A noodles shop located in southern Taiwan has increased the quality of noodles by introducing “Godzilla Ramen,” where it appears as if the iconic Japanese film icon is about to leap out of the bowl to take you away.
The dish served in Witch Cat Kwai, a restaurant in Douliu City in southern Taiwan, is made with crocodile meat.
The restaurant’s proprietor, who wanted to be referred to only by his first name, Chien, told CNN Travel that the soup was composed of eggs from quail baby corn, pork bamboo shoots dried, black fungus, and cubes made of fish paste. It’s topped off with a crocodile’s leg, specifically, the front leg.
Chien states that due to the difficulty of obtaining legs from crocodiles and creating the meal, just two bowls of Godzilla Ramen can be served daily. Chien costs NTD 1.500 ($50) for each bowl.
The cost of the dish comes from the effort needed to make the dish.
After the leg of a crocodile is cleaned, it’s rub-buffed using alcohol and a blend of spices (ginger, spring onion, and garlic). In the next step, it must be cooked in the signature broth at the restaurant for over two hours. In total, the entire procedure takes around three hours.
“A lot of (customers) say crocodile meat tastes like that of chicken but is more springy, soft and elastic,” Chien explained. “I think it tastes like braised chicken feet.”
Chien’s awe-inspiring concoction was created one month after a Taipei restaurant was a hit for serving Ramen with a huge isopod, the 14-legged crustacean.
In this instance, the dish preparation was far more straightforward. The chef said that he swam the isopod for 10 seconds before adding it to the steaming ramen bowl.
Those who wish to visit Witch Chat Kwai and try the dish themselves must be on the waiting list. At the moment, Chien says, bookings are fully booked until the end of August.
In Taiwan, raising crocodiles and eating them is legal, which aren’t listed by the government as species-protected.
Bloody Marys have been integral to brunch menus for as long as there were. However, a new wave of establishments from New York to Hong Kong is looking to expand their cocktail menus, including delicious drinks that draw inspiration from anything from Waldorf Salad to roasting chicken.
Are you putting the Thai beef salad cocktail on the bar menu simply in an attempt to subvert the norm and distinguish yourself from the crowd? Is there a genuine desire for these kinds of drinks?
Margaret Eby, deputy food editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer, believes that an increase in interest in drinks with a savory flavor is directly related to the rising popularity of mocktails.
“The feedback is that every non-alcoholic standard drink that you get is really sweet,” Eby says. Eby jokes about referring to some savory cocktails as “hard soups.”
She also points out that several essential cocktail ingredients, such as simple syrups and juices, usually have their sweetness balanced by alcohol. However, if you remove the whiskey or vodka, the sweetness is evident much more.
As global price fluctuations cause certain ingredients to be more expensive or difficult to locate, Eby thinks it’s a good habit for bar and restaurant proprietors to diversify their offerings. When it comes to savory cocktails, she claims, “you get to use a lot more of the supermarket than you would necessarily before.”