✨ AI Visit Notes
武侍酒 日式居酒屋 (Samurai Kushiyaki Izakaya) is near Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center (南港展覽館站). Its long, narrow space contains a counter, open grill, square tables and more private seating, with a menu running from skewers, fried rice and seafood to fried food and desserts. Its practical strength is the choice it gives a group: some people want a drink, others just want Salmon Fried Rice and grilled food, and everyone can find a place at the table.
● Salt-Grilled Cutlassfish Rolls
The outside of each roll is grilled lightly crisp while the fish within stays tender. The preparation makes for easy eating, without continually picking out bones and interrupting the conversation. Salt draws out the fish's flavor without a thick sauce, making this a relatively light start to the skewers.
● Grilled Octopus Skewers
The octopus is grilled until fragrant while keeping a springy bite, without becoming a test of your teeth. Its chew is distinct and goes well with beer or a lighter drink. Eat it hot to catch the full grilled aroma on the surface.
● Shichimi Pork Belly
Fragrant pork-belly fat meets the gentle heat of shichimi spice in a straightforward drinking skewer. The flavor is full on its own; alternate with vegetables or fried rice to keep it from becoming too rich. A word from me: this is the sort of dish that seems to refill your glass all by itself.
● Chicken Thigh with Peanut Sauce
Tender chicken thigh is thickly coated in peanut sauce, with sweetness, savoriness and nutty aroma all making themselves known. It doesn't aim to be light or pretend to be health food. Share a skewer among a few people for a taste, then follow it with something refreshing.
● Salmon Fried Rice
The rice is fried into distinct grains, carrying pepper, egg and scallion aromas with salmon adding savoriness. The portion works well in the center of the table for sharing. With fried rice as a base, the skewers and drinks that follow won't all be landing on an empty stomach.
● Eat Some Healthy Vegetables Platter
Shiitake mushrooms, zucchini and king oyster mushrooms make up the grilled vegetable plate, retaining their juiciness, tender crunch and chew. This isn't just there to ease your guilt; it also resets your palate between peanut-sauce chicken and pork belly.
● Pork-Wrapped Onion Rolls
Pork wraps around onion, bringing fragrant fat, tender meat and onion sweetness into one bite. It's a simple preparation with layers of flavor. Too much time over the heat can dry it out; this serving keeps the moisture in both the pork and onion.
● Cabbage with Sesame Dressing
Naturally sweet, crisp cabbage gets a rich sesame aroma from the dressing. It's a quiet-looking plate that the chopsticks keep returning to. When the table has plenty of meat and fried food, it plays an important role.
● Springy Stir-Fried Beef Tongue
The beef tongue is tender with a springy bite, without relying on excessive fat for texture. Stir-frying it with onion adds sweet aroma. It feels more like a hot stir-fry for sharing than thinly sliced grilled tongue.
● Wine-Steamed Clams
The clams release their savoriness and the wine aroma opens up the broth, keeping the dish light and gently sweet. Beyond eating the clams, save the broth underneath to sip slowly. The seafood still depends on the day's freshness and supply.
● Japanese Oysters
The oysters offer a direct taste of the sea and a silky, tender texture, without extra seasoning covering them. Raw food carries risks; pregnant people, young children, older adults and people with weakened immunity should avoid it. Other diners should also consider their own condition and what the restaurant is serving that day.
● Crisp and Tender Fish and Chips
The coated fish is fried crisp outside and tender within, with different sauces for a change of flavor. Fries are the part of a group meal that needs the least persuasion. The plate is shared out quickly once it arrives, so don't be shy if you want it hot.
● Okinawan Brown Sugar Fried Mochi
The fried mochi is lightly crisp outside and chewy within, with brown sugar and peanut powder bringing plenty of sweet aroma. It makes a finish after savory food and drinks. The center is very hot straight from the fryer, so blow on it first, however eager you are. I don't want to see dessert burn you abruptly back to full alertness.
Start with two or three kinds of skewers, then add Salmon Fried Rice for substance and the vegetable platter and sesame cabbage to refresh the palate. Add seafood and dessert later. Ordering gradually as a group suits the izakaya rhythm better than filling the table in one go.
- Location:台北市南港區南港路一段111號, about a 4- to 5-minute walk from Exit 5 of Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.
- Type:Japanese izakaya, skewers, seafood and stir-fries.
- Space:Counter seating, an open grill, square tables and more private seats. Confirm the actual arrangement when booking.
- Good for:Meals with friends, a drink after work, and diners who want grilled food and hot dishes in one visit.
📌 Editor's Wrap-Up
Samurai Kushiyaki Izakaya's strength is its usefulness: Salt-Grilled Cutlassfish Rolls, octopus and pork belly cover the skewers, Salmon Fried Rice supplies the staple, and vegetables, clams, oysters, fried food and brown sugar mochi follow through. A long menu doesn't mean ordering it all at once. Add hot grilled food, a staple, something refreshing and a finish in stages to find the rhythm of an izakaya meal. A drink is fine; arrange the journey home first.
