Night Sake Bar & Grill 　The mentaiko chicken drumstick drips with savory juice that’s simply irresistible

▲Night Sake Grill (Photo by Strange Hero, a Single Cat)

ByStrange Hero, a Single Cat

Night Sake Grill, a small casual eatery, is located in Lane 223 of the East District—a street known for its skewers, packed with delicious grilled food spots. Just a 10-minute walk from Zhongxiao Dunhua MRT Station, it’s extremely convenient.

MENU: Generally very affordable. That evening we ordered quite a variety. Personally, I loved the mentaiko chicken drumstick skewers, mentaiko yam, salt-grilled chicken drumsticks, triangle cartilage skewers, boneless beef short ribs, and mentaiko scallops—I enjoyed all of them. And there was even a thoughtful complimentary chicken soup, which was a dream come true for someone like me who loves soup.

A plate of edamame makes for a great appetizer or drink pairing.

▲Edamame (Photo by Strange Hero, a Single Cat)

The complimentary chicken soup was truly tempting. Although it was free, the soup was nothing short of excellent—rich in flavor with just the right amount of saltiness. For a soup lover like me, it was absolutely perfect.

▲Chicken Soup (Photo by Strange Hero, a Single Cat)

The salmon ochazuke was rather average, featuring salmon flakes, chopped green onions, and seaweed strips. At the time, I was so hungry I almost felt faint, so I went ahead and ordered this bowl of salmon ochazuke.

▲Salmon Ochazuke (Photo by Strange Hero, a Single Cat)

Cod liver is a small dish I always order at any skewer shop or sake bar. Imported canned cod liver, as long as it’s fresh, paired with blanched onions and green onions to mellow the spice, is incredibly delicious. The creamy cod liver melts on your tongue—it’s an amazing sensation.

▲Cod Liver (Photo by Strange Hero, a Single Cat)

The potato gratin comes in a foil container, with potatoes at the bottom, topped with cheese, and finished with a layer of mentaiko sauce on top. It’s grilled until the surface is crispy and the inside is soft, the melted cheese slightly caramelized. Sprinkled with black pepper before serving, it’s best eaten with a spoon, scooping up big bites to enjoy fully.

▲Potato Gratin (Photo by Strange Hero, a Single Cat)

The skin-on baby corn is delicious even with just a sprinkle of salt—so juicy.

▲Skin-On Baby Corn (Photo by Strange Hero, a Single Cat)

Mentaiko squid is also a unique dish. The grilled squid is crispy, topped with mentaiko sauce—the combination is spot-on. The squid tentacles have a slightly charred aroma that’s really fragrant.

▲Mentaiko Squid (Photo by Strange Hero, a Single Cat)

The roe-filled willow leaf fish was an unexpected delight—the fish roe was cooked just right, not overdone, around 80% cooked, firm yet with a slight bounce to the bite—absolutely wonderful.

▲Roe-Filled Willow Leaf Fish (Photo by Strange Hero, a Single Cat)

Among the salt-grilled skewers, my favorite has to be the seasoned salt and scallion garnish. Take the salt-grilled Matsusaka pork, for example—it’s grilled to perfection, so you can imagine how tempting that pork fat aroma is. The fragrance bursts in your mouth, and the surface is sprinkled with black pepper, paired with the seasoned salt and scallions, adding a lovely fragrance. The scallions even help cut through the richness.

▲Skewered Grilled Meats (Photo by Strange Hero, a Single Cat)

Triangle cartilage skewers are a must-order. The well-grilled cartilage crunches in your mouth and pairs perfectly with beer.

▲Triangle Cartilage (Photo by Strange Hero, a Single Cat)

As for grilled meat skewers—whether salt-grilled, sauce-grilled, including beef, cumin lamb, or chicken thigh—we ordered a bunch. The meat is tender and juicy, delicious even with minimal seasoning.

▲Grilled Meat Skewers (Photo by Strange Hero, a Single Cat)

Mentaiko scallops are an absolute must. The scallops are perfectly tender, with a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture. The sweet umami of the sea combined with the mentaiko sauce is heavenly. I tried to stuff the whole thing into my mouth in one go just so I wouldn’t waste a single drop of the savory juice by biting it in half.

▲Spicy Cod Roe (Photo by Mysterious Hero the Cat)

Among the skewered items, there’s also cumin lamb, which turned out to be more tender and fragrant than I expected; the chicken skin skewers are an absolute must-order — their caramelized crust is salty-sweet with a slightly sticky, gelatinous texture. Squeeze some lemon juice on each skewer, then take a big swig of beer — it’s insanely good that way.

▲Kurobuta Pork (Photo by Mysterious Hero the Cat)

One thing I think you should try here is their shredded taro. It’s finely julienned taro, fried until crisp and clean — it’s one of my all-time favorite dishes, super moreish.

▲Shredded Taro (Photo by Mysterious Hero the Cat)

You’d really be missing out if you didn’t order the cod roe with yam. There are only four slices, so go easy — but they disappear fast.

▲Cod Roe with Yam (Photo by Mysterious Hero the Cat)

Most of the cod roe dishes are highly recommended, and this one — cod roe chicken thigh — is a classic among grilled cod roe offerings. The chicken thigh is so juicy and tender the juices actually drip out, and the cod roe sauce clings tightly to the meat without any gaps. Pop it in your mouth, and it’s so delicious you won’t even want to waste the chicken fat left on the plate. Honestly, I wanted to ask the chef if I could have some plain rice to scoop up the juices with.

▲Cod Roe Chicken Skewers (Photo by Mysterious Hero the Cat)

We also ordered some drinks, not too many. One was hot ginger-lemon — turns out it’s kind of like warm sake. I felt like ordering it in this heat was almost wasteful; I should’ve waited until winter for this one.

▲Ginger-Lemon (Photo by Mysterious Hero the Cat)

▲MENU (Photo by Mysterious Hero the Cat)

▲MENU (Photo by Mysterious Hero the Cat)

Yoru no Shaku Izakaya (Night’s Pour Izakaya)
Business Hours: Sunday to Thursday, 6:00 PM to 1:00 AM; Friday and Saturday, 6:00 PM to 2:30 AM.
Date Visited: 2015.08
Address: No. 63, Lane 223, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, Da’an District, Taipei City
Phone: 02 2711 1282
Facebook Page: 夜之酌居酒屋 (Yoru no Shaku Izakaya)