A Taipei-based restaurant has been getting a lot of attention for its newest addition to the menu- a ramen dish topped with a steamed 14-legged isopod that looks like something out of an Alien movie.
The Ramen Boy restaurant recently took to Facebook to announce its latest dish, a bowl of ramen featuring a generous helping of giant isopod (Bathynomus giganteus), which it describes as a “dream ingredient”. Called “Giant isopod with creamy chicken broth ramen”, the dish consists of a large bowl of ramen and a large isopod steamed in its own shell. To prepare the deep-sea crustacean, the cooks remove the stomach viscera, keeping the creamy glands for consumption, and steam it. The white meat is said to taste like lobster and crab, while the yellow glands are “unexpectedly sweet”.
Photo: Ramen Boy/Facebook
The owner of Ramen Boy reportedly got the idea for this unusual dish while visiting Japan, where he would see these isopods in aquariums. He thought they were “very cute” at the time, but he eventually decided they would make great ingredients for an exclusive ramen dish.
Photo: Ramen Boy/Facebook
Boiled in chicken soup and served with squid and bonito flakes, this unique ramen dish isn’t for everyone. Firstly, the appearance of the isopod is sure to put a lot of people off, but the price and availability of the dish are also prohibitive. One serving costs $48, and because of the limited isopod supply, the dish is only available to loyal restaurant patron.
Bathynomus giganteus is a carnivorous species that can live at depths of 7,000 meters and feeds on the remains of other sea creatures and slow-moving marine life, like sea cucumbers, sponges and nematodes. They start off as parasites, feeding off the blood and flesh of their hosts, but eventually grow into sea scavengers that feed on carcasses. Enjoy your meal!
Photo: Ramen Boy/Facebook
For more scary-looking dishes, check out the ‘alien of Ariake Sea’, Japan’s xenomorph-like delicacy. But be warned, it will give you nightmares…
