A note on the words: Kagurazaka is a hillside neighborhood of narrow stone lanes near Iidabashi, historically a geisha quarter and now full of small restaurants. Shijimi are the tiny freshwater clams used in miso soup. Ganjang gejang is the Korean dish of raw crab steeped in soy, mentioned here only as a comparison. Ebi shinjo is a smooth paste of ground shrimp, and daikon mochi is the steamed and griddled radish cake found across Taiwan and southern China. A-choy is a leaf lettuce common on Taiwanese menus, and Shaoxing wine is a Chinese rice wine. Prices are as of this writing (August 2026).
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Taiwanese Cuisine @ Kagurazaka La Bonne cachette on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hello, this is Hangover Meshi. I was drifting around Kagurazaka thinking about dinner when it began to spit with rain. I need to get inside quickly! — so I went for the first sign that caught my eye. “Go up, and you are in Taiwan” lol A good line. Up a small lift to the third floor. A stylish sort of room, with a Taiwanese feel to it, though the large counter is more like a bar.
There is a board with the day’s recommendations and a main menu, and everything looks good, so it is hard to decide.
I ordered a beer to be going on with and worked through the a la carte as the mood took me.
Beer first, of course!!!
Mmm, cold and delicious.
The glass is on the small side. A refined size^^
I started with the three-kind appetizer assortment as something to drink alongside!
Shijimi clams steeped in soy, dried tofu strips, and chicken steeped in Shaoxing wine, I think.
Shijimi steeped in soy is not something you hear about often, but on the menu it carries the most-popular mark.
The clams are on the large side and there is something to get your teeth into. This is good. Ganjang gejang in shijimi form is probably the best way to describe it. The soft texture of the meat is good, and between the savor of the clam and the soy dressing I can quite believe it is popular. Delicious.
What is Taiwanese A-choy? I asked, and was told it is a Taiwanese vegetable.
To look at, it is close to bok choy. Greens are greens^^
There is nothing especially distinctive about the flavor, but as a plate of stir-fried greens the quality is good!
The scent of garlic drifts up, and a stir-fry with good stock behind it is exactly right alongside a drink.
Ebi shinjo spring rolls.
The sauce on them is chocolate, I was told — a joke, of course lol
The staff have a fine sense of humor and it is good fun. It is simply a good sauce. Inside, the ebi shinjo is packed tight.
Really tightly packed with no gaps at all, so they are substantial.
Say Taiwan and you say daikon mochi!
House-made, and it carried the most-popular mark, so I could not help ordering it.
Gently backed with stock and extremely good. That distinctive texture, and the fact that it is daikon so there is no guilt attached, are both fine things.
So — a quick meal, a quick drink, and since the rain seemed to have stopped, out I went. Taiwanese food with an authentic feel, a very good atmosphere, and plenty of snacks that go with a drink. The recommended courses apparently start at 6,600 yen, so booking a course here might be a very good way to use the place. The staff are friendly and funny and talk to you about all sorts, which makes it enjoyable!
Taiwanese Cuisine @ Kagurazaka La Bonne cachette (French / Iidabashi Station, Ushigome-Kagurazaka Station, Kagurazaka Station)
Tabelog dinner rating ★★★☆☆ 3.5
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
