23 Ramen in Singapore – Remember to Finish the Heavenly Broth

There’s something about the luscious broth and the filling noodles, and that rich porcine taste that hits all the right spots when it comes to ramen. In Japan, numerous ramen restaurants line the streets and it’s almost impossible to find a bad-tasting bowl. In recent years, the ramen culture has influenced restaurants worldwide, and it’s not hard to find a gratifying bowl in Singapore now. For us, the heart of any good bowl of ramen is its broth, followed by the noodles. The texture and taste of handmade noodles are distinctly different from those sourced from suppliers. A bowl of ramen shouldn’t be overwhelmed by toppings as well. After trying a great deal of ramen across Singapore, we bring you 23 stalls so you can satisfy that ramen craving wherever you stay.

Brothers Ramen

Run by two young and handsome men who have great love for baking and cooking, Brothers Ramen used to be known as Homebaked Dough. They started out baking cookies and selling them online. They came up with their own recipe after many hours in the kitchen. After rebranding, prices have gone up and their restaurant now features a self-service vending machine.

There are 6 options available and we had Supermen ($16.90) and Bellymen ($13.90). The former comes with medium thick noodles, extra slices of chashu and egg while the latter consists of two thick chunks of braised pork belly. This is perhaps the cleanest, or rather, neatest bowl of ramen we have come across. The noodles were pretty decent, and the broth was slurp-worthy. The chashu was well-prepared, but the pork belly was too tough and dry for our liking. Our favourite was the stewed egg, which was firm with a soft and runny yolk.

Fans of spicy food, do note that Brothers Ramen also serve Spicy Ramen, with homemade chilli oil. You can give it a try if you need something to spice up your day.

Burosu Honten Gyoza & Ramen

Translating to “broth shop”, you can customise your ramen by choosing the doneness of the ramen noodles, spiciness level and strength of broth. They have individual booths where the waitress will serve through a screen from the kitchen. How fun, you won’t know when they are going to appear! Besides, you can also slurp the noodles loudly without being stared at.

We went for the Special Ultimate Blend Ramen ($18.80) which has a solid soup base rendered by simmering shrimp, lobster and crab shells for at least 11 hours. It is served with two fresh, slightly bigger-than-normal prawns. One mouthful ascertains the sweetness of seafood stock, finished with a hint of pork flavours. It tasted slightly similar to our Chinese Prawn Mee but this soup has a thicker consistency.

Buta Kin

Located at Beauty World Food Centre, Buta Kin offers quite a huge variety for a hawker stall – 5 types of ramen/udon dishes and 4 different Japanese curry dishes. Most of the items are less than $6. It is really quite a good deal especially for foodies who crave an affordable bowl of ramen.

Special Tonkotsu Ramen ($6.90) comes with your choice of ramen or udon. Each bowl consists of 3 slices of pork belly, black fungus, soft boiled egg and seaweed. The charred pork belly was pretty good, not meltingly tender but comes with a good bite and marinade. The egg was done well too with a custard like egg yolk. However, the pork broth was a little weak on our day of visit and the noodles had a texture that was relatively similar to Chinese la mian. We also ordered Tonkotsu Black ($6) which we thought would be more flavourful because of the addition of garlic oil. But sadly, it didn’t lift up the flavours a single bit. The ingredients present are similar to that of the Tonkatsu ramen.

Hajime Tonkatsu & Ramen

Hajime is started by Chef Tan, who used to work in Tonkichi and Tampopo. He can be considered the tonkatsu master and his passion for Japanese cuisine led him to start the popular Hajime last year. “Hajime” is the Japanese word for “beginning” and the short form for “Hajimemashite”, which means “nice to meet you”. He wants to spread his philosophy of going back to the food’s beginning and welcoming all customers warmly.

We ordered the Tonkatsu Ramen ($14.90), and added a tasty egg for $2. The ramen was flavourful and comforting but not impressive. The deep-fried pork that accompanied our ramen tasted pretty ordinary as compared to the air-flown Japanese pork used in the Premium Pork Loin. 

Hakata Ikkousha

“Ikkousha” means “one happy place”, which reflects the simple heartfelt motto of Chef Kousuke Yoshimura – that is to bring happiness to everyone. Chef Yoshimura’s father was a sushi chef and his mother ran a gyoza store. Culinary talent truly runs in his family and he mastered the basics of cooking and learnt the art of making gyozas under the watchful eye of his mother. He developed his own ramen recipe and opened his first eatery in Daimyo, Fukuoka. Offering an authentic taste of Fukuoka, which is known for its thin, springy ramen noodles, Hakata Ikkousha has crafted a menu that boasts five signature ramen dishes.

Ikkousha’s broth is made from various types of pork bones and simmered over low heat for over 12 hours to create a creamy texture. This slow cooking method draws rich collagen into the delicious broth. After the broth is simmered for 12 hours, a blend of 3 types of soy sauce, 20 kinds of seasoning and 5 kinds of rare seafood is then added into the soup to make it rich and unique. As for the noodles, they bought their own machine to make the perfect noodles for its broth. We really love its colour, thinness and taste. They are blanched for just 15 seconds before serving. 

We had the Special Tonkotsu Ramen ($16) which is served with 4 pieces of chashu, a flavoured egg, seaweed, fungus and spring onion in its original full-bodied pork broth. The pork chashu is lean and complemented the soup well. We enjoyed the Black Tonkotsu ($13.50) Ramen very much because of its smoky flavour due to the presence of special fried garlic and sesame. To suit Singaporean’s love for spicy food, they also offer the Spicy Tonkotsu.

Ippudo

Founded in 1985 in Hakata by Shigemi Kawahara, Ippudo has become a renowned ramen restaurant worldwide, with over 80 stores in Japan, and over 40 stores globally. The noodles, quintessentially Ippudo’s, are skilfully prepared, and offer a springy texture and deep flavours. Boiled to an al dente texture, each bite exudes a vibrant aroma and taste of wheat. As for its broth, Ippudo strictly abides by their secret recipe, and only rigorously selected ingredients go through the process of creating the Tonkotsu broth.

We had Shiromaru Motoaji, a creamy Tonkotsu broth served with thin and straight Hakata noodles. The broth goes through 15 hours of boiling, resulting in a thick and rich broth which is definitely slurp-worthy!

Machida Shoten

Located within Wisma Atria’s Japan Food Town, Machida Shoten prides itself in serving up steaming hot bowls of delectable ramen. Made in-house, the broth is simmered for long hours, so you can expect a full-bodied broth boasting rich flavours. We had the Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen ($13) and Tonkotsu Sio Ramen ($14), both with ajitama ($2 each). You can customise your ramen according to your desired firmness of noodles, richness of your broth and amount of oil.

While the Shoyu Ramen features a heavy, creamy base, the Sio Ramen was lighter, with strong garlicky and sesame oil flavours. Some might find the broth too salty, but we really enjoyed the entire bowl of ramen. The noodles are slightly thick, flat and perfectly al dente. The well-prepared pork belly chashu and flavoured egg with a runny middle made our meal complete.

Marutama Ra-men

What makes Marutama stand out is its use of chicken broth instead of pork. Marutama Ramen ($12) is unpretentious with slices of chasiu, seaweed, spring onion, and ramen noodle in a non-spicy chicken broth. We topped it with an Ajitsuke Tamago (half boiled seasoned egg, $1.50), which was steeped in soya sauce and has a runny yolk and soft white. Best of all, there’s a free flow of deep fried sliced garlic on the side for you to add to your ramen.

The egg is very well done and by far, the best among all the ramen stalls we have tried. In Japan, Marutama’s half-boiled seasoned egg has been awarded as “the best tamago”. It is fully boiled at the surface but still half boiled on the inside. As for the noodles, they imported the exact flour they use in Japan to make Hakata-styled ramen noodles themselves daily. Although it does look similar to our maggie mee, it is much lighter and easier on the palate, and is able to soak up the thickness of the chicken broth.

Menya Sanji

Menya Sanji means three warriors, hence there are large framed paintings of warriors all over the shop. The reason to be here is the Sanji Ramen ($11.50++). Tonkotsu broth is the Holy Grail of  broths. Many ramen shops use pork bones to prepare their soup but Menya Sanji uses pig’s head instead. It is thick, creamy, nearly white in colour and not as salty! The dish is served with medium thick noodles. Rice cake powder (mochiko) is added into the noodles to make it chewy. The noodles and soup are made in Japan before being delivered here to ensure consistency. The soup takes about 20 hours to prepare.

The Sanji ramen is a terrific mash-up of textures and flavours. Think crunchy bean sprouts, sweet pork, seasoned bamboo shoots, Kikurage mushroom (black fungus), ½ a seasoned soft-boiled egg and a tangle of springy noodles. An alternative choice will be the Black Sesame Ramen and Spicy Ramen, both using the same soup base with the addition of black sesame and chilli oil respectively. There’s also a more unique option for adventurous diners — chilled Bukkake Ramen ($9.90++). “Bukkake” means to pour a bowl of chilled soup over a plate of cold ramen. You can choose from soy sauce, spicy sauce or sesame sauce to go with it. The soy sauce comes from Kyushu and is flavoured with some sesame seeds. Very fragrant!

Nantsuttei

Owner-chef Ichiro Furuya found his life’s calling at the age of 27 years old. He then went to Kyushu to learn the art of ramen and after wandering around trying ramen at various shops, he found a flavour that he loved in Kumamoto. He began to study there and opened Nantsuttei in his hometown of Hadano a year later.

Be prepared to indulge in a rich, creamy broth made from pork bones. Floating on the surface of the broth is a fragrant black roast garlic oil, a flavour that has not changed since the restaurant first opened. This oil is an iconic component of the Nantsuttei flavour created by frying garlic in seven phases and mixing it into a balanced blend for an exquisite harmony of flavours. This oil complements the soup, noodles and toppings and come together to create a perfectly balanced ramen.

Ramen Gallery Takumen

Besides the usual pork broth base, Takumen has taken ramen to a whole new level, with its introduction of cheese ramen. Originally kicked off as an online ramen store, Takumen went to great lengths just to recreate the original authentic flavours in their first physical branch on our island. Riding on Japan’s new hype, the Special Fromage (Cheese) Ramen ($18.90) consists of noodles in a hot bath of savoury chicken broth, topped off with a layer of creamy fromage. Stir in the melted gooey cheese and enjoy the result of a rich, milky broth that is unlike any other you’ve tried. Some might find it a tad too oily though. Instead of the usual marinated chashu, the chef has decided to use parma ham that sits elegantly on the edge of the bowl. As much as we love ours bowls of traditional ramen, this unique rendition didn’t disappoint.

Ramen Keisuke Kani King

Ramen King, Chef Keisuke Takeda is famed for his creativity when it comes to “playing” with ramen flavours. As its name suggests, this 40-seater restaurant specialises in Crab Broth Ramen in four different styles namely, Crab Broth Ramen with Clear Soup ($12.90), Crab Broth Ramen with Rich Soup ($13.90), Spicy Crab Broth Ramen ($14.90) and Crab Broth with Mixed Fried Omelet Ramen ($13.90). On top of these, Mr. Takeda has introduced Crab Dipping Noodles ($13.90), also known as Tsukemen, a popular Japanese noodle dish. Read a full review here.

Instead of using a pork base which is commonly used in ramen broth, Mr. Takeda uses specially imported swimming crabs (watarigani) from around the region and chicken bones to create the creamy base for their Crab Broth Ramen with Rich Soup. For Crab Broth Ramen with Clear Soup, the broth is made from a mixture of crabs, special blended herbs and vegetables. The mix is subsequently simmered for hours to retain the distinct seafood flavour in the soup base. The process of preparing Crab Broth Ramen is almost similar to the Lobster Broth Ramen (see below) but the creative Mr. Takeda wants diners to notice their differences instantly. Hence, he made the former lighter, with the addition of more vegetables, while the latter is stronger in taste. 

Ramen Keisuke Lobster King

Located in the heart of the vibrant and lively Clarke Quay, Lobster Stock Ramen is available in four different styles namely, Lobster Broth Ramen with Clear Soup ($13.90), Lobster Broth Ramen with Rich Creamy Soup ($14.90), Miso Lobster Broth Ramen ($14.90) and Spicy Miso Lobster Broth Ramen ($15.90). All the bowls of ramen come with melt-in-your-mouth pork belly and chicken char siew, black pepper prawn wontons and crunchy bamboo shoot. You can also choose to customize your own ramen and add-on your favourite toppings from the menu.

Chef Takeda uses French rock lobsters specially imported from France. Carefully selected for its characteristic rich and abundant roe and flavour, the shells of rock lobsters are first pan-fried, crushed into fine bits and simmered for 6 hours with a special blend of herbs and vegetables to create the Lobster Broth Ramen with Clear Soup. To create the creamy texture and unique depth in flavour for the Lobster Broth Ramen with Rich Creamy Soup, the simmering of soup stock takes an additional 4 to 6 hours. We really enjoyed the richness and creamy texture of the rich creamy soup. The velvety smooth broth is so addictive that you will finish every last drop of it. Read more about it here.

Ramen Keisuke Tori King

Besides crab and lobster soup bases, Chef Takeda also has a restaurant that specialises in chicken broth ramen. Our favourite is the Tori King Ramen Clear Soup (from $11), made with Japanese “Dashi” broth. It is a combination of kelp and shavings of preserved, fermented skipjack tuna. The broth is light, yet very tasty.

For a stronger and more flavoursome broth, go for the Tori King Tan Tan Mien Ultra Super Rich (from $14.90). Tan Tan Mien is a popular ramen in Japan that is heavily influenced by Chinese noodles. You can expect a rich creamy soup base with white sesame paste and Keisuke’s special chilli oil. Corianders are added as a finishing touch to give the dish a more Asian flavour. However, some might find this too rich and too creamy.

We also tried the Tori King Dry Noodle Maze Soba (from $12.90), which is the first dry noodles by Ramen Keisuke. Mixing minced pork meat with different types of nuts gave this dish a different flavour and texture. Chef Keisuke also added a splash of his original spicy sauce and vinegar for a unique touch. If you love spicy food, this fiery bowl is bound to satisfy as it packs a really good punch!

Ramen Taisho

There are three ramen options – Soup, Dry and Dipping. Chef Hock Soon meticulously and diligently makes the noodles by hand every night after closing the stall to ensure customers get them fresh the following day. He uses wheat flour imported from Japan to make the noodles. Other ingredients such as the chashu pork and tamago eggs are also made in-house. Hock Soon spent 3 years traveling to and fro Japan to learn the tricks of the trade before launching Ramen Taisho. He even followed the old ramen grand masters in Japan to learn the art of ramen.

The Tonkotsu Ramen ($6.90) is the best out of the three ramen options. The thin wheat noodles are cooked to al dente, boasting a light and springy texture. The broth, made from a mixture of pork and chicken, is robust and flavourful but not too rich. The slices of chashu are tasty, with a hint of natural pork sweetness. However, it was a tad too tough and dry. We would also have preferred the slices to be thicker, with a good balance of lean and fatty layers. Also, the eggs weren’t very well done. We like ours  firm, with a runny yolk in the middle. Big eaters should go for the Ramen Deluxe ($8.90) that comes with extra chashu, egg and nori.

Santouka

Santouka started out in the 1980s in Japan, with its very first restaurant in Asahikawa, Hokkaido. The restaurant only had 9 seats and a single item on the menu at that point in time. The shio (salt) ramen, which is served with a small pickled plum, is what consumers make repeated visits for. A mouthful of the broth sends a gentle flavour first before a richer taste hits. 

Sapporo Ramen Miharu

Authentic Sapporo Ramen is not exactly common in Singapore but you can find it here. The waitress suggested having one of the popular choices, Komi Tsukemen ($14.50) which is a bowl of traditional dipping noodles. The cold noodles were chewy, which we liked, but some might find it a little too hard. While the soy sauce-based dipping broth went well with the noodles, it was actually very salty on its own. In our opinion, maybe Sapporo Ramen Miharu should focus on their regular ramen bowls.

Shin-Sapporo Ramen

Launched in 2010, Shin-Sapporo Ramen brings together strong Japanese tradition and cultural heritage in a bowl of soup. Each bowl of hearty soup is a warming symphony of fresh ingredients, following an age-old recipe, executed in deliberate fashion. Behind each seemingly simple soup hides a very elaborate broth-brewing process which takes up to 15 hours, and freshly-made noodles that are tailored for its own unique soup base. 

Takagi Ramen

Owners Kaiheng and Takagi spend approximately 12 hours every day to prepare the broth. They recently increased the amount of meat and bones placed into the broth for simmering to make the broth richer and creamier. The broth was indeed robust and flavoursome, with hints of sweetness. The eggs and chashu are also freshly prepared in-house, while the noodles are ordered from their Japanese food product supplier. The couple meticulously peels each and every egg before marinating them overnight. This process is as simple as ABC but can be a very time-consuming chore. The chashu is gently simmered and marinated for over 6 hours to ensure its tenderness, allowing it to have a melt-in-the-mouth texture.

We had the Miso Ramen ($6.50) and Black Tonkotsu ($6.90). The former features a miso-flavoured Tonkotsu noodle soup with corn while the latter boasts a Tonkotsu noodle soup topped with charred garlic oil, black fungus and bamboo shoots. The noodles are well-cooked and springy. The broth for the Black Tonkotsu fared better as the flavours are stronger and more full-bodied. The savoury eggs with a runny centre and fork-tender chashu are great accompaniments to the bowl of ramen. There’s also an added crunch thanks to the black fungus and bamboo shoots. Every mouthful leaves you feeling satisfied.

Tampopo

Serving an extensive menu of Japanese cuisine, Tampopo focuses on serving up seasonal fresh ingredients prepared in Kaiseki style. Although it is not a ramen restaurant, the restaurant has made a name for itself with their Black Pig shabu ramen. We didn’t have their famous Black Pig shabu ramen but instead ordered the Black Pig Koumi Fry Ramen ($15.80++). The broth is made from pork bones, and cooked for 2 days, giving a milky and light flavour. The thin kyushu noodles were great as usual, possessing just the right springy texture. Frankly, the ramen didn’t excite us. Perhaps it was because the ribs were too oily and salty that night.

Tonkotsu Kazan

Tonkotsu Kazan originates from Osaka, Japan. They do not have a physical shop in Japan though. They started their flagship in Singapore. Its first branch is located at Novena Square 2. So what is their unique selling point? It is non other than the Ishiyaki Ramen (hot stone roast ramen) that looks like kazan (volcano)!

Our Kazan Kaisen-Shio ($18, $15 small) arrived in a preheated 300 degree celsius stone bowl, served without soup. At the table, the waiter will pour in half the soup and cover it with an inverted funnel looking lid. When there is steam coming out from the lid (they call it Funka, which means volcano eruption), let the noodles cook for another minute and it is ready! Their pork bone broth is cooked using the finest pork bones for 10 hours daily. Unnecessary oil and residue is then skimmed off. The result? A wonderfully consistent and flavourful broth that is rich in collagen and protein. With the tonkotsu broth as the soup base, you can then pick from different flavours: shio, shoyu, miso or curry.

The Kazan Kaisen-Shio is lighter on the palate as compared to our second kaizen ramen, the Kazan Karamiso. You can enjoy the broth by adding rice into the left over soup mixture to make delicious Zousui (soupy rice).

Tsuta

Dining at Michelin-starred Tsuta is very convenient as you simply order and make payment via the kiosk at the entrance of the restaurant before the server will show you to your seats. You can pick either the Shoyu Soba or Shio Soba. Don’t be mistaken though, the ramen is named “soba” as it means noodles in Japanese. Chef Onishi wants to keep Tsuta as traditional as possible to the Japanese culture. After choosing your soup base, you have a choice to add on char siu and flavoured eggs.

We had the Char Siu Ajitama Shoyu Soba ($22.80) which consists of 4 slices of pork collar char siu, bamboo shoots, leek, a flavoured egg and truffle puree in truffle oil. Pork collar is used instead of the usual pork belly as it is lower in fat but retains the same texture and flavour. Each bowl contains 100grams of ramen, a relatively hearty portion. The shoyu-based broth tastes earthy, with a distinct flavour of truffle.

The Char Siu Ajitama Shio Soba ($22.80), on the other hand, is created by adding a careful balance of Okinawa sea salt and Mongolian rock salt. The ingredients are similar to what’s present in the Char Siu Ajitama Shoyu Soba. The only difference is that green olives pureed in truffle oil is added instead of truffle puree. As a result, the broth is not as strongly flavoured as the Shoyu broth, but it is still delicious.

Uma Uma Ramen

Uma Uma Ramen’s name stems from “Wu Maru”, a Ramen shop established in 1953 by the father of Uma Uma Ramen’s current President, Masahiko Teshima. Upon taking over the business in 1994, “Wu Maru” was renamed “Uma Uma Ramen”; a play on the original name of the restaurant as well as a pun on the Japanese word for “tasty”.

Uma Uma Ramen ($14) consists of the right noodles, a necessary element of a perfect bowl of ramen. Following Japanese tradition, lighter clear-souped ramen is paired with thicker, curly noodles while thinner noodles are usually paired with thicker soup bases. If you like your noodles thin, non-curly and springy, you will like Uma Uma Ramen which serves Hakata-style ramen. Of course, the usual ramen we have in Singapore is much thicker, so it may not suit many tastebuds, but the ramen we had that day still retains a good bite. The egg is runny and the stock may be a tad too oily for our liking but it is truly flavourful. The ramen is served with charsiu, spring onions, and black fungus in spicy miso.

After trying so many bowls of ramen, we can’t come to a uniform conclusion on which stall offers the best. While the broth is a winner for some stalls, the noodles, flavoured egg or chashu might be the highlight for others. Plus, everyone has different preferences – some like it rich and creamy while others prefer a lighter soup base. Have fun checking boxes off this list of ramen! You may just find your favourite!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visits and paid its own meals at the stalls featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to the stalls listed above. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!