Taiwanese cuisine is more like small eats. The store in Shinjuku is incredibly narrow, making it feel like you don't want to eat inside, but the one in Takadanobaba is huge! There are two floors, amazing! Maybe it's because it just opened, but there aren't many people. You can relax here. Oh, they have danbing♡ It's a traditional Taiwanese breakfast. When it comes to Taiwan's national breakfast, it's danbing! I love it so much♡ Danbing is a crepe-like dish made with chewy dough and eggs cooked together. Here it's crispy... why is it so crispy? I prefer it more chewy. Well, it's still one of the tastier danbings I've had in Japan. Mochi Rice Blood Cake (Taiwanese Mixian Gao) is a dish made with pig's blood and mochi rice that is hard to find in Japan. Last time at the Shinjuku store, it was too hard, which traumatized me, but I can't resist ordering it because it's a favorite of mine. This time, I went for the version with ground peanuts. It's definitely chewy! It was delicious after all! Chicken Rice (Ji Rou Fan) is... terrible (ｉ_ｉ) This is a flavor that would anger any Taiwanese person... Won't be ordering this again. Old-Fashioned Black Tea (Traditional & Nostalgic Black Tea) is Taiwanese flavor as it is. It was nice to be able to adjust the sweetness. The music playing was truly Taiwanese! It felt like being in Taiwan. When my favorite CoCo (A-Mei) started playing, I couldn't help but sing along. By the way, the name of the store "He Zuo She" means a school's cooperative store. Taiwanese people would immediately think of school. The sense of the place is excellent. I think the Taiwanese flavor is spot on, but I hope they strive to make even more delicious dishes. When I asked a Taiwanese person to come with me, they said they couldn't eat at those prices. It's too expensive... Indeed. Taiwanese small eats in Japan are surprisingly pricey even for Taiwanese people. I might go to Taiwan next month.

・The newly opened Taiwanese cafe located a little over 5 minutes from Takadanobaba Station on the JR Yamanote Line offers a full-flavored authentic dish called Ji Pai for ¥605 including tax, and a traditional Taiwanese dish called Lu Rou Fan for ¥580 including tax. I decided to visit this cafe after learning that a shop in Shinjuku had opened a branch in Takadanobaba. During lunchtime on a weekday, the cafe's eat-in space, with seating available on both the first and second floors, was quite crowded, especially with students. I arrived a bit early, but it quickly filled up. The cafe also offers takeout, which adds to the bustling atmosphere. The menu seems to be the same as the one at the Shinjuku location, with the most popular item being a bite-sized fried chicken. However, I opted for the Ji Pai, a large piece of Taiwanese-style fried chicken. The chicken thigh meat is flattened and coated in a crispy batter with plenty of pepper. It was crunchy but a bit tough to chew, possibly due to the stickiness of the flour. While it was delicious, I found the portion size slightly lacking compared to other similar restaurants I've been to. I also ordered the Lu Rou Fan to complement the Ji Pai. The portion size was about a bowl of rice, but I felt it was a bit small. The flavor of the pork in the Lu Rou Fan was well-seasoned, slightly sweet, and tender. However, given the price of nearly 600 yen, I felt that the portion sizes were not quite satisfying. Overall, the atmosphere and service were good. Thank you for the meal.

Until recently, at my previous job, when adjusting schedules, I would visit each person to confirm the handwritten content in the company-provided planner every year. It was frustrating when some senior colleagues acted busy even though there was clearly nothing written in their planners, but since it was a gathering of individual shops, I had to accept it. Naturally, each person had accumulated sales know-how and various information, and I thought the discontinuity between generations was quite significant. As times changed and all schedules were made public and know-how was shared digitally, I thought it was a good thing, but I also wondered if we were giving up something in return. It felt somewhat like when Japan established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China in 1972, severing ties with another country. So today's lunch is at #Taiwan's casual dining spot #Gassaku. A new restaurant in Takadanobaba caught my attention, so I decided to visit. I ordered #LuRouFan and #Danbing. Despite it being my first time in the restaurant, there was a nostalgic feeling in the atmosphere, with the tile and floor patterns. First, I will try the ham and egg #DanBing. It has a chewy and slightly crunchy texture, with a good blend of saltiness and soy sauce flavor, similar to a crepe. The #LuRouFan has tender meat, sweet sauce, and a hint of #cilantro, which adds a nice touch. The seasoned boiled egg and freshly fried crispy #karaage are also delicious. The broth-less noodles, combined with the unique flavored sauce, create a delightful taste that is addictive. The texture of the noodles is a unique experience. Since the portion of each dish is small, it's enjoyable to come with a few people, order 2 dishes per person, and share. I look forward to trying the chive dumplings or desserts next time.

A Taiwanese sweets shop opened on the southwest side of the Meiji Street Babaguchi intersection. Since they also offer meals, I decided to check it out. The interior of the shop is brand new and flashy. There are 6 counter seats on the first floor, and there is also a second floor. The staff, who are able to speak Japanese, are very polite and make you feel at ease. The menu prominently features a dish called "Miancha," which seems to be a type of sweet. They also offer various sweets, tapioca, tea, burgers, Lu Rou Fan (Taiwanese braised pork rice), fried foods, etc., all priced around 580 yen. I decided to try the "Taiwanese Grandma's Serious Jirohan" for 580 yen. I had heard that the portion size was small, but as someone who doesn't mind consuming extra calories, I was prepared to wait. When it arrived, it was piled high in a tea bowl with a diameter of about 10 centimeters. The shredded chicken, lightly coated in sauce, was delicious. It was definitely snack-sized, but if you think of it that way, the price might actually be reasonable.

Compared to other similar restaurants in the neighborhood, the cost performance is poor.

Takeout is the main focus, but there are also small seating options available. The taste is also good.

The restaurant faces a main street. The first floor is small, but there is an eat-in space on the second floor. The staff are all Taiwanese, so you can expect authentic flavors. The taste is not too strong and very easy to eat. The illustrations in the restaurant are cute.

I forgot to take a photo of the food, but I ordered Gyoza, Mazesoba, and Niramanchu. The dishes had a nice ethnic flavor (maybe cinnamon?) and were very delicious. The portion size was moderate, but the prices were affordable, so you can try various menu items. I would like to visit again.

The exterior of the shop is flashy with frosted glass and tile-cutting sheet walls, giving off a warm and cozy atmosphere like a grandma's kitchen. The owner seems to be a young girl, with a character similar to Yuriko Yoshitaka. The "Lurou Fan" is like the pork belly rice that often comes as a side dish in ramen shops, but the rice seems different from the usual Japanese rice, maybe it's old or not to everyone's taste. This dish alone is not enough to fill you up, you need a main dish. By the way, even with the fried chicken and "Lurou Fan", I couldn't get full, how much can one eat, haha. The steamed leek bun that I was looking forward to was sold out, and they don't provide cutlery for takeout, so you can only eat the fried chicken right away. The bag costs 10 yen. There are no hand towels like in Taiwan, maybe it's the Taiwanese style. I've been to Taiwan many times, so when I imagine that taste, there seems to be a gap. Since it's a new opening, I hope for improvement in the future.