A-One Claypot House at the basement of Suntec City Mall has been recently replaced with a new ramen restaurant called Ichikokudo Ramen.
Whenever I think of Hokkaido ramen, the image that comes to mind is that of Sapporo ramen with its thick curly yellow noodles and miso-based broth.
Ichikokudo Hokkaido Ramen offers chicken broth ramen. Eat at Seven’s Menya Takeichi serves a really delicious chicken ramen, so I was left with a favorable impression of chicken ramen.
This is their signature Ichikokudo Ramen [$9.90]. The broth is made with chicken bones which are simmered for long hours, mixed with a blend of bonito, mackerel and unami (made from Hokkaido kelp). The broth is not as thick as its pork counterpart but just as rich and flavorful.
The noodles are made with a special blend of flour that includes Hokkaido wheat. This is supposed to male the noodles more textured and firm but I personally find the noodles a little soft.
Served with ajitsuke tamago (Japanese flavored egg), bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, chashu and aosa seaweed to evoke aroma of the Hokkaido sea.
Seafood lovers will like the Hokkaido Clams Ramen [$14.90] where the sweetness of the clams and the richness of Hokkaido butter gives this ramen a nice touch. Some of the clams are not cleaned thoroughly enough, there may still be sand in the clams so do be careful.
Ichikokudo Ramen comes in many variations such as Ichi-Smoked Duck Ramen [$12.90], Ichi-Beef Ramen [$12.90], Ichi-Hokkai Veggies Ramen [$11.90], Ichi-Garlic Ramen [11.90] and Ichi-Ramen Gifts From The Sea [$18.90].
There are also broths that combines the ichikokudo chicken broth with daichi tomato, hokkai jigoku (spicy miso), hokkai seafood and Shoyu Ramen.
Besides ramen, Ichikokudo Hokkaido Ramen also offers donburi karaage and donburi toji sets such as this Special Tartar Sauce Karaage Don [$10.90] pictured above. I find the karaage a tad salty but it is a satisfying meal all in all.
Hokkaido Butter Clams [$6.90] are only lukewarm by the time it reaches my table. The addition of the Hokkaido butter gives the clams a richness that sets it apart from other clam dishes.
Although gyoza is not Ichikokudo Hokkaido Hokkaido Ramen’s specialty, this Ichikokudo Grilled Gyoza [$6.90] is not bad at all. The pork filling inside is moist and tender while the skin is grilled till slightly charred.
I must say that they are pretty generous with the number of slices of salmon given for the Salmon Sashimi [$7.90]. It’s not the best type of salmon, but it will do for a quick craving fix.
Big Ebi Fry [$5.90] gives you three pieces of perfectly-fried prawn tempuras served with tartar sauce and a wedge of lemon. The prawns are not as “big” as advertised on the menu, they are medium-sized prawns at most. Well, at least the prawns are fresh.
Ichikokudo Hokkaido Ramen’s menu is a little lacking in the desserts section. There is only Hokkaido Milk Ice Cream [$2.90] with three flavors: vanilla, strawberry and matcha. I know that Hokkaido is known for its milk and all, but it would have been nice to have more variety of deserts to choose from. That being said, the ice-cream is indeed silky-smooth and very rich.
Ichikokudo Hokkaido Ramen is a great ramen joint to try out if you are sick of the thick tonkotsu broth but still want a good bowl of ramen. Although the food may not be top-notch, but there is a fair bit of variety to cater to most patrons.
The best part about Ichikoukudo Hokkaido Ramen is that it is halal-certified! Muslim friends can dine here without worry.
Ichikokudo Hokkaido Ramen
Address: 3 Temasek Boulevard #B1-135 North Wing Singapore 038983
Telephone: 62730048
Opening Hours: Daily 11am – 3pm (last order 2.30pm); 5pm – 10pm (last order 9pm)
Career: hr@ichikokudo.com