Takagi Ramen Has Cockles Milk Tea And Cockles Ramen For A Limited Time

Takagi Ramen has cockles milk tea and ramen for National Day

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, cockles are an important component in some iconic local dishes, including char kway teow and laksa. But you’d never expect them to feature the way they do in Takagi Ramen’s latest menu additions. In celebration of National Day, the popular ramen chain has launched their cockles tonkotsu ramen and cockles milk tea, now available at all Takagi outlets islandwide!

Here’s what the cockles ramen, titled the Sengkang Ramen ($7.90), looks like. The dish is based on Takagi’s classic 12-hour-boiled tonkotsu ramen, except that you’ll find a pile of gleaming cockles on top of it. We are told that these cockles are individually shucked to ensure optimal freshness, and customers have the option to have raw or cooked cockles depending on their preference.

Whether this almost sacrilegious dish works taste-wise is up to the individual, but we will say that the cockles here are surprisingly plump, and their briny flavour doesn’t clash too much with the pork bone broth.

This drink is labelled Nutri-Grade C.

Then there’s the Salted Cheese Milk Tea with Pickled Cockles ($4.90), which twists a bubble tea option that most people won’t bat an eye at these days into a truly bizarre drink. Tapioca pearls have been replaced by shoyu-marinated pickled cockles, meaning their briny and umami notes will “complement” the sweet and salty milk tea.

What’s interesting is that the pickled cockles possess a texture that’s actually quite similar to tapioca pearls. Because of that, you could probably prank your friends with this drink, and watch them react as the pearl-like ingredient they are chewing on is revealed to be actual cockles.

The arrival of these cockle-based dishes coincides with the opening of Takagi’s 13th branch, located in the new Anchorvale Village mall. Being an “express” outlet, you’ll find just slightly more than a dozen counter seats and a few tables here. However, its convenient location and range of affordable Japanese dishes make it worth a visit, especially if you live in the North-East.

For MSW durian mousse and more, read our Tian Wang Desserts coverage.

For top-tier ramen to try, read our best ramen in Singapore guide. For Japan-famous Wagyu ramen and beef “bak kut teh” in Bugis, read our Mashi no Mashi review.

Website | Full list of outlets
Takagi Ramen is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Maisie Chong.
This was a media tasting at Takagi Ramen.