I suppose the answer will have to come from something of a Nipponphile in order to address this properly, but where can one find authentic Japanese udon or ramen in Taipei which has not been altered to the local palette?
Past answers on the forum come from years ago, and before I go hunting in earnest, I’m looking here first for up-to-date informed responses.
Thanks!
Japanese ramen has many regional variations… so it really depends on which region you are accustomed to, some regions such as Osaka have ramen soup more similar to what you would find in Taiwan.
anyway, not familiar with Taipei’s ramen places, but some said this place has pretty authentic ramen flavors (by that I mean salty):
sofun.tw/tonchin/
It’s probably the same as in the west … where do you find authentic Chinese food … look for a place operated by Japanese and ask for it.
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I probably wouldn’t dare hope one could find a variety of authentic ramen in Taipei, from Kysuhu tonkatsu-style (heavy pork broth) to the lighter, clearer variety favoured in Hokkaido, and a selection of styles in between. That’s expecting much too much from Taiwan, unless we’re talking about settling for wild approximations of these dishes, adjusted to local tastes.
Ippudo is pretty authentic. I’ve been to it several times since they opened their Dunhua branch near Haagen-dazs. Their ramen will not disappoint. 
But be sure you go during off peak hour if you don’t want to wait outside.
Thanks for the 2 recommendations so far…we shall see how these ramen spots fare, and will update afterwards. @hansioux - where is this one you’ve provided a link for? Please direct in English.
Tochin Ramen(屯京拉麵) is at Lane 187 No. No.36 of Dunhua South Road Section 1. (敦化南路1段187巷36號 )
One can reach it from Zhongxiao Dunhua station’s No.1 exit, turn around and walk until you see Lane 181 of Zhongxiao east rd. sect 4, turn into it and you will see 187 lane of Dunhua South Road.
It will also be super busy during peak hours.
I like Naosara’s 尚更 handmade udon. Naosara is named after its owner-chef who is half-Japanese. Established in 1982, this family restaurant located in Hachijo Street八條通 off Zhongshan North Road Section 1 specialises in making Sanuki udon 讃岐うどん, popular in the Shikoku region in Japan. It is characterised by its square shape and flat edges. The new menu (in Japanese & Chinese) is full of photos. taiwanxifu.com/2014/07/31/naosar … made-udon/
I’ve never really been into ramen but in the last year or so I’ve developed a whole new Japanese noodle fetish.
Two favorites are Ippudo and Totto. The flavors, broth soup, and quality are amazing. And this stuff is great during the cooler weather.
Ippudo light noodles.
Totto thicker yellow noodles. Three extra points for good music, trendy atmosphere, and staying open until 4 a.m.
Totto didn’t really do it for me. It’s heavily modified to local tastes imo, and I’ve lived in Japan for a while. I did meet one of the chefs there and he said he was from Okinawa so maybe that’s why I think that.
I did have good luck finding pretty good okonomiyaki however, but the name of the restaurant escapes me at the moment.
I went to the Totto in NYC first and was blown away (whilst I wouldn’t say its super authentic, it was probably the best ramen I’ve ever had). I went to the Taipei one a few months back and whilst good, it is far removed from my NYC experience.
Maybe the new Totto in the Japanese-ish area is more authentic.
Totto Ramen
No. 7, Lane 105, Section 1, Zhongshan North Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei
https://goo.gl/maps/FQpRR5qB1jF2
I didn’t know there was another location, will give it a shot :). Thanks.
Tonchin can be a bit of a wild card.
I’ve heard good things about the 鷹流 ramen joints (serving tonkotsu in Gongguan “Gokujoh” and shoyu in Zhongshan “Ranmaru”) from the FB group 台灣拉麵愛好會
It’s worth joining if you’re really into ramen and can read Chinese. Ramen snobs abound.
This.
I’ve had all of the locations except for the one in Banqiao. I believe there’s four in Taipei?
@tango42 So far, the one located at the corner of Ba De and Yian Ji is the best ramen I’ve ever had in my life. Get the #2.
Since it’s free refills on soup and noodles…it tends to be a long wait. If you see the line wrap sonce, expect at least an hour wait.
Yep. Also, have on hand the exact amount of bills/change to pay for your meal. These places typically have ramen ticket vending machines instead of waiters to take your order.
I was there a few days ago and they allow you to exchange bills with the register. Just ask, the guys there are without emotion, but courteous.
Previously, they did not allow it…probably due to being overwhelmed with people constantly adding noodles/soup.
Another tip, don’t stand in line for your friends that haven’t arrived. The shop only seats 6 and the line is long as it is. Think about it this way, if you’re behind the person that’s about to go in and 2-3 of his friends show up, you now have to wait an extra x0 mins.
PREACH.
In the Taiwanese ramen circles we call this kind of behavior 解壓縮 (literally “decompressing a .zip file” which I think describes it perfectly)
It is universally despised by noodle aficionados and you run the risk of meeting the pissed off ramen kingpin. Do not attempt.
Sounds like a chain gang ring of foodies or worse…ramenites.
When I first started going to the BaDe location, about 2.5 years ago, they had a nice long list of “rules”. Now it’s covered over by their shop sign, but this is still there:
The first year I started going, there was an employee there that was super cool, nice and welcoming. He would talk nonsense with customers and once explained that a fight broke out because people “zip filed” into line. He said, police showed up. It wasn’t pretty. And all because of ramen.
Yes, ramenites have self-combusting tendencies.