The heavy blend of springy noodles, rolls of fatty meat and rich, salty broth make a good bowl of ramen something close to comfort food Nirvana. And thanks to Singapore’s massive Japanese community, we’re blessed with pretty much every ramen style out there. Here’s what you need to know about the major ramen regions of Japan, and where you can taste each style without leaving town.

Tokyo Ramen

Traditional Tokyo ramen typically features curly noodles in a dark, clear shoyu broth made of pork and chicken bones. This broth is sometimes based on seafood and dried fish. Common toppings are roast pork, scallions, seaweed and bamboo shoots.

Get it at: Tsuta Singapore, #01-01 Pacific Plaza, 9 Scotts Rd., 6734-4886, www.tsuta.com. 

Hakata Ramen

The much-loved tonkotsu (pork bones) broth originated in Fukuoka prefecture in the southernmost Kyushu island. The result of cooking pork bones over a rolling boil for extensive hours, the thick creamy broth is packed with fatty goodness and deep flavors. Sitting atop firm, thin noodles, you’ll usually find roast pork, scallions, seaweed, pickled ginger, garlic and pickled mustard greens.

Get it at: Ippudo, #04-02 Mandarin Gallery, 333A Orchard Rd., 6235-2797, www.ippudo.com.sg.

Sapporo Ramen

Located in the Northern Hokkaido island, Sapporo is home to one of the newer styles of ramen. Characterized by a thick miso-based broth, the ramen is topped with ground pork, bean sprouts, cabbage and corn, which are sometimes fried in the miso beforehand. You’ll also often see it topped with a pat of butter.

Get it at: Sapporo Ramen Miharu, #01-06/07/08 Millenia Walk, 8 Raffles Blvd., 6733-8464, www.facebook.com/miharusappororamen.

Niigata Ramen

Niigata prefecture is famous for many things. Located on the western coast in central Japan, it enjoys great weather, abundant seafood and a reputation for excellent ramen, particularly the kind with a relatively clear shoyu (soy sauce) broth which sees any combination of tonkotsu, chicken and even dried fish for an incredible depth of flavour that is not too heavy or fatty.

Get it at: Sanpoutei, #01-01 253 Holland Ave., 6463-7277, www.sanpoutei.sg.

THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF RAMEN

Broth

Broth is the core of ramen. The base defines a ramen’s flavors well before seasoning. Typical broth bases range from animal bones like tonkotsu (pork bones), tori (chicken bones) and gyokotsu (beef bones) to gyokai (seafood) and lighter variations made from sea kelp and dried seafood. Ramen is also defined by its heaviness: either kotteri (rich) or assari (light). The heavy, opaque kotteri broth, also known as paitan, results from long-boiled bones while the clear, thin assari broth is made of vegetables, seafood or briefly-cooked bones. 

Tare

Tare (seasoning essence) adds flavors and character to the bowl, and can be mixed into the base or added later. Though all three of the main essences sound like they only account for saltiness, there are subtle differences. Shoyu (soy sauce) is the most common type and it benefits from round flavors and umami. Shio (salt) makes for a clearer and lighter soup both in terms of taste and color. Miso (soybean paste) adds body and pungency to the soup, resulting in bolder texture and flavors.

Noodles

Noodles are made from wheat flour, water, salt and alkaline water, and vary in their precise shape, thickness and texture—from thin to thick, straight or curly—to go perfectly with different soups. Some shops also let you pick the firmness of your noodles.

Toppings

Chashu (roast pork) is one topping you can find on almost every bowl of ramen, usually prepared by simmering pork in sweet soy and mirin (sweet rice wine) until tender. Ajitama (short for ajitsuke tamago, [seasoned egg]) sees a golden half-boiled egg marinated in soy sauce and mirin, which comes out slightly salty and sweet. Nori (dried seaweed sheet) is there to add a subtle seaside aroma and a little crunch between bites. Scallions are chopped and sprinkled over a bowl of ramen to power it with pungency. They're also the most typical topping in every bowl of ramen. Menma (pickled bamboo shoot) combines a crunchy texture with a slightly sweet flavor. 

Japanophiles know that Hokkaido is really something special. Japan’s northernmost and second-largest island has gorgeous, rugged landscapes, mild summers, excellent skiing and abundant farmland. Not surprisingly, it also has some of the best produce and food products in the world, making the cuisine of Hokkaido a must-eat on any respectable foodie’s bucket list.

But if you can’t get there any time soon, fear not. Singapore’s exciting Japanese food scene has plenty of Hokkaido produce and dishes to tide you over in the meantime. Here’s what you need to know.

Cold Water Seafood

Surrounded by the waters of the Sea of Japan and the Northern Pacific Ocean, Hokkaido is famous for its cold-water seafood, and visiting a fish market for a fresh donburi topped with uni, ikura, scallops, crab and other seafood is a must-do for tourists to the island. Advanced foodies know that cold-water fish and seafood are generally acknowledged to be tastier, thanks to the extra fat, and healthier thanks to the extra Omega-3 fatty acids.

Kaisendon at Kan Sushi

To try it in Singapore, book a table at Kan Sushi, the intimate, wood-paneled sushi counter in Tanjong Pagar, which serves, among its many fresh seafood specialties, the immensely popular Hokkaido Kaisendon, topped with all the best catch from the island—expect all the essentials such as botan shrimp, scallop, fatty tuna and a little dollop of fresh uni.

Raw seafood isn’t everybody’s thing, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the bounty of Hokkaido. Over on Kampong Bahru, casual izakaya Manpei specializes in all things from the northern island, and such as the hokke, a relative of the mackerel found in abundance around Hokkaido. Manpei’s Chef Urayama serves a simple grilled version, served with little more than a squeeze of lemon and some daikon.

Plenty more where that came from. The Bite! Japan Facebook page is full of the latest Japanese restaurants and izakaya in Singapore, new promotions and bits of information to impressive your friends with. Follow us here.

Dairy Products

Japanese food isn’t big on dairy, but the food of Hokkaido is a shining exception to the rule. Thanks to its miles of pastures and dairy farms, the milk, butter and of course ice cream of Hokkaido are famous throughout Japan and among foodies abroad. Dairy products aside, there are some pretty unusual dishes that owe their existence to Hokkaido’s dairy obsession, some of which can be found in Singapore.

For instance, the aptly named Hokkaido Izakaya—which recently opened a second brand at Wisma Atria’s Japan Food Town—serves Hokkaido dairy products in a variety of dishes, such as the milk hotpot with, as well as the Japanese omelet, topped with a knob of Hokkaido.

(Incidentally, the restaurant is also a great place to try fresh Hokkaido soba noodles, made fresh daily from scratch. Home to Japan’s largest soba producer, Hokkaido is pretty famous for buckwheat as well.)

To try something cheesy and comforting, head to tonkatsu specialist Ma Maison, which also has a ramen shop at Capitol Piazza. Order up the signature dish, the Original Creamy Cheese Ramen, where they add a fistful of grated, powdery Hokkaido cheese to the ramen broth (miso, shio or shoyu), giving a rich, salty layer to the already umami-licious flavor.

Beef and Lamb

With its northern location and high elevation, much of Hokkaido has a cool climate throughout the year, with temperatures going well below zero in the winter—perfect weather for rich meats. Hokkaido wagyu is famous, with grass-fed wagyu from Tokachi subprefecture being quite a big deal. In Singapore, you don’t have to look far to find Hokkaido wagyu. The moody, jazzy Kamoshita on Neil Road makes everything from its beef tartare to its beef curry rice with Hokkaido wagyu.

Hokkaido beef tartar at Kamoshita

For something truly unusual, though, head to Boat Quay’s Hokkaido restaurant Hitsuji Club, probably the first in Singapore to specialize in the strangely named jingiskan (also spelled genghiskhan). Named after the Mongolian conqueror—we’re told it has to do with the domed-shaped grill the dish involves, resembling a Mongolian hat—the quintessentially Hokkaido barbecue experience involves not beef but lamb, another rarity for Japan. Hitsuji Club serves platters with various cuts, from loin to chop, as well as some of the fresh vegetables Hokkaido is also famous for: leeks, onions, pumpkin and more.

Like what you see? For regular updates on Japanese food and drink in Singapore, follow Bite! Japan on Facebook.

Japanese sake has been a small but strong trend among Singapore’s more discerning diners—those who know all about the unique delights of places like Orihara Shoten, Kakure and, most recently, the exciting six-month pop-up by the renowned sake brewery Dassai, in Wisma Atria’s Japan Food Town.

If you’ve always wanted to learn more about the unique delights of Japanese rice wine, you’ll have to start with the label. Almost entirely in Japanese, sake bottles can be bewildering for the Singaporean fan. Not to worry—we have this handy diagram and some helpful tips from sake sommeliers to get you started.

Reading the Bottle

As with wine, the sake label has lots of crucial information. Here’s what to look for.

1. Company seal. This is the name of the brewery or producer, as well as their address.

2. Name of the sake. This is usually different from the name of the producer, though sometimes it might be the same.

3. Type of sake. This one says “super dry”. Other labels may indicate here if it is a premium sake, and if so, which one in particular. This information is sometimes also indicated in English.

4. Special Ingredients. Sake is normally made with rice, yeast, water and koji (mold spores). If there are any other ingredients added, such as malt (tokubetsu), there will be a special symbol here.

5. Date of production. In general, sake is best consumed within two to three months of production and within a couple days of being opened.

6. Types of sake

There are seemingly endless varieties of sake, but experts tend to break it down into five main types. An important distinction here is the seimaibuai of the rice being used. (For more on this, see #7.)

Daiginjo (大吟醸) has a seimaibuai of roughly 50%. These are usually sweet, aromatic and natural tasting, and are recommended for beginners as they’re easy to drink.

Ginjo (吟醸) has a seimaibuai of at least 60% and has additional alcohol added. It’s similar to daiginjo—fruity, light and aromatic.

Junmai (純米) is pure sake—brewed with nothing but rice, water, yeast and koji. With its strong, not-so-sweet taste, it’s suitable for hardcore sake fans. The seimaibuai varies but is mostly around 70%. Many bottles are labeled junmai ginjo, which means pure sake with 60% seimaibuai.

Nama ( 生) is unpasteurized sake with a more intense flavor. It’s fresher and more aromatic but the quality is less stable.

Honjozo (本醸) is sake brewed with seimaibuai of at least 70%, with distilled alcohol added.

7. Seimaibui. Rice is milled or “polished” before being used in brewing to eliminate fat, protein, and minerals that can inhibit fermentation. The percentage on the bottle represents the amount of the original rice grain that remains after polishing. Generally, the more the rice is polished, the more refined the sake’s flavour. That is to say, ­the lower the seimaibui percentage the better.

8. Alcohol Content. Boozier than wines, sake’s alcohol content ranges from 15-20%.

9. Drinking Suggestion. The label gives a recommendation on how the sake is best consumed (most ranked from cold to hot): at room temperature, with ice or hot. A recommendation with two circles is advice you really should follow, while one circle is not as highly suggested.

Plenty more where that came from. The Bite! Japan Facebook page is full of the latest Japanese restaurants and izakaya in Singapore, new promotions and bits of information to impressive your friends with. Follow us here.

Hear From the Experts

Kazuhiro Sakurai, President and Fourth-Generation owner of Dassai Brewery

From a sake point of view, how would you describe Singapore right now?
I think the Singapore market is going to be very good, especially for the high-end Japanese sake. Many high-end Japanese restaurants have opened in the past couple years, and they carry high-end sake, like Ginjo and Daiginjo styles. And as you know, Singapore has many foreigners who visit and dine at these restaurants. So not only is the Singaporean market itself very strong, it also acts as a showcase for the world.

What are some tips for choosing sake to suit the occasion?
There aren’t as many difficult pairing rules in sake, unlike in the wine world. Simply, try heavy food with heavy sake, and light foods with light sake. Also, sake goes very well with seafood and vegetables.

What’s unique about Dassai sake?
We are focused on the premium Junmai-Daiginjo sake category, made with the best sake rice grain, Yamada-Nishiki. This makes us specialists of fruity and clear-tasting sake.

Like what you see? For regular updates on Japanese food and drink in Singapore, follow Bite! Japan on Facebook.