Cockles, a staple in beloved local dishes like char kway teow and laksa, have found an unexpected new home: in Takagi Ramen’s latest culinary creations. In celebration of National Day, the popular ramen chain has introduced two novel menu items featuring cockles, now available at all Takagi outlets islandwide.
The highlight is the Sengkang Ramen, priced at $7.90. This dish starts with Takagi’s signature 12-hour-boiled tonkotsu ramen, crowned with a generous serving of fresh cockles. These cockles are individually shucked to ensure peak freshness, and diners can choose between raw or cooked cockles according to their preference.
Taste-wise, opinions may vary on this unconventional dish, but the cockles are undeniably plump, and their briny flavor blends surprisingly well with the rich pork bone broth.
Equally intriguing is the Salted Cheese Milk Tea with Pickled Cockles, priced at $4.90. This unusual twist on bubble tea swaps out the traditional tapioca pearls for shoyu-marinated pickled cockles, adding a unique briny and umami dimension to the sweet and salty milk tea.
Interestingly, the texture of the pickled cockles closely resembles that of tapioca pearls, making it possible to prank unsuspecting friends into thinking they’re enjoying a standard bubble tea until they realize the “pearls” are actually cockles.
These innovative cockle-based dishes coincide with the opening of Takagi’s 13th branch at the new Anchorvale Village mall. As an “express” outlet, it offers just over a dozen counter seats and a few tables, but its convenient location and affordable Japanese fare make it a worthwhile stop, especially for residents in the North-East.
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