Tsuki Ramen

Got to early about the opening of Tsuki Ramen whilst we were scrolling through social media one day; Tsuki Ramen is a fairly new addition to the local F&B scene, being one of those stalls that seemingly wants to bring an alternate choice of cuisine to the heartland coffee shops at a wallet-friendly price. Located at the coffeeshop at Blk 87 Bedok North Street 4, Tsuki Ramen occupies half of a stall unit there; Tsuki Ramen co-shares the stall with their neighbour, which serves up fish soup. For those whom find this address particularly familiar, this is because the coffeeshop is the same exact one that King of Cheong Fun 广式肠粉王 is operating out of; in fact, Tsuki Ramen is neighbours with King of Cheong Fun. Tsuki Ramen is not considered difficult to find; while the name and logo of the stall hides in a small corner of the signboard, one is likely not to miss the bowl of Signature Tonkatsu Ramen that is depicted in the signboard that takes up all the space in the middle. As the namesake of the stall suggests, Tsuki Ramen is a stall that heavily focuses on their Ramen offerings — Japanese Ramen is the only item available at Tsuki Ramen apart from the side dishes that they offer, and all of their Japanese Ramen dishes feature a Tonkotsu broth. Sides available at Tsuki Ramen included the Edamame, Ebj Tempura, Pork Gyoza and Chicken Karaage — all of which being rather predictable but good-to-have items nonetheless.

Being folks whom would typically order either the dry ramen or spicy broth ramen at Japanese ramen establishments that we visit, it is needless to say that we went with the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen during our visit made to Tsuki Ramen on a weekend dinner service. Tsuki Ramen does not describe in its menu the elements that are included in their ramen dishes; that being said, we did observe that the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen comes with elements such as Char Siew, Ajitama, Naruto Maki and Memma Bamboo Shoot. The type of noodles used for their ramen would be the thin Hakata-style ramen noodles, and the Tonkotsu broth comes with a slightly orange hue from the inclusion of the pepper paste that gives it the spicy element. Going straight for the broth, we were caught pretty much off-guard with the spiciness coming from the broth itself — this was one Tonkotsu broth that really did not shy away from being particularly fiery despite it being a Japanese dish; the level of spiciness probably being further amplified by the inherent creaminess of the Tonkotsu broth itself. Considering how spicy the broth itself was, much of the original flavours of the Tonkotsu broth base does seem to have been covered up; this does make the broth a little easier to have, if one may. The noodles were done just about right; carrying a good bite without being too hard, while the Ajitama does come with a molten egg yolk.

The Char Siew comes tender; while some Japanese Char Siew served in the round form tend to be a little dry and too lean, the Char Siew comes with a bit of bite form the tension of the meat. The Memma Bamboo Shoot provided a contrast of textures, adding a bit of a crunch while the Naruto Maki was pretty much a good-to-have.
During our visit to Tsuki Ramen, we had also given the Pork Gyoza (3 pcs) a go; it comes with some greens on the side, which interestingly serves as a bed for the mayonnaise sauce that is to be had with the Pork Gyoza. The Pork Gyoza came with a golden-brown fried exterior, and was crisp and well-filled with meat within; not too greasy as well. While the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen at Tsuki Ramen would likely appeal to those whom love spicy food, we do feel that the item may not be the best to order especially for the purists whom would like to have a taste of Tsuki Ramen’s Tonkotsu broth in its most basic form. Prices of the Japanese ramen at Tsuki Ramen are pretty wallet-friendly, being priced from $6.90 to $7.90; no doubt still higher than the typical coffeeshop fare but still at a price that is comparable to pricier fare within air-conditioned food courts in the Central Business Business District. Tsuki Ramen is likely a spot that Bedok residents would appreciate having in the neighbourhood considering the fare that it serves and the price point; one that avid ramen lovers might want to keep in mind to check out if in the area.