Taoyuan’s Japanese-Korean Style Ramen Shop – Limited to 20 servings daily: Black Pork Ribs Ramen

Text & Photos byPaine Little Dot

I just happened to notice this Akatora Late-Night Ramen shop while out eating a few days ago. It originally started in Taichung. After doing some online research, I found out it’s a Japanese-Korean style ramen shop — pretty interesting. Considering the reasonable prices, I definitely had to give it a try.

Akatora Late-Night Ramen just opened today.

They cook the ramen under the arcade, so you can watch the process of grilling the ribs/skewers. The staff said they only make 20 servings of black pork ribs ramen per day!!! But — I arrived around 5:30 PM and still managed to get two servings. There were already quite a few people ahead of me, and I think they must’ve made more than 20.

The lighting inside the shop is really dim!! Yuki kept complaining that her eyes hurt XD

The lighting was too dark, plus I’m not familiar with my new camera, so taking pictures wasn’t easy.

Caramel Egg, NT$50
This one was for the kid — he likes the crispy caramel texture.

Duck Egg, NT$60
This is what I ordered — for an adult palate. Next to it is mustard mayo, which pairs nicely without making the egg and duck meat overly sweet.

There’s seaweed in the middle of the egg. One piece is quite big, and I thought it was pretty tasty.

Grilled Pork Belly, NT$50

This was super delicious — my favorite side dish. Aside from the grilled aroma, the excess fat is rendered out, so it doesn’t feel greasy at all. Plus, they added a spice (sorry, forgot the name), which gave it a really unique flavor.

Akatora Original Ramen, NT$120 — you only see the noodles if you add extra.

I was pretty surprised to see the copper pot at first. This shop really gives Japanese ramen a Korean twist. This one was for the kid — the flavor is just right for kids, and it’s not spicy either. The skewered chicken and rice cakes were also well-received. (The rice cakes again show some Korean influence.)

I ordered the Black Pork Ribs Ramen, NT$120, no extra noodles, so you can’t see the noodles. If you have a big appetite, definitely get extra noodles. You can also see some Korean influence from the slice of cheese.

After adding a slice of cheese, the broth became richer in flavor. I’d say compared to a standard pork bone broth, this one is a bit lighter — not as oily, and you don’t really get a strong pork bone taste. The shop says it’s pork bone broth though.

I personally felt it was more like a Taiwanese-style ramen broth, which reminded me of the famous ramen shops in Zhongli/Taoyuan — affordable ramen but with a Taiwanese flavor profile. As for the noodles, I’d say they’re okay — not amazing, but not bad either.

For just NT$120, getting a rib like that — I really felt “that’s enough!” The price is totally worth it. The ribs are delicious, I’m serious. The grilling is just right, the meat is tender, and there’s the aroma from the grilled fat. I could eat two of them.

Halfway through the meal, I found there was actually a rice cake. The rice cake was just okay.

Verdict: I’d say the value for money is just right. The ribs and grilled pork belly are the main reasons I’d come back. My friend and I had eaten a Taiwanese-style ramen place in Linkou not long ago at a similar price, but it was “super bad.” In comparison, Akatora at the same price point, I thought, was pretty good (it’s all relative). I’d definitely recommend giving it a try — it gets pretty busy, and there might be a line if you go too late.

Akatora Late-Night Ramen – Taoyuan Branch
Official Fan Page
Address: No. 9, Section 1, Daye Rd., Taoyuan District
Phone: 03 337 9368
Business Hours: 16:45 – 23:45
Latitude & Longitude:25.003355, 121.318770
How to get there: Parking is available at "Sanmin Sports Park," just a three-minute walk from there.

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