Tamago ramen (SGD$12.00).
Ventured into relatively unknown territory today – Japanese ramen. There are few shops in Singapore that specialize in ramen, and Noodle House Ken is one of them. Its appearance is small and unimpressive, but I’ve heard that this is one of the better authentic ramen shops in town.
There are only about 8 choices of ramen on the menu, with different soup bases and toppings. The small selection didn’t really bother me. On the contrary, I often experience consistency in quality when a chef specializes in doing what he’s best at.
I had the tamago ramen, or stewed boiled egg ramen, recommended by the server. Ramen in broth was topped with pork slices, a stewed boiled egg (duh!), spinach, pickled bamboo (I think), spring onions, and a piece of seaweed.
Since this was all pretty new to me, I had no benchmark by which to gauge the ramen. But I liked the texture of the fresh, springy noodles. It was firm and full of bite.
It was easy getting used to the noodles; can’t say the same for the broth. On the menu, the proprietor and chef, Ken (he’s from Nippon-land), proudly states that he double-boils his soup broth for 8 hours without any MSG. Indeed, the broth was hearty and flavorful, but a tad too salty for my taste. To be fair, I’ve noticed that Japanese soups tend to be on the salty side. Guess my palate is more used to lightly seasoned fare.
Thankfully, the toppings were quite plain, which helped to offset the salt. The star was the gorgeous soft-boiled egg. With lightly-set whites and a creamy, oozy yolk, it was to DIE for. I swear, it’s really darn good!
Fried gyoza (SGD$5.00 for 5).
I’m no expert on ramen, but I love gyoza, and I’ve gobbled more than enough gyoza to know that Ken’s are da bomb. Fat, meaty, and juicy, these gyoza had dumpling skin that was paper-thin. Cooked using the steam-fry method, the bottoms were lightly crisp and browned, while the tops were still soft and delicate. They were slightly expensive, but absolutely worth it.
With a satisfied tummy and piqued curiosity, there’s no doubt that I’ll be returning to Noodle House Ken to try the other types of ramen. In the meantime, I shall have to work on my noodle-slurping skills.
Total bill, inclusive of 10% service charge and 1% cess, was S$18.70. And yes, free iced water was served, no questions asked.
Noodle House Ken
150 Orchard Road#01-17/18 Orchard Plaza
Singapore
Tel: (65) 6235 5540
Operating hours
Weekdays: 12 noon to 2 pm, 6 pm to 2 am
Sunday: 12 noon to 10 pm
Closed: 3rd Sunday every month
cheers!
Hear Julia on radio every Thursday at 11:10am & 12:10pm as she shares a Foodie Lunch Pick on 938LIVE's Lunch Box with hosts Howie Lim and Desmond Wong. 
Juicy, meaty gyoza is one of the best snacks! I miss being able to have affordable ramen.
Hi I’ve read another blogger highly recommend this Ramen stall. Good & value for money. I tried to look for it de other day when I was ard de area but couldn’t locate it.
Ha! Aft reading yr post now. I realise I was searching at de wrg bldg. Haha! It’s Orchard Plaza not Orchd Point! Gdness me! Thanks for the refresher & lead on it.
Btw, I love it dat you do indicate the address & tel of the places U’ve tried. I makes it so much easier for greedy pple like me to try out the place. Thks. To be honest, nowadays I look at blogs for food recommendations rather than some swanky magazine reviews.
looks good to me….not an easy task to cook ramen but the broth is very important…not bad pricing…better than KL dollar for dollar..
The gyoza looks really good! Now where is Orchard Plaza on Orchard Road?
yes, the stewed egg ramen is amazing – the egg just quivers in the soup… =)
i’m going to try the gyoza the next time. I’m not a big fan of ramen either (due to seemingly-caused-by-Ajisen-Ramen-food-poisoning matter), but i don’t mind this shop’s. =)
there arent any special ramen houses in NYC. but there are some that are known for thier ramen. i would say there are probably only 7 places with real ramen in NYC
Ken Ramen is my favourite ramen place! Try the hiyashi ramen (cold ramen) — very refreshing, especially on a hot, humid Singapore weather!
wow looks great…but such a petite bowl leh..=( within an hour i’ll be hungry again..
i’m so going to try their gyoza. hopefully it’s not too oily. i had gyoza with oil dripping down before. yuck!
Hi tscd,
You’re absolutely right about gyoza. I often have to restraint myself, though. It’s easy to get carried away with bite-sized snacks!
Hi Cin,
You’re welcome! I find the address and tel no. useful too.
Btw, I’ve updated the post with the Noodle House Ken’s opening times. Another useful reminder because the first time I went there in the afternoon and it was closed.
Hi foodcrazee,
Yes, there are so many factors crucial to a good bowl of ramen — the broth, noodles, char su, egg. I think all these elements were nicely executed at Ken’s.
Hi boo_licious,
Orchard Plaza is between Orchard Point (next to Centrepoint) and Orchard Meridien Hotel. Noodle House Ken is on the side facing Orchard Point.
Hi a l,
Oh, the mention of the “quivering egg” is enough to send me into desperate cravings! Cruel you are!
Hi Gustad,
Nice to see you! Any recommendations for good ramen in NYC?
Hi adv_sports,
I love hiyashi ramen. Will try your recommendation on my next visit.
Hi Min,
Actually, it was quite a large bowl, larger than the normal noodle bowls used in hawker centres. I was pretty full after that. Don’t know how I managed the gyoza…:P
Hi elle,
The gyozas were not too oily. A soy sauce-vinegar dip would go well with them.
I think that you should try ramen at Shaw Tower, Beach Road. The shop is opposite fruits juice stall. Their ramen is very nice. But I am not sure if the restaurant is still there because I last visited in 2004.
Hi Jorena,
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll keep it in mind.
For a Ramen Newbie you really did go to the top of the list.
other alternative in the area is Gyoza no Osho at ground level behind the food court at OG. The owner pre mixed the dip for gyozas as a service for people who don’t know wat to do with the soy sauce, Ra yu and vinegar. Free Cold water too … self service though.
Other Ramen places u could try are Kyo Nichi at Marina and Beppu at China Square(Sea Hell is good).
Tanaka Ramen at shaw towers is no longer in business.
Haven’t been to the Noodle House Ken but my favourite ramen place is actually at:
Kado Man Restaurant Pte Ltd
10 Coleman Street Shop #01-21/22
Grand Plaza Hotel Shopping Arcade
Tel 6339 4333
Opening Hrs: 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm-11pm
Apparently, the Japanese boss cum chef makes his own miso paste everyday for his miso-base soup. Sometimes, when I go by for dinner, the miso soup has been sold out during lunchtime.
This place is really really small and the regulars are 90% Japanese working class.
Big selection of ramen with miso-base soups and clear soups as well. Side dishes not fantastic. Gyozas are tiny. Strongly recommended to just try the ramen!
Julia: Hi Sharon, thanks for the recommendation. Think I should be checking out Kado Man pretty soon. Already getting ramen withdrawal symptoms.