Come for the silky chicken broth, stay for Ippudo’s delicious side dishes
Photos: Ippudo/Kuro-Obi
The signature Kuro-Obi is the safest choice of all.
With nine outlets and counting, Ippudo is geared for ramen domination.
But the most exciting part about its latest opening at Marina Bay Sands has to be its quick service ramen bar Kuro-Obi, which greets you right at the entrance.
Its launch marks the brand’s first ramen bar foray into Asia, after a successful launch in New York.
With options for customisation and prices starting from $8, the ramen bar has all the makings of a great lunchtime pit stop for busy bees.
In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if staycation-goers in the Marina Bay Sands Hotel fancied taking away some ramen to enjoy in the comfort of their rooms!
If you don’t mind a bit of spice, we highly recommend the Aka-Obi.
Four flavours to pick from
As of now, the lean menu features four choices of ramen and some sides, with additional options to tailor the noodle texture, soup concentration, stock richness and condiment add-ons.
Foodies will be wise to note that Kuro-Obi is Ippudo’s only concept to offer 100 per cent chicken broth, or what is called Tori-Paitan.
The savoury yet light broth offers a good depth of flavour and doesn’t overwhelm the ingredients.
The signature Kuro-Obi ($12) is the safest choice of all, featuring an umami egg and slices of chicken chashu — a classic, comforting ramen.
At $8, the Shiro-Obi looks unassuming, but packs a punch with its sightly sweet broth, courtesy of crunchy onion bits within. There are less slices of chashu in this ramen dish, but you get what you pay for!
Cha-Obi ($9) is the only vegetarian option, with a light and clear broth made with greens. It was tasty, though rather forgettable.
If you don’t mind a bit of spice, we highly recommend the Aka-Obi ($10), which brims with chili oil and spicy shrimp floss. The flavours were rich, robust and moreish.
The Samurai Ribs are rubbed with house-made peppery spices.
Tasty sidekicks
Those who have some time to spare and are dining at Ippudo instead, should try their newly launched side dishes.
We love the Samurai Ribs ($13), which feature two meaty slabs of pork ribs rubbed with house-made peppery spices.
For desserts, the Almond Jelly Noodle ($6) made an interesting treat, though the miserable portion didn’t quite justify the price.
Old favourites like the Pork Bun ($5) are of course, a must-try. Tender slices of of chashu are sandwiched in between pillowy soft buns for a delicious snack we could savour, again and again.
In a nutshell, Kuro-Obi is a wonderful add-on to Ippudo, offering the option for fuss-free ramen takeaway without the long queues.
Meanwhile, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the broth remains as robust after long walks back to the office!
#B2-54/55, Marina Bay Sands Singapore, 2 Bayfront Avenue
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