The runaway hit ramen truck makes appearances in Kaohsiung — slurp up ramen with steak slices bigger than your face

Text & photos byShadow

The Fengyuan Fufu Ramen mobile truck, which had people lining up deep into the night not long ago, gained fame for its ramen topped with steak slices larger than a human face. Now, this wildly popular mobile ramen venture has opened a branch in Kaohsiung. Though it operates as a storefront, it retains the essence of the original — a modified van parked right at the shop entrance, where all the noodle cooking is done. It’s definitely an unconventional way to run a restaurant.

The dining area is open-concept and fairly spacious, decorated simply like a casual eatery, but with air conditioning installed. That said, without doors, some cool air does escape — though with the weather not as scorching as it was in June or July, it still feels comfortable inside, without being too stuffy.

The kitchen is quite basic and fully open, much like a street-side food stall. Large vats hold the ramen broth, staying true to the style of the Fengyuan branch.

Next to the stove is a grill, where sits the soul of the ramen — and the key ingredient that made this place blow up. Whether it’s pork ribs or options like Thor, Ghost Claw, or Shield Ramen, each gives ramen a whole new definition.

I actually have a lot of respect for the creativity of using steak slices as the main meat in ramen. Most ramen just comes with sliced pork, so I’d never imagined ramen could be done in such an alternative way — it’s really eye-opening.

Aside from those few more unique ramen varieties, the shop also offers more traditional flavors, typically priced around a hundred Taiwan dollars or so.

As for the more unusual ramen options, you can refer to the menu, which includes photos and prices.

They’ve also thoughtfully labeled the characteristics of different broths to help customers choose, and the owner is very helpful in explaining how things work to diners — so it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out how to order here.

Pork Rib Ramen – NT$350

It’s seriously over the top — an entire slab of pork ribs plunked right on top of the ramen bowl. Is the rib the star? Or is it the ramen? The shop provides paper plates so you can set the ribs aside, along with plastic gloves for easier eating. The ribs I had that day didn’t taste sweet or savory enough — especially since the meat inside wasn’t very well marinated.

Once you move the ribs aside, you can finally see the ramen as it’s meant to be — with bamboo shoots, shredded wood ear fungus, shredded cabbage, corn, garlic crisps, white sesame seeds, and a marbled egg.

The pork bone broth has a rich and thick flavor. While it may not be authentically Japanese, it’s still pretty good.

Thor Ramen – NT$530

Put Thor Ramen next to the pork ribs, and you’ll immediately see who’s bigger. When Thor shows up, I can only describe my expression as wide-eyed in shock — is that steak slab way too huge? I didn’t even know where to start eating it.

It’s not even as big as the paper plate. The Thor steak has more flavor than the pork ribs, though it might be a bit too thick, so the seasoning doesn’t quite penetrate all the way. But there’s so much of it, even my big-eating husband couldn’t finish it and had to take leftovers home.

Once you move Thor aside, here’s what the miso ramen looks like. It has the same ingredients as the pork bone ramen, but the broth is miso-based, using miso from Hokkaido. My husband said the flavor is stronger, but I felt the miso was slightly saltier than the pork bone broth, though the overall mouthfeel isn’t as heavy.

The thin noodles have a pretty standard texture. Overall, the ramen flavor is a blend of Japanese and Taiwanese styles, and you can get free refills on the broth.

It’s impressive how this place started as a street vendor, gained popularity, and then caught media attention. The creativity of the owners is truly what made this happen. Taiwanese people are really amazing — always coming up with weird yet attention-grabbing ideas. Friends in Kaohsiung no longer need to envy their friends in Taichung — now you can get steak slices bigger than your face right here in Fengshan. Meat lovers, quickly gather your crew and go check it out.

Address: No. 135, Wenbin Road, Fongshan District, Kaohsiung City
Map:https://goo.gl/maps/6A1vypSJ3MR2
Phone: 0906-043669
Hours: 11:00–21:30 (extended to midnight Fri–Sat), until sold out

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