Affordable Japanese Cuisine in Taipei: Exploding-Sesame Tamagoyaki!

Text & Photos byOld K

Lately, when going out to eat with Meiji, we often can’t decide what to have. Although I have a list of go-to spots, sometimes there aren’t any nearby options on the list XD. When we don’t feel like traveling far, we just open Google Maps to see if there’s anything nearby rated four stars or above with plenty of reviews. That’s how we found this place—Yoshuya Shokudo.

Yoshuya Shokudo has a 4.1-star rating on Google Maps and 73 reviews, which suggests it must be pretty good. It’s located at the intersection of Nanchang Road Section 2 and Tong’an Street. Exit from Exit 1 of Guting Station, turn right into Tong’an Street, and you’ll find it in less than 200 meters—very convenient.

For an affordable cafeteria-style eatery, the environment is quite nice—simple and bright.

A Japanese cafeteria typically serves things like udon noodles,<饭、咖喱饭跟定食这一类，他们家最特别的就是有高达10几种的玉子烧，这点倒是很少看到，看来玉子烧应该是他们家强项，点一个爆浆芝麻玉子烧来试试，再点一个饭跟面就OK了。

They even use their own branded cups for drinking water.

Exploding-Sesame Tamagoyaki (NT$70)

The tamagoyaki arrived first.

Up close, it doesn’t look much different from regular tamagoyaki.

But once you cut into it, black sesame sauce oozes out.

The exploding-sesame tamagoyaki tastes a bit like a non-chewy sesame-filled tangyuan XD. The sesame is sweet, but since tamagoyaki is naturally sweet too, the pairing isn’t off-putting. The tamagoyaki itself is soft and tender with a smooth texture, and combined with the thick sesame sauce, it gives a double layer of silkiness. It’s actually quite delicious, though maybe it should come later since Old K prefers savory dishes first XD. The exploding-sesame tamagoyaki is better as a sweet finish to the meal.

The main dish has arrived.

Mentaiko, Cheese & Egg Mixed Udon (NT$160)

This bowl is practically made for cheese lovers!

The Mentaiko, Cheese & Egg Mixed Udon comes with tons of cheese drizzled with egg, topped with mentaiko. Meiji said it looked so appetizing she just wanted to dig in.

The udon noodles are all coated in melted cheese!

At the bottom, there's egg and sauce.

Give it a good mix before eating. Old K isn’t such a big fan of cheese, so this much cheese is a bit overwhelming XD. But Meiji thinks the rich cheese pairs perfectly with the chewy udon and the silky egg—it’s really tasty. There wasn’t a huge amount of mentaiko, but just enough to add a salty kick and enhance the overall flavor. If you’re a cheese lover like Meiji, you’ll probably love this dish.

Red Wine Cheese Fried Chicken Curry Nuggets<(180元)

This one, of course, is what Old K ordered. It came with five fried chicken pieces.

Underneath the seaweed is also cheese.

Take a bite of the fried chicken—the coating is quite crispy, the chicken is tender and juicy with a good bounce to it, and it’s not greasy at all. It’s pretty tasty fried chicken.

Of course, aside from eating it as is, you can also dip it in the cheese and seaweed like Old K did. The flavor and texture get an instant upgrade that way!

Then there’s the curry rice underneath. They gave a generous portion of rice, and the curry tastes like familiar Japanese-style curry. Old K doesn’t think it’s particularly outstanding, but for the price, it’s decent.

Old K’s Tips: Yoshuya Shokudo is a pretty good Japanese cafeteria. While it’s not super cheap, in terms of taste and atmosphere, the value for money is quite high. The tamagoyaki is their signature dish and definitely worth trying. Their fried items are also well-made. And if you’re a cheese lover, you definitely can’t miss the Mentaiko, Cheese & Egg Mixed Udon. Next time you’re near Guting Station, don’t forget to stop by for a meal here!

Old K’s Personal Rating (Out of 10, higher is better)
Taste: 8.1/10
Value for money: 8/10
Dining atmosphere: 7/10
Price: 7/10

Yiju Cafeteria
Facebook
Address: No. 169, Section 2, Nanchang Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2367-5761
Business hours: 12:00–21:30 (last order at 21:00)

Lao K
Keep the chain going, Lao K！
Blog　Facebook Page