Enishi Ramen

Hailing from the ramen kingdom of Kyoto, Japan, Enishi (緣麵屋) may just offer the best tasting noodles in the whole of Taiwan. Sure that's saying a lot, but with a menu of only four types of ramen and an unmatched seriousness for the art of making it, they've had plenty of opportunity to get it right.

For anyone who has been to a traditional ramen shop in Japan, it will quickly become apparent that authenticity reigns supreme here. From the practical bar style seating, to the quiet meticulousness with which food is prepared, and down to the speedy turn around to make way for new customers, Enishi is all about simple elegance.

While it's easy to recommend everything on the menu (TWD 250~280), two standout items are the zhān miàn and the cold noodles with pomelo and mustard sauces. The former, (沾麵), roughly translates as “hand soaked noodles” and the dipping action is precisely how you must go about enjoying this dish. A bowl of buckwheat noodles (small, medium, and large quantities offered, all the same price) topped with quick roasted pork slices, delicate greens, and half an egg is set beside an impossibly savory broth. Your task is to transfer each bite from noodle bowl, to broth, to mouth and enjoy. This fondue-like method is the ultimate exercise in “salting to taste” as you decide just how much flavor you want. When the noodles are finished, as they eventually but unfortunately will be, ask a cook to “jiā tāng” (add soup) to cut the broth with a lighter one for a delightful drink to finish the meal.

Although the typical ramen bar restaurants of Japan are often little more than quick and simple meal stops, Enishi in Taipei challenges that paradigm with its open style kitchen that welcomes patrons to watch the process in action. And as a last indulgence to top it all off, a small selection of decadent yogurt desserts is available (TWD 50) to cleanse the palate and aid in your digestion of those soul satisfying ramens.