坐著做。壽司本館 — Restaurant in Taoyuan City

Disclaimer before reading this review: I am from Singapore, so my expectations and perceptions are not local

This is a store that is exceptionally popular. How popular? Popular enough that they have so many branches now - it is easy to go to the wrong branch that you made a reservation for. There isn't a lot of space at the sushi counter, which means it's hard to get a reservation if you don't book it in advance. If you come early, the door is locked (look at my photo of the locked door), so you wait outside where there is not much else to see. There are 4 seatings per day, so the food comes almost rapid fire. This makes things a little uncomfortable, everyone who sits at the same sushi counter is given food at the same time. I am not a big fan of the Shari used for the sushi (too much on the sugary side) - neither am I a fan of the fact that they pre-make the sushi rice for everyone (imagine, all the sushi bases are made before the fish goes on top) before putting the various fish cuts right on top only after the rice has been made. I felt that certain nuances of the various cuts were lost through a combination of sauces and suboptimal serving temperature.

As a wine educator and sake enthusiast I was also dismayed at the alcohol service. The sake list for 720ml bottles was extremely limited - don't be fooled by the wall filled with many different empty sake bottles, you won't get to order them. You have a grand total of 5 bottles of sake on the menu for ordering. Ordered their house sake for 3280TWD which was offered as 'similar to 十四代' and pushed hard, I would skip it. Shows a standard delicate daiginjo nose but the palate falls flat with a particularly sharp finish and little depth - in short nothing like 十四代, and not great for the price. On the night that I went, no one else apart from my group ordered alcohol. Sake also warmed up way too quickly in the elaborate 'teapot'-like pouring device...the chamber for the ice did not seem to chill the sake when it falls beyond a certain level. I asked to switch to aN ice bucket for my bottle instead but the staff still ended up pouring my sake into this device (the whole idea was to avoid using this device). I am also dismayed when the highlight of a sushi omakase is the very safe uni-chutoro combo...I would have expected a restaurant of this calibre to showcase more unusual cuts with the food budget.

I really wanted to like this place more, the staff were lovely (if a bit overworked, there are 4 seatings per day - the boss is happy but the staff have to work hard). But the whole factory-production feel of it, the poor alcohol service, the rushed feel...it all was a bit too much. To be honest, I would rather have paid a little more $ for a better environment. It is a shame because some of the fish being featured were lovely, ironically it was the 竹夹 or horse mackerel/aji that I liked the best. No aging on this hikarimono fish, showing some lovely delicate, sweet flavours...ironically pairs well with that Shari I didn't like.

Take this review with a pinch of salt. This place is VERY popular with locals, the rest of the groups seemed to have a great time. It's just not...

High rating Sushi restaurant with only Omakase set. I’m not sure what happened before. But I’m sure it was not a pleasant experience for me and my friend. For their sashimi, there was fishbone in it. They did tried to compensate with a replacement, but still not acceptable for a “professional” place. For their SUSHI, disappoint is the only answer. Their Uni has a strange potion taste, and THE MOST important rice part was sticky and stuck together. Not a Sushi for me. Still, there were some dishes quite ok, like their steamed rice, but not worth the price. Overall, if you are simply looking for a nice decorated place for Japanese food with numbers of different dishes, it’s a back up option. But if you looking Sushi, like what they explicitly put it on their Shop name. Sorry, not recommended. 2 stars means No Go. BTW, I tried to give them feedback when I finished the meal, but sorry, they don’t event have a Chef or manager to accept it. Better not expect too much if...

Feels like in Japan. If you are in Zhongli, and feel like having omakase, this is the answer to your mouth watering desire. Tucked away in an alley, it's hidden away from 95% of passing tourists walking along the main road. Once arrived, and enterd, you feel the Japanese experience overwhelmed you with meticulous Chef passionate about his fresh selection of fish of the day and little appetisers that fascinate. I can't remember how many course but it's all so delicious 😋. Remember to make reservation and be charmed by the food and presentation. By the seating around the sushi bar is like tatami style but space for legs below. A bit challenging for seniors. Overall...