Ramen Champion

I think it's no fresh news that Ramen Champion has arrived in Singapore and is located over at Iluma at Bugis. You get to choose from 6 different Ramen Chefs with their different ramen styles since they are a holding a competition to see who will be given the title of the Ulitmate Ramen Champion 2011. So it's no wonder that with all this hype built up my expectations of their ramen have also became sky high. 

So Makan Boy had to try their ramen to see why they are so called the best ramen chefs over at Japan. I had heard that there is a long queue but luckily when me and my friends got there during one of those weekends, there didn't seem to be a lot of people (ominous sign?). In fact, there seemed to be only people queuing up at one particular stall: Bario Ramen. In one of their newspaper cuttings on their stall which is that of The Strait Times, it is stated that The Guardian UK listed their Jiro-style ramen in the "50 best things to eat in the world" list. Just how amazing this Bario Ramen is that all the people down here had to desert the rest of the five stalls and only queue for this?

I ordered the Ajitama Ramen ($14) which is basically Bario Ramen with a boiled flavoured egg added. Apparently, Bario in japanese means "super guy" so the serving size of their regular bowl is rather huge, fittingly for a proud, manly japanese I guess. The mountain of beansprouts and cabbage on top of the ramen is proof of this. Fortunately, I myself have a big appetite so this wasn't a problem for me. But for the ladies and those with a smaller stomach, you might want to consider ordering the half ramen instead, which in itself might be already very filling for you. 

The noodles are thick and curly, which I do not like very well. I prefer those that are softer and smoother. And the egg is not soft-centered, meaning the yolk is not runny at all. Probably overcooked which is a HUGE disappointment for me. The soup base is flavourful, probably a tad too salty though. I saw the chef use lard (a lot) in the preparation of the soup base so it adds a lot of the porky taste to it but for me, I don't really dig such a taste but one of my friends loves it so it's just a matter of preference. The 3 pieces of chashu were heavenly though! Absolutely delicious, for lack of a better word, as they contain the right amount of fats that melt in your mouth! 

Bario: Ajitama Ramen 

My friend ordered the Very Rich! Paitan Tsukemen ($11) from the Tetsu stall. The noodles are served in a separate bowl from the soup broth. You are supposed to dip the noodles in the soup broth before consuming.   The soup broth (pork and chicken) is very thick and salty but when coupled with the noodles it is excellent for my taste buds. Besides I like this ramen better because it's more smooth and soft. The single slice of chashu is slightly pathetic and the taste loses out to that of Bario's. 

Very Rich! Paitan Tsukemen and the..... Juicy! Yucky Gyoza

Warning: DO NOT TRY THEIR GYOZA (6 bucks by the way). There's no filling except for lard hence their appropriate name: Juicy! Yaki (or Yucky) Gyoza. If you like the strong otherwise nauseating taste of pork fats, then this is for you truly. Just the thought of the taste now is enough to make me lose my appetite. They better stick to their specialty: Ramen. Enough said. Period.

I made this pic smaller to save your eyesight

Another friend had the Special Miso Ramen ($15) from Gantetsu. In all sense, this is a very average ramen to me. It tasted very similar to that of Ajisen Ramen's except that this is more expensive. That's why I think this is a very safe option to take if you want to eat the ramen over here at Ramen Champion because this would suit many's taste. The boiled egg is once again a disappointment needless to say due to its being overcooked. Overall, it's very average nothing special like its name said.

Special (or not) Miso Ramen

Verdict:
There are other stalls which I have not tried yet, of which I will soon. I would recommend the Very Rich! Paitan Tsukemen from Tetsu simply because I think that its soup broth is very flavorful and its ramen is the best among these 3 I tried (not the best ramen I had though, I had better ones like Noodle Ken). I don't think Bario's is suited for those with a dislike for the strong taste. As for Gantetsu's Special Miso Ramen, its for those not ambitious enough to try the other ramen. Well, truth be told, if you ask me to choose a champion I would say all these three cannot make it. So before I try the other 3 stalls, I am disappointed by the standards so far.

Ramen Champion, Iluma
201 Victoria Street, Iluma Bugis Level 4, Singapore, Singapore 188067
11.30am - 10.30pm (Daily)
www.ramenchampion.com.sg