Saturday, October 28, 2017

Ramen Nagi at Suntec City

The media recently reported that the famous Tokyo ramen - Ramen Nagi, just opened its door right here at Suntec City, Singapore.  I have never heard of Ramen Nagi before, but as it is said to be a famous one from Tokyo, I must give it a try!

The address is Suntec City Tower 2, North Wing, #01-512/513, but actually it is not quite easy to find it.  First you have to find the north artrium, then you have walk OUTSIDE of Suntec City, and then turn back facing Suntec City, and then you will find it.


The interior deco is one of a kind.  Red, blue, yellow banners hanging down from the ceiling, at first glance, I almost mistook myself in a Tibetan temple.

The staff asked me whether it was my first time there, obviously yes.  Then he told me that there is a basket below every seat to put your bag.  Good, very safe :-)  And for ordering, I was given a sheet and a red pencil.  I had to decide which type of ramen, what kind of toppings and any extra, level of spiciness, etc.

My Ordering Slip

I decided to try their signature ramen, which is the Butao King.  I went for 'normal' for everything, and for spiciness, I also took the advise from the ordering slip to level 1 for 1st timer visitors.  For the pricing, I was actually very surprised that they charge $1.50 for extra green onions.

Ramen Butao King, $13.90+

My ramen came pretty fast after placing the order.  As usual, I tried the soup base first.  The richness level I ordered was 'Normal', so the soup was not as salty as those in 'authentic' Japanese ramen, which is a good point.  However, it was also a bit too diluted, the richness of flavor from the big bones somehow is lost.

The ramen itself was similar to our wanton noodle, thin and long.  It was firm, but not very chewy.  The portion was very small though, a few mouthfuls and it was gone, leaving me fruitlessly ploughing through the soup.  Spiciness of the ramen is determined by the amount of chili sauce they add to your ramen before serving.  Do you see that dark speck next to the red spoon in the photo above?  That was my chili sauce.  For level 1 spiciness, it was just a sting to your palates once in a long while.  And for some reason, the temperature of my ramen was rather uneven.  Some part of it was hot, some part of it was cold?

Last but not least, the pork shoulder.  I think it is the crown jewel of the ramen.  The portion was generous, about 4 pieces, where elsewhere you could only get 2 pieces without paying extra.  The shoulder meat was firm but not tough, easy to bite.

The dining environment may not be very comfortable if the place is almost full, as all the tables are crammed together, Japanese-style, leaving barely any space between you and the next diner.

Overall, Ramen Nagi serves decent ramen at a reasonable price.  If you have a sudden craving for ramen around the area, it can be a good choice.

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