A variety of ingredients including snow crab, oysters, scallops, and prawns—enjoy the delicious flavors of kushiyaki all in one go.

▲ The main kushiyaki dishes feature eight kinds of fresh ingredients.

Reported and photographed by reporter Huang Shiyuan / Taipei

In spring, as a new season begins and the days grow brighter, restaurants roll out new seasonal dishes. Taipei HowToTrip Zhongshan Japanese Cuisine offers the "Spring Feast - Sea & Land Kushiyaki" set menu, available from March 5 to April 30, 2016. Featuring Japanese snow crab, plump Hiroshima oysters, scallops, prawns, and paired with Taiwan-raised black pork tenderloin, this set lets you savor the unique tastes of different kushiyaki ingredients in one meal.

The set’s appetizer is made with fresh seasonal vegetables and is served with Zhongshan’s signature sesame handmade tofu. It also includes sashimi and simmered dishes—specifically, abalone and vegetables simmered in sake for 16 hours, delivering a rich aroma. The main kushiyaki dishes are prepared by evenly coating fresh ingredients in flour, dipping them in egg wash, then coating them in breadcrumbs before frying at a low temperature of 65°C–70°C. This gentle frying method ensures the texture remains tender. For dipping, there are choices of rose salt and imported Japanese vegetable-soy sauce.


▲ Appetizers.


▲ Sashimi.


▲ Simmered dish. Abalone and vegetables simmered in sake for 16 hours.


▲ Plum and shiso rice.

An absolute must when eating kushiyaki: freshly grilled rice balls—plum and shiso rice. The rice is mixed with red shiso salt, fully releasing the unique fragrance of the shiso, and topped with red plums, making the entire rice ball both appetizing and delicious. Finally, the cherry blossom seafood chirashi donburi features Japanese-imported cherry blossom petals pickled in salt, then lightly rinsed with water to revive their blossomy scent. These are added along with clams and shrimp, then steamed in bonito broth for 10–15 minutes. Shiso leaves are added to perfectly enhance the sweet umami of the seafood. A few drops of lemon juice can be added before eating.


▲ Cherry blossom seafood chirashi donburi. (Photo provided by HowToTrip Grand Hotel)