Our favorite ramen place in Singapore has got to be Santouka. S declared this the best ramen in Singapore even before we tried several other popular ones like Marutama and Ippudo. The verdict still stands though. The Santouka brand, which was started in 1988 in Asahikawa, produces the best Hokkaido ramen on our little island. Despite the secluded and hidden corner in Central Clarke Quay, the queue gets pretty crazy during meal times due to the small capacity (it's about a 25seater) and insane popularity. I think it has only gotten better with the opening of a second outlet at Cuppage Terrace.
The broth maketh the ramen dish really, together with the noodles. Santouka does a Tonkotsu soup which is prepared from simmering pork bones, fat, and collagen before adding vegetables, dried fish, kelp and their own secret ingredients. The soup is never boiled. Instead, it is maintained at an optimal temperature to give it that exceptional taste and flavor.
There are 4 flavors to the Tonkotsu soup. Shio (salt) has a clean and clear (doesn't that sound like facial wash? hee) taste to it. Shoyu (soy sauce) gives the broth a slightly light brown appearance and that light savory and tangy taste. Miso (my fav bean paste) has that robust and tangy flavor which is thick and slightly nutty. The last one is the Kara Miso (spicy miso).
If it's your first time to Santouka, i highly recommend the Tokusen Toroniku Ramen (S$19.50 for shio/shoyu/miso, S$20.50 for Spicy Miso). For that price, you would get a dish of roasted pork cheek and a bowl of springy and curly yellow noodles. Sides sold separately.
Just look at that roasted pork cheek with just the right amount of fats. The jowl meat is the most precious and delicious part of the piggy. It's only about 200-300g per pig (duh, they only have 2 cheeks!) Very richly flavored and tender! This texture has been likened to fatty tuna. I would say the meat is more firm (this is pork not fish you know). I don't get why the meat is served separately from the broth, kinda makes it a little cold. I suppose they wanted to preserve the moisture and flavor of the pork. Anyway I would usually warm it up slightly in the broth right before i devour them. It is a little on the salty side, so be prepared to drink lots of water.
The toppings that comes with the meat differs a little. Shio comes with a pickled plum. Shoyu with seaweed. Miso only has black fungus. All of them comes with fresh bamboo shoots which has quite a strong taste.
The ramen noodles are medium sized which gives it enough bite and bounce. Love the springiness of it. I'm not a huge fan of yellow noodles because they have that alkaline taste but this is alright.
Other ramen are available (S$13.50- 18.50), same flavors as stated previously. The meat used is of course the more typical char siew but they are equally yums. Sets are available as well if you feel like having variety. They come with smaller portions of ramen with fried rice/salmon roe rice or other sides.
And you gotta have that Hanjuku eggs. They are these beautifully marinated soft boiled eggs which appears like a regular hard boil but when you bite into them, the egg white yields and exposes this soft and deliciously oozy yolk. LOVE!
You can make these at home but i think it's not that easy. Would pay for them anytime but here are some Hanjuku egg recipes!
Chubby Hubby: http://chubbyhubby.net/blog/?p=485
Cook Snap Eat Love: http://www.cooksnapeatlove.com/2010/12/recipes-hanjuku-tamago-or-lava-eggs.html
Ramenramenramen: http://www.ramenramenramen.net/2008/05/31/hanjuku-egg-recipe/
Verdict- Recommended!
Food: 4.5/5 Best ramen in Singapore but it's just a little salty.
Service: 4/5 Fast and efficient.
Ambience: 4/5 Fuss free, clean and comfortable. Comes with a view of the Singapore River.
Santouka Ramen
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#02-76 The Central, Clarke Quay
Tel: +65 6224 0668
Daily: 11am - 9.30pm
Tel: +65 6235 1059
Mon–Fri: 12pm–3pm, 5.30pm–12am
Sat: 12pm–12am
Sun & PH: 12pm–9.30pm
During the day, the place is a chic white tower that is majestic and grand with the vast canopy of greenery surrounding it. It's a summer palace fit for the royalty. At night however, she reveals the sensual and intimate side which draws couples in for romantic first dates. The versatility of the place also makes it a romantic place for wedding events, and a dramatic place to hold private events.
First up was the Crispy Duck Foie Gras with caramelized onion, beer and cherry relish ($28). There is an interesting crust on the exterior of the liver which was actually a crisp layer of polenta flour. Call me traditional but i prefer my Foie Gras pan seared. The texture was not the buttery and melt in your mouth sort. Quite unacceptable for something that costs this much? I've had better ones even at little cafes like La Petite, 
The hype that surrounded the Veal Ravioli with porcini mushroom cream sauce scented with white truffle (S$26) had Jess set on ordering it. However, the dish was served lukewarm! I was appalled by the coldness of the dish. It was as though it had been sitting there for a good 10mins before the rest of the mains were ready. Cold food is always a bad thing, no matter how they taste. Could hardly taste any veal because it was almost non existent? Did i mention how pathetic the portion is as well? Jess was considering ordering another main because there were only a few pieces of ravioli. Tsktsk. Would i pay $26 for synthetic truffle oil? Never.
I was charmed by the promise of black truffle sauce in the Grilled beef tenderloin served with Kenya beans($38). Turns out that i was sorely disappointed and then annoyed. Firstly, my medium rare order was served medium well. I would expect a fine dining establishment to do better than this. Again, the steak was luke warm. How is that possible? So food was sent back and the 2nd steak didn't turn out to be much better (once again luke warm). Do they flash freeze the food before serving? The pan-seared mashed potato was dry and powdery. That was flour. Or powdered mash. Or something synthetic and unknown. And what black truffle sauce? I didn't even taste any.
You would think that the evening couldn't get worse but it hit rock bottom with the desserts. We ordered 5 desserts for sharing. From the top and clockwise- Tiramisu, Chocolate Lava, Lavender Creme Bruelee, Semifreddo and Panna Cotta.
In comparison, the Thai Style Beancurd (6pcs for S$6) appears to be bland. This dish is better as an appetizer but we had it at the end of our meal because Melissa wanted more food. Haha! This is plain toufu that is purchased from the market and then deep fried and served with the thai sauce. I thought the sauce was too sweet and lacked the supposed punch of the Thai Chili.
We finally concluded our meal with Black Glutinous with Ice Cream (S$4) and Ice Jelly with Lime. The Black Glutinous rice isn't very sweet and i thought the texture is quite perfect (not too hard) or too gooey. Instead of coconut milk, a vanilla ice cream was used to lightly sweeten the dish. Healthier version! The ice jelly with lime and little agar agar balls was very refreshing and helped us wash down all that food. Phew.
I really enjoyed the dinner at Gu Ma Jia Food Pot. The food was mouthwatering and scrumptious. I still can't believe we ate 12 dishes (13 if you include the ice jelly)! Would like to thank the boss Ms Gwen and Gu Ma for inviting all of us. I will definitely be back with my family to enjoy the food. There is a function room on the 2nd storey which is available for booking of private functions. There is also a karaoke set! Perfect for huge family gatherings. :)
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