You can enjoy authentic Japanese home-style cooking in Taichung!! A richly savory and sweet pork BBQ set meal

Text & Photos /San Gao Eats Han

I’d heard that Akio’s Kitchen was a highly recommended set-meal spot, so I came here for lunch on a weekend. The nearby popular French bistro Xiangyan had just been visited not long ago, so I’ll share that another time~

The Japanese head chef and owner is named Akio. Flipping through the menu, there’s quite a variety of dishes, all home-style meals with pretty reasonable prices. For an average eater, spending around 300–400 NT should be more than enough~

Ms. J, unlike me who prefers rice dishes, ordered aClam Sanuki Udon (160 NT)—why not go for cold noodles in this weather? (I thought to myself). The clam flavor in the broth was strong, almost like the base liquid from steamed clams with garlic and wine... just slightly diluted. Even the udon absorbed the broth well, making for a pretty hearty soup. The noodles themselves weren’t anything special, though.

I went for theJapanese Pork BBQ Set Meal (180 NT)

The side dishes were quite thoughtful—pickled radish and Korean kimchi, which had a slightly tangy taste, sesame sauce with asparagus that wasn’t tough at all, and a small bowl of sweet, thickened stew.

The main dish, pan-fried beef slices, was seasoned richly with a savory, salty-sweet sauce and plenty of meat flavor. The portion wasn’t huge but it went really well with rice. The rice was Japanese short-grain, though slightly sticky, which was okay. For 180 NT, getting a set meal like this felt pretty good.

Of course, just this wouldn’t be quite enough, so I ordered a few more dishes. One of the more unique ones was salt-grilled chicken breast with Akio Sauce. Akio Sauce is a special seasoning blend by the chef, with a bit of yellow mustard and sweetness. The chicken breast was cut into chunks and grilled, sealing in the juices. Chicken breast can easily turn dry if not handled well, and there was one piece that was slightly overcooked.

The highlight of the day was the grilled salmon head (320 NT). As someone who loves fish heads, I immediately ordered it when I saw it on the menu. It was cut in half and grilled fresh—I waited about half an hour for it. The cooking was perfectly controlled: the flesh and collar were incredibly tender, rich in fat and collagen. Even though I was already quite full by then, I finished every bit of the salmon head.

It was a pretty solid meal. This kind of set-meal restaurant is usually the type you can casually walk into, eat, and leave—but because it’s quite popular and gets busy, it might be a good idea to make a reservation by phone.

Akio’s Kitchen
Address: No. 252, Meiting St., North District, Taichung City
Phone: 04-22339201
Business Hours: 11:30 AM–2:00 PM, 5:30 PM–9:30 PM (Closed Tuesdays)

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