Customizable Ramen at Rakumenya

Rakumenya is a chain ramen restaurant we discovered accidentally while looking for a new place to eat near Yongkang Street. Although you can find better food in the area, we liked our ramen and appetizers a lot. What we really appreciated, though, was the service — it was quick and efficient while enabling us to easily customize our orders using touch screens. All things considered, Rakumenya is a great place to drop in for a simple and easy dining experience that doesn’t break the bank!

Rakumenya is built for service and efficiency. It’s clean and simple, with both tables and benches to accommodate groups of various sizes. The restaurant was nearly full when we dropped in on a Saturday afternoon, yet orders were being filled at lightning speed so the turnover was high. We sat down and immediately got to ordering.

The coolest thing about Rakumenya is that every table is equipped with a screen for browsing the menu. You can use it to check out photos and information, select any preferences (broth thickness, noodle type, extra ingredients, etc) and submit your order. Thanks to the English language option, this process is very easy and convenient. You can even choose a code name to assign each order, making it easy to split the bill at the end!

In addition to its dozen different options of ramen, Rakumenya has a variety of small plates, some great looking pork rice bowls, drinks and dessert. We wanted to order more but could only fit so much in our stomachs! Here’s what we chose:

Fried Chicken ($120)

We weren’t expecting much from fried chicken at a ramen restaurant, but this dish far surpassed our expectations. The meat was tender and the skin was so crispy!

Crunchy pot stickers ($60)

These weren’t anything special, but they were good value for the price and made a nice addition to the meal.

Pork Ramen Variations ($200 – $300)

There are a dozen different ramen flavours to choose from, including classic pork, soy sauce, and spicy miso. You can customize the density of the broth (thicker, medium, or lighter), choose the type of noodle (thin or fat), specify how you like the noodles (a bit harder, medium, or a bit softer), choose to exclude certain ingredients, or upgrade to a set with a drink and dessert. We each enjoyed our selections a lot!

Rakumenya doesn’t serve the best ramen in Taipei, nor is it as original as this blue ramen or the creative options at Soba Shinn & 柑橘. However, the great service makes the overall experience a breeze. You can walk in, place your order on the screen, receive your food, and pay your bill within 20 minutes. All things considered, the food is really good value — we enjoyed our meal and would return in the future.

What’s the vibe?

Clean and simple restaurant that focuses on efficient service. Every table is equipped with screens for customizing and placing your order.

Worth it?

You can find better ramen in Taipei, but the great service and relatively low prices make for an easy, quick, and cheap dining experience. It was nice to have the freedom to customize our orders from our table in English and we enjoyed everything we ate!

Would you go back?

We won’t cross the city for it, but if we’re in the area and need an easy and tasty meal, why not?

Last updated November 2019

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