For my mom’s birthday, my sister decided to take the family for some Japanese food. So they picked Mitsui. There were eleven us that evening so this was a special occasion, specially since it was my mom’s 60th birthday. In Taipei, parking is usually a challenge since the streets are crawling with cars and scooters, but Mitsui makes things easy by providing valet parking. Not sure if its free or not, but I’m guessing a tip is definitely necessary. The restaurant was dimly lit and had an upscale-trendy atmosphere (think of a museum of contemporary art). It reminded me of Yamashiro in Los Angeles without the city skyline view Yamashiro offers.
I didn’t really get to pick out the menu since it was set. It seems to be a very popular thing to do in Taiwan. Many of the restaurant we went to (during my trip) offered set menus. It does make things much easier when ordering, and with Japanese Cuisine, there really much I wouldn’t eat.
Round 1
First course was Abalone Salad. For those who don’t know what Abalone is, they are essentially sea snails. Sounds gross, I know, but they taste far better than they sound. Personally, I think it tastes better than Escargot. Anyway, the salad was great. It had bits and pieces of toro, corn, asparagus and lettuce in a vinaigrette dressing.
Round 2
For the second course, we were presented with “premium” cuts of Toro, yellowtail, shrimp, and other types of sashimi I didn’t quite recornize. I have to say, I was looking forward to some nice yummy cuts of salmon sashimi (my favorite), unfortunately, they didn’t bother to include that. Overall, this dish disappointed me the most. The toro was stringy, tough to chew and swallow. The same goes for the rest of the sashimi. It was so disappointing that my Mom told the manager about it and they send over complimentary cuts of toro…they weren’t that much better. What is important to note is that they were very apologetic and put in an effort to fix the problem.
Round 3
Our third course was Uni (sea urchin). I really can’t comment on this because I REALLY dislike Uni, I ate it but didn’t really savor it or enjoy it. Its the consistency more than the taste that simply grosses me out. Slimy yet satisfying…where have we heard THAT before?!?
Round 4
Our fourth course consisted of Hokkaido Crab. The snow crab was saved for later. This was my first time having Hokkaido Crab and I have to say, it was pretty good. The meat was tender, juicy and a slightly sweet. Very different than the steamed crab we usually have back home which is on the salty side and dipped in butter. The shell is rather spiky and hairy though, so it makes shell cracking a bit of a chore, but the taste makes it well worth the effort.
Round 5
Up to this point, 5th course (Fried Fish) made its way to our table. At first, it didn’t look very appetizing, but it was surprisingly tasty. It not crispy as you would expect fried fish to be, on the contrary, it was very soft and flaky and mild in taste. I wish I knew what type of fish they used. This was probably my 3rd favorite dish of the night.
Round 6
You probably are wondering to what on earth this thing is…well, its steak! Australian steak to be exactly…they didn’t specify what the cut was, all we were told is that it was imported from Australia. It was served on top of a ceramic pot with chunks of coal inside, to keep the steak sizzling. This was by far, the best steak I’ve had in Taiwan…PERIOD. The meat was so tender, it almost melts in your mouth. I’m starting to think Australian Steak might just as good as the steak we have in the States.
Round 7
Remember how I mentioned the Snow Crab being saved for later? Well this is where it went. I regret not getting around to eat this. I had just a tiny little bit of room left in me at the time, so I felt obligated to save that ounce of space for my eight and last course….DESSERT!
Round 8
For the last course, we got green tea ice cream and cantalope…talk about disappointing. I was expecting something more exciting than ice cream i can get at the Asian grocery store. It didn’t taste bad, I just wish they had something a bit more unique and different.
With a whopping 8-courses, I think this was one of the biggest meals I’ve had in a while. It was definitely a treat and a pleasant experience. I thank my sister Luisa for treating us to such a fancy meal…specially after finding out how much the bill was (about $100 US per person). If you are in Taipei and love Japanese food, this isn’t a bad place to go. The steak and the Hokkaido Crab make it worthwhile on their own. So if you are in Taipei, got lot of money to burn and want to dine in a upscale trendy Japanese Restaurant, you may want to give this place a try. Otherwise I hear Shintori isn’t half bad.
No. 34 Nong-an St., 1F, Taipei City (Mitsui Japanese Cuisine)
No. 30 Nong-an St., 1F, Taipei City (Original Mitsui)
Tel: (02) 2594-3394 Fax: (02) 2595-3296
Valet Parking Service Provided
1. Weirdest thing you have had for breakfast?
* Sushi & Sashimi
2. Most desperate meal you've ever had?
* Canned corn with a slice of American cheese, microwaved.
3. When you eat too much, you...
* Sit back on my chair and stare at the ceiling blankly...in pain. 
