Keisuke Tokyo RWS: Seasonal Laksa Ramen & Lobster Ramen In A Modern Lush Restaurant At Sentosa

Along the stretch of F&B restaurants at Sentosa Gateway, it’s easy to spot (and smell) Keisuke Tokyo (RWS). With a tiny signboard like those you see in Japan, it reminded me of the times I went to Tokyo and had fantastic ramen. 

A massive store encased entirely by glass, it certainly looked premium. If you’ve tried Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King, you’d know that this is one of its cousin stores. Outside the store, there were signboards advertising the seasonal ramen flavours, which whetted my appetite and prompted me to step into the restaurant. 

The interior was furnished with booths, and matching tables and chairs. Counter seats are also available if you’re up for a more immersive experience, because you’ll get to watch the preparation of your food. If you’ve ever been to Japan, it’s also common to see ramen places with counter seats so diners can have a good view of the action. 

The decorations even looked like they were modelled after a typical modern Japanese home setting. 

First up, I dove into the Deep Fried Prawn with Mayonnaise Sauce (S$8.90). For four pieces, I felt that these were exceptionally worth it because each individual prawn was huge. 

Already deshelled and cleaned, these prawns were deep-fried in crispy batter and topped with mayonnaise. What I noticed right off the bat was that the prawn to batter ratio was just right for me. 

Extremely fresh and flavourful, these prawns were the perfect appetiser to start my meal. If the mayonnaise on the prawns themselves is not enough for you, a dollop of mayonnaise is also served on the side. 

I tried the Red Spicy Lobster Broth Ramen Special (S$21.90) next. The bowl came with the standard ingredients—cha shu, black fungus, bamboo shoots, an Ajitsuke Tamago (flavoured soft-boiled egg), and a large piece of seaweed. 

The prawn dumplings were a delicious and pleasant addition with the distinctive taste of seafood.

Extremely tender, the cha shu melted in my mouth almost instantly. I’ve always been a fan of Keisuke’s cha shu slices, so having these after such a long time was a truly gratifying experience.

The ramen noodles had little chilli flakes in them to add to the overall spicy fragrance. Thin and springy, they were standard ramen noodles with just the right consistency—chewy and with a nice bite to them. 

I’ve never really been a fan of black fungus, and I usually opt not to get these in my ramen. However, I decided to give it a try, since it was immersed in the lobster broth. With a soft, smooth surface, it had a toothsome crunch to it. Unfortunately, I still didn’t like it—the texture is just not for me. 

The Ajitsuke Tamago was cooked to perfection, in my opinion. The runny egg yolk went satisfyingly well with the ramen broth. Bursts of umami flavour filled my mouth upon biting into this egg.

The red spicy lobster broth was mildly spicy to me, and I could detect a hint of fresh lobster. There was, however, a layer of chilli oil that formed on the surface of the broth, so I would advise you mix well or remove that layer of oil before enjoying your meal. 

Up next, I had the Black Spicy Lobster Broth Ramen Special (S$21.90). Arriving with the exact same ingredients as the previous bowl, the black lobster broth gave off a strong peppery scent.

After tasting this dish, I realised that the difference between the red spicy lobster broth and the black spicy lobster broth was the type of spice they used. The red one was fragrant with chilis while the black one was more peppery. 

That being said, I personally felt that this broth was too overpowering—to the point where I couldn’t really detect the lobster flavour anymore. 

Upon seeing the Lobster Tsukemen (S$14.90), I felt quite underwhelmed. I don’t usually go for dipping noodles at ramen restaurants because I feel like the noodles might taste bland.

However, the gravy was thick and the noodles picked up a fair amount of sauce in just one dip. This dish used thicker noodles than that of ramen, which made the noodles hard to separate because they were all sticking to one another.

The taste of lobster was incredibly evident in the gravy, and I enjoyed the first few bites. 

The cha shu went in beautifully, picking up the gravy just as well as the noodles. The flavours of the lobster and pork came together in a euphoric blend. 

As much as I enjoyed the first few mouthfuls of the tsukemen, it is extremely cloying. After a while, I felt like I was just eating salt and MSG. It was hard to get through this single dish without drinking a few glasses of water.

Of course, I had to try the seasonal Keisuke Laksa Ramen (S$15.90). The ramen came with prawns, tau pok, black fungus, a hard-boiled egg, and naruto. The seasonal menu is only available at the Keisuke Tokyo RWS outlet, so if you want to try this, you’ll have to make your way to Sentosa. 

To be frank, the first thing I noticed about the soup was the layer of oil above it. It was quite unsightly and I had to mix it to get rid of the layer. 

Interestingly, the noodles used were yellow noodles—I guess that’s how they fused both laksa and ramen together. After speaking to the staff about it, I learned that the noodles were actually a mix of both yellow and ramen noodles. 

It might be because yellow noodles have a more distinctive taste, but I couldn’t tell that ramen noodles were mixed in. 

The prawns were reasonably-sized although I thought that they could’ve been fresher. It tasted a little mediocre, and I felt like I can have smaller yet more appetising prawns at hawker centres.

The naruto was a nice Japanese touch that was added to the overall dish in my opinion. I’ve never had naruto in laksa before, so this was a new experience for me. 

Surprisingly, Keisuke added a hard-boiled egg in the laksa ramen instead of Ajitsuke Tamago. The yolk was not runny at all and it tasted like a normal, mundane egg. 

Notably, the laksa gravy was mildly spicy and thicker than the gravy you can find at hawker centres. I could tell that more coconut milk was used in the gravy than usual because of the strong fragrance of coconut.

In my honest opinion, this dish did not do it for me at all. It took me quite a while to realise how this relates to ramen at all, apart from the incorporation of black fungus and naruto. Just looking at the price made me ponder about how I could get a cheaper and better bowl of laksa at so many other places. 

The Keisuke Laksa Ramen is available from now till 31 March 2020 exclusively at Keisuke Tokyo RWS, so if you want to try it out yourself, be sure to head down before it’s off the menu. Also, be sure to look out for two new ramen dishes in the works—the Mee Pok Maze Soba and the Bak Kut Teh Ramen. 

The dishes I loved the most would definitely be the Deep Fried Prawn with Mayonnaise and the Red Spicy Lobster Broth Special. The rest didn’t leave as much of a lasting impression on me as I had hoped. If you’re looking for a nice steamy bowl of lobster ramen, head down to Keisuke Tokyo RWS when you have the chance. 

Expected Damage: S$25 per pax