Taiwan, Part VIII - Honda Japanese Restaurant

I was told that you can get really good Taiwanese (obviously) and Japanese food in Taiwan. My first lunch in Taipei was at Honda Japanese Restaurant. My friend A is fluent in Japanese, and has been to Japan numerous number of times. So I trust A's judgement in Japanese food completely. A is a regular at Honda's. Knowing that I love sushi, A ordered Chirashi and botan shrimp for me. After a little research, I found out that the chef/owner of Honda was the chef of a renowned sushi restaurant in Japan for many years before moving to Taipei. He's highly regarded in both Japan and Taiwan. There is no question about the authenticity of his food.

The Chirashi came with Chawan-Mushi, salad, miso soup and red bean soup. The Chawan-Mushi was so smooth, and delicate. Oh, "smooth and delicate" - sounds so simple, I wish I had better words to describe it. It was so wonderful that it's positively the best steamed egg I've ever had! =)

The miso soup and the salad weren't particularly memorable. It's been awhile, I'm starting to forget things. =)

Then came the Chirashi. The wasabi was freshly grated. I loved the shredded eggs and the sweet shrimp Furikake. I was amazed how flavorful the gobo strips were (the little pile on the top right). The sushi rice was perfect. And the star of the dish - the fish, of course, was super fresh.

A and I each had a piece of the botanebi. It was sweet and scrumptious. In the past, I've always had the fried head with amaebi. When I bit into the head, I wasn't exactly fond of the taste of the brain. Maybe it's a personal taste, or maybe I wasn't supposed to since A didn't touch the other piece at all.

The red bean soup might seem really plain, but the simple sweet and light taste is the perfect ending to a wonderful first meal in Taipei.

Thanks, A!

Honda Japanese Restaurant (本多日本料理)
Address: 1 Alley 7, Lane 303, NanJing East Road Section 3 #1
地址：台北市南京東路三段303巷7弄1號之1
Telephone: 02-2545-8828
電話：02-2545-8828
Hours: Monday - Saturday 11:30 am - 2pm, 5:30pm - 9:30 pm
營業時間：週一至週六，11:30~14:00、17:30~21:30