I got excited upon hearing that Machida Shoten already has 43 outlets all over Japan after it was founded in Jan 2008 and Singapore's outlet being the first that was out of Japan! 

A series of new dishes was unveiled, made only exclusive to Singapore's outlet. I wasn't surprised when I found that some of these dishes had Chinese influences, probably to adapt to the local palette.

The Burdock Tempura (S$7.80) came about as a perfect snack for itchy-mouths while waiting for mains to arrive. Thinly sliced, perfectly crispy yet not excessively oily.

Cha-Shu Croquette (S$6.00) was one of the dishes that has Chinese influence. In fact it was seasoned meatballs that was tender and moist, deep fried till a brown crust was formed. Popping these Croquettes into my mouth would be an easy task, but not stopping at 1.

Garden Salad (S$9.00) would be a perfect option for health enthusiasts since the vegetables hardly undergone much heat, remaining kind of raw. Drenched it with the homemade curry dressing as well as the non-oily oba leaf vinegar for a flavourful finish! Loving the sliced deep fried lotus root as well!

The Seasoned Iberico Spareribs (S$14.00) that was boiled till easily fall-of-the-bone, seasoned with Machida Shoten's original sweet soy sauce reminded me of another Chinese zi char dish. The light sweetness yet not overpowering the meat was unbelievably tasty.

Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice (S$10.00) would be an option for rice lovers if they prefer rice over ramen. Close resemblence to sambal fried rice, probably also due to it reddish hues, it was prepared with about 12 different ingredients. Try their Homemade Shrimp Gyoza (S$9.80 / 5 pcs) if you would want more seafood intake.

Machida Shoten has a reputation for its 'iekei' ramen, meaning 'home' in Japanese. It evokes a sense of warmth and homliness from its offerings. The highlights for that day would probably be either one of the 3 bowls of ramen since my table of foodies have distributed views.

The chef's recommendation mentioned was Shoyu Tonkotsu (S$14). It was a combination of soya sauce and pork bone broth. Miso Tonkotsu Ramen (S$14) was actually my personal favourite as the broth was tonkotsu based with a blend of red and white miso. I loved the crunch from all those corns as well as a piece of butter that added kick to the already thick and robust broth. The Garden Veggie Ramen (S$15) had a close resemblance to the Garden Salad. Its broth was the lightest among the 3 since it was made with from just vegetables.

I also bet the ladies would find the chef an eye-candy!
Thank you Brandcellar for the invite.

Japan Food Town
435 Orchard Road
#04-40 Wisma Atria Shopping Centre
Singapore 238877