Gourmet Ramen
(Nippon Noodles)

Words & photos by Amelie Tseng, translated by Ann Lee

79, SanDuo 4th Rd; (07) 339-0432
Hour: 11 am-9:30 pm

Even before lunch time starts to roll around, it's not uncommon to see the staff at Gourmet Ramen (La Mian) hustling to pack up deliveries and answering phone calls for even more orders. This restaurant, located near the Sanduo movie theater, serves steaming-hot Japanese-style noodles that are brought to the table pretty quickly. Customers dining in can hear employees shouting at each other, relaying orders over the din of busy restaurant noise.

The reason why patrons look so satisfied while dining at this place is because of the specially-selected, quality meat and assorted fresh fruits and vegetables; some of the dishes here demand great care to make and are cooked for over 24 hours. With close to 30 different combinations of ramen and cold noodles, customers definitely have a lot of selection. The most recommended dish is their Japanese-style Pork Spareribs Ramen; this dish comes with barbecued pork, calamari, abalone slices, vegetables and a rich soup. Or try their homemade noodles, which are topped with vegetables, tomatoes, soba, or octopus.

The Tomato Ramen, which is made with fresh tomatoes and soup stock, has a slightly sweet and sour flavor. The Drumstick Ramen and The Pork Knuckle Ramen are served in larger portions, affordable and delicious. Owner Mr.Cai believes that a great restaurant has to provide quality, nutritious food for affordable prices. Other than ramen dishes there are also dumplings, rice, assorted snack dishes (NT$20/each), and cold noodles, which are great for the summer. We suggest you give it a try the next time you visit Kaohsiung. Beverages here are all-you-can-drink, another factor that makes customers feel the get the most for their money at Gourmet Ramen.