Bizarre But True! A restaurant in Taiwan is serving ramen with a whole crocodile leg jutting out of the bowl…
Not a replica. Not a garnish shaped like a leg. An actual front crocodile leg, braised for two hours, protruding from broth like something clawing its way out of the deep…
The Witch Cat Store in Douliu calls it Godzilla Ramen. The name fits…!
The Preparation Takes Three Hours
The crocodile leg isn’t just dropped into the bowl. The kitchen spends three hours on each one.
First, they clean it. Then they rub it with alcohol. Then they coat it in spices. Then they braise it in the restaurant’s signature broth for two hours straight. The result is a leg that’s fully cooked, seasoned and structurally intact enough to stand upright in the bowl.
It sits there amongst thick noodles, vegetables and other meats. The visual is exactly what you’d expect when someone tells you a crocodile leg is sticking out of your lunch.
Only Two Bowls Per Day
But you can’t just walk in and order this…
The restaurant serves exactly two bowls of Godzilla Ramen per day. That’s it. The crocodile legs come from a farm in Taitung, Taiwan and the supply chain can’t support more than that.
Each bowl costs NTD 1,500 (roughly £38). Bookings were completely full through late August 2023 within weeks of the dish going viral and a waiting list even formed, despite the ‘interesting’ presentation. Or maybe because of it.
What Does Crocodile Taste Like..!?
According to customers and the restaurant owner, crocodile meat tastes like salty chicken.
But the texture is different. It’s described as “more springy, soft and elastic” – closer to braised chicken feet than chicken breast. The appeal apparently isn’t the flavour. It’s the mouthfeel. The bounce. The elasticity. That’s what makes it distinct. And, obviously, the fact that it’s a crocodile leg sticking out of your ramen bowl.
Taiwan’s Extreme Ramen Trend…
Godzilla Ramen appeared exactly one month after another Taipei restaurant went viral for serving ramen topped with a giant isopod – a 14-legged crustacean that required only 10 minutes of steaming.
Taiwan has become an epicentre for extreme ramen variations. Each establishment attempts to outdo the previous viral sensation. The pattern is clear: verified strangeness generates sustained demand. And the more confronting the presentation, the longer the waiting list..!
