A Taipei “tonkotsu ramen” supervised by a Japanese master – an ultra-rich broth simmered for 13 hours

Text and photos by /Wisely

I haven’t had many opportunities to eat ramen while recently in Japan. But in the area around Technology Building MRT Station, where Wisely is doing rehabilitation, there’s a ‘Kawagoe Ramen’ from Tokyo with a Japanese chef in charge, so I took the chance to try it. The ramen they sell is mainly char siu tonkotsu thin noodles, which has an average rating in Japan. The menu is simple but the taste is pretty good.

The shop is located next to Kavalan Bus, and the previous tenant at this location was also a ramen shop. After several changes, it was taken over and reopened.

The main menu features tonkotsu ramen. Customers can choose based on noodle texture, broth flavor, and oiliness, and the signature char siu comes in options of pork belly or pork loin. Even the broth is touted as being simmered for 13 hours.

The shop isn’t very big, with limited seating, but the counter seats come with storage boxes underneath. In Japan, Kawagoe Ramen already has over ten branches, each offering slightly different broths. The Taiwan branch serves the same tonkotsu ramen as the flagship store, while in Japan you can also try tonkotsu-soy sauce and seafood-soy sauce versions.

The way to order here is through a coin-operated vending machine for food selection, then you’re seated by staff. After inserting cash and receiving your ticket, you hand it to the staff and are shown to your seat. Drinking water is self-service, making it a semi-self-service dining style.

The sauces are somewhat unique, including a ramen sauce to add saltiness—but personally, I think adding some mashed garlic with a garlic press makes it tastier. Other condiments like chili oil or pepper can be added according to your preference.

That day, I ordered a tonkotsu ramen with five slices of char siu, paired with a serving of juicy pork dumplings. I thought the dumplings were just OK—similar to those I’ve had in Japan, but the texture of the filling still leaned more toward Taiwanese style.

The richest grade of tonkotsu broth was fairly good, and at a level generally acceptable to Taiwanese people, though it was still somewhat inferior to the Japanese version. The thin noodles were just the right portion, and their texture, made with a Taiwanese-style noodle machine, was fine. The whole semi-soft egg was delicious and complemented the dish well.

But the highlight is definitely the thickly sliced char siu—the pork belly flavor is much better than pork loin, melting in your mouth without any fishy smell, and pairing wonderfully with the tonkotsu broth. The satisfaction level was extremely high！

Kawagoe Ramen Taiwan No. 1 Store
FB
Address: 1F, No. 190, Section 2, Fuxing South Road, Da’an District, Taipei City
Phone: 02 2703 7713
Hours: 11:30–14:30, 17:30–21:00

Wisely
A Pisces man who records food, travel, and life,
who enjoys writing about the little moments in everyday life.
Always yearning for the rich and colorful stories of others,
he earnestly documents his own life experiences in his blog,
so that the footprints he’s traveled and explored aren’t just left in his mind.
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