Mitsui is one of the premium Japanese restaurant in Taipei. From a humble 10 seater to the current 7 restaurants serving the fines Japanese food, Mitsui showed the way of the apprentice overtaking the master. I find the creativity here endless, and coupled with the freshest ingredients, you have Japanese par excellance. I started going to this restaurant since 2002, and over the last 10 over years, it has lost some of the kimochi, but gained a regimental consistency that made me return every time I am back in Taipei.
Mitsui serves both a la carte as well as omakase (Chef’s menu, like a degustation restaurant). You can get a very good variety starting at NT2500 for lunch and a really extravagant selection at NT4600 upwards. You can go crazy by letting the manager decides for you, but it will still hover around NT5000-6000 per person excluding drinks. A manager will come when you decided the budget and then asked your likes and dislikes, any allergies, etc. Mitsui has the freshest produce, so I always ask for more sashimi and sushi, less cooked stuff, and rarely I will ask for meat dishes (unless horse and really rare Wagyu are available). It was less technical back then, now everything is composed on an iPad. Back in those days, you will always get more value than your budget, nowadays everything is preconfigured with little room of adjustments.
Starting with a Sashimi Moriawase, you got a tasting portion of the freshest customs of otoro, hamachi, akagai, bream (aji), and some other less fatty fish. You will not get your run-of-the-mill salmon and such if you have not asked for it. (Usually you get a salad first, but because I was sitting at the counter, the sequence was slightly altered.)
This is the best place to eat Hokkaido Snow Crabs – they import live crabs from Japan every year when it is in season. You can get the whole crab at around NT$18000 depending on the size, and that will be enough for sashimi, chawanmushi, hotpot, grill, steam, etc. One entire meal around a crab for 4-6 pax. But today, I was having just a grilled leg.
Aki fish was very expensive fish, so you get only a small portion, I got the top half (and half of the fish) – so that’s get a quarter. It was an oily fish, so no need to add more oil when grilling.
Usually it will end with an ice cream (sesame or mocha) and a red bean soup. I asked for more fruits instead. Actually it was the same portion. Sigh.
Mitsui Japanese Cuisine
No.30, Nong-an Street, Taipei City
Tel: 02-25943394
http://www.mitsuitaipei.com.tw
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