Taipei Eats #2: Taiyou no Tomato

The first time I heard of Taiyou no Tomato was during my time as an exchange student in Tokyo. One of my professors recommended the place as it was near the university, and that it was the one place to try Tomato Cheese Ramen. I was pretty skeptical at first, because psh, Tomato Cheese Ramen? The tomato part, I can still comprehend, but the cheese? Not so much. Still, I ended up trying it out and when I did, I knew it was going to be one of those things I would surely miss once I left Tokyo.



As luck would have it, a branch recently opened in Taipei, right beside Taipei Main Station. I was ecstatic when I came across the place and dragged my dad along with me. There are quite a lot of other choices in the menu, but of course we ended up getting the signature Tomato Cheese Ramen. Though it may seem like buying an extremely soupy bowl of spaghetti, all it takes is one sip of the broth to find that it is anything but. The broth is rich, hearty, and wonderfully flavored. The savory, yet slightly tart flavor of tomatoes is brought out to its best, and complemented well by the generous helping of cheese. The grilled chicken also works really well with the broth, and I thought, made a much better choice than if they added pork.


They don't skimp on the servings too, and I rarely ever manage to finish one entire bowl by myself. In fact, whenever I know that I'm going to end up eating at Taiyou no Tomato, I make sure to work up an appetite. But on the off-chance I end up finishing all the noodles and am still a bit hungry, I order a bowl of risotto to which I add the leftover broth.  Trust me, you wouldn't want to let a single drop of that soup go to waste.


There are some side dishes available, but I often end up opting for the chicken karaage and the kimchi. Karaage for the simple reason that it is just impossible to pass up the chance to have really good fried chicken. The Karaage from Taiyou no Tomato is always perfectly seasoned and cooked. Nice and juicy – none of that overcooked, dry chicken. And Kimchi because ever since I've acquired the taste for it, it seems to round out a meal well.


More than just an amazing foodie experience, trying this out again brought a hint of nostalgia and fond memories from one of the best experiences in my life.

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