Ramen is undeniably a comfort soul food that Japanese and Singaporeans love anytime, anywhere! I often find myself savoring and slurping a good bowl of noodles soaked in thick umami broth during rainy cozy weather, or when my legs are so sore from a day of shopping in the town area. I still remember the days when I will also grab a simple ramen brunch at those cozy and dingy stalls in Tokyo, and it would always prepare me for whatever lies ahead in the day.

With so many ramen joints in Singapore, you may be spoilt with choices and it gets difficult to make a decision where to get your cravings fixed.

Here I am presenting to you a ramen joint originated from Hakata, Fukuoka, and trust me, this could be your personal favourite right after your first visit!

Fun Fact: If you don't already know, Fukuoka is the birthplace of Tonkotsu Ramen! You know where you can get your authentic fix now. Hakata Ikkousha Ramen, a massive-hit ramen chain store with many outlets across Japan and other parts of the world, serves authentic Tonkotsu ramen that will sure to pack a punch.

Located at Chijmes and Tanjong Pagar Plaza, the ramen store serves 7 different ramens on its menu with homemade side dishes for your pick.

Recommended items:

• Tonkotsu Standard ($13/$12)

Upon the first sip, I had to utter shiok because you can really taste the effort and time they put into simmering the pork bones and ending up with such a thick umami Tonkotsu broth. I also love how the Chashu here are sliced thinly (probably the thinnest Chasu I have eaten) and not overcooked, making the Chasu extremely tender and soft.

Can't decide from the variety of choices in the menu? Don't hesitate and go straight for the Tonkotsu Standard! Or if you love your ramen with the Japanese flavored egg, you can opt for the Tonkotsu Special ($17/$16) which also comes with more Chasu slices!

• Tonkotsu Black ($14.50/$13.50/Special: $18.00)

Although the Tonkotsu Black is slightly towards the saltier end, it is still pretty good overall! Curious how they make the ramen broth black? All they did was add fried garlic, fried onion, and black sesame paste to the original Tonkotsu broth and VOILA! That's probably why the soup was extra flavourful!

If you ask the waiters for the Hakata-style homemade spicy vegetable, they would serve you this at the side. This taste somewhat like preserved mustard (in Chinese, 梅菜), in a spicy version. Local Japanese would eat this as an appetizer, or add some into their ramen.

Personal Tip: I prefer savoring half the bowl of ramen first, and then add and mix in this vegetable. To be honest, it’s really interesting and it gives you another kind of satisfying taste!

• God Fire ($14.50/$13.50)

The God Fire Ramen comes in 4 levels of spiciness for you to choose (with 4 being the spiciest), and the staff has told me that most Singaporeans would order the level 3 or 4. This time I tried level 3 and it was the level of spiciness I favour - with a kick but your tongue wouldn’t sting so bad!

• Special Fried Chicken, 3 pcs ($5) and Hakata Specialty Hitokuchi Gyoza, 5pcs ($5.80)

Apart from their ramen, all their side dishes are also homemade! Most ramen joints that I visit generally don’t serve very yummy sides since their highlight is the ramen, but at Hakata Ikkousha, the sides are as good as their ramen!

Special Fried Chicken - yes, indeed very special. It is intriguing how they can make a simple fried chicken this juicy and tender. Their Hakata Specialty Hitokuchi Gyoza is also a comforting Japanese side dish!

So much effort goes into making just one bowl of ramen, and Hakata Ikkousha has already topped my favourite Japanese ramen joint in Singapore. Tell us yours if otherwise, and we will do a taste test for you!

EXCLUSIVE PROMOTION FOR NANI READERS!

From now till 30th June 2021, with every ramen bowl order, you can enjoy a free Special Fried Chicken or the Hakata Specialty Hitokuchi Gyoza as a complimentary side!

All you have to do is mention NANI when you are ordering with the waiters!