Menbaka Kyoto Fire Ramen Restaurant at Cineleisure Orchard

I braved the one hour wait in line for this. And I went through all of the theatrics at the counter with the huge flames and selfie sticks. Fortunately, I liked the taste too. See, this is a chain from Japan (8 Grange Road #05-03) that sets fire to their bowls, the idea being that it fuels the flavor of the negi on top, all while taking the raw edge off in the process.

It generally worked. There was a nice roasted aroma in the the broth that I happily slurped up. The thin chashu and skinny noodles resonated with me, as did those add-ons, like the charred butter corn.

The bigger question then is: how did it compare to our all-time-favorite Gogyo? Well, despite the similar flame action, it wasn't quite the same thing. This tasted more like roasted onions, whereas Gogyo was more like yakiniku. And if I had to choose between the two, I'd choose Gogyo. But I'll eat this again if I don't have to wait in line.