Ajio (“The King of Taste”) - Taiwanese ****
in Nakano, Numabukuro, and Ikebukuro
Addresses -
Nakano : 東京都中野区中野5-59-1
Numabukuro : 東京都中野区沼袋4-1-17
Ikebukuro : ??
Opening hours - Open every day from 11:30 am to 1:00 am (Friday until 2:00 am)
Telephones -
Nakano : 03-5343-2588
Numabukuro : 03-5343-8266
Ikebukuro : 03-5343-5070 (??)
Menu - In Japanese with pictures
Credit Cards - OK
You know the old adage "Familiarity breeds contempt"? In Ajio's case, the opposite was true for me. In the beginning I didn't find it all that hot, but it is now one of my favorite restaurants with a great, long menu to explore and in continuous evolution. Its dishes aren't as picturesque and original as Tainantamii's, but it is good in a homely sort of way and serves many fun things, like sweet Chinese sausages, deep fried gyoza, frog legs, and duck feet webs that are definitely worth trying. Prices are reasonable and you always find a seat.
Taiwan Shokudo – Taiwanese ****
Address - 東京都中野区中野2-28-1
Opening hours - from 11:00 AM to 23:00 PM
Telephone - 03-3384-2572
Menu - In Japanese
Credit Cards - OK
At long last a Taiwanese restaurant that I really like in my own neighborhood. Nothing much to look at, but the Japanese owner and manager is very friendly and willing to explain things to customers. He told us for example that Taiwan Shokudo does not sell springrolls because they are not a Taiwanese tradition. He recommended instead something that in my turn I warmly recommend to you: their "Letasu no tsutsumi", delicious, unidentified stuff wrapped up in fresh lettuce. Try also the fried fish with peanuts and the gyoza.
Yukoen – Vietnamese ****
Address - Tokyo-to, Nakano-ku, Nakano 5-50-9
Opening hours - Open every day from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and from 5:00 pm to 5:00 am
Telephone - 3387-6166
Menu - In Japanese with pictures
Credit Cards - OK
Yukoen is very new, maybe one month old *, but, since it is literally meters away from where I live, I have already been there twice, once with a friend and once with several friends, one of which commented that "Vietnamese food isn't as greasy as the Chinese and, on the other hand, it isn't as relentlessy hot as the Thai". There is some truth in that. In any case, besides the usual Vietnamese stuff, Yukoen also serves Cantonese food, which I guess doesn't hurt. Fairly cheap, welcoming enough, it might not be an extraordinary experience but it is worth a try, especially if you are hungry, drunk or both very late at night or very early in the morning (say 4 am).
* Written in 1997. All other information still valid.
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