TAMPOPO & BISHAMON RAMEN

For the last 3 months, I only managed to check out 2 Japanese ramen restaurants. This was partly due to my new-found craze for ice cream (to be featured later). The first location was Tampopo Family Dining restaurant (www.cfc.com.sg), situated at Liang Court Shopping Centre level one. I ordered the kyushu-style "Ramen Original". The soup (pork bone broth) was very delicious and not too salty and oily. The thick noodle was well-cooked and not too soggy. The one big slice of fatty kurobuta (black pig) was tender and excellent, melted in my mouth. Other ingredients included braised egg and wood ear fungus, with topping of spicy cod-roe mentaiko and sesame seeds. 

• Food & Beverage 8.5/10 • Ambience 7.5/10 • Service 6/10



The second ramen restaurant was Bishamon, located at Raffles City Shopping Mall basement one. I ordered the sapporo-style shio ramen, plus a plate of gyoza. The salt flavoured soup (pork bone broth) was not too salty but quite flavourless. Where was the pork bone taste? The fat curly egg noodle was not well-cooked and tasted abit hard. The one big piece of charsiew was thick and lean, rather tasteless. Very disappointing. Other ingredients included bambo shoots, seaweed and spring onions. Overall the shio ramen was below average. Ramen from Ajisen certainly tastes better. The 6 pieces of gyoza were too hard and not crispy. The ingredients inside were dry.

• Food & Beverage 4.5/10 • Ambience 5/10 • Service 5.5/10