Baikohken Ramen
I met an ex-colleague, TSH, for lunch a few days ago on a cold and rainy afternoon. Both of us were craving ramen...apparently, we're both going through a Japanese phase...so when she suggested checking out a new Hokkaido ramen joint, I was totally game for it.
We were very hungry and so we ordered some Gyoza (5 pieces @ S$5) to start off. The Gyozas here are reasonably tasty but would have been alot better if the skin was still intact. I prefer the gyozas served at Gyoza no Osho as they had a crispier base and were tastier.
SH ordered the Shoyu Ramen (ie the soup is seasoned with soya sauce & priced @ S$11) with an additional order of Agitama (egg, priced @ S$1). The egg looked a little overdone and SH mentioned that she preferred the one at Marutama...a ramen joint that I've walked past a few times but never had the chance to try yet. The soup was mildly flavoured and if taken with just the noodles alone, it would have been a little too bland.
I ordered the Shio Ramen (ie. clear soup seasoned with salt & priced @ S$11). The soup was also pretty bland and tasted better when I stirred some miso paste (a bottle is available at the table) into it. I found the noodles too soft for my liking as I prefer ramen to be firm to the bite. The ramen used here reminded me of instant noodles that had been boiled for just a little too long. The redeeming factor for both of our bowls of ramen was the Char Siew. The slices of Char Siew were lean yet they m-e-l-t-e-d in our mouths! It was like putting a small slab of slightly melted butter on your tongue. Though the Char Siew was just a tad too salty for our liking, they were a great complement to the mild flavour of the soup. I would recommend that you eat the Char Siew together with the noodles to balance out the flavours. Saltiness aside, I would say that the Char Siew here is a Must-Try! Do be forewarned though that the noodle portions are large.
The 2 chefs are from Japan. The friendly service that they offered along with the rest of the service staff made for a warm experience which was especially pleasant on a gloomy and rainy day.
Baikohken
7 North Canal Road
Singapore 048820
Tel: +65 6534-3808
Operating Hours:
Lunch : 11.00 am - 3.00 pm
Dinner : 5.00 pm - 10.00 pm
