An affordable ramen shop from Tokyo has arrived in Taiwan, blending shrimp flavor with pork bone broth perfectly!

Text & Photos byOld K

Zhe Mian is a ramen shop that came to Taiwan from Tokyo, Japan. Its first branch opened in Ximending, targeting a more budget-friendly market. However, Ximending is always crowded, and I’ve never been a fan of going there XD. When I found out they opened a new branch on Lin Sen North Road, my interest shot up. After doing a quick online search, I headed straight there!

The Zhe Mian Lin Sen branch is located near the intersection of Lin Sen North Road and Nanjing East Road. Its signboard is very eye-catching—you definitely won’t miss it. One unique thing about Zhe Mian is that it offers takeout, which is rare among ramen shops that originally come from Japan. For takeout, you order at the first floor, but if you want to dine in, go to the second floor to find a seat and place your order there.

There aren’t many seats inside.

There’s a menu on the table for reference. Compared to other Japanese ramen places I’ve tried, the prices here are very affordable—the cheapest option is just NT$100.

Then I marked my choices on the order sheet. Here, you can choose both the soup base and how soft or firm you want your noodles. Originally, I wanted to order the medium-sized shrimp-flavored ramen, but then I spotted the sea urchin sauce N.<饭这种没吃的N<饭，马上点下去，把拉面改小碗的XD，然后再来一份炸鸡。

Here comes my lunch—those three items totaled only NT$250. At many ramen shops, this price would only get you one bowl, but here it’s really a great deal.

Japanese-style Fried Chicken Small (NT$65)

The chicken used here is thigh meat. The coating isn’t too thick, resulting in a crispy yet juicy and tender texture. The chicken itself is pre-seasoned, so it tastes great even without dipping sauce. The flavor is a bit on the salty side though, making it more suitable to eat with rice.

Sea Urchin Sauce N<饭小(35元)

The small bowl is really small XD. It’s basically rice with soy sauce, but with a faint hint of sea urchin flavor. It’s not bad, but once you’ve tried it, that’s probably enough XD.

Shrimp Ramen Small (NT$150)

I ordered the shrimp ramen purely because it said “recommended” on the menu—I usually trust the shop’s picks XD.

I took a sip of the plain broth first—it’s a smooth pork bone soup, rich but not greasy.

The orange bits on top are small shrimp.

The white bits on the side—I initially thought were minced garlic, but when I sniffed closer, I realized they were also shrimp. So this bowl actually uses two types of shrimp. Once mixed, the shrimp flavor in the broth becomes very intense, but it doesn’t overpower the pork bone taste. They complement each other wonderfully—completely harmonious and delicious.

I chose the hard noodles. They might have sat a while before the photo, so they softened up a bit, but the texture is still quite good. Paired with some green onions, the shrimp-flavored broth clings nicely to the noodles, and the slightly sharp bite of the green onions adds extra flavor. It’s really tasty, but the small portion is indeed tiny XD. Best suited for those with smaller appetites—most people should probably go for the medium size!

The char siu (BBQ pork) was just average—my taste buds really have gotten pickier over time XD.

The half-boiled golden egg was also just okay, a bit overcooked.

K’s Little Tips: The shrimp ramen is definitely recommended—it’s really good. Pairing it with the fried chicken is a solid choice, but you should probably go for the medium or larger size XD. And for curious eaters like me, the sea urchin sauce N<饭也可以点点看，还不错吃，但会觉得空虚就是了XD，整体来说算是一家CP值颇高的拉面店哦！

K’s Personal Rating (Out of 10, higher is better)
Taste: 8.2
Value for Money: 8
Dining Ambience: 6
Price: 7.5

Zhe Mian (Lin Sen Branch)
Address: No. 151, Lin Sen North Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2531-4009
Business hours: 11:00–23:00 (last order at 22:30)

Old K
Keep the relay going, Old K!
Blog　Fan page