The competition is getting fiercer: 7 popular Japanese ramen shops in Taipei Main Station’s shopping district

Reported by Huang Shiyuan / Taipei

Tokyo ramen shop “Tsuta,” which has earned a Michelin one-star rating for two consecutive years, opened at HOYYI Taipei Main Station at the end of April, drawing a wave of visitors. In fact, Taipei Main Station has recently undergone a transformation, with the influx of crowds from three major malls leading to a growing number of food establishments. Taking Japanese ramen as an example, besides Tsuta Ramen, there are six other Japanese ramen shops near Taipei Main Station.

▲ The Michelin one-star Tokyo ramen shop “Tsuta” has officially launched in Taiwan. (Photo / Huang Shiyuan)

Tsuta
The Tokyo ramen shop “Tsuta,” which has earned a Michelin one-star rating for two consecutive years, opened its first branch in Taiwan on April 27. It features two signature ramen dishes: soy sauce ramen and salt ramen. The broth is made by separately simmering clams, seafood, and whole chicken for extended periods each day, then blending them with secret soy sauce and sea salt. Due to the limited amount of broth that can be prepared, only 400 bowls are available daily at launch, with each bowl priced from NT$295.

Ramen broth is always the soul of the dish. At Tsuta, the broth is made by simmering whole chicken for 8 hours, seafood for 2–3 hours, and clams for 5 hours to create three separate broths, which are then combined in the optimal ratio to produce the final rich soup.

Address: No. 36, Section 1, Zhongxiao West Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2370-3978

▲ Santouka Salt Ramen. (Photo / from Santouka Taiwan Facebook page)

Santouka Keelung Road Branch
Santouka Ramen from Asahikawa, Hokkaido, landed in Taiwan in 2012. Currently, there are three branches in Taipei and one in Taichung. The latest news is that Santouka is expanding to Tainan, with a new location on the 6th floor of Taipei’s Big City Mall (Chenggong branch), scheduled to open on June 27. Founded in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, in 1988, Santouka entered the Taiwanese market in 2012 and now has over 51 branches across Japan and globally. Its broth is known for its rich, milky white color, simmered from pork bones, vegetables, and dried fish.

Address: No. 1, Section 1, Chengde Road, Datong District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2558-2577

Tonchin Ramen Taipei Main Station Branch
Tonchin Ramen is from Tokyo, Japan. The brand expanded to Taiwan in 2011. Its noodles are handmade medium-thick curly noodles. The broth is based on pork bones and flavored with soy sauce. According to DailyView’s online popularity rankings using the KEYPO Big Data Engine, which evaluated online discussion volume and netizen reviews, Tonchin Ramen was ranked the No. 1 most popular ramen in 2017.

Address: No. 38, Section 1, Zhongxiao West Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City (B1F, Taipei Caesar Park Hotel)
Phone: 02-2562-5066

▲ Ippudo’s Taiwan-exclusive “Red/White Beef Ramen.” (Photo / Huang Shiyuan)

Ippudo Breeze Taipei Main Station Branch
Founded in 1985 and originating from Fukuoka, Ippudo is known for its unique “pork bone X pork bone” double-broth system. The shop uses two types of pork bones—skull and femur—simmered separately for 14 hours, then blended using a special technique. Ippudo’s signature ramen options include Shiro (white) Ramen, Akamaru (red) Ramen, Spicy Miso Ramen, and Hakata Tsukemen.

Address: 2F, No. 3, Beiping West Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City (2F, Breeze Taipei Main Station)
Phone: 02-2370-9222

▲ Healthy Vegetable Ramen. (Photo / Huang Shiyuan)

Setagaya Ramen Taipei Main Station Branch
Besides classic dishes like Setagaya Signature Ramen, pork bone ramen, sesame pork bone ramen, and spicy pork bone ramen, Setagaya Ramen’s Taipei Main Station Branch introduced Healthy Vegetable Ramen for nearby students upon opening. Shinji Maeshima, president of Setagaya Ramen Japan, said that since the area has many students who prefer lighter flavors, the vegetable-rich Healthy Ramen suits them well, and eating more vegetables benefits their health.

Address: B1-02, HOYII Taipei Main Station, No. 36, Section 1, Zhongxiao West Road, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2388-3258

Sun Tomato Ramen Main Station Branch
Address: B1, 38, Section 1, Zhongxiao West Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2361-7188

Makoto Ramen
Address: B3, 1, Section 1, Chengde Road, Datong District, Taipei City (Detailed map)
Phone: 02-2552-6833