博多拉麵-Ramen

Address: (Will be updated soon!)

Telephone:

Hours:

The simplest things can often be the most satisfying and fulfilling.  It doesn't take a seven course meal to create a grin that runs from ear to ear.  Maybe it just takes a sandwich from the local store, a slice of cheese pizza, or whatever simple guilty pleasure that will make your taste buds giddy.  On this day, I decided to go with the ever so seemingly simple bowl of ramen. It really does appear to me that the longest lines I come across belong to stores that offer amazing yet uncomplicated food.

Meandering around the streets of Taipei you'll occasionally come across ramen stores with hoards of people waiting outside all clamoring to get themselves a bowl.  I'll admit that I never really understood the huge appeal of ramen until recently, and even now, I don't believe I would stand in the muggy air for too long if there was an adequate option near by.  With that said however, after tasting ramen of all differing qualities, I have grown to appreciate a fantastic bowl of finely crafted noodles.  博多拉麵 is nested in Shimin Blvd, a long crowded street that is stuffed to the gills with all manners of food choices. This was my first trip to 博多拉麵, and as usual, it's time to find out if there's going to a return trip in the future (the only stamp of approval a restaurant ever needs).

Something to get started with

博多拉麵 is different from your regular ramen shop in that their soup base is made of cream instead of soy like most other places.  The menu is fully equipped with a variety of small dishes for you to flesh out your meal.  We decided on some kimchi, pork, fried tofu, egg and a potato croquette.  If you think that's a lot for two people.... you are correct, I think in the entire restaurant, we might have been the only people who ventured beyond 1 addition side dish, but that's what i'm here to do folks... to stuff my face for your pleasure.

Fried Tofu

The small dishes we had were all good, with special kudos given to the fried tofu. The prices of all the items are very reasonable, and run much less than what you would expect to find at many of the famous ramen establishments in the city.  博多拉麵 has more than one location in Taipei, and given its bright pink awning, it makes for a tough locale to miss if you are looking for it. 

We got there relatively early at around 6PM so there wasn't much in the way of customers as I ambled in.  The restaurant filled up nicely however over the next hour and I began to see why the proprietors have been able to open so many branches.  The best way to describe the decor of 博多拉麵 is an hybrid of a rustic/retro Japanese noodle shop.  Truly not the best description I know, but words somewhat fail me at the moment.

As you walk in, you get the feel that you just entered any Japanese neighborhood mom and pop shop you've seen in the movies.  There aren't really any bell or whistles to speak of when it comes to the decor, but that's perfectly fine with me as long as the food delivers and the place isn't a dump.  And 博多拉麵 definitely isn't a dump.

The Star

Now we've come to the actual ramen, and my take on their cream based soup.  My own personal preference is the soy based soup and the flavors that that type of ramen brings.  I found 博多拉麵's ramen to be a bit too bland for my personal tastes.  I don't have too much experience with this type of ramen, but my friend told me that their's is a very famous take on this dish and is well known throughout Taiwan. 

The noodles themselves were done well, and had that pre-requisite chewyness and ability to not disintegrate in the soup after a few moments.  The chicken was moist and crispy at the same time, and offered something a bit different from the usual pork slices that accompany many a ramen dish.  But like I said, my main gripe (and it's a large one) is that I simply just didn't find the flavors to be present, and the soup was more water than anything else to me.  This is me however, and I fully admit to being a lover of spices and rich flavors in my food, so I'm taking my inherit bias into judgement and believe that anyone who appreciates ramen needs to check out 博多拉麵.

Overall 博多拉麵 - Ramen Receives:

 

-Til Next Time-

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.