No-menu Japanese cuisine in Taichung? Hokkaido rose crabs with legs bigger than your hand!

Text & photos byGui Xiaosun

I already have a list of restaurants I love to revisit again and again, just like this one — ‘Hon Sushi’~ I’m a total seafood lover, but I’ve always been cautious about sashimi. The last time I tried their no-menu course, I fell in love instantly. Plus, they have dedicated parking, the atmosphere of the restaurant is great, and you can slowly enjoy the leisurely details of a no-menu dining experience. So it went straight into my pocket list as a must-recommend spot.

At ‘Hon Sushi’, you can not only enjoy the no-menu courses, but also à la carte Japanese dishes. Sometimes we even pick up nigiri sushi or other sushi to enjoy at home. It’s a great place for both special meals and home dining XD

As soon as you walk into ‘Hon Sushi’, you’ll be drawn to the chefs in front of you. In the spacious kitchen counter, every chef is a captivating sight — each focused and skilled. That’s why we love sitting at the counter area, where you can watch the cooking process and feel a deep respect for the food. The ambiance inside is quite low-key, surrounded by wooden trim... it gives off that distinct spatial feel of Japanese cuisine. There are also private rooms available for group dining XD

This time, the two of us ordered a 2280 TWD two-person no-menu course. Since we had made a reservation in advance, we asked the staff if there was anything special recently. We wanted to try crab!! XD And we were immediately told that the 2280 TWD no-menu course could include the ‘Hokkaido Rose Crab Roe’. It was the biggest crab I’ve ever had!! My friend was shocked when it was placed in front of me!!! Just the body of this ‘Hokkaido Rose Crab Roe’ was bigger than a palm, and with its legs spread out, it would easily be the size of two palms @@

When we flipped open the crab shell, the rich, creamy crab meat inside made our mouths water... The faint sweet aroma of the crab filled our noses. This is exactly what I want to eat, this is exactly what I want to eat, this is exactly what I want to eat!! XDXDXD Although my friend isn’t a big seafood fan, seeing these fresh crabs got her fired up too. The legs alone were almost two fingers wide, and they tasted super sweet and delicious. My friend ate two big chunks of the crab body and almost finished all the legs herself~

Don’t worry, I didn’t go hungry — how could that happen!! Hahaha~ I went straight for the body of this ‘Hokkaido Rose Crab Roe’. Just by looking at the shell, you could see a stripe of crab roe in the middle. While I was hesitating how to eat it... I even surprised myself. I could peel off the whole piece of crab body meat directly from the shell — the photo below shows just half of it. Can you imagine how huge that piece was?! The key part is that 80% of it was crab roe!! Every bite sent my brain into overload — so delicious it shot straight to my head. So sinful ~ with such rich crab roe, how will I ever face other small crabs and shrimps again @@ My taste buds are spoiled... What am I going to do now~~~

I really enjoy trying no-menu courses, even though sometimes my stomach can’t handle that much food. But I look forward to not knowing what’s coming next, what will be served!? Last time I came to ‘Hon Sushi’, I broke my own “no-sashimi” rule. Here, I could eat about 1/4 to 1/3 of the sashimi portion XD A big reason is because their sashimi is incredibly fresh, and that heap of wasabi!! We’re pretty sure it must be freshly ground — it’s so delicious. When this plate full of sashimi was served, my friend was the happiest. She’s way more adventurous with sashimi than I am… On the plate, there was Hokkaido scallop, Taiwanese black tuna, amberjack, salmon, and sweet shrimp — the portion was so big… it could easily be shared by three or four people!! XD

First, this piece of ‘Taiwanese black tuna’ that’s as red as watermelon — it’s super fresh. I could easily have two pieces in a row. Also, my friend really liked the ‘salmon’ — the marbling is beautifully distributed... she said it felt healing when she ate it. I don’t really get that, but I do know food can be comforting XD

Any kind of shrimp is definitely not going to escape my mouth!! These sweet shrimp are so fresh and sweet, and dipping them in freshly ground wasabi makes them even better. I ate two in a row without even thinking. XD Also, look at the size of this scallop — it’s practically another dish that blows your mind. My friend said it was so sweet and unforgettable~

To be honest, the first two dishes really filled up about 60% of our stomachs!! Eating a no-menu course here, you really don’t have to worry about not getting full — you just have to worry about eating too much and not being able to walk out the door XD Fortunately, we distract ourselves by watching the chefs cook. Every time we see their skills, it makes us admire the delicious food even more. Their gentle techniques — from nigiri sushi, sashimi, to grilled items — captivated me. I truly believe that if you put your heart into something, you will succeed.

While admiring the culinary skills in front of us, the next dish to arrive was our nigiri sushi platter. Top row (left to right): spaghetti eel, flounder, wagyu beef, sea urchin. Bottom row (left to right): squid, scallops, handline mackerel, handline squid. The presentation of this platter is exquisite, and the colors enhance the visual appeal of Japanese cuisine. The first glance already delighted our eyes. The textures and colors bring out the essence of Japanese culinary artistry, making everyone sigh with admiration.

Picking up a piece of handline mackerel nigiri, the chef said the most important thing about these line-caught fish is their freshness. Actually, one of the main reasons I keep coming back is because the seafood here is so fresh it spoils your palate for anything else. XD And their sushi vinegar rice is something we deeply feel has a heartwarming touch — it reminds me of the ‘Sun Hand’ from Yakitate!! Japan, where every bite of rice is just so delicious. My friend asked if they could take the vinegar rice home XD

My favorite type of nigiri is definitely the ‘grilled flavor’. For this grilled squid nigiri, I kept watching the chef prepare it. He first used a fine knife to score the surface of the squid, then lightly grilled it until the surface curled up — it was cute and fun to watch. The grilled scallop nigiri was made by slicing the scallop in half into two circles, placing them on top of the rice, and then grilling. Both flavors were mildly sweet on the surface, with a nice firm texture, and the inside was so tender it melted in your mouth.

Then there was the wagyu beef nigiri that my friend and I shared — our friendship remains strong!! XD I fell in love with this wagyu beef nigiri the last time I had it. The layers of wagyu beef were first grilled and then placed on top of the rice... once you take a bite, the aroma and juices of the wagyu melt in your mouth. If I weren’t worried about not finishing it, I’d totally order a whole plate XD

The grilled flounder nigiri is also something I’ve grown to love over the years from trying various restaurants (misunderstood as traveling the country XD). The flounder, after being grilled, creates a layer on your tongue like a thin film of moisture... you feel it instantly turn into a burst of fat, and the fish flavor melts into your heart. The spaghetti eel nigiri was given to my friend to try — the freshly grilled eel was absolutely top-notch. My friend said the eel was tender and delicious, and the green onions on top made it even better.

Don’t think it ends here!! Next comes the 【hot food section】!! The hot dishes alone include: grilled mackerel, pork and lamb combo, crispy fried scallops with red shrimp. And there are still two hot soups to come: garlic clam and scallop soup, and beef sturgeon miso soup. What you’ve seen so far is only half of it~~ really, just half~~~ XD

When this grilled mackerel was served, the aroma of freshly grilled fish wafted over… With such fresh seafood, just steaming, boiling, or grilling brings out its most authentic, original flavor. Without too many seasonings or steps, you can truly enjoy its natural goodness. We each picked up the tender mackerel flesh with chopsticks… Even though we were already 70% full, our mouths were still watering!! XD The sound of the crispy fish skin as the chopsticks lifted, revealing the juicy fish broth inside… the fresh fish meat in our mouths was incredibly tender and flavorful. In no time, we finished the whole fish.

Look at how this no-menu course keeps surprising you. After the seafood feast, there’s still a pork and lamb combo. A cold appetizer first, followed by warm hot dishes… this is another reason we love ‘Hon Sushi’ — it gets warmer and cozier the more you eat. This pork and lamb combo is actually pork ribs and lamb chops. The lamb chops are grilled with a special sauce, resulting in a sweet taste and tender meat. The pork ribs also have cartilage, giving a rich texture in every bite.

Another hot dish is the crispy fried scallops with red shrimp. The scallops are wrapped in seaweed before being deep-fried, topped with mentaiko (spicy cod roe)! On the side, there are corn, sesame onions, tomatoes, etc., all adding a refreshing contrast.

When you bite into it, the juicy scallops burst with sweetness, enhanced by the mentaiko and seaweed on the outside… a very unique combination, the first time I’ve had it!! XD There’s also the crispy fried red shrimp, with the shrimp heads and bodies coated in a thin layer of batter… one bite and the outside is crispy, while the shrimp meat inside is super Q (chewy and bouncy). Amazing!

Finally, one hot soup each — nothing is spared!! One is garlic scallop and clam soup, the other is beef sturgeon miso soup. I fell in love with their soups last time, and this time they were even more classic. Take this garlic scallop and clam soup — it tastes like nothing salty was added… the lightness is filled with a faint garlic aroma and the sweet seafood flavor of clams and scallops. The scallops are quite large. Today really is a seafood lover’s paradise. From start to finish, from appetizers to the final course, it’s all fresh seafood.

Although I did have my appetite somewhat spoiled by the ‘Hokkaido Rose Crab’, and I wasn’t as excited about the beef sturgeon. But this bowl of beef sturgeon miso soup really does contain a whole beef sturgeon, and when you open the shell, you find tender, meaty beef sturgeon. The miso soup is so sweet — I’ve never had miso soup made with beef sturgeon before. It’s usually luxurious enough as it is XD

After drinking these two soups, we were so full that even walking felt slow. This is what I meant by possibly not even being able to make it out the door~~~ Finally, there was also matcha pudding — cool and refreshing, we savored each sweet yet not overly rich bite… it was so satisfying!! Sharing with everyone my personal ‘must-go’ list — guaranteed to be loved by anyone who tries it!!

Hon Sushi Japanese Restaurant · No-menu Course
Address: No. 175, Section 2, Taiyuan Road, Beitun District, Taichung City
Phone: 04 2235 4080
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