It is RAMEN KEISUKE's first outlet in the eastern part of Singapore, and also its 6th outlet. The outlet was opened in the basement of Parkway Parade in July 2014. Although the outlet looks small in size, it is actually long and seat about 60 people. The dining in area is decorated in bright and colorful ways with colorful pictures decorated the walls.It serves familiar favourites along with new-to-market creations based on the Japanese MATSURI theme. Here it served the orignal Tonkotsu Ramen ($13.90++), Tonkotsu Ramen YUKI MATSURI ($13.90++), Tonkotsu Ramen NEBUTA ($13.90++), Tonkotsu Ramen SANJYA ($13.90++), Chicken stock Ramen ($11.50++) and Tonkotsu King Awaodori ($13.90++), as well as, other side dishes. 

Tonkotsu Ramen NEBUTA ($13.90++), fusing Tonkotsu broth with Niboshi broth resulting in a big flavour with depth. This ramen is inspired by Aomori's NEBUTA MATSURI, which stages a parade of giant Nebuta lantern floats through the city's main streets, every August. Aomori is also known for its Japanese sardines called IWASHI, which are usually sun-dried to concentrate their flavour. The Niboshi broth is made from dashi (stock) of this special IWASHI.

Tonkotsu Ramen YUKI MATSURI ($13.90++), has Sappaoro's tonkotsu miso broth topped with a hill of cheese powder which reminds one of the fluffy Hokkaido winter snow.

Tonkotsu Ramen SANJYA ($13.90++), inspired by the Sanjya Matsuri, features a trio of spicy sauces in contrasting colours of Black, Red and Green. When tasted separately, the sauces each gives a different heat & spice profile but when mixed in together, they enrich the soup with an additional punchy, yet harmonious, character.Similar to other RAMEN KEISUKE's outlets, an order list is placed on the table, where one can select the thickness of the soup, the texture of the noodle and topping on the ramen.Similar to other RAMEN KEISUKE's outlets, there is unlimited hard boiled eggs and marinated bean sprouts to help yourself to at the table.The table also has various condiments available.Iced water is served upon ordering.A small bowl of sesame seeds is given after ordering ramen. Most would grind the sesame seeds and add it to the ramen.Tonkotsu King - Awaodori ($13.90++)
It is Tokushima style ramen, which has rather thick soup base. Instead of the usual cha shu, thinly sliced pork sukiyaki is added into the ramen. The ramen is topped with a raw egg yolk, which makes the pork bone broth even more thicker and creamier. The thick soup base kinds of reminds me of lor mee with its thickness.MATSURI MESHI rice-bowl ($7.00++)
It is presented hot with an egg sunny-side-up, chashu cubes and tobiko roe dressed with a specially blended shoyu. It is described as a "FESTIVE PARTY in a bowl as it is very colorful. It filled with different textures and tastes in the mouth, the crunchy tobiko roe, the creamy egg coated rice, and the juicy chashu.

Overall the food is delicious. The staffs are friendly, warm in welcoming customers into the outlet. After making payment at the cashier, the staff would beat the drum, saying goodbye to the customers. Interesting ramen outlet.

Today I am invited to a food tasting session by OpenRice to this ramen outlet. It is opened in the newly reopened One Raffles Place, which is quite convenient as it is connected to Raffles Place MRT. It is located just behind Three Cups Coffee Co. Cafe.The restaurant is decorated in dark tones to create a modern fusion of Japanese and Chinese looks. Menu is kept in the drawer of the dining table, which makes the table looks neat. The main menu is in a thick hard-cover notebook form, where customers can give feedback on the blank pages behind.

Ramen Isshi has been consistently ranked as the top ramen in Nakasu, the busiest street in Hakata, Kyushu. And this outlet which I am visiting today is its first outlet in Singapore. There are three kinds of ramen--KURO (Black), SHIRO (White) and AKA (Red). Shiro (White) Tonkotsu Ramen ($12)
Ramen in the standard soup Tonkotsu base, served with 1/2 half boiled egg, 2 slices of Cha-Shu
It is the basic of the all the ramen dishes. The soup tastes milky and not too salty. Quite a great combination.Kuro (Black) Tonkotsu Ramen ($13)
Served with 1/2 half boiled egg, 2 slices of Cha-Shu
KURO RAMEN--a fragrant combination made by frying garilc and shallot in sesame oil 4 times to create multiple layers of taste.
I am expecting it to be served in black coloured soup, but it turns out not. The soup is not as flavourful as expected, as the garlic and shallot taste is quite faint.Aka (Red) Tonkotsu Ramen ($13)
Made with spicy Szechuan pepper, fresh made XO sauce loaded with scallops and seafood stock.
Served with 1/2 half boiled egg, 2 slies of Cha-Shu
It does not taste like ramen. It reminds me of Penang White Curry instant noodle with its spicy soup base and the texture of the noodle. I am expecting somthing along the china's version of mala mee, but it is not. It is quite milky. One can barely find any scallops or seafood in this dish.The outlet's ramen chefs are hail from Japan and have been trained in Hakata-ku in Kyushu, Japan. The noodles are made fresh everyday here in a noodle-making room (The room is made of glass) in the restaurant and so is the soft and succulent chashu. You can check out the the noodle making process daily between 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.For $25, you could also have the ramen for takeaway in a stainless steel lunch box and carry it in a designer thermal bag. With the noodle in one container and the soup in another, one can have ramen in Tsukemen style by dipping the ramen in the soup. Remember to wait 10 minutes before it can be eaten as the noodle used for takeaway has a harder texture than the usual served in the restaurant.Gyoza wrapped in Homemade Skin ($5)
Served with vinegar and rāyu (ラー油 Japanese chilli oil 辣油).
Cooked in a pan-fried and steamed method, the gyoza tastes average and a bit too char on the base.Besides ramen and goyozas, the place also make their own Chinese baos here in a special glass room in the restaurant and they come in 6 natural flavors : Black Sesame, Plain, Turmeric, Green Tea, Beet Root and Blueberry. Available in assorted flavours for $8 for 4 pieces. The in house made bao is soft and pillowy, as well as, tasty on its own. It is served with a slice of Cha-Shu, shredded spring onion and some hoisin sauce. It would be better if there is more sauce in it too, as one can barely taste it.Carrot Cake with Saffron ($8)
Round sticky rice cakes lightly flavored with saffron, stuffed with prawn and served with homemade XO sauce.
The rice cake reminds one of mochi with its QQ texture, but the filling of prawn is too little to be take note of. I think it would be better if the XO sauce is stuffed inside and become something like crystal bun.Tuna Sashimi & Avocado Salad Asian Style ($12)
It is Tuna and Avocado Tartare, served with sesame seed flavoured mayonnaise and mala pepper corn. To eat, wrap the tartare with a bit of sauces and some of the half boiled egg yolk in a seaweed sheet like a temaki. A great combination of the creamy texture of avocado and the juicy tuna, but a bit off with the mala part.Tofu with Century Egg ($6)
The plain cold tofu is served with sesame soy sauce and century egg on top. I feel that the century egg is too little to make an impression in this dish. Overall feel that there is too much shredded ginger on top which covers other tastes.Chicken Wings Fritto (with Homemade Shichimi) ($6)
It is actually fried chicken mid joints. Marinated in a special homemade sauce, the mid joint is cut into before half before deep fried. It tastes quite salty as if the chicken mid joint is dipped in soya sauce. The black ball paste is actually shichimi, commonly known as nana-iro tōgarashi or 七味唐辛子, "seven flavor chili pepper". It is easily found in supermarket in power form. The paste form here is quite unusual.Almond Jelly with Framboise ($5)
This dessert serves as a palate cleanser after eating the heavy ramen dishes. It has 3 layers : almond pudding, passion fruit and raspberry puree. It tastes a bit more on the sour side.

All the drinks here at Ramen Isshi incorporate the natural approach to mixology that is pioneered at Orgo. To preserve as much of the nutrients as possible, the restaurant uses only fresh cold-pressed juice in all Pure Juices ($4.50) and Total Soy ($3.50) drinks. Total Soy is made with freshly cooked soy beans and left unstrained to retain all the fiber. There is also Soy Smoothie ($4.50) and Juice Smoothie ($5.50) too.Lemon Yellow ($4.50/ Pure Juice)
Soursop + Pineapple
It is a tangy drink, and there is no separation in the fruit juice as per the normal fruit juice as the juicing process is done by cold-pressed.Yellow ($3.50/ Total Soy)
Passion Fruit + Mango
The drink is quite thick and fruity in taste, but a bit grainy in texture as there is unfiltered soya bean milk in it.

Here they also served fresh fruit Makgeolli (also known as Korean rice wine) with about 5-6% alcohol content.Strawberry Makgeolli ($9)Pineapple Makgeolli ($9)
The drinks taste quite fruity and a bit tart with a slight alcoholic taste.

Overall the food still has hits and misses. The place seems to be suffering from an identity crisis, based on the food and decoration. It is trying to be Japanese (ramen dishes, sesame dressing), Chinese (mala pepper corns in dishes and bao, decoration in a chinese way), Korean (Makgeolli and Shochu), French (Framboise for dessert), Fusion (the Carrot Cake and the Tuna Sashimi with pepper corns) and western modern (salad bar & cold pressed fruit juice and dark modern look decoration) at the same timing which is quite confusing. Maybe it is still new and it takes time to make sure everything works out smoothly.

The cafe is located in the middle of a row of shophouses and is just across the street from the MRT station. Although we arrive about 23 minutes before the opening timing, we are not the first in queue for the cafe to open. The queue stretches quite long by the time the cafe opens for business. The cafe is packed the moment it opens. 4The cafe is quite small in size and tables are placed quite near to each other. Beautiful arts decorated the walls. Orders are taken at the tables. Only cash and NETS are accepted here. There is no GST and service charge here.

Avocado Eggs Benedict

 

Avocado Eggs Benedict ($15)
Brioche Bread, Avocado, Poached Eggs, Pork Ham, Hollandaise Sauce, Garden Salad, Balsamic Dressing
The bread is very soft and pillowy. Topped with the ham and avocado spread, it tastes simple and great. The eggs are cooked just nice, with nice thick yolk flowing out like lava.

Honey Paprika Crispy Wings

 

Honey Paprika Crispy Wings ($10)
Wings, Honey, Spices
Served on a wooden chopping board, the chicken wings are very crispy on the outside and juicy and flavourful inside. Topped with honey and paprika, it gives a sweet and spicy in the same mouthful.

Matcha Green Tea Latte

 

Matcha Green Tea Latte ($5)
The drink is served in a small milk bottle. It tastes similar to Starbucks' version but not as sweet.

Banana Earl Grey Tart

 

Banana Earl Grey Tart ($5)
Earl Grey Pastry Cream, Caramalized Banana, Pistachio Crumble
The sliced banana on top of the tart is soft and topped with a hard caramlized crust. It does not too taste too sweet and has a nice texture. The filling inside is thick and creamy. It has a flowery taste with a strong hint of Earl Grey taste. I am quite disappointed with its hard and dry tart crust. It is difficult to cut through with the metal spoon.

Overall the food is delicious and served quite fast from the limited menu. As the place is quite packed with families on Sunday, the place is quite noisy with children crying in the background. Although there is always queue at the door, I feel that the turnover is quite fast.

The restaurant is housed in a black and white colonial bungalow along Scotts Road and known for its Straits-Peranakan cuisine.Tonight I am bringing the family to have the Restaurant Week Dinner which costs $35++ per person. The dining room is decorated traditional look, with a small area selling stuffs such as coffee and clothes.

As we are not served ice water, we decide to order some drinks.

Kalamansi Especiale

 

Kalamansi Especiale ($10++)
Homemade Kalamansi juice with salted prune and diced aloe vera
It tastes quite strong and is quite a wake me up drink.

Lychee Nirvana

 

Lychee Nirvana ($10++)
Lychee cooler spiced with fresh ginger with basil seeds
Quite a unique ginger taste drink.

Hibiscus Breeze

 

Hibiscus Breeze ($10++)
Muddied mint leaves with a dash of hibiscus
It tastes like a colored soda drink.

Homemade Lemongrass Drink

 

Homemade Lemongrass Drink ($6++)
The drink costs $3++ as part of Restaurant Week promotion. It tastes quite refreshing and strongly of lemongrass.

TRIO OF APPETISER

 

TRIO OF APPETISER

Kueh Pie Tee

 

homemade chilli dip

 

Kueh Pie Tee (usual $10)
Crispy 'Tap Hot" pastry cups filled with shredded sweet turnips, served with crabmeat and accompied with homemade chilli dip
The appetiser tastes crispy and crunchy, although I feel that it is a bit dry.

Ngoh Hiang

 

five spice sauce

 

Ngoh Hiang (usual $14)
Crispy homemade five-spiced meat wrappped in soy bean curd skin and deep-fried
The meat roll tastes quite fatty. But topped with the five spice sauce, it is quite delicious.

Classic Penang Otah

 

Classic Penang Otah (usual $14)
Steam egg custard with scallop, seasoned with freshly squeezed coconut milk and special blend of herbs and spices
This is a quite unqiue version of otah, which does not taste too spicy but with a strong coconut taste.

SOUP

Hee Peow T'ng

 

Hee Peow T'ng
Fish maw soup with homemade prawn balls, pig tripe and cabbage
The soup is quite light in taste with lots of cabbage.

MAINS

Ayam Buah Keluak

 

Ayam Buah Keluak (usual $24)
Braised chicken with black nut and exotic spices
Although the sauce is thick and creamy, but the chicken tastes a bit dry and tough.

Chien Bak

 

Chien Bak
Pan-seared Kurobuta pork fillet marinated with authentic spices and herbs
The pork tastes not bad, but I feel that it is not tender enough and it is also a bit too fatty.

Udang Gulai Tumis

 

Udang Gulai Tumis
Tiger prawn served with fragrant Nyoya curry
The curry tastes not bad but Dad feels that the prawns are not very fresh, as the heads drop off easily.

Chap Chye

 

Chap Chye
Stir-Fried mixed vegetables
This is a different from the usual, as there is lily bulbs in the dish. I would prefer the dish to have braised slightly longer.

Sambal KangKong

 

Sambal KangKong
Sauteed water spinach with spicy sambal chili
It is a delicious dish and does not taste too spicy.

DESSERT

Cardamom Chocolate Mousse

 

Cardamom Chocolate Mousse
Cardamom infused milk chocolate mousse, pineapple compote and caramel
I have never seem Cardamom before and this is a very interesting dessert for me. It is nicely decorated with a caramel stick on top. Although it looks like normal chocolate mousse, but it tastes strongly of ginger.

Bo Bo Cha Cha

 

Bo Bo Cha Cha (usual $8)
As mom does not like chocolate, we decide to change 2 of the desserts to another choice which is Bo Bo Cha Cha. The dessert is served hot and tastes very creamy. Besides the usual yam and sweet potatoes in the dessert, there is also sliced banana in it too.

Total bill for 4 persons is $203.65. Overall the food is not bad and reminds us of homemade cooked food. The place is a bit unstaffed with only 2 staffs serving the food.

The place is located in ula ula far east of Singapore. Although there is valet parking at the restaurant, there is also public parking area at the back of the restaurant. The place is quite huge with both indoor and outdoor dining area and can seat about 300 people. In the outdoor area, there is swings and items that look like leftover from an amusement park. Inside the place, there is various sitting areas with different furniture. There is also various vespas that decorated the walls.As we have come at an odd timing of 5pm, where the kitchen is closed until 5.50pm for dinner, only appetizers, pizzas, desserts and drinks are available.Latte ($6++)
The coffee is lacking of coffee smell and tastes average.

Loose Leaf Tea

 

Loose Leaf Tea ($6++)
Mom has Roman Chamomile which is served in a little red pot. The tea is light and refreshing.Chocolate Mint MilkShake ($8++)
It tastes quite thick and creamy.Salted Caramel MilkShake ($9++)
It tastes very thick and creamy, as well as, not too sweet.Crispy Costal Wings ($14++)
12 Hours Spiced Marinated Chicken Wings, Deep Fried to Golden Brown
Average chicken wings which I feel not crispy enough, but served with a tangy spicy dip.Truffle Fries ($15++)
Straight Cut Fries, White Truffle Oil, Truffle Mayo
The fries smells great and tastes not bad. It would be better if there is shredded cheese on top.Spam Fries ($14++)
Straight Cut Luncheon Meat, Japanese Mayo
This is quite disappointing as it is not crispy at all. I feel that the spam is cut too thick.Garlic Prawns Pizza ($22++)
Fresh Prawns, Garlic, Tomato Sauce, Fresh Chilli, Mozzarella, Cheddar
The pizza has a very thin and crispy crust, with a cracker like feel. It tastes not bad although some feel that there is too much garlic.Blackforest In A Jar ($14++)
Layers of Chocolate Brownie, whipped cream, Maraschino Cherries, Dehydrated Nuts, French Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Cherry Sauce
It tastes quite yummy, except I could not taste any brownie. It is more soaked sponge cake in it. The cherries are juicy. I am also cannot taste the vanilla bean in the ice cream.TCS Waffle Stacks ($14++)
Freshly Pressed Waffles, Berries Compete, Nutella, Homemade Ice Cream, Chantilly Cream
The waffle tastes very good, with a kueh kueh like inside and crispy outside. TCS Lava Cake ($15++)
Raspberry Coulis, Coconut Tuile, Strawberry Ice Cream
Not bad with the molton chocoate flowing out of the cake.Overall the total bill comes up to $163.60, which I feel is a bit on the high side. I have a thing about the staff serving the dessert items with other food items together in one go. The ice cream in the dessert items are melting and we feel that we kind of rushing to finish them. Beware of insect bites too, as some of us receive some although we are sitting indoor in the air-con area. Remember to take a pack of old school biscuits by the door on the way out. Kind of reminding one of the younger days.