Seriously, why is ramen so expensive?
Everyone loves a good bowl of hearty ramen soup, but be prepared to spend at least $15 as the Japanese comfort food doesn’t come cheap. Satiating your noodle cravings can empty out your wallet pretty quickly if you choose to go down the ramen route, with a bowl costing two or three times more than a local noodle dish like bak chor mee.
Look no further as we’ve just found the answer to cheap, delicious ramen: Takagi Ramen.
Their signature Hakata-style ramen costs only $6.90 a bowl. Nett.
If that doesn’t trigger the budget foodie in you, then this might: every order of ramen comes with complimentary kaedama. Takagi Ramen doesn’t charge for noodle refills for the first time, which is a hit amongst big eaters.
Founded by a couple who loves ramen but felt it was rather expensive in Singapore, Yang Kaiheng and his wife Ai Takagi wanted everyone to be able to enjoy affordable ramen which led to the opening of Takagi Ramen.
Other popular dishes include the Black Tonkotsu Ramen, a slow roasted garlic tonkotsu ramen with chashu, and the Karaka Men, a spicy tonkotsu ramen for those who love chili. Don’t forget the quintessential ramen topping side: a gooey lava egg which you add to your ramen for $1.
Give yourself a treat by trying out their more interesting ramen creations, taking inspiration from some of Singapore’s local flavors. The Salted Egg Crab Ramen comes with an entire Hokkaido soft-shell crab, drizzled with the creamy salted egg sauce that everyone either loves or hates (we love it). Or go for the classic Chilli Crab Ramen, that has a crispy soft-shell crab and Hakata noodles swimming in tangy, spicy chilli-crab sauce.
Just in case you missed it, Takagi Ramen recently added Bakkwa Ramen ($9.80) to their menu for Chinese New Year. The tonkotsu broth is infused with blend of 8 different Chinese herbs and spices that reminds us of herbal Chinese soups that is good for your health. The ramen is then served with a slice of sweet and savory pork jerky aka bakkwa that is freshly made daily in-house and mock abalone.
CNY might be over, but our obsession for bakkwa isn’t. You can also choose the Bakkwa Deluxe Ramen ($12.80) that comes with 4 slices of bakkwa, which is definitely worth the calories if you ask us. If you’re not feeling like herbal ramen soup, you can add bakkwa slices to your regular bowl of ramen.
Previously, you could only find the Bakkwa Ramen at their Downtown East outlet, but from 1st March, the Bakkwa Ramen will be available at all four outlets.
If you’ve already tried the Bakkwa Ramen and everything else on the menu, you can go for their latest addition – the Shoyu Chintan Ramen ($7.80). The clear broth soup is a blend of Japanese shoyu and pork essence, and your ramen is served with two slices of chashu, Japanese leeks and flavored bamboo shoots.
Other than ramen, the ramen chain also has other Japanese dishes like dons, gyozas, and takoyaki at equally affordable prices. The Piridon ($4.50) is a Japanese rice bowl topped with sweet ginger and soy-braised hand-pulled pork heaped with hot, fiery chilli.
You don’t even have to travel all the way to town every time you’re feeling like a good bowl of ramen. Because Takagi Ramen is dedicated to bringing (affordable) ramen to the average Singaporean, all their outlets are in the heartlands – in Jurong, Ang Mo Kio, Downtown East, and NUS. Since average Singaporeans are almost always either at school and work, Takagi Ramen also offers delivery through their website, honest bee, Deliveroo, GrabFood, and foodpanda so that you can enjoy a bowl of ramen without even having to leave the house. We’re sold.
TAKAGI RAMEN
Jurong West | #01-452, 498 Jurong West St 41, S640498
Ang Mo Kio | #01-01C, 51 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, S569922
Downtown East | #02-316, 1 Pasir Ris Close, S519599
NUS (Kent Ridge) | 23 Prince George’s Park, S118422
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Note: menu prices might differ slightly at different outlets.
Additional images from Takagi Ramen
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