Highballs and Takoyaki on Linsen North Road
Looking for some delicious pub food and great value highballs before you start (or finish) your night? We’ve got you covered. 築地銀だこハイボール酒場, a Japanese chain which literally advertises the word “highball” in its name, has fast become one of our favourite spots to grab some excellent takoyaki, Japanese fried chicken, and other delicious bar food while simultaneously keeping the party going with one of their extremely large drinks. Located right in the middle of the action on Linsen North Road, this is a great spot for enjoying the party atmosphere of the area — all the way until 2AM.
We’d be remiss not to start right out with what sets 築地銀だこハイボール酒場 from the rest: their highballs. These drinks come in three sizes: regular ($100), which fits neatly in a hand; mega ($160), definitely on the hefty side; and gorilla ($250), a freaking monster. There are only two ingredients in this drink: soda water and Jim Beam Bourbon. At first taste you may question how much Bourbon they contain, but all we’ll say to you is: wait until you’re done before pouting that they were light-handed. They’ll do you more damage than you think. $250 is an absolute steal for a drink this large, but there is one downside: apparently, they have a very limited number of the gorilla glasses. If you had visions of you and your friends ordering a round of these, we’re afraid you’ll have to reconsider. We’ve tried to order multiples of these on a number of occasions, and more often than not we can’t until another table is done with them. Boo. Still, one of these is equal to one regular and one mega combined, so you can still achieve the same goal for only $10 more, not that we suggest you should.
築地銀だこハイボール酒場 does have other highballs, but they aren’t quite as good value, though we still like them. You can upgrade your bourbon to Suntory whiskey for $10, although it does not come in the gorilla size. There’s also a Coca-Cola highball, an orange highball, a grapefruit highball, and a plum wine highball (all $150, regular size only). We liked the grapefruit one the best, and the plum wine one the least. They have beer and sours too.
Though their highballs may be the star of the show, the food rivals them closely. A must-order here is the takoyaki — octopus balls — which come in four flavours and can be ordered in four or eight per portion. We got the regular takoyaki ($120 for eight), which came with all of the regular toppings: mayonnaise, Japanese barbeque sauce, bonito flakes, and powdered seaweed. These takoyaki are fantastic. They’re piping hot, soft, and juicy, and make for some of the best finger food known to man. We get them every time.
Another must-try is the karaage, Japanese fried chicken ($180). This chicken is delicious and practically falls apart in your mouth. Squeezing a wedge of lime over it adds a nice tang, and the shredded cabbage that’s served with it provides some welcome freshness. We’re sure you’ll like these as much as we did.
Another of our favourites is the okonomiyaki yakisoba ($150). Okonomiyaki is a savoury pancake, and yakisoba are stir-fried noodles. We liked the mix of flavours and textures in this dish — the noodles are firm and bouncy, the egg is nice and soft, and the ginger adds a kick and a freshness at the same time. It’s all drizzled in a delightful sauce and topped with bonito flakes and dried seaweed. Perfection.
To change up the texture ($100), we ordered some cucumbers. These are crunchy and slightly sweet, made with sesame oil, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, and sugar. Adding a vegetable elevates every meal, and these are no exception. They usually arrive first and are great for snacking on before the hot food arrives.
Check out their menu below:
All things said, we strongly recommend visiting 築地銀だこハイボール酒場 if you’re in the mood for some casual drinks and Japanese bar food. It’s affordable and tasty, and right in the middle of the Linsen North Road area, which is vibrant on weekend nights. They have other great snacks here and the menu is fun to peruse, so we’re sure we’ll keep coming back while they still do such great deals on the drinks. The fact that they open until 2AM is another nail in the coffin, although at some stage we’d probably move to nearby NEP Lounge Bar for some cocktails.
What’s the vibe?
Fun little restaurant in the alleyways of Linsen North Road. Customers are mostly locals and Japanese businessmen or tourists.
Worth it?
Absolutely. The highballs are great value and the food is great.
Would you go back?
All the time.
Last updated January 2020
| 築地銀だこハイボール酒場 |
| Hours: Mon-Sat 6pm – 2am Sun 5pm – 12am |
| Phone: 02 2511 5557 |
| English Address: No. 1, Lane 119, Linsen North Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City |
| Chinese Address: 台北市中山區林森北路119巷No. 1號 |
