At a Glance
About Brothers Ramen
Brothers Ramen is the ramen shop that the Tanjong Pagar CBD crowd queues for — literally. From the moment the doors open at 11:30am, a line forms outside unit #01-20 at International Plaza, and by 12:15pm the queue often snakes past neighbouring shopfronts. The reason is simple: Brothers Ramen serves some of the most generous portions of quality ramen in the CBD at prices that start from just S$12.90++. The Megamen Light — the cheapest item on the menu — has become a cult favourite not despite its low price but because of it: the cut of chashu is fatty and extra tender, the noodles are springy, and the portion size puts many S$18-20 ramen bowls to shame. This is not a ramen restaurant that wins on sophistication or exotic ingredients; it wins on the fundamentals: good broth, good noodles, good chashu, generous portions, and honest pricing.
The Brothers Ramen at S$14.90++ is the signature bowl: springy noodles in a rich tonkotsu-style broth, topped with tender chashu pork, soft bamboo shoots, spring onion, and a boiled egg. The broth is satisfying without being overwhelming — rich enough to coat the noodles but clean enough that you can drink the last spoonful without feeling heavy. The Megamen Light at S$12.90++ is the budget champion and the dish that regulars order most frequently: the same quality broth and noodles, but with a cut of chashu that is fattier and more tender than the standard — a happy accident of the menu hierarchy where the cheapest option turns out to have the most indulgent pork. The portions across the menu are notably larger than what most CBD ramen shops serve, and this generosity is what drives the repeat visits and the queues.
The limited operating hours create both scarcity and urgency. Brothers Ramen is open for lunch Monday through Saturday (11:30am–2:30pm), but evening service is only available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (6pm–7:45pm) — and closed entirely on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. This means the lunch window is the primary (and for many, the only) opportunity to eat here, which concentrates demand into a narrow timeframe and creates the queues. The strategy for minimising your wait: arrive at 11:30am sharp, or come after 1:30pm when the first wave has cleared. International Plaza's location — one minute from Tanjong Pagar MRT Exit C — makes it easy to reach, and the same building houses Kan Sushi, Fukusuke, and Sushi Muni for those days when the Brothers Ramen queue is too long to justify.
Recommended For
Menu & Pricing
Simple menu. Generous portions. Walk-in only. Limited hours — check before visiting.
| Item | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Brothers Ramen | Signature — springy noodles, tender chashu, bamboo shoots, egg, rich broth | S$14.90++ |
| Megamen Light | Cheapest & fan favourite — fatty extra-tender chashu, generous portion | S$12.90++ |
The Brothers Ramen Experience
The 11:30am Queue — Why People Wait
If you see snaking queues in front of a ramen shop at International Plaza, it is almost certainly Brothers Ramen. The queue forms before the 11:30am opening and grows rapidly as the CBD lunch crowd arrives. By 12:15pm, waits of 20-30 minutes are common. The queue moves at a reasonable pace — the simple menu means orders are fast and turnover is brisk — but the scarcity created by limited hours (no Sunday, limited evenings) concentrates demand. The regulars know the rhythm: arrive at 11:30 sharp for immediate seating, or wait until 1:30pm when the first wave has eaten and left. The queue itself is a testament to the restaurant's value: nobody waits 20 minutes for mediocre ramen when Ippudo, Hakata Ikkousha, and Tori King are all within a 5-minute walk.
Megamen Light — The Cheapest Best Bite
The Megamen Light at S$12.90++ is one of those happy menu anomalies where the cheapest item turns out to be many regulars' favourite. The cut of chashu in the Megamen Light is fattier than the standard — a belly-adjacent piece that has more marbling and renders into a melt-in-your-mouth tenderness that the leaner chashu in the regular Brothers Ramen cannot match. Combined with the rich broth, springy noodles, and the characteristically generous portion size, it creates a bowl that delivers more satisfaction per dollar than almost any other ramen in the Tanjong Pagar CBD. Food bloggers who have tried it consistently call out the chashu as the highlight, noting that its fatty tenderness is more reminiscent of high-end ramen shops than a S$12.90 menu item. If you are visiting for the first time, order the Megamen Light. You can always upgrade to the standard Brothers Ramen on your next visit, but most people do not bother — the Light is that good.
International Plaza Ground Floor — The Ramen Alternative
Brothers Ramen sits on the ground floor of International Plaza at 10 Anson Road — the same building that houses Kan Sushi, Fukusuke, and Sushi Muni on upper floors. This concentration means that if Brothers Ramen's queue is too long, you have quality Japanese alternatives within the same building. But for ramen specifically, Brothers Ramen occupies a unique position: it is the generous-portion, value-focused ramen option that International Plaza lacked before it arrived. Kan Sushi serves sushi and izakaya fare, Fukusuke is a hidden-gem izakaya, and Sushi Muni is an intimate omakase — none are ramen competitors. The nearest ramen alternatives are Hakata Ikkousha at Tanjong Pagar Plaza (3 minutes) and Ippudo at Guoco Tower (5 minutes). Brothers Ramen's advantage over both is portion size: you get more food for less money, which is the calculation that drives its queue.
Limited Hours — Plan Your Visit
Brothers Ramen's operating hours are unusually restrictive and require planning. Lunch is served Monday through Saturday from 11:30am to 2:30pm — this is the primary service and the time most people visit. Evening service is available only on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 6pm to 7:45pm — a narrow 1 hour 45 minute window. Wednesday and Saturday are lunch-only. Sunday is closed entirely. This schedule means you cannot casually drop by for dinner most evenings, and weekend visits are limited to Saturday lunch. The restricted hours are likely a deliberate choice to manage quality and workload — fewer services means the kitchen can maintain consistency without overextending. For first-time visitors, the recommendation is clear: come for weekday lunch, arrive at 11:30am, and plan for a 15-minute wait if you arrive after 12pm.
S$12.90 vs S$14.90 — The Only Decision
The menu at Brothers Ramen is refreshingly simple: you choose between Brothers Ramen (S$14.90++) and Megamen Light (S$12.90++). That is essentially the only decision. The S$2 difference buys you a slightly different cut of chashu and marginally different toppings, but the broth and noodles are the same quality in both. The irony — and the reason the Megamen Light has become the cult favourite — is that many regulars prefer the fattier chashu in the cheaper bowl. This means the optimal first-visit order is the Megamen Light: you pay less, you get a generous portion, and you get the chashu that the regulars swear by. If you want to try both on subsequent visits, the S$14.90 Brothers Ramen provides a slightly leaner, more traditional chashu experience. But most people who start with the Megamen Light never switch — at S$12.90 for a huge, satisfying bowl of quality ramen with exceptional chashu, there is simply no reason to spend more.
Practical Information
Wed & Sat: 11:30–14:30 only
Sun: Closed
Dietary Information
Tanjong Pagar — Singapore's Japanese Food Capital
The Neighbourhood
Tanjong Pagar holds the highest concentration of Japanese restaurants in Singapore, with over 45 establishments. From Michelin-starred omakase to late-night ramen, this is the most complete Japanese dining neighbourhood in Southeast Asia.
Insider Tips — Dining at Brothers Ramen
Order Megamen Light S$12.90++ — the fatty chashu is actually better than the standard. Arrive 11:30am sharp. Sunday closed. Limited evening hours. Same building as Kan Sushi and Fukusuke. If queue is too long, Hakata Ikkousha is 3 min away.
Planning Your Visit to Tanjong Pagar
Tanjong Pagar MRT (East-West Line) is the main access point. Parking at Guoco Tower, International Plaza, 100AM, Icon Village. The area is compact and walkable — most Japanese restaurants within 10 minutes of the MRT.
Editor's Note
Brothers Ramen proves that you do not need a famous chef's name or a Michelin star to build a queue in Tanjong Pagar — you just need huge portions of quality ramen at honest prices. The Megamen Light at S$12.90++ is one of the best ramen values in the entire CBD: a generous bowl with fatty, melt-in-your-mouth chashu that regulars prefer over the more expensive option. The limited hours create scarcity that drives demand, but the food justifies the queue. If you work at or near International Plaza and have not tried Brothers Ramen, you are missing the best-value lunch in your building.