Durian noodles, giant sea beetles cause fever in Asia

According to SCMP, giant sea beetles, 14-legged creatures that live in the deep, have become the “dream ingredient” of Ramen Boy in Taipei, Taiwan. According to the ramen shop, they taste like lobster and crab after being steamed, and “the yellow part is like crab eggs”.

Ramen Boy representatives also shared that the sea urchins will be boiled in chicken soup, served with noodles, squid and bonito flakes. A bowl of giant sea urchin noodles costs 48 USD (more than 1.1 million VND).

However, many people have expressed hesitation about this new dish. Some compare sea beetles to giant cockroaches.

Meanwhile, Japanese ramen restaurant Menya Shishido, in Petaling Jaya, Selango, Malaysia, has launched a ramen dish with fresh durian added to the broth to enhance its richness and deliciousness. Diners eat it with char siu, egg, onion and durian rice.

Priced at RM40, the durian ramen is served in a fresh fruit shell, so visitors are advised to bring gloves to avoid the sharp thorns, or ask the restaurant for an extra bowl to scoop out and enjoy.

The first day durian ramen was added to the menu, the restaurant had to announce that it was sold out at 4 p.m. There were so many people coming that they ran out of durian shells to make bowls, so they could only continue serving after 6 p.m. The restaurant said they hoped the dish would be a "flavor bomb" combining ramen and the king of fruits. Therefore, durian noodles are also called king ramen by the restaurant.

Menya Shishido is one of the boldest restaurants in Petaling Jaya, having experimented with unique flavors several times. In February, they introduced croissant ramen, in which black garlic curry soup is served with a crispy, buttery croissant. On Valentine's Day, they offered chocolate ramen. In 2021, they attracted a lot of customers with their green tea ramen. On Tripadvisor, the restaurant has a 4/5 star rating. Many international visitors have visited and left comments praising the unique flavors. However, some have said that the food here is too spicy.

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