ODAWARA JAPANESE STYLE CREATIVE CUISINE (04) 2372-8803 77, LinSen Road Hours: 11:30 am-2 pm,5-9:30 pm

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--By Cai Pei-Rong, translated by Cara Steenstra

Not far from the Taichung Cultural Center on YingCai Road is a new Japanese restaurant boasting very attractive interior decor. Odawara ("Xiao Tian Yuan" in Chinese) is a place near Hakone in Japan, on the outskirts of Tokyo prefecture. The owner once studied in Japan and really liked the environment there. Therefore, when he opened this restaurant, he deliberately created the atmosphere of a local Japanese hot springs "bed and breakfast". Not only is the decor entirely Japanese-style, but the meals are very authentic, too. Carefully selected ingredients are freshly prepared and there is a great selection of sashimi, sushi, hand rolls, salad, fried dishes, roasted dishes, delicate appetizers, stir-fried dishes, rice, noodles, soups and, of course, set meals and lunch boxes. The Codfish with Cheese (NT$120) is highly recommended. This creative dish is made from codfish with mashed Chinese yam wrapped in cheese and steamed, After deep-frying, it is served with Japanese-style salad dressing and tomato sauce is dribbled over it. Set menus come for different prices (NT$288, NT$328 and NT$528). The most economical NT$288 menu comes with a choice of Baked Eel, Grilled Mackerel, Pork Cutlet and Tempura Shrimp for a main course. The juicy smoked mackerel here is highly recommended.