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A Taiwanese restaurant where you can enjoy authentic Taiwanese cuisine
"Takadanobaba Collaboration"

[Interview/text/photography]
Waseda Weekly Reporter (SJC student staff)
Shino Watanabe 2nd year student, School of Education

Kyosakusha Takadanobaba is a Taiwanese restaurant located an 8-minute walk from Takadanobaba Station, straight down Waseda Street from the Waseda Exit. The first store, the Shinjuku main store, is a popular restaurant that is always crowded with Taiwanese people in Tokyo and Taiwan enthusiasts, as it offers delicious snacks that have the same local flavor as the locals. The second store, Takadanobaba store, opened in February 2022 with the desire to "establish roots in the local area and have Waseda University students and office workers come to visit."

The cute and nostalgic interior is modeled after a Taiwanese general store, and just looking at it will make me feel good. In Taiwan, "cooperative company" means school cafeteria or purchasing office. The name was chosen with the hope that it would become a warm place where people gather, similar to the general stores and student cafeterias in Taiwan.

Photo left:Counter where food is ordered. The back is the kitchen. 
Photo right:Interior with a nostalgic atmosphere. There is also a second floor, with a total of 20 seats including the first floor.

What makes this joint company unique is its relentless pursuit of authentic flavors, using only seasonings imported from Taiwan, and having the Taiwanese manager prepare the dishes herself. Many of the dishes are popular at Taiwanese night markets (stalls open from evening to midnight), and I can feel like I am on a Taiwanese street food tour while staying at Waseda University. This time, I tried three of the restaurant's most popular menu items: ``Flying Authentic Luro Meal,'' ``Handsome Authentic Ji Bai,'' and ``Handmade Potato Danbin.''

The first item is ``Flying Authentic Luro Meal''. This is a popular rice bowl dish that is well known among Japanese people as ``Taiwanese mother's taste.'' Sweet and spicy seasoned pork belly is placed on top of rice in a small bowl, and the sweet and spicy soy sauce sauce goes perfectly with the pork belly that melts in my mouth the moment you put it in my mouth. I can't stop using my chopsticks to scrape the rice in!

Authentic rouleau rice that will fly (580 yen). When it comes to Taiwanese food, this is it!

Next is the ``full-bodied authentic jibai'' made with thinly stretched chicken breast and fried. It is one of the most famous Taiwanese food stalls, with a crunchy exterior, juicy interior, and a large size that can almost cover my face. It's very filling, but the deep, exotic aroma and taste of the five-spice powder (wushanfeng) keep me going, and before I know it, I've finished it. When I was studying abroad in Taiwan, I encountered Jeepai at a Taiwanese night market, and I was so shocked by its deliciousness that I went back to the store many times. It has a great taste.

Full-bodied authentic jeep (638 yen)

The third item is ``handmade potato dumpling''. Dan bing is a standard Taiwanese breakfast dish that is made by wrapping a chewy flour dough around eggs, ham, cheese, sausages, or whatever I like. Original with filling. This dumpin is a new sensation, with the chewy texture followed by the crunchy texture of the potato. The great thing about it is that each order is carefully baked, so I can always enjoy freshly made, piping hot food.

Handmade potato danbin (660 yen)

All of Kyosakusha's dishes are relatively small and the prices are modest at around 500 yen per item, so you can enjoy choosing 2-3 items from the large menu and creating your own original lunch set. Why not use your lunch time to enjoy a fleeting gourmet trip to Taiwan?

store information

【店名】合作社 高田馬場店
【住所】東京都新宿区高田馬場1-4-18
【TEL】03-6265-9586
【営業時間】11:30～21:00
【定休日】日曜
【Webサイト】https://gassakusya1964.jp
【Instagram】＠gassakusya.jp
【X（旧Twitter）】@gassakusya_jp
【Facebook】https://m.facebook.com/Gassakusya

*All prices in the article include tax.

A message from Chen, owner of the cooperative Takadanobaba store, to Waseda University students.

"The cooperative company was created with the idea that "I want Japanese people to know more about Taiwanese cuisine." Since it has only recently opened, 90% of the customers are international students from Taiwan or China, and about 10% are Japanese. I would like more Waseda students to come and learn about various Taiwanese dishes.Please note that only Waseda University students who have made a purchase of 1,000 yen or more must follow Kyosakusha's Instagram and present their Waseda University student ID. If you do so, we will offer you a 10% discount. Don't miss this opportunity!"

There are still many famous dishes to choose from! Introducing recommended menus