Char siu bigger than an iPhone 6S！ Limited-edition signature ramen served daily

Text & Photos /Xiaohu’s Dream Food Blog

I’m a total carnivore, especially when it comes to the char siu in ramen. Sometimes, I feel like I go to ramen shops just for the char siu. Take[Songshan Nanjing Station] Wangwei Noodle Shopfor example—I think their broth is way too salty and the noodles are just okay, but I can’t get enough of their char siu. Whenever I get cravings, I’d rush to eat a bowl of their ramen, then upgrade to more char siu, and so on.

And I must admit, I’ve never been a huge fan of Menya Musashi, even though I’ve eaten at and reviewed two of their branches... But “Kamiyama” has always been on my to-try list, and the reason is that “root”-thick char siu....

The other day, I went to the Doutonbori area to discuss something with a friend. After wrapping things up, I suddenly thought of “Goro” at the alley entrance, and then—*don don don*—the scene unfolded. I pulled out my phone to check, and found that Kamiyama was just a three-minute walk away, so I came to try my luck. Surprisingly, there weren’t many customers inside XD.

To be honest, I’m not even sure how many Musashi branches there are, but I’ve already tried “Tiger Roar” and “February,” leaving only Musashi Gokotsu.

I browsed the menu in case the limited “Ichiban Ramen” was sold out, so I’d have other options—but luckily, it was the second-to-last bowl that day.

Since I had another dinner engagement later, I politely ordered just one bowl of ramen without the combo meal.

Actually, I was also quite curious to try the “Grilled Char Siu Tachi Ramen.” The “Tachi” (great sword) version sounds pretty impressive too.

I already mentally prepared myself from the photos that this char siu would be huge, but when it was served, I realized it was even bigger than I thought. And so… I began to doubt whether my ever-shrinking “stomach” could actually finish it....

Just how big is this slab of char siu? Compare it to an iPhone 6S and you’ll see. Basically, after ordering, the server will ask if you want it sliced. I insisted on keeping it whole for the photos. But then the server said you can’t request slicing afterward… which made me guess that quite a few people probably regretted it and asked to slice it later. My worries deepened even more....

For the first bite, I went for the edge where the fat was richer—it was indeed oily, fragrant, and delicious. BUT… every bite after that got oilier and greasier… Even though I kept chewing diligently, trying not to lose my title as a “meat lover”… by the time I was down to a quarter left, I suddenly thought of the pained expressions of competitive eaters struggling to finish—and I imagine my face probably wasn’t much better.

Lastly, I’d like to describe the texture of this char siu a bit more. The oily, roasted fragrance on the edges is truly excellent, and the thick slab of lean meat in the middle isn’t tough either. The texture is similar to a slightly firmer “thigh meat,” especially with those fine marbling lines and the fibrous chew.

Conclusion: it’s delicious, but I’d never try it a second time XD.

As for the broth, it’s the currently popular “fish-based” style in Japan—rich with the aroma of dried fish and katsuobushi. It was quite good at first, but by the third or fourth sip, the gradually intensifying saltiness made me stop. Still, I drank about three-quarters of it, just to wash down that chunk of meat and change the flavor.

I don’t know why, but for shops with this kind of fish-based broth, I prefer tsukemen. Here, you can get free refills on both the soup and tsukemen broth, but the refill broth is diluted and not as rich as the original.

The half-boiled egg had a great texture and sweetness, especially the yolk with its semi-runny, semi-firm consistency.

The noodles have always been the part of Menya Musashi I can’t quite get used to. Even though I asked the server to cook them softer, I still found them too hard and thick—it was a struggle to eat. But I know many people love that chewy texture.

Menya Musashi “Kamiyama”
Address: No. 18, Lane 121, Section 1, Zhongshan North Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2542-8222
Business Hours: 11:30–22:00

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