Updated, September 2022
Prices updated
Ramen Katsuo
Disclaimer – I have yet to visit Japan, so all opinions in here are based on my experience of Ramen in Taipei.
Ramen Katsuo, it’s important to know, gets really busy. To the point where you have to be expecting to wait for anything between 30 mins – 1hr. Is it worth it?
Once you’ve lined up and finally got inside Ramen Katsuo, you’ll see a vending machine on the left side. Basically you could close your eyes and pick a dish and no doubt you’re going to be happy! However, we went for a pomelo flavoured broth and a spicy peanut flavoured broth, respectively.
Important to note is that Ramen Katsuo’s menu changes very, very often. So, you could go one week and it would all change by the following week – fun! (unless you’re favourite item has been removed, of course)
Pomelo broth ramen
$260
Not my choice, believe me. However, surprisingly delicious, to the point where my wife will often talk about this even months after eating it… Why so good? The delicate nature of the broth was perfectly balanced. This was all about the broth here. It was awesome. Not too citrusy, but enough to be extremely refreshing.
Noodz were great, too – got plenty of bite to them.
擔擔麵 DanDan spicy Noodles
$300
Heavy flavours on show here.
This packed a punch. Salty chilli 醬 sitting there to the left, chilli sauce drizzled around for good measure, and look at all of those crunchy chilli pieces!
I was very wary of this dish when it first arrived. But, I like chilli. I like peanut butter. I like noodz. So what was there not to like? Absolutely nothing. This was a stunning bowl of ramen, which is a signature ramen at Ramen Katsuo. I honestly couldn’t care less how ‘Japanesey’ it is – if there were only one bowl of ramen I could ever eat, it would be this one. It was so, damn good.
Those chilli pieces on top? Yeh, they’re like a freeze dried chilli chip!
That chilli meat sauce? Banging!
That peanut butter in the sauce? On-point.
Those noodz? Solid
But did it all work together in the bowl? Hell to the yes.
Be prepared to line up for this amazing ramen place, if you take MRT, ZhongShan Elementary school is the closest stop from Ramen Katsuo.