Review: Tanjong Pagar’s Yakizakana Ramen puts fish in the spotlight, and it works

Singapore’s ramen scene is crowded. From Hakata-style tonkotsu, to tori paitan (creamy chicken broth), and lobster ramen — there is no shortage of good bowls if you know where to look in Singapore, and it’s fair to say that with so many choices, the bar has risen considerably over the past decade. 

Which is exactly why news of an unassuming ramen shop that leads with grilled fish, tucked within the PSA Pass Centre — the unlikeliest of places — catches my attention immediately. 

The backstory

Yakizakana Ramen brands itself as Singapore’s first grilled fish ramen shop, with “yakizakana” literally referring to “grilled fish” in Japanese.

PSA Pass Centre, located within PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex at Keppel Road, isn’t the most obvious location for a ramen shop and the shop is easy to miss if you don’t know where to look. But there it sits anyway, in all its no-frills glory. 

Besides its location and its offerings, Yakizakana Ramen isn’t your typical ramen shop in so many ways: There’s 1990s era Mando-pop playing from the speakers, a drinks menu that looks like something from a bubble tea shop, and simple decor — food court-esque furniture and backlit LED menu boards, — that doesn’t give away its Japanese theme at first glance.

That said, while it doesn’t detract from the food in the slightest, it does make the quality of what they serve feel even more like a pleasant surprise. 

Yakizakana Ramen’s menu is fairly large, probably to cater to the varying tastes of the CBD lunch crowd that clearly makes up a large part of the regulars here.

While fish ramen is the star, Yakizakana also offers the familiar stuff: Pork, chicken cha siu, seafood, and wagyu beef toppings for ramen and rice bowls, all from a very affordable S$8.90. For those opting for ramen, you get a choice of the signature fish bone paitan broth, a spicy variant, and also a dry tsukemen version with a side of broth.

It also serves up the usual Japanese sides such as chicken karaage, edamame, gyoza (albeit with a spin), and a selection of milk teas or yoghurt-based drinks.

Our verdict

I’ll have to admit: Yakizakana Ramen is better than I expected because of its no-frills, unassuming qualities. The restaurant and its surroundings are far from being a lifestyle destination — instead, it’s a place that forgoes the ambience and vibes, that just wants to feed you well at an affordable price (no GST is a plus), and suffice to say, it delivers.

That said, it won’t replace your favourite tonkotsu spot, though. Primarily because the PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex location is a slight trek from the main CBD lunch stretch. 

Distance aside, we think it’s worth making at least one trip down to try Yakizakna’s fish ramen, whether for a quick solo lunch or a post-work wind down (it’s relatively quiet at dinnertime)!

What it’s good for

You could get Yakizana’s ramen with either grilled fish or tempura-style fried fish for S$9.90, but I say top up a few dollars for the mixed fish ramen (S$12.90) that features a piece of each. 

It’s surprisingly good, and I say this because I had zero expectations going in, having never eaten a ramen that only relied on fish.

The fish bone broth opens with creamy and milky notes before the umami-rich body comes through with a gentle lingering fishiness. I really like the round and medium-thick noodles with its al dente snappiness while still giving a nice chew, with a faint hint of wheatiness that’s characteristic of typical ramen noodles.

Then there’s the fish, which I believe to be Atlantic cod fish because of its tender, flaky texture and mild sweet taste.

The fairly large piece of grilled fillet arrives with a noticeable char and a flavour that leans sweet and lightly brined with faint pepper notes — it’s a fresh and good piece of fish.

The fried version comes slightly thinner, which makes sense because it’s made with a quickly deep-fried tempura style, with a light and thin batter. 

I got in a few bites of the crispy edges before it soaked up the broth and it’s delicious. 

The supporting toppings — a custardy marinated egg that skews slightly sweet on the mirin, strips of black fungus, and spring onion — add pleasant accents without stealing the show from the fish.

Yakizakana’s ramen noodles are great as a dry variant, too. 

The uni ramen with mentai grilled fish (S$13.90) doesn’t actually have any visible uni to speak of, but the noodles are mixed with a pleasant-enough uni sauce that’s slightly sweet and buttery, with a hint of oceanic saltiness.

The toppings, aside from the star protein, are the same as the soup ramen, only now there’s a thick layer of savoury and briny mentaiko mayo, seared for a smoky edge that sits nicely against the grilled fish. 

The bowl comes with a robust miso soup with fish dashi on the side. The soup is slightly oily, very savoury, with a slight briny edge and strong dashi flavour.

If you’re not a huge fan of noodles, fret not, because ramen isn’t the only strong performer at Yakizakana.

The mixed chasiu donburi (S$24.90) is a combination of the restaurant’s other donburi offerings — wagyu beef (S$18.90), pork cha siu (S$9.90), or chicken cha siu (S$8.90). 

You get soft short-grain rice for the base, and the mixed proteins also come with a silky onsen egg, spring onions, some seaweed strips, and the same tasty soup from before. 

Both the pork and chicken appear to be cooked with a spiced braising sauce that looks dark and rich but is actually quite light and savoury. While they’re both tender, the pork holds together better for a firm bite. The chicken breast is decent but breaks apart from its round chasiu shape a little too easily. 

The wagyu beef, though — I wish there was more of it. It’s cooked medium-rare, seared nicely, and is soft in texture and beefy in taste. I’d eat that beef alone in a don all by itself.

On Yakizakana’s sides front, its jumbo gyoza (S$3 for two pieces) is like its name implies — plump and impressive.

Filled with lean-fatty pork and chives, the bottom of each gyoza is properly crisped, and the skin runs thicker, slightly chewier than the delicate Japanese style — more in the direction of a Chinese dumpling. 

There’s some ponzu sauce on the side, though the gyoza are flavourful enough that you don’t really need it.

If you’re looking for another side for the table, the spicy tacos (S$4 for two pieces) are a fun little side that punches above its size. 

The taco shell is well-fried and properly crisp, filled with savoury minced chicken that carries a mild heat from chilli oil — nothing too aggressive, but has enough warmth to keep things lively. It’s a nice snack to pick at, between bites of my ramen.

What it could improve on

For a concept that shows so much promise with its food, the drinks menu at Yakizakana feels like something out of a cheap neighbourhood bubble tea shop — sans the bubbles (or boba/pearls).

In fact, the melon yoghurt (S$4.90) I ordered reminded me of something I used to drink during my school days. It gives Yakult energy with a hint of melon flavouring, which should feel right at home with Japanese food, but the melon taste is weak, and the whole thing feels a tad diluted.

For my second drink, I opt for the matcha latte (S$5.90) — I’m a big fan of matcha drinks, so I usually order one when I see them on the menu. 

It’s good that the matcha latte isn’t too sweet, but the matcha flavour itself was rather mild and lacked the earthy, umami-packed aroma I’m looking for. 

I do like that they topped up the drink with a layer of milk foam that adds to the drink’s texture, but it’s otherwise more milky than matcha-forward.

So again, while the drinks aren’t fantastic, the real hook here is and should rightfully be the fish ramen. Even the donburi (particularly the wagyu beef one) gives me a very good reason for me to come back — and is well worth that short trek from the MRT station.

Our quick takes

Is it conducive to conversation? Yes, the restaurant is spacious and there are plenty of seats to choose from.

Is a reservation necessary? Walk-ins only.

How to get there? PSA Pass Centre is a 9-minute walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT Exit C. Head to the right side of the building along Keppel Road.

HungryGoWhere paid for its meal at this restaurant for this review.

For more interesting Japanese concepts to explore, check out Les Amis Group’s latest A5 wagyu sukiyaki concept and Yakiniku-Go’s latest campfire grill menu.