Was looking for some good-old Ramen and decided to drop into the Ura Hototogisu Ramen inside 100 am. I've wanted to try this one for a while - and finally the day has come.
Ura Hototogisu Ramen
100 Tras St, #01-01, Singapore, 079027
Map: https://goo.gl/maps/i7AJnuzRC9mm4m9r7 Website: https://hototogisu.oddle.me/en_SG
Another one of those restaurants I've never been to in Japan.
But yes, they seem to have been winners of the Michelin star a few times.
The ramen shop is called the Konjiki Hototogisu in Japan, so they're using a different brand name. Understandable as the name "Konjiki Hototogisu" would be really tough to remember for a non-Japanese!
It's interesting that they have 6 outlets in Singapore (100am, Chijmes, Great World City, Jewel Changi Airport, Punggol Waterway, and Paragon) when there's only 1 outlet in Japan! (The one is in Shinjuku)
The outlet in 100am is located conveniently on the first floor, very recognizable from the main entrance of the mall.
The restaurant was really empty! But was clean and spacious. All good here.
Now for the Menu.
Menu
The Ramen here are in the average range for Japanese Ramen in Singapore.
The Tonkotsu Smoked Pepper Ramen and the Black Spicy Ramen is at $13.90 SGD while some of their (seemingly) signature dishes such as Sawara King Oyster Ramen, or the Aburi Cha Shu Ramen with Sakura Ebi Sauce will go at $15.90 SGD.
I was flipping through the menu and wanted to stick to some basic ramen. Wasn't really feeling like experimenting today.
So decided to go for a really basic Ramen - The Deluxe Tonkotsu Ramen at $14.90 SGD.
The Ramen
The difference between the "Tonkotsu Ramen" and the "Deluxe Tonkotsu Ramen" seems to be ONLY the char shiu. The deluxe also includes the round shaped char shiu. So instead of 2 strips, you get 4 strips of pork. For an additional $1 SGD.
Anyways, the broth smells good. Very, very thick soup.
One thing I immediately noticed different - were the noodles.
The noodles are a little unusual. Almost like a brownish tint. A very loose wave.
I like the texture - with a nice amount of elasticity and chewyness.
It has a different taste, maybe more mellow than usual. Good to be this way as the soup is really strong and... a bit on the salty side. It the noodles balance this out a little.
I was a bit curious so went to look into Japan's Konjiki Hototogisu's homepage, and indeed the noodles seem to be one of their point of emphasis.
At least for the outlet in Japan - they mix in 6 different types of Japanese flour to produce this unique noodle. I think it would be the same in Singapore as well, as the noodles in the picture look the same.
The Taste
Hmmm - might be better if I was younger. For me right now at 43 years old - this Ramen is much too salty. I don't mind the thickness - it's just too salty especially after a while.
I wasn't able to drink as much soup as I would have liked.
The Char Siew wasn't really impressive either I must say. A bit hard. The round char siew was better than the square ones, but nothing really amazing.
The noodle is nice, and it really helps neutralize the soup to a certain extent. But I guess overall, this one is not for me.
Guru Rating
As a Ramen place in Singapore 6.0 / 10
I wouldn't particularly recommend this to someone looking for a Ramen place, although I wouldn't stop someone from recommending this place either. There is a preference in the saltiness of the soup depending on what you like, and some people may like this. But again, for me - I wouldn't. And I would probably look for a different ramen if I'm looking for one again nearby, although I wouldn't mind coming back if there are no other options either.
Comments