In Japan, it is common to see people eating cold ramen during summer.  Local grown Shin-Sapporo has come up with a summer special to save us all too. 

Ok I know now is more like autumn already. But doesn't matter.. Because Singapore is summer all year round! 

I was at the new orchard gateway outlet. Orchard gateway is just next to somerset MRT and 313. How convenient.

The summer special, which will be available till 31 October, comprises of tenchirashi ramen which is a cold ramen, ebi tofu, and miso steak tofu.

Tenchirashi Ramen ($15.80)

A light taste chilled ramen served with mixture of tempuras, prawn, shitake and shimeji mushrooms, lady fingers, and top off with poached egg.

Destroy the poached egg and mix the flowing egg yolk with the noodles. The noodles used are the Hakata style noodles which are the same used in tonkotsu ramen. These noodles are firm, thin straight and have a high content of egg white, perfect for coating with the egg yolk from our poached egg. The cold ramen was cool, refreshing and savoury with the egg yolk and sauces. The tempura mushroom, prawns and lady fingers were lightly coated and not heavy on the palate. Be sure to eat them asap before they turn soggy. 

Do mix the egg with the noodle thoroughly or else it will be tasteless.

This was an interesting surprise as I was a bit skeptical about cold ramen initially. Turned out I liked it a lot! 

Ebi Tofu ($6.80)

This is a cold appetizer that combines prawn and tofu to enjoy a lighter taste, served with home-made sesame sauce. Very light on the palate and I loved the peanut sauce that accompanied it.

Miso Tofu Steak ($6.80)

Miso is fermented soya beans and I recalled it being salty with a tinge of pungency. Shin Sapporo's miso tofu steak is accompanied with thick miso paste which was really heavy on the palate. Served sizzling on a hot-plate, this would be be ideal for those who really love heavy salty food. Fried potatoes are found hidden at the bottom.

Miso ramen ($14.80)

We also got a miso ramen which is not part of the Summer Special. Miso ramen uses a thicker and curly version of noodle so that the thick miso broth does not slide down the noodles when you lift them up. I am not really a big fan of miso but I think miso lovers would be able to appreciate this ramen which is more flavourful, saltier and intense than tenchirashi ramen. I like the char shu which was lean and thin. The egg could be better and more flavorful.

Chocolate lava cake ($8.80)

Omg this is a must try! The lava cake is ultra nice and I love that it's piping hot, the chocolate is intense and thick and the sponge cake is moist and airy. Mix with cold ice-cream and I'm transported to heaven already! This might be Chocolate Origin's Cuppa Lava Cake's twin brother separated at birth!

Heads up: The lava cake is freshly made only when you order. It takes about 15 min to be prepared, so do manage your time. 

I like that this outlet is not crowded on a weekend afternoon. Especially when we are talking about weekend in Orchard.

While Singapore is an air-conditioned nation and we don't really need cold ramen, it's refreshing to see some restaurants come up with seasonal menus for a change. We all like novelty don't we?

Thanks to Nicolette and Shin Sapporo for the invite!

Address: 277 Orchard Road #B2-04A/05, OrchardGateway, S(238858)

Shokudo is strategically located to attract the hungry movie-goers after a movie at Cineleisure. Especially those who finished their popcorn before the movie started.

The menu has so much variety.. pastas, pizzas, western grills, burgers, omy rice, udon, sushi, donburi, curry rice, chicken chop, pork chop..  Hanging out with a bunch of friends who have different cravings? This is the place that everyone will land on amicably. But we took forever to decide what to order.

Teriyaki cheese curry baked rice ($13.80++, below) - My three favourite things in the same line - teriyaki, cheese, curry. How can I not order?? 

The chicken with teriyaki sauce was a tad dry and hard. But it was revived by the cheese that infused the rice and covered with curry sauce. Curry sauce was the Japanese version which was non spicy but sweet. The accompany miso soup was salty. I kept drinking water, which was not free.. $0.50 per cup. 3.75/5

The grilled chicken curry omu rice ($15.80++, below) came with a scrambled egg on top of the rice, which you are supposed to drizzle with the curry that came in a separate bowl. It was oiishi.. The chicken was well grilled and tasty. 3.75/5

When I see a matcha cheesecake ($6.80++, below), I have to order it. Matcha is my greatest love and so is cheese. They are my definition of happiest marriage. The matcha cheesecake mousse was ethereally light with matcha and cheese flavors infused. Not overly intense or rich.. Just nice as a dessert after a sumptuous meal. 4/5

Service was a bit inconsistent but nothing unacceptable. This is a great cosy place for people-watching especially if you sit by the windows. 

Address: 

Cathay Cineleisure Orchard

8 Grange Road, #02-06A/B
Tel: +65-6736 0971
Sunday to Thursday:
11.30am – 2.00am
Last order at 1.15am
Friday, Saturday & Eve of PH
11.30am – 3.00am
Last order at 2.15am