When it comes to proper comfort food, especially on cold rainy days, there is none quite as hearty as a bowl of hot ramen. Yet, for something so simple—just hot soup, simple ingredients and noodles—restaurants in Singapore often overcharge for it.

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 bowls of restaurant-standard ramen that will not cost you more than S$8.

Using freshly imported ingredients from Japan, Gonpachi Ramen serves traditional Japanese ramen, delectable rice bowls and small dishes with a blend of local flavours. This is a joint you should definitely visit for top-notch comfort food at pocket-friendly prices.

Gonpachi Ramen dishes out a creamy tonkatsu (pork bone) and tori (chicken) soup base that finds its origins in the Kyushu and Nagasaki Region of Japan. You can have the option of selecting from 3 different soup types—miso, chicken and pork.

An added bonus is that the broth is enhanced with collagen, which is believed to be the essence of health and beauty, so beauty nuts get excited.

We went for a slightly more unusual option, the Smoked Duck Chashu Ramen (S$7.80). Each bowl comes with 3 slices of smoked duck, bamboo shoots and half a flavoured egg. We liked that the noodles were cooked just right—springy, soft with a good amount of bite.

The soup was creamy, tasty but surprisingly light, which made it so easy for us to gulp down the entire bowl. The smoked duck really accentuated the broth well too.

If you are unsure of what to have, then 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.

We liked that this dish encompassed so many flavours, from the sweetness from the prawns and corn to the savouriness of the minced meat and broth.

Overall, we were utterly satisfied with our meal here, and considering the price we paid for such a sizeable portion of ramen, we are certain that we will be back to try their other varieties.

Gonpachi Ramen
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

For more recommendations, read our guide to 11 restaurants, cafes and eateries in Kovan that are worth checking out.