In the latest move to present a peculiar ramen dish in Taiwan, a local noodle shop is serving customers a whole crocodile leg in a bowl of ramen.
About the dish: On June 21, the Taiwanese eatery Nu Wu Mao Kuei (女巫貓葵) took to Facebook to introduce the limited-edition dish “Coolzilla Crocodile Fish Ramen,” which comes with monstrous-looking crocodile foot.
According to the shop’s owner, the crocodiles come from a farm in Taitung. The ramen, which has usual ramen toppings such as bamboo shoots, baby corn and eggs, also contain over 40 spices in its spicy “witch soup.”
The unusual dish sells for 1,500 New Taiwan dollars (approximately $48) per bowl. Diners who are interested in tasting the crocodile ramen have to pre-order the dish two or three days prior.
The noodle shop located in Douliu City, Yunlin County, is reportedly charging 100 NT dollars (approximately $3) for food-wastage in order to prevent customers from ordering the dish merely for photo ops.
Reactions: Although many netizens have since expressed their interest in trying the dish, those who have tried it have mostly been vloggers.
According to one woman who found the dish delicious, the steamed crocodile leg resembles chicken, while its braised meat is similar to the taste of pork feet.
However, other netizens have also expressed their disgust and fear of the unusual ramen ingredient.
“This is a little scary,” one Facebook user said.
“I’m a little uncomfortable,” another commented.
Hopping on a trend: The crocodile dish is not the first unique ramen to recently go viral in Taiwan, as the bold efforts of many local restaurants apparently seeking to present strange and unique twists on ramen has sparked a mix of intrigue, disgust and controversy from local and international onlookers.
In May, Taipei-based restaurant The Ramen Boy went viral for serving a ramen bowl topped with a steamed giant isopod.
Earlier this month, the trend was followed by durian tonkotsu ramen served at a Japanese restaurant in Kaohsiung and frog ramen introduced at Yuan Ramen in Yunlin.
