I've finally come to try the highly acclaimed restaurant. I grabbed a number at 11 o'clock, and I could enter promptly at 11:30! This time I ordered the porcini mushroom and pork bone soy sauce ramen, and I selected the regular saltiness (I regret it; I should have chosen the Japanese flavor)!

As a fan of Japanese soy sauce ramen, I had certain expectations for the taste. However, the 麒麟's porcini mushroom pork bone soy sauce ramen turned out to be completely different from what I imagined. It wasn't refreshing at all; rather, it had a strong pork bone flavor which overshadowed the soy sauce. For some reason, the regular soy flavor had a bit of a Taiwanese taste to it... 🥹 It wasn't unpleasant, but I had set my expectations too high...

A friend who shared a bite of my ramen also thought it was pretty average, but when I tried the same dish with the Japanese saltiness, it was much better!

Later, I tried my friend's premium white truffle chicken seafood ramen, which was truly delicious. It was full of aroma, and I've never had ramen with such a unique flavor! Unfortunately, it wasn't what I ordered. QQ

I was quite disappointed with my order this time, but it might be that I chose the wrong dish and the wrong way to have it. I might come back to try again since my friend's white truffle ramen was so good...

"Kirin Creative Ramen Shop," a new ramen restaurant located in Zhongshan District, has recently caught my attention through online platforms and food bloggers, especially their white truffle ramen with a whole piece of sashimi-grade scallop, which is visually striking. I decided to visit this highly recommended creative ramen shop.

To start with the conclusion:

👉 The system of ordering outside the restaurant and getting a number to queue is quite good.
👉 The soy sauce ramen is not delicious; it tastes a bit like Taiwanese dried bamboo shoots ramen.
👉 The white truffle chicken and seafood ramen is highly recommended! The broth is incredibly fresh and sweet.

Tips to avoid waiting in line for your meal:

I suggest arriving half an hour before opening time to place your order directly on the screen. The order number is your queue number, so if you come to order half an hour in advance, you can be among the first customers when they open!
(They open at 11:30 AM, so I recommend coming by 11:00 AM; they open at 4:30 PM, so coming at 4:00 PM is good.)

——

The dining experience at this ramen shop is quite pleasant. The ordering system is well designed, allowing me to browse around while waiting for my meal instead of just standing there idly. I arrived half an hour early and was lucky to be among the first customers to enter.

The decorations featuring lucky cats inside the shop are quite cute and add a lot of fun to the dining atmosphere. I ordered their signature "Super Premium • White Truffle Chicken and Seafood Ramen." The moment it was served, the aroma of white truffle wafted up, with a milky white broth topped with seasoned oil and a whole roasted scallop. Upon sipping the first taste of the broth, the fresh sweetness of the seafood instantly blossomed in my mouth, followed by a rich chicken broth finish that was refreshing and not greasy, giving the overall soup a greater depth. I really liked it!

I chose the normal firmness for my thin noodles, which allowed the rich broth to immerse the noodles fully, so each bite tasted flavorful and never bland. After finishing, you can get a free extra ball of noodles, but I didn’t opt for that this time.

As for the toppings, the roasted sashimi-grade scallop impressed me the most, topped with caviar. The aroma of roasting and the sweetness of the scallop deliver a strong ocean flavor.

The pork chashu slices were thick and tender, with a subtle smoky taste that added layers; the sous-vide chicken, while not particularly notable in flavor, had a nice texture, and the tender chicken breast was not dry at all. There were also plenty of clams and finely chopped ham in the broth, making the toppings of the ramen quite abundant! That soft-boiled egg was perfectly cooked, with a creamy yolk that was super delicious.

Overall evaluation of the ramen:

This bowl of white truffle chicken and seafood ramen excels in flavor and toppings, showcasing the care taken by the restaurant. Every bite is satisfying. My friend ordered the signature soy sauce ramen and felt it wasn't as impressive; the soy sauce lacked depth, especially when compared to the white truffle broth!

For those coming to Kirin Creative Ramen Shop, make sure to order their "Super Premium • White Truffle Chicken and Seafood Ramen."

As it is a popular restaurant, I arrived at 11:00 for the 11:30 opening and was the first one there! The ticket machine is outside, and I was able to choose my soup and noodle firmness, as well as toppings. I waited on a bench behind the restaurant, but it was too hot, so I think it's better not to arrive too early 💦

There was no Japanese menu, so I had to guess and make my choices based on the kanji.

I wondered if it was Japanese ramen just by the name of the restaurant, but there were many unusual ramen options, like the porcini tonkotsu that I ordered!

The ramen wasn't too salty and had a rich flavor! I didn't add extra toppings, but it was already packed with ingredients like chashu, chicken, and clams, so I enjoyed it enough without additional toppings 🍜
It really was worth spending nearly 300 yuan, haha.

The restaurant wasn't very spacious, and they were playing Japanese music at a high volume, which was a bit noisy, but I was very satisfied with the taste!

This place has been on my bucket list for a long time, and the last time I passed by, there were just too many people. Today, I specifically scheduled to check in at 11:00 at the store entrance; they use a first-come-first-served ordering method. We arrived at 11:00, making us the first group of customers, and we directly got number 1! There’s a resting area at the back of the shop, but it has no shade... Most people are still waiting under the awnings of other stores.

Around 11:25, they will start calling numbers. The shop has quite a spacious interior, and we sat at three tables; it was pretty comfortable.

The noodles come out quite quickly, and I’ll let the photos do the talking for the detailed introduction. Overall, the bowl of noodles is above standard; I highly recommend any ramen lover to come and try it!

P.S. My friend ordered the white truffle chicken and shellfish ramen; his soup is on the sweeter and fresher side, and it’s very delicious! Highly recommended too!

Overall Review: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
Dickson's Fooday mouthwatering food review is here!
This time, I want to specially recommend an incredibly delicious ramen shop.
You can see that I rarely give a five-star review,
so that means it truly is fantastic!

Currently, in my personal opinion,
the best ramen shop I’ve ever eaten at in Taipei is this one!
It’s definitely a five-star rating
and a place that must be revisited!!

As everyone probably knows, famous ramen shops in Taipei
almost always require you to queue up.
And it’s not that kind of queue where you can be seated in ten minutes.
Many places usually have people lining up outside even before they open.

It seems like there’s a habit for ramen shops to operate this way,
where there are many ramen places that require you to wait outside patiently, lining up to get in.

I think one advantage of this ramen shop
is that they use a number ticket system.
So, you just need to draw a number and can use the app to track when your number will come up.

This greatly reduces the lazy frustration mindset of someone like me who really hates waiting in line. 🤣🤣🤣
I often feel like the waiting time is even longer than the time spent eating ramen.
No matter how delicious it is, it can still feel exhausting. 🥺🥺🥺

This ramen shop doesn’t seem to have been around for very long,
especially with many new ramen shops opening in the Zhongshan district recently,
and many of them seem to be quite famous!

However, among the ones I’ve eaten at, this shop is my personal favorite.
From the way they manage the queue to how they take orders using a machine,
it seems like many current Japanese ramen shops are adopting this style.

You find a long queue outside,
then after finding a seat, you use the ordering machine to place your order.

This shop has made some improvements,
as you can place your order first and then get a number.
You can then use the number shown on the app to decide to stroll around nearby before returning to eat ramen.

This significantly enhances our experience of waiting in line for ramen,
because once you have the number,
you can plan your time accordingly,
then take a stroll in the Zhongshan district,
and if the wait is too long, you can even sit in a café for a bit.

Suddenly, I feel that waiting for an hour outside other ramen shops is simply ridiculous!

Additionally, this ramen shop often has various limited-edition ramen flavors.
Recently, due to the Olympics wrapping up,
they’ve introduced a special “Lin Yang Pei” ramen!
So it’s clear that this shop often has creative ramen variations!
You might want to follow their IG to catch some exclusive items!

Furthermore, from the small decorations inside the shop,
it could be seen that the owner is very fond of cats.
Each small ornament on the table is a tiny cat.

And when you’re getting ready to eat,
the staff will greet you warmly, saying
this little cat is here to keep you company while you eat!
Wow, this place really champions a cat-loving philosophy!

Now back to the main topic!

Food: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
Beverages: N/A
Atmosphere: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
Service: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌘
Price: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
Location: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌘

⭐️ Food section
This ramen shop doesn’t offer a lot of ramen options.
They mainly have two categories:
one is mushroom-based tonkotsu soy sauce,
and the other is white truffle chicken seafood.
Additionally, there are limited-edition ramen as previously mentioned!

This time I came with a friend,
👉 Special grade, white truffle chicken seafood ramen $370.
Since the other ramen focuses on soy sauce,
I personally prefer non-soy sauce flavors!

So naturally, I ordered the white truffle!
When the ramen was served, it was indeed quite impressive!
Overall, it looks very appetizing.

First, I think the soup base is excellent.
It's not overly salty or greasy,
and it’s really refreshing to drink!

Additionally, the noodles are very flavorful,
and the texture is exactly how I love it—springy and chewy.
You can also ask the shop about the noodle firmness,
and you can make your choice while ordering,
so I think everyone should be able to find their preferred noodle texture.
You can also choose whether or not to add a soft-boiled egg based on your needs.

As a financially free person,
I obviously added another egg without hesitation.
Look at this, it’s what they call financial freedom!

The slices of meat in the ramen aren’t overcooked,
but because of this, it feels just right while eating.

All I can say is that this whole bowl of ramen paired together
is simply delicious!
I really think everyone must try it~~~

Furthermore, you can also add noodles,
so if you feel it’s not enough, you can raise your hand and ask the staff.
They will also inquire about your preferred noodle type and firmness!

Since there was a limited edition item that day,
my friend also ordered that.
The limited-edition ramen has a daily limited supply,
so when it’s sold out, it’s gone!

And it doesn't appear on the menu outside,
so you have to press the limited edition option on the ordering machine to see it!

👉 Lin Yang Pei gold medal limited edition
This ramen is quite special,
as it’s made with lamb
and contains some lamb bones and other elements.

Up until now, I think I’ve never had lamb ramen!!
So it was really new for me.
And the soup base they prepared is completely different from the previous bowl,
the overall texture and flavor give a totally different feeling.

Because of this, exchanging bites with my friend was also a thrilling experience!

This leaves us even more excited for upcoming limited edition ramen!

👉 Special Chashu Rice
The chashu rice is more like an option if you didn’t have enough ramen,
to fill your tummy with some chashu rice!
I found the chashu rice quite nice.
But compared to such excellent ramen,
the brilliance of the chashu rice is somewhat overshadowed.
Still, the combination of chashu and sauce with rice is also very good.

If anyone feels it’s not enough, or wants to try the chashu rice,
I would recommend getting some!

⭐️ Beverages section
Here, there’s also an unlimited supply of cold water.
Waiting outside in the scorching summer heat,
once you enter, you can immediately enjoy a cold drink.
This is truly a major delight before eating ramen!

⭐️ Atmosphere section
In terms of space arrangement for ramen shops in Taipei,
this place has quite a large area.
Many ramen shops typically have just a narrow aisle,
with other seating areas only at the bar in front.

This ramen shop feels more like a restaurant.
The front area has many table seating zones,
with sections for two and four people.

There are probably around five to eight tables,
so the inside isn’t very cramped.

In addition to the table seating area, there’s also a bar seating area in front of the kitchen.
This part is the same as other ramen shops,
where you can directly watch the chefs make the ramen.

I think the atmosphere inside is pleasant,
and it follows a more understated and elegant style.
The lighting is dimmer,
so I feel it has a different vibe compared to typical Japanese ramen shops.

As mentioned previously, the owner appears to be a great cat lover.
Aside from the small cat figurine decorations on the tables,
there are also some wall paintings and other decor,
which are generally related to cats!

In summary, I think the space planning is pretty good.
It doesn’t feel like you’re crammed in with others like in other ramen shops.
It has more of a date-like atmosphere,
and this is something I find wonderful!

⭐️ Price section
Considering the price for a ramen shop,
I think with its deliciousness and richness of ingredients,
this price is very reasonable.
For Taipei ramen shops, it’s quite affordable!

⭐️ Service section
The staff in the store are very friendly.
When you’re lining up outside,
they will guide you on how to queue and the traffic flow.

Once you’re seated inside,
they’ll help to refill water and serve your ramen.
If you have other queries like needing extra noodles or broth,
you can immediately call the staff for assistance,
so I think the service is quite good!

That day, there was also a slight incident.
As it turns out, this shop requires you to queue and use the ordering machine to pay in advance.
You have to wait for your number before you can enter and make a purchase.
I noticed some people realized after completing their order
that the waiting time was too long.

Perhaps they had other plans to attend to,
so they couldn’t wait that long to eat.
At this point, they’d request to get a refund from the staff.

I think this shop could improve on their operations.
Currently, the ordering machine displays the numbers that have been called,
but it seems to lack showing your purchased number after you’ve placed an order.

This way, consumers could decide based on the number in line
whether to purchase first or not.
Otherwise, it seems many people pay first,
only to find that they still have to wait for several more.

This could be rather frustrating, right? 🤣🤣🤣

⭐️ Location section
This ramen shop is located near Zhongshan MRT Station,
basically behind Shin Kong Mitsukoshi.
Transportation is very convenient;
it takes about ten minutes to walk from the MRT station.

And since it’s very close to the Zhongshan business district,
as mentioned earlier,
if you take a number,
you can plan to stroll around Zhongshan nearby according to your ticket’s number and time.

So, I think the location of this shop is truly excellent!

⭐️ In conclusion,
this ramen shop is currently my number one in Taipei!
Whether it’s about the food or the atmosphere,
and although it’s traditional for ramen shops to require queuing,
at least this one allows us to wait without standing idle in front for too long.

Just for this reason, I think it’s really fantastic!
If you enjoy visiting various ramen shops,
then you definitely shouldn’t miss this amazing ramen place!

Additionally, with their various limited edition ramen,
customer engagement is quite high!

So I have to repeat: a high recommendation with five stars!

🤪 Dickson's Mouthpiece Zone 🤪
Now, when you tell a girl that you’re going for delicious ramen,
usually ramen shops require on-site queuing,
making the entire date planning not very time-manageable!

But in this ramen shop, we can take advantage of the system that doesn’t require waiting on site,
and instead utilize the various small stores in the Zhongshan district to create a nice itinerary for both eating ramen and dating!

This allows us to be thoughtful and mysterious men,
drawing a number at the ramen shop in advance.

Then, we can leisurely wander with the girl in Zhongshan,
seemingly just browsing around small shops, shopping for little items,
or walking through some creative markets near Zhongshan Station.

Then you can use the shop’s app to track your number anytime,
and when your number is almost up,
you can give her a delightful surprise,
leading her right to the ramen shop’s door,
while many others are still standing at the vending machine to place their orders.

👩: Isn’t this ramen shop super popular with so many people? When will we get to eat if we just queue now?
🙎🏻‍♂️: Hehehe, don’t worry, as a VIP,
I’ll take you right inside!

👩: No way, stop joking! I see online that usually, it’s a half-hour to an hour wait~~~
💁‍♀️: Hello, your number is up, welcome to be seated~~

🙎🏻‍♂️: Let’s go! You see? It’s our turn now~~
👩: 😍😍😍😍 Oh my gosh, how lucky! We can eat ramen right away!!

You see,
if we arrived ten minutes early to draw a number,
it can provide so much emotional value for the girl!

Just this simple detail
can help to plan a lovely date in Zhongshan
and enjoy such delicious ramen at the same time.

How wonderful it is to bridge the distance between us and the girl
with the prospect of standing in line for ramen for so long,
coupled with such delicious food, surely it will make her ecstatic!

See, haven’t we just instantly brought us closer to each other? 🥰🥰🥰