18east: A New Gourmet Landmark in Eastern Taipei, Featuring Rare Celebrity Autographed Collections in Taiwan

Reported by Huang Shiyuan / Taipei

In recent years, numerous new restaurants have opened near Exit 2 of Taipei’s Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall MRT Station. This area has gradually replaced Lane 216 in Eastern Taipei as the district’s top culinary battleground, where only restaurants with true strength can secure a spot. 18east, a newly opened creative Japanese cuisine restaurant, not only highlights fresh ingredients flown directly from Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market but also showcases rare celebrity autographed collectibles seldom seen in Taiwan—such as the highly popular signed poster of all the cast members from Star Wars: Episode VIII and the signed model car of Paul Walker from Fast & Furious.


▲ The first floor of 18east offers omakase-style Japanese cuisine, with a space design that combines Western minimalism with a Japanese counter area. (Photo / Reporter Huang Kexiang)


▲ The chef prepares sushi at the counter. (Photo / Reporter Huang Kexiang)


▲ Delicious nigiri sushi. On the left is tuna jaw, on the right is tuna belly. (Photo / Reporter Huang Kexiang)

18east Creative Japanese Cuisine was built from the ground up. Aside from the management team’s extensive experience in the F&B industry (with multiple restaurants in the U.S.) and an outstanding chef, the overall restaurant design was handled by Cai Yuzhi, the brand creative director of North Design. With three floors, each level of 18east features a distinct design.

Cai Yuzhi said the first floor offers omakase-style Japanese cuisine, with a space design that combines Western minimalism with a Japanese counter area. The second floor aims to present the concept of a private kitchen private room, where open partitions can accommodate eight people or the entire floor can be reserved for up to 20 diners, making the second-floor counter useful in such cases. As for the third floor, it is designed as a more versatile space, suitable not only for general private events but also for press conferences and exhibitions.


▲ The third floor is designed as a versatile multi-use space.

Cai Yuzhi also mentioned that each floor is designed with either outdoor space or a small courtyard, all offering views of Taipei 101. Especially on the fourth-floor terrace, guests can fully enjoy the nighttime view of Taipei 101.

As for the first floor’s omakase-style Japanese cuisine, Chef Terry explained that there’s no need to fly all the way to Tsukiji in Tokyo. 18east receives shipments from Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market approximately every two days, focusing on seasonal and premium seafood, carefully selected to offer customers an authentic taste of “Japan’s freshness.”

Unlike most restaurants, 18east’s walls are adorned with extremely rare celebrity autographed collectibles. These include signed vinyl records of popular singers like Michael Jackson, U2, and Madonna; NBA jersey autographs; and even the New York Yankees’ World Series championship jersey (No. 45), gifted by the team to U.S. President Donald Trump. These are treasured items in any collector’s arsenal.


▲ The second floor displays celebrity autographed collectibles on its walls.


▲ %A large number of celebrity-signed items are displayed on the second-floor walls, including autographs from Michael Jackson, U2, and Madonna.


Collector James cited the recently acquired Star Wars: Episode VIII autographed movie poster as an example. Being one of the first print editions (approximately 100 copies), the poster bears the signatures of all the main cast members and the director. Since such posters are usually kept by film sponsors, producers, or the stars themselves, this particular piece is extremely rare and hard to obtain. Displaying these uniquely distinctive and seldom-seen celebrity autographed collectibles in 18east’s space, James said, is mainly intended to allow diners to form a certain connection with these items. Since they feature globally recognized singers, movie stars, or celebrities, guests can enjoy a different kind of experience while savoring their meal.


▲ The Star Wars: Episode VIII movie poster features signatures of all the actors.

At 18east, both visual and culinary experiences are a delight. Currently, the omakase course starts at NT$1,280 for lunch and NT$2,680 for dinner. There are also chef-selected lunch sets, such as the Madai Sea Bream Special, Hokkaido Hokke Crab Special, and Inro Squid Sushi Special, all starting at NT$880, bringing a new wave of deliciousness to Taipei’s Eastern District.

DATA
Address: No. 18, Lane 308, Guangfu South Road, Da’an District, Taipei City
Phone: 02 2711 6110


▲ A dish featuring crab meat, roe, and crab innards all served together.


▲ Chirashi sushi.


▲ Golden Hokkaido oysters.


▲ The Inro Squid lunch set. (Photo / Provided by 18east)