I became completely hooked on VIVANT, which started in July, and went to Akasaka to see its monument. First, I had lunch. There are many restaurants in the area, but my other purpose for coming to Akasaka this time was to visit this restaurant. I had visited before when it had just opened, and now, after many years, I finally returned. Around 11:15 on a weekday, I was the first customer of the day and was seated on the second floor. I ordered a Taiwanese beer, which came with peanuts and small fish as a set, which was cheap. I'm not a big fan of small fish, but when it's cheap, I can't resist ordering it. My companion enjoyed the small fish. We also had the Taiwanese specialty dishes: braised offal, Taiwanese omelette, pork rib rice, and three-treasure noodles. The braised offal looked small, but it was delicious. It went well with the beer. As time passed, more customers filled the seats. After the beer, I ordered an apple cider, which was sweet. It was a bit of a mistake with the sweet alcohol, but the cider was delicious. The pork rib rice was tasty but slightly lukewarm, maybe it was just me. The noodles were flat noodles, and they were delicious. I haven't had beef noodles in Taiwan, so I can't compare the taste, but these were good. Looking out the window, I felt like I was somewhere around Linshen North Road. Oh, I can't wait to go to Taiwan! I want to eat lots of delicious food. After eating, I visited Hie Shrine and then went to VIVANT!

QQ Sweet Potato Balls (Tigwachow) for 528 yen, Taiwanese Oolong Tea for 308 yen, and a box of 14 bite-sized mochi donuts from San Shang Qiao Fu (Akasaka). The donuts had a chewy texture with purple sweet potato paste inside the white balls and regular sweet potato paste inside the purple balls. They were not overly sweet and did not taste too oily. It's a good snack for when you're a little hungry, but it might be a bit much for one person. The hot Oolong tea wasn't great, so I recommend trying a different tea to go with the donuts.

Tapioca is delicious. Ramen is also delicious. The Taiwanese fried chicken is different from what I had at a street stall in Taiwan, which is a bit disappointing. It's an easy place to visit for lunch or dinner. All my Taiwanese friends know about this place. I think the flavors are authentic.

The name of the restaurant is said to be "Sanshou Koufuku". The menu consists of Salt and Vinegar Chicken Rice and a platter of four types of offal. I had it for dinner. The main dish, Salt and Vinegar Chicken Rice, is basically a fried chicken bowl, but I found it easy to eat because it is light and the greasiness is mitigated. It has a Japanese-friendly seasoning, yet it has a hint of local flavor (although I have never been there), which is nice.

According to my research, it seems that there is only one branch in Japan, located in Akasaka. The restaurant has seating on the underground floor and the second floor, where you place your order. In addition to beef noodles, they offer many other popular Taiwanese dishes, so it should satisfy your Taiwanese food cravings. The beef noodles are rich in flavor and have an authentic taste. The price is around 1000 yen, which is quite reasonable considering that it would cost around 700 yen in Taiwan. They also provide free condiments like spicy seasoning and pickled mustard greens.

I arrived around 1 pm. There was a line at the register. Eating in on the second floor is also possible. The taste of the tapioca milk tea was a bit weak. The tapioca was moderately soft. I wanted to try the cheese pie, but it is only available after 3 pm, so I will try it next time.

I had some errands nearby, so I had dinner at a Taiwanese-style omelette restaurant. I tried the Yakuza salt beef noodles, which I've never had in Taiwan before. The soup was like Inaniwa udon, with a chewy texture and a nice flavor. The pickled mustard greens and spicy bean paste were great for adding some extra flavor.

It's easy for one person to get in. The best dish at the restaurant is the beef noodle soup. It tastes just like the authentic version. It's a bit pricey, but worth it. You can adjust the flavor of the soup with the spicy pickled mustard greens on the table, and you can eat it however you like. I also want to try the tapioca drink.

This is a specialty beef noodle shop near Akasaka Station. The customers are seated properly. It seems to be Taiwan-owned, but the beef noodles served are probably Lanzhou noodles. It is similar to Maboroku in Jinbocho. I had the beef noodles (970 yen + tax). Unlike Japanese ramen, it is not greasy, and the flavor of the beef and soup blend together beautifully. The noodles are slightly like udon, but they are delicious in their own way. Despite the fast food-like appearance, it was a genuine Lanzhou beef noodle dish. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

About a 2-minute walk from Akasaka Station. If you walk along Akasaka Street towards Hie Shrine, you will find it on your left. I have been passing by for years without feeling a particularly appetizing atmosphere, but upon hearing that it is a Taiwanese-owned chain restaurant specializing in beef noodle soup, with this Akasaka location being the only one in Japan, I decided to give it a try. With no high expectations for a chain restaurant, I approached it with an open mind. From the lunch menu, I ordered the Beef Tomato Noodle for 1,020 yen, Black Wood Ear Mushrooms in Sweet Vinegar for 100 yen, and Tapioca Milk Tea for 320 yen, totaling 1,440 yen. The Beef Tomato Noodle had a balanced saltiness, but the soup lacked depth and richness in ingredients, tasting more like a slightly sweet soy sauce-based broth similar to Japanese soba. The beef was dry and a bit gamey... The noodles were decent, but had a soft, almost mushy texture reminiscent of Inaniwa udon, with a hint of sweetness when chewed. The diced tomatoes seemed like they were taken straight from a can, about a tablespoon's worth as a topping. The bok choy lacked vitality, and the boiled egg was overcooked. The Black Wood Ear Mushrooms in Sweet Vinegar lacked the sweetness of vinegar, with an overpowering taste of garlic and salt. As for the Tapioca Milk Tea, the tea leaves seemed to have been boiled for too long, resulting in a strong bitterness. The tea aroma was lost. While it's good that it's not overly sweet... I've never been to their main branch in Taiwan, but when it comes to Taiwanese Beef Tomato Noodle, not only is the taste important, but also the nourishing aspect is surprisingly important. I hope they can strive to improve for the Taiwanese people as well.

When I told my colleague from Taiwan that "the beef noodles over there don't really seem Taiwanese," they explained, "That's what's great about it! It's affordable yet has a sophisticated taste that you can enjoy every day without getting tired of. It's also kid-friendly, so you can find it all over Taiwan." Intrigued, I decided to visit the restaurant, which boasts 150 locations in Taiwan. I climbed the narrow and steep staircase to the second floor from the takeout counter on the first floor. I asked the staff for recommendations other than beef noodles, and they suggested the pork chop rice at 979 and beef soup at 165. The order took about 10 minutes, during which I snacked on pickled vegetables on the table. When the pork chop rice and beef soup arrived, I started with the soup. The beef broth with a hint of Chinese soy sauce was mildly sweet, with a subtle aroma of star anise. While the beef soup had a gentle flavor, it wasn't as satisfying as I had hoped, similar to my previous experience with the beef noodles. However, considering it as an everyday dish, the mild taste was understandable. The pork chop was crispy on the outside, likely fried and then coated in sauce. The moist and crispy coating complemented the gentle seasoning of the sauce, which also soaked into the rice nicely. The dish was served with a half-boiled egg, Chinese broccoli, and boiled cabbage, creating a well-balanced and visually appealing meal. Adding the pickled vegetables enhanced the overall experience. The combination of the pork chop rice and soup was spot on, and I finished the meal feeling perfectly satisfied. While the restaurant may not meet expectations for those seeking a more authentic ethnic experience, it does offer a glimpse into everyday Taiwanese cuisine.

I used it for lunch this time as well. I was unsure of what to order, but this time I ordered the Beef Noodle Soup (with extra meat). Order details: Beef Noodle Soup (with extra meat) 1,265 yen. The Beef Noodle Soup (with extra meat) has a light soup. The noodles were flat and had a chewy texture similar to udon. The ingredients included beef, bok choy, boiled egg, and green onions. I added plenty of pickled mustard greens and enjoyed it. The restaurant has a slightly high pricing, but the staff's customer service was polite. It is a Taiwanese beef noodle shop near Akasaka Station.

It's a famous chain store in Taiwan. The interior is simple and not very atmospheric, so don't expect much. I visited for the first time after hearing from someone from Taiwan that I could try authentic Taiwanese beef noodle soup. I tried the medicinal herb beef noodle soup, which had a light and unique flavor with hints of spices like star anise. The beef noodles were also lighter in taste than they appeared. By adding chopped pickled mustard greens on the table, you can change the flavor and enjoy it until the end without getting tired of it. Personally, I preferred the taste over regular ramen. It's a good option when you feel like eating ramen in Akasaka!

In Taiwan, there are over 150 branches of this major fast food chain. While the menu is mostly the same as in the original country, you can find more Taiwanese influences on the menu on the Taiwan website. The signature dish here is beef noodle soup, but this time I tried the pork chop rice. The pork chop had a mild sweet sauce, and the accompanying soup had a mild herbal flavor. It was easy to eat and quite enjoyable. Overall, it was not bad, but it felt like something was missing. The fast food-like taste didn't make it stand out, and it lacked a sense of uniqueness compared to other fast food chains. In fact, the second branch of this chain closed quickly, and there has been no further expansion. It seems replicating the local taste accurately doesn't always guarantee success, as seen with the closure of another Taiwanese rice chain. It might be a challenging balance to strike.

On Sundays, most restaurants in Akasaka are closed, and only chain stores are open. In the midst of this, I went to a Taiwanese noodle chain store called "San Chi Ka Fu (Akasaka branch)". The interior is very bright, and the background music is idol songs, so it's not very relaxing. To order, you ring a bell and a staff member comes to take your order. I ordered the classic "beef noodle soup". The soup tasted like a blend of Japanese soba broth and beef extract, giving it a somewhat chemical flavor. The noodles were flat and unremarkable. Considering the content, the price of over 1,000 yen felt quite high.

Chicken cutlet - 660 yen Shime noodles - 528 yen Sansho Kofuku (Akasaka) The chicken cutlet had a crispy texture with lightly seasoned chicken breast that was moist and easy to eat. It was convenient that the chicken was already cut. They recommended adding pepper or red pepper flakes. Eating it with pepper and red pepper flakes made it even more delicious. The pepper seemed to have garlic powder mixed in, as the garlic smell was strong. I tried the shime noodles, which were half the usual portion, as a soup alternative. It was like half a beef noodle soup. I adjusted the taste by adding the provided pickled vegetables. It paired well with the chicken cutlet. However, the total cost easily exceeded 1000 yen with this combination, which made me wonder.

I visited a restaurant where you can eat Taiwan's soul food, beef noodles, which I had been curious about for a while. I ordered the classic beef noodles. I wondered if it would taste close to the authentic version, and when I tasted it, it was indeed adjusted for Japanese taste. Personally, I prefer it to have a stronger star anise flavor, closer to the authentic taste. I recommend adding pickled mustard greens and doubanjiang as condiments to enhance the flavor.

You can enjoy Taiwanese noodle dishes here. The portions are small and the meat is cut into small pieces, but the cost performance is not very good. A serving that is about half the size of a standing soba dish costs 968 yen, including tax. The prices are written in a small font, which is a cheap tactic commonly seen in other industries. LOL.

At Akasaka's "San Shokoufu Akasaka Store," we settled into a table on the 2nd floor on a weekend afternoon. Our order included crispy dried radish, a Taiwanese-style omelette called "菜脯蛋" with a Japanese twist, spinach with minced pork, and a bowl of beef noodles with Sichuan spices. We enjoyed these dishes with some beer, and the meal was finished off with satisfaction.

After a long time, I went to work and tried the New Lo Mein with meat at a Taiwanese restaurant in Akasaka for new business development. The beef bone and salt flavored soup was refreshing and delicious! In Japan, ramen is mostly made with chicken or pork broth, so I usually stick to those and don't try anything else. That's why today's beef bone soup was very stimulating.