Seriously, you call this Michelin Star ramen? – Chabuton Ramen, 313 Somerset, Singapore

Ramen stores are plentiful in Singapore. A ramen store opens every now and then, and you can literally find one in any shopping mall. Unfortunately, very few have managed to impress me. Originally from Japan, Chabuton Ramen is the latest entrant to this already very crowded ramen scene.

The hype over this new kid on the block is that Chabuton Ramen is helmed by Mr. Yasuji Morizumi. He is the first ramen chef to ever receive a Michelin Star. Unfortunately, the star must have fallen and lost its shine long ago.

Since we are unfamiliar with this restaurant, my partner and I decided to go with the signature ramen – the Chabuton Tonkotsu Ramen. The pork-based broth is rich and creamy without being overly oily and salty. The service crew actually told us that if we found the broth too salty, he could dilute it by adding more broth. The noodles were cooked to my liking – firm. The char siew was okay but it didn’t impress me much. It is good that they have two serving sizes. The smaller one, which I ordered, costs $8.30 as compared to the $11.90 bigger bowl. The only difference is that the pricier version has more char siew.

Chabuton Tonkotsu Ramen

I added another $3 for the Ajitsuke Tamago (soft boiled egg) and Buta Kakuni (Braised Pork Belly). The soft boiled egg was mediocre and didn’t really impress me. But the braised pork belly was utterly disappointing! It is, in human terms, morbidly obese! The fat content is more than 50%! I wished I had taken a picture of it to show it. And the lean part was tougher than a punctured Michelin tyre! I took one bite and decided to leave it as it was.

The Ika Karaage (Fried Squid) didn’t fare much better too. In my opinion especially having tasted so much fried calamari, this is one of the worst that I’ve ever eaten. The miserable skinny squid ring was tough. Maybe that is why it costs $5.

Ika Karaage (Fried Squid)

The Hitokuchi Gyoza is another huge let down. The skin was thick and the filling was so little that it didn’t create any impact. I just cannot comprehend the rationale behind these one-bite gyozas. Who are they made for? A three year-old or people with a dainty mouth? At $5, it’s very depressing.

Hitokuchi Gyoza (One-bite Gyoza)

The only consolation is that the food is generally slightly cheaper as compared to other ramen places. Maybe that’s why they say, beggars can’t be choosers.

Chabuton Ramen Singapore
313 Somerset
313 Orchard Road
B2-01 Singapore 238895
Tel: 6636 8335

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