The world’s first gender-based ramen & Taiwan’s top 5 must-try new ramen shops

By MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team

In recent years, many well-known Japanese dining brands have continuously entered the Taiwanese market, with ramen being the most talked-about gourmet topic. In the first half of 2017, numerous new brands have set up branches in Taiwan, ranging from the popular Ippudo to Michelin-starred establishments, sparking a major shake-up in online ramen rankings. Below is a list of the top five most discussed newly opened flagship ramen shops across Taiwan. Travelers may use this as a reference to plan a ramen tasting journey.

1. Morizumi Ramen by Morizumi Yasuji
 
The Michelin-chef legendary ramen “Morizumi Ramen by Morizumi Yasuji” has opened in Taipei’s East District at SOGO Zhongxiao. It mainly offers three types of broth: soy sauce, plum salt, and spicy miso. The noodles are made using domestically produced Japanese wheat flour and Australian wheat flour, with the alkaline water imported from Hokkaido, Japan, to preserve the chef’s original recipe and present it authentically in Taiwan.

Known as the “Ichiro Suzuki of the Japanese ramen world,” ramen craftsman Morizumi Yasuji is a Michelin-starred chef with great charismatic appeal and the world’s first Japanese ramen chef to earn a star. He has a large fan base in Japan and is renowned for his elegant and delicious culinary style.

2. Ippudo Ramen
 
The first Ippudo Ramen shop in Taiwan, located on Songren Road in the Xinyi shopping district, not only welcomes guests 24 hours a day but also brings the authentic “crimson secret sauce” directly to Taiwan. It also introduced the world’s first “flavor concentration seating” and extra noodle system to Taiwan.

To ensure excellent dining quality and optimal noodle condition, Ippudo Ramen stipulates that noodles must be served to customers within 15 seconds after preparation. Therefore, the distance between the kitchen and the seating area is specially designed to deliver every bowl precisely on time.