The Place I vividly recall queuing more than an hour at Nakiryu in Tokyo few years ago and am very excited that the famous Japan One Michelin Star ramen joint has finally landed in Singapore. Nakiryu Singapore is located at level two of Plaza Singapura along Orchard Road. Nakiryu has obtained its one-star Michelin award for 7 years in a row since 2017. 

The Plaza Singapura space is definitely much more spacious than the Tokyo outlet I visited previously, where you can expect comfortable banquette seats as well as counter seats. 

The Food Chef Kazumasa Saito is the chef-owner behind Nakiryu in Japan and one of his signature dishes is the Tan Tan Men ($15.90) which is the dish which got Nakiryu their Michelin Star. 

In terms of quality control, Chef Kazumasa Saito is personally in Singapore during the opening period, and have trained the current team of chefs at the Singapore branch to ensure consistency. Regardless of which ramen you choose, the ramen broth is prepared with some standard ingredients such as chicken, pork, beef and fresh oyster, and is boiled for more than 9 hours! 

I highly recommend the Tan Tan Men ramen option if it is your first time at Nakiryu, where the Tan Tan Men spots a creamy texture and mildly spicy flavour, and is topped with minced meat and scallions. 

The texture of the noodles itself is firm and al dente enough for me, where the broth is surprisingly not too cloying for me as it spots a pleasant peanut sauce element as well. 

Other than the Tan Tan Men, there are also options like the Shoyu Ramen (S$14.90), Shio Ramen (S$14.90), and Hot and Sour Soup Ramen (S$15.90). 

The Shoyu Ramen is an alternative if you prefer something lighter than Tan Tan Men or the Hot and Sour Soup Ramen. I like that the shoyu broth is naturally sweet, which makes it very pleasant to sip. 

As compared to the Tan Tan Men, the Hot and Sour Soup Ramen option is a unique take on a popular Sichuan dish called Hot and Spicy Soup (酸辣汤). It looks and sounds spicy, though the spiciness level is very mild even for someone like me who do not take spice very well.

The broth is more appetising to sip as compared to the Tan Tan Men for me. Perhaps it would taste better if the spiciness level is stepped up further, probably allowing diners to choose the spicy level might be a good option to have.

For sides, there is a variety to choose from including their signature sides such as Te-Ba Gyoza (S$8.90), Fried Chicken (S$7.90), Prawn Wonton Spicy Garlic Sauce (S$8.90) and Yodare Dori (S$5.90/80g).

The most interesting of the lot for me is the Fried Chicken which is coated with crispy puff rice. 

Many of these signature sides are Sichuan-inspired as we learnt that Chef Kazumasa Saito had worked in Hong Kong in early 2010s, and have definitely picked up a liking for the Chinese cuisine.

Rants Be expected to queue as no reservations are taken currently. 

Will I Return Again? I am happy that Nakiryu is finally in Singapore which adds to our already buzzing ramen scene, especially one which has a Michelin accolade similar to Konjiki Hototogisu Singapore. This is one ramen worth trying, especially if you also love Sichuan flavours which you can find in Nakiryu ramen. 

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 3.5/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

Nakiryu 
68 Orchard Road, Plaza Singapura 
#02-35 
Singapore 238839 

Opening Hours
Monday to Sunday: 11:30am to 2:30pm; 5:30pm to 9:30pm

Ranted by The Ranter