Torasho Ramen & Charcoal Bar
At a Glance
About Torasho Ramen & Charcoal Bar
Torasho Ramen & Charcoal Bar is the kind of restaurant that refuses to be just one thing. Located at 32 Tras Street inside the ST Signature Tanjong Pagar hotel, it is simultaneously a serious ramen restaurant, a charcoal-grilled izakaya, a late-night bar, and a gathering spot where Tanjong Pagar's after-work crowd transitions from suits to highballs. Founded by Chef Sho Naganuma — a Japanese chef who has been working in Singapore since 2010 and was formerly the Executive Chef at Hide Yamamoto — Torasho draws from his deep understanding of both traditional Japanese technique and the modern Singapore dining palate. The name itself combines 'Tora' (tiger) with 'Sho' (the chef's name), and the restaurant's energy matches that spirit: bold, confident, and unafraid to mix classic ramen craft with contemporary bar culture.
The ramen menu is built around tsukemen — dipping ramen where thick, chewy noodles are served separately from a rich, concentrated broth and dipped before each bite. This format, popularised in Tokyo by the legendary Tetsu and Fuunji shops, allows the noodles to maintain their springy texture throughout the meal rather than softening in hot broth. Torasho's signature Tsukemen 'Singapore Best' at S$16 features seafood and tonkotsu dipping broth with charcoal-grilled chashu and bamboo shoots — it is the dish that built the restaurant's reputation and remains the most-ordered item on the menu. For those who prefer soup ramen, the truffle tonkotsu at S$20 adds earthy luxury to a classic pork-bone broth, while the spicy mapo tofu ramen at S$18 brings Sichuan-inspired heat. The menu's crown jewel is the Cold Stupid Ramen at S$69 — a spectacularly over-the-top cold ramen loaded with langoustine, king crab, botan shrimp, uni, and ikura. It is intended for sharing between two people and is essentially the seafood tower of the ramen world.
The charcoal bar side of Torasho is what transforms it from a ramen shop into a full-evening destination. Yakitori skewers — boneless short rib, ajitama quail egg, pink langoustine, and seasonal specials — are grilled over charcoal and arrive with the kind of smoky char that pairs perfectly with cold beer and highballs. The small plates menu includes creative izakaya bites that Chef Sho has developed specifically for the Singapore market: ikura nachos (salmon roe on crispy papadum), unagi tacos (eel on papadum with green papaya), and mac and cheese as a late-night comfort option. From Friday to Saturday, the restaurant stays open until 3am, becoming one of the very few Japanese dining options in Tanjong Pagar that serves past midnight. The neon-lit interior, curated playlist, and al fresco seating along Cook Street create an atmosphere that is energetic without being overwhelming — sophisticated enough for a date, casual enough for a group of friends who want ramen and beers at 1am. Private dining rooms are available for small gatherings and corporate events. Torasho has also opened a branch at Takashimaya Food Hall (B2) focused purely on shoyu ramen, but the Tras Street original remains the flagship with its full bar programme and late-night service.
Recommended For
Menu & Pricing
Ramen, charcoal bar, and late-night menu. Prices approximate. Available for dine-in, al fresco, and private dining.
| Item | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Tsukemen 'Singapore Best' | Signature dipping ramen — thick noodles, seafood-tonkotsu broth, charcoal chashu, bamboo shoots | S$16 |
| Truffle Tonkotsu Ramen | Rich pork-bone broth with earthy truffle oil, chashu, ajitama egg | S$20 |
| Spicy Mapo Tofu Ramen | Sichuan-inspired heat — numbing spice with silken tofu | S$18 |
| Cold Stupid Ramen | Cult-favourite cold ramen — langoustine, king crab, botan shrimp, uni, ikura. For 2 to share. | S$69 |
| Yakitori Skewers | Charcoal-grilled skewers — short rib, quail egg, langoustine, seasonal specials. From S$5/stick. | From S$5 |
| Ikura Nachos | Salmon roe on crispy papadum with tobiko and herbs | S$12 |
| Unagi Tacos | Grilled eel on papadum with green papaya | S$15 |
| Mac and Cheese | Late-night comfort — Japanese-style baked mac and cheese | S$5 |
| Highball / Craft Cocktails | Japanese whisky highball, craft cocktails, sake, beer on tap | S$12–22 |
The Torasho Ramen & Charcoal Bar Experience
Tras Street Energy — Where Ramen Meets Nightlife
Walk into Torasho on a Friday evening and you are hit with neon lights, thumping music, the aroma of charcoal and broth, and the buzz of a crowd that is there to eat well and stay late. This is not your typical quiet ramen shop with solo diners hunched over steaming bowls in meditative silence. Torasho is a full sensory experience — part restaurant, part bar, part late-night destination. The main entrance is on Cook Street (off Tras Street), and the space flows from the indoor dining area to an al fresco section that catches the evening breeze from the surrounding shophouses. Inside, the open kitchen anchors the room, with chefs working the charcoal grill on one side and the ramen station on the other. By 9pm on weekends, the place is packed — groups sharing Cold Stupid Ramen, couples at the bar nursing highballs, solo diners at the counter working through a bowl of tsukemen with quiet determination. The energy builds as the night progresses, and by midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, Torasho is one of the last kitchens still firing in Tanjong Pagar.
Tsukemen — The Art of the Dip
Tsukemen is the dish that defines Torasho. Unlike soup ramen where noodles sit in broth and gradually soften, tsukemen serves the noodles cold or at room temperature alongside a separate bowl of concentrated dipping broth. You pick up a bundle of noodles with your chopsticks, dip them into the broth, and eat — each bite delivering the full texture of the noodle (thick, chewy, springy) alongside the full intensity of the concentrated broth (rich, savoury, deeply umami). The noodles never go soggy because they are not sitting in liquid. The broth stays concentrated because it is not diluted by a large volume of noodles absorbing it. It is, in many ways, a superior format for experiencing both noodle and broth at their best. Torasho's 'Singapore Best' tsukemen uses a seafood and tonkotsu base that is simmered until it reaches an almost gravy-like viscosity — dark, thick, and intensely flavoured. The noodles are thicker than standard ramen noodles, with a chew that resists the teeth before yielding. Charcoal-grilled chashu and bamboo shoots complete the bowl. At S$16, this is one of the best-value ramen experiences in Tanjong Pagar and the dish that has earned Torasho a loyal following among the CBD lunch crowd.
Cold Stupid Ramen — The Showstopper
The Cold Stupid Ramen at S$69 is Torasho's most Instagrammed, most talked-about, and most spectacularly excessive dish. It arrives at the table as a tower of premium seafood perched atop a nest of cold ramen noodles: langoustine tails, king crab legs, botan shrimp (sweet shrimp so plump they practically glow), uni, ikura, and whatever else Chef Sho decides to pile on that day. It is intended for two to share, and the visual impact when it arrives is enough to make every neighbouring table turn and stare. The cold noodles underneath are dressed in a light dashi-based sauce that lets the seafood speak for itself. The name 'Cold Stupid' is a playful reference to the over-the-top nature of the dish — it is so loaded with luxury ingredients that it is almost stupid, and that is precisely the point. It is not the dish to order if you are looking for refined restraint. It is the dish to order when you want to celebrate, impress, or simply experience the most extravagant bowl of ramen in Singapore. At S$69, it is expensive for ramen but genuinely good value for the volume and quality of seafood involved.
The Charcoal Bar — Beyond Ramen
Torasho's charcoal bar programme is what turns a ramen dinner into a full evening. The yakitori skewers — grilled over the same binchotan charcoal that gives Japanese grilled food its distinctive clean smokiness — are serious enough to stand alone as an izakaya offering. Short rib skewers are tender and richly beefy. Quail egg skewers provide a satisfying pop of runny yolk. Langoustine skewers are a premium upgrade at around S$15 each. Beyond the grill, the small plates menu leans into Chef Sho's creative instincts: the ikura nachos (salmon roe on crispy papadum with tobiko and herbs) have become a cult favourite, combining Japanese ingredients with an Indian-inspired vessel in a way that should not work but absolutely does. The unagi tacos follow the same fusion logic — grilled eel on papadum with green papaya for acidity and crunch. These are not traditional izakaya dishes, but they are delicious, shareable, and designed to pair with the cocktail and highball programme that rounds out the bar experience. Mac and cheese at S$5 and onion karaage at S$12 complete the late-night comfort food lineup for those who are still eating at 2am.
3am on a Friday — The Last Kitchen Standing
Most Japanese restaurants in Tanjong Pagar close by 10pm or 11pm. By midnight, the options narrow to Western bars and the occasional Korean BBQ. Torasho's late-night service on Fridays and Saturdays — open until 3am — fills a genuine gap in the neighbourhood's dining landscape. At 1am, when the bars on Duxton Hill begin their last calls and the cocktail-fuelled appetite kicks in, Torasho is still serving full bowls of tsukemen, charcoal-grilled skewers, and highballs. The crowd at this hour is a mix of Tanjong Pagar bar-hoppers who have run out of snack options, hospitality workers from nearby restaurants finishing their own shifts, and the occasional tourist who has discovered that Torasho is one of the few places in the CBD where you can get a proper Japanese meal at 2am. The atmosphere after midnight has its own distinct character — louder, looser, more spontaneous than the dinner service — and the mac and cheese and onion karaage become the stars of the menu for diners whose palates have been softened by several rounds of drinks. If your ideal Friday night involves ramen at midnight with a highball in hand, surrounded by neon lights and the comfortable chaos of a restaurant that refuses to close, Torasho is the only answer in Tanjong Pagar.
Practical Information
Fri: 11:30–15:00, 18:00–03:00
Sat: 11:30–15:00, 18:00–03:00
Sun: 11:30–15:00, 18:00–23:00
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 Torasho Ramen & Charcoal Bar
The tsukemen 'Singapore Best' at S$16 is the must-order for first-timers — it is the dish that built Torasho's reputation. For groups, the Cold Stupid Ramen is worth the S$69 splurge for the experience and the photos. Book ahead for Friday and Saturday evenings. The al fresco seats on Cook Street are the best spots on warm evenings. The charcoal skewers pair perfectly with the Japanese whisky highball. If you are coming late (after 11pm), the comfort food menu — mac and cheese, onion karaage — is designed for post-drinks eating. The Takashimaya branch does shoyu ramen only; come to Tras Street for the full experience. Grab Dine Out sometimes offers deals — check the app before visiting.
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
Torasho is the restaurant that answers the question nobody else in Tanjong Pagar seems to ask: where do you get excellent Japanese food at 2am? But reducing it to a late-night option does it a disservice. The tsukemen at S$16 is genuinely one of the best-value ramen experiences in the CBD at any hour — the concentrated dipping broth is rich without being cloying, the noodles have a satisfying chew, and the charcoal chashu adds a smoky depth that standard chashu cannot match. The charcoal bar programme elevates the experience beyond a ramen shop: yakitori skewers that would hold their own at a dedicated yakitori restaurant, creative small plates like the unexpectedly brilliant ikura nachos, and a cocktail and highball selection that makes the bar counter a destination in its own right. The Cold Stupid Ramen is the spectacle — order it once for the experience, then return for the tsukemen because that is the dish you will actually crave. The Friday and Saturday late-night service until 3am fills a genuine gap that no other Japanese restaurant in the neighbourhood addresses. Chef Sho Naganuma has created something unique: a restaurant that works equally well at 12pm, 8pm, and 2am, for a lunch meeting, a date, and a post-drinks midnight feast. That versatility, combined with genuinely good food, makes Torasho an essential part of the Tanjong Pagar Japanese dining ecosystem.