Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King

This ramen place has been reviewed a lot of times and quite a number consider it as one of the best in Singapore. How could I give it a miss? Which is why a few days right after my finals ended, I found myself in the lunch queue for this with a fellow girlfriend who loves her Japanese food. Thankfully, we only waited 15 minutes before a table was made available. 


The place is pretty much hole-in-the-wall, with its small space and somewhat cramped seating arrangement. The gaps between tables are small, just barely qualifying as "separated' from the adjacent table. The small menu was easy to understand, with only 3 kinds of ramen available; Original, Red Spicy and Black Spicy. The Black Spicy is made from pepper while the Red Spicy's heat comes from red chilli paste. One can choose to customise the kind of noodles (hard/normal/soft), oil level and addition of toppings (Ajitsuke egg/Seaweed/more noodles/more cha shu).

My first kyushu-style ramen taste was from Ajisen, and ever since then, the characteristic thick pork-bone broth (tonkotsu) with its accompanying noodles has become a comfort food.


There are small little pestles for you to mash your sesame seeds with while waiting for your ramen. Adding the mashed sesame to the ramen will add another dimension of fragrance to the ramen. The free-flow of hard-boiled eggs also serves to satiate your hunger first if you are ravenous, as are the marinated bean sprouts. The bean sprouts were marinated flavorfully - a must try. .

Original Tonkotsu Ramen with Nori ($11.80)
My Original Tonkotsu Ramen (less oil) with Nori (seaweed) was still pretty oily. I will probably just opt for no oil the next time I return. The ramen broth was flavorful without being heavy, though towards the end, the saltiness of the broth became a little overwhelming.


The texture of the noodles wasn't too soft or hard, just like I ordered it to be with 'normal' chosen. They were springy and it was delightful to bite into it with a slurp of the broth. My friend ordered the same, but with the Ajitsuke Egg. Sadly, the egg wasn't well executed; the yolk wasn't semi-solid like it should be, probably overcooked. The Cha Shu was also a let down, because of the somewhat dry meat.


Overall, it was a good experience with attentive service by the staff. The ramen was of standard, though I don't think it has yet reached mind-blowingly good. Between this and the adjacent Menya Sanji, I would say both are equally matched, food-wise and service-wise. Fame-wise, Ramen Keisuke is more famous, and it doesn't look as if the queues will be shorter any time soon.

Keisuke Tonkotsu King
#01-19 Orchid Hotel
1 Tras Street
Singapore 078867
Daily 11.30am-10pm

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