Hawker Ramen

John has been really busy working all week, having a daily workshop with people flown in from around the world. I do not know much more, since it is all very secretive, but at least I knew he would not be home for dinner most of the nights.

Though today was not an official day for the workshop, we spent it with one of the guys from the selected group. He was from Philadelphia, US, and his flight was not leaving until late evening. Thus we went to fetch him at his hotel near One-North around noon and took the short, but still arduous, walk to Holland Village.

Throughout the week I have heard about the food John has introduced to the group. There had apparently been a plan to eat ramen, but the group had been unsuccessful in executing said plan. As a last day treat for the last member of the group still in Singapore, we took him to the only really good ramen place we know about. Sanpoutei Ramen.

I ordered the soup tonkotsu ramen with only two slices of the aburi chashu (pork). Inside the bowl was some really good noodles, best I have ever had probably, black fungus (which I gave to John), dried seaweed and chopped chives. Since I chose to have only two slices of meat I also ordered two mighty ikura onigirazu - a bit of caviar and one slice of cucumber in warm sushi rice held together by a piece of seaweed. Very good. The young man from the workshop group chose the same ramen, except with more meat. John on the other hand picked the only spicy one, which, after I had a small sip, was not very spicy at all. Called the rich tori x spicy-miso ramen, it had most of the same ingredients as the tonkotsu, apart from the seaweed which John does not like anyway. In his bowl there were a lot more vegetables and eggs (which could be had with my meal as well, only I chose not to since I do not like eggs that way). The soup was a bit thicker and topped with chives and something white which I never got a name for.

It was the first time for the newfound friend to taste ramen and he was very pleased with the experience. He liked it immensely, though there were some trouble eating with sticks and a spoon, something I recognised in myself as newly arrived in Asia. Soon all three were full and though I had said halfway through the meal that I wanted ice cream, none could consume anything else afterwards. We paid and left the restaurant, taking the now all to familiar walk from Holland Village back to our home at d'Leedon.

Being gamers, all we did for hours was play games. The guy did not own a Playstation 4 and was very excited to try some of our games. John and I sat in the sofa listening to his very interesting opinions. When it was time for dinner we headed downstairs to the nearest hawker centre, another Singapore must-experience which John had failed to take the workshop group to during the week. Sadly, most of the shops were closed. We ate prata, chicken and rice, though John had fish and chips, and talked about Singapore. Once the dinner was done it was time for our friend to head to the airport. John called a cab, followed the man to the car and came up exhausted. It dawned on him that the long week was finally over.