Taiwan Ramen: A Specialty of Nagoya, Japan, not Taiwan

People who don’t know Taiwan Ramen may guess that it is a noodle dish from Taiwan as the county name is included in the ramen name. But Taiwan Ramen is food that originated in Nagoya, Japan.

Taiwan Ramen (台湾ラーメン)

• Specialty Foods called “Nagoya Meshi”
• What is Taiwan Ramen?
• Popular Taiwan Ramen Restaurants in Nagoya

Specialty Foods called “Nagoya Meshi”

The largest city in Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya prides itself on its specialty foods called “Nagoya Meshi (名古屋メシ)”, which include Taiwan Ramen and the dishes listed below.

• Miso Nikomi Udon (味噌煮込みうどん): Udon noodles stewed in a miso-based soup
• Hitsumabushi (ひつまぶし): A rice bowl dish topped with bite-sized pieces of grilled eel brushed with a soy sauce-based sauce
• Tebasaki (手羽先): Sweet and spicy fried chicken wings
• Ogura Toast (小倉トースト): Toast on which butter and sweet red bean paste are spread

What is Taiwan Ramen?

“Taiwan Ramen (台湾ラーメン)” originated at a Taiwanese restaurant located in the city of Nagoya. By the way, in Taiwan, Japan’s Taiwan Ramen seems to be available by the name of “Nagoya Ramen”.

Taiwan Ramen is a spicy, addictive bowl of noodle soup featuring a punch of plenty of garlic.

Ingredients, such as ground pork, Chinese chives, green onions, and soybean sprouts, are first fried in a wok, spiced with red chili pepper and garlic.

Then a soy sauce-based broth is added, and the soup is poured onto a bowl of boiled noodles.

Popular Taiwan Ramen Restaurants in Nagoya

There are many ramen restaurants that specialize in Taiwan Ramen in Nagoya. For those who are planning to do some sightseeing in the city, here are 3 especially famous Taiwan Ramen restaurants.

Misen (味仙)

Image: Yahoo Blog mana_big

“Misen (味仙)” (Google Map) is the Taiwanese restaurant in Nagoya known as the originator of Taiwan Ramen whose first Taiwanese owner created the dish in the 1970s.

Their Taiwan Ramen is garlicky using lots of red chili pepper. But that makes the noodle soup addictive. Another recommended dish is Tebasaki, sweet, spicy fried Chicken wings.

Misen has branches in JR Nagoya Station and Chubu Centrair International Airport. They are easy to access for tourists who are interested in Taiwan Ramen.

Nagoya (なご家)

Image: Yahoo Blog novil777

Also recommended for tourists, “Nagoya (なご家)” is a popular ramen restaurant with many repeat customers located in JR Nagoya Station.

Topped with plenty of red chili oil, the broth of their Taiwan Ramen is chicken-based featuring the kick from red chili pepper, ground pork, and garlic.

Fujiichiban (藤一番)

Image: Rakuten Blog ryohanmura

“Fujiichiban (藤一番)” is a ramen chain with many locations in Aichi Prefecture. Although at first glance their Taiwan Ramen looks like a bowl of Shoyu ramen, it’s a little spicy, well-seasoned, delicious bowl.

(Reference Page: Wikipedia 台湾ラーメン )