Over the last two years in Singapore, ramen stores have been popping up one after another. Today, you can easily find at least one ramen shop in any shopping mall. Unfortunately, many are helmed by inexperienced cooks with no authentic experience in preparing a decent bowl of this Japanese national dish.

Recently, another established Japanese ramen brand opens its door at Forum the Shoppping Mall.  With almost 60 years of ramen making experience under its belt, Uma Uma is considered a late comer in Singapore’s very saturated ramen market.

Uma Uma Ramen is different from the rest.  The store is decorated very simply and unpretentious. It offers a limited selection of ramen and side dishes. Six and eight to be precise. The ramen store uses pork for its stock base.  All the ramen have the same broth except that some have added ingredients such as chilli oil or fish powder.

The Spicy Chasiu Ramen has a very aromatic and palatable pork-based broth. It has added chilli oil and marinade. The noodles are firm yet springy. The Bushi Tonkotsu Ramen is similar to the Spicy Chasiu Ramen except that instead of adding chilli condiments, fish powder is added.  Unlike the other ramen stores, Uma Uma’s broth does not leave you thirsty and dying for more water.

As for the side dishes, the Tsukune Chicken Ball is soft and tender.  It is coated lightly with a sweet sauce. At $7 per serving, it’s not that expensive.  However, I was rather disappointed with the One-Bite Gyoza. Although the Gyoza is made small so that you finish it in one bite, there is too little meat filling for any real satisfaction. There is more air in the gyoza than pork meat.

Uma Uma Ramen is a place where you just leave after eating your ramen. No nonsense and fancy decoration.  Just simple good ramen.

Uma Uma! Original Hakata Ramen
583 Orchard Road
Forum The Shopping Mall
#01-41/42/43,
Singapore 238884