"Order the Kazan Ramen," the PR mistress beckons via text. Impervious to her pleas, I browse through the menu, setting my sights on the chashu karamiso ramen at first, only to be distracted by a mere glimpse of the next page - a firewall display of smoking chimneys and black claypots of bubbling ramen. "OOoooo" Could it be? Did she mean these? - at this juncture, there was no turning back; the impressive poster stealing our hearts and guts instantly.
The signature Kazan Ramen served in stonepots to maintain its sizzling hot consistency may seem like a gimmick to some but I can assure you that in some ways, this method of service does have its merits. For starters, the stone bowls are preheated to a whopping 300 degree celsius and ingredients neatly arranged within; once at the table, the waiter will then proceed to pour in half the soup and slap on the funnelled lid, VOILA! volcano eruption! or essentially steam generated from the fiesty interaction. Let it cook for a minute and you're ready to eat.
The Kazan Curry ($18 for big and $15 for small) is their original Tonkotu broth enhanced with a special blended spicy curry paste. Almost like a souped up version of sweet Japanese curry with a porky punch. The best part - the swaddles of cabbage and beansprouts in the mix that will actually make you consider digging into the accompanying bowl of rice smothered in curry sauce. The thought of the carb overload may seem a bit alarming initially, but once you've worked through the noodles and wind up with a bowlful of curry, one can't help but reach out for the rice.
Other benefits of the stone bowl includes never having to eat cold noodles. The broth maintained at a lovely freshly boiled consistency from start to finish despite the strong downward draft from the air-conditioning overhead. Taking a break from the seemingly bottomless pot, I turned my attention to our side dish of Fried Prawn ($6) - here, 4 pieces of very anorexic prawns are beached up next to tartar sauce. The prawns as well as the sauce are at best, respectable but not something that I would have again per se.
Instead, focus on the real deal, their Kazen Ramen. The Kazan Karamiso ($18 for Big and $15 for small) once again restoring order with its enthralling mix of miso blended pork broth and thick hunks of simmered pork belly. By contrast to the first ramen we embarked on, this version is a vivid flash of color. The broth a lovely shade of darkened biege. There is the lawn of flaps of pork and finely sliced spring onions and a mound of miso paste with a chilli kick. The meat is soft, the fats beginning to melt away into the fiery liquor. At $18 a bowl, its at the expensive end, but enough to feed two very small eaters.
Where Tonkotsu Kazen Ramen thrives on creating a flash mob of wacky presentation skills to up the ante, the decor runs in the same vein with kitsch ornaments and somewhat tacky designs to create this whole carnival mood, seemingly to attract the young or the drunk. That aside, dining in has a virtue of peacefulness as its broth base doesn't prove to be as riotous in flavor.
To end your experience on a sweet note, get the Matcha Shirakawa with Ice Cream ($8), delicious mountain of shaved ice drenched in matcha syrup served with torrents of adzuki bean paste and good quality vanilla ice cream on the side. Staying true to its roots, the dessert arrives in a flash-bang volcano-esque exhibition that will leave you squealing in delight at the prospects of a certain sweet brain freeze.
So thanks to the kind folks at Tonkotsu Kazen Ramen, I'll be giving out 5 x $20 vouchers to dine in. So follow these standard instructions to win a chance to chow down on free ramen!
Here's how to win:
1. Follow Fundamentally-Flawed on Facebook
2. Leave a comment on the 'Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen GIVEAWAY' post on my FB page and tell me where other the 3 outlets of Tonkotsu Kazen Ramen situated at.
3. Tag at least one friend in that comment with whom you would like to share the ramen with.
Five lucky readers will be picked at random. Competition ends 13th March'2016 23 59 so do get a move on it!
Tonkotsu Kazen Ramen
Liang Court
#01-09/10
t: 6397 6636
Operating Hours:
Mon - Thurs: 11am - 10 30pm
Fri - Sat: 11am - 3am
No comments:
Post a Comment