My First Time Trying Jiutangwu Ramen…
Intro
The very first place we visited after arriving in Penghu was Jiutangwu Ramen! There are actually a ton of ramen shops in Penghu, but this one seems to have locations all over Taiwan too, so without overthinking it we just went straight for this one.
Inside the Shop and Location Details
Jiutangwu Ramen’s full details on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/6mCKUiqRqRSjzmmZ8
When we first walked in, it honestly felt a lot like a Taiwanese hot pot place. The kitchen and cashier are right at the entrance, and turning right takes you into an air-conditioned seating area with a layout almost identical to a certain chain of small hot pot shops! We came in around 1:26 pm, and by then the place was already pretty much empty. There were lots of options on the menu, but we only ordered two bowls: the Kyushu White Broth Ramen and the Tokyo Hell Ramen.
The moment I sat down, I instinctively went looking for some nice cold water. On a scorching hot day, a cup of ice water is basically the very symbol of happiness. But… this shop’s ice water seemed to be… huh, no ice water? No way! They actually had no ice water! Ice water is supposed to be standard issue at a ramen shop. (Screaming internally.)
The Broth
Anyway, let’s see whether the Tokyo Hell Ramen is any good. Hmm… I think the spice level is totally doable, a touch less spicy than mala stinky tofu, so a pretty moderate heat. That said, the tonkotsu (pork bone) flavor was really faint, almost undetectable. The portion was a little smaller than the ramen shops I’d tried before; just right for the average person, but for me it felt a tiny bit lacking.
The toppings were also pretty plain: just seaweed, nori, an egg, and two slices of char siu. Not having any vegetables is a pretty big letdown. But for this price and the overall experience, it’s a solid bowl of ramen! I’d still recommend giving it a try, and personally I really did enjoy the Tokyo Hell.
As for the Kyushu White Broth… maybe better to just skip it. The soup really was a bit watery 😅. Okay, thanks for sticking around this far! If you enjoyed this, feel free to follow along. See you at the next ramen shop!
Oh, and they have side dishes here too 😌 it really does feel just like a Taiwanese restaurant.
My roundup of other ramen shop recommendations:
https://www.dcard.tw/f/ramen/p/239528898?cid=19105c20-8d10-40d8-8316-c00384839078