Ramen is a Japanese dish that consists of noodles served in a meat or fish-based broth. It is flavored with miso or soy sauce. Some regular toppings include sliced pork, sliced dried seaweed and green onions. In Singapore, ramen stalls have expanded over the years by offering different versions of ramen such as Hakata-style Tonkotsu ramen and Hokkaido-style miso ramen with butter and corn.
One of the most famous ramen restaurants that has a Michelin star in Singapore is known as Tsuta. It is the world’s only ramen eatery that serves purely ramen dishes to its diners1. It opened its first outlet in Singapore last year. The restaurant seats only 18 diners. This figure is double the number from its Tokyo outlet. Its signature dish is the truffle oil blended Shoyu Soba which is a soy-based sauce flavored ramen. Its silky broth consists of a variety of ingredients, including whole steamed chicken, herbs and seafood. The chefs prepare the dish under strict temperature control without the use of monosodium glutamate (MSG)2.
The Ramen Stall is a Halal-certified Japanese restaurant that serves authentic ramen dishes to its patrons in Singapore. Open until 5am, the outlet is packed with curious tourists and locals. The chefs use the freshest ingredients such as chicken and vegetables with nutritious values for their diners. The ramen’s broth is prepared by boiling the meat and bones for 30 hours3. Instead of pork, the chefs produce the soup using chicken. The chefs cook clean without any artificial flavoring, MSG, salt and sugar4. Its signature dish is its volcano ramen 4. There are three levels of spiciness to choose from. Each order comes with ramen noodles, egg, mushroom, seaweed and chicken. Besides ramen, the restaurant also serves sashimi and Teppanyaki dishes.
There are some tips to enjoy a good bowl of ramen 5. For example, ramen should be eaten while served piping hot. If consumed cold, the noodles will turn mushy from the hot broth. It is a tradition in Japan to slurp while eating ramen 5. A slurp is indicative that the broth contains enough fat and rich in flavor to hold the noodle as they clump together. Ramen is best enjoyed when paired with a drink. Choose from water, beer or tea. In Japan, the chefs prepare a special oolong tea to help diners digest the pork fat in certain ramen dishes5.
References
1. The Straits Times. (2016). 7 best ramen places in Singapore, picked by ST’s food critics. [online] Available at: http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/food/sts-food-critics-share-their-picks-of-the-7-best-places-to-slurp-up-ramen?login=true
2. Tsuta. (2017). Japanese Soba Noodles Tsuta. [online] Available at: http://www.tsuta.com/
3. The Ramen Stall. (2017). About Us. [online] Available at: http://www.theramenstall.com.sg/
4. Daniel Food Diary. (2016). The Ramen Stall – Japanese Restaurant Goes Halal, Opens Till 6AM. [online] Available at: http://danielfooddiary.com/2016/03/16/theramenstall/
5. The Straits Times. (2017). What you’re doing wrong when you eat a bowl of ramen. [online] Available at: http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/food/what-youre-doing-wrong-when-you-eat-a-bowl-of-ramen?login=true