Chabuton @ 313 Somerset

And yet another ramen chain from Japan has landed on our shore. Chabuton is the brainchild of the first ramen chef to ever receive a Michelin star. The prestigious ramen chain from Japan has finally opens its first outlet in 313 Somerset, Singapore. The Chabuton chain currently has 9 outlets in Japan and 14 outlets in Thailand.

Miso Char Siew Ramen 4.2/5

I ordered the Miso Char Siew Ramen ($15.90) which the pork bone soup is flavoured with Uki-kouji miso topped with char siew and Japanese leek. A different at Chabuton is customer gets to choose how they want their ramen and broth to be prepared. Customer has the choice of customizing their texture of the noodle, the amount of oil and salt level. I had the normal levels and it was ideal for me. The saltiness of the miso broth and the delectable bite from the springy noodles made it a slurping good bowl of ramen. I also like the generous slice of the char siew.

Tonkotsu Ramen 4/5

The signature at Chabuton is their Tonkotsu Ramen ($8.30/$11.90) that comes in a rich and creamy pork bone soup topped with char siew and Japanese leek. Compared to other tonkotsu broths I have tried, the version at Chabuton was not as rich and salty. Nevertheless it was still a good hearty and comforting bowl of ramen.

Shio Char Siew Ramen 3.5/5

For those that prefer a light broth base ramen, the Shio Char Siew Ramen ($15.40) will be a good choice. The salt flavoured pork bone soup ramen topped with extra char siew and Japanese leek tasted somewhat like a bowl of Chinese noodle. The soup is not as rich and intense compared to the tonkotsu and miso.

Shoyu Zaru Ramen 3/5

Beside a hot bowl of ramen, Chabuton offers Shoyu Zaru Ramen ($10.50/11.90) which is cold ramen served with Japanese soy sauce soup. The cold noodle has a more chewy texture. To eat, dip the noodles into the soy sauce soup. I thought the soup tasted similar to our beef noodle soup. An interesting way to enjoy the ramen.

Ika Karaage 3/5

On top of the different ramens, Chabuton also offers a decent selection of side dishes on the menu. The Ika Karaage or Fried Squid ($5) would go well with a glass of beer. Although fried to a nice crisp and not oily, I thought the dish was mediocre.

Kaki Fry 3.8/5

I actually quite enjoyed the Kaki Fry or Fried Oyster ($6). The light batter gave the exterior a crumbly crisp while the juiciness of the fresh oyster was retained inside.

Hitokuchi Gyoza 2.8/5

The Hitokuchi Gyoza ($5) was a disappointment for me. The odd shape gyoza somehow lost that satisfying proportion of dumpling skin to the pork filling ration. In short, the experience felt as if there were too little fillings in the gyoza.

Soup Gyoza 4/5

The Soup Gyoza ($5) on the other hand fares better than the Hitokuch Gyoza. I could taste the sweetness of the pork stuffing wrapped in a smooth and soft dumpling skin.

Char Siew Don 3/5

The Char Siew Don ($4) was a good alternative to the ramen if you needed something more filling. While it is enjoyable, I thought the char siew was sliced too thin and the rice was short of the vinegar seasoning.

Overall I think the ramen at Chabuton is pretty good. I preferred the miso to tonkatsu ramen even though the later is their signature. If you do not like that very rich and salty tonkatsu broth, then this bowl of ramen will be good for you.


Chabuton
313 Somerset
313 Orchard Road
#B2-01
Singapore 238895
Tel: +65 66368335
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chabutonsg
Nearest MRT: Somerset (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
1130am - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Somerset MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Farm to Table Cafe @ Duxton Road

I wonder what is this thing with hanging bicycle on the wall. What does coffee has to do with bicycle especially your cafe is not themed around it. I walked into Farm to Table Cafe feeling even more confused. I was expecting a farm concept cafe but there was nothing of the sort. It felt more like a hotel coffee house trying to camouflage behind those wooden tables. Even though said, this is a great hide away from the crowd of those so called hipsters cafe around the area.

Caffe Latte 4/5

I did not check with the cafe what coffee beans it is using but the brew was quite good with a mid body. The Caffe Latte ($5.50) I had was smooth and nutty.

Egg Benedict with Smoked Salmon 3/5

I also tried the Egg Benedict with Smoked Salmon ($17). I was already disappointed at the sight how the muffin was sliced into half or rather a quarter instead. The hollandaise sauce was lacklustre, flat and almost watery.

Farm to Table Cafe actually announced in their facebook page that they are a pop up cafe at Duxton Hotel and they will only be there until end of th year. I guess it is better for them as the cafe did not have any character or attraction about it. Meanwhile you have until end of the year to check out the place before they moved out.


[CLOSED]
Farm to Table Cafe
The Duxton Hotel
83 Duxton Road
Singapore 089540
Tel: +65 62277678
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farmtotablecafesg
Nearest MRT: Tangjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 1030am - 730pm
Sun: 730am - 530pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Orchid Hotel. Cross the road and turn right. Walk down Tanjong Pagar Road. Turn left onto Craig Road. Walk down Craig Road. Turn right onto Duxton Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]