REVIEW : BISHAMON SAPPORO RAMEN AT RAMEN CHAMPION

We bought a ramen voucher with Shine and thought we utilise it this weekend. Ramen has become very popular in Singapore and the price also varies from S$12 to S$20+. There are many outlets in Singapore and the most talked about is probably The Ramen Champion which brings ramen from all over Japan to us very fortunate people staying in Singapore.

We bought the ramen at S$11.90 for One Bowl of Bishamon Zero Sapporo Miso Special Ramen at Ramen Champion in Great World City (Worth S$17.42).

Home to the annual Ultimate Ramen Champion competition in Singapore, Ramen Champion prides itself on bringing the best of flavours from the Land of the Rising Sun at affordable prices to its diners. Slurp up a selection of mouth-watering ramen recipes from all over Japan in the comfort of this vibrant, red-hued eatery. Don’t forget to check out their signature offering, the Special Tonkotsu Ramen which replicates the classic Kyushu recipe, morsel for morsel.

This is the venue at Great World City. This is a branch and there are other on the island. This physical restaurant houses a few different brands from Japan. The brands also rotates every few months to every few years, just so that the locals can have a taste of different ramen from Japan.

This is a popular venue and there is usually a queue.

The service was a bit slow as it is peak dinner hour.  We were given the menu although we did tell the staff that we already have the voucher and thus want the ramen to be served first. Shine and us are always feasting our eyes on the colourful menu that is full of variety. We have however decided that we should just wait for the ramen to arrive before we order more food. We always over order. Do not underestimate the bowl of ramen, any bowl of ramen. The broth is thick and the noodle al dente and filling. 

These are the condiment on the table. The La Yu which is chilli sesame oil and the chilli pepper flakes are a must for us. Yes, coming from this part of Asia, we love everything with a bit of spice.

It actually wasn't that busy. So why was the service slow?

This is the brand of ramen we tasted.

Bishamon's "Ramen of Sapporo" has maintained the original flavors from Japan into its region which is obvious with its native Japanese Ramen chef from Sapporo, Hokkaido. 

A "Must Try" Chicken based white broth Ramen is the definite answer to Singaporeans for the authentic Sapporo Ramen as a minimum of 8 hours daily is spent of making the broth. 

Ramen broth varieties include: Miso, Shoyu, Shio, Curry, Spicy Miso and so on. Appetizers and side dishes such as Cold Tofu, Chawanmushi, Gyoza( Japanese Dumpling) are also available! 

A bowl of rich based soup combined with home-made "cha shu" made with recipe from Sapporo (Japan) mixed with tantalizing noodle will certainly create an unforgettable Ramen endeavoring experience. Prices are very affordable from S$12.00 for the Ramen and S$6.00 for the side dishes. 

This is our bowl of ramen complete with a piece of dried seaweed, corn, spring onions,  briasedpork, braised egg, bits of bamboo shoots and of course butter. Yes, butter! You might not know or even suspect it but most ramen is finished with a knob of butter.

This is what Boshamon say about their noodles:

THE NOODLE

Slippery and firm with a good elastic spring, these Ramen are specially made to a Sapporo recipe from a Japanese Manufacturer. These curly eggy strings swoosh past your lips with a satisfying quiver. The thick and "Q" texture combine with skillful Ramen cooking technique and perfect timing are the attributes to the superior commentaries. 

THE BROTH

Always regarded as the soul of the dish, Bishamon's broth is made up of mainly pork and chicken, together with many other natural ingredients (such as seafood and greens) and is cooked for a minimum of 8 hours. This tastefully flavoured broth is boiled everyday and as such, each individual bowl of Ramen one gets is assured of freshness. 

THE CHAR SHU

The Char Shu is boiled in the Base Broth for 2 hours. It is then cooked in a special home-made Char Shu sauce, made from special Tamari Japanese Soy Sauce and many other natural ingredients, for another 3 hours. The tantalizing Char Shu, which has fully absorbed the essence of the sauce, is then sliced generously to size for serving. 

THE EGG

Like the Broth, the eggs are freshly boiled daily to requirements. After shelling, the eggs are then soaked in a special home-made sauce for 2 hours. The egg white is spongy and still-soft. The yolk, which has a runny texture, is certainly enjoyable. However, those who are not fans of half-boiled, soft eggs can be replaced(on request) with hard-boiled version.

We are not exactly sure what the red sauce is. It just tasted a bit like a spiced tomato sauce. We just stirred it right into the soup.

Yums as you can see. The broth is tasty, though it has a lot of MSG and left us very thirsty.

Ramen Champion
01-21B, Great World City, 1 Kim Seng Promenade
River Valley, Singapore
Hours: Daily 10:00-22:00

WHAT WE ORDERED
Bishamon Sapporo Ramen : S$11.90 with the voucher

OUR RATING FOR FOOD : 2.5/5
It was OK. It isn't the best ramen we have had but it wasn't bad. We are giving a 2.5 because of the MSG in the broth that really was a bit unbearable after the meal. We probably will not crave it. It is actually quite forgettable.

OUR RATING FOR SERVICE : 2.5/5
This is a fast food concept joint. Nothing too impressive. It has a cosy ambience though. It is very local and very family-friendly. We could continue to stay there to have a drink and hang out for a bit if that buttered broth with the MSG did not make us feel sick.

OUR RATING FOR AMBIENCE : 2/5
This is a fuss free joint, it is not a food court per se. But it is still a fast food concept and the turnover is very fast.