WHAT WE ATE
- Signature Tonkotsu Ramen, 60/100 (25 Sep 2025, Chinatown Complex)
Tucked within Chinatown Complex Food Centre, Uma Haus is a recent addition to Singapore’s hawker ramen landscape, having opened in mid-2025. The stall sets itself apart by keeping its bowls affordably priced under the ten-dollar mark, while also offering a mix of ramen, donburi, and tendon that broadens its Japanese comfort-food appeal.
Founded by operators with hands-on experience across hawker kitchens and casual Japanese eateries, Uma Haus carries an unpretentious confidence — built on craft rather than showmanship. It’s also notable for being female-run, a rarity in Singapore’s ramen circles. In this review, I’ll take a closer look at how that background translates into the bowl itself.
Signature Tonkotsu Ramen: 60/100
Noodle: 15/35
The noodles arrive pale yellow, semi-translucent, and medium-thin with a slight waviness. They have chew but fall short of the springiness that defines a lively slurp. On the palate, the borderline doughy texture pulls the experience down — the noodles don’t quite rebound as they should. Flavour-wise, there’s a faint nuttiness from the wheat, and if you linger long enough, a whisper of alkaline peeks through, though it’s not assertive.
Soup: 20/35
The broth opens salty and savoury, but the first sip already feels somewhat thin. The body is milky, yet leans heavily on soy milk, which dominates rather than supports the tonkotsu base. As it tapers off, a subtle sweetness remains — part pork bone, part soy. Unfortunately, the overall layering is flat; complexity is missing. The alkaline notes from the noodles bleed into the soup, further muting what could have been a rounder depth.
Meat: 20/20
The chashu is the clear highlight. A small, medium-thin slice of pork belly proves how a well-handled cut can carry the bowl. The fat melts readily, coating the mouth with richness, while the lean meat holds together elegantly — not juicy, but never dry. Flavour builds with each chew, releasing savoury-sweet notes that linger far longer than the broth.
Other Toppings: 5/10
Negi sits limp and dry, offering no piquancy to lift the broth. Black fungus, instead of bringing crunch, is soft and soggy. The marinated egg, however, redeems the topping section slightly. Its texture is on point — yielding but not mushy — and the soak strikes a balance: flavourful enough to carry umami without being overly salty. It’s a reminder of how even a single well-executed element can shift the impression of a bowl.
Summary
This Signature Tonkotsu ramen sits in the middle ground — not disastrous, but not compelling either. The noodles lack the snap and springiness to hold their own, and the soup feels overly dependent on soy milk, leaving the flavour one-dimensional. The chashu, however, demonstrates clear craftsmanship, and the marinated egg is handled with restraint and balance. With sharper toppings, more resilient noodles, and a broth that builds on tonkotsu rather than leaning away from it, this bowl could rise from serviceable to satisfying. As it stands, the highlights are isolated rather than integrated, leaving the experience uneven.
DISCLAIMER
One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
Find out more about our palettes and how we evaluate our ramen here. 😉
