Singapore

What distinguishes this spot is Chef Haruyama’s focus on a Chicken Collagen broth—a departure from the pork-heavy tonkotsu that dominates the local palate. By opting for a pork and lard-free base, the stall offers a cleaner, more focused profile that highlights poultry extraction over heavy fats. While many know the brand for its specialty in Mentaiko and hearty katsu, the ramen menu serves as a technical showcase of the chef’s Osaka roots.

Conceptually, Ming San is an izakaya-style restaurant rather than a ramen-ya. The menu leans broad rather than specialised, covering familiar Japanese comfort categories like donburi, sushi, and cooked dishes meant for sharing. That said, ramen is also on the menu and that was what piqued my curiosity.

Takumi Ramen-Ya Singapore is a relatively new ramen shop in Yishun, and that alone makes it worth clocking. Yishun isn’t a ramen desert because of taste or demand, but simply because there aren’t many ramen shops physically located in the area. For residents in the north, most ramen fixes usually involve travelling out. So when a dedicated ramen-ya opens locally, it naturally draws attention, curiosity, and repeat foot traffic from the neighbourhood.