Er Dien Oden has opened up Taipei to a world of delicious broth-cooked goodies that will sort you out in some of the cooler winter months in Taipei. Oden, a popular winter dish in Japan, is a unique blend of ingredients and cooking methods focused on fish cakes and vegetables cooked in a simply seasoned broth.
Situated in one of the backstreets of the Eastern Area in between Dr Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall MRT station and Zhongxhiao Dunhua MRT station, Er Dien Oden has brought a slice of simple Japanese cooking to the streets of Taipei, wowing passers-by and luring them in with the unique smell of the broth that Oden is famed for. Deep, rich, and packed with flavour, this Oden seems to be championing the Tokyo style Oden, known primarily for its inclusion of many fish-styled ingredients such as fish cake, fish balls, and octopus.
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Looking like something plucked off the backstreets in almost any Japanese city or town, the wooden-fronted simplicity of Er Dien Oden is what intrigues and entices you in. The soft lighting bouncing off the steam that floats through the air from that broth is where it’s at.
As you step closer to the front of the restaurant, you’ll get a waft of delicious broth hit you and you’ll be lining up with everyone else.
If you aren’t sure how to order or what to do when you arrive at Er Dien Oden, then this is the post for you. See below for How to Order in Taipei Restaurants like a definitive pro!
3 Fast Tips on How to Order in Taipei Restaurants like a definitive pro!
The Menu at Er Dien Oden
Er Dien Oden provides a QR code at your table, allowing you to convert the whole menu into English. You can choose to pay online through the app or pay using cash. While the menu looks vast, it's important to note that most things on the menu are single portions, unless stated otherwise.
What We Ordered
Roasted Pork Rice
Er Dien Oden does Japanese Oden to the extreme. But I couldn't come here and leave without eating this roasted pork rice. You'll get a generous portion of very nice rice here, topped with char su-style pork that is lashed with one of those handheld blow torches, then covered with that signature Japanese mayonnaise that you see on many dishes like this.
The smoky flavour of the pork comes through really nicely, and when everything is mixed you'll get kissed with that generous helping of mayonnaise that tops your rice. It's a great bowl of food that I would strongly recommend to the hungry people out there wanting not only a delicious bowl of Japanese Oden, but also to walk away from here feeling happy, satiated, and not looking for any other snacks for the rest of the night.
No Japanese Oden set would be complete without a huge bowl of delicious food accompanied by some sesame dipping sauce and also a bowl of their incredible broth.
First, let me talk to you about that broth. I don't drink a whole lot of soup. I really don't care for the predominantly wishy-washy soup that I tend to find here in Taiwan. But, I did finish 7 bowls of this soup. The flavour was just so incredibly fresh, fragrant, light, and moreish.
Daikon Radish
If there's one thing that eating Japanese Oden has ever taught me, it is not to underestimate the simple deliciousness of the daikon radish. Not only does it retain its shape and integrity as clearly a root vegetable, but the amount of flavour it both takes on and also imparts in each mouthful is quite incredible. It may cost $70 for that (relatively) small piece of Daikon radish, which seems quite extortionate, but it's really tasty and just about worth the money.
Burdock Tempura
So the burdock tempura is that circular-looking flat thing at the bottom of the picture on the plate there. It's a fish paste that is moulded together with shavings of prepared burdock root that give flavour and texture, it is then deep fried as a flat fishcake. It's chewy, it's tasty, and you have to get it. Don't expect a heavy fish flavour, but do expect it to taste of fish.
Oden
The oden is that sausage-looking thing on a stick. It's another processed fish cake with a slightly softer and more delicate texture than the flat one above. It's lighter, it's tasty, and it's worth a shot.
Hokkaido Octopus
I saw the octopus, and I went for it. I do really enjoy octopus, and I especially enjoy it when my octopus ball has pieces of actual octopus coming out of it. This allows for a true octopus flavour to come out, in addition to the wonderful texture that all of it brings. It wasn't one of my favourite things that I ordered here at Er Dien Oden, but that's not to say that it wasn't delicious.
Cuttlefish Tempura
The texture of this was right on the money. Soft, delicate, packed full of flavour. This cuttlefish tempura Japanese Oden ticks all of the boxes. It has chunks of cuttlefish inside that are sandwiched in there with a paste that sings with flavours of the sea.
Cabbage Roll
A cabbage roll doesn't sound too appealing. But when you see the picture and describe it as a delicate cabbage leaf that envelopes a pork filling, it makes it sound just that little bit nicer. The pork filling was seasoned nicely and packed a punch of flavour. The cabbage leaf was incredibly delicate and had imparted a really nice cabbage flavour into the meat, whilst maintaining the tenderness of the dish.
Thick Chikuwa
Thick Chikuwa is that fish paste tube-looking thing underneath that cabbage roll. It's popular in the Keelung area of Taiwan, but there it tends to be considerably thinner than it was here at Er Dien Oden. Here it was thick, juicy, and rammed full of a delicious fish flavour.
Roasted Scallops
This roasted scallop was probably my dish of the day here at Er Dien Oden.
The succulent juiciness of the shredded scallop encased inside this wonderful morsel of food really made me smile. It was sweet, it tasted like scallops, and I could have happily finished off a whole bowl of these by themselves.
The Bottom Line
Is it worth it? Japanese Oden is a great idea when the weather drops a few degrees, and I would quite happily say that Er Dien Oden is one of the best around. Yes, it is definitely worth it.
What is the best dish? Those Roasted Scallops are going to be difficult to beat. The Roasted pork rice was also really good, but the scallops took the win.
Are there other places like this? There are plenty of Japanese restaurants around Taipei, but not that many Japanese Oden places. If they are, they tend to be done in more of a Taiwanese style. That isn't to say that they are bad, but more so to say that they aren't as close to the traditional Japanese Oden as a place like Er Dien Oden is.