Artistic "Hachinin" rice bowl (donburi)! New Taipei's Japanese cafeteria offers donburi and omakase-style cuisine

Text/Photo byLao K

It was only because she had lunch with two friends living in Zhonghe that Meiji got to visit the famous No. 4 Park. She’d heard it was a great spot for dog-walking, surrounded by plenty of cafés. That noon, after exiting Yong’an Market Station, Meiji explored the area on her own and stumbled upon a café with a queue called "Across from the Library." Sure enough, just ahead was the library and the large 823 Memorial Park. Turns out, the 823 Memorial Park is the renowned No. 4 Park ~ Her friend mentioned that in the afternoon, many people come here to walk their dogs.

After exiting Yong’an Market Station, turn right and then take the first alley on your right—you’ll soon see the library and the park. Walk through the park, and near the intersection of Anle Road and Dehe Road, you’ll find a uniquely charming Japanese-style shop with the sign “Little Deer.”

On the nearby pillar, there’s a cute deer logo that reads “Flying Out with Caution.”

When you pull open the door, Jin Xiaolu is a refined yet spacious eatery. To the right is an open kitchen and a row of L-shaped bar stools, with walls adorned with numerous decorations and utensils. The left side also has some seating. What stands out most are the shiny little deer figures on the floor and the trail of deer hoof prints leading onward.

On the nearby ceramic urns sits a whole row of adorable little ceramic figures, somewhat resembling a line of Ikkyū monks. In fact, the entire Jin Xiaolu is filled with similar charming decorations.

After admiring the shop’s décor, we waited for our other friend, who was out playing Pokémon GO, to arrive. Then, the server began explaining the menu verbally, which included set meals and omakase courses, with the cheapest omakase course consisting of 10 dishes, priced at around 1,500 or so. The set meals included sashimi and other cooked dishes. The sashimi set meals were categorized based on the types of seafood, and my friend chose the one with eight varieties. Since it was everyone’s first time there, we all opted for the set meals. Meiji and another friend both chose the fish-based cooked set meals. At that point, none of us actually knew how much the set meals we had chosen cost.

Before long, everyone was served the same salad. The dressing was a fruit-flavored yogurt-like sauce paired with a Japanese-style dressing, along with appetizing pickled radish. The salad had a nice flavor, and the vegetables were very fresh.

Since two of the dishes were cooked items, so we could only see the chef preparing the eight-piece sashimi rice. After the chef had been busy for a while, my friend’s eight-piece sashimi rice was finally completed.

There were eight beautifully presented dishes that looked like little works of art N

Meiji had the filefish meal, which came with three small side dishes, one grilled fish, a bowl of white rice, and there was a bit of a gap compared to what Meiji expected of a Japanese-style meal. However, the plating was quite beautiful, especially the plate holding the fish, which looked very high-quality. The filefish was grilled just right and had a pure, clean fish flavor. Paired with three very Japanese-style side dishes, it was a nice touch, though it was a bit disappointing that the white rice was fairly ordinary—typically, such a meal would come with delicious Koshihikari rice. Overall, the flavors were quite light.

Her friend ordered the eel rice, which is made with eel.

Everyone was given a bowl of clams cooked in fish head broth, but the bitterness was a bit strong—Meiji didn’t care for it much.

That Saturday noon at Jin Xiaolu, only Meiji and her friend were dining in the restaurant, making for a comfortable atmosphere. The food was tasty, and the meal for three cost around 500 NT dollars. Meiji thought this place is perfect for long-lost friends wanting a quiet spot to chat over an unlimited amount of time, and afterward, they could continue the gathering at a nearby café.

Jin Xiaolu Handmade Happiness Cuisine
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Address: No. 1, Dehe Road, Yonghe District, New Taipei City
Phone: 02-2923-5553
Business Hours: 11:30–14:30, 17:30–22:00

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