One word: intense. That’s what we’d use to describe the ramen at Ramen Keisuke Lobster King, who are introducing the first-ever lobster stock ramen to our local tastebuds. It’s also a word that’s apt for the expansion of the Keisuke group, now at its 10th outlet, as chef Keisuke Takeda’s always looking out for new ways to surprise us.
Now, his knack for creative takes on traditional ramen dining takes inspiration from French cuisine, more specifically, the lobster bisque — which then translates to the rich broth we tried at the restaurant. In total, there are four different kinds of lobster broth ramen you can hit up at the diner. What’s even smarter is that the 62-seater outlet, located at the heart of Clarke Quay’s nightspots, is open till late at night, from 6pm till 5am, just in case you need a hearty meal before or after you’ve downed a drink (or ten).
Here’s what we tried.
1. Lobster Broth Ramen with Clear Soup, $13.90
At first bite, you’ll be hit with an intense seafood aroma, more satisfying and addictive than your regular ramen broth. It’s worth noting that to get that flavour, the chef uses French rock lobsters specially imported from France, whose shells are first pan-fried, crushed into fine bits, then simmered for at least 6 hours with a special blend of herbs. We’d say that it’s worth all that effort because the taste is distinct — and as full as we were, we can’t help but scarf down the entire bowl of springy noodles and soup. If you’re a greedy but lighter eater, the clear soup is a good option because the flavour’s all intact, but doesn’t fill you up as fast. Plus, the chef gets it right with a nice balance of flavours, the spectrum of rich, sweet, salty and light.
2. Lobster Broth Ramen with Rich Creamy Soup, $14.90
You get the feeling that you’re slurping down lobster bisque with this one — it’s definitely richer and creamier, as its name suggests, and requires an additional 4-6 hours of brewing in the kitchen. All this culminates in a soup that’s packing with flavour, but tends to be slightly too filling halfway into the meal. Go at this if you’re hungry though, and you’d be superbly pleased. Like all the other ramen bowls, this comes with tender pork belly and chicken char siew and crunchy bamboo shoots, though you can customise your own by adding seaweed or more pork belly slices.
3. Stir-Fried Mushrooms with Garlic Butter, $8.80
Yeah, we could have gone with more enticing side dish options like the gyozas (which seemed to be really popular at most of the tables), but we thought of ordering a lighter something instead. Don’t worry though, this doesn’t skimp on taste. The mushrooms were prepared nice and warm, with a garlic butter sauce that we heard had a little bit of lard in it, and was so delicious that we’d have this over plain rice.
4. The other options — Miso Lobster Broth Ramen, $14.90; Spicy Miso Lobster Broth Ramen
Ramen Keisuke Lobster King
Clarke Quay – 3C River Valley Road #01-07, The Cannery, Singapore 179022
Tel: 6255 2928
Opening Hours: 6pm – 5am (last order 4:30am)
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