Taiwan's Trendy Godzilla Ramen Bowls Are Topped With Crocodile Legs
It's a lizard! It's a dinosaur! It's...Godzilla? Diners at Witch Chat Kwai, a noodle shop in southern Taiwan, are getting their lunch and pop culture fill when they order bowls of Godzilla Ramen, the ever-popular noodle soup that the eatery tops with the standard meats, veggies, and condiments and — in this case — crocodile legs. The presentation of the dish, indeed, is a vivid reminder of the legendary, fire-breathing creature who tried to decimate Tokyo; the croc leg itself is fully intact with scales and claws and is presented in a way so that it appears the leg is crawling out of the broth.
While the ramen could be construed as positively terrifying to some, Witch Chat Kwai appears to be completely booked for months to come due to diners wanting to experience (or at least catch a glimpse of) the eyebrow-raising meal that pays homage to the 150-foot monster that made its first film appearance in 1954. Interestingly enough, the restaurant claims that no one has eaten the dish yet. Those who have ordered it are satisfied by simply being able to take pictures of it, according to the Daily Mail.
Godzilla returns again, in the form of soup
Anyone who orders Godzilla Ramen must be willing to shell out 1,500 Taiwan dollars, or roughly $50, an extremely steep cost for ramen. The noodle soup contains quail eggs, baby corn, dried bamboo shoots, kikurage (an edible mushroom), cubes of fish paste, and a single frontal crocodile leg that takes hours to prepare by itself. Because it is so time-consuming to prepare, the restaurant can only serve two dishes per day, naturally increasing the consumer demand for it.
According to CNN Travel, the restaurant's owner, who goes by Chien, begins prepping the crocodile legs by cleaning and rubbing them with alcohol and a spice mix that includes ginger, garlic, and scallions. They are braised for a couple of hours and then ready for plating with the soup.
Shocking as the dish looks, it's perfectly legal to farm and eat crocodile meat in Taiwan, which supposedly tastes like chicken, of course. According to Thai PBS World, the majority of a crocodile is edible. Most people who enjoy it prefer the tenderloin, rib, body, jaw, and tail meat. Perhaps if Godzilla Ramen came with crocodile meat in it rather than the entire leg, it would be a bit easier to swallow, literally and figuratively.