The Hidden (Extra-Cheap) Sushi Shop in Taichung
忍者壽司 (Ninja Sushi Shalu) is by far one of the most delicious sushi shops I have tried in Asia (and yes, I include Japan), with a large assortment of nigiri, temaki, and also donburi, all at amazing prices. With fresh fish from a partner fishmonger delivered daily — it is impossible to think of such a variety of fresh seafood and dedication to high quality sushi-making at prices below 10 Euros.
One of the most expensive items on the menu, 華麗海聲丼, roughly translated into the pompous sounding “lavish seafood donburi”, is a seafood extravaganza that truly lives up to its name — squid, salmon roe, jumbo shrimp, salmon, marlin, abalone, scallops, sea urchin, and skirt snail on delicious sushi rice (great proportion of vinegar to rice, amazing texture and separation to the grains) all for 580 NTD = 18 USD/16 Euros. (Pictured above, from Google)
Get Arabella T.’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
What I would however consider the most worth it and convenient to eat often would be Ninja Sushi’s 11-piece nigiri set, which is what I ended up buying. This set highlights fresh seafood nigiri, including a tasty crab claw meat and crab roe nigiri, which has an amazingly concentrated flavor from the fresh crab roe.
The remaining assortment includes salmon, marlin, sea bass, squid, shrimp roe, tamago, yuba, and a roll with tamago, shrimp, cucumber and pork floss.
The freshness of the fish is reflected in the concentrated yet light flavors and firm texture of the flesh; the pickled ginger and house-grated wasabi tastes balanced (not overly spicy like store-bought variants) and refreshing; the tamago was also of note, with a sweet yet not overpowering 調味 and of a surprising delicacy and soft bounciness of texture- not like tamago from normal sushi-chains which tastes either overpoweringly, artificially sweet and/or extremely dense. All for the price of 310 NTD = around 9 Euros.
Definitely worth a visit if you ever, like me, somehow end up wandering around the Shalu district of Taichung!
