Rushing to beat the holiday rush? Up to 17 new premium restaurants opened in November

By Huang Shiyuan / Special Report

Do you feel that as the year draws to a close, newly opened restaurants suddenly seem to multiply, many of them from Japan and Korea? Think of spots like Korea’s Sinmapo Seagull Korean BBQ, Japan’s Kaneko Hannosuke, and the famous fried chicken wing chain Sekai no Yamachan. Especially with the opening of Breeze XinYi, several exclusive restaurants also launched, causing the number of new gourmet brand restaurants in November to surge to 17.

▲N°168 PRIME Steakhouse plants its flag in the East District, setting up shop at SOGO Dunhua. (Photo / Provided by Victoria Hotel)

N°168 PRIME Steakhouse Dunhua Branch
The five-star Victoria Hotel in Zhongzheng District has officially expanded into Taipei’s East District. Its steakhouse, N°168 PRIME, is located on the 7th floor of the renovated SOGO Dunhua Department Store. Covering 300 ping (approx. 990 sq m), the entire floor includes kitchen facilities and accommodates about 150 seats across five private dining rooms. The restaurant design showcases a unique style—Dunhua location features a metallic finish for a fashionable artistic ambiance, pairing dramatic abstract ceiling art with Art Deco decorative elements, blending classic elegance with contemporary artistic beauty.

Address: 7F, 246 Section 1, Dunhua S. Rd., Da’an Dist., Taipei City 106 (SOGO Dunhua)
Reservation hotline: 02-6617-6168

▲Seagull House Taiwan’s No. 1 store finally opened on November 14. Seagull meat (pork diaphragm) and stovetop eggs are two of the shop’s signature dishes. (Photo / Taken by Huang Shiyuan)

New Sinmapo Seagull Taiwan
Korean BBQ chain brand New Sinmapo Seagull’s Taiwan No. 1 store officially opened on November 14. Aside from using locally sourced ingredients in Taiwan, the cookware and sauces used in-store are all directly imported from Korea. Here, you can not only enjoy authentic Korean-style seagull meat (pork diaphragm) and stovetop eggs, but also try grilled pork skin as featured in Korean dramas. Grilled pork skin is also a signature dish at New Sinmapo Seagull. Qiu Qianfang mentioned that after sourcing the pork skin from suppliers, they not only remove all the bristles but also clean off the subcutaneous fat layer, leaving only the collagen-rich skin.

Address: No. 35, Lane 131, Yanji St., Taipei City
Phone: 02-2775-5110

▲Sekai no Yamachan’s iconic product: the Dreamy Fried Chicken Wings. (Photo / Taken by Kyuu-go Okugata)

Sekai no Yamachan
The well-known Japanese fried chicken wing chain “Sekai no Yamachan” opened its first Taiwan branch in the Xinyi District on the evening of November 27, becoming its third overseas location after Thailand and Hong Kong. Established in Nagoya in 1981, Sekai no Yamachan is a Japanese izakaya with over 70 branches both in Japan and internationally. Among its diverse menu of fried foods, salads, and stir-fries, the “Dreamy Fried Chicken Wings” are the most iconic. The Taipei Xinyi branch will be located in an alleyway next to Exit 1 of Taipei City Hall MRT Station.

Address: 1F, No. 10, Lane 15, Section 5, Zhongxiao E. Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City 110
Business hours: 17:00–24:00

▲The elegantly designed Parla Seafood. (Photo / Provided by vsdnu ma)

vsdnu ma
Following the 2014 launch of the MEATGQ Premium Steakhouse planned with the help of steak guru Deng Youkui, the Taichung Sing Yeh Group, after a year of preparation, invested NT$300 million to create the Cantonese cuisine wedding banquet venue 《Vsda》. It began soft opening on January 20 and officially opened on December 5. Vsda not only offers premium dim sum and high-end Cantonese cuisine, but also brings together top culinary talents including the executive chef from Beijing’s renowned hotel, the consulting chef from a Michelin-starred restaurant in Bangkok, and the executive chef from a renowned Singaporean restaurant. Together, they form the core culinary team of Vsda.

Address: No. 783, Section 2, Gongyi Rd., Nantun Dist., Taichung City
Phone: 04-2382-9128
Business hours: Lunch 11:30–15:00, Dinner 17:30–21:30

▲Akakara Hot Pot. (Photo / Provided by viviyu)

AKA KARA (Akakara Hot Pot)
The Japanese hot pot chain AKA KARA (Akakara Hot Pot), which has around 180 stores across Japan, is set to officially open on November 11. The restaurant’s decor and menu are authentically Japanese. Its two signature dishes are the “Akakara Hot Pot” and “Grilled Chicken Neck.” The Akakara Hot Pot is based on Nagoya’s traditional red miso, blended with various chilies from China and Korea, offering 10 levels of spiciness—with only 1% of people in Japan able to handle level 7 and above.

Address: No. 71, Section 1, Zhongshan N. Rd., Taipei City (Taipei Flagship Store)
Phone: 02-2523-8922

▲The lettuce at Cheongdam-dong Korean BBQ is unlimited refill. (Photo by Huang Shiyuan)

Cheongdam-dong Korean BBQ
Opened on November 12th, Cheongdam-dong Korean BBQ is a new brand launched by Yongxin International. To offer Taiwanese the most authentic Korean BBQ, the team specifically went to Korea to learn cooking techniques from Chef Daniel and his brother, owners of a BBQ restaurant in Cheongdam-dong.

The meats offered at Cheongdam-dong Korean BBQ include PRIME grade beef, American bone-in short ribs, Korea’s favorite pork belly and pork heart meat, as well as shell-off shrimp and Hokkaido scallops. Prices for individual meat items range from NT$360 to NT$880, while set menu combinations include a Premium Beef Combo at NT$1880, a Select Pork Combo at NT$1080, and a Deluxe Beef & Pork Combo at NT$1880.

Address: No. 196, Section 4, Civic Blvd, Da’an District, Taipei City (1st Floor, CTS Training Center)
Phone: 02-2775-4195

▲The world’s largest silver-plated Rody.

Caffè Rody Theme Restaurant
The super-cute rocking horse-themed restaurant, Caffè Rody, finally began its soft opening on November 6th and officially opened on November 20th. Even before stepping inside, many are drawn in by the restaurant’s exterior—especially the four Rody-shaped rocking horses near the entrance. Not only do kids rush to sit on them, but even many girls can’t resist giving them a try. Once inside, you’re greeted by countless Rody toys of all sizes, even including a Rody carousel on the ceiling.

Address: No. 23, Lane 35, Alley 181, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Rd, Da’an District, Taipei City
Phone: 0963-663-465, 02-8771-7589

▲Hatcho Bread with butter. (Photo provided by Hatcho)

Hatcho
Japan’s popular Hiroshima butter bread is coming to Taiwan！ Established in Hiroshima in 1933, “Hatcho” has an 82-year history. Its butter bread, launched six years ago for its melt-in-your-mouth texture, was recommended by Japanese celebrities and became a wildly popular queue-worthy food in Japan, selling 15 million units per year. From November 13th to January 12th, 2016, Hatcho set up a temporary counter at B3 of Taipei Main Station, and opened a permanent store in Banqiao on November 20th. A total of seven flavors have been introduced to Taiwan, plus three Taiwan-exclusive flavors, each priced at NT$80. The ten flavors available in Taiwan are: custard, fresh cream, French butter (Taiwan exclusive), fresh fruit (Taiwan exclusive), ice cream (Taiwan exclusive), matcha, red bean, chestnut, chocolate, and mango.

Store locations: Taipei Main Station B3, Banqiao Global Mall

▲Lotte Imperial Eight-Colored Xiao Long Bao (NT$320), flavors include original, ginseng, foie gras, black truffle, cheese, crab roe, garlic, and spicy. (Photo by Huang Shiyuan)

Lotte Imperial
“Lotte Imperial,” the most popular brand under Singapore’s Chinese cuisine group, Lotte Restaurant, officially opened at Breeze Xinyi on November 5th. In addition to classic Chinese dishes from various regions, Lotte Imperial is best known for its “Eight-Colored Xiao Long Bao.” Aside from the original flavor, other options include ginseng, foie gras, black truffle, cheese, crab roe, garlic, and spicy. Lotte Imperial stated that the dough colors are all made from vegetable, squid, and red grain (or goji berry) juices, containing no artificial coloring or chemical additives.

Address: No. 68, Section 5, Zhongxiao East Rd, Xinyi District, Taipei City (Breeze Xinyi)
Phone: 02-6636-6699

Dian Dian Xin
Dian Dian Xin is a Hong Kong-style dim sum shop brought to Taiwan by celebrity Wei. Its signature and popular items include Piglet Flowing Custard Bun, Honest Pineapple Bun, Crystal Clear Shrimp Dumpling, and Crispy Shrimp Sausage.

Address: B1, No. 68, Section 5, Zhongxiao East Rd, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2720-3296

▲The dreamy fish known as shima-aji prepared as overnight-dried style. (Photo by Huang Shiyuan)

Tsukumi TSUKUMI
“Tsukumi TSUKUMI,” featuring the overnight-dried fish made by the century-old famous store “Takashita Shoten” in Wakayama, Japan, will officially open on the 4th floor of Breeze Xinyi on 11/5. In addition to its signature overnight-dried dishes, it also combines Taiwan’s favorite seafood.<与釜饭料理，皆以定食的型态呈现，共有五大系列，每套380元起。

Address: 4F, No. 68, Section 5, Zhongxiao East Rd, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2720-3296

▲Tian N<。内容有舞菇、大虾、小干贝加花枝海鲜炸、青龙、炸半熟玉子、炸海苔片。300元+10%。(图／黄士原摄)

Kaneko Hananosuke
Japan’s Queued-Up Gourmet Spot “Kaneko Hananosuke” Beef Tenderloin Ramen N<专卖店终于在11月10日于微风台北车站开幕了！这次台湾分店提供的菜单不只有日本桥本店的“江户前天N<”，还有“上天N<”及“天N<”共3款人料理，而江户前天N<中使用的“穴子(星鳗)”还是由日本进口，长度比手掌还要大。至于金子半之助最重要的秘制酱汁，也是由日本调制好再运送来台湾。

Address: 2F, 3 Beiping West Rd, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City (Breeze Taipei Station)
Phone: 02-2314-0298


▲36-hour slow-cooked sous vide beef tenderloin ramen. (NT$680)

Crystal Champions Beef Noodle Workshop CBN
Beef noodle shops are everywhere in Taipei—how can one stand out? Starting November 5th, the first-ever beef noodle restaurant under Silks Club Hotels & Resorts—Crystal Champions Beef Noodle Workshop CBN—opened on the fourth floor of Breeze Taipei XinYi. In addition to bringing over Crystal’s signature Clear Broth Beef Noodles and Red Braised Beef Noodles, it also introduced four new dishes: Triple-Crown Beef Noodles, Crispy Fried Wonton Beef Noodles, New York-style Wonton Dry Noodles, and a sous vide beef tenderloin ramen slow-cooked for 36 hours using French culinary techniques.

Address: 4F, Breeze XinYi Store, 68 Section 5, Zhongxiao East Rd, Taipei City
Phone: 02-8786-8799

Hanjin Mapo
Hanjin Mapo is a new concept Korean-style grilled meat spot created by Doufu Co., Ltd., the makers of Silken Tofu. It blends the best of Korean BBQ, uses heat-conducting “cast iron” cookware, pairs with Korea’s trending cocktails, and offers appetizers made with local Taiwanese fruits and vegetables, all available for self-service at an open counter.

Address: 4F, Breeze XinYi Store, 68 Section 5, Zhongxiao East Rd, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2723-6066

RAMEN HERO
RAMEN HERO is the world’s first ramen dining concept from Satake Noodle Works.

Address: 4F, Breeze XinYi Store, 68 Section 5, Zhongxiao East Rd, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2723-7085

Grill DOMI KOSUGI Western Cuisine
A Western-style restaurant originally from Roppongi Hills in Tokyo. Main dishes include hamburger steak, sirloin steak, omurice, European-style curry, shrimp tempura, and butter croquettes.

Address: 4F, Breeze XinYi Store, 68 Section 5, Zhongxiao East Rd, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2723-6498

MOKUOLA DexeeDiner
MOKUOLA DexeeDiner is located at B2F, A3 Building, Breeze XinYi Store, specializing in Hawaiian-style Japanese soufflé pancakes brought over from Tokyo. The pancakes are richly aromatic and melt-in-your-mouth, paired with the store’s signature Japanese-style fruit tea, evoking a strong sense of Hawaii. Pingzi (the reviewer) recommends this as a must-try afternoon treat. (Text by Pingzi)

Address: B2F, 68 Section 5, Zhongxiao East Rd, Breeze XinYi Store, Xinyi District, Taipei City
Phone: (02)2723-7837