Ramen Taisho

Hearty, slurp-worthy noodles

Formerly a hawker stall, Ramen Taisho has moved out of Maxwell Food Centre in Tanjong Pagar and is now a ramen speciality shop at Le Quest Shopping Mall in Bukit Batok.

The new and larger 420 sq ft unit, which can seat up to 20 diners with safe distancing, allows for noodles to be made in-house.

My top pick is XO Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen ($12.80), which comes with housemade lava egg and braised chashu made from pork belly.

Two types of shoyu are used to season the broth. One is a four-year-old twice-fermented shoyu and the other is a houseblend of shoyu and mirin, which is fermented for 14 days. The resulting broth - no monosodium glutamate is added - has wine-like aromas, and meaty and savoury flavours.

The base tonkotsu broth is more concentrated now that more pork bones - up to 70kg - are used to boil it. The bones are painstakingly cleaned before boiling, so the broth is free of unpleasant odour and scum.

The thin housemade noodles remain exceptionally springy, even when soaked in the hot broth. Through a glass panel that separates the kitchen from the dining area, one can see the Japanese noodle-maker used to produce the noodles made with Japanese imported wheat flour.

Married couple Tan Hock Soon and Kalene Chung, who run the eatery, had used the machine at the first stall at a Clementi food court. But there was no space for it at the stall in Maxwell Food Centre, so the couple, both 49, used noodles procured from a supplier.

The Spicy Black Garlic Tonkotsu Ramen ($11.80) is different from the version at Maxwell. The black garlic is now slow-roasted then deep-fried, instead of being fermented. The resulting garlic is fragrant and does not overwhelm the spicy broth.

Gyokai Tonkotsu Ramen ($12.80) looks similar to its spicy black garlic counterpart, but tastes vastly different.

The gyokai is a seafood-flavoured broth boosted by a blend of three types of powdered fish. Two types of chilli powders impart a floral scent and distinct smokiness to the broth, which is not spicy despite its fiery appearance.

Chicken Karaage ($5.80 for five pieces), dredged in Japanese potato flour and marinated in sake, has a mildly sweet and earthy batter with a powdery finish. Every piece of chicken is melt-in-the-mouth crispy.

Wash down the food with Shoyu Soda ($3.80), a sparkling caramel-hued drink concocted with a mix of the houseblend shoyu and tonic water. The savoury sweetness is reminiscent of pineapple dipped in dark soya sauce, sugar and chilli. The drink will be available from April 1.

Where: Ramen Taisho, 01-12 Le Quest Shopping Mall, 4 Bukit Batok Street 41
MRT: Bukit Batok
Open: Noon to 9pm (Wednesdays to Sundays)
Tel: 8882-0032

99 Old Trees

Delectable durian treats

Durian seller 99 Old Trees has a cosy new spot in Chinatown. Previously in Owen Road in Whampoa, it now occupies the ground floor of a corner shophouse unit in Teo Hong Road in Tanjong Pagar.

The cafe and retail space concept can seat 10 indoors and 20 outdoors under the current safe-distancing measures.

To celebrate its relocation, 99 Old Trees has launched two new items under its Stinky brand name.

Stinky Roll ($25) is a Swiss roll with a custard cream filling of up to 60 per cent Mao Shan Wang pulp. The airy Japanese sponge cake looks like a fluffy version of tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette roll). The filling has enough of the rich and strong bittersweet fleshiness of Mao Shan Wang to make it a durian dessert that is worth the calories.

For dining in, get four slices of the Stinky Roll for $6.50. It is so good, you can easily polish them off on your own.

Also new is Stinky Bomb ($1.80 for one, with a minimum order of two), a choux au craquelin filled with a mix of light cream and Mao Shan Wang pulp. The crunchy cookie-like top of the puff reminds me of bolo buns. It is best to eat the puff right away to enjoy its crispy exterior and creamy filling.

Be sure to try the oldies but goodies. Go for the Stinky Bowl ($5.50) of D24 durian mousse or the Stinky Chendul ($5), which comes with a generous serving of D24 pulp.

The green chendol strips in the latter are made from scratch by the cafe's pastry chefs using pandan leaves and mung bean starch. The dessert comes with plump and creamy adzuki beans which are pressure-cooked in-house and with just the right level of sweetness.

Shutterbugs will love the durian-themed decor, from the murals of the king of fruit that adorn the exterior wall to quirky durian-shaped items which jazz up the interior.

Where: 99 Old Trees, 1 Teo Hong Road
MRT: Outram Park
Open: Noon to 9pm daily
Tel: 9822-2495