Considering how ubiquitous ramen has become in Singapore, it’s no surprise that some restaurants are to switching things up to set themselves apart from the rest.
Hawker heroes A Noodle Story, for example, add special ingredients like wanton to their recipe, while the folks at Ramen Champion have turned their chefs into bona fide celebrities.
Probably the most memorable ramen we’ve seen in recent memory, however, is En Sushi’s Beer Ramen.
Not As Crazy As It Sounds
Located in a discreet corner along Prinsep Street, En Sushi is a cozy Japanese restaurant that’s probably best known for their affordable Bara Chirashi Dons.
The new hotness on their menu, however, is the aforementioned Beer Ramen, which — as its name suggests — serves the Japanese noodles in a mug and employs other forms of visual trickery to make the dish look like an ice-cold pint.
The “beer” for example, actually consists of the restaurant’s in-house broth, while the “foam” is made out of egg whites.
Thankfully, aesthetics are where the similarities end, but the dish still has one more trick up its sleeve.
While ramen is more often than not a warm dish, this rendition is served cold, making it feel more like soba than ramen.
The taste is very soba-esque as well, with the broth giving off a strong umami flavour and sweet aftertaste.
According to provided “instructions”, you can chug the ramen like an actual beer, or use chopsticks and imagine that you’re eating out of a very narrow bowl.
For $22.90, you’ll get one mug of noodles, along with an assortment of fried dishes (Tori Karaage, Kaisen Tofu, and Kakiage Tempura) and Tsukenomo (Japanese Pickles).
You’re supposed to dip the fried dishes in the broth, but they’re tasty enough to be eaten on their own too.
Not A One-Trick Pony
While Beer Ramen is definitely something you should try at least once, you shouldn’t sleep on the rest of En Sushi’s menu either.
The Pitan Tofu ($4.90), for example, is something I wish I had discovered earlier in my life. The strong taste of century egg creates a perfect balance with the lighter tofu, and is a great way to kick off your meal.
Seafood lovers, on the other hand, can opt for the Hotate Mentai Aburi ($13.90) as an appetiser as well — while these thin slices of scallop might not look like much, they’re actually packing a decent amount of sweet (the scallop) and savoury (the mentaiko), and the inclusion of fish roe means that it’s quite literally bursting with flavour.
No Japanese restaurant is complete without some sushi, and the Salmon Aburi Mentai Maki ($15.90) certainly does not disappoint. Drizzled with a very generous amount of mentaiko and fish roe, you might not even need soy sauce for this one.
And finally on the dessert side of things, the Tofu Cheesecake ($8.90) is a light-but-flavourful way to end off your meal. It isn’t available just yet, but you should order it when it to the menu soon.
Whether you’re going for the Bara Chirashi Don or the culinary anomaly that is Beer Ramen, En Sushi ticks all our boxes for a good Japanese meal.
The Beer Ramen might not sit too well with those looking for a more “traditional” ramen experience, but even without that there’s more than enough here to warrant a visit.
En Sushi
Address: Income@Prinsep: 30 Prinsep Street #01-02, Singapore 188647
Opening Hours: 11:30am-3pm, 5:30pm-10pm
Also Read This Hawker Stall In Bedok Run By 3 Young Dudes Serves Ume-Zing Japanese Fusion Food For Under $7
(Header Image Source: Discover SG)
