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.
DISCLAIMER
One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
Find out more about our palettes and how we evaluate our ramen here. 😉
