This open-concept kitchen in Singapore serves only award-winning ramen from Japan

You can tell how serious is a restaurant when they have eight different stoves which allow precise temperature control. Specialising in award-winning ramen recipes from Japan, Takumen has come a long way from their online ramen store "宅麺.com(takumen.com)" in 2010. They initially set out to deliver a variety of ramen from Japan's most popular shops. Fast forward to today, the store now has two physical stores that serves award-winning ramen recipes. The recipes transcends time and space, and the flavours have been adapted to local tastebuds through repeated taste tests.

Eight different pots with precise temperatures to cook the soup base

Takumen prides itself in cooking broth from scratch (that means no preservatives, MSG, flavouring, colouring). There is also the secret "kaeshi"(sauce) which adds a touch of magic from each of the award-winning ramen chef sent directly from Japan. Takumen recreates the taste, the richness, and the flavour from each shop's secret formula. 

Service was not as stellar as would have been atypical of Japanese dining restaurants as service crews could be heard talking loudly to each other — perhaps this is the disadvantage of having a open-concept kitchen. I was also early for lunch but a grumpy staff did not allow me into the restaurant. I was also uncomfortable that mandarin was the primary language used in the restaurant.

Summary of Ramen Gallery (Takumen) Review

Ambience: 8/10
Hygiene: 10/10
Service: 7/10
Food: 8/10
Cuisine: Japanese Ramen Speciality
Get $10 OFF by booking a table through this link https://cho.pe/hbLei .

Storefront offering Japanese alcohol and ramen

Open-concept kitchen at Takumen - watch the chefs cook your ramen

Cramped spaces - a signature mark of ramen shops in space-constraint Tokyo

Unfortunately, at the time of visit, I had a serious bout of food poisoning from a day before. I cannot give a true verdict of how each ramen tasted as my stomach could only afford a spoonful before I started puking again — but I did ask my fellow bloggers and instagrammers who were able to give a sound judgment. I really trust them because they have been in the food industry for several years — and their expectations are really high too.

Free-flow regular eggs

Hajime — $13.90 (regular), $15.80 (with flavoured egg)

Winner of Tokyo Ramen of the Year from 2009-2015, I could immediately tell how this simple chicken breast dish in chicken broth could be a heartwarming craving for a cold, rainy day. This was a clear winner among the bloggers — 9 out of 10 preferred this dish for its simple flavours yet rich in chicken stock.

Domiso — $16.90 (regular), $18.80 (with flavoured egg)

If you're in for something more complex with contrasting flavours, the domiso spells 'uniquely Japan' for you. The sweetness from the corn acts as a natural sweetener for the soup. This bowl was a winner of Ramen Database 2008 - 2009, though I think people's tastebuds have evolved into something less complex now.

Takumen Storefront (66 Circular Road)

Takumen

Website: http://sg.takumen.com

• Address
  66 Circular Road #01-01 Singapore 049420
• Tel6536-4875
• Opening Hours
  Mon - Thu 11:30 〜 15:00, 17:30 〜 22:00
  Fri 11:30 〜 15:00, 17:30 〜 24:00
  Sat,Sun 11:30 〜 15:00, 17:30 〜 21:00
  *Sold out as soon as the end
• HolidayPublic Holiday
Thanks Fujiwara-san for hosting us!