Flavors from Japan’s northern region: 4 popular Hokkaido ramen brands now in Taiwan

Reported by Huang Shiyuan, Taipei

Ramen is a staple of Japanese street food, with ramen shops found everywhere, each offering distinct flavors and broths. The most familiar types are soy sauce, salt, pork bone, and miso. Of course, many ramen shops innovate by creating unique broths. For example, Ichigen Ramen, which began trial sales on September 9, uses shrimp heads to brew its broth and is one of Hokkaido’s popular ramen varieties. In addition to Ichigen Ramen, other Hokkaido ramen brands now in Taiwan include Sapporo Enjin Ramen, Asahikawa Baikouken Ramen, and Yamatohiko Ramen.

Sapporo Enjin Ramen


▲ Sapporo Enjin Ramen’s Flame Miso Ramen. (Photo / Huang Shiyuan)

The broths at Sapporo Enjin Ramen come in two flavors: salt and miso. Aside from using locally sourced ingredients, what makes the shop truly unique is its eye-catching flame-cooking method. Enjin Ramen uses a 1,300-degree-high-temperature torch to cook the pre-mixed broth. The flames instantly blend the fat with the broth, creating a rich and aromatic flavor that becomes its standout feature.

Additionally, the Flame Miso Tsukemen (dipping ramen) from Sapporo Enjin Ramen was the only representative from Hokkaido in the “2012 Japan Tsukemen Championship.” The Flame Miso Tsukemen also uses the same 1,300-degree torch and features the brand’s unique double-flame technique, instantly emulsifying the broth and fat to lock in taste and aroma. The broth mainly consists of a white soup made from pork and chicken bones, combined with three types of unique Hokkaido miso, daiginjo sake lees, and vegetables, finished with homemade fish powder and vinegar for balanced flavor.

Address: No. 49, Lane 280, Guangfu South Road, Da’an District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2775-2783

Asahikawa Baikouken

▲ Baikouken’s Char Siu Miso Ramen. (Photo / Huang Shiyuan)

The ramen shop Baikouken, originating from Asahikawa, Hokkaido, entered Taiwan in 2012. According to Japanese store manager Suzuki Shin, from the Baikouken Taoyuan Far Eastern Department Store branch, the shop’s broth is simmered for 8–10 hours using pork bones, chicken bones, and vegetables, then further brewed for about 2 hours with dried small sardines and kelp to create a “double-base” stock. To maintain quality, the broth used at all four Taiwanese branches is prepared in advance at Baikouken in Hokkaido, then frozen and air-freighted to Taiwan.

Baikouken offers three main ramen flavors: miso, soy sauce, and salt. Suzuki explained that all three are made using the previously brewed broth, then seasoned with miso, soy sauce, and salt—the miso and soy sauce are also imported from Japan. For those who enjoy spicy flavors, there is also the “Spicy Ramen” option, with the base available in all three original flavors. Aside from the airport branch, only these four Taiwanese stores offer the Spicy Ramen.

Taipei 101 Branch
Address: B1, No. 45, Shifu Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City (Taipei 101 Mall)
Phone: 02-81018011

Banqiao Branch
Address: 1F, No. 19, Section 1, Zhongshan Road, Banqiao District, New Taipei City
Phone: 02-29642269

Tainan Dream Mall Branch
Address: B1, No. 366, Section 1, Zhonghua East Road, East District, Tainan City (Nanfang Dream Mall)
Phone: 06-2366222

Taoyuan Branch
Address: 9F, No. 20, Zhongzheng Road, Taoyuan District, Taoyuan City (Far Eastern Department Store)
Phone: 03-33988404

Hokkaido Ichigen Ramen

▲ Ichigen Ramen’s Original Salt Broth Ramen. (Photo / Huang Shiyuan)

The broth for Ichigen Ramen is brewed using the heads of sweet shrimp, resulting in a sweet and savory flavor that is quite different from typical pork bone broth. On average, 60 kilograms of shrimp heads are used per day—enough for around 600 bowls of ramen. Why shrimp heads? Lin Naoki, the head chef with over 10 years of experience at Ichigen Ramen, shared that back when he worked at Okura-yama Ramen, the owner encouraged the team to get creative with new ramen flavors. Since seafood is a key local specialty in Hokkaido, they experimented with crab, scallops, and clams before discovering that shrimp heads produced an exceptionally unique taste. This led to the founding of Ichigen Ramen in 2009.

Yan Zexiong, manager of the Ichigen Ramen Xinyi Branch, mentioned that aside from the broth, Ichigen Ramen has two other distinctive elements: shrimp powder and crispy noodles, which add layers of flavor and texture. Yan explained that the shrimp powder is also made from sweet shrimp heads—first ground into powder with a food processor, then dry-roasted three times in a pan. Though not technically difficult, this step is monotonous and requires concentration, as even a slight lapse can burn the powder and ruin the flavor. As for the crispy noodles, they are made by frying tempura batter that also contains shrimp broth and shrimp powder, enhancing the ramen’s mouthfeel.

Address: 1F, No. 22, Songshou Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City (Neo19)
Phone: 02-27235578

Santouka


▲ Santouka’s salt ramen. (Photo / fromSantouka Taiwan 山头火 台湾 Facebook)

When it comes to Santouka ramen, many people might mispronounce it as “Huǒshāntóu” (Volcano Head) or “Huǒtóushān” (Fire Head Mountain). Originating from Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan, Santouka was established in 1988 and launched in Taiwan in 2012. It now has over 51 branches across Japan and globally. Its signature rich, milky-white broth is made by simmering pork bones, vegetables, and dried fish. Santouka currently operates four directly managed stores in Taiwan: SOGO Taipei Fuxing Store, SOGO Taipei Tianmu Store, Taipei Beijing Station Store, and Taichung Dayeh Takashimaya Store.

SOGO Taipei Fuxing Store
Address: B2, No. 300, Sec. 3, Zhongxiao E. Rd., Da’an District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-27317533

SOGO Taipei Tianmu Store
Address: 8F, No. 77, Sec. 6, Zhongshan N. Rd., Shilin District, Taipei City (MRT Zhishan Station)
Phone: 02-28371211

Beijing Station Store
Address: No. 1, Sec. 1, Chengde Rd., Datong District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-25582577

Taichung Dayeh Takashimaya Store
Address: 11F, No. 251, Sec. 3, Taiwan Blvd., Xitun District, Taichung City
Phone: 02-22546877