Ippudo Ramen Opens on June 15: Taipei Flagship Store Has "Three Differences" from Japan

▲ Ippudo Ramen Taipei flagship store prices start at NT$288, slightly higher than in Japan. (Photo / Reporter Ji Xiangru)

Reported by Huang Shiyuan / Taipei

The long-awaited Ippudo Ramen is finally set to officially open on June 15. To maintain the same quality as in Japan, the soup broth is prepared in Japan and then shipped to Taiwan. A “noodle-making craftsman” is stationed in Taiwan to adjust noodle production based on daily temperature and humidity. However, there are still “three differences” between the Taipei flagship store and those in Japan.


▲ Cash and credit card payment area. (Photo / Reporter Ji Xiangru)

The first difference is the absence of a ramen voucher vending machine. Hanai Iori, who oversees Ippudo’s overseas business, explained that none of the overseas branches in Hong Kong, New York, or Taiwan have ramen voucher vending machines. This decision was mainly made considering the higher usage of credit cards in overseas regions, hence manual checkout is used instead.

The second difference is the souvenir section. In Japanese stores, you can buy Ippudo Ramen, Katsu Tonkotsu Ramen, and Ippudo Hakata-style straight noodles. Among these, the most popular among Taiwanese travelers is the instant-noodle-like Ippudo Ramen. Currently, the Taipei flagship store only sells Hakata-style straight noodles (straight noodles) with a bottle of Ippudo’s special red spicy powder, priced at NT$750.


▲ Currently, only Hakata-style straight noodles (straight noodles) are sold as souvenirs. (Photo / Reporter Ji Xiangru)

The third difference is the price. A bowl of Ippudo Ramen in Taiwan costs NT$288, which is slightly more expensive than Japan’s 890 yen (about NT$240+). Although some netizens feel it’s unreasonable to be more expensive than in Japan, others argue that overseas stores are generally much pricier than domestic ones—especially since the Taipei store’s broth is air-freighted from Japan, making shipping costs a significant expense.

Address: No. 97, Songren Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City
Business Hours: 24 hours / Open all year round