Ramen Friday began when the management decided that there will be extra unnecessary meetings and activities every Friday afternoon so that everyone will be unable to complete their tasks asap and go home early to rest. Dinner time has already rolled by after said meetings ended (mehhh), and ramen is the one food we crave to sooth our hungry tummies and our overworked souls. 

First stop: Chabuton @ Star Vista

The broth is one of the lightest I've tasted and it could easily be one of my favourites but the soup wasn't piping hot. Don't get me wrong, it's not lukewarm but the whole point of a good bowl of ramen is that the soup stays warm til the very last drop. This turned cold pretty quickly so that was a disappointment. The one thing I loved is that they offer half portions on the menu, perfect for small eaters!

Second stop:  Keisuke Tonkotsu King @ Orchid Hotel

This was a wow moment when I first tasted the soup. 

Definitely a good start. 

The broth tastes very clean and rich, distinctly a pork bone broth flavour. 

It was extremely umami and packed full of flavours. The only downside was the soup is more on the salty side, so if you like your ramen broth light, you probably wouldn't like this too much. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------

Third stop: Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King @ Paya Lebar Square

I love the slight spicy and super umami broth, it was thick and piping hot. The addition of stir-fried pork to the ramen was a stroke of genius. It added a certain smokey sweetness to the soup and created this very distinctive flavour. 

The only downside was the soup was way too heavy so about 1/4 through the bowl, I was already feeling quite jelat so I just ate the noodles and left the soup alone. 

But if you're not a light eater like me, you'll definitely love this bowl of ramen. Order the spicy black, the fragrant garlic oil is something not to be missed. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------

Fourth stop: Ramen Keisuke Tori King @ Amara Hotel

Oh this is by far one of my favourite places to have ramen. 

Love the atmosphere best (Japanese waitresses are awesome hosts and very smiley!) and the ramen oh the ramen, is unforgettable! 

Every bowl of ramen here comes with a giant chicken drumstick reminiscent of the drumsticks that come with your Indonesian grilled drumstick rice. The meat was so tender I could easily tear it apart just using my chopsticks. Love the free flow beansprouts and the broth is soooooo deliciously good. 

Don't try to finish all the broth if you don't want to end up feeling too jelat, it can get a little too heavy towards the end. But all in all, a very delicious bowl of ramen that is worth revisting. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------

Fifth stop: Ramen KeisukeTonkotsu King Four Seasons @ Bugis Village

I can't believe it but this branch of Keisuke did not impress. My dining partner agrees. 

Not that the food wasn't good, but it just wasn't as good. It can't compare to the other Keisuke branches and it didn't have that "OOMPH!!" feeling that I get at the other outlets. 

Every bowl of ramen should have that "OOMPH!" factor the minute you take in the first mouthful of soup. That is the deciding factor whether a bowl of ramen is worth finishing. 

Even though it wasn't as good, I have to say this Autumn bowl of ramen with 3 types of fried mixed mushrooms mixed in is pretty refreshing. The broth is not as heavy (the flavour was also not particularly complex and lacked some depth), considerably lighter and easy on the stomach so feel free to slurp it all up. My dining partner ordered the King ramen but the soup wasn't piping hot, what a disappointment. The staff reheated it in a microwave again upon request but I expected more from Keisuke. 

Having said that, I probably wouldn't return again. Definitely not on my to-return list. 

In a Nutshell