Ippudo SG @ Mandarin Gallery, Singapore

After half day of non-stop walking around the city, finally start feeling hungry and hunger. I first thought of the ramen which I actually plan to try since I have no booking for any restaurant for my first day. Ippudo ramen, the only ramen shop that I know and have a bit of research, the location.

 

 Ippudo SG

 

Before go to the Ippudo SG,of course I have shopping around the Orchard Road which has too much yummy foods, especially Takashimaya's basement food department store. When I arrived at Ippudo SG, it was around 8.30pm and I was totally forgot the long queue that others mentioned about it. The entrance has 3groups of around 7peoples queuing, and soon I found out that actually inside the entrance has another bunch of peoples queuing and reading the menu while waiting for the table, roughly 10-15peoples. I guess they have to wait for at least half an hour to get a seat.

 

Menu

 

Bar Counter Seating

Fortunately,  I get a seat at the bar counter seating after wait for 15minutes. Due to the hungriness, I didn't read through the menu, simply ordered the Shiromaru  Motoaji which has the description of "classic Hakata-style ramen". So I guess that most probably the signature ramen and I chose to top up the ramen with Shiromaru Special- flavored egg(nitamago), tender pork cube(kakuni), and bamboo shoots(menma).

Shiromaru Motoaji

Within 5minutes, the ramen had arrived. The first impression for the ramen is simple and look so plain. Then I scoop the soup to mix all the ingredient, the soup is not as thick as I expect which made me feel like the soup won't be so flavourful. I took a sip of the soup, instantly, I knew it was my Big mistake to judge a book by its cover. The milky tonkotsu base soup is so rich and flavourful, and I can say the soup is better than any ramen outlet at Malaysia. The difference is the pork bone that they use for the soup base.

They will ask you how you would like the noodle to be cook, soft to hard, I guess medium is the best. The noodle for the Hakata-style ramen is straight and thin which is quite easy for the soup to cling on it. It just feel great to slurp it while still hot, even made some noise of slurping. That's how to eat ramen.

Shiromaru Special

For $8 to opt for additional topping, it is totally worth it. I was curious why the nitamgo didn't cut into half for easier to eat. I took a big bite and I know why. Not only the egg yolk is runny, the egg white seem also semi-cooked. The nitamago is so delicious and optimize by taking a big bite on it, well, Syok!

While the pork cube is really tempting as it looks like. The fats and the meat are separate while bite on it, the fats melts, gorgeously awesome. The meat is moist, tender, juicy, and delicious.

 

 The Love Towards a Good Bowl of Ramen

 

Roughly 70RM for such a bowl of ramen, I wonder how many Malaysian willing to pay for it. But, I definately will pay for such Japanese ramen. Now, can I define the Malaysia ramen outlet as "local ramen"? Soup is the soul of a bowl ramen, now I start to learn what is a good bowl of ramen.

Hokkaido Sushi Restaurant @ M Hotel, Singapore

It is another Japanese restaurant which I visit after Mikuni. There is only one reason, one objective, for the Ohmi Wagyu, the pinnacle of beef. To being a gourmand connoisseurs, it is not easy and I think it is one of the most difficult task, which require a lot of knowledge and sometimes luck is a factor.

Most gourmands would cite Kobe beef from Japan as the best, then only I discovered the top three Japanese Wagyu, the Kobe, Matsuzaka and Ohmi. When I came across to Ohmi wagyu, I had found that Hokkaido Sushi Restaurant, M Hotel currently has serving Ohmi wagyu, other than that, Waku Ghin also serving Ohmi wagyu in the 10-courses degustation menu (SGD$400, exclude tax.). On top of that, HSR also having promotion for the Imperial Ohmi wagyu beef festive set for only $168++(NP:$268++)

Hokkaido Sushi Restaurant

 

Interior

The dining area is quite spacious and comfort.

Wafu Salad

The serving portions here are generous, that's a good thing.

Assorted Sashimi

(Hamachi, Salmon Belly, Aka Ebi, Hotate and Tai with truffle and spring onion)

Everything is good, especially the tai serve with truffle is something new for me, delicate.

Fugahire Chawanmushi

(Steamed custard egg with Shark Fin)

A real shark fin chawanmushi. The shark fin come in a whole small fin, and easily to tell you that are real. The chawanmushi is smooth and match with the shark fin.

Teppanyaki Oyster Omelette

Oyster is good, either serve chilled or cooked.

Ohmi Wagyu Beef

(Sawai Ranch, Shiga Prefecture Japan)

The awesome fine marbling of the Ohmi wagyu beef.

Ohmi wagyu beef from Shiga prefecture, also known as Omi province, thus it is so called Ohmi wagyu beef.

Sawai and Takara ranches are the only two certified ranches for export under Ohmi Gyu Export Association. There are only 2050 cattle in these 2 ranches, making it limited in supply. Each month, there are estimate of 140 heads of Ohmi cattle in supplies for the whole Japan and estimate of 700 kg for Singapore and the rest of the World.

Ohmi Wagyu Beef

The delightful Ohmi beef served up in thinly cut slices, medium rare as request. The fat instantly melt in mouth, meaty taste and flavorful. It is good on its own without yuzu sauce.

Ohmi Beef Garlic Fried Rice

The portion is really generous and the fried rice is fragant. But I was quite fulled and just taste a bit. (I ate a lot of garlic fried rice during work, so I won't take more)

Miso Soup

The miso soup is thick and rich with some sliced fishes.

Fruits

The Ohmi wagyu set is value for money for those who want to try the Ohmi waygu and it is really as good as it's prestige.