Mensho Tokyo Singapore: Battle Of The Branches (SGP vs SYD)

(I’ve covered the history of Mensho Tokyo and their Sydney branch in my Mensho Tokyo Sydney review, so I’ll only be covering Singapore’s Mensho Tokyo outlet in this section.)

The hippest and newest ramen store in the block, Mensho Tokyo Singapore first opened its doors here on 20 July 2024. And though I missed the opening window due to still being stuck in Sydney and only brought to light about Mensho Tokyo SG on my social media feed (curses…), I assure myself that the store’s gonna be there for a long while even after my return. That uncomfortable turned enlightening moment gave me an idea to compare how different, or how similar the two places are with their Classic toripaitan ramen.

Experience

To my complete shock, there was no queue by the time I visited the restaurant in early August, though this was way after the opening promo period. Arriving at 11:15AM, I was one of the first customers that turned up at their opening hours hoping to beat the crowd until there was none. So I was quite fortunate that the restaurant grew more populated and packed by around 12:00PM, and there was already a considerable queue outside when I made payment at the cashier. The cashier and I struck a pleasant conversation as I shared with them my time overseas and having the opportunity to try their ramen at their Sydney branch.

But back to the beginning.

Immediately greeted by a passionate staff with an irasshaimase, I was led to a seat with a full, broad view of Stamford Road. Neat.

Like the Sydney branch, Mensho Singapore also felt like a fusion between a snazzy bar and a classy restaurant, trying their best in selling you the ramen bar concept. Which is most apparent when you browse their menu online after scanning the QR code seen above.

Menu has alcohol/drinks at the top, with ramen being listed in their menu on the fifth page or something. I guess that’s the trend these days, since places like … are doing it too.

Because I’m here to compare their classic toripaitan and saving the fancier stuff for another time, I ordered that alongside an extra serving of the mushroom menma and an extra serving of noodles.

Taste Test & Comparison (Classic Toripaitan, S$28.00)

Mushroom menma in SGP outlet seemed thinner and longer, in comparison to SYD outlet where it’s juicer and thicker in terms of surface area. Menma mushroom in SGP still very chewy as the SYD outlet, so there’s no complains.

If I were to narrow down into the more superficial differences, unlike the Sydney toripaitan, there wasn’t any black fungus given in the Singapore version. Honestly, it’s not that big of a dealbreaker, and the only places I find black fungus in ramen in Singapore are as far and few in between, unless it’s Ippudo or any ramen places selling Hakata-style ramen. If anything, it could be Mensho Tokyo’s decision to pull out all the ‘noise’ to focus mainly on the ingredients that matter.

Chashu tastes pretty much the same for both SGP and SYD branches (okay it’s smoked pork, so a bit of difference), but SYD is leaner and more tender. Chashu texture in SGP branch resembles duck even though it’s actually pork. Maybe it’s the preparation method used (sous vide most likely) rather than the blow torch method that most other ramen stores would use.

As for the broth, it tastes quite similar to the SYD outlet. Perhaps the differences may be on the subtler side since Mensho’s all about sourcing local ingredients to make their ramen rather than importing them from overseas. Not too overpowering but has subtleties in the taste palette and easy to drink, not to thick that I’m drinking a bowl of congee from the bowl.

Like the Sydney branch, their wholewheat noodles, made in-house were quite al dente when taking a bite. Soup/broth clings well to the noodles due to the coarseness of the noodles texture and thickness. Helps that their process of making their noodles were extremely meticulous mixing the portions together.

Final Thoughts

If there’s one thing I’ll nitpick between the Singapore and Sydney branches, I really, REALLY appreciate how Australian ramen stores (in general, not just Mensho) provide a bottle of water on every desk free of charge for new diners. While I can think of many ramen stalls in Singapore providing water at free of charge, I wished Mensho Tokyo SG will do the same so as to not trouble the staff as much as possible, especially during peak hours. Not sure why water is charged at S$1.50 here, and the water tastes more or less like tap water. ^{(Pssst, they’re pushing you to order their alcoholic drinks…)}

So, what now? I guess my next plan will be to travel to the nearest Mensho Tokyo from Singapore, which is at Bangkok to try their classic toripaitan or their regional specialties. I mean, Singapore has its exclusive Chili Crab Ramen, and I’ve tried the Duck Matcha ramen (which can also be found at Mensho Sydney) which I’m saving it for another time.

For anyone with a tight wallet, then perhaps you’ll be better off at Kageyama Ramen to sate your cravings for toripaitan ramen. But if budget is of no concern, I’ll glad to recommend Mensho Tokyo to anyone who wants to try something new in the ramen scene.

Address (Singapore)

Address:
Raffles City (next to Surrey Hills Grocery)
252 North Bridge Road, #03-43, Singapore 179103

Opening Hours:
Mon to Sun, 11am to 10pm