Kura @ Plaza Singapura

Was walking around Plaza Singapura when I came across Tokyo Walker, which is a short "food alley" of different F&B outlets from Japan. Many of the outlets are quite small in size, but there are a few to choose from. They are currently running quite a few promotions for their launch. Decided on Kura, which sells Sapporo-style ramen.



There are two types of miso ramen, red and white, the difference being the age of the miso and hence the intensity of flavour. While the piece of chasu was decidedly small, the broth was rich with miso flavour, which lends some complexity in the taste. The ramen also has quite a bit of minced pork. The tamago was a little mis-shapened on my bowl, but otherwise tasty.

Rating: 7/10
Website: none
Address: Tokyo Walker, #04-01 Plaza Singapura, 68 Orchard Road
Phone: 6333 9280
Hours: 1130 hrs - 2200 hrs
Price: $1/2

Aoba @ Vivocity

Aoba Hokkaido Ramen serves up Hokkaido style ramen, and I was interested in the seafood ramen, with scallops, prawns and squid. The shop was empty as I walked in after the usual lunch hour, and service was quick.

The ramen came with the three different types of seafood. To be frank, I thought that the squid was cooked just right, but its natural flavour was totally lost in the salty broth. The prawns and scallops were not that great, and were of the frozen and dried variety. The ramen texture was good, but nothing all that special. Perhaps the tamago was the best part of the ramen?



Considering the variety of gyoza on the menu, I was quite surprised that the tables were not supplied with chilli oil and vinegar. The serving of crispy gyoza did not come with such a dip, but with chilli sauce instead!



Rating: 6.5/10
Website: none
Address: #01-104/105 Vivocity, 1 Harbourfront Walk
Phone: 6376 9519
Hours: 1130 hrs - 2145 hrs
Price: $1/2

Ramen Play @ 313@Somerset

Since I seem to be on a ramen review mission, I thought I would try Ramen Play. Ramen Play is Bread Talk's take on the whole ramen phenomenon that seems to have swept through Singapore, and they have partnered with Yukihiro Kaneko's Sanpou Co. Ltd. to come up with their version.



I walked into a rather empty shop, even though it was theoretically the Sunday dinner rush. Was seated immediately, but then the waiters and waitresses seemed to be too caught up with organizing a big table for a potential group of customers, that they completely ignored me. It was only when I started tapping on my table that a manager noticed and summoned one of their staff to take my order. Else, I honestly do not know how long I would have had to wait to place my order, especially when it was essentially marked by me (one of those fill in your own order things).

I went for the signature Sanpou Tonkotsu Ramen, which offers three types of pork, including the cheek, chasu and bukatakuti. The last two are essentially belly pork cooked in different sauces. The bowl arrived quickly enough, and I was happy to have asked for the ramen to be cooked firm. I must say that the first impression was not good, since I got a rather strong smell of pork, the smell that puts me off eating the meat. Anyway, they provide fried garlic and a spicy chilli sauce, as well as spicy chives for added flavour.

The ramen was cooked firm as requested, and the broth was quite good too. Apparently the broth is made from pork bones that are boiled for twelve hours. Still less than the 24 hours that some shops do. The pork belly, both chasu and bukatakuti were rather fatty, and the cheek was not as tender and "melt-in-the-mouth" as at Santouka. Satisfying, but nothing really that special.

Rating: 6.5/10
Website: http://www.ramenplay.com.sg/
Address: #B3-04, 313@Somerset
Phone: 6634 0051
Hours: 1000 hrs - 2200 hrs
Price: $1/2

Keisuke Tokyo @ Millenia Walk

So I was going to have a quiet Saturday night, when a friend suggested that I join them for dinner at a ramen joint that was famous for their prawn broth. Seemed like too good an offer to refuse, and so I was down at Millenia Walk to eat at Keisuke Tokyo.



When we got to the restaurant, the menu had been revamped and gone was the prawn-based stock. However, the crab broth ramen caught my eye, and I had to try it. The first thing that I noticed was that the ramen served with the crab broth was not the usual ramen, but something that looked like Ee-Fu noodles or Linguine. I took a spoonful with the broth and was amazed by the richness of the broth. It was like drinking crab bisque with your ramen! The broth was almost sticky in consistency and oozing with flavour. The broth was definitely the high point, and all the other ingredients were presented to support the star of the broth. Very satisfying, especially when I washed it down with a bottle of Yebisu beer. Will definitely pay a return visit, for the broth is just quite spectacular.

Rating: 8/10
Website: http://www.grandcuisine.jp/keisuke_sg/
Address: #P03-02, Millenia Walk, 9 Raffles Boulevard
Phone: 6337 7919
Hours: 1130 hrs - 1500 hrs
1730 hrs - 2200 hrs
1100 hrs - 2200 hrs (Sun)
Price: $1/2

Marutama @ The Central

I must admit that my first taste of proper ramen was at Marutama Ramen. It had been some time since I was there, and decided to make a repeat visit. The outlet at The Central is the original outlet, and to this day, I find the mall layout confusing at best. Perhaps it is the developer, Far East Organization, which also developed Orchard Central (which is just as confusing).



Ordered the Nama Karashi Ramen with an additional Ajituke Tamago. The broth that comes with the ramen is quite different, even the spicy version. I always say that it is a veritable fist in a velvet glove, because it looks so deceptively plain. Just how the chefs include the spice in it alludes me. Still, the chicken bone stock is nice and rich. The ramen is nicely al dente. I liked it so much that I ordered another portion of ramen! Sure, it does not have the pork cheek to match Santouka, but its broth and ramen are good, real good.

Was told by a Japanese that Marutama is not even a famous shop in Japan. Just how thy managed to open in Singapore and achieve cult status is a story in itself. Then again, I know exactly why I keep going back...

Rating: 8/10
Website: http://www.ma-rutama.co.jp/
Address: #03-90/91 The Central, 6 Eu Tong Sen Street
Phone: 6534 8090
Hours: 1130 hrs - 2200 hrs
Price: $1/2

Sanomaru @ Triple One Somerset

It was a while ago that I was given a flyer outside 313@Somerset that introduced me to Sanomaru. Those were early days for the shop, and until now, I feel that Triple One Somerset is not a high traffic mall despite its proximity to Somerset MRT. Being on the second level shields the shop from the view of pedestrian traffic, and you really have to know about it, before you would have gone there.

Sanomaru prides itself with its broth, which consists of a seafood broth and a chicken bone broth, boiled separately, before being mixed into the broth that goes with the ramen.



The Spicy Miso Ramen is quite satisfying, although I do not think that the broth is anything that spectacular. It is a good ramen broth, but there are many others that pack more oomph.

Rating: 6.5/10
Website: none
Address: #02-15 Triple One Somerset
Phone: 6235 7360
Hours: 1130 hrs - 2200 hrs
Price: $1/2

Yoshimaru @ Holland Village

A bunch of us decided to pop by Holland Village last night to try Yoshimaru Ramen Bar. Yoshimaru serves Hakata style ramen, and has been franchised by the Jumbo group in Singapore. We popped in past 10 pm, so the place was pretty empty. I asked what was their signature dish, and was told that it was the Original Hakata Ramen, and so I ordered it.



We were all presented with the sesame grinders, like those you get in tonkatsu restaurants. That was the first time I was presented with the grinder in a ramen shop, and enjoyed grinding my toasted sesame seeds.



I realize that I generally like Hakata style ramen, because the ramen is done al dente. The broth was surprisingly good too. The char-siu paled in comparison with Santouka though. The tamago was nicely soft in the middle too.

Rating: 6.5/10
Website: http://yoshimaruramen.com.sg/
Address: 31 Lorong Liput, Holland Village
Phone: 6463 3132
Hours: 1100 hrs - 1500 hrs; 1800 hrs - 2300 hrs (Mon - Fri)
1100 hrs - 2300 hrs (Sat/Sun/Pub Hols)
Price: $1/2

Santouka @ Cuppage Terrace Revisited

Paid another totally unplanned visit to Santouka today. It was a relatively late lunch at about 1315 hrs and the restaurant was quite empty. Went for the Tokusen Toroniku Ramen again, but this time, with the Shoyu broth.



I must say that the Shoyu broth is much better than the Spicy Miso broth, and it brought out the flavour of the cheek much better. The cheek today, however, was not as "melt in the mouth" as on my previous trip.

Santouka @ Cuppage Terrace

When I told a friend that I went to Ippudo the previous weekend, he said that it was not as good as Santouka. Of course, Santouka is Hokkaido-style ramen, which is different to the Hakata-style Ippudo. Anyway, he told me about the cheek of the pig that I had to try. So, I was walking towards HMV this evening, when I thought that I should give the place a try.



The place was quite full, but thankfully the queue was short, and they had seats ready for the short queue. I was seated in about 5 minutes on a Saturday evening, which is commendable. The waitress even took my order while I was in the queue, so that the noodles did not take long to arrive at my table. The place is not as glamorous as Ippudo at Mandarin Gallery, but on par with most ramen outlets.

I had ordered the Tokusen Toroniku Ramen with Spicy Miso broth and an extra egg, since the dish was recommended to me by my friend. Otherwise, I would have gone for the Chicken Ramen. The Tokusen Toroniku Ramen is the signature ramen of the restaurant, with the toppings being served separately from the ramen.



Firstly, the ramen broth was spicier than Ippudo. Not so spicy that you had to reach for water, but spicy enough to tell you that the spice was there. Unfortunately, I did think that the ramen itself was a little of a let down. Ippudo's was better, with more bite. However, the star of the show was not the ramen this time, but the cheek. People who know me know that I am not big on pork, but this cheek was really melt in your mouth. It was unmistakably pork, but the texture was astounding. I would definitely recommend pork-eaters to try this one. You can also order it as a dish, just the pig's cheek.

Rating: 7.5/10 (the cheek alone would be 9/10)
Website: http://www.santouka.co.jp/en/index.html
Address: 21 Cuppage Road, Cuppage Terrace
Phone: 6235 1059
Hours: 1200 hrs - 1500 hrs; 1730 hrs - 0000 hrs (Mon - Fri)
1200 hrs - 0000 hrs (Sat)
1200 hrs - 2130 hrs (Sun)
Price: $$

Ippudo @ Mandarin Gallery

This place has some reputation for the queues that form outside. In fact, I witnessed it the previous Saturday when a bunch of us went to eat at another establishment in the same building. So, I was quite surprised that I did not need to queue to get in today. Perhaps I was early (6 pm for dinner on a Sunday), since the place did fill up by the time I left, although there was still no queue snaking out of the restaurant.

Since the restaurant is a ramen restaurant, I started by ordering the ramen. Having never been to Kyushu before, I did not know what to expect from Hakata-style ramen that Ippudo specializes in. I ordered the Karaka Tamago, which is the ramen with original Ippudo pork broth, special spicy miso and ground pork with a flavoured egg. What attracted me to it were the words spicy miso. Those who know me well will know that I am sort of a spice monster. Was pleasantly surprised when they asked me the doneness of the ramen while taking the order. Since I like my pasta el denté, I asked for the ramen hard.



The bowl of hot ramen appeared in no time, and I proceeded to tuck in. What struck me was that there was nothing spicy about the miso. I guess the words spicy were for Japanese standards or for the West? So I was a little disappointed. However, the broth was nice and rich, almost creamy. The ramen was nicely cooked, with good bite. The egg was soft in the centre, and well flavoured too. So, other than the disappointing lack of spice, I would still rate the bowl of ramen highly.

Since I had also heard about their pork buns, I decided also to order a pork bun and a shrimp bun. I was told by some friends before that their pork buns were like the "Kong Bak Pau (扣肉包)" that the Chinese have. I have to say that I am not a real fan of those Chinese style buns, but was told that they were very good, so I decided to try.



Well, the buns come with the special Ippudo sauce, which is mayonnaise-based. I have to say that I am not a big fan of such sauces, so the generous serves of the sauce was not to my liking. The pork bun was the better of the two, since the meat was balanced by the sauce, and the lightness of the bun finished the package. Well balanced. The shrimp bun had a shrimp or prawn fritter with the sauce and bun. Okay, the single prawn was reasonable in size, but the fact that it was fried and accompanied by the rich sauce made it too rich for my liking. I do not think that I will order the buns again. Suffice that I have tried, and know what they taste like.

Will I return? Most definitely. I want to try the other ramen dishes. There was also a seasonal cold ramen that caught my eye, so hopefully I will be back before that disappears off the menu. I will skip the Karaka-men, since there was no real spice in it, and move to their pure Ippudo broths.

Rating: 7/10 (the ramen alone would be 8/10)
Website: http://www.ippudo.com.sg/
Address: #04-02 Mandarin Gallery, 333A Orchard Road
Phone: 6733 2426
Hours: 1130 hrs - 2300 hrs
Price: $$