木麒麟拉麵

【Foodholic Niko @ Taipei】

#Open during the New Year
However, they are only open on the eve of the Lunar New Year (1/27), and will be closed from New Year's Eve to the third day of the new year (1/28-31)!

To state my conclusion first: I still prefer the Kirin Ramen across the street.

"Wood Kirin Ramen" is located near Zhongshan Station, about a 2-minute walk from Exit 2. This alley has many restaurants, and directly opposite is my recent favorite ramen shop in Taipei, "Kirin Creative Ramen," which is part of the same brand.

"Wood Kirin Ramen" emphasizes a broth smoked with binchotan charcoal, and I personally find the Japanese ambiance of this place even more so than "Kirin Creative Ramen." Besides a massive peacock decoration, the interior is filled with Japanese paintings (which I later discovered were actually puzzles).

Although, like "Kirin Creative Ramen," there is also a queue, perhaps because it is newly opened, the popularity is not that high yet. We arrived at 5:30 PM on Saturday and only waited about 15 minutes to be seated.

P.S. The queuing method is the same; you first go to the ordering machine to pay and get your meal ticket, and then wait for the staff to call your number.

Binchotan Roasted Dashi Salt Ramen $270
I could only understand "binchotan" and "salt flavor" from this item name. Although it's called salt flavor, I personally feel it's not very salty. The first sip of the broth tasted like a seafood sweet kombu soup, refreshing and not burdensome even after finishing the whole bowl.
The noodles are thin and cooked to a proper firmness, with a nice chewiness.
My favorite part of this ramen is the two slices of smoked pork belly, which are super tender!

You can get a free addition of one ball of noodles and unsalted chicken broth.

Overall, the ramen is delicious, but it felt a bit monotonous because there are few toppings. Personally, I think it’s not as impressive as my experience at "Kirin Creative Ramen."

Maybe next time opting for the "premium" items would be more plentiful, and I also want to try the "Kirin Dry Mixed Soba," which happened to be sold out today—what a pity!