'Looks like a big cockroach': 14-legged sea creature served on ramen dish in Taipei noodle bar sets tongues wagging

Everybody loves ramen, right?

But this particular rendition introduced by The Ramen Boy, a noodle bar in Taiwan, is dividing opinions – and it's easy to understand why. 

There can't be too many ramen bowls that come topped with a generous serving of giant isopod.

This 14-legged, deep-sea creature is a crustacean, but let's be honest, it sure does not look as appetising as a crab or lobster.

In fact, there's something extraterrestrial about the isopod, and it would not look out of place in a sci-fi flick.

Not that it mattered to The Ramen Boy.

On Monday (May 22), the Taipei-based noodle bar announced that it had "finally obtained [its] dream ingredient", referring to the isopod.

The bowl of ramen is not for the faint-hearted, and it's quite a struggle to 'unsee' the similarities between an isopod and a cockroach.

The insect isn't exactly the most well-loved species out there, and they are so much smaller in comparison.

On the other hand, a giant isopod can grow up to 16 inches — the perfect size to place atop a bowl of ramen, right?

In the Facebook post, the noodle bar explained that the isopod is steamed after its stomach viscera has been removed.

Supposedly, the white meat "tastes like lobster and crab" while the yellow glands "taste like crab roe", which is "unexpectedly sweet".

The broth is able to achieve an umami note by mixing chicken and fish stock along with a variety of dried, smoked bonito flakes.

A bowl of this special dish is priced at NT$1,480 ($64.90). And due to limited supplies, it is only available to regular customers. 

Netizens' responses to this eye-catching ramen dish range from curiosity to disgust.

A Twitter user was clearly shocked by the photos of the dish and tweeted: "Thanks for the nightmares."

Another mentioned how "not every creature is meant to be food".

"Looks like a big cockroach," one Facebook user wrote.

Another eyebrow-raising food combination

A trending post on Chinese micro-blogging site Weibo prompted users to share different ways of enjoying durian.

And the response did not come in the form of typical cakes or puffs.

As reported by Today, suggestions included steaming the tropical fruit or eating it with instant noodles.

This riled up a number of Weibo users who found theses recipes questionable.

Well, to each their own, as the saying goes.

ALSO READ: Chinese herbal cough syrup with McSpicy? This TikToker's food experiments set tongues wagging

amierul@asiaone.com

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