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2013-06-02
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I made an effort to come slightly earlier as i expected the queue to be long since this is the latest most talked about Ramen place. This is the newest outlet by the celebrity Chef Keisuke Takeda. This is a 56 seaters outlet located just a stone's throw away from Bugis MRT station nestled amidst those pre-war shop houses.It was a beautiful Monday morning, i came at about 11.15 am though their official opening hours is from 11.30 am onward. I was their first customer on that very day. A friendly
It was a beautiful Monday morning, i came at about 11.15 am though their official opening hours is from 11.30 am onward. I was their first customer on that very day.
A friendly waiter opened the door and greeted me 'Good Morning' at 11.30 am! I was ushered to my seat and presented with the menu and the order chit pretty quickly. The decor somehow reminded me of those cosy ramen shops in Japan. It is simply decorated using the four seasons as theme. And, i seated in the Autumn section.
There are only 5 types of ramen on their menu, namely : Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter and King.
The difference between each bowl of ramen is the toppings.
The Spring Ramen ($11.90) is served with minced Basil and grated Pamersan Cheese.
The Summer Ramen ($13.90) features spicy miso minced meat with Sichuan and Cayenne Peppers.
The Autumn Ramen ($12.90) has got 3 different types of mushrooms in it.
The Winter ($10.90). The simplest of all. It is served in rich pork broth.
The King ($13.90) has got the stir-fried pork with ginger.
I wanted the Summer Special. It is a bowl of spicy ramen priced at $13.90 + $4 to have all the toppings including the onsen egg. You can add $1 for the seaweed or $2 for just the flavored egg.
The friendly waitress was right beside me when i was deciding whether to have the taste of soup at normal or strong. She advised it would be better to have it at normal as it might be quite salty if strong is selected.
The thickness of soup, the done-ness of noodle and the amount of oil can be customised.
After submitted the order chit, another waiter served the iced water together with the white and black sesame seeds in wooden motar and pestle. While waiting for ramen to be served, this is a good way to keep oneself busy. It was quite an enjoyment to slowly grinding the sesame seeds to the slightly powdery texture.
There are a good range of condiments available to enhance the taste of your ramen in accordance to one's liking. I personally would only go for their beansprouts.
The seasoned beansprouts have got a rather slight crunchiness that directly enhanced the texture of the ramen. This enhancement added a healthier touch to it.
Their amazing thoughtfulness of providing the apron to prevent one from dirtying their shirts as well as the rubber band to tie up the hair for convenience sake is worth commendable.
I remember to tell the waiting staff that i have seen their facebook page in exchange of the Green Tea Cola ($3.80) for free. This drink is served exclusively right here. It apparently has more cola taste then the green tea. It tasted distinctly refreshing.
My Summer Special served in 10 minutes. It has got all the toppings including the seaweed, flavored egg, stir-fried pork, black fungus and pork chasyu. To start, the ball of spicy miso minced meat is to be mixed in nicely into the broth to give it a pretty red color. The level of spiciness is rather minimum and comforting. I expected it to be spicier though. The flavored egg has got it just right to give it the orangy color with a soft but not running egg yolk. The stir-fried pork and chasyu has done it well to give it the desirable chewiness and texture.
Do you see the steam escaping from the noodle? They served their ramen piping hot, just the right temperature to enjoy the ramen slowly.
My lunch partner ordered the Spring Ramen served in a pretty Cherry Blossom bowl. He actually quite enjoyed the unique combination of Basil and Cheese. The cheese taste is not overwhelming but just right to enhance the overall taste.
We paid a total of $37.45 for the Summer Special Ramen and the Spring Ramen. The price is inclusive of GST and Service Charge. There is a little tip box right at the Cashier's Counter. You can show your appreciation by giving a little tip if you like their attentive and friendly service.
Iced barley water is prepared and placed at the starting of the queue for their customers while waiting. Another plus point for such thoughtfulness.That comforting bowl of ramen made me happy.
I will certainly be back to try the rest.
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