A late-night ramen shop that doesn’t open until 10:30 PM — be prepared to wait in line for half an hour just to get a bowl.

Text and photos by /Orange Dog Loves Candy

I recently finished watching all 20 episodes of the Japanese TV drama “Shinya Shokudō” (Midnight Diner), starring Kouichi Satō. It’s the kind of show that really works up an appetite. Late at night, one dish after another — pan-fried dumplings, cream stew, steamed clams in sake, and ramen — gets served up on screen, making viewers ravenous. The owner says, “At the end of the day, there are people rushing home, and then there are those who feel like they have unfinished business and want to take a detour…” For people who spend their days constantly on the go, sometimes the hours after work — at an izakaya, a street food stall, or even a karaoke bar — are when the night truly belongs to them, offering a rare moment of relaxation. Though eating late-night snacks isn’t very healthy, my dinner time often doesn’t start until this hour, so whenever I hear about midnight pork rice, spicy hot pot, or beef noodles, I can’t resist heading out for a taste. Recently, I heard about a late-night ramen shop near the Fengjia Night Market, where people start lining up at 10:30 PM when it opens. Out of curiosity, I decided to check out 【MEN Japanese Ramen Stall】 on Xitun Road one evening.

Kaohsiung used to have a famously popular ghost sausage stall and ghost pan-fried dumpling stall. The pan-fried dumplings later became a brick-and-mortar shop called Utsunomiya Dumplings. I’d say almost anything that shows up late at night and isn’t easy to find tends to attract more interest.

I went to 【MEN Japanese Ramen Stall】 expecting it to be using the gimmick of being a “late-night only” spot to draw customers. The location isn’t easy to find, but searching Google for “No. 51, Section 3, Xitun Road, Xitun District, Taichung City” should get you there. It’s near the Xitun Police Station — you’ll see a Japanese-style ramen stall with a crowd of people waiting in front. Barely half past ten, and there were already around ten people in line, with all the indoor seating taken. This level of turnout right after opening reminded me of 【Night Market Pork Rice】 in Changhua.

There’s no need to take a number here — just line up and wait your turn without making too much noise. Someone will come around to hand out menus and take orders. Though students make up the majority of the customers (since the ramen is pretty cheap), I also saw parents bringing their kids. I’d estimate that it takes about 10 to 12 minutes from ordering to getting your ramen, plus the time it takes to eat it.

So if you’re planning to queue up, be prepared to wait at least twenty to thirty minutes, unless you arrive right when they open. There are two or three young guys running the kitchen. They don’t smile much — or if they do, it’s too dark late at night to tell — but they’re very precise and skilled when it comes to preparing each bowl of ramen. I happened to sit near the ramen counter and got to observe a few moments of their process.

Just focusing on the noodle cooking — I’ll describe what I saw. I’m not sure exactly how many batches they cook, but I noticed that after cooking roughly six servings in one pot of water, he dumped the whole thing out and refilled it with fresh hot water, brought it to a boil, and then added new noodles.

Also, the way each batch of noodles is drained and shaken is done with care, which you can definitely taste in the final product.

On the noodle counter, there are seasonings and a garlic squeezer available — I highly recommend trying the garlic paste, as it adds a wonderful flavor.

While you’re waiting, they’ll bring you the menu. There are only four types of ramen, all under NT$100. In Taichung, only Donghai Fengfengting and Jinqingchuan are in a similar price range, though I’ve never had the chance to try Jinqingchuan. (I did revisit Fengfengting recently and was quite disappointed — the broth was just salty, and the noodles were average!) There’s also a NT$30 soy-braised pork rice, but for someone like me who’s a “ramen person,” the fact that extra noodles are just NT$10 made me really happy. Today, I came with a friend, so we just went simple and ordered soy sauce and salt-flavored ramen to test the flavors.

【Salt-Flavored Pork Bone Ramen / NT$90 / Extra noodles / NT$10】 Each bowl of ramen has simple toppings: green onions, one slice of char siu pork, half an egg, wood ear mushrooms, and bamboo shoots, along with a rich, milky-white pork bone broth. Their pork bone base is simmered with pork bones, chicken feet, and vegetables, and the salt flavor is enhanced with kelp broth and aromatic oil.

Anyway, regardless of how the shop describes it, you’ll know right away whether you like the flavor after one sip. The creamy white broth may not have the intense, authentic Japanese richness you’d expect, which I’d already anticipated. But it’s still a bit stronger than typical Taiwanese-style ramen, yet retains the mellow fragrance of the pork bone base. There’s a hint of oiliness that touches the tip of your tongue — it’s hard to say if it’s from chicken broth or their special aromatic oil. The finish has a slight sweetness. If it weren’t labeled “salt-flavored,” I’d say the layers of flavor are quite well-crafted, and I actually quite like it.

And the other star is the noodles — they’re probably fine noodles, though they tend to get soft quickly. I didn’t take my photos for very long, and when I ate them, they still had some chew, but you could tell they were slightly soft. However, the broth clings well to the noodles, and the shaking process is done thoroughly, so there’s no starchy water taste.

But since I did get extra noodles, I’ll note that the “add noodles” portion is served separately. They don’t want the added noodles soaking in the soup and getting soggy, so remember — if you get extra noodles, don’t drink all the broth. When I mixed the extra noodles into my bowl, I noticed the texture and firmness were different from the ones that came with the original serving. The freshly added ones were perfect for my taste, so I suggest not letting this bowl sit too long, or at least try a bite of the noodles as soon as they’re served!!

As for toppings, to be honest, the char siu is mostly lean meat — thick slices but a bit dry. The marbled egg was decent enough.

Only the bamboo shoots — I’ve got to say they’re really well-marinated, crispy, and delicious.

And one last tip: definitely add garlic paste in the second half of the bowl. I’d recommend squeezing at least two cloves’ worth for the best flavor.

【Soy Sauce Pork Bone Ramen / NT$90】 Compared to the salt-flavored version, this one has a more layered flavor profile. Since it was ordered by my dining companion, I only had a few sips of the broth. The toppings are roughly the same, and the color of the broth is distinctive — a light soy-sauce brown.

When it first arrived, to be honest, I could barely detect the flavor of the soy sauce broth — I mainly tasted the mellow richness of the pork bone. After finishing the noodles, I tried another sip once the broth had cooled a bit, and the soy aroma became more pronounced. But overall, I found the flavor layering less rich than the salt-flavored version — it wasn’t as outstanding.

【Soy-Braised Pork Rice / NT$30】 It’s pretty much the Taiwanese version of pork fried rice — but the pork sauce is spread quite generously. The pork sauce is saltier but carries a hint of the aroma you’d get from char siu marinade. I only had two bites (since it wasn’t my order), and while I wouldn’t say I loved it, it wasn’t bad either — just OK. Personally, I prefer pork rice that’s heavy on the fatty pork, like the kind at Caishenye. Also, it seems like a lot of people order it because it sold out quickly right after opening. But for me, it was just alright.

The wait to get in line was forty minutes, but eating the ramen took less than ten. Still, at least I got to try the flavor of a so-called “queue-worthy” dish. I left around 12:10 AM, and when I looked back, there was still a line — about fifteen people, give or take. It wasn’t as crazy as the rumored lines of twenty or thirty people, but it was still fun to queue up at midnight. Do you think it’s only the “midnight diner” gimmick and the queue that draw so many people? I can’t deny that plays a part, but I did see the owner putting real care into making the noodles. Honestly, the salt-flavored ramen was pretty good. It’s not exactly the heavy Japanese flavor I love, but I think it’s much better than the ramen at Menya Kotetsu in Fengjia. Though eating this much so late at night isn’t great for my health — I’d suggest coming earlier, finishing your meal sooner, and getting on with your night!!

Address: No. 51, Section 3, Xitun Road, Xitun District, Taichung City (near Xitun Police Station)
Phone: 0921-722-948
Business Hours: 11:00 PM – 3:00 AM
Note: Closed on Mondays and Thursdays. No need for a number ticket — just line up in order.

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