麵屋和創 鷹流深夜拉麵

Got there at 11:53 am hoping to edge out the lunch crowd. No dice. Sixteen peeps ahead of me in line, sweating profusely in the stifling Taipei heat despite the feeble water misters positioned overhead. Nearing the beginning of the line, I espy what seems at first sight, to be an old condom vending machine attached to the back of the front door. It only takes NT$100 bills, NT$50 and NT$10 coins. Apparently, you're expected to prepay for your meal after perusing the faded 11-item menu. No English menu in sight. Scant English instructions. I spend an eternity force-feeding the machine crumpled up notes before it chugs out the requisite order tickets. Thank the Maker I happened to have enough small bills on hand. Eighty minutes after first arriving, I clamber onto a stool at the six person counter. It's dimly lit inside and shabby, with plastic gallon jugs of soy stacked on the floor, hooks on the rear wall for coats and purses, and damp face towels at every place setting for wiping down your allotted space.

This is not looking good. I quietly curse myself for falling for the well worn ruse of queuing up wherever a line manifests itself in this city. I understand whatever romantic allure a shabby environs might hold, if at least, the food is sublime, but at this rate, short of nepenthe, manna, and ambrosia, nothing will supersede the tedium of an eighty minute queue. I have to get my own beer out of the corner locker. There are two guys working. They are friendly and repeatedly sing out that extra helpings of noodles or broth are free. They have to yell to make themselves heard over the loud Taiwanese rock playing on the stereo. But they are cheerful and ask you upfront if you dislike too much saltiness in your ramen (怕鹹). If so, they can adjust the broth to your preference.

My order of shoyu ramen appears within five minutes, the top of the bowl completely covered with pinkish slices of underdone roast pork. This is acceptable as the pork cooks rapidly after mixed in with the soup and is quite tender though not quite approaching melt-in-your-mouth perfection. The broth itself, is fairly salty, as I ordered the savory, "thick" version (濃湯), with noticeable flecks of garlic, chopped scallions, and black pepper chunks floating therein. No distinct soy notes as a previous reviewer had posted. As for the noodles, they appear machine-milled to 1.4mm thickness, cooked perfectly al dente, and of no other particular interest.

If you want, you can ask for extra broth, which I did, specifying a lighter version (清湯) to thin out the original soup. You can also ask for free extra noodles, which come in balls (球). A dish of ramen usually contains 2 balls; so, one ball constitutes a half order. Afterwards, I bussed my own dishes, swiped the counter clean a couple of times with the damp towel provided for that purpose, and got up to depart, while in swept a new customer ready to claim my seat before I had even closed the door behind me, pretty confident that I would never return. At least, not with the prospect of waiting in line for more than an hour.