Dinner at Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen Restaurant (豚骨火山)

10 Sinaran Drive #02-68 / 69 Novena Square 2, Singapore 307506

Tel: 6397 6636

Wanting something soupy for dinner that night, The Beau and I headed for ramen, since the "volcano ramen" concept seemed interesting, and this was one of the restaurants at Novena Square 2 that was not crowded on a Saturday evening.

It was a small and non-discreet little Japanese restaurant with rather friendly and jovial service crew. The setting was simple but richly infused with authentic Japanese decor.

The ceiling (which I discovered by accident) was a masterpiece of its own, filled with photographs of vintage movie / music stars.

The condiments on the table were interesting as well, though I'd only touched the chilli flakes (yes, flakes and not powder).

I had wanted to try this "volcano" style of dining, but we ended up ordering stuff that did not come with the "self cooking" feature. It looked fun though.

To start off, I had a glass of Umeshu (SGD$6.00) - sweet and soothing, though I'd always prefer the stronger Choya if there is one on the menu (oh, and the plum).

For appetizer, we shared a plate of Karaage (SGD$5.00) - Japanese fried chicken. It was dry and crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside without fatty meat. I liked it immensely for the latter alone, and it was not greasy. The Beau thought it was a tad too salty though - I didn't think so, but that I'd only had one piece.

For mains, I had the Chashyu Karamiso Ramen (SGD$15.00) with kimchi and flavored egg.  It was supposed to be spicy, but it wasn't, though the soup was tasty. I don't get why we were given three halves of the flavored egg, but anyway eaten with the spicy kimchi, it was good. The pork slices were tender, firm and thick - very lovely to chew. The noodles looked springy / hard but were actually rather soft - I would prefer the doneness a little more taut.

The Beau had the Hot Stone Curry Fried Rice (SGD$7.00) - which he had to constantly stir so the rice would not stick to the pot. The rice was rather crispy, and the curry was good - the taste was distinctive without being overly spicy. The pork slices on top of the fried rice were rather tender as well. The portion was just nice, making it a rather fulfilling meal.