Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King Four Seasons at Bugis Village

Singapore Best Lifestyle Blogger Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King Four Seasons

Chef Keisuke Takeda, Tokyo Ramen Champion winner, is back with his fourth ramen joint in Singapore – Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King Four Seasons at Bugis Village. The concept of his new ramen restaurant, as the name suggests, revolves around the four seasons which as we all know are a visceral delight in Japan. As you step into this 54-seater restaurant, you’re welcomed by an interior which has been divided into four areas with distinct decorations that speak of each season. But of course, the heart of nature’s inspiration lies in Chef Keisuke Takeda’s new ramen creations.

Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King Four Seasons features five ramens with different toppings, of which are unique and unexpected — Spring Ramen, Summer Ramen, Autumn Ramen, Winter Ramen and King Ramen. All the ramens here are Tonkotsu broth-based; “tonkotsu” refers to pork bone broth and over here, the broth has been simmered beyond 11 hours overnight resulting in an undeniably robust flavor.

In keeping with the restaurant’s theme, each ramen variety is served in original Arita porcelain bowls individually bearing the season’s name in Kanji calligraphy.

Spring Ramen (S$11.90) features a very interesting basil and cheese topping, which when mixed thoroughly with the broth creates an exceptionally unique flavor. I bet you’ve never tried ramen with basil and cheese before.

Summer Ramen (S$13.90) comes with a topping of minced spicy pork that’s been seasoned with Szechuan peppercorns, Shichimi Japanese chilli powder and local Singapore chilli. This ought to be a huge hit for those who enjoy spicy food.

Autumn Ramen (S$12.90)’s unique topping is a mixture of ground pork, mushroom medley and bonito flakes. Japanese flavors for sure, but with a new twist.

As for Winter Ramen (S$10.90) this is the option for ramen purists who just want to evaluate and enjoy the Tonkotsu broth goodness on its own without distractions. This is hardly a plain version though, as it comes with a huge slice of Japanese char siew, woodear mushrooms, pork-ginger stir-fry slices and tamago eggs (which, btw, are all included in the other ramens too as standard embellishments).

There is one other ramen – King Ramen (S$13.90) – not shown here, meant for heavyweight champion eaters as it includes all of the unique toppings mentioned above.

I sampled all the ramens with the exception of the King Ramen, and found each one to be different and delicious in its own way. It is imperative to mix all the toppings well in order to enjoy the unique flavors imparted from said toppings. For starter, the Tonkotsu broth sans topping in Winter Ramen is definitely flavorful and hearty; perfect to slurp this pipping hot. I am on the fence as to which out of the other three – Spring, Summer or Autumn, I like best. The cheese and basil toppings in Spring Ramen brought forth a very interesting flavor combination that’s creamy and savory-sweet, however the basil component wasn’t very detectable for me. I really enjoyed the Summer Ramen’s spicy topping as it gives the ramen a nice spicy kick – but frankly it’d have been too spicy for me if I were to finish an entire bowl on my own. The Autumn Ramen has a pronounced bonito flavor which was nice but it got too overpowering for me after a few bites. Chances are the next time I return to Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King Four Seasons I will go straight to the King Ramen so that I can have a bit of everything in manageable portions rather than being overwhelmed by any one topping type.

Just like at the other restaurant Ramen Keisuke Tori King, the serving portions here are generous and a bowl of ramen will make for a truly hearty meal. And if that doesn’t fill you up, there is free flow hard-boiled eggs and marinated beansprouts for you to munch on also!

Newly introduced at Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King Four Seasons is the Japanese Green Tea Cola to quench your thirst. It’s a green tea-flavored fizzy drink which is ultra refreshing and it isn’t overly sweet.

(Btw, mucho thanks to DanielFoodDiary for the impromptu ‘date’ and taking pics of me.)

To celebrate its new launch, Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King Four Seasons is offering a special promotion for all of their customers. From 10 May to 10 June 2013, please take any creative photo (ramen, staff, interiors, you drooling over your bowl of ramen, etc.) when you visit the restaurant and upload it to their Facebook page for a chance to win:

☆　1 x pair of Air Ticket to Tokyo!!! *kyaaa~*
☆　10 x One Keisuke Four Seasons Original Arita Porcelain Ramen Bowl
☆　20 x $50 Dinning Voucher

That’s right. PROCLAIM YOUR LOVE FOR RAMEN KEISUKE TONKOTSU KING FOUR SEASONS NOW.