Sometimes, things deserve a second chance - Marutama Ramen (Liang Court)

I have to admit, I am someone who has no patience when it comes to queuing for food. Especially when I am hungry.

This was probably why I swore off Marutama Ramen when I first tried it years ago. Back then, it saw very long queues at its The Central outlet and I was invited to go along and check it out. I think the long queuing time affected me to a certain extent so my expectations were heightened at the same time as I expected something good enough to justify the time investment. Unfortunately, what I tasted then was really not to my satisfaction. It could also be partly due to the fact that during that era, most of the pioneer entrants in the ramen market here were featuring tonkotsu-based soups which was comparatively richer than the chicken-based soup from Marutama so I wasn't used to the difference in taste. Since then, I didn't go back to Marutama anymore.

What made me decide to give it a second chance this time was yet again hunger. This time, I wanted something filling and yet not as rich as the usual tonkotsu-based ramen. I deliberated for a while and was about to give up when I saw the less-than-flattering pictures of the food outside the restaurant. Surely, something can be done to make the pictures a bit more appetising, clearer and brighter to entice the customers? Then again, I was too tired and hungry to search further and decided to give it a try, the first time after so many years.

To my surprise, the standard Marutama Ramen was satisfying in many regards. The soup was rich and flavourful but not overwhelming. There was also a lot of spring onions which I liked and the seaweed soaked up the flavours of the broth which I attribute to the fact that it was already shredded into pieces compared to many other versions where the seaweed came in its original form of sheets. Not a bad idea after all. The noodles were springy and went well with the broth but the chashu was oilier than I liked. For a price of $13, I thought that the portion and quality was well worth every dollar.

Gyoza is usually a standard accompaniment to my ramen so it was natural for me to do the same this time. Unfortunately, the pan-fried gyoza was not so satisfying because the skin should be crispier. The filling also needs to be more flavourful. Next time, I'll have to try the water boiled version and see if it will be any better.

Besides the food, there is something about this branch of Marutama which had helped to make the dining experience more pleasant. The nice BGM blend of Japanese enka and old Japanese songs gives a nostalgic feel amidst the wooden-based decor. It was a surprise to hear Takeuchi Mariya's "Camouflage" for the first time in years. Honestly, there are times when I dine at Japanese restaurants but the BGM can be quite jarring on the ears e.g. they play song covers not by the original singers or the music is so noisy that it makes it difficult to hold decent conversations. A small thing like BGM may seem insignificant but it is actually important in enhancing the dining atmosphere.

Frankly speaking, there are very few instances when I actually give something a second chance like this. Maybe it's because people tend to be unwilling to change their views of things once they have developed a negative first impression. Other than having a largely satisfying meal, I guess this episode has reminded me that there are times when I need to give things another try. It may jolly well turn out to be better than expected and open up new options which I had previously ruled out.