Tired of regular Japanese ramen? Try this spicy and numbing miso ramen from Tokyo.

▲ Spicy and numbing miso ramen—want to give it a try?

Photos & text by Badouyao

I heard a small ramen shop just opened in the Nanxi shopping district. Not only is the taste unique, but so is its name and interior design. The shop is called"Onikinbou", specializing in spicy and numbing miso ramen. It’s a direct branch of a ramen shop from Tokyo, Japan—how could any ramen-loving foodie miss it?

Onikinbou currently has two branches in Taiwan: one serves spicy and numbing miso ramen, while the other offers spicy and numbing miso tsukemen (dipping ramen). This time, Badouyao visited the one behind New Taipei City’s Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Nanxi Store No. 2. It’s a small shop, but not hard to find—if you see a big ghost-themed pole in front, that’s the place.

▲ Onikinbou operates just like ramen shops in Japan, using a ticket vending machine.


▲ The ticket machine accepts paper bills.

Onikinbou operates just like ramen shops in Japan, using a ticket vending machine. First, select the ramen you want, press the button, then insert your money. Don’t worry if you only have a 1,000 NT bill—the machine gives you change in 100 NT bills, unlike some machines that only give coins. After placing your order, hand the ticket to the staff and let them know your preferred spice and numbness levels.Spice levels are None, Trace, Low, Medium, High, and Super High; numbness levels follow the same scale. Choosing Super High requires an additional 30 NT each for spicy and numb Super High boosts.. Badouyao loves spicy food but can’t handle too much heat, so they went with Low spice and Low numbness.


▲ Spice and numbness levels are divided into five grades.

▲ Onikinbou’s spicy and numbing miso ramen starts at 230 NT.

Essentially, Onikinbou only sells spicy and numbing miso ramen. The ticket machine offers various add-on combinations, such as extra meat, bean sprouts, or cilantro. Of course, you can also add other toppings or a bowl of rice.

After getting the ticket, Onikinbou’s staff starts stir-frying the bean sprouts—yes, their bean sprouts are made fresh, so they’re super crispy. The broth is fish- and pork-bone-based, and miso is added on-site during cooking. The noodles are also freshly boiled, so there’s a bit of a wait—but it’s totally worth it for the delicious ramen.

▲ The slices of chashu pork are huge.

As soon as the ramen arrived, Badouyao took a bite of the chashu first—it was tender, salty, and likely made with pork belly, giving it a texture similar to Taiwan’s braised pork belly. It reminded Badouyao of the chashu at Guan Rou. Unlike typical sliced chashu, Onikinbou’s is block-shaped, and the flavor is somewhat reminiscent of Menya Musashi. Later, we learned that the founder, Masakazu Miura, was once the manager of Menya Musashi’s Nidai branch.

When trying the noodles, the first bite wasn’t as spicy as expected, with a faint scent of Sichuan peppercorn—definitely the Low spice level. But after a few more bites, the tongue started to feel a tingling spiciness and slight numbness, though it was still comfortable. For someone who doesn’t usually eat spicy food like Badouyao, it was just right. The spice even stimulated the appetite, and before realizing it, the entire bowl was finished. Maybe next time, Badouyao will try the Medium spice level. If you’re tired of regular Japanese ramen and love spice, you should definitely give Onikinbou’s spicy and numbing miso ramen a try.


▲ To find Onikinbou, look for this big ghost pole~~~

Spicy and Numbing Miso Ramen — Onikinbou
Address: No. 35, Lane 2, No. 19, Chang’an West Road, Taipei City
Phone: We’re not withholding the number—it really doesn’t have one (per their official Facebook).
Business Hours: 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM (last orders at 9:30 PM)


▲ The front entrance of Onikinbou.


▲ Customer information.

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