Queueing ramen shop asks customers to follow the rules！Owner: Don’t sneak the soft-boiled egg home

▲Eiryu Ryōichi, owner of Eiryu Tokyo Shoyu Ramen Ranmaru.

Reported and photographed by Huang Shiyuan, Taipei

Located at the intersection of Yanji Street and Bade Road in Taipei“Eiryu Tokyo Shoyu Ramen Ranmaru”is so popular for its rich and delicious broth that customers are willing to wait up to one or two hours. Despite the thriving business and enthusiastic support from Taiwanese customers, ownerEiryu Ryōichi hopes that his Taiwanese patrons can follow some of the shop’s rules—especially not sneaking the soft-boiled eggs home.

Eiryu Tokyo Shoyu Ramen Ranmaru is the third ramen shop opened by Eiryu Ryōichi. He chose this location on Yanji Street and Bade Road because he noticed there were no ramen shops nearby. To allow people to enjoy his ramen without spending too much (just NT$99 gets you a bowl), he tries to keep costs down in various ways—for example, making the noodles in-house and offering free extra noodles. The soft-boiled eggs are placed on the table for customers to take themselves by dropping money into a box (honesty pricing), which also helps save on the labor of peeling the eggs.

Although many people follow the rules and pay NT$20 or more, Eiryu Ryōichi has noticed some only put in NT$1—he guesses they might be students. However, he understands that students have limited funds and laughs it off, saying they should come back and pay a bit more once they start working. But there’s one thing he wants to tell certain people: don’t sneak the soft-boiled eggs home without paying—it’s not right.

To ensure everyone can eat their fill, Ranmaru offers unlimited noodle refills, with the current record being 20 servings. However, for hygiene and to maintain the ramen’s deliciousness (as noodles get soggy if left too long), Ranmaru does not offer takeout service and hopes that customers finish the noodles they’ve added. Yet, Eiryu Ryōichi has also caught people secretly packing noodles into containers. What he really wants to say is: ramen just doesn’t taste good when taken home.

Another point Eiryu Ryōichi wants to make is for customers to eat a bit faster. He says the average dining time per customer is about 30–45 minutes, but in Japan, most people finish a bowl of ramen in around 10 minutes. He notes that many people start scrolling through their phones after ordering and continue even after their ramen arrives. Eiryu Ryōichi hopes everyone can put themselves in the shoes of those waiting in line—if you were the one waiting, you’d probably want those inside to eat more quickly.

Finally, Eiryu Ryōichi asks that customers don’t throw eggshells on the floor—please put them in the small dish provided. Throwing them on the ground causes problems and takes extra time to clean up. After finishing your ramen, please place used tissues and toothpicks in the black tray under the bowl, then put the bowl on the counter for staff to collect. This saves the staff time on cleaning the tables, helping reduce wait times for those in line.


▲At Eiryu Tokyo Shoyu Ramen Ranmaru, you can get a bowl of ramen for just NT$99.

Eiryu Tokyo Shoyu Ramen Ranmaru
Address: No. 2, Yanji Street, Songshan District, Taipei City
Business hours: 11:30–14:00; 18:00–22:30