mackerel, Side: Two large prawns + one serving of fresh clams + one serving of deep-sea squid, plus two bowls of rice + two servings of seasonal vegetables... So it’s less than ¥300 per person, which is quite a good deal!

Side note: Does anyone think this teppanyaki chef looks like Yan Zhengguo from the movie “Young and Dangerous”? (Turns out it’s so old-school, hardly anyone knows him?... Alright, I’m just embarrassing myself...)

What surprised me more: Most affordable teppanyaki places usually serve side veggies like bean sprouts and cabbage, but “JD Sichuan-style Teppanyaki” serves spinach, which feels a bit more upscale!! Though I don’t mind bean sprouts, having spinach is definitely a nice upgrade!

“JD Sichuan-style Teppanyaki” is the first teppanyaki restaurant in Taichung with an “Sichuan flavor” theme, but although it’s called Sichuan-style, it’s not as spicy as you’d expect. After a quick stir-fry with spices, the chili peppers are de-seeded beforehand, so they’re mainly for aroma, enhancing the food’s fragrance. For someone like me, whose spice tolerance is at kindergarten level, the heat is totally manageable.

The greens, stir-fried quickly with garlic and chili, are not only aromatic but also super tasty with rice. They’re crispy and refreshing.

This was the first time I’ve had such huge clams at a teppanyaki restaurant, and the meat was so plump and savory, salty and delicious—it really woke up my taste buds right from the first dish.

The chicken is made with thigh meat, tender and juicy, with a perfectly crispy skin. Just a sprinkle of black pepper makes it delicious.

This is the squid—it’s huge. Truthfully, I’m the type who can never tell the difference between squid, squid tubes, and little neck clams. Actually, I can’t tell any of the eight-legged sea creatures apart (except spiders, of course). This squid also had tender, plump meat, cooked to just the right doneness, fresh and crisp in texture.

I came here to eat with my girlfriends this day, and someone even helped peel the shrimp for me — I didn’t even have to get my hands dirty. It was truly blissful. The shrimp were super fresh, so the meat was firm and not mushy at all.

The beef was diced beef stir-fried with chili and onions over high heat. The doneness was just right, and it was another rich and flavorful dish that paired perfectly with rice. This one made it really hard for me to stick to my usual no-rice rule for dinner — I ended up wolfing down a full third of a bowl... seriously... why does my life have to be this hard?!

Madam No. 2’s Private Steak – $499Whoa... what kind of name is that!? I almost jumped out of my chair... The boss said: Madam No. 2’s Private Steak was created to match the red banner at the entrance and was newly launched in May. Even if you come alone for teppanyaki, you won’t feel emotionally empty anymore.

The set includes: one portion of Choice-grade steak + one shrimp + one fish fillet + one scallop + two seasonal vegetables + one bowl of rice. For a seafood-and-meat combo like this, the price being under $500 is actually quite generous. Because sometimes when I take my little Cherry to the budget teppanyaki place near our house and just order a few things, it often exceeds $500.

The sea bass was very fresh, the flesh was delicate, and there was none of that fishy taste I dread — even someone like me who’s afraid of fish could enjoy it.

The scallops were seared just right and had a sweet, savory flavor.

These Thai prawns were still alive — they jumped right up when placed on the hotplate. Suddenly I felt kinda cruel, having to witness this just to enjoy fresh seafood. So... I guess I’ll just have to do more good deeds from now on.

The beef used was Choice-grade short rib, cooked to about medium-well, giving it a firmer, chewier texture with a rich meaty flavor. That one disappeared in no time.

Don’t forget to finish the little cauliflower on the side too — that way your meal will be nutritionally balanced...

They say the rice is made from freshly milled Wufeng fragrant rice. If that’s true, then it’s such a waste using premium rice, because the rice this time was cooked way too soft by Mingxian — that’s a deduction.

This is the chef who served us this day. He’s pretty young, huh? Why does everyone seem to be in their 80s these days? Feels kinda pushy.

Grilled Banana Chocolate Ice Cream – $70. This is an à la carte item, not included in the set. I think the price isn’t bad, definitely worth trying.

The banana is pan-seared on the hotplate, then a bit of liquor is added before being flambéed to burn off the alcohol. The scene was kinda shocking — I was sitting too close and actually worried my hair might catch fire. The banana skin got a bit charred, and eating it with the chocolate ice cream gave this hot-and-cold, ice-fire fusion sensation... though it’s sweet, it’s not cloying. I thought it was pretty tasty.

The boss said there’s a “dirty word jar” in their shop — wait, what? I thought he said something about Zhang Huaguan... I was totally talking past each other until the boss finally clarified: “To improve the work atmosphere, staff are strictly prohibited from swearing. So if you ever hear any of our staff curse, you can ask them to put a fine into this swear jar.”

What the heck!? What kind of excuse is unclear speech!!???? I felt like punching someone right then.

Currently, Tuesdays are fixed disinfection days — no customers are accepted. At the end of May, another time will be scheduled to reopen for Tuesdays.

JD Sichuan-style Teppanyaki
Facebook
Address: No. 86, Section 3, Dongxing Road, West District, Taichung City
Phone: 04-2320-2220
Business Hours: 11:30–15:00, 17:30–22:00

Feitian Xuan
I record the food, fun, and emotions of my daily life in a lighthearted tone"锛br /> Blog, FB