Ippudo’s Arrival in Taichung Triggers a Queuing Craze — Wait Up to 2 Hours for a Bowl of Ramen

Text and Photos byOrange Dog Loves Sweets

Despite the scorching summer heat with daily temperatures around 36–37°C, Taichung has become the stage for an exciting ramen battle, and this time it’s Ippudo’s turn. Although I’ve tried it before in Taipei, my experience was rather disappointing compared to the original in Japan, so I didn’t even bother writing about it. Even so, Ippudo has since opened branches in Tainan and Kaohsiung. Now, it’s finally making its way to Taichung’s Shin Kong Mitsukoshi. Originally rumored to open in August, it unexpectedly began a trial sale on July 25, offering free extra noodles during the trial period. For someone like me who always goes for a big bowl, this was great news, so I had to check it out no matter what. Surprisingly, although Ippudo Ramen isn’t highly rated in Taiwan, the first day was packed with people.

Ippudo Ramen, like NAGI Tonkotsu Ramen, is a chain specializing in thin noodles and pork bone broth. However, Ippudo became famous earlier and already has branches worldwide (Tokyo, New York, Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul). Its entry into Taiwan is more of a technical collaboration, introduced by the Ganbei Group, rather than a direct flagship store operation.

That said, in my experience so far in Taiwan, Ippudo’s Japanese flavor is far less authentic than NAGI’s. It’s said that Ippudo Ichiran also plans to enter Taiwan later this year but is still looking for the right location. Although Taiwan’s ramen market seems like a battleground of competing brands, locals generally prefer lighter flavors, so it’s hard to say how long this wave of bold, rich tastes will last. The Taichung Ippudo was originally scheduled to open in August but started its trial sale early on July 25, offering free extra noodles (normally 40 NT) until July 31. To my surprise, when I arrived at Shin Kong Mitsukoshi’s 9th floor at 11:30 AM on the first day, it was already packed.

(Please ignore the ad SMS about multiple female students arriving — not an Ippudo service, haha!!) Today’s queuing method was interesting: you first line up to get a number and inform them of your party size, then you’ll receive an SMS notification when your table is ready. The line for getting a number stretched all the way to the entrance of Fnac, and progress was very slow.

Naturally, larger parties had to wait much longer. But the crowd was beyond my expectations — I think it’s because of Ippudo’s reputation, and the people of Taichung really went all out to support it. As a result, I waited two hours before getting in.

I’ve never had to wait this long for ramen in Taipei before either!! I waited so long I got hungry again!! Once I got the SMS, I went to another area where staff helped take my order and showed me to my seat.

Inside, the place was completely full. I’d seriously suggest waiting for the hype to die down before trying Ippudo!!

Ippudo’s menu options are limited to four: White Ramen, Red Ramen, Spicy Pork Miso, and Hakata Tsukemen. Prices aren’t cheap — the basic ramen costs 230 NT, slightly more than nearby NAGI Tonkotsu Ramen. Adding a half-boiled egg and pork slices makes it even pricier, nearing 300 NT, and extra noodles cost an additional 40 NT.

But during the trial sale from July 25 to July 31, unlimited free extra noodles made it much better value, though the portion sizes are already quite generous. There’s also a variety of side dishes — interestingly, they even have Taiwanese-style gua bao, so we ordered one to try!! The only consolation is that there’s no service charge, or else it would really feel like luxury ramen!!

The table condiments are pretty basic (like sesame, soy sauce, and chili oil), nothing too special.

There are pickled ginger and garlic, plus a garlic press, so if the broth lacks flavor, you can just dump in a bunch of garlic.

Unlike regular ice water, Ippudo serves iced national treasure tea, though it’s a bit diluted. This makes the unique flavor of the tea less intense, setting it apart from other ramen shops.

Starting with my order of Special Red Ramen / Hard Noodles / Rich Broth / 280 NT: Ippudo’s broth is based on a white pork bone soup, but compared to the plain White Ramen, the Red Ramen adds a secret spicy miso paste and sesame oil, creating a richer flavor. Black sesame oil and minced garlic add accents of black and red to the creamy white base.

It comes with four slices of thin pork belly, nori, wood ear mushrooms, and a half-boiled egg. The stirred broth isn’t particularly outstanding, but the sesame oil adds some richness, followed by the spiciness of the garlic and the mild kick of the spicy miso. The flavor layers are much more distinct than the White Ramen. (To be honest, the White Ramen was quite disappointing.)

The pork slices are thinly cut with an even fat-to-lean ratio, but the thinness rivals that of Kagetsu Arashi. The texture is decent, chewy with a fatty aroma, but I think the thinness is meant to showcase the chef’s impressive knife skills!! Even though the Special Red Ramen comes with four slices, each is about the size of half a slice in other ramen shops!!

The noodles are thin, which suits Taiwanese tastes, and Ippudo uses ultra-thin noodles. We specifically asked for the hardest texture possible, considering we’d be taking photos and letting the noodles sit in the broth. The first half of the bowl had a good chew and firmness, but the second half got softer!! Still, the noodles absorbed the broth well.

As for the half-boiled egg, it wasn’t the velvety texture you’d expect — it was almost fully cooked. Just get it for the experience. No need to order it separately. Overall, it’s a decently tasty bowl, scoring well but not mind-blowing.

Special White Ramen / Normal Noodles / Rich Broth / 260 NT: The White Ramen, well, the pork bone broth is rich but only stands out for its saltiness, with nothing particularly special.

The noodles and toppings are similar to the Red Ramen, but this one has a normal noodle hardness. I’d recommend going for harder noodles, as they pair better with the broth.

Spicy Pork Miso Ramen / Hard Noodles / Rich Broth / 230 NT: If we’re talking about broth excitement, this one definitely beats the White and Red Ramen. It comes with a thick layer of spicy pork miso — actually, there are three spice levels, but mine came at a mild level without me asking.

The rich aroma of the miso makes the broth even heartier, while the sharp spiciness wakes up your taste buds with every bite. If you love spicy food, go for level two or higher. Beginners can start with level one. For a bold, flavorful ramen, this Spicy Pork Miso is definitely the way to go.

Lemonade / Orange Juice / 50 NT each: Drinks at ramen shops aren’t cheap, but Ippudo’s portions are large enough to be refreshing.

Crispy Beef Tongue Skewers / 120 NT: I’ve been having a beef tongue streak lately XD — had it at a BBQ place, then in a Spanish stew, and the deliciousness is unforgettable. But now Ippudo serves fried beef tongue — crispy panko coating with honey mustard sauce. The frying and sweet sauce almost mask the beef tongue’s natural sweetness, and forget about the tenderness. It’s not bad, but not as good as other beef tongue dishes. Guess beef isn’t ideal for frying!!

Ippudo Japanese-Style Pork Bun / 60 NT: You don’t see this kind of Taiwanese snack in Japanese ramen shops. Though called “Japanese-style pork bun,” it’s basically braised pork belly. The meat is salty but not tender, the fat isn’t greasy, but the added honey mustard sauce makes it taste oddly unbalanced — not very appealing.

Ippudo Pan-Fried Gyoza / 100 NT
Pan-fried gyoza at Japanese ramen shops rarely impress, and Ippudo is no exception.

The dumpling filling had a slightly sweet taste, and the wrapper was elastic with a mildly crispy edge—nothing special, but passable.

Just as I mentioned at the beginning, I came to Ichiran Ramen Taichung just to check out the hype, but I didn’t expect it to be such an unexpectedly lively experience.
A two-hour wait in line was something I’d never encountered before—proof of just how powerful Ichiran’s reputation is.
But my overall impression after eating was no different from what I’ve had in Taipei. Don’t expect too much, but you won’t be terribly disappointed either.
Its performance is pretty much like any standard Japanese ramen. If you really want to try it, I’d recommend the Akamaru or Spicy Miso flavors.
But if you’re going to endure such a long wait just for the initial craze, I’d suggest going to NAGI at Tiger City next door instead—it’s a better deal and tastes better.
That said, the service attitude was very friendly, making the meal quite comfortable. Here’s my simple take on this hype-worthy opening experience.

【Hakata Ichiran Ramen Taichung Shin Kong Mitsukoshi】
Address: 9F, No. 301, Section 3, Taiwan Boulevard, West District, Taichung City (9F, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi)
Phone: 04-2259-9122
Business Hours: 11:00 AM–10:00 PM
Consumption Notice: Service charge applies. Long queues during the opening period; expect to wait over 1 hour.

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