Located in the student food battleground zone — juicy, fluffy, and affordable Japanese tonkatsu rice!

Text & Photos by /kuni

(Da Sheng's Japanese pork cutlets are thick-cut and bursting with juiciness.)

At noon, I went to L'amour to meet Jimmy for coffee. After parking, I spontaneously walked across the street to try Da Sheng. It’s a Japanese tonkatsu specialty shop I’d heard about for a while but never had the chance to visit — until now. This spot has previously housed several businesses, including a instant noodle expert store and even a barbershop, but most didn’t last long.

It’s no small feat for Da Sheng to have stayed open since 2011 until today. There must be something special going on. As expected, even though I got lucky and didn’t have to wait in line, the place was packed at this hour. It quickly filled up, and not long after, they started sharing tables. The first thing that caught my eye on the menu were the prices — aside from a few items at NT$200, most combo meals were just NT$180, including the one I wanted to try: the “Da Sheng Lichiku Tonkatsu” signature set.

(The low-key entrance tucked away in a lane on Xinyi South Road)

(Chairs, tables, and the menu)

The waitress quickly brought out the side dishes tray. The miso soup was delightful, with the smoky flavor of katsuobushi that I love. The rice was decently cooked, though a bit hard and lacking chewiness. Before long, the tonkatsu arrived. To my surprise, it was thick-cut and incredibly juicy — the first bite alone was satisfying. The meat wasn’t the most refined or tender, and a bit lacking in fat, but as I chewed, I was pleasantly surprised by how soft it was. The accompanying tonkatsu sauce had a familiar taste, similar to many renowned Japanese restaurants — slightly salty and tangy, making me want to eat more rice. It seems the chef knows what they’re doing.

(The side dish tray)

(Signature Da Sheng Lichiku Tonkatsu)

(Extremely juicy and packed with meat juices)

With tonkatsu like this at such a price, it’s no wonder it thrives in the student food battleground area. After finishing the meal, I walked back across the street to L'amour to meet Jimmy. A post-meal coffee — same as it ever was.

(Post-meal coffee at the L'amour across the street)

Da Sheng Tonkatsu Specialty Shop

Address: No. 10-1, Lane 76, Section 3, Xinyi South Road, Da’an District, Taipei City
Phone: (02)2369-3017
Hours: 11:30–14:30, 17:00–21:00 Tue–Sun

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