Misen; the Hottest and Spiciest Thing I've Ever Had in Japan

If you've ever been to Nagoya, you've probably heard of the Chinese restaurant Misen. Their main dish has become a Nagoya specialty and attracts locals as well as the tourists. The dish is called Taiwan Ramen. It's not actually Taiwanese, but I believe it has roots from a Taiwanese dish using ground meat sauteed with spices. Now that Taiwan ramen has become a dish of Nagoya, many Chinese restaurants in this city make their own versions of it, but Misen claims to be the originators of this popular bowl of noodles.

Taiwan ramen and stir-fried greens

This is probably one of the hottest and spiciest of any dish I've ever had in Japan! I never would have thought that something this spicy could be this popular here. Luckily I shared this with a friend; I would not be able to finish a bowl on my own. It's hot the minute any part of it, whether it's the noodles, meat, soup or even the garlic chives comes in contact with the mouth. And it just keeps getting hotter and hotter, (lips burning more) the more you eat it. Having said that, I must admit, it does have a flavour (it's not just all about the heat), one that keeps you wanting to dig in more even though your mouth is on fire.

If you can take hot things, I do recommend Misen's Taiwan ramen if you're in the Nagoya area. Just make sure to also order some fried rice or something to take the edge off the heat in between bites!

Area: Various locations. Nagoya station branch (Nagoya eki ten 名古屋駅店）shown in photo above
Restaurant: Misen 味仙
Website: http://www.misen.ne.jp/store
Hours: at Nagoya-eki ten 11am-11pm (LO 10pm)