Cooked properly, a simple dish like ramen could have the makings of something absolutely soul-satisfying. A warm, hearty bowl comprising good quality noodles, succulent meat and an umami-dense broth, ramen is something that we could literally eat at any time of the day—especially late at night after several rounds of drinks.

From places that sell ramen with the most innovation to the ones that keep it as real as it should be, here is our list of 12 ramen restaurants in Singapore, so good that you’ll regret not finishing every last drop. Sit tight, because this is going to be one heck of a drool-inducing ride.

A NOODLE STORY

These folks made it big all thanks to their innovative take on ramen that features locally-inspired ingredients and flavours. They have come a long way since, having been awarded a few prestigious accolades over the years.

Priced rather affordably—compared to most ramen joints anyway—a standard bowl will feature the likes of springy mee kia tossed in a slightly sweetish chilli oil, an onsen egg, wantons, a crispy potato-wrapped prawn (this one’s insanely good) and char siew.

7 Maxwell Road, 01-39,
Singapore 069111
Tel: +65 9027 6289
(Closed on Sundays)
Mon to Fri: 11.15am – 2pm, 5.30pm – 7.30pm
Sat: 10.30am – 1.30pm
Nearest Station: Tanjong Pagar/Telok Ayer

GONPACHI RAMEN

Nestled in the heartland of Kovan along the same row as popular Thai eatery, Nakhon Kitchen is Gonpachi Ramen. At this humble ramen joint, you can expect gorgeous and flavourful bowls of restaurant-standard ramen that will not cost you much.

We highly recommend going for the Seven Wonder Ramen (S$7.80) that essentially features the best of everything. This dish comprises 7 types of toppings—a large prawn, half a flavoured egg, bamboo shoots, minced meat, black fungus, corn and a spicy green chilli sauce.

212, Hougang Street 21, #01-329
Singapore 530212
Tel: +65 6584 1943
Sun to Thu: 11.45am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm
Fri & Sat: 11.45am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 10.45pm
Nearest Station: Kovan

IPPUDO

A veteran in the ramen scene and one that foodies from all over consider the global standard, IPPUDO is one of those restaurants that you turn to whenever you’re just craving authentic, guaranteed-to-put-your-soul-in-a-good-state bowl of ramen.

Amidst their repertoire of flavour-types, our go-to is always their signature Tonkotsu Ramen. This original creamy tonkotsu broth style balances richness and flavour exceptionally well and always tastes superb.

2 Bayfront Avenue, #B2-54/55,
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands,
Singapore 018972
Tel: +65 6688 7064
Sun to Thu: 10.30am – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 10.30am – 11.30pm
Nearest Station: Bayfront

*IPPUDO has multiple outlets islandwide

MARUTAMA RA-MEN

Specialising in chicken broth ramen instead of pork, many may find their version a tad underwhelming but we rather enjoy it because it carries a much milder flavour without compromising in richness. It still satisfies the same way a tonkotsu ramen would.

Milky white and creamy in appeal, their signature chicken paitan ramen not only comes with a beautiful flavour but with lots of collagen which is great news for the ladies.

6A Shenton Way #03-25
Downtown Gallery,
Singapore 068815
Tel: +65 6221 9759
(Closed on Sundays)
Mon to Sat: 11am – 9.30pm

RAMEN NAGI

Hailing all the way from Fukuoka in Japan, Ramen Nagi is famous for their knack for experimentation. Founded by Chef Ikuta Satoshi many years back in a humble hole-in-a-wall in Fukuoka (where he’s from), his claim to fame came when people started taking notice of his interesting ramen variations of which would differ every single day of the year—not kidding.

Ordering your ramen is as easy as filling up an order sheet that lets you decide on certain criteria such as richness, spice, doneness of noodles and choice of meat. However, we highly suggest trying their signature Black King if it’s your first time. Infused with blackened garlic, squid ink and black sesame in an umami-dense pork broth, this dish brims with immense richness and a complex flavour that sings.

Suntec City Tower 2, North Wing, #01-512/513,
Singapore 038989
Tel: +65 9144 7482
Mon to Sat: 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm
Sun: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Promenade

RAMEN HITOYOSHI

Tucked away in Harbourfront Centre, this gem of a ramen restaurant is seriously worth hyping about. Their broth differs from others in that the flavour of garlic is more pronounced, providing a more savoury flavour and a headier aroma.

We absolutely love their Special Chashu Garlic Tonkotsu Ramen that sees torched slices of pork chashu, a flavoured tamago and black fungus. Their noodles are firm and come with a nice bite to it and everything else is fresh. But truly, it is their soup that seals the deal every time.

1 Maritime Square, #01-99,
Harbourfront Centre,
Singapore 099253
Tel: +65 6250 8518
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Harbourfront

RAMEN KEISUKE LOBSTER KING

A popular post-party supper spot in Clarke Quay, this boss-level ramen restaurant opens till as late as 5am daily.

As their name clearly states, these folks are known for their lobster broth ramen. Rich, hearty and brimming with an umami-dense lobster flavour, this is hands down, a flavour bomb that will perk up even the tipsiest party animal. An added perk is that their bean sprouts and hard-boiled eggs are free-flow too!

3C River Valley Road, #01-07 The Cannery,
Clarke Quay,
Singapore 179022
Tel: +65 6255 2928
Daily: 6pm – 5am
Nearest Station: Clarke Quay

SUMO BAR

Founded by the same people that brought you Standing Sushi Bar, Tanuki Raw, Shinkansen and The Secret Mermaid, Sumo Bar focuses on donburi, ramen as well as a selection of tapas—all perfect accompaniments to their vast sake selection.

Their tonkotsu ramen is simmered for 2 days and the result is a concentrated, collagen-rich broth full of flavour and depth. The Sumo Ramen is a beef lover’s idea of perfection—featuring slow-roast oxtail, braised beef tendon, 8-hour-slow-roasted red wine boneless short rib and sautéed sliced US beef.

261 Waterloo Street
01-24 Waterloo Centre
Singapore 180261
(Closed on Mondays)
Tue & Wed: 5.30pm – 10pm
Thu & Fri: 12pm – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 12pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Bras Basah

TAKAGI RAMEN

Takagi Ramen, located just a short walk away from Ang Mo Kio Hub, is home to a host of innovative, flavoursome and affordable bowls of ramen. Run by a team of Singaporeans with a mad passion for ramen, every dish is fastidiously prepared and even their noodles are made fresh in-house daily.

Their Butashoga Ramen (S$8.90) consists of everything you would typically expect in a bowl of pork-based ramen—except with pulled pork instead of the usual chashu. A considerably healthier alternative because of the absence of fat, the soup was still rich, creamy and flavourful.

51 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, #01-01C,
Singapore 569922
Tel: +65 9138 8017
Daily: 11am – 12am
Nearest Station: Ang Mo Kio

TAMPOPO

Known for being one of the top places to visit for high-quality kurobuta (black pig), Tampopo never fails to impress with their wide variety of kurobuta dishes prepared tonkatsu style. While many people prefer their tonkatsu served with rice, we rather enjoy having ours with ramen.

Their Black Pig Tonkatsu Ramen boasts an incredibly complex and flavourful broth that brims with massive pork flavour and tons of umami. Their noodles are brilliantly done and the flavour of their premium kurobuta is truly unparalleled.

177 River Valley Rd, #01-23/24
Liang Court Shopping Centre,
Singapore 179030
Tel: +65 6338 3186
Mon to Thu: 11.30am – 10pm
Sat: 11.30am – 10.30pm
Sun: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Fort Canning

TSUTA RAMEN

Opened by Master Chef Onishi Yuki, Michelin-Starred Japanese Soba Noodles joint Tsuta in 18 Taiseng, Sugamo impresses with their expertly prepared bowls of ramen. The soup is composed of a lot of various ingredients, such as whole chicken, herbs and seafood like Asari clams, which are all carefully selected and their noodles are made from scratch using a combination of different flours.

Their truffle oil blended Shoyu is a signature condiment and can be found dolloped over quite a few of their ramen offerings. We tried their Shoyu Soba for its sheer simplicity and that alone, managed to blow us away.

18 Tai Seng Street #01-01
Mapletree 18
Singapore 539775
Mon to Wed: 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 9pm
Thu to Sun:11pm – 9pm
Nearest Station: Tai Seng

Takagi Ramen, located just a short walk away from Ang Mo Kio Hub, is our new go-to spot for innovative, flavoursome and affordable bowls of ramen—here’s why.

Run by a team of Singaporeans with a mad passion for the craft, every dish is fastidiously prepared, ensuring that every single bowl of ramen that leaves the kitchen is guaranteed to possess maximum flavour with just the right texture.

Ang Mo Kio may not be the first to come to mind when one thinks of authentic ramen, but little did we realise—having chanced upon this humble hole-in-a-wall—that it is indeed very possible to find great food (that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg) in even the most unassuming of places.

Feeling in the mood for something a little more unusual, we opted for the Butashoga Ramen (S$8.90) which essentially consists of everything you would typically expect in a bowl of pork-based ramen—except with pulled pork instead of the usual chashu.

Supposedly healthier due to the lack of fat, what we particularly enjoyed was the fact that the pork was incredibly well flavoured and seasoned. The shreds of pork were tender and brimmed with a robust and deep pork taste.

Freshly made in-house, the ramen noodles were springy with just the right amount of chew to it.

Paired with the rich pork broth, the Butashoga Ramen was just a delight to have. Takagi Ramen succeeded in ensuring that the pork broth was neither overwhelmingly rich nor salty, and we were pleasantly surprised with how the distinct flavours of the pulled pork and pork broth blended well together.

Takagi Ramen
51 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, #01-01C,
Singapore 569922
Tel: +65 9138 8017
Daily: 11am – 12pm
Nearest Station: Ang Mo Kio