CONTRIBUTED BY CALYN PAQUIN

Taiwan Ramen Front
Taiwan Ramen Front

Oishii! That’s what we would say in Japanese when we are eating delicious food in Japan. Now when you eat at Taiwan Ramen House, you can tell the owners who are also the chef and the hostess of the restaurant, “Ho-Ja” which is “delicious” in the Fujian dialect, the most spoken dialect in Taiwan. The couple is Taiwanese but has lived in Okinawa for years. The friendly hostess speaks Chinese, Japanese and English. Their goal is to introduce authentic Taiwanese flavored dishes here in Okinawa. They will be adding more dishes in the future.

Taiwan Ramen Inside
Taiwan Ramen Inside

When I first walked in, I can smell the aroma that reminds me of wanton noodle soup that I’m used to in Singapore and Malaysia. The restaurant is very clean with dark wood flooring and furnishing. They only have booths that seats 4 to 6 people so if you have more than that, you’ll need separate tables. There are also individual counter seat that faces the open kitchen where you can watch the chef at work.

Taiwan Ramen Bar
Taiwan Ramen Bar

Now you would think all they serve are noodles but that is not the case. The extensive menu has pictures of each dish in both Japanese and English. It consists of ramen noodle soups which also come in dried tossed style with many options for toppings ranging from Chinese bbq pork, minced pork, shrimp, tender spare ribs and pig trotters. They also serve many side dishes and one of their most popular dishes is the half crispy chicken Taiwanese style.

Taiwan Ramen Food 1
Taiwan Ramen Food 1

Every noodle dish can be made into a set meal with a bowl of their flavorful broth with 3 fish balls and pickle for 980 yen. If you order the set for any of the side dishes, they come with the same sides plus a bowl of rice topped with minced pork for 1150 yen.

Taiwan Ramen Food 2
Taiwan Ramen Food 2

Our group tried the crispy chicken, tonkatsu (pork cutlet), chicken with lemon sauce, spicy fried shrimp and ramen noodle soup with bbq sliced pork. I went back a few days later and tried their fried rice topped with omelet and minced pork and they were all delicious. They do not have a kids menu but they do have small side dishes like deep fried boneless chicken and rice topped with minced pork for 290 yen each just to name a couple. Everyone at our table loved the deep fried chicken and the sauce they were drizzled with. The prices are very reasonable and the portions are just right. When we were there, the rate they were taking was 80 yen to US$1.

Taiwan Ramen Food 4
Taiwan Ramen Food 4
Taiwan Ramen Food 3
Taiwan Ramen Food 3

Directions: From Foster, take 58 towards Kadena. After you pass ENEOS gas station and Poco a poco, you’ll see Taiwan Ramen House on your left before the GOOD WILL electronics store. If you are coming from Kadena, you will make the U-turn at the traffic lights where ENEOS will be on your right. Parking is right in front of the restaurant.

Hours: 1130 – 2000 daily as of now even though their stamp cards states 1130 – 2400.  Closed Tuesday.

Payment: Yen and dollars accepted. With every visit, you get a stamp on your card. When you get 24 stamps, you get a meal.

Website (Japanese):  www.taiwanramenhouse.com — you can see more pictures of the dishes as well.

Menu:  Click for larger photo

Taiwan Ramen Menu 1
Taiwan Ramen Menu 2
Taiwan Ramen Menu 3
Taiwan Ramen Menu 4

This post was featured in Stripes Okinawa!

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11 COMMENTS

  1. My husband and I have been here more than I can count because we love the hearty, spicy flavours of the soup broths and dishes. The restaurant owner/hostess explained that she uses only the freshest ingredients, whole meats roasted and sliced in the kitchen, and the broths are made from scratch (all meat based). This place is not friendly to vegetarian diners, but very friendly to meat eaters, garlic, and spicy foodies. She also changes/adds items to the menu periodically to introduce foods unique to Taiwan. She also emphasized that she uses vegetable oils in the dishes – “no trans- fat.” I love this place, and I also love the teas they serve. I have not had the experience the negative reviewers speak of. So decide for yourself and give this place a try!

  2. My family and I have been here on several occasions and we absolutely love the place for the cleanliness, superb hospitality, and delicious food. We haven’t been disappointed on a dish yet! We’ve enjoyed the place enough to bring visiting family members from CONUS here. They loved it too. I’m kind of surprised by the negative reviews and that’s why I wanted to put a different spin on a great restaurant. I highly recommend If you’re on the fence for eating at Ho-Ja, go eat there and find out for yourself. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

  3. Unfortunately, I will not be back. I got sick after eating here. My stomach is still feeling queasy. The restaurant is nice though and the hostesses were very nice to us. My son — who is a stick rice craze — barely ate theirs. I think the soy sauce was old or something but it did not taste to good.

  4. As Taiwanese, I looked forward to this restaurant opening just within walking distance of where I live. I went to have dinner there within a week of their opening and I was disappointed with what I was served.

    Almost every dish that we ordered, whether it be the vegetables, or the wonton, or the noodles — are covered with “rou-lo” / ground pork stew (GPS). GPS isn’t bad ~ it’s cheap to make and it tastes pretty great on rice … usually; however, their version of GPS is a nasty brown goop that’s formless, shapeless, and drenched in fat. The meat is so minced and there is so much fat in the GPS, it’s almost sewage like in my opinion.

    They can do better… and maybe they have changed since they opened, but I haven’t gone back.

  5. We love Ho_ja and have been there several times. The owner is Taiwanese and can speak both taiwanese and mandarin. The food tastes fresh and authentic. We’ve always been promptly seated and time from order to food on our table is short.

    Great place for a quick bite to eat and easily accessible for Kadena/Lester/Foster.