Hsinchu's New Eagle Flow Japanese Ramen Shop Lets You Customize Broth Strength & Noodle Firmness

Text & Photos /Sir San Gao

A new Eagle Flow-style ramen shop opened in Hsinchu late last year. Of the original Eagle Flow branches, I’ve only been to the Taipei Takadanobaba location and the now-closed Oni, while I once walked past the Zhongshan branch of Ranmaru but didn’t go in. On the second-to-last day of my holiday, I checked the shop’s Facebook and saw they were open, so I came to try it. When I arrived, I found out they use a reservation system, and there were quite a few young people there.

The shop is located on Beimen Street near City God Temple. I’ve eaten at most of the eateries along this stretch, though I’ve probably been to Old Huang’s next to Mianwu Hao the most (maybe three times?). In any case, it’s still an area I don’t usually come to for food. They open at 5:30 PM, and when I went to put my name down, I calculated that I’d have to wait for three rounds—just 12 seats in total—so I went for a stroll nearby. I came back at 7:00 PM and waited another half hour. I’ve never waited this long just for ramen before, but since I was already committed, I stuck it out.

The broth comes in two types: clear and rich. I ordered the Clear Soup Scallion Ramen (NT$210) and the Rich Soup Special SP (NT$300). For flavor intensity, I chose “Japanese taste,” and for noodle firmness, I picked “hard.” When I took a bite, the noodles were a bit softer than my preferred firmness—someone like J, who dislikes hard noodles, would probably find them too hard. If you like your noodles really firm, you can specifically request that. (I heard someone ask for “extra hard.”)

The scallions in the Clear Soup Scallion Ramen were fairly fresh and moist. The clear broth had less oil, with a stronger seafood flavor than soy sauce, and the saltiness was fairly moderate. There was a slight sweetness at the end. The first few sips of the broth were nice, but it got a bit monotonous later on—my personal preference leans more toward soy sauce-based broths with more distinct and varied flavors.

The SP bowl had a very classic Eagle Flow style, with the chashu laid out around the edge of the bowl. It included medium-pink, slightly chewy sous-vide chashu in the middle and larger pieces that were grilled. The meat quality was pretty average, making it more suitable if you just want to eat a lot of meat straightforwardly.

The rich soup, made with pork back fat, had excellent thickness, and the balanced soy sauce and pork bone flavors weren’t bland at all. The sauce clung well to the curly noodles, making the flavors even more well-rounded and appetizing. You can also get an extra serving of noodles for free.

I almost forgot about the soft-boiled egg at the bottom—it was quite runny when cut open. I liked the rich soup much more than the clear one. If it’s not too crowded, I might consider coming back, though it seems unlikely for a while.

Mianwu Hao
Address: No. 87, Beimen Street, North District, Hsinchu City
Business Hours: 5:30 PM–9:00 PM (until sold out)

Savoring Taiwan, One Bite at a Time – Documenting Delicious Journeys
Sir San Gao’s Food Adventures　Sir San Gao’s Fan Page