Best ramen in the world

Ramen Santouka
Traditional Japanese Curtains for you to konk heads with departing customer

Naomi and I have been to this place, I dunno, four, five times already in the last two months, and considering we don’t go out very often, it probably means we like the food a lot.

Ramen Santouka
Plastic models of dishes to help you decide while queueing

Ramen Santouka is a ramen restaurant franchise, with restaurants in Japan, U.S. and Singapore (yay!), and most of the reviews I’ve managed to find so far have been good. Well, that’s sort of an understatement:

One sip of the Shio broth…

Daaaaaaaaaaang!

That broth is on point. It’s like drinking pork flavored butter. Their shio broth puts me in a place of utter happiness. It’s like growing up in a world without mama whoopings and big brother noogie spree.

Oishii Eats on Santouka West L.A.

santouka is bomb, the food is fucking good. it’s a bit pricey but it’s worth the indulgence. you gotta get the salt ramen with nato. it might make your breath stink, but it’ll make your tongue happy.

roe, I., L.A.

That’s L.A.. The more discerning Singaporean palate reacted in somewhat similar fashion:

Oh. My. God.

That taste? For that price? Looks a little thick and rough but once it touches your mouth? OOhhh…it’s soft, chewy not too fatty and the flavours burst right into your mouth while it melts. If their ‘normal’ chasu already tastes this good, I can’t imagine what the choice cheek cuts must be like.

Aaron Loy about the pork chasu slices in the Singapore branch

Yes, folks, the food is that good.

Then again, this is no ordinary ramen chain (like Ajisen Ramen, whose website title reads ‘Best Ramen in Singapore’, which is like, “it is so not lor!”) where local teenage waiting staff butcher Japanese greeting phrases any old how. It’s ok not to make eye contact when you’re welcoming customers to your restaurant because it’s busy and all that. But the waiting to be seated ritual usually goes like:

Waiter:
WASHSMRMSMMSRRSRSHARE! Table for two?

Us:
Yes pl…

Waiter:
WASHSMRMSMMSRRSRSHARE!

Us:
…ease.

That’s how they cut you off mid-sentence, because some other customer has walked in behind you and the young waiter is trained to greet all customers promptly and LOUDLY, at the expense of the Japanese language, and of the long term hearing abilities of the customer in front of you. And so it goes on:

Waiter:
OK, this way please. WASHSMRMSMMSRRSRSHARE! What drink you like? WASHSMRMASMRSRHARE! Today’s set is… WASHMARSRMMSRRSHARE! What? You don’t want to eat here anymore? WASHSHHMMMSRSHHSHARE! Why? WASHSHHMMSRWSHARE! We have special promotion.

The local waiters at the Singapore branch of Ramen Santouka also greet customers with a hearty irrasshaimase, but have been trained to do so without being so in your face literally. Most days, there is a stern looking Japanese lady overseeing operations (and the till), so I suppose standards are kept in that regard.

Standards are definitely kept high when it comes to the soup stock for Santouka’s ramen dishes. “Pork flavored butter” is a good description of how hearty a meal is at this place, and as for it being a ‘place of utter happiness’, well, I do think very fondly of ramen these days.

Several times in the past month alone, ramen had been the answer when Naomi asked what I wanted for dinner. And if I had the practice of saying grace before every meal, I’d end my prayer in the name of the father the son and the holy spirit ramen.

Ramen Santouka
Kara-miso ramen

Now you know how blasphemously good the soup stock is, you’ll want to know that there are also rice dishes to accompany your bowl of ramen. Char Siu Rice Bowl, Salmon Roe Rice Bowl, Grated Yam Rice Bowl, Fermented Bean Rice Bowl, Fried Rice Bowl & Green Onion Rice Bowl. These can be combined with your favourite ramen soup flavours, Shio (salt), Shoyu (soy), Miso (miso), and Kara Miso (spicy miso), to make set meals costing between $15.50 – $19.50.

Ramen Santouka
…accompanied by Green Onion Rice Bowl. Note the spoon sitting on its grooved edge. Nifty!

If you think a noodle meal is expensive at this price and you don’t want to pay any more for anythink else, there’s a pitcher of cold water on every table, gratis. But trust us, $20 is not a lot for food that will make you renounce atheism.

But the path to ramen nirvana (hey that’s a good name for a restaurant) isn’t easy. Ramen Santouka is tucked away in a corner on the 2nd floor of The Central, Not To Be Confused With Central Mall Not To Be Confused With Central Square Which Are All Within One Kilometre Of Each Other.

And when you finally find the place, you might not get a table because it’s usually very packed at meal times. Try going slightly earlier or later, but it really is worth the wait. And people do queue for a table, which is really amazing because The Central is a mall which could be renamed “The Mall With The Most Japanese Restaurants In Singapore Hey We Even Have Two Azabu Sabo Ice Cream Joints In The Same Building”

The only other drawback of Ramen Santouka is that it’s a cash only business. So prep up the wallet before going.

Ramen Santouka
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#02-76 The Central
Singapore 059817
Tel: 62240668

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26 responses to “Best ramen in the world”

  1. Zucchini: Super Simple Nutella Ice Cream » How to Make Butterscotch | Simply Recipes » Steak au Poivre by Julia Child and Jacques Pepin » Creamed corn and sharp cheddar souffle at [ No Recipes ] » David Lebovitz: Madame Lo? »Best ramen in the world | My Very Own Glob {Curiosa Felicitas}» The Skinny Epicurean: Rabbit Brand Seafood Mar 28, 2008 » Seared Scallops with Cider Brown Butter

  2. […] Apr 08, 06:16adrian: alvin! did eli and u ate here before? was it reli tt good? 2 Apr 08, 04:35jw: khairul hafiz’s […]

  3. Jenny Avatar
    Jenny

    next time : try Miharu Ramen at Gallery Hotel. very nice too…

  4. Jenny Avatar
    Jenny

    next time : try Miharu Ramen at Gallery Hotel. very nice too…

  5. Mr Miyagi Avatar

    Thanks Jenny. Will do that.

  6. Mr Miyagi Avatar

    Thanks Jenny. Will do that.

  7. natasha Avatar
    natasha

    hello! i really enjoyed my ramen at santouka today at central. finally singapore is getting some quality food.

  8. natasha Avatar
    natasha

    hello! i really enjoyed my ramen at santouka today at central. finally singapore is getting some quality food.

  9. wee Avatar
    wee

    I had the choice cheek cuts are they simply melted in my mouth! Thanks for the recommendation!

  10. wee Avatar
    wee

    I had the choice cheek cuts are they simply melted in my mouth! Thanks for the recommendation!

  11. […] April 04, 2008 My favorite Ramen is also in Singapore I was googling for something and chance upon this blog. I realized that the Ramen we frequent here inside Mitsuwa, Edgewater, is a franchise, and it has a […]

  12. […] https://www.miyagi.sg/2008/04/best-ramen-in-the-world/Quote:Ramen Santouka6 Eu Tong Sen Street#02-76 The CentralSingapore 059817Tel: 62240668mmm.. i’m hungry… _________________因为黑白. 才有星空. […]

  13. […] up, last night, because the queue at Ramen Santuoka was so long, and because we were so hungry, we went and dined at Billy Bonkers Bombers at The […]

  14. Sker Avatar
    Sker

    Hi, I would like to report on a full and happy tummy that they take VISA/MC now.

  15. Sker Avatar
    Sker

    Hi, I would like to report on a full and happy tummy that they take VISA/MC now.

  16. Andy Wong Avatar

    Hi Mr Miyagi.

    I'm Andy from Apex Group Asia Pte. Ltd. Would you like to try out our ramen pack (soup paste included) where you can cook at home in 5 minutes ? http://www.yiduramen.com/whatpeoplesay.html
    This is NOT instant noodles.

    If you do like to try out, email me you mailing address and I will send you a complementary pack.

    Cheers,
    Andy Wong
    andy.wong@apexgroupasia.com

  17. […] about restaurants that are really good, because it’d just add to the queues (like the one at Ramen Santouka) and you’d have difficulty trying to get to eat there again. But because I’m the caring […]

  18. […] restuarant located at The Central (Clarke Quay). Dickson was very keen to try this out due to the rave at […]

  19. […] This ramen outlet is supposedly the best in Japan. I was also pointed to a food review written by Mr Miyagi, who called it the best ramen in the world. […]

  20. 88Girl Avatar
    88Girl

    Hi Mr Miyagi, I am interested in being a franchisee. Any idea who to contact?

  21. Alvin Avatar
    Alvin

    ben.. the way u describe the food makes me wan to chiong there now to try…

    Alvin ur 433 “ex smoking buddy”

  22. Mr Miyagi Avatar

    Dude, do it! It's worth the cheong!

  23. Mr Miyagi Avatar

    Dude, do it! It's worth the cheong!

  24. Yen Yen Avatar
    Yen Yen

    Hi Mr Miyagi,

    I am interested in being a franchisee. Any idea who to contact?

  25. Mr Miyagi Avatar

    You could try writing to their Japanese branches. I have no idea, really.

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