Takau Ramen (獺鯌拉麵) — a must-visit for ramen lovers in Yancheng, Kaohsiung

Yancheng District is packed with great food, but when I'm craving ramen, the first place that comes to mind is Takau Ramen (獺鯌, pronounced "ta-kau"). The name is a bit of a tongue-twister, but the restaurant is well worth repeat visits. It has a 4.4-star Google rating and sits right at the heart of the Yancheng sightseeing area (Google Maps link), which makes it super convenient. The noodles are wonderfully chewy, the meat is firm and satisfying, and the broth holds its own against the big-name ramen chains. Best of all, while a bowl of ramen easily costs two to three hundred elsewhere, here you can get a high-quality bowl for under NT$200 — highly recommended.

They only serve dinner (17:30~22:30), so don't come at lunchtime. No reservations — everyone lines up on-site — and there's a restroom, which is really convenient for customers.

  • Recommendation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Dining environment: ⭐⭐⭐
  • Food: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Typical spend: about NT$150~NT$250 per person
  • Google rating: 4.4 stars
Takau Ramen

Takau Ramen: Location & Transportation

Takau Ramen sits at the corner of Daren Road and Qixian 3rd Road (Google Maps link). It's a bit of a walk from hotspots like Pier-2, KW2 Warehouse and the Great Harbor Bridge, but the surrounding blocks are Yancheng's food central, and nearby Xinle Street is the famous "milk tea street". It's about a 5-minute walk from Yanchengpu MRT station and about 5 minutes from the Shoushan Park light rail stop. There's plenty of parking along Qixian 3rd Road, or you can park at the Yancheng multi-story parking garage and walk over. If you come by scooter, there's scooter parking right at the door — probably the most convenient option!

Takau Ramen location map

Takau Ramen: Dining Environment & Menu

The basic tonkotsu and shoyu ramen start at NT$150, with several spicy options as well, plus side dishes and drinks you can add on. Overall it's very budget-friendly — compared with the NT$250~300 a bowl you'd pay elsewhere, this is a genuine bargain.

Takau Ramen menu
▲Menu

The dining space is roomy and clean, with a restroom at the back. Drinks and side dishes are self-serve, and there's air conditioning!! All in all it's a pretty comfortable place to eat, though it can feel a little cramped when it gets busy.

Takau Ramen interior
▲The dining area is fairly spacious, but there are only two four-person tables — you may need to wait for a seat when it's busy
Takau Ramen dining environment
▲Clean and tidy dining space
Takau Ramen kimchi
▲Self-serve kimchi, Calpis, cola and mineral water

Takau Ramen: Tonkotsu Ramen｜Spicy Red Sauce Ramen

The noodles have great chew, and the torched chashu is incredibly fragrant — and you get three slices! The bowl also comes with chopped scallions, wood ear mushroom and a soft-boiled egg, and the broth is rich and tasty. The flavors run on the strong side, so if you prefer lighter food you may not finish the soup.

The chashu is seared with a blowtorch, so it tastes a lot like barbecued meat rather than the usual slow-braised, melt-in-your-mouth chashu. It's a different texture — firmer, meatier — and very much worth trying.

Takau Ramen bowl
▲Tonkotsu ramen
Takau Ramen bowl
▲Spicy red sauce ramen
Takau Ramen bowl
▲The chashu has more bite — not the soft, tender Japanese style; the meat is firmer
Takau Ramen torched chashu
▲The chashu is seared with a blowtorch — incredibly fragrant

Takau Ramen: Shop Information

If you're keen to explore more Kaohsiung food, head over to my Kaohsiung food articles (Chinese)! And if you're a ramen fanatic, I also recommend the nearby Menya Chongsheng (麵屋重生) (Chinese) and Ebisoba Ichigen (一幻拉麵) (Chinese)!