Best Japanese Ramen @ Ramen Santouka

With two stores in Singapore, located at Clarke Quay and Somerset, Ramen Santouka is easily the best ramen eatery I’ve tried.

Ramen Santouka @ Somerset

Usually when I go there, I would indulge in their ramen with the Shio (salt) soup, my favourite because it is so tasty, yet not so rich. Other yummy ramen soups that I have tried include the Shoyu (Soya) and Miso ones, which I really love.

But on my latest visit, I decided to try one of their new products – Hiyashi Chuka with the Spainish Iberiko Tokusen Toroniku. This is a cold ramen dish that is served with pork cheek meat. As I have never tried cold ramen before, I just wanted to see what it was like.

At the same time, I ordered an Aburi Char Siu (Roasted Pork), because it looked quite delicious too.

I also had their mini cheesecakes – to end the meal with something sweet. These were the crème brulee and caramel flavours respectively.

How did Ramen Santouka’s new dishes stack up?

Hiyashi Chuka with Spain Iberiko Tokusen Toroniku

Hiyashi Chuka with the Spainish Iberiko Tokusen Toroniku

This is definitely different to most of Ramen Santouka’s usual ramen dishes. Instead of the hot soup ramen that we usually get, this version comes in a light soya-based sauce and is served cold.

This dish is served with Aji Menma (Bamboo Shoots), Kyuri (Cucumber), Aji Tamago (Flavoured Egg), Negi (Sliced Onion), Atsuyaki Tamago (Sliced Omelette), Kikurage (Black Fungus) and Kani (Crab Sticks).

Ramen Noodles

While the springy texture of the ramen noodles here definitely lived up to their high standards, I must say that the cold ramen felt slightly strange to eat as I am not used to it. But the dish was full of flavour and the soya-based sauce, while bitter at first, eventually grew on me and I found myself finishing up all of the noodles.

Pork Cheek Meat

The set comes with boiled egg and vegetables.

The set comes with soft boiled egg and vegetables.

The pork cheek meat were also absolutely yummy – these were extremely soft and tender, and I found myself relishing with glee, all the three pieces that I had been given. However, they were cold though, and may have tasted nicer if they were served warm.

Vegetables

The vegetable items, consisting of Aji Menma (Bamboo Shoots), Kyuri (Cucumber), Negi (Sliced Onion) and Kikurage (Black Fungus) in the dish provided the necessary vitamins and minerals for a balanced meal. But they were a bit cold and made me feel as though I was eating Western-style salad instead of a Japanese noodle dish. The flavour was still quite good though. At least there was no rich salad dressing drizzled over these vegetables.

Aburi Char Siu

Aburi Cha Siu.

Unlike the cold ramen noodles, this was a hot, grilled roasted pork dish and was served on a mini grill with the flame intact.

I really enjoyed this dish. While the texture of the roasted pork was a little coarser than the pork cheek meat, the slightly charred flavour was really delicious.

Cheesecakes

Japanese Cheesecakes.

There were two flavours of cheesecakes – the crème brulee and the caramel ones. I ordered both to try.

When these cakes were served, I must say I was taken aback by their mini size – each the size of a thumb. But the flavour was really yummy. The cheese was smooth and creamy and at the same time, not too rich. The biscuit base at the bottom of the cake was also buttery and fragrant.

However, I couldn’t really differentiate between the crème brulee one and the caramel flavoured one, as both of them seemed to have a delicious caramel tang to it. But I would definitely order these tiny cheesecakes again as they were really good.

Ramen Santouka @ Somerset
Cuppage Terrace,
21 Cuppage Rd
Singapore 229452 (Tel: 6235 1059)

Opening Hours: 12pm to 3pm / 5.30pm to 11.30pm