Found out about the new WOKE Ramen whilst scrolling through the social media feed the other day. A new concept by the Neo Group, WOKE Ramen is also a concept that deviates quite a fair bit from the other brands that the group is known to operate. Occupying a space beside a Penang Culture outlet in the Viewing Mall at Changi Airport Terminal 1, WOKE Ramen occupied quite a well-sized shop unit which comes with a fair bit of dine-in space that comes with a mixture of normal dining tables and chairs, as well as booth seats along the sides. The concept is furnished rather simply, with black and red elements that give a contrast to the wooden furniture and fittings used in the space. Seemingly a Muslim-friendly establishment, WOKE Ramen’s offerings generally revolve around ramen dishes featuring two styles of broth here — the Chicken Collagen Broth, as well as the Prawn Broth; we are, however, uncertain if WOKE Ramen would be looking to attain halal certification in the near future. Patrons can either order the ramen ala-carte, or can also have it come in a set meal; doing so will see the addition of a side and a drink at an additional cost. The list of sides includes items like the Five Spice Beancurd and Hot & Spicy Dumplings, while the beverages served at WOKE Ramen includes iced / hot green tea, ice lemon tea, as well as other soft drinks.

Having tried both the ramen featuring the chicken collagen broth as well as the prawn broth, we would reckon that the ramen featuring the prawn broth did leave us with a more memorable impression as compared to the one that we have had with the chicken collagen broth; and in a good way. We decided to opt for the WOKE’s Prawn Paste Ramen to come with the prawn broth — a similar item is also served up with chicken collagen broth for those who do not fancy prawn broth in general. The prawn broth rendition of the WOKE’s Prawn Paste Ramen feature elements such as their signature prawn paste balls, Onsen eggs, black fungus, spring onions and their “wok hei” ramen in prawn broth. Digging straight into the bowl, we went for the prawn broth first — the prawn broth is especially flavourful on its own being rich and umami from the natural sweetness of the crustaceans; its savoury notes could be said to be relatively similar to that of the broth found in a bowl of well-executed prawn noodles. Opting for the spicy version of the broth, the broth also came with a light tinge of spiciness that tickles the tastebuds — pretty manageable for those who are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness in general. The “wok hei” noodles was something which we struggled to understand though; there was no distinct smoky hint of flavours with this one — that being said, the noodles were done just nice, retaining some chew without being too soft, though some would prefer it slightly harder considering how they are using the thinner sort of ramen noodles here. Otherwise, the prawn paste balls were a crowd pleaser — providing a soft bite for something to chew on; the Onsen eggs coming with that molten and creamy, slightly marinated, savoury note that one would expect it to be. Other elements such as the black fungus and spring onions provided that additional contrast of texture and colours to the bowl.

Despite being an establishment that serves up Japanese ramen without the usual Tonkotsu broth considering the audience that they seem to be targeting, WOKE Ramen’s offerings are fairly decent — the WOKE’s Chicken Chashu Original Ramen that we have went for featuring their chicken collagen broth was also considerably rich and creamy; a good alternative for those whom may not necessarily like the flavoursome prawn broth that they serve up and prefer something on the lighter side. We also felt that the sides that we have had being part of the set meal such as the WOKE’s Gyoza and the Onion Oil Ramen were all pretty decent; while the Onion Oil Ramen featuring comes tossed in onion oil and comes with the same “wok-hei” noodles as the ramen does, there wasn’t much of a smoky note detected with the Onion Oil Ramen as well. Nonetheless, with prices of their ramen featuring the chicken collagen broth priced between $10.90 to $14.90 and the ones coming with the prawn broth being listed from $12.90 to $18.90, WOKE Ramen does work as a slightly more budget-friendly eat — no doubt not quite as affordable as dining at the food court per se, but definitely comparable to establishments of its type. A decent spot that is worth considering to dine at if one were to be around Changi Airport.