WHAT WE ATE
- Tomato Paitan (Seasonal Special), 95/100 (15 Mar 2025, Hong Kong Street)
- Shio Tori Paitan, 80/100 (15 Mar 2025, Hong Kong Street)
Raakki Ramen Bar is a hidden gem tucked away on Hongkong Street, offering a modern twist on classic ramen. Specializing in slow-boiled chicken broth, this sleek and cozy spot delivers rich, flavorful bowls that stand out in Singapore’s competitive ramen scene. With a rotating selection of seasonal specials and a menu featuring shio, shoyu, and creative variations, Raakki Ramen Bar is a great find for those looking to explore a fresh take on ramen in an intimate, stylish setting.
TOMATO PAITAN (SEASONAL SPECIAL): 95/100
Noodle: 35/35
The noodles are medium-thick, curly, and have a muted yellow hue. Served al dente, they have a firm texture with a bite that falls somewhere between snappy and doughy, but in a pleasantly satisfying way. There’s no pronounced alkaline taste, allowing the subtle earthy wheat flavor to come through. The wavy texture pairs exceptionally well with the bisque-like soup, drawing in just the right amount with each slurp. Even after sitting in the hot broth for some time, the noodles maintain their firmness remarkably well.
Soup: 35/35
The tomato-based soup is thick, rich, and has a bisque-like consistency. It starts with a mild sourish tang, followed by a mellow savory body, and finishes with a pleasant fruity sweetness from the tomatoes. As it cools, the consistency thickens further, resembling a tomato purée. Despite its intense flavor—measuring above 15 brix on a refractometer—it leaves a crisp and clean aftertaste. This is easily the best tomato-based ramen soup I’ve had in Singapore.
Meat: 15/20
The chicken slices are generous in portion. Lean yet firm, they remain tender and slightly juicy. The light marination allows the natural chicken flavor to stand out, making it a good complement to the soup. However, while a solid addition, the chicken doesn’t make a significant impact against the soup’s bold flavors. Perhaps a different preparation, like shredded chicken, could have allowed it to soak up more of the broth’s richness.
Topping: 10/10
The soup is layered with a variety of toppings that add both texture and depth:
- Bamboo shoots are soft and tender, with a savory-sour taste that stands out nicely.
- Grilled tomatoes make for a great visual addition, though their smokiness is subtle and doesn’t come through strongly.
- Marinated eggs have a distinct sweetness, offering a refreshing contrast to other ramen eggs.
- Thai basil leaves are a brilliant touch—chewing on them mid-meal enhances the flavors with a bright, minty freshness.
Additionally, a few condiments and ingredients mixed into the soup add further complexity:
- Pesto paste subtly enriches the broth when fully blended in.
- Burrata cheese, while an interesting addition, seems to have dried out from storage, turning stringy and gummy instead of melting smoothly into the soup.
- Crushed nuts (possibly cashews) don’t contribute much in terms of taste but add a mild earthy undertone.
Overall, this is an incredibly well-thought-out dish, and I’m tempted to give it a perfect score. However, small quirks—such as the burrata’s texture and the somewhat passive role of the chicken—hold it back slightly. A different protein approach, like shredded chicken, or a swap for something with deeper roasted flavors, like eggplant (similar to what Ramen Hiiragi does in Nagasaki), could elevate this ramen even further.
SHIO TORI PAITAN: 80/100
Noodle: 35/35
The same noodles are used here—medium-thick, curly, and muted yellow in hue. Served al dente, they have a firm texture with a bite that falls somewhere between snappy and doughy, making for a satisfyingly chewy experience. There’s no pronounced alkaline taste, allowing the subtle earthy wheat flavor to stand out. Even after sitting in the hot broth for some time, the noodles maintain their firmness remarkably well.
One Google Maps review mentioned an alkaline taste, and while we did detect a very subtle alkaline aftertaste with prolonged chewing, it was barely noticeable unless specifically looking for it. What stood out more was a metallic aftertaste in the soup, likely from the shio tare.
Soup: 25/35
The name and description of the dish feel somewhat misleading. The term “paitan” in ramen typically refers to a white, cloudy broth (白湯), but the soup here is more like a “chintan” (清湯) that’s not quite clear yet but not truly cloudy either.
Flavor-wise, the soup opens with a sharp, salty shio characteristic, followed by a robust, savory chicken broth, and finishes with a lingering saltiness. At nearly 15 brix, the golden-hued soup is richer than a typical shio broth—neither clear nor creamy, sitting somewhere in between. Despite its intensity, it leaves a crisp, clean aftertaste. Given its depth, I can’t help but feel this broth might be better suited for a shoyu ramen, which unfortunately wasn’t what we’ve ordered during this visit.
Meat: 15/20
The same slices of chicken used in the tomato paitan make an appearance here—lean yet firm, still tender and slightly juicy. The light marination allows the natural chicken flavor to stand out, making it a solid, if unspectacular, complement to the soup.
The dish also includes tsukune (chicken meatballs), which, unfortunately, were quite disappointing. While the mix includes bits of chicken cartilage for texture, the meatballs themselves are too dry and lack the tenderness and juiciness typically expected from tsukune. The ginger flavor is also too pronounced, overpowering the other elements in the meatball rather than enhancing them.
Topping: 5/10
The toppings in this dish include:
- Marinated eggs, which have a distinct sweetness that provides a refreshing contrast to other ramen eggs.
- Ito-togarashi (dried red chili pepper shreds), which didn’t quite come through in terms of flavor—perhaps a few more strands would help.
- Green negi, a standard topping that does its job well, adding a piquant, slightly sharp touch to the overall profile.
Overall, while the noodles and broth are solid, the execution of the toppings and meat leaves room for improvement. The soup’s identity feels somewhat muddled between shio and paitan, and the tsukune could be much better with more moisture and balanced seasoning. That said, the base flavors are enjoyable, and with some tweaks, this ramen could easily be elevated to a higher score.
DISCLAIMER
One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
Find out more about our palettes and how we evaluate our ramen here. 😉
