Menya Noodle Bar Chinatown, Haymarket (24th March 2013)

It's been awhile since I caught up with Ken - I've been so busy with the wedding plans and then the wedding itself, there hadn't been much time to catch up with most people. Now that the wedding is done and dusted, it's time to have a proper catch up!

Ken and I agreed to meet up at Central station at 12pm and headed into Chinatown for lunch. After 10 days of Indonesian fare on my honeymoon, I was craving Japanese food so we went into one of my favourite Japanese joints in Chinatown, Menya Noodle Bar. Ah, the place was exactly as I remembered - noisy and filled with hungry customers slurping huge bowls of noodles at the communal bar tables. I ordered myself the Menya Tonkotsu Shoyu (cost $9.30). I've always wanted to try their famous Tonkotsu soup but as it is very popular and often sold out, I've not had the opportunity to sample it to date. Collagen-rich, this flavoursome soup is made by simmering pork bones for over 10 hours then added with fresh vegetables. You can also order the Tonkotsu soup flavoured with miso (or shoyu aka soy sauce like what I had).

Our food arrived promptly and my, was it HUGE! "I'll probably only manage to eat half the dish..." I thought to myself but I was so wrong. From the first slurp of the soup, I was hooked and even though I was bursting at the seams, I was determined to finish the whole bowl (well, almost). The soup was just delicious, rich and slightly creamy. The noodles were cooked al dente and accompanied with slices of tender pork, fish cake, bamboo shoot, spring onion, half a soft-boiled egg and seaweed, topped with sesame seed. Definitely recommend trying the Tonkotsu soup if you haven't!

Menya Tonkotsu Shoyu ($9.30)

Urgh, I don't think I can move after eating so much...