I checked online and found that this ramen shop in Taipei is highly recommended. As a ramen enthusiast, I certainly had to go and experience it.
I visited during the dining hours, and there were several groups of customers waiting outside. After about twenty minutes, I finally got a seat. Ordering was done by scanning a QR code, but the website was a bit slow that day, and I had to keep pressing it with no response, although I eventually managed to place my order.
This time, I ordered the rich chicken broth ramen. The soup was very salty, and I could hardly taste the chicken broth flavor; the chashu had two pieces of pork and two pieces of chicken. The pork chashu was also quite salty, while the chicken was okay. As for the noodles, you could choose the firmness, and I opted for hard noodles, which were decent.
Overall, it was acceptable, but I wasn't overly impressed.
🍜 A new branch of the famous fermented tonkotsu ramen shop opens in 2024! A must-try for lovers of ultra-rich tonkotsu style.
This store just opened in July 2024. Although it's located in a small alley, it has the aura of a well-known restaurant and often requires waiting in line even on weekdays.
Inside, there are only about 10 seats, split evenly between single bar seats and tables. The tables have a variety of condiments, along with minced garlic and pickled ginger, which you can use to change the flavor when you get tired of the same taste.
When I visited, I saw many beautiful pictures of creamy dipping noodles online, but upon arrival, I found that the menu only had the regular tonkotsu ramen left.
The tonkotsu itself has a strong flavor, and with the acidity brought by fermentation, the thin noodles are characteristic of Kyushu style. The restaurant is filled with smells that I'm personally not very used to, but the flavor of the noodles is still quite good and very affordable. If you like Kyushu tonkotsu, you will definitely enjoy it!
This is a restaurant where you can enjoy original ramen crafted by a chef who has trained for 20 years in kaiseki cuisine (from a well-known ryotei). The interior has both table and counter seating, and it is clean. It's a place that is easy for women to enter. The restroom is also spacious and clean, leaving me a little impressed, wondering, "Is this really a ramen shop?!"
🐰 Food ・Drink 🐰
My order
🥕Special Amadai Ramen ¥1650
The scales of the amadai are crispy, and the flesh is soft with a gentle flavor. The soup has a perfect balance of saltiness and fish dashi. The toppings are abundant, providing enjoyment for over seven bites. It's a dish you won't get bored of eating. I felt that if the presentation of the noodles were even prettier, it would be even better! By the way, amadai is a luxurious fish that costs over 10,000 yen per kilogram.
Foodholic Nako @ Taipei
"Cha Wu Ramen" is a ramen shop that uses tea in its broth, located in the Zhongshan Station area, which is a hot zone for ramen places in Taipei. Nearby, there are famous spots like Ghost Gold Stick, Kirin, Tian Ji Noodle House, Pool Sound, etc., and many new ramen shops have recently opened.
"Cha Wu Ramen" is also one of the new openings in the past two months. The queue system is very friendly; you just need to fill out a registration form, so you can line up even if not everyone in your group has arrived.
The ramen menu is quite simple, offering only three types of noodles, each using a different tea-based broth: Earl Grey, Hojicha, and Oolong tea. As a fan of food with various tea flavors, I was thrilled to see this menu; the names are great, and I wanted to try all of them.
The ramen noodles are only thin noodles, but you can adjust the firmness (hard/normal/soft). We all chose hard this time, but it felt more like the normal texture from other ramen shops?
You can get extra noodles for free, which is great news for big eaters, but you need to request this when ordering, as you can't add them halfway through your meal.
Hojicha Chicken White Broth - $290
Contents include: 2 pieces of chicken chashu, 1 piece of pork chashu, 2 wontons, half a soft-boiled egg, purple onion, and green onions. The broth looks very rich, but it actually tastes quite mild, like drinking salty hojicha. I didn't quite figure it out even after finishing the whole bowl, but a friend said it tastes like corn chowder. Maybe it's the hojicha combined with chicken white broth that gives it a creamy flavor!
The shop also provides a plum, which you can add halfway through, resulting in a slight change in the broth, but I didn't find it significantly beneficial. The chicken chashu has a strong tea flavor that bursts when you bite into it, and the meat quality is good, but I prefer the pork chashu – it's not too thick or too thin and has a wonderful aroma from being grilled; one piece just isn't enough! The wontons are average.
I strongly recommend enjoying it with green onion and purple onion to balance the richness!
Shan Chen Oolong Soy Sauce Clear Broth - $280
Contents include: 2 pieces of chicken chashu, 2 pieces of cherry duck breast, 2 wontons, half a soft-boiled egg, mushrooms, perilla leaves, purple onion, and green onion. Personally, I felt the broth had a herbal taste for some reason—maybe this is a chemical reaction of oolong tea and soy sauce? Overall, I didn't like it much and stopped after a few sips.
The cherry duck breast was standard, nothing particularly stunning, and the other ingredients were the same as the first bowl.
Comparing these two bowls, I preferred the Hojicha Chicken White Broth, but honestly, they were probably at 70 points and 60 points respectively. Neither was exceptionally delicious or a ramen that I'd want to have again together.
Cha Wu Chashu Rice - $70
This dish features a mix of chicken and pork chashu, grilled and drizzled with mayonnaise and soy sauce, which is quite indulgent and tastes great. However, I feel the rice cooking can be improved, as some parts were a bit hard; it might also be because there wasn't enough soy sauce drizzle, making the bottom layer slightly dry.
Overall, the meal performance was average, but since it's close to home and the queue system is friendly, I would be willing to visit again to try another type of noodle I haven't had yet.
Visited during the day. The store was crowded, so I sat at the counter. Watching the contrast between the working people and the elderly is sad. The taste is the same as any chain restaurant—just ordinary. There’s a busy salaryman working while emailing, and then there’s a group of three elderly men drinking with their smartphones making noise. This is the darkness of capitalism. It's ridiculous to save my pension for people like them every day. Well, the ramen and gyoza are delicious, so I'll come back while giving them the middle finger. There's a problem with the customer base.
📍The Japanese ramen shop on Hankou Street in Taipei has a Japanese owner and staff.
🍽️Environment
✨The interior space is small, mainly a bar area that can accommodate about 8-9 people.
✨There is a waiting list at the entrance to fill out.
✨There is a small side dish area available for free self-service.
✨The owner and staff are Japanese, but they speak Chinese.
🍜Food
▪️Refreshing salt-flavored thin noodles $260
The ramen in the shop is categorized into rich and refreshing based on the broth's thickness, with options for salt or soy sauce flavor. This time, I ordered the refreshing salt flavor, with the noodles available in three types, mainly differing in thickness and texture. When it comes to Hakata ramen, thin noodles are the choice, while medium noodles are suitable for the rich broth, and those who prefer a chewier texture can choose the thick noodles.
The ramen is topped with plenty of chopped green onions and bean sprouts, along with bamboo shoots, a piece of beautifully roasted char siu that looks very savory but maintains a tender texture, another piece of char siu with a regular style, and half a soft-boiled egg that has a slightly odd color.
Although the broth is of the refreshing type, it is refreshing compared to the rich type; the broth is still very flavorful but not overly greasy, which is quite good. The thin noodles, while not as impressive in texture as the other two types, provide a soft and crunchy sensation when paired with the bean sprouts. It’s also possible to order an extra serving of noodles, choosing from the three types available.
This time I discovered that the free side dish area has significantly expanded, offering not only kimchi, bean sprouts, radish, and edamame but also tamagoyaki, and the flavors of the side dishes are quite good.
# Salted Ramen $160 (add $15 for Licheng-made noodles)
When it first arrives, I take a sip of the broth... it's delicious!
It has a lighter flavor for the broth, but just like homemade chicken soup, it’s simple yet deep.
I really like the texture of the upgraded noodles; they are a bit firm and chewy, but I haven't tried the original Yuanli-made noodles, so I can't compare.
The meat includes char siu and sous-vide chicken. The char siu is fragrant, and the chicken is tender; both are pretty good.
Then, because I read the reviews and couldn’t decide which to eat, I also ordered #Japanese Fried Noodles $170.
As expected, it didn't meet my high expectations🤣. I think the seasoning is fine, and I actually quite like it, but the noodles are not chewy; they're a bit too soft, so the overall feel just isn't right. I like chewy noodles🥲.
I'm not someone who specifically goes out to eat ramen, and I also really hate waiting in line. Given that I arrived today and ate the noodles in about 30 minutes, with the meal at this standard, and plus the staff's attitude was really great, overall, I highly recommend it~~~~
🎉 Authentic Japanese Ramen Store in Taiwan 🎉
🎉 Six-Time Champion of the Ramen Championship 🎉
What‼️ Taoyuan has authentic Japanese ramen too! 🤩 As soon as you step inside, it feels like you've flown to Japan in a second. 🇯🇵 Most of the staff are Japanese, and the restaurant is full of energy. The laughter and conversations among the staff make you feel like you're really eating ramen in Japan. 😆
This store, Ishida Ryuichiro, comes from Fukuoka, Kitakyushu, Japan. 🎉 It has also won the Kitakyushu Ramen Championship six times. 👍 With twelve branches in Japan, Taoyuan is the first store in Taiwan, featuring rich tonkotsu ramen without any porky smell – truly authentic tonkotsu ramen‼️
Super Rich Chashu Ramen: (12 slices of meat, NT$380)
The broth, simmered for 16 hours, presents a rich milky white color, with a thick, robust flavor crafted from bonito and kombu, enhancing the richness without being monotonous. 😋 There are options for medium-thick or thin noodles; I chose thin noodles as they cling well to the rich broth. 😘 You can also choose the noodle firmness to your liking; I opted for hard noodles for an authentic Japanese feel. 😁 The chashu is beautifully seared, bursting with aroma, and the lean meat melts in your mouth without being tough – it's absolutely delicious. 😋 The soft-boiled egg is well-seasoned, with flavor throughout, not just on the surface. 👍
Yatai Garlic Ramen: (Light, NT$230)
This yatai ramen has a lighter taste, making it feel less heavy. ☺️ Even so, the broth is still simmered for 12 hours. Today, I chose the garlic flavor. 🤩 When it arrived, the garlic aroma was delightful. 👍 Garlic lovers absolutely must try this bowl; the soup is wonderfully garlicky but incredibly smooth to drink.
Japanese Pork Cutlet: (NT$120)
Compared to most ramen shops, this price is a bit higher, and the portion is not larger, but when you take a bite, 😳 this pork cutlet is nothing like Taiwanese ramen. 👍 The pork cutlet is tender and juicy, with a crispy panko coating, and when paired with pork cutlet sauce and special spicy oil, it's simply perfect. 😘
Chinese Fried Rice: (NT$95)
Freshly made to order, just like in Japan, with a strong wok aroma. 👍 The rice grains are distinct, with small pieces of chashu adding a hint of pork flavor. Fresh green onions make it wonderfully refreshing, ensuring that you keep going for another bite. 😆
In summary:
Although this store isn’t large, it’s filled with authentic Japanese vibes. 🤩 You can truly taste the care in all the ingredients. It's rare to find such authentic Japanese ramen in Taoyuan, and I genuinely feel it deserves a recommendation. 😆 Plus, the prices are very competitive — you can enjoy authentic Japanese flavors starting from NT$190! 👍
From the appearance of the storefront to the bamboo chairs and wooden tables inside, the restaurant has a Japanese dining style. However, the indoor vibe is quite different, with Western music playing, such as "21" by Gracie Abrams and "Slow It Down" by Benson Boone.
The air conditioning indoors is set to 16 degrees, so you won't sweat while enjoying hot ramen.
I ordered the "Secret Recipe • Aged Seafood and Black-Boned Chicken Dipping Noodles." The pork was soft and fresh, but the saltiness was slightly lacking. When I took a large piece and put it in my mouth, the texture was substantial. The seasoning of the chicken was quite good, with a slight bounce.
The dipping sauce was thin, which was somewhat disappointing compared to my expectations. The saltiness was decent, and you can add noodles once since the initial amount served is not much. The additional noodles had a better chewiness, likely because they were freshly cooked and immediately chilled.
For those used to stronger Japanese flavors, you might need to add some of the spicy miso and other sauces on the side.
Just judging the dipping noodles, the consistency of flavor and item expectations weren’t fully met, especially since most places have thicker dipping sauces and coarser noodles to better hold onto the sauce.
This place is clearly not just a ramen shop; its strengths might lie in other menu items, as internet reviews often recommend the fried chicken and pudding. If you also add a good cup of coffee, it would be more like a tea house (Japanese café) that got sidetracked by ramen.
🍜 A ramen shop
🍜 A super popular ramen shop in the Xinjuejiang business district
As soon as it opened, it was full and people had to wait for seats, indicating how popular this place is. 🔥
They provide ice-cold water for drinking, and every seat has utensils and condiments available for self-service.
This time, I ordered the chicken white broth (medium) for $250. The soup base is rich but not greasy. It comes with two slices of pork chashu and three slices of chicken chashu, both of which are very tender. The onions add a fragrant touch that elevates the dish even further. The noodles are on the firmer side, giving a good chew.
Overall, it was quite good. I recommend it to friends who love chicken white broth!
