Just like Malaysia, Singapore is no stranger to incredible food. If you’re heading across the causeway and craving a comforting bowl of ramen, you’re in for a treat. From time-honoured classics to unique flavours like duck matcha, these are some of the top spots in Singapore serving up seriously satisfying ramen.
Ramen’s place in the pantheon of food means it almost needs no introduction. In a steaming bowl, a broth glistens with fat. Bamboo strips next to fat crescents of pork chashu. Spring onions crown a mound of pale noodles as the seaweed wilts into the soup. There are countless YouTube videos on how to eat it. Chefs dedicate their entire careers towards perfecting it. Ramen has also spawned a whole industry – instant noodles, anyone? – and a movie genre dubbed ramen Western.
While the dish is unmistakable, there are many subtleties to ramen, most of them involving the broth. There is the soy sauce-based shoyu ramen from Tokyo. Hokkaido offers the salt-seasoned shio ramen and miso ramen. Hakata, a town in Fukuoka Prefecture, gave birth to a creamy tonkotsu stock made with pork bones. Then there are variations like tsukemen, which separates the noodles and the stock.
Today, the choices for the best ramen in Singapore are vast. There are brands recognised by the Michelin Guide. Chefs who have been named ramen champions. Restaurant chains from Ippudo to Mensho Tokyo stake their reputations on it. Ramen has evolved with the times too, with options now ranging from black garlic to chilli crab. From the stalwarts to smaller brands, see below for some of the best ramen in Singapore.
(Hero and feature images credits: Mensho Tokyo; @ippudosg / Instagram)
14 restaurants for the best ramen in Singapore
1 /14
Ramen traces its lineage to Chinese lamian, and Fire Ramen bridges the gap with a wok hei-laden noodle soup. Established in Kyoto in 1984, chefs ignite oil to create tall, dramatic flames, which are poured over the signature Ultimate Ramen. There is also the creamy shoyu ramen, which stems from a 200-year-old recipe and is blanketed by spring onions.
From S$12.90++ per bowl
Sunday – Thursday, 11.30am – 9.30pm
Friday & Saturday, 11.30am – 10pm
(Image credit: Fire Ramen by Menbaka / Facebook)
2 /14
Ippudo opened here in 2009 and arguably paved the way for international ramen chains to venture into the local market. Their signature shiromaru motoaji is a Hakata-style ramen featuring creamy tonkotsu broth, thin chewy noodles, pork belly char shu, and black fungus. Akamaru shinaji builds on the original with miso paste and garlic oil. Ippudo also has specials like the award-winning siphon ramen, which uses a coffee filter to concentrate the stock’s flavour. The brand has multiple locations across Singapore.
From S$18++ per bowl
(Image credit: @ippudosg / Instagram)
3 /14
After making waves in London, Kanada-Ya brought its award-winning tonkotsu ramen to Singapore. The signature kotteri tonkotsu ramen has a distinctive pork broth made with a secret sauce that founder Kanada Kazuhiro created, which the truffle ramen builds on with black truffle oil, truffle-marinated chashu, and truffle jelly. Kanada-Ya has outlets in Marina Square, PLQ, and Jem.
From S$15.90++ per bowl
(Image credit: Kanada-Ya Singapore / Facebook)
4 /14
Kiwami serves Hakata ramen made by simmering Japanese pork bones for over 10 hours and Hokkaido wheat noodles. The tonkotsu broth, which features toppings from pork cheek chashu to Miyazaki Wagyu beef, can be enhanced with black garlic or red chilli oil. Kiwami also has specials like yuzu ramen and mala ramen. Find them at Guoco Tower, Suntec City, Chinatown Point, and Jewel.
From S$12.50++ per bowl
(Image credit: Kiwami / Facebook)
5 /14
Konjiki Hototogisu is a serial entry in the Tokyo Michelin Guide for its shellfish broth. The signature shoyu hamaguri soup ramen features a stock of hamaguri clams and pork bones, then garnished with house-made black truffle paste, porcini oil, and flakes. Seafood also inspires the sawara oyster ramen, which combines mackerel and genmai cha broth with Iberico charshu, oyster oil, and garlic butter. Find them at Great World City, Tras Street, and Tanglin Mall.
From S$11.90++ per bowl
(Image credit: Konjiki Hototogisu Singapore 金色不如帰 / Facebook)
6 /14
Mensho Tokyo is helmed by Tomoharu Shono, winner of numerous ramen accolades including Tokyo Ramen Of The Year. His formula involves making the whole wheat noodles from scratch – diners can see the chefs at work in the restaurant – and balancing ramen’s five key components. This culminates in the signature toripaitan featuring A5 Wagyu beef, smoked pork, chicken, and duck in a creamy chicken broth. Mensho isn’t afraid to innovate either: they have duck matcha ramen and chilli crab ramen.
From S$19++ per bowl
Daily, 11am – 9pm
(Image credit: Mensho Tokyo)
7 /14
Other ramen restaurants concentrate on their in-house creations. Ramen Champion casts its net to haul in four award-winning ramen brands from Japan. They have Tonkotsu Ikkyu, which offers sous vide pork collar char shu with black garlic oil, and Menya Ryu’s Hokkaido-style ramen made from shio, shoyu, and miso. There is also the highly-coveted Buta God, which pairs sukiyaki pork with a slightly sweet tonkotsu broth, and tsukemen from Taishoken.
From S$14.30++ per bowl
Daily, 11am – 10pm
(Image credit: Ramen Champion Singapore / Facebook)
8 /14
Keisuke is the namesake ramen chain of chef Keisuke Takeda, who pioneered a broth featuring seven different kinds of miso paste and bamboo charcoal. He launched here in 2011 and the self-styled biggest ramen chain in Singapore now boasts multiple locations around the country. Some outlets add to the concept with exclusive dishes, the Tonkotsu King Four Seasons branch in Bugis has a menu based on the seasons.
From S$12.90++ per bowl
(Image credit: Keisuke Group Singapore / Facebook)
9 /14
Ramen Nagi is the local outpost of a Japanese chain started by chef and Tokyo Ramen of the Year 2012 Champion, Satoshi Ikuta. His creations range from the Butao King ramen featuring tonkotsu broth with a luscious layer of pork back fat and a dollop of spicy sauce, the black garlic-accented Kuroo, and the Green King with basil and olive oil. Devotees of spice can opt for the cayenne pepper-spiked Red King.
From S$15.90++ per bowl
Sundays – Thursdays, 11am – 9pm
Fridays and Saturdays, 11am – 10pm
(Image credit: Ramen Nagi Singapore / Facebook)
10 /14
Sanpoutei was founded in Niigata Prefecture in 1967 and is famous for its shoyu ramen. The clear stock is created by cooking chicken, pork, vegetables, and two kinds of sardines for over seven hours, and combined with the firm yet springy house-made noodles. There is also the nikumori spicy rich miso ramen that uses a fiery miso paste, and kotteri se abura ramen has a delicate broth of sardines, soy sauce, and pork fat. Sanpoutei has branches in Shaw House, Paragon, and Holland Village.
From S$14++ per bowl
(Image credit: Sanpoutei Ramen / Facebook)
11 /14
Takagi Ramen promises that a ramen meal won’t leave diners broke. The restaurant chain has bowls starting from around 10 dollars with flavours ranging from black garlic to the sesame-seasoned tantanmen. Singapore also lends influence to two dishes: the chilli crab ramen and the salted egg crab ramen.
From S$9.50 per bowl
(Image credit: Takagi Ramen / Facebook)
12 /14
Need a late-night noodle fix? The Ramen House stays open until 6am every day. Each dish starts with a meat and bone broth cooked for over 30 hours, then topped with ingredients like kimchi and minced pork, beef, or mala. The crowd favourite, however, is the pork belly ramen that swaps out the regular chashu for a fattier cut.
From S$12.90++ per bowl
Daily, 5pm – 6am
(Image credit: @fc2inc / Instagram)
13 /14
The Ramen Stall is a no-frills eatery dedicated solely to the pursuit of noodle soup. Making the broth involves boiling chicken meat and bones for over 30 years until the stock develops a smooth, milky texture. The toppings can be unusual: from the Korean-inspired kimchi and minced pork to the spicy Volcano Ramen.
Halal-certified
From S$12.90++ per bowl
Sunday – Thursday, 11am – 1am
Friday & Saturday, 11am – 2am
(Image credit: The Ramen Stall / Facebook)
14 /14
Like Fire Ramen (see above), Woke Ramen serves a smoky version of the noodle soup, which they achieve by first tossing the noodles in a wok. They are then submerged in a chicken or prawn broth and topped with ingredients from chicken katsu to prawn paste balls. Find them at Changi Airport and Sengkang.
From S$11.90++
Daily, 24 hours
(Image credit: wokeramensg / Facebook)