樂麵屋 - Rakumenya Ramen

Address: (Store Visited) No.10, Lane.83, Sec.1, Daan Rd, Daan District. Taipei 台北市大安路一段83巷 10號

Telephone: (02)8772-8159

Hours: 11:30AM-10:00PM daily. (arrive before 9:40 for last orders)

When I think of ramen, my mind usually turns to a boiling pot of reddish liquid that someone is gingerly stirring as the rest of us somehow try to manage our drunkenness.  Maybe ramen was never intended to be consumed as such, but that's what top ramen and cup o' noodles have done to the reputation of ramen across college campuses throughout the world.
It doesn't have to be this way.  You can consume better ramen that what comes in prepackaged foil, believe me.. I've seen it with my very own eyes.
I was itching to try out the ramen here in Taipei, and after doing a bit of research, settled on 樂麵屋 - Rakumenya Ramen as the guinea pig of my ramen tasting experiments.  Because of sheer proximity to Japan (the home of ramen) I blindly assumed that these noodle dishes must be superior to what I've had so far back in America.  Let's see how correct I was or wasn't.

Chicken Cucumber Miso salad.  Nice fresh flavors.

Thank goodness I didn't meander into here by myself.  You start off by filling out a form listing the thickness and hardness of the noodles you prefer, as well as making other choices such as soup bases.  This is a good option to be certain, as you can turn the same choice of ramen into something completely different with each visit as you mix and match with the different flavors.  

If you are a first time visitor, the servers will take some time to help you along.  At any point during your meal, you can also request for an extra bowl of noodles without any extra cost.  Just be sure to leave some soup in your bowl before you do.  The extra bowl of noodles only comes in one form (thin noodles cooked al dente), but hey, I wasn't about to complain.

Based on the type of ramen and soup base, it will range from 180-250NT for a bowl of ramen.  

 Pork Gyoza.  Nothing special.  Perfectly decent to consume.

They have a variety of fried good and other sides.  

There are multiple 樂麵屋 - Rakumenya Ramen's throughout the city, and I imagine you'll run into the same issues that we had during our Friday night visit.  There was a throng of people huddled outside the door, which can really mean only one thing.. time to wait for food.  Possibly one of the worst things ever when your hungry.  The wait was about 20-30 minutes, but they write down your phone number, so you can wander a bit if you wish.  Good thing about Ramen shops is that they produce their food relatively quickly so even with a longish queue, it moves briskly and soon you can be one of the people sitting inside while snickering at the ones outside.

I went with thick/harder noodles as my options.  I am led to believe that the Japanese prefer their noodles harder, while the people here prefer the noodles a bit softer.  I loved the broth as it was a little on the thick side and the consistency of it was amazing.  For my own tastes, it wasn't too salty, but quite perfect, but I can understand how some people might think it be a little on the salty side.  Just make sure you choose your options to your own personal tastes and you probably can't go wrong.

It was a large bowl, and with the extra heaping of noodles, it is enough to satiate almost anyone.  The extra little spices and vegetables just increase the flavor of the broth, and of course the sliced pork was tender and a staple of many a ramen dish.

Although it might look like it'd burn a hole in your tongue, the spicy broth really wasn't all that spicy.  The flavor profile really was relatively similar.  My friend went with softer/broad noodles.  I had a taste of both, and its my preference to go with the non spicy soup base.  I think the flavor of the broth is more distinct in that dish, and isn't overwhelmed by the spicy flavor.  

On the whole, I was very satisfied with the ramen at 樂麵屋 - Rakumenya Ramen.  As you can judge from my previous comments, I found that everything was done right and the atmosphere of the store was lovely.  The wood paneling is a nice touch, and the store comes equipped with the customary Japanese cat calls as you enter, leave and order.  But (there always is one) we are still dealing with ramen here.  

I am not discrediting the art of making a fantastic bowl of noodles, but when compared to something a little more sophisticated, it is sometimes difficult to judge how truly great a bowl of ramen is.  Even when it is done as well as 樂麵屋 - Rakumenya Ramen does it, I imagine there are many places that produces similar quality product.

But that really is a discussion for another time.  Just realize that if you want a good, filling bowl of noodles, then 樂麵屋 - Rakumenya Ramen should be high on your list of destinations.  The customization of your noodle bowl is nice, and there is enough other options on the menu to keep your taste buds occupied until the main dish arrives.  

Overall 樂麵屋 - Rakumenya Ramen receives.

-Til Next Time-

A satisfied grin and probably a belch.