Here’s to the people who are always hungry, who devour a whole meal and hunger for more, whose thoughts revolve around what they just ate and what they’re about to eat for their next meal. Here’s to the real food-lovers.
If the above sounds nothing like you, then click away. Because this prized list is only for the eyes of the worthy; for the brave champions who face each day ready to eat a sh*tload of food.
Here’s a list of 8 fantastic Japanese restaurants that offer a free upsize to fill the mightily hungry!
1. Menya Musashi
At Menya Musashi, you don’t only get great bowls of delicious ramen, you get them in up to five times the size of a regular ramen bowl. I know, it sounds absurd, and truly it is, but I assure you I am not kidding.
I don’t think I’ve ever been hungry enough to want five servings of ramen, but I can’t deny that this is an incredible deal. It’s basically equivalent to five bowls of ramen, for the price of one.
Menya Musashi prides itself on its exceptionally creamy broth. It comes in three flavours: white, red and black. The white is a tonkotsu broth that’s simmered for hours to produce an umami-rich broth. The red, as you can probably guess, is the spicy flavour, while the black features an aromatic garlic flavour.
Out of all the restaurants on this list, Menya Musashi’s free upsize has got to be the greatest deal. Try it out, and see if you can finish five servings!
Expected damage: $15 – $20 per pax
Menya Musashi: Various Outlets | Website | Facebook
2. Men-ichi Sapporo Ramen
Men-ichi Sapporo Ramen may not be as much of a household name as Menya Musashi, but its ramen is undoubtedly top-notch.
At this restaurant, ramen options are aplenty — you can choose from a wide variety of broths, ranging from miso (fermented bean paste) to tonkotsu (pork bone broth) to shio (salt-based broth).
There’s also a choice between thick or thin noodles. The recommendation is to pair thick noodles with richer broths, and thin noodles with lighter broths. And rejoice, as all ramen dishes are available for a free upsize!
The Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen ($13.90) features a rich pork bone and chicken broth, chashu, tamago, red ginger strips, spring onion and seaweed.
With a robust tonkotsu base, the broth was as rich and umami-filled as any other. A subtle sweetness peeked in at the end of each bite, providing for a more complex and satisfying flavour.
Expected damage: $13 – $20 per pax
Men-ichi Sapporo Ramen: Various Outlets | Website | Facebook
3. Kaneta Shoten
Located in ChinaTown Point, Kaneta Shoten is a small ramen joint that serves mouth-watering bowls of ramen. Unlike the previous two restaurants, Kaneta Shoten only offers free upsizes for a selected number of ramen dishes, and not its entire menu.
These dishes include their signature Kaneta Mazesoba ($13.90) and Spicy Mazesoba ($14.90). Infused with truffle, the Kaneta Mazesoba is truly one-of-a-kind.
It is served with a generous serving of sweet, aromatic chashu, some mushrooms, seaweed and a perfect onsen egg.
The upsized version will award you with an extra 50g of noodles, making for one huge bowl of noodles. You’ll try your hardest to finish this mazesoba, because each bite is a delightful combination of flavour and texture.
The chewy noodles are coated with a rich, savoury sauce accompanied with aromatic hints of truffle, providing for a complex yet delicious flavour.
The Spicy Mazesoba is also an excellent choice. A heap of spicy minced meat will greet you instead of chashu. This injected a fiery excitement to the dish, making for an incredibly addictive bowl of noodles!
Expected damage: $14 – $15 per pax
Kaneta Shoten: 133 New Bridge Road, #B1-44/45 ChinaTown Point, Singapore 059413 | Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm (Daily) | Tel: +65 6443 8366 | Facebook
4. Ramen Matsuri
Ramen Matsuri specialises in chicken-based ramen, as well as mazesoba. Here, there’s a free upsize that’ll get you 1.5 times the size of a regular bowl of ramen. And yes, a free upsize is available for all the ramen on the menu!
I know some people sneer at the mention of chicken-based broth, and it’s understandable — chicken-based broths tend to be less full-bodied than pork bone broths.
Ramen Matsuri’s chicken broth, however, is as rich and powerful as any pork bone broth. Whole chickens are boiled for over six hours to produce a thick, creamy broth with notes of sweetness.
The Torikoku Ramen ($13.50) comes with springy, thin ramen noodles, as well as three thick slices of chicken chashu. The broth had a unique flavour, a combination of sweet and salty that truly tickled my fancy.
Expected damage: $11 – $20 per pax
Ramen Matsuri: 7 North Canal Road, Singapore 048820 | Opening Hours: 11.30am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm (Mon – Thurs & Sat), 11.30am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 11pm (Fri), Closed on Sundays | Tel: +65 6533 0845 | Website | Facebook
5. Kajiken
At Kajiken, you’ll not only get a free upsize (1.5 times), you can also ask for a serving of rice at the end of your meal.
Kajiken’s signature Mazesoba Nagoya Style ($12.80) comes with a heaping amount of spicy minced pork, chives, seaweed, and a wobbly onsen egg — all of which can be mixed with rice, once you’ve finished the springy noodles.
Other options include the Mazesoba With All Toppings ($15.80), which is packed with chashu, braised pork, deep fried chicken, an onsen egg, bamboo shoots and seaweed. With so much in one bowl, this is undoubtedly a great deal. Opt for the free upsize, and you’ll have yourself an incredible steal!
Read our full review of Kajiken.
Expected damage: $12.80 – $15.80 per pax
Kajiken Singapore: 101 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088522 | Opening Hours: 11.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 9.30pm, (Mon – Fri), 11.30am – 9.30pm (Sat & Sun) | Tel: +65 8226 0199 | Website | Facebook
6. Hokkaido Izakaya
Hokkaido Izakaya prides itself on its high-quality soba noodles that are made fresh every day, with buckwheat flour imported from Hokkaido.
Yet, the best part about the soba is that you can get up to three regular servings in one bowl. Depending on how hungry you are, you can order 100g, 200g, or 300g of noodles.
Try their Maze Niku Soba ($15), which features cold soba mixed in a signature sesame sauce, along with thin slices of beef. This aromatic bowl of noodles is sure to whet your appetite, and I don’t think just 100g of noodles will be enough for anyone.
For those who prefer their soba steaming hot, perhaps order the Kakiage Tempura Soba (Hot) ($12), or the Wagyu Beef Shabu Shabu Soba ($15). Both are excellent choices which are sure to warm you through and through!
Do note that the two branches – Tanjong Pagar and Wisma Atria – offer different set menus, so do check out the website for more information.
Expected damage: $10 – $30 per pax
Hokkaido Izakaya: Various Outlets | Website | Facebook
7. Osaka Ohsho (Junction 8)
Osaka Ohsho boasts numerous branches all over the island, but you’ll want to visit the Junction 8 outlet for its free upsize that will get you a bowl of mazesoba three times the size of a regular one.
The Pork Shabu Maze Soba ($9.90) features aromatic soba with thin slices of tender pork shabu. For just $9.90, and a free upsize of up to three times, this is no doubt an incredible deal. Where else are you going to get an enormous bowl of ramen for literally less than $10?
Expected damage: $10 – $11 per pax
Osaka Ohsho (Junction 8): #02-34/35/35A, Junction 8, 9 Bishan Place, Singapore 579837 | Website | Facebook
8. Takagi Ramen
At Takagi Ramen, you’ll not only get restaurant-grade ramen for a third of the price, but also free noodle refills! That’s simply amazing, isn’t it?
The signature Takagi Ramen goes for only $5.50 and is a traditional tonkotsu ramen topped with slices of chashu. You can opt to add a flavoured egg for $1!
Expected damage: $6 – $7 per pax
Takagi Ramen: Various Outlets | Website | Facebook
