WHAT WE ATE
- Ajitama Toripaitan Ramen, 85/100 (08 Aug 2026, Millenia Walk)
- Toripaitan Shoyu Ramen, 85/100 (08 Aug 2026, Millenia Walk)
Torinosuke brought its signature Hiroshima-born chicken craft straight to Singapore’s central business district, setting up shop inside Millenia Walk. While much of the local ramen scene remains anchored in heavy pork-bone tonkotsu, this concept built its foundation on elevating poultry broth into a primary art form. Influenced by its original Hiroshima-style roots, the kitchen approaches chicken soup through extraction discipline, high-heat emulsification, and controlled salinity.
For Singaporean noodle enthusiasts exploring specialized regional broth styles, Torinosuke offers a focused look at Hiroshima-style chicken ramen architecture. Its presence in Millenia Walk provides an authentic taste of technical poultry-led ramen craft in the city.
What is Hiroshima-style Ramen?
A lazy description would be to call it a Shoyu-Tonkotsu or Shoyu-Chicken blend. But Hiroshima-style ramen is much more than that. It’s a local take on traditional Chuka-Soba (Chinese Noodles) with a controlled porkiness and a glistening, slightly oily sheen while maintaining the crisp, clean profile of a shoyu-base broth. Think of it as a light paitan, slightly cloudy and savory rather than heavy, opaque, and milky.
It’s also not to be confused with Onomichi-style ramen (also from Hiroshima Prefecture). Onomichi ramen features a deep soy sauce broth infused with Seto Inland Sea dried fish (niboshi) and chicken/pork stock, topped with floating chunks of pork back-fat (seabura).
Toripaitan Shoyu Ramen: 85/100
Noodle: 30/35
The noodles present a medium-thick, wavy geometry designed to trap fluid across its surface area. On the initial bite, they deliver a firm, snappy tensile resistance that carries a satisfying, slightly tactile mouthfeel where the exterior subtly clings to the teeth. The baseline wheat character is robust and clean, completely free of any acrid, unpleasant alkaline sharpness. While the initial chew and texture are great, the hydration profile causes the strands to absorb soup and bloat rapidly, demanding a swift pace to enjoy them at peak integrity.
Soup: 35/35
Though visually resembling a cloudy chintan, this broth operates with the thick, robust density of a full paitan at 8.1 brix (close to Tonkotsu richness). The head opens with a bright, clean sweetness that instantly lifts the initial sip. In the body, the profile broadens into an assertive savoury weight balanced by a subtle, cutting tang that prevents the heavy emulsion from clogging the palate. The tail finishes with a lingering, rich sweetness and an absolute umami blast, delivering a complex, multi-layered flavour progression from start to finish.
Meat: 15/20
The bowl features a trio of distinct poultry preparations that show varying degrees of execution:
- Chicken Fillet: A medium-thick, skinless cut of lean chicken breast. Texturally, it misses the mark, coming across firm, tough, and dry. While the light marination yields an acceptable baseline umami, the underlying texture compromises its delivery.
- Minced Chicken: A fine mince that acts as a textural contrast to the broth. Soft, tender, and juicy, it holds a savoury marination that adds a piquant, mouthwatering element to the bowl.
- Grilled Chicken Chashu: A thick slice of rolled chicken chashu that serves as the hero protein. The exterior features a precise aburi torching that imparts a gentle smokiness without overpowering the meat. The fat and skin render into a tender, jelly-like consistency that melts on the tongue, while the juicy interior displays a savoury-sweet shoyu profile that pairs seamlessly with the soup.
Other Toppings: 5/10
- Rocket leaves introduce a peppered, vegetal bite that attempts to cut through the broth’s collagen density.
- Nori provides a concentrated burst of oceanic umami once submerged into the hot soup base.
- Ajitama marinated egg presents an acceptable, soft-set texture with a balanced savoury-sweet profile.
Summary
This Ajitama Toripaitan Ramen is a broth-driven triumph that marries a deceptively light appearance with rich paitan depth, though its overall impact is slightly held back by inconsistent protein execution and fast-bloating noodles.
Toripaitan Shoyu Ramen: 85/100
Noodle: 30/35
The noodles arrive as medium-thick, wavy strands engineered with a firm, snappy bite. The exterior exhibits a tactile stickiness that clings subtly to the teeth before yielding to a clean, resistant chew. Flavour-wise, the profile is grain-forward, delivering a robust wheat taste without any unpleasant alkaline sharpness. While the initial mouthfeel and structural tension are exceptionally engaging, the strands absorb liquid rapidly and soften quickly; prompt eating is essential to appreciate their full elasticity.
Soup: 35/35
The opening notes reveal a shimmering, glistening layer of chicken oil on the surface, delivering an immediate wave of bright, refreshing shoyu sweetness. As the soup transitions into the body, it broadens into a rich, full-bodied, and deeply satisfying savoury core where the umami of the soy sauce harmoniously merges with the weight of the chicken-dashi broth. The tail leaves a lingering, aromatic finish of roasted shoyu and chicken fat that stays on the palate without coating it excessively. This clean exit allows for continuous sipping without inducing palate fatigue, making for an exceptionally well-calibrated bowl. At 6.8 brix, it is not your light-weight Shoyu for sure.
Meat: 15/20
The protein components present a study in contrasts across three distinct chicken preparations:
- The chicken fillet slice is medium-thick and lean, but its execution is notably flawed; the texture is dry, firm, and tough, offering little beyond a basic, lightly marinated umami profile.
- The minced chicken functions with far greater success, yielding a soft, fluffy, and tender bite infused with a deeply savoury marination that adds welcome moisture.
- The standout hero is the rolled chicken chashu slice. Finished with a precise aburi torching on the exterior, it boasts a gelatinous, melt-in-the-mouth skin and tender, juicy meat. The savoury-sweet seasoning and subtle smoky char integrate seamlessly with the shoyu base without overpowering it.
Other Toppings: 5/10
- Rocket leaves contribute a fresh, pepper-forward bite that cuts through the soup’s lipid density.
- Nori delivers an immediate, saline umami boost that deepens the broth’s oceanic undertones when submerged.
Summary
The Toripaitan Shoyu Ramen is a dynamically layered bowl defined by its impressive soup architecture and stellar chicken chashu, though its overall execution is slightly held back by a dry chicken fillet and fast-softening noodles.
DISCLAIMER
One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
Find out more about our palettes and how we evaluate our ramen here. 😉
