Brothers Ramen – A Long, Long Wait Time Ago…

Ahh, Brothers Ramen. A name that grew into a juggernaut in the Singapore ramen scene year by year, and nothing can hinder their way of their growth. For me, a review of Brothers Ramen is one that’s been long overdue as I keep coming back to them since 2021 even when I feel like I’ve outgrown them.

Brief History

Owned and started by, you guess it, two brothers, it all begun with the Cai brothers, Weili and Weisheng opening a shop named Homebaked Dough back in 2010 at Tanjong Pagar Plaza selling home-baked goods alongside ramen. Similar to what happened with Seng Hiang BCM down the line, the shop stopped selling cookies and eventually rebranded itself as Brothers Ramen in 2012 and their initial success at Tanjong Pagar Plaza lasted till April 2014 before closing down and moved elsewhere.

It was around this time where they relocated to a bigger shop at their current location at International Plaza in 2015 as part of their strategy to cater to the growing customer base. On all grounds, it worked tremendously, and not even a pandemic and other roadblocks could stop them as seen by the increasingly long crowds that formed outside their stores at least an hour (or longer) before official opening hours.

Their ramen initially came about by experimenting with a recipe they found on the internet and learnt how to make ramen by watching Youtube videos. True to any ramen master creating their craft, they eventually created their own style that drew many Japanese people, alongside locals who aren’t too familiar with ramen into their fanbase.

Experience

These days, a trip to Brothers Ramen means having to waiting for at least a hour (or longer) for a bowl of ramen. No, not because of the slow preparation time, but can’t you tell from the line?

Unless you plan to queue early and be the first in line (which also takes at least 45 minutes to an hour at the very least) for the shop to open and take your order, be prepared. It’s best to have a backup plan if things don’t turned out as expected. Otherwise, set aside your entire morning to make your trip down to International Plaza and stand in line with a comfortable pair of shoes.

Prior to this year, the line wasn’t as strenuously long and the crowds more manageable, but no one can control the influence that is word of mouth, and eventually word got out to enough people that pretty much everyone and their grandma decided to try their hands on the hottest ramen store in Singapore. Doesn’t matter whether you join the line at lunch or dinner hours, you’ll have to wait for your turn nevertheless.

After clearing the first hurdle, the next step would be making your order through one of the two machines; one near the entrance, and the other near the collection station. There’s two options to either dine-in or takeaway, and you’ll decide on your choices from there. Payment can be made using cash or card, though most people and myself would prefer the cashless method since it’s quick and efficient. Once the transaction is complete, the machine prints a receipt and an order number for you to collect your ramen when called.

After which, you’ll be led by a server to take you to your seat while you wait for your number to be called. Meanwhile, you can take this time to fill up a glass of water at a water dispenser machine, and/or help yourself with a free helping of fermented beansprouts on small dish plates.

Taste Test (Megamen, Miso Broth, $15.90)

For the uninitiated, Jiro-style ramen (or Ramen Jiro, as it’s commonly called) is known for its crudeness in its presentation and taste, a far cry from the elegance and sophistication of most modern ramen seen today. With their unapologetic use of pork fat and huge cuts of pork, its cheap price and a very filling meal (although not healthy in the long run) was meant for college/university students and office workers without much money to spare for lunch or dinner.

Calling it ‘Megamen’ was an apt name for Brothers Ramen with piles of cabbage and bean sprouts, alongside a nice serving of raw, minced garlic, pork fat, huge chunks of chashu, thick noodles and not to forget their broth (comes in shoyu or miso, but you can choose your preferred intensity). While some people adhere to the tried and tested top-to-bottom strategy by eating the vegetables and other toppings before the noodles, my preference would be to pull the noodles from the bottom even if it means the balance at the top crumbles. I like my noodles piping hot, but they won’t be alone by adding vegetables and bits of minced garlic, chashu and pork fat to the mix.

Because the dish is quite heavy (even by chopping the lighter broth option), I always find myself having a hard time drinking the broth all the way to the bottom, and except for the most hardcore Ramen Jiro enthusiasts, most diners who’ve ordered the Megamen would just leave the broth alone once they’re done with everything else.

Final Thoughts, Past Menu Items & Other Recommendations

With their ramen’s slightly lower price points starting at $12.90 for their signature Brothers Ramen (toripaitan ramen with chicken chashu), that and its authenticity to the real thing has gotten the crowd to keep coming back for more and also jio their friends and family in joining the hype. Not sure how the Brothers Ramen team are going to handle their growing fanbase, but given how they survived and thrived in Singapore competitive F&B industry for almost 15 years, I hope that they’ll find a solution to manage this happy problem before it gets out of control.

If there’s one thing I learnt since I became a fan of Brothers Ramen, they absolutely shine when they try to experiment with their menu every now and then. One instance of their experimentation period at the top of my head was their tsukemen (and their niboshi ramen, with thicker noodles), which was available for a brief time in 2023. It reminded me a lot of Taishoken-style tsukemen done right, and saying I was saddened upon finding out that they won’t be returning to the menu around the end of October last year was a total understatement.

Still, I was glad I got to try them while it lasts (and they were only available on Wednesdays and Saturdays, so once again, I have to plan my visits accordingly) and Brothers Ramen got to play around with styles out of their norm even when it doesn’t work out in the end. For now, their only tsukemen item on their menu is an off-shoot of their Megamen, which I’ve tried but not a big fan of. Here’s hoping to see Brothers Ramen what else they have in store and dive into ramen styles rarely available in Singapore if they’re game for it.

Alongside their staples, they also sell Iekei ramen (which I tried, and it was very well done) which for anyone who wants to give a shot to lesser known ramen types and wants something less greasy. For people who aren’t ready for the more straightforward bluntness of their Megamen, then their Iekei ramen’s a great entry to the more pungent side of ramen.

Side note: For any One Piece and Pokemon fans, they also sell One Piece and Pokemon trading cards as part of their new business venture in 2023. Not really into the TCG scene in general, but some heads up if that’s something up your alley.

Address & Opening Hours

Address
International Plaza
10 Anson Road, #01-20, Singapore 079903

Opening Hours
Mon to Fri: 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6pm to 7.45pm (no dinner service on Wednesdays)
Sat: 11.30am to 2.30pm
Closed on Sundays