I’m never the first at the newest restaurants. Trying them at a later stage determines the restaurant’s consistency. Plus you don’t have to deal with teething and overcrowding issues which are common at the start. But this had been an unusual few weeks… Being blessed with good luck and friends, I’d been dining at not one but three newly opened establishments, all of them peaking Singapore’s food scene currently. First, it was Man Man Unagi, a place I found myself back again the following week. Just a few days later, gal pal, Roro, scored us a table at Kam’s Roast where we pigged out on Roast Duck, Soya Sauce Chicken and the prized Toro Char Siew! Then, a late lunch found me outside Tsuta. Just a few other patrons were waiting in line and so we decided to join in. In about 15 minutes, we were seated. I assume we’ve all read about the patient gentleman who won the heart of Chef Yuki Onishi and is now the proud owner of Tsuta Singapore. Well, that lazy Monday afternoon, I got to savor an exquisite ramen and meet the said gentleman! Brian’s a sweet, humble and friendly chap! We got talking and he enthusiastically shared with us the now famous story of his 6 hour wait at Tsuta Tokyo as well as the making of this special ramen. His passion in the business is evident and I am sure he will take the Tsuta name far and beyond! The only branch to open outside of Tokyo, Tsuta Singapore exudes a causal, comfy ambience. Staff are efficient and friendly; the clean, organized open kitchen allows you to watch the chefs in action. The Tsuta menu is straight forward. Shoyu or Shio, egg or no egg, meat and more meat. We ordered both flavors, with egg (duh!) and extra meat (double duh!). First up… unlike tonkotsu (broth made with pork bones), Tsuta’s chicken/ seafood version is light yet very flavorful. The Shoyu version was very robust and brought out the truffle nicely. My preferred Shio (salt) flavored stock packed a salty yet clean taste, thanks to good quality salt from Okinawa! The truffle infused handmade Soba is thin and springy and subtly flavored the soup. And was that mint leaf I bit into? A first in my ramen and I’m digging it! The Ajitsuke Tamago (egg) was served whole. I had to half it with my spoon, so that didn’t help with its aesthetic! But it was well marinaded and yummy. I’m loving the lean Chashu in Tsuta. Despite the absence of fats, it was soft and tender. Ordering an extra slice was the right move 😉. I sometimes pass on usual Tonkotsu Ramen because of the heavy broth. Though it’s delicious, and I myself love making a Tonkotsu base, it’s just too rich to consume on a frequent basis. Tsuta could just be the answer to those days.

I’d describe Tsuta’s Ramen a refined bowl of noodles. Its seemingly basic appearance with very few toppings are just the exact reasons it does not need extras to complicate the unique taste of the soup, the texture of the soba and the overall clean presentation. I’m merely guessing this from my experience at Tsuta and I personally find it a winning formula. As the saying goes, “Less is more!” and Tsuta definitely understands that!

Tsuta Singapore @ Pacific Plaza #01-01, 9 Scotts Road Singapore 228210 Phone: +65 6734 4886

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.