Whenever I visit Taipei, I always go back to some old favourites, but at the same time, I also explore some new restaurants, and I just love how this place always brings me some new surprises! My good friend recently recommended me to Yoru Omakase, an upmarket Japanese-French creative restaurant that has been open for less than a year and specialises in Wagyu beef yakiniku.
The restaurant is located between Nanjing Fuxing MRT Station and Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Station, but it's in an inconspicuous alleyway, and the grey, low-profile facade makes it easy to miss, so it took a while to find.
Yoru is a very stylish restaurant, grey as the main theme, typical Japanese open bar design, location is not much, only a dozen seats, and the use of fully booked, thoughtful friends have already booked a place early in the morning.
The chef will design different dishes according to the seasonal ingredients, and the 2019 summer Omakase dishes are available at NT$2800 and NT$3800, so for Yoru's signature dish, the kiln-roasted thick-cut beef tongue, we'll of course be ordering the NT$3800 version.
The chef first introduced us to each of the Wagyu beef parts that we would be eating for the main course that night, namely the Thick Cut Australian Wagyu Beef Tongue, Yamagata Prefecture New Yorker and Yamagata Prefecture Beef Tenderloin. The best feature and selling point of the restaurant is the owner's custom-made oven from Tokyo, where the three main characters will be cooked in a half-smoked, half-roasted, low-temperature slow-cooked style, which is rarely available in Hong Kong.
After the introductions, the first to be served were a few delicious appetisers.
"Oysters with cucumber bubbles".
Super large Japanese oysters, topped with white foam made from loofah soup and pink dried sakura shrimp powder. The oysters are sweet and smooth, with a light fragrance of loofah, and when you bite into them, you'll find a few pieces of flying fish roe hidden in your mouth, bursting open one by one.
The Times of Shatin
The second starter was a seasonal sazu made with local bamboo shoots, baby cucumber and white fungus, a wonderful accompaniment to the salad, which was dipped in a salad dressing made from fresh fruits and vegetables for a refreshing and appetising taste.
"Mussel Soup
This special soup is made from freshly steamed Penghu tamarind and other vegetables in a thick broth that is bursting with flavour. Next to it are mushroom and mussel skewers which are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with a slight shiso flavour.
Wagyu Flower Sushi
There are two types of Wagyu Sushi, Avocado and Truffle Sea Urchin, and for the highest taste enjoyment, the chef specially instructed us to follow this order. The mixture of diced beef and apple in the two sushi pieces gives each piece of pearl rice a rich flavour of wagyu beef fat, while the refreshing pulp balances out the greasiness and gives the overall texture a more layered taste. The avocado is moist and creamy, while the truffle sea urchin is sweet and rich, each with its own flavour.
The protagonist has finally made his appearance.
Australian Wagyu Beef Tongue
The Wagyu Beef Tongue, the jewel of the shop, is kiln-roasted in a rare thick-cut style, with a slightly charred exterior that is a stunning pink colour when cut open. The meat is soft and chewy, full of juices and more satisfying than the usual thinly sliced ones! A pinch of sea salt is enough for a meal, but it's even better when served with a bit of mustard and a side dish of wasabi.
Slow-cooked Gemma Triton
Before the rest of the Wagyu feast, a slow-cooked alfonsino, which retained the freshness and elasticity of sashimi, was served with a sauce made from pistachio nuts and skinny egg, which was surprisingly tasty.
Yamagata Prefecture New Yorker and Yamagata Prefecture Beef Tenderloin.
The beautifully even grease of the beef tenderloin makes your mouth water even before you eat it. The beef tenderloin after frying is rich in flavour and chewy, while the New Yorker is richer in fat, which makes it even more flavourful and tasty, and with the homemade pork bone-in wine and vegetable sauce, the taste of the Wagyu beef is even more enhanced.
Grilled Beef Short Ribs with Diced Beef Tongue and Cooked Rice in Sauce
During the two to three hours of the meal, I noticed that the chef would repeatedly coat the beef ribs with sauce and then grill them for the final bowl of rice. The beef ribs tasted a bit like Hong Kong style BBQ pork, very flavourful, and the slow roasting kept the meat juices tender and juicy, as well as the elastic dices of beef tongue and the well-defined grains of cooking rice, full of the aroma of oil and shiso, which made you want to eat another bowl of rice!
Coconut ice-cream with pineapple and mango mousse.
The set is rounded off with a coconut ice-cream with pineapple and mango mousse made from fresh Taiwanese fruits and served with a sweet and spicy Maguey chocolate sauce made from Taiwan's speciality Maguey, which is very special. There are also home-baked dried fruits and watermelon flavoured crisps to round out the flavours and textures.
Reservations are accepted after 3pm every day, so be sure to make your reservation early if you want a good meal.
Address: 1/F, No.16, Lane 332, Sec.2, Bade Road, Zhongshan Dist.
Tel: +886 227760322 (by appointment only, two sessions at 18:00 or 19:30)
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 17:30 - 23:00Website. YoRu Omakase
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