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Being quite a huge fan of ramen myself, I have since grown sceptical about the trend when many fail to impress. Having walked past Sanpoutei Ramen, located along the stretch of shophouses at Holland Village, on numerous occasions, I finally had the chance to let my tastebuds do the judging!

Founded in 1967 by Mr Yukihiro Kaneko, Sanpoutei is defined by its offering of authentic Niigata-style ramen, a shoyu-ramen in a clear fish stock-based broth. This contrasts with the more popular Tonkotsu (pork-bone broth) version such as that offered by Ippudo, Ramen Bar Suzuki or even Ichiran.

We were extremely privileged to have the presence of Mr Hironobu Kaneko, son of the founder and now CEO of the Sanpou Group based in Japan. Sanpoutei started a year after Kaneko-san was given birth and he shared the tenacity of his father who worked religiously towards perfecting the creation of his dishes. Having worked in a hotel before starting Sanpoutei, Mr Yukihiro had a fine palate and was extremely demanding on the quality of his food. It was no wonder that he spent six years to improve the taste of his ramen!

Mr Hironobu Kaneko specially brought this fine bottle of sake from Japan for the sharing session!

So, what is so special about Sanpoutei's ramen?

• Premium ingredients are used in all dishes, e.g. niboshi or dried sardines are specially imported from Japan to ensure consistency in broth served in Niigata and Singapore.

• Fresh ramen made daily in-house with imported top quality flour from Niigata, the rice capital of Japan. Limited to just 200 portions a day!

• Each strand of noodle is crimped instead of straight or wavy with a light gold hue.

• Specially customised double-walled bowls produced in Tsubamesanjo, Niigata, to help retain heat within the bowl with a cool exterior.

Photo credit: Sanpoutei Ramen

Let the tastebuds do the judging now!

Niigata Shoyu Ramen (S$14/++)

Photo credit: Sanpoutei Ramen

The signature dish at Sanpoutei, this ramen surely did not disappoint as it checked all aspects of unami flavours. With a proprietary recipe from Japan, the savoury broth was rather intense as it had been simmered for six hours, comprising chicken, pork, mushrooms and two premium niboshi (dried sardines). The flavours were harmonious and the balance was spot-on for me.

Apart from the al dente ramen which gave a desired springy yet firm texture, the aburi chasu was the star. The carefully chosen cut had a nice marbling and was beautifully torched to give a caramelised-smoky flavour to make this dish truly oishi! My only complaint was that my flavoured soft-boiled egg was mildly overcooked but there is no better compliment to the chef than an empty bowl!



While the menu does not have a check-list for you to choose how you would like your noodles done, diners are encouraged to make known their preferences when placing orders such as adjusting the amount of oil to be added or even the texture of your noodles.

An interesting titbit picked up while conversing with Kaneko-san was that the culture of refilling one's ramen bowl with noodles was a practice common in the Southern-region of Japan such as Kyushu. As such, Sanpoutei does not have the practice of offering diners the option to add noodles.

Other specialty ramens

Top to bottom left (clockwise): Rich Tori & Miso Ramen, Rich Tori & Spicy Miso Ramen and W Soup Tonkotsu Ramen

Rich Tori & Miso Ramen (S$16/++)
With seven types of miso blended with the chicken-based stock and simmered for eight hours, this would appeal to those with a hearty and savoury palate. Flavours were intense and you could taste the essence of the premium ingredients used.

Rich Tori & Spicy Miso Ramen (S$17/++)
Similar to the miso version, the chicken-based broth was packed with an unique blend of chillies. While it packed quite a punch in flavours and heat, hardcore chilli lovers might need a stronger kick.

W Soup Tonkotsu Ramen (S$16/++)
A familiar dish for most ramen-lovers, the collagen-rich pork-bone broth has been simmered for half a day at 12 hours. The savoury and unami flavours of the broth was beautifully delivered to everyone's palate. Leaving the bowl for less than five minutes while everyone was busy snapping photos saw the formation of a layer of grease which was a result of the fats and collagen within the broth. This also illustrated the quality ingredients that went into the making of the broth.

While Sanpoutei is famous for their ramen, they are equally lauded for their selection of rice dishes since Niigata's crystal clear water produce top quality Kurotori rice which offer an exquisite taste. Sanpoutei imports only unpolished rice from Niigata and the tedious polishing work is carried out in-house to ensure optimum preservation of the rice's innate sweetness and texture. It was really intriguing to learn how much attention was paid to intricate details as such to ensure that the diners enjoy the best bowl of rice dish.

Butariki Niigata Rice Mini Don (S$4/++)

Among the three rice dishes tried, this was a clear favourite among those at my table. Stirring in the raw egg yolk and tossed with the pan-fried shoyu-flavoured pork, the flavours were spot-on with the right balance of sweetness and savouriness with Sanpoutei's special sauce.

The Minced Chicken Niigata Rice Mini Don (S$4/++) was also a hit with its varied texture as the breadcrumb-like minced chicken and scrambled egg made this dish interesting.

We also tried the Sanpoutei Japanese Style Small Curry Rice (S$4/++) which I felt was slightly spicier and packed a stronger punch in flavours compared to most Japanese curry rice dishes available in the market. While it suited my palate, it was not a dish that went well with the other diners at my table.

Sanpoutei Deep Fried Spring Chicken with Oroshi Yuzu Ponzu Sauce (S$7.80/++)

If you are looking for some sides to share with your dining companions, be sure to give this a try as the crispy batter coating the succulent spring chicken had its flavours nicely lifted with the grated radish mixed with yuzu kosho flavour sauce. While I would have preferred the yuzu kosho flavours to come across stronger, it was nonetheless an enjoyable side which made this a must-try.

Crispy Tempura Shrimp Salad (S$12/++)

Drizzled with sweet chilli sauce and wasabi mayonnaise, it offered an interesting twist of Asian flavours to the otherwise simple Tempura dish. The prawns were fresh and succulent with a nice crisp batter which suggested clean deep-frying oil unlike some places which had that stale touch.

Mori Miso Cucumber (S$3/++)

Some chilled sides to pique the palate? This chilled crunchy Japanese cucumber topped with a mildly-spiced miso paste may look pleasing to the eye but the cucumber might be too raw for some.

Bamboo Shoots dressed with Spicy Miso served with leeks (S$3/++)

Do give this a try if you are looking for something to titillate your taste buds as the spicy miso would awake one's appetite.

Yuzu Sherbet, Matcha and Black Sesame Ice Cream (S$3/scoop)

I enjoyed the Yuzu Sherbet and Black Sesame most as the flavours were rich. While the Matcha ice cream was good and relatively creamy, it seemed rather pedestrian compared to the others.

Having tried countless ramen places in Singapore and the region, Sanpoutei certainly fits a spot in our must-try list. If you enjoy intense flavours in your ramen broth, this has to be one of the top three spots in Singapore.

While there are some tables on the left which offer more privacy, the seating in general is rather public and faces the open kitchen

Open kitchen concept

Following our previous attendance of the Sustainable Seafood Festival press conference in April 2014, we are more conscious when it comes to grocery shopping and consistently makes a special effort to look out for sustainable seafood!

As we pursue our modern lifestyles, we are actually using 50% more natural resources than the sustainable levels of the environment. We are actually cutting trees faster than they can grow, putting waste into the environment quicker than they can recycle and we are emptying the seafood in the ocean waters quicker than they can reproduce.

We can however make a difference by embarking on sensible choices and start by choosing sustainable seafood in your grocery shopping! You may wish to download this printable guide or check out the online interactive guide which categorises the types of common seafood.

To coincide with the "World Oceans Day" on 8 June 2014, WWF-Singapore is partnering Marine Stewardship Council ("MSC") and Aquaculture Stewardship Council ("ASC") to launch the Sustainable Seafood Festival ("SSF"), a first of its kind in Singapore which runs for a week from 8 - 15 June 2014! The purpose of this campaign is to encourage people to eat seafood from the right sources. As such, SSF is having supermarkets and restaurants aboard. 

"Sustainability is not just boring, it can also be fun, useful, delicious and make less of a footprint on the planet!"

We were more than privileged to be invited to a cooking workshop where we learnt more about whipping up sumptuous dishes with sustainable seafood under the guidance of Chef Lucas Glanville, Executive Chef of Grand Hyatt Singapore. With more than 28 years of culinary experience, Lucas has been sharpening his knives at restaurants such as Mayfair's Le Gavroche in UK and The Point on Albert Park Lake in Australia.

Let us find out more as we embarked on our very first professional cooking class!

Group of food and lifestyle bloggers listening attentively to Chef Lucas on cooking instructions. Photo credit: WWF Singapore

We have always been huge fans of reality cooking TV shows such as Masterchef Australia among many others and we were really excited when we finally settled at our work station!

Preparing our tom yum broth!

Pan-frying the salmon steaks

Chef Lucas slicing the fennel with complete ease without even looking!

Newbie me having a go; despite my undivided attention, I din't quite manage to do a simple task well and ended up slicing my finger!

Staying focused and trying to keep up with Chef Lucas' instructions without the recipe

Finally....our end products!

Baked garlic and parsley mussels (four portions)

Ingredients:

24 half-shell green lip mussels
1 large peeled garlic clove
1 large peeled red shallot
Handful of Italian parsley leaves
Lemon zest (quarter)
100 gm unsalted butter, softened
75 gm white breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce Tarator:

100 gm peeled red peppers
2 slices white bread without crust
80 ml milk
40 gm crushed walnuts
1 glove chopped garlic
Pinch of cayenne powder
Pinch of chilli flakes
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. To make the sauce tarator, combine all ingredients into a food processor and blend into a fine paste, season with salt and pepper and a few drops of lemon juice.
2. Refrigerate before serving.
3. To prepare the mussels, combine garlic, shallots, lemon zest and parsley into a food processor and blend into a fine paste.
4. Add the softened butter and pulse; once all ingredients are combined, add the breadcrumbs and season to taste with salt and freshly grounded black pepper.
5. Cover each mussel with some of the garlic and parsley butter.
6. Lay them on a baking tray and bake in an oven at 180 Celsius until crisp and golden brown.
7. Serve immediately with lemon and sauce tarator on side.

Tom Yam Pla (four portions)

Ingredients:

200 gm Basa fish
12 straw mushrooms
2 sticks of lemongrass
20 gm galanga
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 litre chicken stock
25 ml fish sauce
20 gm sugar
2 tablespoons Thai chilli paste
4 red and green chilli padi
40 gm coriander with root
100 gm Thai cherry tomatoes

Method:

1. In a pot, add chicken stock, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, galanga, coriander root, Thai cherry tomatoes and straw mushrooms and gently simmer for one hour.
2. Season with fish sauce, lime juice, chilli paste and then bring to a boil.
3. Taste and ensure that seasoning suits your palate.
4. Add Basa fish and cook for two minutes on a low heat.
5. Remove from heat, serve in a bowl and garnish with red, green chilli and coriander leaves.

Salmon pastrami, shaved fennel salad, radish, lemon and extra virgin olive oil (four portions)

Ingredients:

Salmon pastrami:

4 x 200 gm Salmon portions

Spice Rub:

25 gm salt
25 gm brown sugar
25 gm coarse black peppercorns
15 gm coriander seeds
10 gm juniper berries
5 gm chilli flakes

Shaved fennel salad:

2 fennel bulb
4 whole red radish
Picked dill leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. For the salmon pastrami, combine all ingredients together from the spice rub.
2. Dust the spice rub over the salmon and leave to season on the side.
3. Shave the fennel bulb and the radish with the mandoline into a bowl; add dill leaves, extra virgin olive oil and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
4. Heat a non-stick frying pan, add a little oil and gently cook the salmon for a minute on each side, depending on the thickness of the fish. 
5. Remove and place on a plate to rest.
6. Arrange the fennel salad next to the salmon pastrami and drizzle a little more olive oil over the salmon.