More Raman - Ippudo, Taipei

I was coming back from the Taiwan Beer Garden one night and I stumbled upon an Ippudo. I had to check it out because I usually only get a chance to get some Ippudo Ramen when I'm in NYC and the line is always out the door with a 2+ hour wait. Not so in Taipei. This place was empty. I came in, got a table and ordered the Akamaru Ramen. It was amazing as Ippudo Ramen usually is.

I have tried a number of great Ramen places in Taipei and Ippudo is still one of my favorites. I also learned that Ramen was actually a Chinese dish brought to Japan in the early 1900s. The dish became so popular in Japan and in other parts of the Japanese Empire that Ramen is usually associated with Japan. In addition, because Taiwan was a Japanese territory from 1895 to 1945, Taiwan has a great deal of Japanese influence, including the food and culture. Surprisingly though, the people here don't usually have the same dislike for the Japanese as you find many people in Korea and Mainland China have. I still don't know exactly why that is but there is always more to learn.