There’s so many Hototogisu outlets these days that I’m getting confused myself sometimes. Ha-Oh Hototogisu’s specialty is its Crab Ramen but unlike other regular Crab Ramen out there, the combination make you wonder how all these seemingly bizarre ingredients can come together to create something that actually taste good.
The broth is affected by the various toppings – lemon slice, sour cream, the ball of tomato and crab paste. Before mixing it, the strong taste of the blue crabs is quite prominent but after mixing the rest of the ingredients, it starts becomes a slightly creamy and complex broth. The combination of flavour includes a subtle sweetness of the crabs, a hint of sourness from the lemon and the subtle sweetness from the tomato paste.
Clarissa
4
Ramen broth broth was not too thick, portion would be just right if you’re a small to moderate eater. If you’re a hungry monster you could opt to pair your bowl of ramen with a side dish at a $4.90 top up.
They offer a variety of sides such as California maki, agedashi tofu with Bonito flakes and gyozas as part of the promo. Sides weren’t super presentable but were ok taste wise?
Sweet Iced Tea
3
Had quite an expectation for this place because of the Michelin label but we found this place is just ok. Tried the signature crab ramen, I thought it was sloppily presented with oil and broth splattered all over the side of the bowl. The idea of combining tomato paste, sour cream and slices of lemon to create different sensations when drinking the broth is quite interesting but the broth itself doesn't quite deliver. Somehow the broth tastes more like shrimp instead of crab based. Tried the shrimp wonton with crab sauce. The wonton skin was perfect, the shrimp inside was ok, chopped into small pieces with not much of seasoning, but the sauce should have been referred to as tomato sauce instead of crab sauce. It's good but somehow there's a mismatch between expectation and reality. In my opinion go with the mazesoba it tastes good and also good price. Waitress was not friendly, we were ignored at the door for a while even though there were 4-5 empty tables.
Leica G
4
We had the signature crab ramen which didn’t wow. The broth has a nice tangy tastes of lemon to ward off fishy-ness smell from the crab. Overall, it was ok but just regular ramen. It was surprisingly quiet during a Friday lunch hour. 3.5 stars for the food. Service was great!
VT
5
Iberico shoyu ramen with Asari clam broth is light and fresh, especially with lemonz. Crab King ramen is more popular with thicker taste, though still lighter than other places. Fried chicken is surprisingly good. Highly recommended.