Don't try the Yoshimaru Ramen Bar at Holland Village

Still craving ramen after my Tokyo trip last week, I decided to continue my search in SIngapore for a decent local ramen bar until my next trip to Japan. I had one bad experience at Marutama Ramen at Central Mall last weekend, but I wasn't ready to give up just yet. Yoshimaru specializes in Hakata ramen from Kyushu, with over a dozen branches in existence across Japan, and the first one in Singapore at Holland Village. Hakata ramen is extra thin, very much like Cantonese wonton noodle, and made fresh daily at the restaurant.

The key indicator of an awesome ramen recipe is the broth, and there are countless ramen bars around the world serving the same dish, but the ones that truly stand out have managed to concoct unique broth flavors that elevate the simple bowl of ramen to a heavenly experience (or at least so damn tasty that I would willingly drink up the whole bowl). Unfortunately, Yoshimaru was strike two. The noodles were tender and fresh, but tasted too similar to wonton noodle, and the broth was very ordinary. The soft boiled egg was actually quite well prepared, soft on the inside. Overall, this was disappointing and underwhelming to say the least.

So that leave Ippudo, newly opened at the Mandarin Gallery, left to be sampled. If they do their QC right, the Ippudo dining experience should bring back fond memories of my ramen meals in Roppongi. Or maybe it'll just make me crave for another visit to Tokyo very soon for the real deal.

2am Dessert Bar, Holland Village, Singapore

As the name reflects, this dessert place is open til 2 am. It is the place for very sinful desserts if that's what rings your bell.

2am is located at the end of Lorong Liput, the street which is home to great shops like Parisilk Store (the mother of all consumer electronics shops), Provence (fantastic Japanese-French Bakery) and of course, Pet Lovers Centre (your dog's one-stop wonderland).

Left : Amadei Chili Chocolate

Below Left : Warm Chocolate Tart

Below Right : Hot Chocolate with Churros

The Amadei Chili Chocolate is very unique and actually very suited to the Singapore palate. However, for those who can't take spicy food, stay away. It actually packs quite a punch. As for the Warm Chocolate Tart, it was beautifully presented with blood orange sorbet as an accompaniment. My favorite however, was the Hot Chocolate, the highlight being the cinnamon sugar coated churros. It comes with three but you can ask for an extra order of 5 for $4 more. The five churros are well worth the money if you are a churro fan. I made the mistake of not dipping the churros into the hot chocolate which meant that I did not finish my hot chocolate. It turned out to be too thick to finish on its own and not sweet enough as it did not have the benefit of the sugar from the churros.

The ambience was simple and chic. I particularly liked the Bed Supper Club type lounge seating meaning that you can recline while enjoying your decadent desserts. How good can life get? They currently have a one-for-one Mumm's Champagne offer if you use your UOB card. Chocolate and alcohol are lethal partners, but oh, the parties you will have.

2am is available for private parties as well. This is one place to visit if you have a midnight craving for rich desserts.

21A Lorong Liput
Holland Village
Tel: +65 6291 9727