Kuroyu Book a seat
A finished bowl of tonkotsu ramen on a dark wood counter: milky broth, a soft egg, two slices of torched chashu, negi and a sheet of nori.

Every bowl here takes eighteen hours.

You'll finish it in eight minutes.

  1. Bones in.
  2. The broth turns white.
  3. Noodles cut fresh.
  4. Egg, 6 min 30 s.
  5. Chashu, torched.
  6. Negi. Nori.
  7. Served.

Kuroyu

A tonkotsu counter in Keong Saik. Open till two.

Chopsticks lift a tangle of thin noodles out of the bowl, steam rising.

Lift.

Nobody talks for the first minute.

Pork bones at a hard, rolling boil in a wide steel pot, the broth gone milky white under the steam.

Why it's white.

Pork bones at a hard, rolling boil. Not a simmer.

The fat and collagen give way. The broth turns the colour of milk.

Four bowls. Most nights, the same faces.

Kuroyu tonkotsu: milky pork broth, chashu, soft egg, negi and nori in a black bowl.

黒湯Kuroyu

The one to start with. Everyone does.

Pork bone broth, chashu, egg, negi, nori.

Tonkotsu S$17

Kuro: tonkotsu darkened with burnt garlic oil, wood ear, negi, chashu and egg.

黒Kuro

After a late shift. Same seat, extra garlic.

Burnt garlic oil, wood ear, negi, chashu, egg.

Black garlic S$19

Aka: red chilli miso broth with minced pork, bean sprouts and corn.

赤Aka

Whoever came straight from drinks.

Chilli miso, minced pork, bean sprouts, corn.

Spicy miso S$19

Shio: a clear golden salt broth with thin noodles, chashu, yuzu peel and a herb leaf.

塩Shio

The one before closing. Light enough to sleep after.

Clear salt broth, yuzu peel, chashu, thin noodles.

Yuzu clear S$18

The Kuroyu counter at night: eight wooden stools, pendant lamps, a cook at the stock pots, rain on the street outside.

Eight seats. Last bowl at two.

Open
Tuesday to Sunday, 6pm to 2am
Where
Keong Saik, Singapore
The empty black bowl on the counter.

Your seat is still warm.

Book a seat