I usually don’t get into food or restaurant reviews on this blog, but I really wanted to showcase this particular Japanese restaurant. I’m admittedly a huge fan of Japanese food, and this place bills itself as “Japanese home cooking” (日本家庭料理). I’ve always been more of a fan of a good home cooked meal, something local, something warm and authentic. 藏王日本家庭料理 (Zangwang Japanese Home Cooking) hits all of these points for me.
My personal favorite dish overall is the braised pork and onion, which is served with a shredded cabbage salad that is happily topped with a decent dollop of Japanese mayo.
They have a lot of other great selections of food, including chicken karaage (から揚げ; fried chicken), grilled fish, steak, beef and potatoes, and more. The side dishes that come with the set are always different, so you’re guaranteed to get something new each time. Their main dishes are always well seasoned, and of the many times that I’ve been there, I haven’t been disappointed by my meal.
The main dishes are all great, but Zangwang offers something else that is worth the trip: Oden. So, I also wholeheartedly recommend trying the Oden (おでん) if you can. The boss has his own special house wasabi mustard that goes perfectly with it. The soup is also good, too! One of my favorite items is the hanpen (はんぺん ・ 半ぺん) which is basically a soft white fish cake. Sorry to say, 7-11 can’t compete with this!
The atmosphere is nice and quiet, often the boss is shooting the breeze the many Japanese customer that come in. The boss himself is Japanese, and speaks very little Mandarin. The staff can, though, so don’t worry about ordering! They also have a selection of sake and beer to compliment the meal, too.
Expect to spend around 200NT+ on each set. For two people, including Oden, the bill could run you around 500NTD for the meal, but I would argue it’s worth it.
Transportation
As I mentioned before, this place is really out of the way. Nestled in a suburb of Taoyuan County, the best way to get out here from Taipei is by bus, taking either 國光 or 亞通客運, getting off at EVA (長榮) and walking back. Inconvenient as it is, if you’ve ever in the mood for really good Japanese home-cooking, I definitely recommend taking a trip out here. You won’t be disappointed!
Address and Hours
藏王日本家庭料理
桃園縣蘆竹鄉南順六街29號1樓
1F No. 29 Nanshun 6th St., Luzhu Township, Taoyuan County
週一至週六下午四點到晚上十一點；週日公休
Monday to Saturday, 4pm-11pm; Closed Sundays.