There’s even pork trotter here? A heartwarming Japanese restaurant tucked away in a quiet alley

Text and photos byXiao Hu’s Dream-Eating Blog

People often invite me out for meals, and I’m never sure whether to be happy or worried. Of course, I’m delighted to enjoy delicious food, but looking at my gradually expanding belly makes me want to cry. Either way, life goes on, and good food must be shared—the fun part is yours, the hard work is mine... I hope that doesn’t get me unfriended or Facebook-blocked XD.

One day, following Sister Yi’s secret mission, I headed to Lane 285 in Neihu—with a semi-full stomach and the address in hand. After a long walk, I finally found this place that’s both easy and hard to find. It wasn’t until I saw the name that I realized it was “Kōwa Den,” which several friends from Neihu had recommended to me ages ago.

The menu outside the door was impressively extensive, and I was a bit puzzled when I saw “handmade cuisine” listed... Isn’t all cooking done by hand? But I guess the shop wants to emphasize that their dishes are made with “heart”?

The dining area is an L-shaped space, excluding the central kitchen and counter—nothing too different from a typical Japanese eatery. The part I didn’t photograph has a large round table, though I’m not sure if it’s always there or just for our group. It’s a bit odd for such a shop to have a big round table in the middle XD.

Before I could even warm my seat, I spotted my favorite sake—“Imada Shizuku.” This was my favorite during a trip to Japan in March when I joined a new sake tasting event. It’s incredibly smooth, with a sweet wateriness followed by a gentle sweetness, and a lovely lingering finish.

● ETtoday News Cloud reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, and don’t drive after drinking.

Curious, I checked the fridge—and it was stocked with nothing but new sake, including the “Yuzu Oil” I’d brought back last time but couldn’t bear to drink. So exciting, so exciting, so exciting. Taipei finally has a place where I can try so many new sakes. I think I’d come back just for the sake alone. At least, that’s what I thought at the time XD.

Appetizer trio: The golden pickled vegetables had the perfect balance of sweetness, aroma, and spice, with a nice crunch from the cabbage—quite tasty. The radish had a lovely purple freshness and a crisp texture. I don’t remember much about the seaweed...

Mixed with seaweed, wasabi, and octopus, the texture was slightly slippery and sticky, with a soft chewiness from the octopus. The flavor wasn’t unfamiliar to regular Japanese food eaters, but the biggest difference was the portion size—it was huge. Usually, it’s served in small dishes, but maybe that’s because we were a large group.

Assorted sashimi. This plate was massive—salmon, kingfish, tuna, sweet shrimp, and sea snail. The salmon was sweet and fatty, as expected, and delicious. The tuna’s sweetness was surprisingly high, contrary to my usual preference. Turns out it was yellowfin tuna. The kingfish had a delightful crispness, a good bite, and melted-in-the-mouth sweetness. The sea snail, which I usually dislike, still had a slight fishy edge I couldn’t accept, but it had a nice crunch.

Scallops and caviar... This chawanmushi might be the most luxurious one I’ve ever had. The scallops were tender and sweet, the dashi-like broth was rich and umami, and the steamed egg was smooth, sweet, and delicate. The caviar added a salty kick that balanced the flavors perfectly—absolutely delicious.

This plate was so cool—even before eating, it was a feast for the eyes. The plating was incredibly thoughtful.

The grilled conger eel was tender and melt-in-the-mouth, the charred oil aroma was nice, and the sweetness after cooking was solid. There was a faint hint of sesame that appeared unexpectedly while chewing—a pleasant surprise I hadn’t experienced in other conger eel dishes. But adding caviar? I felt it didn’t add much beyond visual appeal.

Plum, salmon, and sushi rolls. The first bite brought the aroma of ume plum, and the slightly sticky rice had a great texture and flavor. The aftertaste of the salmon added depth, finishing with the plum’s fragrance and acidity. A touch of mayonnaise on top provided a creamy contrast—absolutely brilliant. A must-order, super super delicious.

Mentaiko chicken skewers are supposedly one of the shop’s signatures. The wooden skewers were wrapped in aluminum foil—very thoughtful. From afar, they looked like fried shrimp XD. The mentaiko-to-mayo ratio was well-balanced, and the emulsification was excellent. The flavor was spot-on, though the chicken was a bit dry for my taste.

A Japanese restaurant serving pork trotters? That’s a bit unexpected. But the aroma wafting from them was irresistible. The taste was surprisingly sweet—not cloying, but from a slight caramelization of sugar and oil. The skin was soft yet chewy, with a lovely charred aroma. The meat wasn’t overcooked, staying tender and juicy. Amazing pork trotters. But I doubt this dish is usually available?

A whole roasted salmon head—could anything be more satisfying? The head was full of collagen, with an amazing texture. But what I loved even more was the sauce beneath it. The first taste was bold black pepper, followed by a hint of lemony acidity. Who knew pepper and lemon worked so well together? Incredible dipping sauce.

More grilled squid—crispy and sweet, served with different sauces. The one on the right was simply salt-grilled, while the left was drizzled with nanban sauce. But my favorite was the one dipped in the pepper-lemon sauce. I absolutely loved it XD.

The final miso soup also blew my mind. It was rich with collagen and brimming with the sweet flavor of fish. The fish was tender and gelatinous—delicious. It turned out to be made with kingfish head. Interestingly, the red miso didn’t overpower the flavor—the broth was purely about the fish’s umami, with the miso subtly balancing the saltiness. I think this might be one of the top three miso soups I’ve ever had XXD.

This bowl was an additional seafood dish ordered by a friend who arrived late<，我只偷吃了一点海胆蛮甜的，问了一下这是特上海鲜N<380，其实CP值不差。

[Xiao Hu’s Random Thoughts]
I didn’t pay for this meal, so I don’t quite remember the cost—I even forgot to take a photo of the menu XD. But based on the flavors that day, I’d definitely go back on my own. At the very least, it’s the best Japanese restaurant I’ve tried in Neihu so far.

Kōwa Den
Address: No. 24, Lane 65, Alley 285, Section 1, Neihu Road, Neihu District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-8751-9785
Business hours: Tuesday to Sunday 12:00–21:30 (Closed on Mondays)

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