Marutama Ramen

Initially Marutama drew my curiosity because of its long queue almost every time I visit the Central, which used to be pretty often when I was based in Singapore. I thought they were always crowded because it’s a small space with a couple tables (which is true), but they are efficient at getting people seated, taking orders and clearing tables that the turnover is still pretty fast. So that says something about the food, which I have to give it a try. And I’ve been back since!
My visits have always been during non-​peak period, so I can’t talk about the wait times. My orders come pretty fast, usually for two people, I will get a deluxe ramen and a plain ramen to share. The deluxe version comes with 3 pieces of char siu, while the plain version comes with just 1, so we get to have 2 slices each. The first time we got 2 deluxe orders, it was too much meat and too filling for us.
I won’t be the first to say that I had my doubts when I glanced through the menu looking for a pork based soup. I was so certain I’m going to order that, but that doesn’t exist in Marutama. Their specialty is the chicken soup, which they do perfectly. Not too heavy and not overly flavored, though it is a tad salty, it is good. I would rank it among the top 5 places for ramen.
Love their egg and the ramen. The egg is not included in the ramen so you have to add it separately. There is fried garlic slices on every table. I enjoy adding some to the ramen, it adds a nice touch of fragrance to the ramen soup which I truly enjoy. My mum, on the other hand, prefers the natural taste of the soup without the added garlic.
On my visits I noticed many other people ordering their dumplings as appetizers. For just 2 of us the ramen is more than enough, so the next time I visit I will want to introduce more people to Marutama so we can all try some of their appetizers, especially those dumplings.

Definitely more bumpin’ than its counterpart at Liang Court. The place was totally full on a weekday night. (Reserve a table to avoid being seated at the squished tables for two.) Somehow I think the ramen is better here too. Add the egg! It’s delicious.

So delicious! Had their signature dish and it was amazing. The chicken was cooked to perfection and the broth was very savory indeed. I had never had ramen with seaweed with it, but it was great. I wish that for $ 12 it had come with an egg, but no worries I added one to it because ramen without the egg is no fun. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would come again.

I ended up wandering here after trying to go to song fa on a Monday, when it is unfortunately not open (curses, no data plan in SG!).
the ramen is decent: expect a typical hakata tonkotsu ramen with thin QQ noodles, except with the tonkotsu broth replaced with chicken bone broth. this makes for a rather lighter version of typical hakata ramen, which is not wholly unpleasant, but still leaves you feeling not completely satisfied.
the chashu is on the thick side and could be a bit more tender, but still rather flavorful and satisfying. only one piece which was a bit of a minus.
they add a different kind of seaweed to their marutama ramen than the typical, which was a rather interesting change. it gave the chicken bone broth a bit more depth, which was very needed.
the egg was perfectly soft boiled and marinated in what tasted like a shoyu /​mirin mix. it was probably the best part of the bowl.

This is my second favourite ramen joint, after Ippudo.
I just like the tint of spice in the soup, the richness of the soup, as well as lots of green in the soup. Also, the addition dish of grilled char siew (Jap version) is delicious to the max. Make it for chao-​tar please.
The egg is constantly tasting good as well.
Hence, I do not mind making my way to Central once in a while to have this ramen.

I’m a huge fan of pork based broth ramen so I was initially rather skeptical about Marutama’s chicken based ramen.
Nonethless, I warmed up to it as the broth was very flavorful. It is very different from a pork based broth, and I still think I prefer the latter, but chicken is not bad too. I do find it a tad too oily due to all the fat from the chicken skin though.
I love that their egg has the runny yolk. That’s my favourite part about eaten ramen! Lol.
Definitely a good alternative to santouka if the wait there is too long!

I’ve tried the Ramen but I’m not keen on Ramen having chicken-​based soup. Ramen and Pork-​Based soup should always go togther!
However on that particular weekend, I was feeling pretty full so I ordered a mini rice dish (the name beats me now, I guess I’m getting old!) topped with 2 thick slices of Tamago, onions, and a few slices of braised pork. My partner ordered the usual Ramen. I gave it another shot and tried the soup — ok, it’s triple confirmed that Ramen should always come with Pork-​Based Soup!
I bet no one knows there’s such a dish on the menu given that they are known for their Ramen.
Tip: Ladies who do not want to over-​eat during their lunch hour can stop by Marutama Ramen for this mini rice dish.

5 stars for the egg!
There are 2 camps for ramen — chicken based soup and the traditional milky pork bone based soup.
If you prefer things less porky, you will like Marutama Ramen. I’m not really a pork person, so the ramen here is right up my alley.
I like the chicken based soup which is still cooked till it is quite thick. It is also not as salty as the usual tonkutsu based soup. The noodle is springy, some liken it to the texture as being similar to the kolo noodle in Sarawak.
I always like the ramen here since it opened several years ago but have not been back till very recently. I am happy to report that the ramen is still good, but the noodles could be better. It got soggier and soft the longer I left it in the soup, so maybe you need to eat the noodle asap type.
The one slice of char siu that comes with the ramen is tender and melting soft. Add the fried garlic chips and you get an aromatic bowl of noodles.
You need to add on the egg which is simply divine. It is still the best place to get a flavorful half boiled egg with a wobbly soft egg white with a barely cooked egg yolk which will ooze out. Yummy!
Even though there are more ramen places with such egg around, somehow they don’t seemed to get the timing right to get the perfect soft boiled egg.
Another side dish which is to die for even though the portion size keeps reducing, making it quite dear to order now is the char siu. Somehow they managed to make it crispy on the edges and retain the tenderness in the meat. Squeeze the wedge of lemon over the char siu and then dip it in the chili (optional as eating it plain is good enough). It is just so delicious you will just want to gobble the whole thing up and not share with your dining companions.

Love the bowl of crispy garlic that they leave at every table. Crisp and perfectly oil-​free.
If you are used to the richer tonkotsu broth, you would probably find this too light and bland. The broth here is from chicken and it doesn’t have the milky pork one broth. The first time I ate it, I didn’t like it. But now, I actually am a fan. It is lighter and less oily, and possibly made me less guilty slurping up the soup.
I also Iike the gyoza here. Thin skin, and flavorful. Sprinkle lots of crisp garlic on top, and this is a winner.

I’ve been eating Marutama Ramen ever since it opened and it’s one of my favorites. Chicken soup base isn’t all that common and even for those that offer it, Marutama does it the best. The spicy soup base is a must have for me. I like that even though it’s spicy it doesn’t take away the flavor the way hot miso paste does when you try to order spicy versions of tonkotsu ramen at some places. The chashu is yumm and the seasoned egg with its soft center is divine. The yaki charsiu, listen up people, is a MUST ORDER. Oh Em Gee the melt-​in-​your-​mouth goodness. I know it’s so wrong but I can’t help but savor the fat…

3.5*
I enjoyed it. I had the spicy ramen, and they got the spicy just right. Spicy ramen sometimes doesn’t have enough spice, or it gets so tongue numbing by the end (since its soupy). Didn’t happen here for me, it builds up to just a slight tingling. Brownie points for this. Of course, we all have different tolerances for spicy, and someone who doesn’t order spicy ramen may well give this 3*.
Like a previous reviewer mentioned, the first thing you’d notice is that the chicken soup base was undesirably thick, rather than light in texture/​taste. It was also a bit saltier than I would have liked. But considering this is Singapore, that’s not surprising. And while a soup is certainly important, it was not bad, and at least they got everything else right.
It’s $ 12 a bowl, but DO add the seasoned egg ($ 1.50?). Gosh, that was perfect. Cooked just nice, and the yolk was… just wow. I usually remove my yolk but I wished I had more of this. That was the highlight of my meal, and why I’m rounding off the 3.5* to a 4*! There’s also seaweed topping (I found it a nice texture mix with the ramen) and meat, and the latter had just enough flavour. There wasn’t much of it though: P
Last, we were seated almost immediately on a weekday 12.30pm, but I heard it was relatively empty that day, and wait is usually 10−15min.

1. Marutama Ra-​men/​Karashi Ra-​men, Chicken soup Ra-​men with toppings
— I had mine spicy.
— The soup broth was really thick, flavorful and had a starchy feel to it (like porridge)… but somewhat oily. I would have preferred it if it was less oily.
— The noodles were surprising thin (like angel hair pasta) not like the regular ramen but it was still pretty tasty.
— The pork was good but they only gave 1 slice.
Overall, I prefer Santouka at The Central.
Service was quick.
Note: I heard this place usually has a queue so you might have to make allowances for that but I was luck enough not to encounter one when I went last thursday (2pm).

This was the first place ramen place that inducted me into the whole ramen craze that has hit town. It set the bar for ramen places that I have tried ever since and it still is my favourite.
I like my noodles thin and soft, whereas certain other ramen joints serve pretty hard to chew noodles. As for the broth, I crave for it — but do take note that the ice water is placed next to you for good reason. While it hit home, my companion and I gulped down cups of water post-​lunch as it left us pretty thirsty. That said, I would still drain the broth entirely.
The tamago (extra $ 1.50) is done perfectly — soft on the inside but not so soft till it oozes out; you can still use chopsticks to pick it out to slowly savour it. One of the novelty factors here lies with their topping up of noodles policy. For the guys who have big appetites, if you’ve finished your noodles, be sure to leave some broth cus for $ 2, you can top up the exact same amount of noodles! Pretty worth it if you ask me.

While the noodles have a good texture and the egg is done perfectly, the soup base is only so-​so in my opinion. I had the aka-​men which was definitely different from the ramen you usually get outside but felt far too thick and oily for my liking. On the plus side, it was fragrant and spicy for those who like or don’t mind thick broths. My friends also got the vegetable ramen which they didn’t like as even the soup base tasted strongly of vegetables.
Cha-​shu is an additional $ 4 and egg is an additional $ 1.50 which adds up to about $ 25 per person with service charge. I think this is rather pricey, and I would probably go to another ramen place next time as there is no lack of ramen places around Clarke Quay for the same or cheaper prices.

Marutama is right on the top of my list of favourite restaurants that serve authentic Japanese cuisine. The ramen that they use is light and springy, and is slightly hard in texture so it doesn’t soak up too much of the soup broth that it comes served in. Their portion is also exactly right for me; not too much where it goes to waste, but not too little where after I finish the noodles, there is still half a bowl of broth left. For the boyfriend, he does order the additional $ 2 worth of ramen if he’s feeling peckish, so that is a good available option as well!
The soup broth is my favourite part of the meal, it’s thick and not too salty when coupled with the ramen. It comes clear even if you order the spicy version, because the spice is cooked within the soup, not added as a seasoning which I especially appreciate. But be warned since the chilli taste doesn’t kick in until a good 5 large slurps or so.
They also serve the most well cooked ‘hot spring eggs’, where they manage to serve eggs that are cooked on the outside but soft and melty in the yolk every single time I’ve dined there. Really good stuff! The ambience is also really nice and quiet, with a slightly dim vintage Japanese feel.

If you are looking for a relatively cheap ramen store, this is one store that you should visit. Many may refer it to basket ball ramen due to its logo.
They serve authentic ramen which the soup based is usually chicken based. However I do find it quite salty. The noodle and meat are good but lacks the wow factor. However if you are looking for a place to chill, this is not a great place to visit as the waitress and waiter will tend to clear your plates at the instant you finish your food. Signalling to you that alright please make way for the next customer.
One of the plus point is the tamago egg that is cooked pretty well. The Yolk is presented in a semi liquid form, giving a very rich texture.
As I mentioned, not a fantastic place but definitely a place for a quick ramen fix.

Also known as the ‘basketball ramen” (because of its logo), Marutama is the kind of place you either love or don’t. I’m somewhere in the middle. I have a specific preference for ramen, usually pork broth (they do chicken broth), and usually of the darker variety over the lighter types.
If you like chicken broths, decent noodles and lighter types of ramen you will probably like this place more than I do.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s quite nice, just not the type of ramen I like best. Of all the types they offer I think the one they have with groundnuts (aka, I think?) is the most interesting because it adds a nice depth to the otherwise rather plain soup.

One of my favorite ramen places. Yes, the broth is chicken-​based and not the usual pork-​based. That is one of the reasons I love it, it’s still as flavorful and a good change from the usual pork based ones.
The menu is simple. You pick a ramen off a limited list. Wait for your order and ta-​da. Ramen. The noodles is one of the other reasons I keep coming back for more, it’s done very al-​dente and the noodles are like your «you mian», thinner strands.
The tamago are done to perfection. The yolk soft and savory. I usually have two. They are quite generous with their portions in my opinion. I normally go with the spicy version.
There are two other branches, one in Liang Court and the other in Suntec City. Do check them out if you want something different from your ramen.

My go-​to place when I want to have no-​frills, inexpensive ramen. They don’t have a wide variety of ramen (they only have four) but whatever they have on the menu is good. I’ve tried them all except for the Ebi Ramen and so far I haven’t been disappointed. My personal favourite though is the good ol’ spicy ramen. Though not as spicy as I would like it to be, it’s enough to satisfy my ramen cravings. For all their ramen dishes, you can choose whether you want it spicy or not.
I haven’t tried most of their side dishes but the gyoza is really nice so you might want to get that as a side dish to share. They also have free flow of water on each table which is a very good thing for someone like me who needs to drink a lot of water with her food.
Overall, this is a worthy place to check out if you want fast and good tasting food without the frills (and price tag) of a full-​fledged Japanese restaurant.

I’m really going to say «meh» to this one.
Tasty chasyu and egg, and the noodles certainly have enough bite (because they ask for done-​ness?), but the soup? That’s the big «meh». It’s a chicken-​based broth instead of the richer tonkotsu version, and perhaps that’s why I’m not as wowed. It kinda feels like a little flavour is lacking.
One of the interest broth choices had nuts though; called the Aka-​men, it’s got seven kinds of nuts crushed and added into the stock, so there’s that hint of nuttiness, but that’s kinda it.
Sorry folks, it’s one in a laundry list of stores I’d try once, and just once.