We’ve been eyeing a certain Japanese restaurant while riding the bus on downtown Pest’s Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Avenue, and after finally stopping in to check it out, we discovered that Q Taro is a great spot with its affordable prices, diverse dish selection, and speedy service. The menu is heavy on grilled dishes, but we preferred their traditional Japanese cuisine. Grilled chicken skin and beef tongue might be more difficult to find, but it’s the ramen and the dumplings we’d return to Q Taro for anytime.

After receiving multiple recommendations, we decided to visit the Japanese restaurant located between Nyugati Railway Station and Arany János Street on Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Avenue, and give it a try. The well-furnished casual eatery has red lamps hanging from the ceiling, decorative plates, and non-disposable wooden chopsticks – small details that made our stay much more comfortable. The staff consists mostly of Japanese employees, and the guests are mainly Asian expats or tourists, as well. Since they restaurant is not engaged in any marketing activity – their Facebook page isn’t too active, and they aren’t in contact with the press – we’re guessing that the foreign clientele comprises Q Taro’s main target audience, similarly to Biwako in District VI.

The menu lists various appetizers, grilled dishes, sushi, soups, and other menu options (1,300-1,790 HUF). The latter include a donburi, or rice-bowl dish (of rice and sliced meat, squid or fried udon noodles) and a small bowl of miso soup. We just had to taste their ramen, as only few places prepare it well in the city. “Q Taro’s favorite ramen” (1,580 HUF) is a soup with fresh stock, bok choy, sliced pork, noodles, and egg.

Kimchi (500 HUF) is a spicy, pungent, crunchy Korean side dish made of fermented vegetables, which goes well with any dish. The gyoza (1,200 HUF) was delicious, as well: the meat-filled dumplings were served with soy sauce, although we would’ve preferred a bit of ponzu instead.

We experimented with the smaller, skewered grilled dishes a bit, which are nice appetizers by themselves: we can choose from quail egg, chicken heart, chicken cartilage, yakitori chicken, leek, squid tentacle, shrimp, lamb spine, oyster, scallops, and fish tofu – among others. We tasted some chicken liver, grilled chicken skin, and beef tongue, although the latter didn’t exactly win our liking.Q Taro offers a simple and enjoyable selection that is affordable enough for anyone seeking their favorite Japanese dishes without breaking the bank.
Q Taro Japanese Food
Address:

Budapest 1054, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 35
Opening hours:

Monday - Sunday, 11am - 10pm


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