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| Credit: Amcarmen's Kitchen |
A warm bowl of mouth-watering ramen always hits the spot and leave me craving for more.
Here are my top 3 ramen stores you ought to try it!
1. Sanpoutei Ramen (Holland Village)
Sanpoutei Ramen serves amazing broth. Whether you are a miso or tonkotsu or shoyu broth lover, Sanpoutei has them all done to perfection to whet your appetite.
Specialty
1. Niigata Shoyu Ramen ($15)
The picture doesn't do justice to this bowl of ramen. I love every part of it. The broth is sweet and mild, making it easy to slurp every spoonful of it. The housemade noodles are also springier compared to other ramen places I have tried. The bowl of ramen also comes with generous amount of huge and fatty cha-shu charred to perfection.
2. Sanpoutei Karage w Oroshi Yuzu Ponzu Sauce ($8.50)
Just order it! The chicken has a soft crisp soaked with ponzu sauce which complements the juicy and tender meat. Every chicken is also served with flavoured grated radish on top which added further "punch" to the dish. I love the attention to detail the chef has made to this dish. Every bite is so scrumptious and addictive.
Price Range
Average Price per Pax: $20 ($24 if you include sides with your friends)
Ambience
The spacious interior and modern design add further touch of class to the restaurant. A great place to dine with your group of friends or even with a date.
Service
Service is rather quick. Around 15minutes for your food to come during peak hours.
Location
253 Holland Ave, #01-01, 278982
Buses Available: 7, 48, 61, 75, 77, 95, 106, 165, 970
How to get there: Just right outside Holland Village MRT, next to OCBC and Starbucks.
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Opening Hours:
Mon-Sun: 1130am-11pm
2. Keisuke Tonkotsu King (Tanjong Pagar)
This is the place to go to if you want a full authentic Japanese ramen experience. There is free-flow hard boiled egg on the table for you to add to your broth or mash it with mayonnaise or just eat it plain. There is even complementary spicy bean sprout to go with your ramen. The spicy bean sprout is appetizing and helps lighten the rich broth.
Here comes my favourite part - the black sesame seeds. I love to grind the seeds and add them to my ramen for that extra fragrant. Every diner is offered a bowl of sesame seeds.
Specialty
1. Tonkotsu King Ramen ($9.90 without additional toppings. Usually I go for tamago and seaweed which cost extra $3)
The tonkatsu broth is thick, flavourful and rich. The generous amount of negi (spring onions) gives it that extra taste in the broth. This is my favourite broth of all time. For that that worry about the broth being too thick, fred not, you can choose the amount of oil and how thick you want your soup to be. I always choose normal for both broth and oil.
There is also the refreshing spicy bean sprout in case the broth gets "jelak" for you.
The tamago is a god sent, I strongly recommend you to add this to your ramen. Its extremely luscious and it just melts in your mouth. The cha-shu is tender with adequate marbling, perfect for those that are afraid of fatty cha-shu.
2. Green Tea Cola ($3)
Don't judge me just yet. I know green tea cola sounds weird, but it tastes so much better than it sounds! I am not a big fan of green tea, neither am I of Cola. However, the fizzy Cola gives the green tea that extra "umph", while the green tea lightens the strong taste of the Cola. A refreshing drink in general and I will recommend you to give it a try.
Price Range
Average Price per Pax: $16
Ambience
The interior is really small, hence it's usually crowded. A fantastic place to indulge in a bowl of ramen, not so for a group hangout.
Service
The staffs are nice and friendly. The first time I went there, a lady staff taught me how to grind the sesame seeds effectively and even helped me grind the seeds. As the store is small, it gets crowded real fast during peak hours. So expect about 10-15 minutes queueing time then. However, well you are waiting, you can help yourself to free flow tea which is on the house.
Location
1 Tras Link, #01-19 Orchid Hotel Singapore, 078867
Buses Available: 80, 145
How to get there: 2mins walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT.
Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 1130am-3pm, 6pm-1030pm
Sun: 1130am-3pm, 6pm-10pm
3. Ippudo (Mandarin Gallery)
Ippudo has a few outlets in Singapore, but the one at Mandarin Gallery is still my favourite. The standard of the food here is consistently high, service is excellent and the elegant atmosphere further elaborate on what is already a very fine Japaense ramen restaurant.
Specialities
1. Akamaru Shinaji ($16)
I have tried many different types of ramen here, but their signature Akamaru style is still my first pick. This tonkotsu ramen has a mixed of miso paste and garlic oil, giving the soup a strong taste and a hint of spice. Request for garlic from the friendly staffs and add 1-2 cloves of mashed garlic into the soup for an even enhanced taste.
What separates Ippudo from the rest is their noodles. Everything about it is just on point - the texture, thickness and taste.
2. Ippudo Original Pork Bun ($4 for 1, $9 for 3)
Best. Pork. Bun. Ever. The meat is so delightful - ample fat marbling, good quality meat, thick and tender. The meat literally melts in your mouth. The sweet savoury sauce, lettuce and mayonnaise complement the meat and the soft bun superbly.
Price Range
Average Price per Pax: $25
Ambience
The chandeliers, posh seats and delicate designs give it a luxurious setting and feel. A great place for a date or dinner with your family.
Service
Service is good and fast, despite the crowd. I recommend you to come earlier if you are in a group during peak hours. During peak hours, even a table for 2 might have to wait 20-25mins to get seated.
Location
333A Orchard Rd, #04-02/03/04, Mandarin Gallery, 238897
Buses Available: 36, 77, 124, 128, 143, 162, 162M, 167, 171, 174, 174e, 190, 518, 518A, 590, 598, 700, 700A, 971E, 972
How to get there: 6mins walk from Somerset MRT
Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 11am-11pm
Sun: 11am-10pm
