WHAT WE ATE
- Slow-cooked oyster broth (koeru), 95/100 (18 Apr 2025, West Gate)
Tucked away in the basement of Westgate Mall, Next Shikaku brings a bold and unexpected twist to Singapore’s ramen scene. Hailing from Osaka, this ramen concept is all about oysters – from rich, umami-packed broths to lighter, clear soups and even tsukemen. But it’s not just the menu that stands out. The space is a full sensory experience, with digital projections and moody lighting that make slurping noodles here feel a little more like stepping into a sci-fi anime. If you’re looking for ramen that’s a bit out of the ordinary, this spot deserves a place on your radar.
Slow-cooked Oyster Broth (Koeru): 95/100
Noodle: 30/35
Medium-thick, wavy, and slightly flat – these noodles have a firm, chewy, tacky bite that clings satisfyingly to your teeth. The earthy wheat flavour is also nicely pronounced.
Apparently, these are hand-kneaded, low-hydration noodles. Which is curious, because low hydration dough is usually hard to knead by hand – Hakata-style dough, for example, is so dry it needs machines. So either they found some technique magic here, or it’s low hydration relative to other hand-kneaded noodles. Would love to get behind the scenes and figure that out one day.
Soup: 35/35
Absolute flavour bomb. It starts off with a strong bonito hit, followed by this rich, creamy, umami-heavy body that carries both savoury and sweet notes. The sweetness is really layered too – kind of nutty and slightly chocolatey? There’s a thick, lip-smacking consistency to the broth that makes it super satisfying with every sip.
Meat: 20/20
Two stars here: the pork chashu and the oyster.
- The chashu is a thick-cut slice with both lean and fatty sections. The lean part is juicy and firm, the fatty part ranges from jelly-like to fully melt-in-your-mouth. It’s lightly seasoned, which lets the pork flavour come through.
- The oyster is wild. It’s like a soft, oceanic cake that just melts away in your mouth, releasing this briny umami sweetness. Makes you want to crush it right into the soup to amp everything up.
Topping: 10/10
Simple toppings, but so well-executed that they hit full marks.
- The small diced onions are everywhere – in a good way. Every spoonful of soup comes with tiny bursts of sharp, piquant brightness that kind of resets your palate for the next round.
- The bamboo shoots are sliced thin, slightly tangy, savoury and still retain some crunch. A couple fibrous bits but nothing deal-breaking.
- A slice of lime adds a subtle acidity to round things out.
Summary
This is an unapologetically bold bowl built around depth and weight. The oyster broth is dense, umami-heavy, and richly layered, with a sweetness that feels developed rather than sugary. The noodles hold their own with a firm, tacky chew that grips the soup well, even if they lack the refinement of Enishi’s very best noodle executions. Both proteins shine. The chashu is technically sound and expressive, while the oyster is the true differentiator, adding a briny, almost decadent dimension that defines the bowl. Simple toppings are deployed with precision, sharpening and resetting the palate just enough to keep each mouthful compelling.
DISCLAIMER
One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
Find out more about our palettes and how we evaluate our ramen here. 😉
