A homey dining area, soul-satisfying food and student prices will keep you coming to Aizuna (會津屋), a Japanese restaurant near National Taiwan University. The restaurant serves standard Japanese fare at average prices but it also caters to individual diners.
The lunchbox-style meals, priced between NT$100 and NT$150, offer good value and have a homemade touch. With almost every selection the portions are generous, and all of the side dishes actually complement the meal, instead of serving as mere slop to fill you up.
On a recent visit the side dishes included scrambled egg and tomatoes and stewed cauliflower with thinly sliced carrots, mushroom and garlic — both tasty and prepared with care. The dishes change regularly and you don’t get to choose, but they rarely disappoint. On several past visits I had a delicious bitter melon stir-fry with mustard and black bean sauce. If you eat in, all meals are served on white China plates, and the restaurant provides black lacquer chopsticks tucked neatly in a holder ring.
As the warm summer days linger, try the Shaohsing wine chicken meal (紹興醉雞,NT$120); the cold, wine-soaked chicken slices are refreshing in the same way sashimi can be. If cold chicken isn’t your thing, then the teriyaki chicken leg (照燒雞腿簡餐,NT$110) makes a hearty lunch. But pass on the smoked salmon (燻鮭魚簡,NT$130). It doesn’t go well with the rice and side dishes and is one of the few choices that may leave you hungry.
Always satisfying, the breaded pork and fish cutlets (豬排簡餐,魚排簡餐,NT$100 each) come out crispy and tender and never too oily. Another notable comfort food is Aizuna’s tendon (天丼, NT$150), an assortment of tempura served on rice. It comes with shrimp, fish cutlet and a medley of vegetables: eggplant, string bean, taro, sweet potato and green pepper. Many of the lunch-box style meals are available as fancier sets ranging from NT$210 to NT$300, which include savory steamed egg custard (茶碗蒸) and an additional side dish. The list of budget options extends to stir-fry and soup noodles, as well as curries and fried rice (NT$100 to NT$140).
Aizuna’s darkish interior looks fancier than it really is, but the space is clean and tastefully lit: lamps with a warm reddish glow hang from the ceiling. In the corners there are several large plants, and large wall-sized windows provide a view of the alleyways, with one side veiled by the bamboo groves. The place gets loud during lunch with chattering student diners, but by around 1:30pm the room clears out and the noise usually gives way to nakasi music playing in the background.
Given the prices Aizuna’s Taiwanese-style Japanese dishes are probably best enjoyed with a companion or a group. Sushi rolls cost between NT$150 and NT$380, and sashimi sets you back between NT$240 and NT$340. The restaurant offers a large selection of tempura, salads and grilled meats worthy of a celebratory dinner. Selections include the grilled mackerel (鯖魚, NT$150) and fried tofu (油揚豆腐, NT$60).
The service is a step above the average student joint. The college-aged waiters, who don black T-shirts and jeans, are quick and constantly on the move, yet remain attentive and polite enough. At the end of your meal, a waiter brings you a tiny ceramic plate with fruit slices, usually oranges, “compliments of the boss.”
Aizuna is on off Xinsheng South Road across from the soccer field at National Taiwan University. When you enter Lane 60, the restaurant will be on your left — look out for the bamboo grove and the Japanese tiled roof.
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