Keisuke Singapore Has Changed Its Menu

Keisuke launched a new menu this week...and unfortunately, not necessarily for the better. Given the fact that people kept comparing their ebi ramen to local prawn noodles, they shifted their menu towards more mainstream (and hence, less remarkable) items instead, including a tonkotsu ramen that just wasn't rich enough for me. Worse, the scoop of chili included in the "premium" version pictured above ended up overpowering the taste of everything, including the cheese and the watercress, two items that I probably otherwise would have enjoyed. And perhaps for the first time ever, I did not drink the broth at Keisuke down to the last drop. If I get this again, I must remember to tell them not to add the chili.

Yep - there were a lot of changes, with the sign even sporting a new "Ramen Dining" tagline. Gone are the little red chopstick stands and wet towels. Gone are those white spherical bowls with their logo at the bottom. And without the ebi ramen around anymore, that wonderful seafood aroma that used to hit you when you entered the restaurant has disappeared too. Instead, these guys are now serving hiyashi ramen and butter corn miso, and even the gyoza are looking more like the little ones from Ippudo rather than those distinctly-shaped long ones of the past. I guess one can't blame the capitalists in them for trying to appeal to a wider audience. But this just evokes memories of the now defunct Wakashachiya Singapore, which similarly tried to change its menu, and unfortunately lost its appeal to me in the process.

Well, at least the kani ramen as well as their awesome shoyu and shio ramen survived the revamp. And a new offering of seasoned bean sprouts at each table is a nice touch. But I still think they should have brought their tontoro kuro ramen from Japan over here - that would make them a standout. Instead, with this new menu, they just blend into the rest of the crowd, thus motivating me to go to somewhere like Kusabi if I want something more unique. Farewell, ebi ramen. I'm really gonna miss ya.