Last year in November, Menbaka Fire Ramen brought the world’s first-ever fire ramen to Singapore, much to the delight of ramen lovers like yours truly.
The dish gets its name from its over-the-top preparation methods, where chefs ignite negi oil to the point of flames to create a tall fire before pouring it over their signature broth topped with green onions. The result is a rich broth with a distinctive smoky taste.
To cater to their Singaporean fans, Menbaka Fire Ramen has recently added two new menu items – the Kare Miso Fire Ramen (Spicy) priced at $19.90 a bowl and an In-house Chasu Croquette priced at $5.90 for 3 pieces.
The former is a Singapore-exclusive dish, born out of Singapore’s love for spicy food. The ramen broth consists of chicken and soy bean brewed over several hours, served with Kara Miso (a spicy version of the traditional Miso).
The latter is a simple side dish, with each ball packed with ingredients and infused with Menbaka’s signature chashu. It is accompanied with a wasabi mayonnaise dipping sauce and goes well as a side to complement your ramen.
This is my first time dining at Menbaka Fire Ramen and I have to admit, the showmanship put up by the chef is worth more than the price of a bowl of ramen.
After ordering your Fire Ramen (we tried both the Signature Shoyu Fire Ramen and the new Kare Miso Fire Ramen), you will be asked to wait at their table for your turn to be called. Thereafter, you head over to the open kitchen bar when it is your turn for your ramen to be prepared and served.
You will be asked to sit as close to the counter top as possible so you can feel the full intensity of the heat. The ramen chef will offer to snap photos or videos on your mobile phone for you while you are watching the ‘show’, mounting it on one of the the many selfie sticks perched strategically behind the chefs to get the best angles. Everything is well thought through and seamless to ensure the best customer experience.
I found it to be fun and was frankly, quite shock at how hot it was when the flame came close to me. Right after the experience, you will be ushered back to your table, whereby your ramen will be served to you.
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After trying both their signature Shoyu Fire Ramen and the new Kare Miso Fire Ramen in the same session, I would highly recommend the former for first-time diners at Menbaka as it best presents the smokiness in the rich broth. For the latter, the spicy miso, it is literally fire on fire, with the spicy flavour of the miso competing with the smoky flavour for the attention of your taste bud.
For repeat customers, the new ramen would be a nice alternative from the usual, with stronger, richer flavours.
For drinks, we tried their iced Matcha Latte ($8.90) which came in real handy to cool down, after we were overwhelmed by the heat from the chef’s performance. Another signature drink worth trying is their signature Kyoto Match Beer ($12).
Menbaka Fire Ramen has just one outlet in Singapore at the moment, but it has a long history in Japanese. The original Menbaka Fire Ramen was first opened in Kyoto in 1984 by ramen master Masamichi Miyazawa, who spent his youth learning the intricacies of ramen making in kitchens across Japan. He later introduced Menbaka’s signature fire ramen to the menu, becoming the first ramen-ya in the world to do so. Today, Menbaka Fire Ramen is helmed by master Miyazawa’s son, Shin Miyazawa.
Menbaka Fire Ramen
Address: 8 Grange Road, Cineleisure Orchard, #05-03, Singapore 239695
Operating Hours:
12pm to 3pm; 5pm to 9pm (Mon to Thurs)
11.30am to 3.30pm; 4.30pm to 10pm (Fri and Sat)
11.30am to 3.30pm; 4.30pm to 9pm (Sun)
Email: [email protected]
