IPPUDO (Shaw House)

Can't compare this with Tonkotsu King or Tori King. The gap in standard is apparent. I guess the soup just isn't a well prepared and boiled as long as the king’s. Nevertheless, still a decent ramen - comparable to Uma Uma, etc. Tonkotsu/Tori King is just on a different level.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

You can choose the texture of the noodles to your liking! The broth is sweet and not bad, but the serving is a bit little!

Served almost dry with a little Tonkotsu broth and topped with Mentai sauce, we added in an Onsen egg to our bowl. With a very subtle spiciness from the Mentai and sweet from the Sakura denbu, it didn’t taste any more of Sakura fragrance that we were looking for.
In contrast, the Chuka Soba with yuzu slices had a much distinct yuzu taste to the light broth. We mixed in a little wasabi which elevated its refreshing touch.
Between the 2, we preferred the latter both for the soupiness and flavour.

Even as a devoted fan of the Akamaru Shinaji, I must say, the Karaka-men makes a worthy opponent! Taste-wise, it is very similar to the Shiramaru; apart from the rich and creamy pork essence, the broth’s flavor is dominated by a rather strong taste of egg-white - which perfectly encapsulates the quintessential tonkotsu experience. Furthermore, upon thorough mixing, the chili (which btw tastes almost identical to the local sambal chili that we’re all well acquainted with) reduces the “egginess” to a more enjoyable level and gives the broth a kick that hits the right spot!

On a side note, the soft-boiled egg which arrived in a cute lil’ wooden carrier was plain, not an onsen egg as expected. I was a little disappointed given the price of just this one egg!

Ippudo is worthy of its status as one of the must-eat ramen establishments in Singapore, the broth was thick and the tonkotsu taste shone through, easily drank the whole bowl down haha. The char siu is thinly sliced, soft and tender, easy to eat. Pity the noodles were a bit too hard for my liking despite ordering medium hardness. Looks like I'll try soft next time...

I’ll skip all the cliche blabber about the heritage of Ippudo(which countless can attest to) and jump straight to what we’re here for: THE GRUB! This bowl of Akamaru Shinaji arrived piping hot, with alluring dark immiscible swirls of garlic oil snaking across the tonkotsu surface. Two generous cuts of fatty chashu lay half-bathed in the broth, beckoning coyly to be consumed...

I must confess: the first overly eager gulp scalded my tongue!! But every cloud has a silver lining; by slowing down, I could really allow the creamy and silky broth to fill my mouth and infiltrate my senses...rich, warm, and highly addictive - the way the fat globules slithered across my tongue was almost sensual. If anything, the garlic oil added a mild kick, which only enhanced the overall texture. The “medium-done” ramen noodles were just the right level of springy, granting some oomph to each bite without leaving an uncomfortable doughy feel. In a split second, I found myself abandoning my anti-carb philosophy and slurping up the entire bowl of delicious goodness!

Sitting at the wooden table, enveloped by the aroma of tonkotsu and warmth of my family, I was brought back to my cold hobo days in Japan, where even the cheapest bowl of train-station ramen brought me immeasurable joy. To evoke such vivid memories, I dare say this is as close to the authentic Japanese experience as you’ll get!