Located in a quieter corner of Holland Village area, Yoshimaru is no stranger to many ramen lovers. It is one of the few ramen places that have been around before the ramen wave hits Singapore. It is currently running in its 3rd Year of the Yoshimaru Ramen Challenge! Are you a big eater? Do you think that you can finish this bowl of noodles in a stipulated timing? If yes, please do not miss the challenge which is only available till 26th July 2015!
Besides outdoor seatings, there are also seatings in the air conditioned space. With simple yet classic deco of a Japanese ramen place, you can be sure that you do not have to pay more for the interior of the shop than what is necessary for your bowl of ramen. =P
For those who like to see how your ramen is being prepared, you can always choose the counter seats to see the chefs at work. =)
With 2 years of experience running the ramen challenge in Singapore, Yoshimaru has revamped the size of the ramen to make it less taunting for more people to join. Instead of an upsized 3 portions ramen, it is now at a more friendly size of 2 portions of the usual Traditional Hakata Ramen.
Although I didn’t take up the challenge, I was impressed with the ramen served. The lava eggs were well marinated and flavourful, while the char siew slices were tender. With addtion of black ear fungus and spring onions, it was simply perfect to satisfy the ramen cravings any time any day.
For peeps who are interested to do the ramen challenge, it is open to anyone above 18 years of age, from now till 26 July. If you finish this double-sized bowl of ramen within 4 mins 30 seconds, your timing will be recorded and your record will be put onto the hall of frame. But failure to do so will set you back by $25.80 for the cost of the ramen. In case you are wondering, yes the successful contestant gets to eat for free and stand to win awesome prizes. One of the prizes is a free trip to Japan for the fastest time recorded. This year, an extra category has also been set specially for the ladies. The best female timing wins a cash prize of $300!
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| Tori Karaage |
Besides serving ramen, there are Japanese sides served. We love the Tori Karaage served here. It is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The batter used was those very thin type thus we do not feel as if we were eating flour.
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| Gyoza Platter (Chicken/Prawn) |
There is a choice of chicken or prawn fillings for the gyoza and we chose the chicken one. I like the fact that the gyoza is packed with fillings and oozing juices akin to those found in xiao long bao. There is even shiso leaves added to give it an unique flavour.
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| Spicy Yuzu Ramen |
One of my favourite among the bowls of ramen that I have tried! A specially imported spicy yuzu miso from Kyushu was added to the thick broth. Initially I was skeptical about the combination as this is the first time that I am hearing about it. But the ramen surprised me! The spicy yuzi miso gives the rich thick Tonkotsu broth a refreshing burst of citrus flavour. Not only did each element in the bowl complement each other, it elevated the overall flavour and made it very addictive for yuzu lovers like me.
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| Spicy Cold Ramen |
This is Yoshimaru’s take on the taste of cold noodle with a local twist. Inspired by local sambal chilli, the cold noodles are topped with sweet spicy flavor and savory toppings. We like the hints of heat in the noodle but the Japanese influence of the noodle is slightly stronger than its local counterpart. It is something uniquely special to Yoshimaru with the homemade “sambal” sauce. However we would prefer it to be less sweet and more heat. =)
We ended the tasting with some imported ice cream from Japan. It is hard to say which flavour is the best as they are equally good on its own. However as a yuzu lover, I would choose the yuzu one to be my favourite!
With more than 5 years of ramen experience in Singapore, mouthwatering broth and thin Hakata noodles, Yoshimaru has definitely won my heart. I will definitely be back for more ramen. Thank you Angie and Jumbo group for the media invite.
Yoshimaru Ramen Bar
31 Lorong Liput Holland Village Singapore 277742
Tel: (65) 6463 3132
Operating Hours: Mon ~ Fri Lunch 11am to 3pm
Dinner 6pm to 11pm
Sat, Sun & PH 11am to 11pm
(Last Order 30 mins before closing time)
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