God Fire...

While travelling around Japan last year, I finally managed to come across a spicy delicacy in Hakata, Japan. (And Wasabi isn't spicy.) And that delicacy has something to do with this post today.

'God Fire Ramen' They are preparing and selling a wide variety of 'Hakata Ramen' over here. But, for the locals that love spicy food, the most attractive and interesting 'Ramen' over here would most probably be 'God Fire Ramen'.

They are offering 4 different levels of spiciness for the 'God Fire Ramen'. Well, the biggest difference between the 4 levels would most likely be the portion of special paste added into the bowl of 'Ramen'. Trust me, the highest(4th) level can really set fire on your tongue. However, it's nothing as compared to the special '10X Special Paste Ramen' from 'Ichiran Ramen' from 'Hakata', 'Japan'. Besides for the spicy soup base, the thin and chewy noodles, the strong and thick Pork Broth, are the characteristics of the 'Hakata Ramen'. (In fact, I love with 'Ramen' that comes with the thin and chewy noodles.)

Not only the Noodles are chewy, the taste are equally good too. On top of that, the taste of the broth is pretty spicy and the taste of the Pork Broth is pretty thick. However, the standards of the flavoured egg is pretty normal and the slices of barbecue pork ain't satisfying enough, which is a big disappointment. By the way, my face was covered with sweat after spending a bit of time finishing the whole bowl of 'God Fire Ramen'.

The name of this 'Ramen' restaurant would be 'Ikkousha'. In fact, 'Ikkousha' was the overall champion of 'Ramen Champion' for 2 consecutive years. Therefore that might be the main reason why they have decided to have their own outlet in Singapore. The 'Ramen' restaurant is currently located on level 1 of 'Tanjong Pagar Plaza', which is also located opposite 'Orchid Hotel'.

Opening Hours:

• Weekdays & Saturdays: 11:30 - 21:30
• Sundays: 11:30 - 21:30

* Click here for the Facebook page of 'Ikkousha Singapore'.
^ Click here to find out more about 'Ikkousha Ramen'. (Japanese website)

It's not Ramen...

I decided to have my dinner at the 5th Keisuke Japanese restaurant a few weeks back. And apparently it's not a Ramen restaurant but a Japanese restaurant selling...

'OO Set Meals' The restaurant is famous for 'OO Set Meals'. But before I move on introducing 'OO', let's start with the side dishes first.

The set meals come with unlimited free flow of Rice. (This is the most important part. I'm always coming across the problem of finishing a bowl of rice with a large portion of side dishes left behind. And it's kinda disturbing when I have to pay for an extra bowl of rice.)

However, they didn't provide Japanese pickles over here. But, they do have the spicy bean sprouts and cabbages that works pretty good for pickles too. Although the taste of it are pretty good, but it's not spicy enough for me. (But nevertheless, free pickles is a very big (+).) So what's 'OO'? 。 。 。 。 。

'OO' would be 'Gyoza'. The speciality of this branch isn't 'Ramen' but 'Gyoza'. However, the 3 different types of 'Gyoza' over here are related to the 'Ramen'. The 3 different types are: 'Keisuke Tonkotsu King Gyoza (Pork)' 'Keisuke Tori King Gyoza (Pork + Chicken)' 'Keisuke Gyoza (Pork + Prawn)' Basically they are using 'Gyoza' to present the specialities of 3 other 'Keisuke' branches. I ended up choosing the 3rd type, which is a mixture of Prawn and Pork meat. For a start, there's the crunchy fillings, the nice fragrance of prawns and the relatively thin skin that wraps all the the fillings nicely together, which makes it pretty delicious and good.

Each set meal will come with 2 different side dishes. You will be given 8 different choices, which include meaty and vegetables dishes too. I ended up choosing the 'Deep Fried Chicken with spicy sauce and mixed sesame' and 'Chicken Nanban with Tartar sauce'. Though the taste is relatively good, but the small portion is kinda disappointing.

The above shows the order sheet of the restaurant.

This is the appearance of the restaurant 'Keisuke Gyoza King'. It's located on level 1 of 'Orchid Hotel'.

Opening Hours:

• Lunch: 11:30 - 14:30
  Dinner: 18:00 - 22:30

* Click here for the Facebook page of 'Keisuke Gyoza King'.
^ Click here to find out more about 'Keisuke Gyoza King'. (Japanese website)

Full Vegetarian Ramen

As usual, after all the sinful, meaty stuff over the last few weeks, it's time for a meal to get things right. Therefore...

'Organic Soya' On top of the usual 'Soya Bean' taste you are getting, it also comes with a strong 'Organic' food taste. In fact, I still prefer the taste of the normal 'Soya Bean' drink out there. However, if you are into 'Organic' food, you should really give this a try, since it still have this sweet and nice taste, especially when you have it warm. :)

'Kway Chap and Soya Ramen Set Meal' Initially, I only wanted to try the 'Soya Ramen'. But, somehow I ended up going for this set meal. For a start, the Ramen is pretty decent. It have similar characteristics of the normal bowl of Ramen. There's the thin Japanese Noodles, seaweeds and lots of vegetables. However, the only problem would be the soup being too bland. Even though the taste of the soup isn't thick and strong enough, but the sweet soup have this nice taste of 'Soya Beans'. Something different and deliciously nice to try :D As for the plate of 'Kway Chap' ingredients, this is kinda interesting to me. Besides for the 'braised peanuts' and 'braised eggs', all the other ingredients are pretty new to me. Can you believe it, besides for the 'Mushrooms', all the other ingredients were mostly made out of 'Soya Bean'. To me, the taste of the ingredients are pretty okay and not too salty, but the chewy texture just isn't there, which is a great disappointment. :|

So where can you give these healthy food a good try?

The name of this restaurant would be "O'bean Organic Soya Store". It's located along 'Tanjong Pagar Road'.

Notes:

• Opening Hours:
  Weekdays: 10:00 - 22:30
  Saturdays: 10:00 - 23:00
  (Closed on Sundays)

* Click here for the 'Facebook Page' of "O'bean Organic Soya Store".

Marutama Dining

'Marutama Ramen' is my favourite Ramen in Singapore. Therefore, I decided to have my dinner at 'Marutam Dining' 2 weeks ago.

The selections at "Marutama Ramen" used to be pretty limited back then. But, they have a bigger variety of food over here. They even have 'Curry Rice', 'Hot Pot', etc... 'Ebi(Prawn) Ramen' Even though it's known as 'Ebi Ramen', but it's actually the original 'Marutama Ramen' topped with a few prawns and a slice of lemon. Note: the soup base of this Ramen couldn't be changed.

After squeezing the lemon, the taste of the soup becomes both sweet and sour. And I still couldn't resist the delicious noodles and flavoured egg that they are offering over here. However...

The prawns aren't suitable. Although the prawns are pretty fresh, but when I have it with the prawns, the taste ended up becoming pretty weird. Well at the end of the day I still prefer the 'Nama Karashi Ramen'(Ramen with Spicy Chicken Broth).

Here's the appearance of 'Marutama Dining'. It's located along 'Killiney Road'.

Opening Hours:

• Lunch: 11:30 - 15:00
  Dinner: 17:30 - 22:00
  
  Fridays and Saturdays
  Lunch: 12:00 - 15:00
  Dinner: 17:30 - 22:30

* Click here to find out more about 'Marutama Ramen'.

Ramen for a couple?

What kind of Ramen would be suitable for a couple? That would most likely be a bowl of Ramen that comes with a generous portion that can share among the 2 of them. And that will be the main subject of this post.

The interior of this Ramen place is pretty much similar to the other Ramen place elsewhere.

The ceiling of this place has been decorated with all these old Japanese posters.

I ended up placing an order for the infamous 'Volcano Ramen' of this place a few days ago.

They have laid a card on each of the table. On the card itself, it have clearly indicated the steps of preparing and cooking a delicious bowl of 'Volcano Ramen'.

The above shows the 'Volcano Ramen' that I have ordered. The chef has added lots of vegetables, slices of barbecued pork and Japanese noodles. The chef has used sweet Japanese Curry as the soup base for this generous bowl of Ramen. The taste of the Curry have blended into all the ingredients nicely. Furthermore, they have used the thinner type of Japanese Noodles over here, which really fit into with the taste of the Japanese Curry nicely. Best of all would be the bowl that they have chosen to serve the 'Volcano Ramen'. Rather than using a normal bowl, they have chosen a 'stone bowl' to serve the 'Ramen'. The 'stone bowl' not only acts as a beautiful visual element for a 'Volcano', it can also keep the food hot for a much more longer period of time. Interesting huh?

By the way, the barbecued pork that they are serving over here are not only thick, it's pretty delicious too.

By the way, the 'Volcano Ramen' also comes with a bowl of Rice. And I just couldn't resist the temptation of a delicious bowl of rice topped with lots of curry. (By the way, they are serving 'Volcano Ramen' with 4 different types of soup base over here. There's 'Curry', 'Soy Sauce', 'Salt Paste' and 'Miso'. Being a big fan of 'Curry' I will definitely place an order for the 'Volcano Ramen' with 'Curry' soup base. :D)

By the way, they have also provided various type of seasoning too. There's 'garlic', 'soy sauce', etc...

The name of this 'Ramen place' would be 'Tonkotsu Kazan'. It's located on level 2 of 'Novena Square 2' shopping mall.

Opening Hours:

• 11:00 - 22:00

* Click here to find out more about 'Tonkotsu Kazan'.
* Click here for the Facebook page of 'Tonkotsu Kazan'.

Not so much of Japanese but Thai...

I happen to know about this Thai and Japanese restaurant located in the town area. Being a big fan of both types of delicacies, I decided to give it a try and it ended up to be more of a Thai than a Japanese restaurant.

'Mango Salad' It's in fact a mountain of shredded mango. The overall taste of this dish is refreshing and crunchy. But where does the crunchiness comes from? On top of the shredded mango, the chef has also added a generous portion of carrots, fried shrimps, peanuts, etc... And since all of these ingredients are serve cold, this dish ended up to be pretty refreshing and it acts as 'heaven' as compared to 'hell', which is the upcoming dish.

'ZENSO Ramen' Pretty much similar to a bowl of Japanese Ramen, they are using their own mix of 'Tom Yum' soup instead of the common Japanese Pork Broth. So why do I link this dish to 'hell'? This is because, the soup is really very very spicy. The taste of it is so fiery that to some extent I almost have difficulty finishing the whole bowl of soup. (Even with the help of a glass of warm water and the refreshing plate of 'Mango Salad', my tongue felt as if it's on fire.) =.="" Ingredients like prawns, mushrooms, Japanese Ramen noodles are also added into the bowl of Ramen too. I think that the only thing that I can complain about this dish would be the portion of noodles that was given. It's definitely not satisfying enough. :(

The name of this restaurant would be 'ZENSO'. It's located on level 1 of 'Sunshine Plaza'.

Notes:

• Opening Hours:
  1100 - 2300 Daily

* Click here to find out more about 'ZENSO'.
^ Click here for the list of delicacies that you can find & get in 'Sunshine Plaza'.

Ramen for a horse?

If I'm not mistaken, I have not eaten a bowl of Japanese Ramen ever since I have returned from my trip to Japan. Therefore, I have decided to give one of the newer Japanese Ramen Shop a try last weekend.

'Ajitama Uma Ramen' The Ramen has indeed lives up to its reputation of being a 'Saikou Noukou' Ramen. ('Saikou Noukou' means super rich in Japanese.) The soup of the Ramen were super rich and at the same time not too salty. Besides for the soup, the delicious bowl of Ramen also comes with ingredients like the thinner type of noodles, bamboo shoots, roasted pork fillet, flavoured egg and spring onions, etc. (As for myself, I love Ramen that comes with the thinner type of noodles.) However, although the taste of the roasted pork fillet are pretty good, but the size of it can be rather disappointing. It's simply not big enough to satisfy all my taste buds.

Furthermore, the standard of the flavoured egg that comes with the Ramen is pretty high. The brown coloured egg is covered with white colour on the inside and the egg yolk is half boiled and the taste of it is perfect. This is simply too amazing.

Thanks for finishing everything.

The Spirit of 'Bari-Uma'.

The name of this Japanese Ramen shop would be 'Bari Uma Ramen'. It's located on basement 1 of 'Tanglin Shopping Centre'.

Operating Hours:

• 11:30am - 10:00pm

* Click here for the Facebook page of 'Bari Uma Ramen' Singapore.
^ Click here to find out more about 'Bari Uma Ramen' Japan. (Japanese website)
~ Click here to find out more about 'Tanglin Shopping Centre'.

Keisuke Tori (Chicken) King

In a bowl of Japanese Ramen, there ought to be ingredients like 'Char Siew' and flavoured egg. However, at this Japanese Ramen Restaurant...

'Tori King Black Special Ramen'
you will be getting a chicken thigh meat in each and every bowl
of Japanese Ramen over here. This is probably my first encounter
with a bowl of Japanese Ramen that comes with a Chicken thigh meat.
If you have gone for the better options, you will still be getting
ingredients like the thick 'Char Siew' meat, flavoured egg, seaweed,
etc... However, I personally felt that the ingredients that they
have used over here are far more tastier than the Noodles that
they were using. When it comes to the preparation of a bowl of
Japanese Ramen, I still find that the thinner types of noodles are
far more suitable than the thicker types of noodles.

In fact, the way that they are operating this Japanese Ramen
are pretty much similar to 'Keisuke Tonkotsu King'.
They are providing toppings like 'Bonito flakes', bean sprouts,
various types of hard boiled egg for free.

The name of this Japanese Ramen restaurant would be 'Keisuke Tori King'.
It's located on level 3 of 'Amara Hotel Shopping Mall'.

Operating Hours:

• 11:30am - 10:00pm

* Click here for the map of 'Amara Hotel Shopping Mall'.
^ Click here for the Facebook page of 'Keisuke Tori King'.

New Ramen Competitor - 'Menya Aoyama'

There's a new competitor at the 'Ramen Champion' at Bugis+(Previously known as Illuma). The new competitor would be...

'Menya Aoyama'.

'Special Tonkotsu Ramen' This would be the infamous ramen of 'Menya Aoyama'. According to the relevant resources, the chef has used ingredients like pig bones, pig feet, chicken bones, etc... in preparing the ramen soup. The process seems to be pretty tedious especially when 13 hours is needed in preparing the ramen soup. This ramen soup is very different from the other ramen soup out there. This soup isn't very salty and it's pretty delicious and I love it pretty much. :D The 'Char Siew' is pretty tasty and thick too. :D Besides for the above, the noodles are pretty easy to digest and pretty tasty too. Besides for that, ...

The standards for the 'Ajitsuke Tamago' is pretty high too.
It's pretty hard outside and pretty soft inside. :P
If you have the time, you should try making a trip down to
that place and give it a try. :D

* Click here to find out more about 'Aoyama'. (In Japanese)
^ Click here to find out more about the 'Ramen Champion' located at Bugis+.
~ Click here to find out more about 'Bugis+'.

Ramen Bar

There's a new unique Ramen restaurant in Singapore.

The way they are managing the place is pretty much similar to 'Keisuke Tonkotsu Ou' Ramen restaurant.

At the place...

ingredients like bean sprouts, boiled egg are provided for free. On top of that, this place is providing 3 different types of Ramen base. There's the white one(??), the red one(spicy) and the black one(mixture of squid ink and garlic). You are given to mix and match your Ramen too. You can choose the texture of the noodles, the type of Char Siew to use, etc... It's kinda fun creating the Ramen that you will like.

They also have a special menu for dinner time only. This would be one of the items that will only be available during dinner time - 'Tonkotsu Gyokai Ramen'. Anyway do you like 'Takoyaki'? If you are a big fan of it, you probably might want to give this a try. Despite having a 'Tonkotsu'(pork) soup base, I can also taste seafood in the soup. If I'm not mistaken, I think that they have added bonito into the soup too. (Bonito is the ingredients that is poured onto the 'Takoyaki') Nice tasty soup. :P Although the soup is pretty nice, but the texture of the noodles, the portion of it, the char siew and the tamago are pretty normal. However, I'm not given the option to customise the 'Tonkotsu Gyokai Ramen'. Probably if I have choosen the normal 'Tonkotsu Ramen' that I can customise, probably it might taste much better. :D (If I have time, I would like to try the black Ramen.)

This shows the appearance of the Ramen Bar.
The name of the place would be 'Ramen Bar Suzuki'.

The following shows the information of the place:

• Address                          ：61 Circular Rd
• Operating Hours：Lunch：11:30am - 3pm
•                              Dinner：6pm-10:30pm (10pm Last Order)
• Off days                           ：Sundays, Public Holidays

* Click here to find out more about 'Ramen Bar Suzuki'.
* Click here to find out more about 'Keisuke Tonkotsu Ou'.