November 05, 2010
らあめん花月嵐
The new Hankyu Department Store's strong point is its array of Japanese fashion brands. Similar philosophy extends to their food court. The new restaurants right next to the busy Taipei City Hall subway station meant that lines extend out the door during mealtimes. I was on my own for dinner but I wanted something a bit more interesting than Burger King. So I figured that of all the lineups the ramen store line would move the fastest. Still look longer than I liked, but I was already in line and it wasn't as if I had anything better to do. The tables and bar seats weren't so different from Japanese ramen shops. The cooks were mostly work-study students instead of some wizened noodle master, but it seemed to be run efficiently enough. Decided to go with the advertised special ramen. The recipe was developed by a TV Champion Ramen Challenge winner. The soup base was a shoyu broth dressed with charsiu meat and lots of bean sprouts. The key ingredient is the dark-caramelized onion bits to add a smoky, sweet flavor to the bowl, balanced by the spicy tang of fresh-chopped scallions. The ramen was salty and flavorful enough that I was glad to have my glass of Coke from the combo meal. But I still felt that it wasn't quite as salty as they would do it in Japan, which to be honest is probably too salty for Chinese tastes. It was a satisfying bowl of noodle, although I'd be more enthusiastic about it if it didn't involve a half-hour wait every time.
らあめん花月嵐 (阪急台北店)
台北市信義區台北市忠孝東路五段8號B2
02-8789-9000