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Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
this ramen chain is staking its claim as one of the best interpretations of the dish in Singapore. Though we've been here a few times, this is the first time i decided to share my thoughts on it, and maybe you could decide for yourself by trying it, and comparing against the better ones you've tasted so far..
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka has outlets across Japan, the United States, Hong Kong, Taiwan and various cities in South-East Asia. it prides itself for its salt-based ramen broths which the Hokkaido natives thoroughly enjoy, due to their wintry conditions. i thought the idea of having the sweetened egg served to us in small little nuggets was pretty cute.. 
apart from their Miso/Shio/Shoyu based ramen, a specialty feature of this chain would be their Toroniku or grilled pork cheek slices. this can be served with the ramen, or as an ala carte side dish, which is highly popular amongst patrons here. the slices are tender, grilled to perfection and is more flavourful than typical char-su that ramen stalls serve. 
another popular favourite would be their Tonkatsu, or deep fried pork cutlet, served with a special Tonkatsu sauce. the well-breaded crust together with its soft texture somehow makes it a cut above your typical bento servings of this dish. we also tried their steamed gyoza and their mixed rice sets - complete with a small bowl of ramen, chawan-mushi, salad and a small serving of rice. 
personal preference, but i really felt that the rice-sets took the focus away from the ramen itself. many popular ramen joints have thin menus simply because they focus mainly on their ramen choices and a couple of sides. at Santouka, the ramen itself revolved around their salt-based broth, and their pork cheeks. i personally like my ramen texture hard, so i found their recent servings to be a little soggy and soft. as for the broth, i still felt the best i've tasted was at Hakata Ikkousha (to be featured).. we also tried their spicy-based Kara-Miso Ramen which could have been spicier, we thought.. i also missed their Akihabara Shoyu Ramen, which i enjoyed from my first few outings here but the dish has since been taken off the menu. nonetheless, one glance at the evening dinner crowd is enough to tell you that many locals rate Santouka highly. if you are a fan of salt-based ramen well immersed in its broth, this is the place to go. and after all, their pork cheeks are also totally worth it.. 
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka 21 Cuppage Road, Cuppage Terrace Singapore, 229452 Opening Hours Monday to Friday: 12 pm to 3 pm; 5.30 pm to 12 am Saturday: 12 pm to 12 am Sunday: 12 pm to 9.30 pm The pork-based soup takes over 20 hours to prepare.. |
..ThE lEgEnD..
Last Movie: Ad Astra
Golden Village, Singpost Centre 
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