日本料理... 爆発だ！

Since October last year, I've decided to go out and try out more Japanese Restaurants in Singapore. Coincidentally, there is an ongoing boom in Japanese Restaurants. Within the past half a year or so, there should be at least 50 new restaurants that had opened. Personally, I think I have tried about 50 restaurants myself.

Today's recall.
Ramen category:

Miharu (Gallery Hotel) - Hokkaido ramen: Tokusei (special) Tonkotsu Miso & Tonkotsu Miso flavors
Ichiban Tei (Robertson Quay) - Hokkaido ramen: Tonkotsu Miso flavor
Marutama (Central) - No idea (chicken based soup): Basic, Karashi, & Tokusen Aka (red) flavor
Santouka (Central) - Hokkaido [Asahikawa] ramen: Tonkotsu Kara (hot) Miso flavor
Bishamon (Bugis Junction) - Hokkaido ramen: Tokusei (special) Tonkotsu Miso flavor
Yoshimaru (Holland Village) - Kyuusyu ramen: Tonkotsu flavor
Baiohken (North Canal) - Hokkaido [Asahikawa] ramen: Syoyuu flavor + extra Chasyuu
Menya Manpei (Iluma) - Hokkaido ramen: Tonkotsu Miso flavor

Notice that most ramen shops in Singapore are of the Hokkaido version. I wonder why this is so. While it is true that Hokkaido is Ramen Country, I would have thought that ramen from warmer parts of Japan would be more of more easy sell to tropical tounges.

Future targets:

Shigemi Kawahara is better known in Japan as the King of Ramen: the restaurateur and chef is the only person to have won, three times in a row, a nation-wide competition testing the skills of ramen experts.

Singapore, April 18, 2009

Ippudo (Mandarin Gallery) - to open in October
Menya Kaiko (ION) - hope chef sticks around
Aoba (ION) - before the chef returns to Japan!
Noodle House Ken (Cuppage)
Menya Shinchan (Robertson Quay)
Tanpopo (Liang Court)
Ohsho (Cuppage) - although I heard their Cyahan is better than the ramen...

My current favorite ranking:
Noodle overall: Marutama (I am not really partial to Hokkaido style noodle)
Tonkotsu Miso: Bishamon
Tonkotsu Syoyuu: Baiohken
Tonkotsu: Yoshimaru
Chasyuu: Baiohken
Gyouza: Miharu (only tried at few shops)