Crocodile ramen is Taiwan’s latest food fad
A bowl of Witch Cat Kwai's Godzilla Ramen is pictured here.
By Lilit Marcus and Wayne Chang, CNN
Taipei (CNN) — A noodle shop in southern Taiwan has upped the ante by creating “Godzilla Ramen,” where it looks like the famous Japanese movie icon is about to crawl out of the bowl and grab you.
The dish, served at Witch Cat Kwai, a restaurant in Douliu City in southern Taiwan, features crocodile meat.
The restaurant’s owner, who asked to be identified only by his surname, Chien, told CNN Travel that the soup is comprised of quail eggs, pork, baby corn, dried bamboo shoots, black fungus and cubes of fish paste, topped with a crocodile leg – specifically, a front one.
Chien adds that due to the challenge of getting crocodile legs and the difficulty of making the dish, only two bowls of Godzilla Ramen can be served per day. He charges NTD 1,500 ($50) per bowl.
Part of the cost comes from the amount of work required to create the dish.
After the crocodile leg is cleaned, it is rubbed with alcohol and a mix of spices (ginger, garlic and spring onion). Subsequently, it needs to be braised in the restaurant’s signature broth for two hours. Altogether, the whole process takes about three hours.
“A lot of (customers) say crocodile meat tastes like that of chicken but is more springy, soft and elastic,” Chien said. “I think it tastes like braised chicken feet.”
Chien’s attention-getting concoction comes just one month after a Taipei restaurant went viral for serving ramen topped with a giant isopod, a 14-legged crustacean.
In that case, though, the dish preparation was much simpler – the chef reported that he steamed the isopod for ten minutes before adding it to the top of the steaming bowl of ramen.
Guests who want to make the trek to Witch Chat Kwai and try the dish themselves will need to join the waiting list. Currently, Chien says, bookings are full through late August.
In Taiwan, it’s legal to farm and eat crocodiles that are not designated as protected species.
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