Affordable Japanese cuisine in Taipei！Sushi with 7 ingredients & rice

Text & photos by阿mon

I was in Taipei for work and, after finishing, used a food app to find something to eat in the nearby alleys. I was originally thinking of trying Xiao Liu Shi Tang, but then I saw that this N<屋的评价似乎还蛮不错，外观给人的第一印象也不错，就决定在这间N<屋吃看看哩。该店离捷运行天宫站还蛮近的，从2号出口步行过来3分钟内可以抵达。N<屋的营业时间是中午11点半到下午两点，晚上5点到晚上9点。

There’s a menu posted at the entrance for passersby to check out. After glancing at it, I saw they offer quite a variety of dishes, mainly N<饭为主，另外还有乌冬面、烧烤等，最低的餐点从$150起，还在预算内，就决定推门进去吃看看了。

When I first walked in, the place was almost fully booked—even on a weekday lunch hour, the business was surprisingly bustling. The server asked if I had a reservation, and after I said no, I was seated at the counter near the kitchen area. It seemed like the restaurant had added more seats to accommodate more guests, so the spacing between tables was a bit tight—you could actually overhear other tables’ conversations, which made for a less private dining experience.

Seasonings: basic soy sauce and shichimi spice

The N at this restaurant<饭有分成生食和熟食两大类，生食的部分种类还蛮多的，而且是中日文并列，猜测可能日本客不少，价格则是在＄260～＄780内，以台北的价格来说，应该还算是平价N<饭。

Cooked dishes N<饭的价格则是在$160~350，还有比较少见的鳗鱼N<，不知道是不是用活鳗XD?N<饭和乌冬面如果加$100元就可以升级套餐，会多了一个鲜虾手卷和两样小菜。

As for udon, there are different types based on the broth—there are curry and miso options, with prices starting from $150. There are also quite a few topping choices, and it seems like this option is relatively more affordable.

In the lower left corner of the menu, it’s noted that during peak hours, dining is limited to 90 minutes. I think I only stayed for about an hour that day, so I’m not sure what would happen if you exceed the 90-minute limit.

Besides the individual menu items mentioned above, if you ask the server for this additional menu, you’ll find even more dishes—including grilled items, side dishes, and soups.

Apart from the items on the regular menu, there are also some daily specials written on the small blackboard. If your budget allows, you can try ordering those too. I really wanted to try the grilled yellowtail, but it was a bit too expensive for just one person, so I ended up skipping it.

After placing my order with the server, the chef started preparing the dishes. Since I was seated at the counter, I could clearly see the preparation process—it was almost like a visual treat.

There’s also this small sign on the table, which seems to feature a signature dish. But judging by the ingredients used, the price might go over my budget ==. Anyway, I’ve already ordered, but I’ll come back to try it next time if I get the chance.

They offer free hot tea, but you have to get it yourself. The tea is quite tasty and smooth.

The single shrimp hand roll is $50, so getting the set is a better deal. I was looking forward to this hand roll, but was a bit disappointed when I saw it—it was just simple shredded lettuce + shrimp + seaweed. The shredded lettuce was nice and crispy, and the shrimp were fresh, but overall it felt a bit empty—as if something was missing.

Assorted seafood N< $300 +100升套餐
After staring at the menu for a while, I finally decided to try an assorted seafood set. I heard it has 6–7 different ingredients, including sea urchin！Hearing “sea urchin” totally won me over, and I accidentally swiped my card without thinking XDD. Seafood N<是有附沙拉和汤品的，因为怕吃不饱，所以有额外再加$100升级成套餐，当服务生用托盘送上桌后，感觉就还蛮丰盛的。

The sushi had around 6–7 types of fish, completely covering the vinegared rice. It looked super appetizing, and I didn’t even know where to start eating. The vinegar rice underneath tasted a bit on the acidic side, but because of the hot weather, it actually helped whet my appetite, so it was okay.

There was tuna sushi, sea urchin, sweet shrimp, mackerel sushi—all part of the assorted seafood N<，所以食材种类挺多样化的，但每一种的分量大概就是1~2个而已，鲔鱼生鱼片应该是用赤身的部位，新鲜度不错。海胆部分我觉得一般般，吃不太出来那个甜味，但这价格有海胆就要偷笑了，没办法再要求更多。甜虾直接去头处理了，吃起来嫩口且甜美，赞。鲭鱼生鱼片比较少在综合海鲜中看到，因为这种鱼不是大家都爱，不过新鲜度算不错，切的也够大片，吃起来会很满足。

Salmon roe, salmon sushi, red snapper?, scallops
The salmon roe was just for garnish and was pretty average. They gave me two pieces of salmon sushi—one of them had more fat marbling, maybe it was from the belly part? But since salmon might be pricier, those pieces were thinner and smaller. I love salmon, so can I trade the mackerel for more salmon XD? As for the scallops, there was just a tiny piece—it was barely enough to taste the texture or sweetness. The red snapper sushi, though, was delicious—the texture was great.

Side dishes
I paid a little over $100 for two side dishes: burdock root strips and fish egg squid (?)—the burdock root strips were decent in portion and flavor, but somehow felt a bit empty ==. The fish egg squid, on the other hand, was much tastier. So if you’re thinking of upgrading for $100, it’s better to ask what the side dishes of the day are first.

Salad
Ordered N<饭就有附赠的，相较于刚刚那两样小菜，觉得这沙拉反而比较有诚意，脆口的生菜佐上和风芝麻酱，吃起来清爽脆口，还颇开胃的，生菜上面也还有放上一些蟹肉条，增添口感和风味。

Miso soup
Comes with N<饭附赠的，味道就中规中矩。

After eating, you can just pay directly at the counter. Overall, although I only ordered one bowl of N<饭，吃下来觉得N<饭生鱼片的新鲜度算不错，价格在台北应该也算平价，但是否升级套餐真的觉得就要看个人喜好了，感觉升级套餐没有很值得，以上是个人浅见，仅供参考。

N<屋 (DOM BU RI YA)
Phone: 02-25035741 (Closed on Sundays)
Address: No. 35, Lane 235, Songjiang Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City
Price: Minimum charge $100 per person
Dining date: May 2016

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