27 May, 2010
Carbohydrate mains, who can forget the noodles which stole its name from China? Here, it is known as the instant noodles(or maggi/Nissin); in Japan its officially the ramen.
Stepping into the humbly-dressed shop, one is greeted by the autonomous roaring of its staff. It is a form of decorum; so you bow back. Such power- the japanese guard their foods fiercely, any request upon modification(such as portion/sizes) will not make them tweak their recipe..JPG)
What's more, with flipping the menu over, it tells you to face the bowl directly and lean forward to eat, using the sense of sight and smell to enjoy the beauty of the ramen with your eyes and nose. Slurping is a must (of outmost chortle like that of a laugh). You feel you have gained an understanding on the protocol and science of japan.
Just by leaking a sentence or two; (like those from the menu in english above, for example), the translation is neat, sharp and exquisite. It is no wonder japanese is one of the most beautiful languages created. And with this, of course, a pig's tail imagery for the character 'pork' in kanji, suggesting tonkotsu; pork bone soup committed to quality here.
Basic Ramen (SGD 12.00)
And now on Nantsuttei's dedication, the black ramen. Not the ramen(noodles); but the other pertinent element of its dish, the soup. Nanttsutei style, it is a thick viscous liquid. So much so it becomes the alter-ego of milk cream. Black ma-yu (charred garlic oil) floating above the tonkotsu(pork bone soup).
For some, it is kuro(black) ma-yu, black sesame oil; for others, it is black(charred) ma-yu; garlic roasted and toasted until it becomes completely black. Yes, it is the burnt food!, not the black sesame here!!
Negi Ramen (SGD 15.00)
If this (black)is too imposing for you, there is a pile of sliced and thinly-sliced green onions to cover the soup. Raw and extremely spicy, it is unconventional for something so unfinished to be presented right in front of us; simmering in the heat pushing the boundaries of freshness. It is not the live frogs and prawns being slowly cooked in fire, but the japanese did not think and made its customers eat raw sprouts in the face.
The upfront manner leaves me appalled. How many people can stand raw onions? And those beansprouts, how many times were they (nit)picked from the char kway teow stand; or at the stall-owner upon order? Such unquestionability makes me appreciate their manifesting thought on only the authentic.
Well I loved it. Sashimi Grade, sun's the only seasoning; or proprietor's way I choose when to fish my sprouts out. The noodles were; dissecting into three parts elasticity bouncy, texture on the mouth; chewy, thickness: just right. The flour grains were so fine and consistent that it expelled an aroma of wheat- Nantsuttei's way it met a perfect ramen! And that heavenly (black)glob? Lavishly slathered over the noodles, it was very light in taste- not the light you can tell from sodium solution, which inadvertently led to sodium solution dilution (because the food itself lacked original flavour); but light from the natural fragrance of oil.
P.S. Hype, rage. Sapporo, Hakata, Kumamoto, Ippudo. This one is not thin enough and that one is too rich/sinful. We think of the one at tokyo instead. Because we have eaten it there authentically. There is no correct ramen, just you cook it yourself.
