Afuri is not your typical Japanese ramen restaurant brand which hails from Tokyo, Japan. Their yuzu-infused ramen is the holy grail of ramen lovers. So if you’re into ramen, you must give their yuzu ramen a try.
In addition to their signature Yuzu Ramen, they also serve Tsukemen, a dry version of ramen where you have to dip the ramen into a separate bowl of flavourful broth. I would come back for their Tsukemen, anytime.
Afuri @ Vivocity
Their first outlet at Funan IT mall is usually packed with diners during peak hours. Sometimes you might have to wait and queue up before you can get a seat. With the opening of their second outlet at Vivocity, the waiting time, hopefully, might be now shorter.
Their new outlet is located on level of Vivocity shopping mall. It’s located on the far end of the mall, closer to Sephora.
It was around 2.30pm, after lunch hour so the restaurant is less pack with people. But by the time it was about 4pm, the restaurant was quite pack. I am pretty sure that the queue will start to form by 6pm so if you are planning to dine at Afuri, do avoid peak hours so that you don’t have to wait.
What to order?
You can place your orders via their tablet found at every table. Their must-order dishes are Yuzu Shio Ramen, Yuzu Tsukemen, Spicy Tsukemen and soft-shell crab bun.
Their beverages are pretty lovely as well and they complement with the ramen and other savoury dishes. We recommend their yuzu tea because it tastes so refreshing. The floating bits of sweetened yuzu peels in the drink can be quite addictive.
What did we try?
We ordered their premium ramen, Kiwami which is unique to this outlet at Vivocity as well as their Spicy Tsukemen. As for the side dishes, we had their Chilli crab bun and spicy chicken bun which are also worth a try if you prefer to have a light bite.
Spicy Tsukemen ($15.90)
We tried their Yuzu Tsukemen previously so we decided to try their Spicy Tsukemen this time. The Yuzu Tsukemen was tasty but their Spicy Tsukemen is even better.
This dish appeals more to our tastebuds because we both love eating spicy food and the cold dipping broth or tare has a good spicy kick to it. It is a deep robust sauce mixed with housemade chilli oil.
More importantly, their wholewheat noodles are so firm, springy and chewy. They are served with slices of braised pork belly (or Kakuni), bamboo shoots, lettuce and soft-boiled egg which is cooked to perfection.
To up the spice level, the noodles are also dusted with chilli powder. But don’t worry, it’s not overly spicy.
Kiwami Ramen ($23.90)
Kiwami is a lavish bowl of yuzu ramen which comes separately with a dish of ramen toppings, featuring 3 types of meat – Braised Pork Belly (Kakuni), Chashu and sliced chicken. They served the toppings separately to prevent the intense rich flavours of the Kakuni to mixed with the citrusy flavours of the yuzu ramen broth.
Yuzu-infused Soup Base
You can choose between Yuzu Shio base or Yuzu Shoyu base. We will recommend the Shio base where you can truly taste the pure citrusy yuzu flavours.
The yuzu-infused broth is light, refreshing and very appetising indeed. It’s something which you would not expect taste when eating a bowl of ramen. As such, it’s quite a unique experience to me and it is definitely worth a try especially if you’re a food connoisseur.
The Kiwami ramen is the most expensive bowl of ramen in the menu and if you’re a meat lover, you will feel so blessed eating this.
Chilli Crab Bun ($8.90)
This Chilli crab bun is their exclusive opening special at Afuri Vivocity which is offered for a limited period of time only. It is actually soft-shell crab bun served with Chilli crab sauce. This is a must-try because I don’t think you can get anywhere else.
The buns are ultra soft and the soft-shell crab is so tasty and crunchy. It’s like an Asian version of ‘burgers’.
Spicy Chicken Bun ($5.90)
Their spicy chicken bun is equally good. I did not expect Afuri to be offering such yummy buns but I’m so glad they did!
So next time when you are at Afuri, don’t forget to try their buns along with their signature Yuzu ramen.
AFURI Ramen + Dumpling
VivoCity #01-168
1 HarbourFront Walk
Singapore 098585
