Mizue at Capella Taipei: Food and Counter Rhythm

中文：Mizue 臺北嘉佩樂親訪食記 →

The first image I remember from Mizue is not a piece of sushi. Chef Katsunori Hara rolls a wooden box toward the counter, filled with sea urchin, sweet shrimp, tuna, silver-skinned fish, and pale fillets. Ingredients from several Japanese regions meet first as color and texture. Conversation behind the counter pauses, and everyone looks in the same direction.

The food becomes smaller as the meal continues. The box contracts into a gray bowl, a long black sashimi plate, abalone and sea urchin inside a shell, two uni gunkan, and finally a lemon dessert resting on crushed ice. Online tastings often describe Mizue as clean. In practical terms, sea urchin and abalone supply richness, charcoal-grilled nodoguro is reset by ponzu and grated daikon, and the sushi section returns the meal to fish, rice, and nori.

This account uses my firsthand photographs, the printed menu, official information, and recent published tastings. I use plain English names and add the Japanese term at first mention. The article does not assign an exact fish species, uni variety, or dessert filling when the printed menu does not identify it.

The final page contains twelve actions that can be completed during one meal. Items 10, 11, and 12 cost nothing extra: read every region on the menu, connect the fish in the wooden box with the later sushi, and step back before leaving to see how the hinoki counter places the chef and every guest on one line.

1 / 11Arrival and seatingAbout 3 min

01 · ARRIVAL, ADDRESS, AND SEATING

The city slows down between the lobby and the second-floor counter

Mizue sits on the second floor of Capella Taipei. The route from Dunhua North Road passes through the lobby, elevator, curved corridor, and noren before the hinoki counter appears.

Taipei Arena Station Exit 1 is about a three to five minute walk from the hotel. Tell the lobby team that you are dining at Mizue, then take the elevator to the second floor. The entrance does not face the street, so traffic, daylight, and outside movement weaken in stages before seating.

The counter is L-shaped. Opening coverage reported about fourteen counter seats and two private rooms, although the current layout should be confirmed with the restaurant. Central seats provide a clearer view of the chef's hands. Seats toward either end offer a wider view of the ingredient box and the other guests.

Address	2F, Capella Taipei, 139 Dunhua North Road, Songshan District, Taipei
Metro	Taipei Arena Station Exit 1, about three to five minutes on foot; the exit has an elevator
Telephone	+886 2 7709 6868
Format	Japanese counter omakase
Dress	Business casual according to the hotel

The entrance distance changes the state in which guests reach the counterThe restaurant does not expose the chef, fish, and seats at the hotel door. Several minutes of interior transition slow the body and make the counter feel more concentrated.

On arrival

• TimingReach the hotel 15 to 20 minutes early for the elevator, check-in, and outerwear.
• SeatA central preference may be noted, but the restaurant may not be able to guarantee it.
• AccessConfirm wheelchair transfer, back support, or lower seating before payment.

02 · PRICE, MENU, AND OPENING

Fifteen short menu lines already arrange richness, heat, and pace

The sequence begins with marinated tuna, moves through a seasonal dish, sashimi, shinjo, charcoal grilling, abalone, and nigiri, then closes with a hand roll, miso soup, and dessert.

Rewriting the menu in plain terms makes it easier to follow: marinated tuna (zuke-maguro), a seasonal chef's dish, assorted sashimi (otsukuri), steamed scallop fish cake (hotate shinjo), Kyushu squid (ika), Aomori medium-fatty tuna (chutoro), Kanazawa sweet shrimp (amaebi), charcoal-grilled blackthroat seaperch (nodoguro), black abalone (kuro-awabi), Shimane horse mackerel (aji), Fukui tilefish (amadai), Hokkaido sea urchin (uni), grilled eel hand roll (unagi temaki), miso soup (miso-shiru), and dessert.

As checked on July 30, 2026, the official booking page lists the counter course from NT$9,000 per guest. Online reservations accept up to five guests and display dates up to two months ahead. Parties of six or more and private-room requests must contact the restaurant directly. Cancellation and changes follow the payment page and confirmation email.

Starting price	NT$9,000 per guest; drinks, supplements, and service depend on the checkout page
Lunch	Friday through Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Dinner	Wednesday through Sunday, 6:30 to 10:00 p.m.
Standard online booking	Up to five guests, with dates shown up to two months ahead
Six or more or private room	mizue.taipei@capellahotels.com
Allergies and raw food	Disclose all restrictions before payment; roe, shellfish, raw seafood, and seaweed appear repeatedly

The menu is short, but the meal does not move in one directionThe first half alternates raw seafood, broth, and charcoal. Nigiri arrives later. Reading this structure first prevents the meal from becoming a wait for tuna or uni.

Before service

• MenuPhotograph the complete card vertically so the origins and order can be checked later.
• RestrictionsGuests who are pregnant, immunocompromised, or unable to eat raw seafood should ask about realistic adjustments before payment.
• AppetiteThe course exceeds ten dishes, so avoid another heavy meal beforehand.

03 · INGREDIENT DISPLAY AND FIRST RHYTHM

When the box reaches the counter, regions first become color

Orange sea urchin, translucent shrimp, deep red tuna, reflective silver skin, and pale white fish can be compared before sauce or pottery changes their appearance.

The wooden box is the clearest explanation of the meal. Aomori, Kanazawa, Kyushu, Shimane, Fukui, and Hokkaido are only words on paper until the ingredients appear. Tuna is cut into thick blocks, sweet shrimp sit in a line, silver-skinned fish retain their reflective surface, and the uni remains in its tray.

Michelin's 2026 description connects Chef Hara's Kanazawa training with ingredients such as amaebi and koubako crab. This menu includes Kanazawa sweet shrimp. That connection is more useful than a broad statement about Japanese imports because it links the food to the city where the chef worked and to a familiar sourcing network.

The photograph also shows a nearly full counter behind the box. Everyone watches one object for a short period. Once the first bowl arrives, attention returns to individual seats.

Do not begin by searching for the most expensive ingredientRead the arrangement first. Tuna occupies the center, silver and pale fish extend to the sides, and uni and shrimp sit above. The layout turns richness into a visible map.

A large display makes the entire counter lean forward togetherThe counter usually assigns one place to one guest. The wooden box temporarily converts it into a shared viewing space without the chef raising his voice.

During the ingredient display

• IdentifyLocate the uni, sweet shrimp, tuna, silver-skinned fish, and pale fillets.
• RecordTake one frame with the chef and box, then one closer image of the ingredient layout.
• Do not guessIf a fish name is missed, remember its position and ask when the course arrives.

04 · SEASONAL DISH AND SASHIMI

A small gray bowl concentrates several forms of the sea into one bite

Translucent shrimp, orange uni sauce, and black caviar gather at the base. The broad bowl directs both the eye and the flavor toward the center.

The printed menu calls this the chef's seasonal recommendation and does not list every component. The photograph confirms shrimp, sea urchin, and caviar. The most careful way to read it is through texture: shrimp supplies snap and sweetness, uni adds viscosity, and caviar places salinity at the end. Small flowers and herbs provide a restrained aromatic lift.

The assorted sashimi (otsukuri) moves to a long black plate. Pale slices sit at the left, a skin-on piece with searing appears near the center, and another cut shows fine knife marks at the right. Tomato, a squash blossom, salt, and wasabi remain separate. Guests can taste the fish first, then decide whether to add seasoning.

Published tastings often use the word clean for Mizue. These two courses make the term concrete. Sauce is concentrated where the dish needs richness, while the sashimi keeps seasoning separate. Fish, uni, salt, and wasabi remain identifiable instead of merging into one generalized savory flavor.

The vessel controls the order in which flavor appearsThe bowl brings several ingredients into the same bite. The long plate permits comparison. Similar serving sizes produce entirely different eating behavior.

When sashimi arrives

• Taste firstTry the first slice without additional soy sauce and check whether the chef has already brushed or seared it.
• ListenWhen no label is present, rely on the chef's explanation. A photograph can preserve a cut surface but cannot identify every species reliably.
• AnglePhotograph from slightly above so all cuts and central garnishes remain separate.

05 · WARM DISHES AND SEAFOOD RICHNESS

This section begins soft, then adds charcoal, fat, and chew

Steamed scallop fish cake is delicate, nodoguro is rich, and black abalone resists the teeth. The sequence changes texture rather than simply becoming heavier.

The menu term scallop shinjo is easiest to understand as a steamed scallop fish cake (hotate shinjo). Shinjo is made by grinding fish, shrimp, or shellfish into a fine paste before steaming or simmering. A good version should feel moist and fine rather than aggressively bouncy. The thin myoga on top adds a mild sharpness against the seaweed sauce.

Charcoal-grilled blackthroat seaperch (nodoguro) is the richest fish in this section. Published tastings consistently describe the Mizue version as using charcoal to release skin aroma and fat, followed by ponzu and grated daikon to clear the finish. The construction is direct: let the fat appear first, then use acidity and mild radish heat to reset the palate.

Black abalone with sea urchin and somen arrives inside a shell. Black abalone (kuro-awabi) is one of the Japanese abalone types often valued for raw or thin-cut preparations. Here it appears in thick slices beside uni and fine noodles. Abalone supplies resistance, uni provides density, and somen adds glide. The black stones outside the shell do not touch the food; they separate the orange, white, and green elements visually.

Read the abalone dish at two distancesClose up, look at the abalone cut and uni granules. From farther back, the shell, shiso, flowers, and black stones form a second boundary around the food.

Warm dishes make each guest's pace begin to divergeSome guests taste the sauce first, others begin with the main ingredient, and others pause over the vessel. The chef must bring the counter back to a similar pace before nigiri begins.

With the warm dishes

• TemperatureLimit photographs to one or two frames before eating the shinjo and nodoguro.
• TextureTaste abalone, uni, and somen separately before combining them.
• NamesFukui tilefish and nodoguro are different species and should not be merged because their Chinese names may sound similar.

06 · NIGIRI, UNI, AND HAND ROLL

The differences lie in cutting, rice looseness, and the seconds before eating

Kyushu squid, Aomori chutoro, Kanazawa amaebi, Shimane aji, Fukui amadai, and Hokkaido uni place Sea of Japan and Pacific-side ingredients into one counter sequence.

Kyushu squid (ika) reveals the chef's training most clearly. Chef Hara has explained publicly that the squid is divided into three thin sheets and then cut into fine strands, preserving the sweeter middle and the firmer outer sections. Toasted sesame is added to the rice. The bite does not deliver one uniform sheet of elasticity. Fine strands separate and gather again around the rice.

Aomori medium-fatty tuna (chutoro) sits between lean akami and fatty otoro. The goal is to keep both tuna flavor and fat perceptible. The menu says Aomori but does not say Oma, so the article does not upgrade it to an unconfirmed brand name.

Kanazawa sweet shrimp (amaebi) connects directly with Chef Hara's eight years in Kanazawa. Ishikawa fisheries information also identifies amaebi as a representative Kanazawa Port catch. Its sweetness often develops after several chews, so excessive soy sauce can cover the part that arrives later.

Shimane horse mackerel (aji) carries the aroma associated with silver-skinned fish. Shimane's official fisheries information notes that local horse mackerel is particularly rich from late spring into early summer, with branded high-fat fish from western waters. This menu states only Shimane, so it should not be labeled Donchicchi aji without confirmation.

Fukui tilefish (amadai) has fine flesh and restrained sweetness. Fukui's Wakasa area is known for amadai, but only fish meeting origin, size, and handling standards can use the name Wakasa guji. The printed menu does not use that designation.

Hokkaido sea urchin (uni) appears as two gunkan pieces. Hokkaido uni varies by region, species, and the seaweed it eats. The menu does not specify Rishiri or bafun uni, and the photograph cannot determine the variety. What is visible is the role of nori: it holds soft uni within one bite and makes the color difference between the two pieces easy to compare.

Grilled eel hand roll (unagi temaki) is the least suitable course for waiting. Opening tastings described eel grilled until lightly crisp, then combined with cucumber, vinegared rice, and substantial nori. Nori begins softening as soon as it touches warm rice and sauce. Eating immediately is more important than recording several angles.

Every guest receives the same sequence, but not at the same secondPhotography, explanation, utensils, and conversation can create a delay of half a minute. For a hand roll or uni, that is enough to change temperature and nori texture.

During nigiri

• SquidWatch the fine strands gather into one piece, then notice when toasted sesame appears.
• AmaebiUse little soy sauce at first and allow sweetness to develop during chewing.
• Hand rollPut the phone down and eat when it reaches your hand. Crisp nori is part of the dish.

07 · ATMOSPHERE, LIGHT, AND SEATING

The room is quiet because guests keep their movements within their seats

The pale hinoki counter gives tuna, uni, black plates, and reflective fish a clean background. Guests sit close enough that speech, photography, and leaving the seat remain visible to others.

Michelin specifically notes the extensive hinoki used in the counter, shelves, and ceiling panels. At the counter, the pale surface has a practical effect. Red tuna, orange uni, and silver skin remain visually distinct without competing table patterns.

Lighting is warm and comfortable to the eye, but phone images can become too yellow. Black plates, gray bowls, and the chef's white jacket provide useful color references. Raising brightness too far makes tuna unnaturally red and removes detail from uni.

A full counter still has a social atmosphere. When the chef explains a dish, the line pauses together. Guests who finish early naturally wait for the next round. This differs from a private counter serving one group. Other people remain part of the room, although volume stays close to each seat.

Counter	Opening coverage reported about fourteen seats; confirm the current arrangement
Private rooms	Media reported two six-person rooms; combination options and minimum spend require direct confirmation
Photography	Disable flash and shutter sound, and keep the phone below the neighboring sightline
Accessibility	The hotel elevator reaches the second floor; confirm table height, transfer space, and chair format
Children	Ask about age policy, food, and seating because the service is fixed, long, and raw-seafood focused

At close range, restraint becomes another guest's dining qualityA bright screen, raised phone, or repeated departure enters the sightline of both the chef and nearby diners. Etiquette here is a practical way to share one counter.

Keep the room comfortable

• PhotographyLower screen brightness, take the food image, and put the phone away.
• LeavingUse the restroom before the nigiri section when possible.
• AccessDescribe wheelchair transfer, chair back, and table-height needs rather than writing only accessible seating.

08 · PUBLISHED TASTINGS AND RECENT REVIEWS

Three words recur online: clean, light, and rhythmic

Those terms become useful only when tied to technique: separated seasoning, rice with retained air, and a sequence that moves among raw seafood, charcoal, broth, and hand rolls without continuous escalation.

Strengths repeated across published tastings

• Squid is sliced into strands and regrouped, creating softness, snap, and toasted sesame rather than one sheet of elasticity.
• Nodoguro gains charcoal aroma and released fat, then ponzu, pickles, or grated daikon clear the finish.
• Minimal shaping keeps the sushi rice loose enough for fish and rice to separate and reunite in the mouth.
• The hand roll prioritizes freshly heated nori and immediate eating over appearance.
• Hinoki, low lighting, and one counter line keep attention on the chef's hands and the food.

Common limitations

• At NT$9,000 or more per guest, diners seeking large portions, menu freedom, or a loud gathering may find the format restrictive.
• Online dishes come from different months. Squid, nodoguro, abalone, and uni are not guaranteed to appear together.
• Menu wording is brief, so missed explanations can make origins and order difficult to reconstruct later.
• Two stars raise expectations enough that some guests may treat every course as an examination rather than a meal.

I agree with the clean-flavor description, but not because every dish is mild. Uni, abalone, and nodoguro have substantial richness. The cleaner part is the transition. Richness is followed by acidity, aromatic heat, or broth, and the nigiri section removes most complex garnish. The palate does not remain in one form of fat.

Two stars first increase attentionGuests inspect every cut, piece, and origin more carefully. That can deepen understanding, but it can also make the meal tense. Mizue fits diners who enjoy detail without turning dinner into a test.

When reading reviews

• DateSeparate 2025 opening coverage, pre-star 2026 visits, and post-award expectations.
• SeasonTreat each dish as a record of one menu rather than a permanent item.
• CriteriaDetermine whether the writer values portion, ingredients, wine, service, or technique before applying the opinion.

09 · NEARBY WALK AND HALF-DAY PLAN

Do not place another demanding appointment around this meal

A fixed opening and more than ten courses require punctuality before dinner. Afterward, a short walk gives uni, charcoal, and vinegared rice time to recede.

The simplest plan is a walk from Taipei Arena Station along Dunhua North Road. For a half day, visit Songshan Cultural and Creative Park or the Taipei Dome area earlier, then return to the hotel with a generous buffer. Do not schedule a timed performance immediately after dinner.

Shortest plan	Taipei Arena Station, Dunhua North Road, Capella Taipei, and Mizue
Half day	Songshan Cultural and Creative Park or the Taipei Dome area before the hotel
After dinner	A short walk or a direct return to the hotel, without another heavy late meal
Flight day	Songshan Airport is nearby, but luggage, traffic, and flight delays still require a buffer

After facing one counter for hours, the body wants movementThe walk does more than support digestion. It expands vision from hands and plates back to the street and allows the meal to end gradually.

Schedule

• Before dinnerLeave the previous attraction at least one hour before service.
• After lunchWalk along Dunhua North Road before choosing the next stop.
• Flight dayDo not place scheduled landing time close to the omakase opening.

10 · CHEF, LINEAGE, AND INTERIOR

The influence of Komatsu Yasuke appears in knife work and shaping, not only in biography

Chef Katsunori Hara is from Chiba and trained for eight years under Kazuo Morita at Komatsu Yasuke in Kanazawa. Kokoro no Sushi is displayed in the restaurant, placing that relationship within the guest's view.

Published interviews record several concrete techniques. Squid is divided into three thin layers and cut into strands, while toasted sesame enters the rice. During nigiri, the chef turns slightly and minimizes repeated compression so the rice retains air. These details are more useful than a general claim about craftsmanship because guests can see their result from the counter.

André Fu designed the Mizue interior. Hinoki, gray walls, shoji frames, and low light are restrained rather than theatrical. The work surface remains bright while the perimeter gradually darkens, keeping attention on food and hands.

In July 2026, Mizue entered the Michelin Guide Taiwan for the first time and received two stars. Michelin highlighted the hinoki interior, the chef's Kanazawa training, and a menu that combines intricate sushi with refined cooked dishes. The printed menu from this visit follows that pattern through shinjo, nodoguro, abalone, and nigiri.

Look at the display after dessertDuring service, attention remains on the counter. Once dessert is cleared, books, pottery, gray walls, and wood frames become visible again. They connect the squid and amaebi just served with the chef's Kanazawa experience.

Lineage here is a set of observable actionsThree-layer cutting, fine strands, toasted sesame, light shaping, and immediate eating all leave results on the plate. Knowing the source gives more content to watching the chef's hands.

After the last course

• BookFind Kokoro no Sushi and connect the Kanazawa training with specific people.
• GestureRecall how squid and nigiri were completed with limited movement.
• PortraitAsk for a chef photograph only after active service has ended.

11 · DAY FLOW, CHECKLIST, AND WHO IT SUITS

The meal begins with a complete box and closes in a lemon shell over ice

White cream sits inside a lemon shell surrounded by crushed ice. The printed menu says only dessert, so this article does not assign an exact filling. The certain effect is lower temperature and citrus aroma after uni, abalone, and eel.

Dinner rhythm	Arrive 15 to 20 minutes early, join a fixed opening, and leave time for a short walk afterward
Best fit	Diners who watch knife work, care about fish-to-rice balance, and accept seasonal change
Less suitable	Diners who require free ordering, extended loud conversation, extensive raw-food changes, or a delay-prone schedule
Price and menu	Follow the official booking page, payment screen, and printed menu for the visit

What I would not missNone of these is required. With limited time, begin with the first four. Stay longer for the later details.

• Read the entire ingredient box from left to right. Find uni, sweet shrimp, tuna, silver skin, and pale fish, then see how richness is arranged as an image.
• See how the gray bowl compresses flavor. Identify shrimp, sea urchin, and caviar, then notice how much empty space surrounds the center.
• Read the sashimi plate in three passes. Begin with transparency, move to seared skin, and only then look at salt, wasabi, and vegetables.
• Compare three textures in the black abalone course. Taste abalone, uni, and somen separately before combining them.
• Watch Kyushu squid regroup from fine strands. See the cut from the side and notice when toasted sesame appears.
• Find both tuna flavor and fat in Aomori chutoro. Do not judge only by richness; check whether the two remain distinct.
• Chew Kanazawa amaebi a few extra times. Use little soy sauce and wait for sweetness to develop later.
• Eat the two uni gunkan separately. Compare color and shape, then follow the chef's explanation rather than guessing a subregion from the photograph.
• Eat the eel hand roll when it reaches your hand. Notice the seconds between crisp and softened nori rather than leaving it on the plate.
• Read all six regions on the menu for free. Trace Aomori, Kanazawa, Kyushu, Shimane, Fukui, and Hokkaido through the meal.
• Connect one fish in the box with its later sushi for free. Recall its original position and see how it was cut into one bite.
• Step back before leaving for free. Place the hinoki counter, chef, display shelves, and full line of seats in one view to understand how the room holds the rhythm.

Final assessment

• Food firstMizue is strongest in cutting, changes in richness, and the alternation of cooked dishes with sushi.
• Atmosphere firstThe hinoki counter and low light are calm, but shared seating requires controlled volume and photography.
• Information changesConfirm price, operating days, cancellation terms, and current menu through the official booking page and confirmation.

This guide is based on my firsthand visit, original photographs, printed menu, official information, published tastings, and recent visitor reports. Information was checked through July 30, 2026. I am an amateur traveler based in San Diego and an independent Fora Travel advisor.