8 flavors to choose from！Taichung’s nighttime-only ramen shop where shrimp roe dances in your mouth

Text and photos by /Feitian Xuan

Anyone who knows Xuan knows I have a deep love for ramen. Whenever I hear about delicious ramen somewhere, I’ll go out of my way, no matter how far or tiring, just to try it. Before I had Little Cherry, I often took high-speed rail with my girl squad on weekends to Taipei just for food, and “ramen” was always one of our must-tries—just see how crazy we were！Lately, since I’ve been traveling to Japan more often, when friends ask me what I want to eat, the first things that pop into my head are “yakiniku” or “ramen”！(It’s that undying true love that never gets old！)

This time, I got an email from the owner of "Ramen Shop Ra0??Kabuki" asking for feedback from people who had tried it. I was surprised that even she, who frequently travels to Japan, sang its praises nonstop—which really piqued my curiosity. I picked a day when I had some free time and asked her to take me there to try it… (I figured if it wasn’t good, I could just give her a little scolding！) "Ramen Shop Ra0??Kabuki" is on Kabuki Street in West District, Taichung. Diagonally across the intersection is the famous “Upward Market,” but "Ramen Shop Ra0??Kabuki" operates in the evening, completely avoiding the market’s business hours—so no chance of grabbing ramen and then strolling through the market here！XD (← Maybe only moms like us would want to check out a market no matter where we go！)

Recently, many ramen shops market themselves as only open late at night, attracting lines of ramen enthusiasts. Though "Ramen Shop Ra0??Kabuki" doesn’t stay open until midnight, it’s still an evening-only spot. If I hadn’t received an invitation from the shop, I wouldn’t have known such a Japanese-style ramen shop was hidden in this alley！But~ parking around here is really tough… I parked my car on Upward Road outside and walked in—it didn’t even take three minutes. Reminder: definitely don’t drive in here, because finding a parking spot is harder than winning the lottery.

The ramen flavors are all listed on the food cart—there are eight in total, and you can also add on soft-boiled eggs, fukumaki (pork pockets), and char siu (pork slices) separately.

This is the fukumaki, floating in the broth, chubby and super cute.

The young owner has a classic old-school look. He and his wife are the only ones working all night long. I only found out from Facebook that the couple often take time off to go to Japan just to try different kinds of ramen and develop new flavors—it’s also like going to Japan for inspiration！

Each bowl is made to order. From boiling the noodles, warming the bowl, scooping the noodles, adding the broth, arranging the toppings… everything is done with practiced ease. You can tell the owner knows what he’s doing and truly enjoys his work！

Before long… a bowl of ramen is ready！Too bad it’s not ours… (Otherwise, what are they even photographing？)

This is the dining area！There are lanterns hanging above—I originally thought it was street-stall style, but it’s actually indoor seating. Nice！That means there’s air conditioning.

There aren’t many seats inside—only four tables in total, which means even when full, it can only accommodate 16 people… (Boss！Not enough seats！)

● 《ET News Cloud》 reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, and don’t drive after drinking.

The interior decor is simple, with a few Japanese-style knick-knacks on display, including even a treasure ship！There’s also sake, though I’m not sure if it’s just for show or for sale.

Suddenly, a cat dashed out. My friend said it’s the shop’s mascot cat—super cute—and she told me to take a picture quickly. Later I learned the cat is female, her name is Nini, but she wouldn’t look at me head-on, which really upset me… (Already crying～)

The ramen comes in original flavor and rich flavor, catering to those who prefer Taiwanese-style or Japanese-style tastes. There are also side dishes and toppings that can be ordered separately, plus… beer and cola！

There’s only shichimi spice on the table, but personally, I usually prefer adding pepper to my ramen.

Iced water… hmm~ very Japanese indeed！No matter how cold it is, you drink iced water！Even during a cold wave.

Black Garlic Ramen – NT$150
Compared to the prices of chain Japanese ramen shops, the ramen here at "Ramen Shop" isn’t particularly expensive, which was actually a pleasant surprise. It comes with black fungus, soft-boiled egg, fukumaki, chopped green onions, and char siu… all kinds of goodies, a full bowl that looks really generous and is clearly made with sincerity！

It features thin noodles, which are my favorite type. The noodles soak up the rich broth, with a texture that’s just right—not too soft, not too hard, and very flavorful.

The fukumaki contains fish roe, and when you bite into it, there’s a satisfying “pop,” plus the texture is juicy and full without being dry or tough.

The soft-boiled egg is one of the soul ingredients of ramen—at least it adds 10 points！

Especially recommend the char siu—the pieces all look pink, and if you didn’t know better, you might mistake them for ham or bacon. The char siu uses lean pork loin, which, while having less marbling, is surprisingly not dry, with a tender and smooth texture, and it’s not overly salty either. The best part is—thickly sliced, it fills your mouth and is super satisfying！

The broth is packed with garlic aroma, with a hint of slight bitterness, making for a very rich and heavy flavor. I can’t say this is a taste everyone will enjoy, but if you’re a fan of authentic Japanese-style ramen, you’ll probably love the flavor of this bowl！

Scallion Oil Ramen – NT$150
This one is highly recommended by my friend who came along—she said she fell in love with it after just one try. Actually, the toppings are pretty similar to the previous bowl—black fungus, soft-boiled egg, char siu, and fukumaki… etc.—it’s just the broth that’s different.

On top is a dollop of scallion paste？(Is that the right term？) Honestly, I thought for a second it was pesto flavor, because I remember a certain famous chain ramen shop also sells pesto-flavored ramen.

This bowl features a pork bone broth base, with scallion oil adding an aromatic touch. It’s not as spicy as you might expect, and the broth is quite rich in flavor—those who enjoy the taste of scallions will likely find it very palatable.

Salt-flavored Shrimp Soup Ramen – $180 NTD
Seeing "shrimp soup" made me think of Japan’s "Ichigen Ramen," but the shrimp flavor in that one is something I can’t quite get used to.

In addition to the usual wood ear mushrooms, ajitsuke tamago (marinated egg), char siu (barbecued pork), and scallions, there’s also a big dollop of shrimp roe in the middle, which looks incredibly vibrant and enticing.

Made with a chicken bone broth base, it’s not as thick or greasy as pork bone broth, making it relatively refreshing. Surprisingly... this bowl of ramen has a very strong "shrimp flavor," yet lacks any of the "fishy taste" I was expecting. The broth actually tastes quite delicious, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well I took to it. My friend, while eating, kept exclaiming, “Wow~ this broth is ‘super shrimpy’!”

The ramen at “Ramen Shop Ra0??Kabuki” turned out to be much better than I expected. The flavors are innovative and unique. Though it’s not a Japanese ramen chain, they’ve managed to create ramen with a very authentic Japanese taste. And considering the price, the quality is right on par—you’re getting the taste of a chain ramen shop at street food prices... I’m pretty picky about my ramen, but “Ramen Shop Ra0??Kabuki” really didn’t disappoint. It doesn’t claim to serve authentic Japanese ramen, yet it definitely has that Japanese flavor down well. PS: To avoid long waits during peak hours, it's less crowded after 9 PM.

Ramen Shop Ra0??Kabuki
FB:https://web.facebook.com/Huamei185
Address: No. 185, Huamei St., West District, Taichung City
Phone: 0928-215430
Business Hours: 18:00–00:00 (Closed on Thursdays; temporary closures will be announced on FB)

Feitianxuan
I use a light-hearted writing style to document my life’s food, fun, joy, and sorrows. Blog、FB