Visiting Mitsui Outlet Park during the holidays for shopping and gourmet food — these 4 restaurants will test your patience in waiting

▲ The crowd at the food court on opening day; even more are expected during the Lunar New Year holiday. (Photo / Huang Shih-yuan)

Reported by Huang Shih-yuan / Taipei

The opening of Mitsui Outlet Park in Linkou has already become a hot topic, with huge crowds flocking in on holidays, especially for restaurant dining — spots are hard to come by. The food court is often fully packed, and some popular eateries require one to two hours just to place an order. Among them, the super-popular Temari no Hoshi, where diners wait up to three hours at Kinjiro, really tests people’s patience for queuing.
 

Kinjiro
Kinjiro has had daily lines since opening at Breeze Taipei Station, and the Mitsui outlet location is attracting foodies from the surrounding Linkou area eager to try it. As soon as the mall opens, long queues form, snaking through the food court area. The menu is the same as at Breeze Taipei Station, where you can enjoy Edomae-style temari sushi. The eel (anago) used in the Edomae-style temari sushi is imported from Japan, and is longer than a palm. As for Kinjiro’s signature secret sauce, it is also prepared in Japan and then shipped to Taiwan.


▲ Miyatake Sanuki Udon is Japan’s first self-service udon restaurant. (Photo / Huang Shih-yuan)
 

Miyatake Sanuki Udon
Introduced to Taiwan by the Banpai Group, Miyatake Sanuki Udon is also one of the popular eats at Mitsui Outlet Park. With affordable pricing and being the first of its kind in Taiwan, lines form quickly during operating hours, and they get even longer on holidays. In 1981, Miyatake Sanuki Seimen’s directly operated udon shop “Magokoro” opened as Japan’s first self-service udon restaurant, helping to spread Kagawa’s udon culture far and wide. Later, through technical collaboration with Japanese restaurant group Four Seeds, Miyatake Sanuki Udon was born. It now has 17 branches across Japan. The soup base is made from dried bonito, kelp, shiitake mushrooms, and katsuobushi, while the noodles are hand-kneaded and rested, resulting in a width of about 0.3–0.4 cm. Popular items include rich pork udon and Korean-style miso pork udon.


▲ Tanaka Shoten is the originator of Tokyo’s Hakata Nagahama ramen and has been in business for 20 years. (Photo / Huang Shih-yuan)

Tanaka Shoten
Taiwan has many ramen lovers, so whenever a new Japanese ramen shop arrives, it draws big crowds. This time, Mitsui Outlet Park welcomes Tanaka Shoten, the originator of Tokyo’s Hakata Nagahama ramen, which has been around for 20 years. Its broth is simmered for three full days using pork bones, resulting in a rich and mellow flavor. The ramen even features nori printed with “thank you” in multiple languages.


▲ The Hawaiian-style KUA’AINA Burger officially launches in Taiwan. Pictured: Bacon Mozzarella Burger (NT$330).

KUA’AINA Burger
A burger craze recently swept the Greater Taipei area, and Mitsui Outlet Park is now home to KUA’AINA, a burger joint originating from the U.S. Rumor has it that even U.S. President Obama makes a point to visit when in Hawaii. Aside from Obama’s endorsement, KUA’AINA stands out by offering a choice of different burger buns and add-ons for an additional charge. Thanks to word-of-mouth and online buzz, it’s become a popular eatery at Mitsui Outlet Park — people have been lining up outside even before it opened. Getting a meal means waiting not only for a table but also queuing again to order. During the holidays, the crowds will be even larger, and wait times are expected to grow.


▲ The queue at KUA’AINA on opening day. (Photo / Huang Shih-yuan)

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