A popular ramen shop in Taichung online — rich broth and free noodle refills!

Text & Photos /Orange Dog Loves Sweets

I think it was two or three years ago when Japanese ramen shops started opening branches in Taiwan one after another, sparking a ramen craze. Now it's become a new trend for Taiwanese to open their own ramen shops. Many of them are set up as food stalls, hidden in alleys, or operate as late-night eateries. But after trying a few, you might feel that no matter the shop or location, the dishes all seem mass-produced following a standard operating procedure. That said, Taiwanese-run ramen shops have improved a lot in recent years, and there are also some that put in extra effort to match the standards of Japanese ramen.

In the alleys between XueShi Road and YongXing Street, there’s a ramen shop called 【Ramen Ya Rokka (面屋六花)】 that has been getting a lot of great reviews and recommendations lately. The praise is so overwhelming that you’ll hardly find any negative comments. So out of curiosity, I went there specifically to give it a try.

【Ramen Ya Rokka】 is tucked away in an alley, but you can see its big sign right at the entrance. However, there are two shops at the alley entrance, which are easy to recognize — one is ‘Helniu (狠牛)’ and the other is a container-style shop called ‘Yilou (义楼)’. Once you walk in, the storefront has a bit of that mysterious izakaya vibe. If it weren’t for the “Open” sign hanging on the door, you might not be sure if it’s even in business. But when we came to eat around 1:00 PM, the place was actually pretty busy.

Then a few more customers came in after us, so you can tell it’s really popular. After all, it’s not a brand-new shop. There’s no one to greet you outside, but the way to order is to go inside first to get a number, then purchase a meal ticket from the vending machine.

There are only the owner (back in the kitchen) and the proprietress (front of house), and I found their service quite warm and polite. The shop has about 10 seats, so during peak hours, you’ll probably need to wait a bit. We only waited about five minutes.

I think the interior decor has a pretty nice feel to it, though it somewhat resembles the seating style of a shabu-shabu restaurant — guests sit on both sides, making it easy for staff to walk through the middle and deliver food quickly to each table.

There’s cold water you can pour yourself by the window, but unfortunately, it’s not chilled.

However, this vending machine works a little differently from what I’m used to in Japan. In Japan, you pay first before selecting your meal, but at Rokka, you have to select your meal first and then insert money. Otherwise, it’ll just not respond no matter how much you try to put money in, like I did at first XDThey offer five types of ramen broth, all priced around 200 NT.It’s neither too cheap nor too expensive for ramen.

But you can’t add more pork slices, howeverfree noodle refills are available, but you have to finish your current bowl before asking for more.Also, you probably can’t add more broth, so if you plan to finish your noodles and then add more, I’d suggest not drinking too much of the soup up front!

【Rich Pork Bone Ramen │ 200 NT │ Includes two slices of pork, green onions, black fungus, and a marbled egg】

Since it’s a Taiwanese-run ramen shop, I was worried that the regular pork bone broth wouldn’t be rich or flavorful enough. Thankfully, I went with the ‘Rich’ version, and it was a good choice. It’s not as intense as Japanese pork bone broth, but it’s still quite satisfying. The broth is very thick and creamy, but drinking it leaves a bit of a coating sensation in the throat (though that probably has nothing to do with the richness).

After all, I’ve had even richer broths in Japan without that feeling. Maybe it’s just not to my personal taste. But that doesn’t mean it’s bad — I finished the whole bowl. It’s also quite popular online. The pork slices are lightly seared, and they taste pretty good. The bowl is large, and the portion size, including the noodles, is generous. Though these noodles tend to get soft, which isn’t really my preference — I prefer thinner, firmer noodles. But they’re not bad — even though they soften (and considering my photo time), they don’t turn mushy, and the texture remains decent.

But with the added value of free noodle refills, you can definitely get full. Overall, it’s pretty good value for money. One small detail that sets it apart from other ramen shops is that their “hot bowls” are actually hot to the touch XD. So when it’s served, you can briefly touch the bowl, but don’t hold it continuously unless your hands are as heat-resistant as mine. It’s a thoughtful touch to help keep the soup hot longer, though I rarely see bowls this hot.

【Rokka Soy Sauce Ramen │ 180 NT │ Includes two slices of pork, green onions, black fungus, and a marbled egg】

The soy sauce flavor isn’t particularly unique, but it is a bit cheaper than the others. It’s said to be made with chicken broth, which makes it lighter and more refreshing. However, the soy sauce flavor itself is pretty average. If you just want something to fill you up and aren’t too concerned about the taste, this is an option — and you’ll save about twenty NT.

【Spicy Miso Pork Bone Ramen │ 240 NT │ Includes two slices of pork, green onions, black fungus, and a marbled egg】

The richness is actually quite close to the Rich Pork Bone version, but the spiciness hits you right away. Don’t let the color fool you (I initially thought it was pumpkin soup XD) — it looks mild, but the spice level is quite strong.

The miso flavor in the aftertaste isn’t as prominent, though, and there don’t seem to be options for different spice levels. The heat is probably a bit above mild — somewhere between mild and medium, which should suit most people.

After going home, I took a quick look at their Facebook page, and the reviews are almost overwhelmingly 4 to 5 stars — very popular. The only 3-star review showed that the shop actively sought feedback to understand what the customer didn’t like, which is really good. They put effort into both in-person and online service. It’s not easy to get so many positive reviews, no matter what you’re selling — only early-era Da Hai Ramen might have achieved something similar. But of course, taste is subjective. Here’s a quick summary of my experience to share with everyone.

Ramen Ya Rokka
Address: No. 2, Lane 236, XueShi Road, North District, Taichung City
Phone: NONE
Business hours: 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM + 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Reminder: The shop is closed on Mondays. Remember to get a number first before exchanging your food voucher.

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