It’s also a battleground—5 popular Japanese ramen shops in Taipei’s Tōdō commercial district

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Among the top 50 most delicious ramen shops selected by the Japanese food website “Tabelog,” Menya Itto, ranked 3rd, has confirmed its first Taiwan branch will open in Zhongshan District, Taipei. This area, the Tōdō commercial district, is home to many Japanese eateries, including Japanese ramen. For example, the first Ippudo in Taiwan opened here, and Menya Musashi Kumayama and Tonkotsu Ramen, which have experimental kitchens on the second floor, are also located here. As for the highly-rated spicy miso ramen Oni Kinboshi, although it’s behind Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, it’s actually not far from the Tōdō commercial district.


▲ Menya Musashi Kumayama’s signature ippon ramen with super-sized chashu. (Photo provided by Xiao Hu’s Dream Food Net)

Menya Musashi Kumayama
The earliest two branches of Menya Musashi in Taiwan are one at Tiger Roar in Dong District, and the second is at Kumayama in the Tōdō commercial district of Zhongshan District. Kumayama is considered the headquarters for Menya Musashi’s noodle production, with the second floor serving as their experimental kitchen where ramen flavors are developed and adjusted. The most iconic ramen here is the ippon ramen, featuring super-sized slices of chashu.

Address: No. 18, Lane 121, Section 1, Zhongshan N. Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2542-8222


▲ Tonkotsu Ramen. (Photo by Huang Shiyuan)

Tonkotsu Ramen Zhongshan Branch
Tonkotsu Ramen is a ramen brand from Tokyo, Japan. In 2011, it expanded to Taiwan. Their noodles are handmade medium-thick curly noodles. The broth is made primarily from pork bones and flavored with soy sauce. Service is a key focus for Tonkotsu Ramen, and many customers are quite satisfied with the quality of service.

Address: No. 141, Section 1, Zhongshan N. Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2562-5066


▲ Ippudo’s Special Shiro-chan Ramen. (Photo provided by Orange Dog Who Loves Candy)

Ippudo Zhongshan Main Store
The Zhongshan store is the first “Ippudo” in Taiwan. It offers a relaxing and comfortable space where customers can feel at ease any time they visit. The color scheme uses the signature red and white of its two most popular ramens. Founded in 1985 and originating from Fukuoka, Ippudo’s biggest feature is its “pork bone X pork bone” double soup base. Two types of pork bones—one from the head and one from the shank—are simmered separately for up to 14 hours. The two broths are then blended using a unique method to create the signature pork bone soup. Main ramen options at Ippudo include Shiro-chan Ramen, Akamaru Ramen, Nikumiso Ramen, and Hakata Tsukemen.

Address: 1F, No. 85, Section 1, Zhongshan N. Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2562-9222


▲ Zhe Mian Linkou Store. (Photo by Huang Shiyuan)

Zhe Mian Linkou Store
Zhe Mian was founded in Tokyo in 2006 but brings Kyushu-style pork bone ramen to perfection. In its 11 years since establishment, this popular ramen shop has opened over 30 locations across Japan. Its broth is made by simmering pork and chicken bones for more than 10 hours, then adding vegetables and pork back fat. It delivers a rich pork bone flavor with a refreshing taste, enhanced by black sesame oil. Initially, Zhe Mian offered ramen for just ¥100, but the Linkou store has since raised prices—the cheapest small bowl of pork bone ramen is now ¥150.

Address: No. 151, LinSen N. Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2531-4009


▲ Spicy and numbing miso ramen. (Photo by Badou Yao)

Spicy Miso Ramen Oni Kinboshi Zhongshan Store
A direct branch from a Tokyo ramen shop, its broth is based on fish and pork bones, and only one flavor—spicy miso—is offered. Spice levels include none, slight, regular, standard, extra, and “ghost extra,” while numbness levels follow the same scale. Choosing “ghost extra” requires an additional ¥30 each for spicy ghost extra and numbness ghost extra. The Zhongshan store only sells ramen, while the Taipei flagship store only serves tsukemen.

Zhongshan Store
Address: No. 35, Lane 2, No. 19, Chang’an W. Rd., Taipei City
Phone: Not that we won’t tell you the number, but there really isn’t one installed (according to the official Facebook page).

Taipei Main Store
Address: 1F, No. 92, Zhongshan N. Road, Taipei City