Ramen!

Jimoto Ya has got all you #ladieswholunch covered with its new Ladies Set Lunch ($20 nett/pax), including a petit portion of ebi ramen (choose from 4 flavours), 2 petit sides plus dessert.

Jimoto Ya specialises in Hakodate-style ramen, characterised by their thinner and lighter style broths, and what sets theirs apart is the addition of amaebi (sweet shrimp), which adds a delicate sweetness to the umami tonkotsu (pork bone broth). Shio was my favourite of the 4 flavours (others are Shoyu, Miso, Curry) because the crustacean flavour was the most apparent there, reminiscent of a more complex and refined prawn mee. My side of Renkon Age was a delight—the crunchy lotus root slices were coated in an addictive, savoury batter.

Complement your ramen experience with the well-curated range of sakes from @interriceasia— the junmai ginjo adds depth to the broth and draws out its complex flavours.

Thank you @jimotoyasg, @interriceasia, and @justinfoodprints for organising this lovely ramen & sake experience!

Love the creamy richness tonkotsu and that robust crustacean flavour found in prawn mee? Here you get the best of both worlds, where the two aces are combined to form a complex broth bursting with natural sweetness and umami-ness.

You get to customise your ramen according to your preference – richness, spiciness, noodles texture, and as many add-ons as you want. Other ramen options include: Charshu only option, Purely tonkotsu broth, etc, but this offers the best value imo. It comes with two prawns, tender charshu, bamboo shoots, and fresh, sweet crab meat. Add on a perfectly molten ajitama tamago ($1.50), dunk it into the broth, and slurp it all up quickly and loudly. Etiquette-aside, the aeration apparently enhances the flavour of the ramen.

Wowed by its robust bonito flavours at first bite. The noodles here are wavy and slightly thicker, allowing the broth to cling to each springy strand for your slurping satisfaction. The only let-down was the ajitama tamago, which was way overcooked :

Two types of dried sardine and Niigata shoyu were boiled down to produce this mellow, savoury broth that felt pretty light, though I actually prefer its stronger, more umami tonkotsu cousin. Still a competent bowl of ramen though. The ajitama egg had the perfect semi-molten texture that I like, and the aburi charsiew melted in the mouth like butter, but it was the noodles that sets Sanpoutei apart from the other ramen-yas. I'm a sucker for noodles with fun textures -- the way those flat, wavy stands twirled around on my tongue, it amuses and thrills me to no end.

The works - crispy chicken, braised pork belly, charsiew, bamboo shoots with a gloriously wobbly onsen egg to coat those thick, bouncy strands. Added an extra ajitama (molten tamago, $1.50) just 'coz.
Pro tip: Squirt in some la-yu for maximum flavour. #score #kajiken #mazesoba #burpple

The heady truffle aroma is bound to turn heads and give diners who chose otherwise a serious case of ramen envy.

Springy strands laced with dangerously addictive & umami konbu, tender grilled charshu, and perfectly molten tamago. Pity ithe whole thing got a little dry towards the end, causing it to fall flat on its face. #burpple

Oh those curly & springy strands ❤️ #onthetable from top left clockwise:
Tan Tan Men ($14) - Hopelessly hooked on the addictive sesame base. Sweet, savoury, nutty with a little feist (from chili oil), it stole all the attention while the minced pork, white onions, and molten egg were all relegated to the supporting cast instead.

Mazesoba ($14) + Additional pork belly charsiu ($2) - onsen egg, chili oil, spring onion, bamboo shoots, leeks. Spicy & flavourful, this is essentially Tan Tan Men sans the sesame base and a little variation in ingredients.

Mentaiko Tamago ($6) - Juicy dashi tamago with umami cod fish roe wedged in between. Get this. Even tastier with kewpie mayo.

#burpple #bariumaramen #foodies #foodspotting #instafood

I risk getting shot by diehard fans for saying this, but I actually prefer this offshoot to its elder sibling Nantsuttei.

The creamy opaque broth extracted from pure chicken goodness has forever changed my (utterly wrong) perception that ramen made from chicken stock is inferior to a pork-based one. To enhance the delicately sweet broth, add in a little garlic mayu oil for more depth of flavours.

Making ramen, however simple, is a craft that requires both skill and dedication to get the requisite elements right. And here they did, from the al dente noodles to the flavourful charshu. The ajitsuke tamago is also one of the best I've had - well-marinated with a perfect semi-molten core.

Never been a fan of mala (tears & snot ain't the prettiest look on me), but this evil-looking thing called Bingiri ($15.90) had me hooked from the very first bite.

While this Jap-equivalent of Sichuan Dan Dan noodles was pretty tame in the spice department, its full-on mala flavours were distinctive and aromatic. Toss up those curly & springy egg noodles with the accompanying wobbly onsen egg and voila, you've got yourself a winner.

Be not intimidated by the layer of oil floating off the surface; each order is served with a perforated metal spoon to filter away those unwanted oil globs.

Sure, ramen is priced at a premium here but it is worth EVERY cent. Their signature Akamaru (tonkotsu with homemade miso paste) is consistently good, and a total umami bomb.

Should you be feeling adventurous, try the bonito tonkotsu version ($15, +3 for tamago) [pictured]. It is rich & decadent without giving you a heartburn.

Porcine goodness, savoury bonito and yuzu paste brilliantly amalgamated to produce superb depth of flavours. Molten tamago & pork belly were excellent as well. #Ippudo never fails to satisfy. 😌