This post is written on an invited food tasting, but it in no way was given preferential treatment.
All views expressed in this post are objective and original.
Hello everyone!
Recess week is finally here after our exams so we had a bit of time to squeeze in this post.
Mandy and I had the privilege of being invited to Ramen Kagetsu Arashi to try their famous ramen (of course) and their newly-launched dishes.
We were pretty psyched about this visit as the restaurant had already worked its way to the third place of the Most Popular Ramen Chains in Japan, and stands at amongst the nation's top for their Garlic Tonkotsu broth.
It was packed that night though; should you want to head down do make a reservation or be prepared to wait for the food! I mean, some people even waited until 9pm to get in which was impressive really.
Now, for the food.
Ginjiro Ramen
($13.90)
We were promptly served their Ginjiro Ramen, which consists of ramen, Japanese-style charsiew slices and an egg, all swimming in the rich broth.
I would say the broth would be the first thing that drew us to the dish for you could tell that it was incredibly thick. We had been told that it is the product of long, patient simmering of the marrow bones, fat and collagen which was highly apparent from the texture of it alone.
Its appreance certainly didn't disappoint for the broth proved to be bursting with flavour. Personally I appreciated the sweetness of the garlic and onions to counterbalance the full-bodied pork taste, more so than Mandy who never quite was the fan of garlic. She was a great sport however and gained a newfound appreciation for the spice in this context regardless.
(Good job babe heheh)
Seriously though, this is possibly one of the richest ramen bases I have ever tried, which is saying something considering that I've eaten ramen for all my 5 trips to Japan and Hokkaido.
The ramen itself was rather alright, nothing too special for me. It was springy, and the meat also was rather decent. I found myself so distracted by the broth so much so that the rest of the dish was secondary, although it is worth noting that they were a good complement to support the flavour of the soup base.
The meat actually felt more succulent after I left it to soak in the broth. I'm not sure if diehard foodies would disapprove of this but I liked it still!
To be honest, the both of us were quite overwhelmed by the bowl for it was a massive serving, which as you can imagine, was really filling. We were unable to finish the entire bowl, so if you're smaller eaters do share this one. Or get a hungry companion to help you polish off the rest as did our table mates.
Itameshi Dry Curry Rice
($12.90)
Next up was Itameshi Dry Curry Rice, which was one of their newest offerings.
Housed in a sizzling hot plate, the rice sat atop this omelette, all drizzled with a little Japanese curry and garnished with a mix of sausages and spring onion.
You have to mix all of them together before eating, and it was pleasantly peppery for me. The Japanese curry flavour was pretty mild, so if you like your Japanese curry robust you may be a little surprised at the first bite.
A close-up shot!
I didn't manage to eat very much of this as I was somewhat still hooked onto the savoury rush of the Ginjiro ramen soup base.
Mandy on the other hand really enjoyed this one, and was pleasantly surprised at how much she did, because she initially expected rice with curry drizzled on top when she read that curry rice was being served. Two things that she did enjoy was how the egg was cooked really nicely and evenly and that the rice was not only nicely flavored but wasn't at all dry like many hot-stone rice bowls she sampled in the past.
Tonkatsu(Pork Cutlet)
($9)
Let us just start by saying that we don't really eat pork on the regular, especially Mandy (because it has been a habit in her habit since she was young to not eat pork, if at all) and our tasting at Ramen Kagetsu Arashi was one of the rare times that Mandy had some in a long time.
She really did like the breaded pork cutlet when she tried it though because it was served nice and hot, with the meat really tender, and enclosed within a crispy(but not overly dry) breaded shell.
This got her thumbs up. Says something, justsaying.
 |
Tori Karaage(Fried Chicken) ($6) We didn't personally sample this but our table mates that tried this really enjoyed themselves, and said that it made good finger food and pairing to the ramen bowls we were served |
Mandy with Nic and Maybeline,blogger-friends that we had our meal with:)
Oh and Mandy was picked to film her opinions on the ramen for Ramen Kagetsu Arashi's TVC that will be airing on Mediacorp TV channels soon! Exciting times.
Those Chinese-Indian genes just work wonders for the camera <3
On a side note, it's always interesting to see how film crews work.
Generally, those of you who like your nosh with a lot of flavour will adore this place because boy, they really do dedicate a lot of effort to bringing out the most in their food, flavor-wise.
Should you prefer lighter fare like Mandy and I, we would probably suggest you try their rice or smaller portions to avoid being overwhelmed by your meal.
I would imagine however that most people, including a lot of my friends, would really enjoy Ramen Kahetsu Arashi. In fact, speaking of which, I was intending to treat a bunch of them since I had all these vouchers and I had promised to give one more pork and feed another after his competition diet. Then, I just had to misplace them on the bus.
I'm sorry guys, looks like it's going to have to wait.
You can check out their newest joint at the following
The Grand Cathay
2 Handy Road #B1-01/02/03
Singapore 229233
67363055
11.30AM - 10PM
Or you could also pop by their other outlets at
The Star Vista
1 Vista Exchange Green #01-41
Singpore 138617
63390335
11.30AM - 11PM (Fridays, Saturdays and eve of Public holidays)
11.30AM - 10PM (Weekdays)
Tampines 1
10 Tampines Central 1, #02-09/10
Singapore 539536
68540335
11.30AM - 10PM
We hope those of you also in school are having a fantastic recess week, and those of you who are working are doing well in work so far!
That's all from us for now but do share with us your thoughts if you try it out (:
Thank you for stopping by this space, and we look forward to bringing you more exciting posts in time to come.
Thank you for stopping by this space, and we look forward to bringing you more exciting posts in time to come.
Love,
Brendy
