Eat like a boss in the new ramen addition to the CBD area
By Cheryl Chia
Who starts off the first day of business by giving away free ramen? Buta Ramen did when it opened its doors in October last year.
Started by three friends, Sandy Yeo, Chris Tan and John Ng, who have a penchant for good food with good value, Buta Ramen thus came to fruition. Specialising in Hakata Ramen with a tonkotsu broth, the small shop seems to have gained traction with the working crowd in Raffles Place.
Quick Quality
During the high-speed lunch hour typical for office staff in the CBD area, Chris, who oversees the day to day operations, serves bowls of ramen in about five minutes. When I was there, four bowls of ramen came out within only ten minutes!
Originating from Kyushu, Japan, Hakata ramen is characterised by a rich, creamy-white pork broth that can only be achieved by stewing pork bones for several hours. Each bowl contains freshly-made noodles, ajitsuke tamago (marinated soft-boiled egg), nori (Japanese seaweed), menma (fermented bamboo shoots) and traditional chashu (sliced pork belly) or Buta Ramen’s signature flame-grilled Yakitori Pork Ribs.
Yummy Ramen
What I loved was the Black Garlic Boss Rib Ramen ($14.90). The black garlic added fragrance and a slight sweetness to the tonkotsu broth. The ribs are flamed and glazed with their in-house sauce before being served. The meat is so soft, it comes off the bone easily. Well done on that.
However, I would have preferred the soft boiled egg to be a little more consistent with the doneness. The egg at Buta Ramen is whiter than the typical ramen egg as they don’t marinate it long. I would have preferred it to be soaked a little more in the marinade.
If you like things hot, try the Spicy Chilli Boss Rib Ramen ($14.90) or the Spicy Chilli Cha Shu Ramen ($12.90). But the recent addition to their menu, the Grilled Belly Ramen ($12.90) is a gem. The smoky belly pork goes well with the tonkotsu broth.
There is also talk among the owners about adding a miso-based ramen in the weeks to come. Switch from the typical double-boiled soup for this eight-hour cooked broth at Buta Ramen for a change.
Buta Ramen, Far East Square, 137 Amoy Street, #01-04, Singapore 049965
Open 11am to 8pm (last order 7.30pm); closed on weekends & public holidays
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