A recent facebook post about a new outlet of Takagi Ramen at Bukit Timah appeared on my feed. Not sure what the big deal was, apart from being cheap, so, naturally, I had to try the original stall at Ang Mo Kio when I happened to pass by a few weeks back.
It's a quaint little store at a coffeeshop at Block 721 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8, and at first glance, the prices seem really palatable:
Just starting at $5.50 for a pork broth ramen? AND... get an extra of serving of noodles with each bowl of ramen ordered? Sounds pretty good!
Naturally, I had to get the ajitama egg and a plate of Gyozas to satisfy an itch for tasty morsels.
The total bill came up to just $9.50, as you can see above. (Yes, this isn't sponsored. Not even the egg.). Pretty damn reasonable considering how most ramen starts at $12 without taxes and service charge. I also choose to have the 'Kaedama' noodles served immediately.
Tonkotsu Broth. My first taste of the pork bone broth was... not impressive. It was light, but neither tasty nor fragrant (unlike, say, Kanshoku's). It definitely tastes like no other tonkotsu broth I've ever had. It tastes more Chinese than Japanese.
Noodles. Love me many, many carbs, so I hoped that the noodles were much better than the broth. Alas, that was not to be.
Dry, tough and unpleasant to chew on, it was a huge disappointment. Let's put it this way - even the cheaply made yellow noodles you get from ordering 'Mee Soup' tastes much fresher than this rubbish. The free Kaedama noodles then, really, was a curse rather than a blessing, because it meant that I had to finish another unsavoury serving of noodles to avoid wastage.
It's bad. Maybe that's why it's so easily given away?
Cha Shu. At first, it looks good. It didn't look like it was going to be as dry as Kanshoku's Cha Shu. Turns out, it wasn't. It tasted even drier. Agh.
Gyoza. The Gyoza came late, which was a good sign during off-peak hours, because it meant that it was freshly prepared.
It was... ok. It was crunchy on the outside and had a o-k tasting filling. The sauce provided was forgettable.
I guess we know where all the good reviews came from. Credit to the person who hatched this idea (HAHAHA....haha....ha....).
I mean, seriously. I wasn't expecting Takagi Ramen to serve out of this world ramen, especially at its price, but I mean, come on man, at least respect the craft.
There's only 1 reason to recommend Takagi Ramen, and that's price. When I first saw the menu, I thought wow, a ramen specialist at a kopitiam. If they can make respectable ramen at this price, then this would be the next step towards mainstreaming Japanese Ramen in Singapore.
I guess there is still a ways to go.
For me, it's unlikely I'll ever visit again, unless I'm nearby one of their 2 stores and I'm desperate for some >$10 Japanese Ramen.
Actually, check that. I'll just drop by a supermarket and get a packet of Ryushobo Tonkotsu Ramen. $2.55, 2 servings, and bloody deliciously authentic.
Another Reason to Avoid. Takagi Ramen Shop. TRS. Sounds familiar? Yeap. Apparently, it's from the same reprehensible bus turds who brought you 'The Real Singapore'. At least we know where some of the money they made off of negatively exploiting emotional Singaporeans went to.
I guess they learnt their lesson from playing monopoly well (wasn't going to jail and collecting renting one of the late game strategies to employ? HAH!)
But that's just me. I guess the integrity of an establishment is important to me.
More Info.Ang Mo Kio
Block 721 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8 Coffeeshop
NUS (Kent Ridge)
Prince George's Park Residence Food Court
Tel: 9082 1242
Opens: Daily, 11am - 10pm
Visit Takagi Raman Shop for the latest updates:
www.facebook.com/TakagiRamenShop