Saw a friend posting on Facebook sometime back, claiming that this is the ‘Best Tonkotsu Ramen in Singapore’. Decided to have a try over the weekend. Ikkousha Ramen comes from Hakata-ku, Japan - Fukuoka and they specialise in a ‘thick and creamy texture of Tonkotsu pork broth, foaming with bubbles’ for their noodles. They are located in the CBD area, below the HDB estate of Tanjong Pagar Plaza, and is 5 mins walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT station. The restaurant can cater to about 30 customers at one time. Apparently, They do have another store situated at CHIJMES.

There are 5 main ramen served in this restaurant; ‘Special Tonkotsu’, ‘Tonkotsu’, ‘Black Tonkotsu’, ‘Shio’ and ‘God Fire’. The restaurant comes with free serving of boiled eggs, ginger, spicy takana, and drinking water. Customers can customise the texture of the noodle and saltiness of broth in your bowl of ramen.

We ordered a ‘Special Tonkotsu’ and a ‘Black Tonkotsu’ ramen. ‘Special Tonkotsu’ is similar to their ‘Tonkotsu’ ramen, and only difference is that it comes with more cha-shu and a flavored egg. Their Tonkotsu broth is rich and has a sweetness taste of pork flavour which I find perfect to my liking. They uses thin ramen. I did notice that the temperature of the ramen when served is just warm enough to eat, but I would have preferred it to be hotter. I also find the cha-shu served is a big but very thin slice. For noodles, we opted a bowl of soft and another of normal texture, and find the one with soft texture a little too soft and soggy. I also ordered for Kaedama (extra noodle), which I regretted. The Kaedama is served in a separate bowl and you need to add it to the same bowl of ramen which you ordered. Problem is, by the time you add the noodle to the bowl, the broth would have been cold and the noodle would be stick together. Kinda spoil the experience a little.

‘Black Tonkotsu’ ramen is actually their tonkotsu broth added with galic paste. Thus, it has a strong garlic flavor. The broth, as compared with tonkotsu ramen, is noticeability much thicker and has a bit of powdery taste to it. Garlic lovers may like this.

I also ordered their gyoza. Although this is not the main item in their menu, I am quite a gyoza lover and really like their gyoza as they are really flavourful and much better than many others elsewhere. I recommend to download the ‘JPassport’ application on your mobile phone. On top of giving you points on your bill, they currently have 2 promotions. First, they are giving a serving of 5 gyoza on your first visit. Second, if you visit on the day, 1 day before or 1 day after your birthday, they are giving free gyoza ‘as many as your age’!

What I/we ate: Special Tonkotsu ramen (S$16.50), Black Tonkotsu ramen (S$14), Kaedama (S$2), Gyoza (FOC)

Date/Time/Queue status: 15 Dec 18 (Saturday)/ 1pm/no queue
$ damage: S$ 38.25 for 2 pax

The Good
- Rich and sweetness of tonkotsu broth
- Tasty Gyoza
- Location. Located in CBD area, 5 mins walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT
- Free serving of hard boiled eggs and customisable ramen
The Bad
- This is my personal preference, but I would prefer the broth served a bit hotter.
- I do not recommend kaedama (extra noodle).
The Recommended
- I have only tried their ‘Special Tonkotsu’ and 'Black Tonkotsu' ramen and I would recommend trying their ‘Special Tonkotsu’. Their major selling point is their tonkotsu broth and with ‘Special Tonkotsu’, you can savour the rich and sweetness of the broth. Do give their Gyoza a try as well. Not forgetting, download the ‘JPassport’ app to enjoy the promotion of free Gyoza.
In conclusion
- Food quality: 3.5/5
- Service: 4/5
- Price: 4/5

Address: Apt/Blk 7 Tanjong Pagar Plaza #01-104BSingapore 081007

Website: www.ikkousha.sg
Opening hours: Mon-Sat, 11.30am - 10pm (Last Order 9:45pm); Sun, 11.30am - 9pm (Last Order 8:45pm)
Tel: +65 6538-1880