Taipei Japanese-style Yakitori Izakaya – The Overpowering Whisky-Flamed “Fire Chicken”

Alcoholic Drinks, Non-Alcoholic Beverages

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

Since it’s an izakaya, there’s a wide variety of alcoholic beverages. And for those who don’t drink, there are options like sparkling drinks or Calpis. For those who do enjoy a drink, there’s Sapporo beer, Japanese sake, whisky, and more.

They’ve also launched a seafood N exclusive to weeknight dinners<饭，想晚餐时段来用餐的朋友也可以参考。

Before the yakitori even arrived, the drinks and appetizers were served first. From left to right: Sapporo draft beer, Ginban Highball orange flavor, and The Man Whisky Soda. I don’t usually drink whisky, but I wanted to try it, so I went with a compromise—a lower-alcohol The Man Whisky Soda XD. But the portion is surprisingly big—it’s almost on par with the draft beer. This portion feels like it’s meant to let customers drink to their heart’s content.

I Love Yellow Prince $80
Served along with the beer was this I Love Yellow Prince. It sounds like “I Love the Crown Prince,” which might sound a bit odd to some, haha. Actually, it’s a savory appetizer made with fresh, crispy cucumber slices topped with spicy mentaiko (pollock roe) and mayonnaise—a common izakaya drink opener in Japan. It’s crunchy, flavorful, and helps cut through greasiness, but the mayo used is Japanese-style, which has a slightly tangy taste—so not everyone might like it. Be sure to keep that in mind when ordering.

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

Sapporo Draft Beer (Large) $250
Sapporo draft beer, which I never wanted to give up after trying it in Japan, is actually available here at Tanjun too, so of course, it had to be ordered. Just look at that fine foam—it’s seriously amazing. Sapporo draft beer doesn’t have that bitter beer taste and goes down super smoothly, especially great with yakitori. Draft beer comes in small, medium, and large sizes, with the large size being pretty rare at most izakayas. One large should be enough for one person, but if you’re still thirsty, just order another.

Ginban Highball Orange Flavor $120/glass
This is another cocktail from Sapporo, based on a low-alcohol cocktail with a hint of orange juice. It’s pretty popular among female customers. The shop currently offers two flavors: orange and grapefruit. Personally, I’m a fan of the orange flavor.

The Man Whisky Soda $230/glass
This is the compromise drink for those who worry about getting too tipsy from straight whisky XD. With soda water added, the alcohol content is greatly diluted, leaving just a faint whisky aroma. It feels like this drink is more suited for guys who just want to let loose a little. The portion is also super generous—it’s truly a man-sized drink!!

Song-Ju-Mei & Osmanthus Cosmos $500/bottle
The most beloved drink of the day was this one. Seeing we had ordered quite a few drinks, the staff recommended this Song-Ju-Mei & Osmanthus Cosmos. The design on the bottle is really stylish. It’s hard to find such drinks in Japanese bars. This sake has only 5% alcohol content, but its aroma and flavor are truly amazing—somewhat similar to fruit sparkling wine. It's very smooth and fragrant, making you want to drink glass after glass without realizing it. It’s really delicious. Our female friends ended up finishing the bottle, and it’s definitely a must-order for ladies. You can even take the empty bottle home to use as a vase for flowers XD. The restaurant also offers a variety of other Japanese sake, which you can check out and purchase if interested.

Charcoal-Grilled Special Attack Salad $280
When we saw the name “Attack Salad,” we all burst out laughing. In reality, it’s grilled chicken thigh meat served with Caesar dressing. The portion is about enough for two people, so ordering one to share is just right. The huge boneless chicken thigh cutlet is made from chilled chicken delivered fresh every day—not frozen—so the texture is noticeably better. The chicken thigh is so tender. The salad underneath is also quite generous, and they generously sprinkle cheese powder on top. If you’re looking to add some vegetables for balanced nutrition, ordering the Attack Salad is a good choice.

This chicken thigh meat is really worth mentioning. After being charcoal-grilled, the whole piece is incredibly tender, and the skin is delicious without being greasy. No parts become dry or tough. The chef’s grilling skills are really impressive. You can eat it as is or dip it in the Caesar sauce that comes with the salad. The sauce is quite aromatic, offering a different flavor profile. I personally prefer dipping it in the Caesar sauce because the flavor is really good.

Heavyweight Yakitori King $160/skewer
The Yakitori King is also one of the restaurant’s signature dishes. This time, we mostly ordered signature items—all freshly grilled upon ordering. Each order includes four large pieces of chicken thigh meat, served with the chef’s recommended garlic butter sauce. The moment it’s served, the rich aroma of the meat makes your mouth water.

So how big is this so-called Yakitori King? We ordered a normal-sized chicken thigh skewer for comparison. The Yakitori King is about 2.5 times the size of the regular version, which is honestly pretty astonishing. You could share one skewer among several people XD. The regular chicken thigh is prepared using the salt-grilled method, bringing out the natural umami of the meat, while the Yakitori King is complemented by the garlic butter sauce. Both methods taste great—it just depends on your preference. Trying the garlic butter sauce for the first time, I found it pretty delicious.

We noticed a friend picking up a uniquely shaped fork from the table and playing with it. Turns out it’s a specialized yakitori fork, designed to make it easy for customers to lift the meat off the bamboo skewers and share. No more struggling with chopsticks to pull the meat apart. It was the first time I’d seen this at a yakitori place, and it’s really handy and thoughtful.

Dragon King Three Delicacies Sushi Roll $380
The most impressive sushi here is this dish. Just the name “Dragon King Three Delicacies” sounds incredibly grand. And this sushi really goes all out in terms of ingredients. Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s just a simple sushi roll—there are extra toppings on top too. Look at the salmon sashimi, grilled squid, and cooked white shrimp, making the sushi roll even more enticing. What’s inside the roll is fried shrimp too. This is quite a creative sushi dish.

I have to say this sushi roll really opened my eyes. Taking a big bite, you get the chewiness of the squid, the crispiness of the fried shrimp, the sticky fragrance of the rice, and the granular texture of the fish roe. The multi-layered textures make it super delicious. It’s the best of the three rolls, in my opinion. The combination of sushi roll with tempura-style preparation is really unique. I never would’ve thought to wrap it like this. Gotta secretly learn this and try making it at home, haha.

Fantasy Journey – Christmas Fruit Wine $299
Because Christmas is approaching, there are also special Christmas menu items. The Fantasy Journey shown above is one of them. It looks like the kind of drink that would totally kill your phone’s memory. This beverage is made by blending five types of low-alcohol sours into a slushie. The vibrant colors are eye-catching and impossible not to notice. The flavors include lemon sour, plum wine sour, orange sour, grapefruit sour, and Kyoho grape sour. Remember to shake the cup before drinking to mix the flavors better—it tastes even better that way. My favorite among the five is the lemon sour, while my friend’s favorite is the grape sour XD.

● 《ET News Cloud》 reminds you: Don’t drink and drive. Don’t drive after drinking.

Inadani Cold Udon Noodles $250
There are three major schools of Japanese udon noodles. In Taiwan, the most common is Sanuki udon, known for its thick and chewy texture, which leaves a deep impression. The other two types are less commonly seen. I didn’t expect Charcoal to offer Inadani udon—it made me really happy. As far as I recall, it’s the first time I’ve seen it in Taiwan. The most distinctive feature of Inadani udon is that it’s flat, somewhat like the white noodles used at ramen shops, but the texture is still quite chewy. This is definitely a must-try dish at this restaurant, as you probably won’t find it at other izakayas.

Served with the udon are cold soy sauce and this topping plate, which includes chopped green onions, mustard, and a bit of sesame powder.

Before eating the udon, pour some soy sauce from the bottle into your bowl, then add a bit of green onions and mustard to make your own sauce. Then dip the Inadani udon into the sauce and enjoy. You’ll feel the Q (chewy) texture of the Inadani udon. But this way of eating reminds me a bit of how soba noodles are eaten in Japan XD. The soy sauce has a refreshing taste, not overly salty. If you like more varied flavors, you can add a bit of mustard to the soy sauce—but not too much, or it might overpower the sauce.

Charcoal’s Famous Ignition Chicken $350
Claimed to be the restaurant’s #1 signature dish, when it’s served, all the staff in the restaurant shout together, “Ignition Chicken is here!” It’s quite the dramatic entrance, which actually startled us XD. It also draws everyone’s attention. And ordering this dish comes with a tableside ignition show. When it’s first brought to the table, it’s not yet lit. Then the server pours Gibson whiskey over it and lights it on fire. The visual of the flames is absolutely stunning. The aroma of the chicken becomes even richer after being flame-grilled.

Since only a small amount of Gibson whiskey is poured, the flames only last for a few seconds. Friends who want to take photos to show off should be ready to seize the moment XD. This is probably a semi-successful shot from the day—the flames were really short-lived.<。

Cutting into the chicken with a knife and fork, this Ignition Chicken also uses chilled chicken, so the meat is relatively tender. The juices are well retained within the skin and don’t escape. You can also eat it with the vegetables underneath, which improves the texture and makes the meal more balanced. Otherwise, after eating so much meat in one meal, you wouldn’t dare to weigh yourself afterward (covering face).

Lucky Rolling Assorted Yakitori $345
If you love rolled yakitori but don’t want to order each type separately, you can try this Lucky Rolling Assorted Yakitori. It’s an efficient way to enjoy variety without ordering each one individually. One order comes with five skewers: enoki mushroom beef rolls, salmon bacon rolls, green onion beef rolls, mochi bacon rolls, and tomato bacon skewers.

Enoki Mushroom Beef Roll
Traditionally, enoki mushrooms are more commonly paired with pork, but Charcoal uses a beef and enoki combination. The texture becomes a bit heartier, and the enoki mushrooms are juicy. This one performs quite well.

Salmon Bacon Roll
It’s rare to see this combo at a yakitori shop—wrapping salmon slices with bacon slices and skewering them. Then adding mayonnaise gives it a very Japanese flavor. The texture is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside—a very unique mouthfeel. Since I love salmon, I really like this one.

Green Onion Beef Roll
Similar to beef with enoki mushrooms, but with scallion segments in the middle. I personally prefer the ones wrapped with enoki – haha.

Sticky Rice Bacon Rolls
At first glance, these thick, square-cut sticky rice pieces almost made me think they were eggplant or something. But then I realized that wouldn’t make sense – eggplant would’ve turned soft after grilling, not stayed so intact, XD. It wasn’t until I looked at them from the side that I noticed they were actually sticky rice, and even topped with dried seaweed. When eaten hot, the chewy yet slightly sticky texture is amazing, and when paired with the savory, grilled bacon, it’s a really great combo.

Tomato Bacon Skewers
Out of all the skewers in this mixed set, this one was my absolute favorite. You might be thinking, “Isn’t this a pretty common skewer?” Yeah, it kind of is – but there aren’t many places that make it delicious enough for me to actually like. Here, small tomatoes are wrapped in bacon and skewered. One bite, and the tomato bursts with juice – wow, so good. The tomatoes are incredibly tasty, and when paired with the slightly crispy, golden bacon, it’s just an absolutely delicious combination. Strongly recommended, must-order.

Seafood Mixed Skewers $370
Just as there are meat-based mixed skewers on the menu, there’s also a seafood skewer combo. I heard the seafood here is specially selected fresh catch, especially the scallops which are flown in fresh directly from Hokkaido. Let your taste buds judge whether it’s the real deal. The set comes with four types: Dragon King Grilled Pork-Eight-Precepts, Squid Skewers, Scallop Bacon Rolls, and Shrimp Skewers.

Scallop Bacon Rolls
At first glance, I thought it was chopped squid, but then the shape didn’t match, XD. But when I bit into it, the burst of sweetness revealed it was actually scallops. There’s also a hint of kumquat added to enhance the flavor and add layers – you get a nice citrus aroma too. This skewer is fantastic, and it makes you want to order another one right after.

Squid Skewers
Not sure how the chef decided on the portion, but we got two squid skewers @@. Can we get two scallop rolls next time instead, XDD? They’re cooked with a sweet-savory sauce and sprinkled with scallions. The texture is bouncy and chewy – perfect as a drinking snack.

Dragon King Grilled Pork-Eight-Precepts
This skewer has a fun name – took us a few tries to really get it. It’s made with super plump, juicy large prawns (the Dragon King) wrapped with bacon and pork (the Eight-Precepts) and then grilled. It’s kind of like a sea-and-land combo skewer. The preparation is actually quite skillful – lose focus for a second and the bacon might burn or the shrimp might overcook. But what we had today had firm, fresh shrimp meat, and the slightly salty yet tender bacon paired really well with it. We all loved it.

My Youthful Days Grilled Pudding $100
There’s actually dessert on the izakaya menu – that really surprised us. The staff’s top recommendation is the My Youthful Days Grilled Pudding, XD. Does eating this turn you back into your youthful days, XD? When it arrived, we were pleasantly surprised – it came in those small glass jars you usually see at fancy dessert shops, which made it look cute and refined.

When you stick the spoon all the way to the bottom and scoop upwards, it mixes the caramel sauce at the base with the pudding. The taste gets even better – the smooth pudding paired with the bittersweet caramel sauce is surprisingly delicious. There’s also a hint of honey flavor. At first, I just wanted a little sweet treat after the meal, but this grilled pudding turned out to be so good that I wanted another one. A friend even said they could eat ten of these (shocked).

After eating and drinking our fill, it was almost time to head home. The shop is open from 5pm to 1am, so you can definitely come by for a late-night snack after 10pm.

Overall, having been to several izakayas in Japan, coming to Tan Shun in Taiwan gave me the impression that their grilled skewers are actually quite similar in many ways. Plus, the place is spacious and bright, making for a really comfortable and enjoyable dining experience – something that many Japanese izakayas can’t quite match. If you want to have drinks with friends in Tokyo after work, come check out Tan Shun. Their skewers and Japanese sake will definitely make for a great time. That’s just my personal take – for reference only.

Tan Shun Japanese Izakaya
Phone: 02-27785228
Address: No. 17, Lane 160, Section 1, Dunhua South Road, Da’an District, Taipei City
Pricing: À la carte, New Set Menu available on December 28
Dining Date: December 2016

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