Based on the long queues outside the 70-seater, self-service restaurant since it opened, we can safely assume that the seven years it took F&B group Japan Foods Holding CEO, Takahashi Kenichi, to convince the owners of the famed ramen joint to set up shop here was definitely worth it.

It’s famous for its range of yuzu ramen dishes, with a flavoursome broth made using the pristine water from Mount Afuri (hence, the name), chicken, bonito flakes, kombu, vegetables and, of course, yuzu essence for a citrusy finish.

First-time visitors are recommended to try the signatures first: yuzu shoyu ramen, yuzu shio ramen, and a spicier version, yuzu ratan ramen, served alongside a decent range of small bites like gyoza and fried chicken.

Afuri Ramen + Dumpling |  B1-29 Funan, 107 North Bridge Road, S(179105​​​​​​​) | 6970-1386 

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Singapore’s first hot kitchen without an open flame is the brainchild of chef-owner Siddharth Bauari, who plans to use sous vide cooking techniques to deliver an “accurate level of doneness” to his healthy Western fare. “The results are consistent and that, along with quality, is what I want to deliver to the masses,” Bauari shares.

His compact menu has dishes such as barbecue pork belly, cooked sous vide for 12 hours to render it extremely tender, then paired with a deliciously smooth and sweet potato mash, sous vide balsamic onion confit and miso-glazed carrots, as well as Sid’s Summer Salad. The latter is an ensemble of tropical ingredients with a sprinkle of a special homemade dressing. 

Fireless Kitchen | 02-04 Funan, 109 North Bridge Road, S(179097) | 9661 4469

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The Peranakan restaurant is the idea of co-owners Christina Keilthy, who wanted to preserve her godma’s and mama’s signature egg skin popiah, as well Derrick Chew (co-founder of now-defunct Hyde & Co.) and Frederick Goh (who’s also the head chef).

The diverse menu is a mouthwatering collection of their families’ heirloom recipes; these include the savoury ayam buah keluak, where the chicken is stewed in a concoction of blue ginger, turmeric and buah keluak, as well as babi assam, a zesty dish of pork belly cooked in a tamarind soup base with an assortment of tau kwa and chilli.

Godmama | 04-07 Funan, 107 North Bridge Road, S(179105) | 6970 0828

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Noka, which translates to ‘farmhouse’ in Japanese, is the first-of-its-kind rooftop urban farm and restaurant in the CBD (and Singapore) by the Spa Esprit Group—in partnership with the Edible Garden City.

The gorgeous space, divided into a 75-seater dining room and a 5,000 sqft urban farm growing everything from oyster mushrooms, butterfly pea flowers to Mexican tarragon in a sheltered chamber, is run by Niigata-born head chef Seki Takuma.

He whips up contemporary dishes with local and Japanese produce and using Japanese culinary techniques. Such are the Apollo blue prawns, the first sashimi grade prawns grown in Singapore, presented raw, cooked and fried; as well as the black cod saikyo-yaki. The fish is coated with caramelised sweet miso and laden with Edible Garden City cress, sweet potato, sea grapes, pulut hitam furikake and sesame sauce.

Noka | 07-38 Funan (Lift Lobby A) 109 North Bridge Road, S(179097) | 6877 4878

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This boutique was opened by Papa Palheta (which also brought us Chye Seng Huat Hardware) in line with its 10th anniversary. The baristas bring to the city their unique coffee drinks, as well as retail products at the store, such as the smooth and nutty Piff coffee blend and the sweet and smooth Nuts + Bolts espresso variety.

There’s also some small bites to go with your coffee, including ondeh ondeh with coffee-infused gula melaka filling and sandwiches. Worth noting, too, is the experiential brew bar where customers can try to brew their own drinks using professional coffee machines.

PPP Coffee | 02-19 Funan, 107 North Bridge Road, S(179095) | 6299 4321

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