Beyond meatballs and rice, a ramen craze is sweeping through Changhua

Text and photos byOrange Dog Loves Candy

When traveling to any city, I think the only thing to fear isn’t a lack of things to do, but rather inconvenient transportation that ruins the fun. In the past, there weren’t many places to visit in Changhua, mostly just around the train station, since you had to explore on foot. Now, with the addition of U-bike services, you can venture a bit further and also get to enjoy more of Changhua’s food and scenery. Although Changhua isn’t as bustling as Taichung, it has retained many old streets and buildings. That afternoon, I went to the area near Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Changhua to meet up with a friend and also decided to try out this newly opened 【Sunrise Ramen】.

I originally thought that after the ramen wars in Taipei died down, only cities like Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung had caught the ramen fever. But I never expected that a quiet ramen battle had also ignited in Changhua, with a place called Kobayashi Ramen reportedly getting quite popular.

But before long, I also discovered that this 【Sunrise Ramen】 was equally bustling. Since my schedule brought me closer to this spot, I headed here first. The shop opens at 11 AM, but to my surprise, there were already several people waiting in line when we arrived. Luckily, our spot in line wasn’t too far back.

As soon as the doors opened, everyone rushed in. If it weren’t for the brief moment I slipped in ahead to ask about opening hours and snap a photo, I wouldn’t have been able to capture the empty interior. Within just 15 minutes, the place was completely packed. The entire shop has a Japanese-style design, with wooden walls and furniture as essential elements, complemented by lanterns and Zen-inspired greenery. While it’s a bit of a shame there’s no counter seating—losing out on some of the fun of eating ramen—the space is actually quite comfortable. It’s not super spacious, but it doesn’t feel cramped either.

The service staff were also very friendly. Because there was an event happening that day, they carefully explained the details to each table, all while maintaining an enthusiastic tone—which is actually quite impressive, because repeating the same information over and over can easily become tedious. But that day, they told us about a fun event: from June 21 (Saturday) to June 30 (Monday), if you finish your ramen and see the sunrise (a hidden mark at the bottom of the bowl), you get a free ramen voucher. The staff said that if you finish your bowl and spot the mark, you can exchange it right away—that’s like a “win a free bowl” raffle just for eating ramen!! I thought that was a pretty fun idea!!

There’s also quite a variety of dishes here besides ramen, including set meals.

And the menu is beautifully designed, which made it hard for me to decide what to order for a while.

However, the basic ramen is very reasonably priced at just NT$129, which explains why so many people are drawn to this place compared to other ramen shops.

Also, in the drinks section at the back, they even offer imported Japanese sodas and juices, so I ordered a couple to try.

【Volcano Tonkotsu Ramen / NT$159】
Generally, in Japanese ramen, names like “Volcano” or “Hell” are mostly just for show—the spice level is usually mild enough that even someone like me, who doesn’t really eat spicy food, can finish it without trouble. For an extra NT$20, you can upgrade to a larger portion. But Taiwanese palates tend to prefer either no spice or extreme, eye-watering heat—if it’s not the latter, it feels bland. Fortunately, this Volcano Tonkotsu Ramen takes a more moderate approach—it won’t numb your senses. The broth isn’t red like typical spicy ramen; instead, the addition of tonkotsu gives it an orange-yellow hue. It comes with chopped green onions, three slices of pork, a marbled egg, and bamboo shoots, but what caught my eye most were the floating chili peppers.

They’re deep-fried dried chilies. At first, I thought they were just for flavor, but the staff said you can eat them. The rich broth itself has a sharp spiciness, but it enhances the flavor without being overwhelming. The fried chilies have a surprisingly crunchy aroma at first bite, almost like peanuts, before releasing a mellow, spicy fragrance. It turned out to be quite delicious, contrary to my expectations.

The pork slices are mostly lean with a lower fat content, but they have a nice chewy texture, though they’re a bit on the thinner side. As for the noodles, they’re not bad—I opted for thin curled noodles. Even though you can’t choose the hardness, I asked the staff to cook them a bit firmer.

After the photo session, they still held their texture well without getting mushy, and the noodles had a decent bounce to them. While the tonkotsu flavor isn’t as intense as traditional Japanese versions, I thought the overall seasoning was pretty good!!

【Nightfall Black Garlic Pork Ramen / NT$179】
This one also uses a tonkotsu broth base, with a spoonful of black garlic sauce added on top—you need to mix it in before eating.

In terms of ingredient portions, it’s about the same as the Volcano Tonkotsu Ramen, with the same amount of green onions and bamboo shoots.

There are also three slices of pork, maintaining the same quality, but the black garlic flavor is less heavy and greasy compared to typical Japanese ramen.

It plays more of a subtle aromatic role, floating in the rich tonkotsu broth, making it a bit more refreshing than other black garlic oil ramens. I forgot to mention the marbled egg from the previous bowl—it’s a bit of a miss that it didn’t reach that perfect half-runny state.

The noodle hardness is also good, with a nice Q texture, and the portion size isn’t too small, so overall, it’s alright. But if I had to compare the two, the Volcano Ramen definitely has a stronger flavor impact.

【Aburage Tofu / NT$38】
This fried tofu was surprisingly cheap. It’s served with a sweet Japanese-style sauce, has a golden, crispy exterior, and a soft, silky egg tofu inside, with dancing bonito flakes—it ended up being a little side dish I didn’t expect to like, especially since I usually don’t go for fried tofu.

【Golden Pork Cutlet / NT$98】
The pork cutlet is juicy and comes with a dipping sauce, and the breadcrumb coating isn’t too thick.

When it’s freshly served and still hot, the meat is firm with a hint of sweetness, and the price isn’t bad either.

【Peko Peko White Peach Juice / NT$89 + Japanese Ramune Soda One Piece Limited Edition / NT$89】
I've recently noticed that many Japanese restaurants and food shops in Taiwan now stock and sell flavored drinks from Japanese brands—whether it's barbecue joints or tonkatsu specialty stores. But Sunrise Ramen keeps their pricing much more reasonable. The white peach juice still has quite a few fruit bits in it, so it tastes like a sweet juice with that distinct peach flavor, but the Japanese bottle design and the graphics on the outside are so beautifully done that you'd almost want to keep them. As for the One Piece marble soda, well, it's just a marble soda XD—but it comes with a One Piece sticker wrap on the outside. At the very least, I think it's a fun way to enjoy a taste of Japanese beverage flavors.

I was in Changhua not too long ago and had brunch at BART, which wasn’t bad—they also serve delicious thick pancakes. This trip to Changhua was a bit rushed, but I still managed to eat at this Sunrise Ramen and also stopped by Duannilife near the train station. The more often I visit Changhua, the more I realize that beyond its famous meatballs and rice, there are increasingly exciting and delicious foods to look forward to here. Especially with the ramen trend seeming to slowly heat up, the people of Changhua are really embracing it. If you're around Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, you might want to consider checking out 【Sunrise Ramen】!! Just remember to come early, because when it gets hot, if you show up late, you’ll just end up queuing up outside for ages!!

【Sunrise Ramen 'Set Meal │ Changhua City】
Address: No. 209, Xuguang Road, Changhua City, Changhua County (near Changhua Christian Hospital)
Phone: 04-7226778
Business Hours: 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Note: No phone reservations available, no service charge added

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