Ramen @ Nantsuttei

I went to Nantsuttei for lunch today.

Nantsuttei is yet another ramen house that hails from Japan and just opened shop in Singapore. It is located at Millenia Walk, within the new PARCO 3 storey shopping area that started operations in March 2010. (There is also a nice Italian gelato ice cream parlor on the first floor but we'll save that for another time.)

If you have only tried ramen at places such as Ichiban Boshi, or Ajisen, I strongly recommend trying one of these specialty ramen shops from Japan. It is a world of difference from what you usually get at run-of-the-mill Japanese eating places.

Actually, the first time I ate ramen of this style is in Tokyo @ Shinagawa station in one of Nantsuttei's branches. At the time, Nantsuttei was voted Tokyo's number 1 ramen. I was thus pleasantly surprised when some colleagues informed me that a branch was being opened in Singapore.

The soup base for their version of the ramen is of the pork bone broth variety. It is unlike the clear soup ramen that one would usually get at most Japanese restaurants here. A special ingredient that Nantsuttei uses is a black garlic sesame(?) oil which is mixed with the soup. This packs a punch and gives a lot more weight to the dish, compared to even other pork broth ramen. It's more or less unique here, so I think it certainly is worth the try.

Otherwise, the usual ramen toppings are very decent. The Chashu (cooked pork loin) is quite tender and not tough, and there isn't a frozen taste that is often present in other ramen I have tried locally. Also, it is also made from lean meat and not fatty at all.

The stewed egg works well enough and is more tasty than other renditions I have tried. Today the ones that we had were a little over done. Perfectly done stew egg should still be creamy golden and not white and crumbly.

They also serve the usual ramen sides - gyoza, and rice topped with pork / chashu bits. These were well-executed. They go well with the ramen, that is if you have a big appetite. Most people I know would find the bowl of ramen more than enough for them.

So in summary, the ramen at Nantsuttei is unique enough to try it out. If you are headed there for lunch, it might be better to get there ahead of 12noon, by which time the small restaurant (seats 30 max) would be completely filled up already.

Open AM11:30 - Closes PM10:30
Private House No.P3-06,
#03-02 Millenia Walk 9 Raffles Boulevard
Singapore 039596
On the 3F of PARCO Marina Bay
Tel : (65) 6337 7166 Fax : (65) 6337 7791
Website: http://www.nantsu.com/sg/index.html

Roti Prata @ Jalan Kayu

I visit Thesavi @ Jalan Kayu about once every 1 - 2 months. I run an errand around Compass Point, so I always end up having lunch there on those days, since there isn't anything of note to eat at Compass Point itself.

My usual here is egg & onion roti prata, because I like my prata fresh and if you order plain or egg, there is always the off chance of them bringing one that was pre-prepared.

The fried chicken there is also pretty darn good. Go for the thigh/ drumstick. The chicken breast is a little dry for my liking. This one is pre-cooked, but they deep fry it again to re-heat. Crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside.

My partner likes the tissue / paper prata here. It may not be immediately obvious, but these two are two quite different. The tissue prata comes served like a cone and is very crispy and thin. The paper prata is served in a cylinder / rolled up. This one is a little thicker, but less crispy. I guess the big difference is in the price - the tissue prata is about twice as expensive.

All in all, probably adequate for a stop-over on the way somewhere, but not quite a place that I would specially visit for a roti prata fix.

Thesavi Food
237-239 Jalan Kayu
Singapore 799461