Anyone who dropped by Queensway shopping centre in the past would not have missed the building that had mannequins in army wear seemingly rappelling a rockwall on its facade; the old Safra clubhouse @ Bukit Merah.
With its prominent location, i can imagine why the clubhouse was eventually relocated to the quieter Mount Faber and in its place now is a spanking new hotel (Park Hotel) with a shopping wing.
And it's the shopping section that we came for. A fellow colleague had strongly recommended one of the tenants; Otoko Ramen, tempting us with her revelation on the melt-in-your-mouth chashu that hailed from the ramen restaurant!
Do keep in mind that the establishment was extremely tiny with a seating capacity of no more than twenty persons! Hence, you may wish to give this a miss for big-group gathering.
Shoyu Ramen
With a limited menu, it didn't take us long to decide what we want. For me, it would make better sense for me to review ramen in a ramen restaurant! I did ponder a bit on which type to order and upon sound advice from the pretty and friendly staff, i opted for shoyu!
Topped with a generous serving of sliced cabbage and beansprouts, the broth was lightly flavoured even though my taste buds could still discern its robust fattiness! Noodles were the thin type that i generally prefer for ramen.
The bomb was on the two pieces of cha shu and i was mentally smacking myself for not ordering the cha shu ramen after i took a quick bite; it was easily the softest cha shu i ever have with a rare tenderness! I would happily exchange my favourite char siew for more pieces!
Aburi Chashu
The chashu in the ramen was good but these totally blew me away! I was already thinking of having a second serving as i was slowly savouring the delicious meat; honestly, screw the cholesterol!
Remember the aburi salmon i had at Standing Sushi Bar? This dish was the chashu variant and blessed with chunks of fats from slices of pork belly that were lightly grilled; they were in fact much more addictive and way more yummy!
Should i drive to Queensway tomorrow?
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Location
321, Alexandra Road,
#01-16, Alexandra Central Mall
Map
As above
Opening Hours
Mondays to Fridays (Lunch) - 11am to 3pm
Mondays to Fridays (Dinner) - 5pm to 10pm
Saturdays and Sundays (Full Day) - 11am to 10pm
Public Holidays (Full Day) - 11am to 10pm
Eve of Public Holidays (Full Day) - 11am to 10pm
Contact Number
+65-6250-2889
Facebook
Menu
As above.
Pricing
Shoyu Ramen (Medium) - S$12.90
Aburi Chashu - S$9.90
(Subject to GST and Service Charge)
Additional Information
For a more aromatic / flavourful broth, do use the condiments placed on your table. A sprinkling of sesame seeds did make a whole lot of difference.