Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King — Tontoro ramen ($18.80++)!
Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King at PLQ — Tontoro ramen with char-grilled pork cheek slices, ajitama, nori, scallions over tonkotsu broth. $18.80++.
Dinner at Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King at Paya Lebar Quarter — the Tontoro ramen ($18.80++) with char-grilled pork cheek as the upgrade protein. 😋
What was in the bowl ($18.80++):
- A deep brown ceramic bowl of creamy tonkotsu pork bone broth — slightly darker than the standard tonkotsu, the colour suggests longer-boiled bones.
- Three thick slices of char-grilled tontoro (pork cheek) — the meat marked with grill char on the edges, the marbled fat layer visible through each slice.
- An ajitama (marinated soft-boiled egg) half — the orange-jammy yolk that’s the chain’s standard.
- A nest of chopped scallions + white sesame seeds in the centre, marked with the Keisuke red rectangular tag (the chain signature).
- A large piece of nori (seaweed) standing up at the back.
- Hakata-style thin straight ramen noodles hidden under the broth.
Ramen Keisuke is the SG-Japan ramen chain — multiple branches around the island, each with its own signature broth (Tonkotsu King for pork bone, Lobster King for lobster, etc.). Owned by chef Keisuke Takeda. The PLQ branch is one of the Tonkotsu King locations.
Tontoro (豚トロ) literally means “pork tuna belly” — it’s the pork jowl / cheek meat, the fatty marbled cut from around the jaw. Char-grilling it (instead of braising like chashu) gives smoky charred edges + soft fatty interior. The chain’s premium protein upgrade — most ramen shops do braised chashu, the char-grilled tontoro is a meaningful differentiation.
The tonkotsu broth was on the darker richer side — Keisuke boils their bones long enough to get the natural milky-tan colour with a slight roasted note. Compared to Ippudo’s lighter cleaner broth, this leans heavier.
Ajitama was textbook — the deep orange jammy yolk and properly marinated white. Nori sheet standing up gives the bowl visual height.
Hakata-style thin noodles are the chain standard — firm + thin + straight. Holds up against the heavy broth. Kaedama (noodle refill) is FREE here on tonkotsu mains — the SG perk that no other ramen chain matches.
Total: $18.80++ = roughly $22 after GST + service. Mid-tier ramen pricing.
Overall: 4 / 5. Tontoro pork cheek had proper char + fat, broth was rich but felt slightly oilier than I’d want, free kaedama is the chain’s secret weapon. Solid but not transformative. 😍👍🏼
