WHAT WE ATE
- Shoyu ramen, 60/100 (23 Nov 2025, Toa Payoh)
Ichizen SG Singapore sits quietly in a Toa Payoh kopitiam, but the menu reads more like a compact Japanese diner than a typical coffee shop stall. Tucked inside Sing Hiap Huat Coffee Shop at Blk 19 Lorong 7 Toa Payoh, this one-stall operation turns out tendon, ramen, gyudon and other Japanese comfort dishes from a tiny open kitchen, with bowls regularly popping up on local foodie groups and Instagram feeds.
Run by a bandana-clad “ojisan” chef who previously helmed Ichizen at SAFRA Mount Faber before shifting into the heartlands, the stall has slowly built a following for its tempura tendon and ramen line-up, including a spicy miso variant and beef bowls. If you’re hunting for Japanese ramen in Toa Payoh or a tendon fix without heading into town, Ichizen SG is one of those places where heartland kopitiam energy meets focused, single-stall Japanese cooking—you’ll just have to slurp through the details in the review.
Shoyu Ramen: 60/100
Noodle: 20/35
The noodles arrive as medium thin, rounded strands with a bright yellow hue. They land a touch soft, missing that crisp spring one hopes for in a shoyu bowl. The chew is present but not assertive. Flavour-wise, the wheat notes are faint and the strands act more as a vessel to hold the broth rather than a character of their own. They soak up the shoyu cleanly and, fortunately, the alkaline edge stays restrained. Still, the noodles do little to lift the entire bowl and feel more functional than inspiring.
Soup: 25/35
The broth opens with a very faint shoyu presence and a whisper of sweetness right at the top. The mid-palate settles into a light savoury sweet body that keeps things measured without tipping into heaviness. The finish is tidy, carrying a trace of shoyu bitterness that gives the broth a mildly austere edge. At first sip, it feels almost too timid, the flavours fleeting enough to raise concern. But it grows on you. With each mouthful, the quiet comfort starts to surface. This is a broth that does not impress upfront but reveals itself slowly, soft in its approach and patient in how it unfolds.
Meat: 10/20
A medium thick slice with a mostly lean cut, the chashu leans tough and a little dry, suggesting it sat slightly too long in the heat. The fattier sections turn chewy rather than silky. The seasoning is extremely light, allowing a porky note to dominate. While the flavour could use deeper intention, the portion is surprisingly generous for a hawker setting and gives the bowl a sense of completeness even if the execution is uneven.
Other Toppings: 5/10
Together, the toppings play supporting roles that neither distract nor particularly elevate, rounding off the bowl in a serviceable, familiar way.
- The black fungus is tender, veering soft but still pleasant.
- The konbu has a muted brininess that sits politely in the background.
- Sweet corn adds a small pop of freshness and works because the portion is restrained.
- Fresh negi cuts through with a clean sharpness that helps wake up the broth.
- The marinated egg lands with the correct texture but the marinade sits just a little too thin, offering aroma without full depth.
Summary
This bowl of shoyu ramen leans gentle rather than assertive, built around a broth that reveals its charm slowly instead of announcing itself upfront. The noodles behave more as a carrier than a contributor, and the chashu, while generously portioned, falls short in tenderness and depth. The supporting toppings offer small hits of freshness and texture but stop short of lifting the bowl into something more defined. Overall, it is a serviceable, quietly comforting hawker take on shoyu ramen that shows restraint across all elements, though it leaves room for more clarity, character and technique.
DISCLAIMER
One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
Find out more about our palettes and how we evaluate our ramen here. 😉
