Shinken Ramen — Restaurant in Da'an District

That’s right, IT’S BLUE! …. And before delving into the proverbial elephant in the room, let us first discuss the staple: the traditional Tonkotsu wheat noodle. Thinly cut, soft and chewy, the starch is satisfactory albeit derivative. Despite the dishes’ eccentricities, this mild disappointment is offset by a bottomless supply of noodles from the kitchen; an amends of sort for once the ensemble turns primarily to broth (or most likely to apologize for the $290NT price tag). The protein of this exorbitant ramen is offered up by free-range fowl, char siu and flame charred. The bird’s bounty is harvested same-day and soft-boiled, selected for it’s deep pigmented yolk to complement the dazzling broth. Speaking of broth, time now is to discuss the aforementioned elephant. Colored naturally from the ‘clitoria ternatea’, commonly known as the butterfly pea, this liberally salted trademark is what yields the queue of patrons circling the block (my wait time clocked in at 42 minutes…. in the rain). This vibrant plant is native only to Taiwan and remote islands of Indonesia, where it’s woefully known not for the culinary industry, but rather in spiritual ceremonies such as Hinduism’s Puja. However, in contrary to past food critics’ reviews, this ramen is certainly no religious awakening. Instead it’s likenend to a nostalgic grade school science experiment, where one discovers that blue and yellow create green. In fact, this statement rings literal, as once the egg is invitably punctured by ones’ chopsticks, it’s orange yolk fuses with the cerulean broth. The conclusion of this kitschy endeavor leaves the bowl a baby diarrhea green— a much more burdensome presentation than the pictures and conversations...

I tried three types of 拉麵 they offer. I tried Tonkotsu, Blue Chicken and Shoyu Ramen. Before my most recent visit, they added a forth type of Ramen.

The Tonkotsu Ramen was very thick, not as homogenous as I have experienced at other Restaurants. I found the soup to be heavy, but not too salty. I liked the thin meat very much. The thick meat was roasted just before serving and very delicious, however, for my taste it was a bit too fatty. The egg was soft and had the perfect consistency. Overall it is a heavy, yet very delicious bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen. 4,2 / 5,0 points.

The blue soup is coloured by means of a flower and looks amazing. I also found it to give the soup a slightly different (and enjoyable) taste. The chicken was soft and juicy. Overall the bowl was tasty, but it’s look is more outstanding than its taste. It’s nice to try it once. 3,7 / 5,0 points.

The Shoyu Ramen, just as the Tonkotsu, was served with an egg and two different types of Chashu. The soup tastes balanced. It is, not too salty but still has a nice Shoyu flavour. 4,0 / 5,0 points.

Would I get the bowls again?

The presentation of all three bowls is clean and pretty. My personal favourite is the Tonkotsu. It is thick, flavourful and hits you with that Tonkotsu feeling after finishing. However, there are better and worse bowls of Tonkotsu in Taipei. For me it’s among the top third I tried so far. If I don’t want to feel like taking a nap after eating a bowl of Ramen, I would go with the Shoyu Ramen. The blue soup is interesting to...

Got on early and be the first to be seated. Tried the pork ramen and the jade chicken ramen.

Pork ramen:- Really thick soup, kinda salty, not so recommending. The thin and thick-fat pork, both have adequate texture but abit heavy on the pepper. Would prefer the thick-fat than the thin one.

Jade chicken:- Clear blue, light flavor, quite taken a like to it. Over time, the lemon taste start to spread and the soup will go purplish. And the taste will change too, more soura dn fragrant with lemon. Would recommend to try.

Overall:- Noodle is a bit hard and the egg wise, not braise enough, there is color on the outside but the inside is plain york. Environment is good and there is hanging behind for comveniency, although short on sitting and a bad...