On rainy days, I either crave a hot bowl of ramen or hot pot but when I am eating alone when running errands, ramen is usually the choice for me as it is pretty much a eat by myself dish
I finished a meeting in the East when I chanced upon this ramen shop called Ichikokudo Hokkaido Ramen. It was my first time seeing this ramen shop but I was immediately attracted to them by the smell of heavenly broth. Certified Halal, Ichikokudo creates broth by slowly simmering chicken bones to make a rich and flavorful soup. For added umami flavours, they add a blend of bonito, mackerel and Hokkaido Kelp
Interested to find out how the broth tastes as I only had Tonkotsu-based ramen in the past, I ordered the basic Ichikokudo original soy sauce ramen which is topped with chicken chashu, marinated egg, seasoned bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, Aosa seaweed and chopped green onions. I ordered the lunch set which came with a drink and a side dish
Unlike the usual shoyu ramen where the broth is dark, their version was lighter in colour with a tad of milkiness. Made with a special blend of flour that includes Hokkaido wheat, the noodles are firm with a nice spring. The chicken chashu is also nicely braised with a light soy flavour although there is no doubt the chicken chashu is very thin compared to the pork ones. The egg is well done with a semi-soft egg yolk which is creamy and decadent. The broth is deep in flavour and reminds me of a nice chicken broth used in a hot pot. The addition of soy in the broth really complements the ramen noodles as a whole and does not taste underwhelming. It was a good bowl of ramen. As for the sides, I had fried chicken which was crispy but slightly dry
Overall, the ramen did satisfy my craving for a piping hot bowl of ramen with umami-flavoured broth and firm noodles. While a thicker piece of chashu would have been fantastic, the overall combination of the ingredients was great making it a value-for-money bowl of ramen
Address: 10 Paya Lebar Rd, PLQ Mall, B1-15/16, Singapore 409057
Operating hours: 11 am to 10 pm
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