Ramen Kagetsu Arashi, a famous ramen restaurant chain in Japan, comes to Singapore with its tonkotsu-based ramen amid the competitive ramen landscape here. The Tampines 1 branch was opened fairly recently (I think there's another branch at Star Vista but I'm not sure which came first) so I headed there to try it out as I needed to find something quickly to satisfy my hunger. It was a weekday afternoon when we headed there and the place was about 40% full despite it being past 3pm. There were a number of people who were checking out the food display but luckily, there wasn't a need to queue for seats. However, what happened next left us bewildered and slightly annoyed because the staff who came to attend to us insisted that we join the "queue" which was actually a line they created at the other side of the corridor. If there was a logical reason for us to do that, we wouldn't have been so affected by this request but the staff didn't explain things to us and simply made us stand in the queue with more than ample seats in the restaurant and other staff members standing around inside. I think they really need to do something about this practice of making people stand in a non-existent queue or at least tell the customer why they don't want people hanging around at the entrance while waiting to be shown to the table.
After a couple of minutes, we finally got directed to a table where we could look at the menu in detail. The soup base on offer here is tonkotsu-based but there are some variations here to suit different taste buds. Whenever I visit a new ramen place, I tend to get the standard offering which I think should best reflect the quality of the food without any frills such as chilli or other strong flavourings to overpower the original taste. As such, we ordered the Genkotsu ramen along with sides such as corn, gyoza and tonkatsu. As with most "authentic" ramen specialty restaurants, the side dishes tend to be the usual few e.g. gyoza, karaage, ebi-fry but there are a few unusual ones like buta moyashi, potato fry and butameshi. I wouldn't say that Ramen Kagetsu Arashi has a wide selection but it certainly isn't of the other extreme like Keisuke which focuses solely on its ramen. Not that I mind Keisuke's approach though because being too ambitious with many items on the menu can backfire at times. Being a Jack of all trades and a Master at none is certainly not good for the business anyway.
Frankly speaking, I'm not too sure how I should describe Kagetsu Arashi's ramen. Not because it's good to the extent of beyond words but rather, I find that it's rather disappointing. This was the first time I couldn't smell the aroma of the ramen soup when it was presented to me. I tried to sniff at the bowl at a close distance but still couldn't pick up any scent. Seeing the oil floating on the surface of the soup coupled with no aroma to stimulate my sense of smell, I was naturally apprehensive about actually tasting the soup. Although it's said that the soup is tonkotsu-based, I couldn't taste anything which suggests so. It could be that the garlic taste and smell were too overpowering that it completely blocked out the original taste. I'm not sure if the version in Japan is like what I had but if this had been a deliberate modification of the original formula just to suit "local tastes", I have to say that it didn't go down well with me.
As for the chashu, I think it was a bit too oily for me and because it was too thinly sliced, I thought I tasted more oil than meat with each bite. In addition, the meat was slightly bland which seemed to indicate that it either wasn't marinated properly or didn't absorb the soup's flavour readily. If it had been marinated well, I think the chashu could have been tasty on its own even if it was a mismatch with the soup.
Last but not least, the noodles' texture tasted a bit uneven because each mouthful gave me different opinions on whether the noodles could be considered good. Sometimes, it felt just right but sometime it felt a bit overdone. It took a fair bit of time before the ramen was served to me (weird that this had been the case, considering that it wasn't crowded during my visit) so I wonder if there had been any delay in the serving time that resulted in this inconsistency in taste.
Considering that this is a ramen place, I didn't really have high expectations of the tonkatsu but still, this was quite disappointing. I wouldn't say that this is really bad but somehow, the meat tasted overcooked and rather dry to me which was a real shame. The sauce didn't do much to enhance the taste of this dish too. And this is why I say that ramen places actually don't need to be too ambitious in serving a variety of items and should focus on getting their signature items correct. Although I complain about the lack of side dishes in places like Keisuke, I'm still content with what they dish out to me because they focus on perfecting their bowl of ramen than get sidetracked by other things. Perhaps this is what Kagetsu Arashi should try to do before introducing new items to the menu?
Surprisingly, despite my grouses about various aspects of Kagetsu Arashi, the gyoza turned out to be OK. At the very least, it didn't put me off as much as the other dishes but still, this had a very distinct garlic taste just like the ramen. I usually order gyoza when I have ramen but there are not that many places which does gyoza well. I find this version acceptable but there is definitely more room for improvement.
On the whole, my experience with Kagetsu Arashi wasn't exactly that satisfying due to various reasons but I do realise that it is a relatively new shop and of course, has its teething problems especially with regard to service or food quality. It can also be that its distinct taste doesn't go down well with me but for people who like it, they may become passionate fans of this place. Going by the fact that I see queues outside here every now and then when I walk past, I think there are people who like what Kagetsu Arashi is dishing out. Don't let my views stop you from trying this place and no matter which camp you are in (like or dislike), please do share your comments with me. Who knows, you may just convince me to give this a second try anytime soon! ^__^
