Make you eat like a cow? Taipei’s yakiniku specialty shop offers an “All-Beef Platter”

Text and photos byFeitian Xuan

I had heard Maggie mention this “JD Yakiniku Specialty Shop” before and saw her checking in and raving about it nonstop on Facebook, which made me really curious. (Such a troublemaker, haha!! XD) So when Sister Kang asked me if I wanted to try “JD Yakiniku Specialty Shop,” I immediately said, “Yes!” (Thanks for the invite… muah^^)

Honestly, as long as I’m hanging out with a group of friends I like, even eating at KFC is totally fine with me!

“JD Yakiniku Specialty Shop” is located on Songshan Road in Taipei City… (in an alleyway). How to get there: That day I took the MRT and got off at “Songshan Nanjing Station.” I walked up Exit 3, turned left at the second alleyway on the right, and it was about 100 meters further down (a 3-minute walk)!

When I arrived at “JD Yakiniku Specialty Shop,” I didn’t even realize I was already standing at the entrance because the shop’s entrance is really low-key, and the exterior looks just like an izakaya!

Here’s another silly thing: I kept… mistaking “JD Yakiniku” for “Tokyo Yakiniku,” thinking, “Hasn’t JD Yakiniku been around for 10 years? Why is there so little info online?” Later I realized it was just my aging eyesight!!!!

I left early to avoid being late, so by the time I got to “JD Yakiniku,” they had just opened. (The boss must’ve thought I was starving!)

Besides the main dining area, “JD Yakiniku” also has a private room that seats 6–8 people… Did they know we’d be loud? They actually put us in the private room. (And true to form, we were indeed super loud!! XD)

That day, I met up with some friends I’d interviewed with in Nagoya. Just being able to chat and drink so casually and comfortably was such a happy thing—especially since I’d been feeling pretty down recently. That day, I’m really grateful to my friends for cheering me up.

There were sauces on the table: yellow miso, spicy miso, garlic, and soy sauce, but the meat itself mostly came with its own seasonings, so we didn’t end up using these.

They used charcoal instead of gas, which gave it a more old-school vibe. I was worried there’d be smoke, but surprisingly, there wasn’t any during the whole meal. The ventilation must’ve been really good, so we didn’t smell like grilled meat afterward.

Even though I drank three glasses of alcohol that day, Kevin didn’t notice (wives need to let loose, hahaha)

They changed the grill almost immediately after every type of meat was cooked that day. This thoughtful gesture made May remind me to definitely mention it in the article.

The menu has both set meals and à la carte options.

I’m so thoughtful—I’ve even attached the digital file for everyone to copy and download. Go on, tell me I’m amazing!! (No one’s responding? Fine, I’ll clap for myself…)

This day, the “Number One Grill Master of JD,” Peter, served us ladies. This young-looking guy actually turned out to be a grill master with amazing skills—he controlled the heat perfectly throughout. Every piece of meat he grilled made me go “so delicious!” after eating it. (← Everyone here can vouch—I’m not exaggerating, XD)

Calpis / 16 Tea—kid drinks, take a hike!!!!

Yuzu Lemon Wine $140It’s tangy and sweet, so refreshing for the throat. So good, so good, so good…

● ETtoday News Cloud reminds you: Don’t drink and drive. Don’t drive after drinking.

Niigata Handcrafted Craft Beer $200I only like fruity beers, and this one was ordered by Maggie and Sister Kang. I took a sip—it had a hint of honey, not bitter at all, but I still only had one sip. I still only love sweet drinks.

● ETtoday News Cloud reminds you: Don’t drink and drive. Don’t drive after drinking.

Rekorderlig Fruit Wine (Strawberry) $150I must’ve been stressed from taking care of the kids lately, because I couldn’t stop drinking this one. This strawberry-flavored fruit wine is really good too. It’s just that I had three different kinds of alcohol that day, and I got a bit tipsy in the middle. (Okay, I admit it, I’m not much to look at or depend on.)

● ETtoday News Cloud reminds you: Don’t drink and drive. Don’t drive after drinking.

Cider—this was brought by Yunyun for everyone to try. It didn’t really taste alcoholic, more like a sparkling wine. But it was super tasty too.

● ETtoday News Cloud reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, and don’t drive after drinking.

Mustard & Japanese-style seaweed salad - $150, this flavor is very refreshing — having something light before diving into the meat is pretty great. (← Clearly I drank first though, lol!)

Sesame tofu salad - $150, I love how the sesame sauce has a rich flavor but isn’t too heavy, and it really enhances the taste when paired with lettuce.

We had a big group that day, so we got a lot of dishes — seeing the two slabs of beef laid out together was super impressive.

Let’s take a look at what’s in the one-cow set meal:
One-Cow Platter
Korean-style kimchi
Lettuce for wrapping meat
Salmon rice ball
Assorted vegetables
Choose one drink (Coke, Sprite, apple cider, oolong tea, 16-tea, Calpis)
Single set meal $1280 + 10%
It’s basically the concept of one person eating an entire cow.

Whole cow platter - Isn’t this wooden serving board adorable? The beef is arranged on sections corresponding to different cuts, so it’s all very clear at a glance.

Korean-style kimchi - the flavor here is quite robust, the texture is crisp, not overly sour, and the spice level is just right — I like it.

I don’t know why, but in many restaurants in Taiwan, the kimchi often ferments too much, becoming overly sour and stealing the spotlight.

Lettuce wraps / assorted vegetables - besides the meat, there are also veggies, a good chance to get some fiber and keep the meal more balanced.

Grilled salmon rice ball - To be honest, this was the least memorable dish for me that day. (Boss, don’t hit me!)

The first piece grilled and ready was the one I was most excited about — the beef short rib. The moment I took a bite, it was tender, juicy, full of marbling, with both meat juice and aroma bursting in my mouth — jackpot!!!!

Wagyu flank steak - even just looking at the raw meat, the marbling is absolutely gorgeous.

Brisket is sliced thinner and has even more marbling, giving it a juicier bite.

Flap meat — why does it kind of look like beef tongue? XD

Shoulder clod short rib - it’s thicker, so the texture is more satisfying.

Sirloin — this one has a bit more chew to it...

I have a love-hate relationship with beef tongue — when it’s grilled well, it’s amazing, but when it’s not, it turns into a rubber band. XD Thankfully, the grilling skills at “JD Little Fresh Meat” made me want to do a little happy dance afterward.

Wagyu diaphragm

Wagyu sirloin flap – These two cuts were the ones I immediately gasped, “So delicious!!!!” after eating that day. It really gave me that same sense of happiness as when I eat wagyu in Japan!

The tenderloin has less marbling, but the texture is relatively softer and more tender…

Short rib – $400Short ribs are my favorite—bring on as many as you can, I’ll take them all!

Squid – $400I’m not particularly fond of seafood, so I was a bit unenthusiastic when I saw this plate. Was I that obvious? Maggie immediately said, “This squid is really tasty, you have to try it…” Well, I’m easily persuaded. Since Maggie said so, I tried a bite… This squid was grilled to perfection, sweet and fresh with a nice crispness—it was an absolutely fantastic drinking snack. Alright, squid, my apologies for underestimating you—you’re delicious!

Beef tongue – $360Probably worried we wouldn’t have enough to eat, they brought out another plate.

Thick-cut beef tongue – $500So this was thick-cut beef tongue—I had thought it was dice-cut beef, but wow, it’s insanely thick. I was worried the thick slices might not grill well, but they were just as crispy and juicy, cooked to the perfect doneness.

Scallion salt flat iron steak – $250Simple meat, elevated with just scallion salt seasoning, adding a bit more depth to the flavor.

But eating too much meat still makes me feel a little guilty, so wrapping some lettuce around it balances things out a bit.

Garlic mixed seafood – This dish includes white shrimp, clams, squid, king oyster mushrooms, and zucchini. But a special reminder: this is not sold individually, only included in the 4080 Big Satisfaction Set. The seafood here is all very fresh, the clams are large, and thanks to the king oyster mushrooms and zucchini, there's also a nice vegetable sweetness.

The well-seasoned Maggie reminded us not to finish the broth, because the owner would take it back to cook ochazuke. The cooked ochazuke rice has a texture between risotto and congee—not overly mushy, even with a slight bite to it. The rice soaked up the rich broth, becoming flavorful and sweet. It was truly an outstanding and unforgettable dish. We almost wanted to shout “bravo!” afterward.

Ribeye steak – $700Weighing a full 10 oz, it’s really a huge piece—I couldn’t even get my whole hand around it with my palm open. The ribeye has a chewier texture, and those who enjoy taking big bites of steak will likely prefer this mouthfeel.

Sauce-glazed chicken wings – $150This was also a dish I found very memorable. I usually love beef more than lamb, lamb more than pork, and pork more than chicken. (Just look how pitiful chicken is, right? XD) But these grilled chicken wings were really delicious—the skin was soft with a slight charred aroma, and the meat inside was tender, juicy, and flavorful. It was a perfectly wonderful drinking snack.

Hokkaido raw scallops – $300These scallops are of sashimi grade, much larger than a 50-yen coin… Since they’re sashimi-grade, you can eat them after just a light sear. They’re sweet, juicy, and delicious.

Pork large intestine – $160This one is super rich and indulgent—a rather “sinful” dish. The pork large intestine was very well prepared, with no fishy taste, and it was crispy outside and tender inside. Really tasty!

Mixed fresh mushrooms – $120By this point, pretty much everyone was ready to give up, and I was actually full to the top of my head. But I can handle veggies—leave that to me. This dish had a slightly more pronounced acidity because vinegar was added, which made it refreshing and helped cut through the richness. I almost finished the whole plate!

Cheese sweet potato – $120The base is mashed sweet potato, topped with cheese. It’s creamy with the natural sweetness of the sweet potato.

Grilled mochi? – $100Can be dipped in peanut powder or condensed milk. The peanut powder is freshly ground by the shop—larger grains, but with a strong aroma.

Since I've been traveling to Japan quite often lately, I almost always get to eat wagyu beef every time I go—like Hida beef, Sendai beef, Fukushima beef, Kumano beef... and so on. Because I get to eat wagyu so frequently, I always feel that while barbecue in Taiwan is delicious, it somehow falls just a little short.

After eating at "Kyoto Yakiniku" this time, it gave me a feeling very similar to having barbecue in Japan. The quality and refinement were both excellent, and I found myself missing it as soon as I finished. No wonder my close friends have visited once, twice, three times... N times. If you're looking to have some yakiniku in Taipei recently, I really recommend this place—"Kyoto Yakiniku"!

Kyoto Yakiniku Specialty Store│Official Website│FB
Address: No. 3-1, Lane 90, Songjiang Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City
Phone: (02)2523-6737
Business Hours: Monday–Friday 17:30–23:00, Saturday & Sunday 12:00–15:00, 17:00–22:00

Feitianxuan
I record the food, fun, and emotions in my life with a light-hearted tone"锛br /> Blog, FB