Woke Ramen was a complete surprise discovery during our evening walk from Punggol to Sengkang.
How We Discovered Woke Ramen
We were trying out a new walking route from Punggol to Sengkang and ended up at Compass One. Looking for a dinner spot, we stumbled upon Woke Ramen. Apparently, this is Singapore’s first halal-certified wok hei ramen.
Ramen with wok hei – first time I heard of such a dish. I was pretty excited to try it out. The concept sounded intriguing enough to make us abandon our original dinner plans.
Location and Setup at Compass One
Woke Ramen shares the same space as Penang Culture. Both brands operate under the Neo Group umbrella. The entrance area splits into two sections – Woke Ramen sits on the right side, so make sure you queue up at the correct spot.
Besides this outlet at Compass One, Woke Ramen has another outlet at Changi Airport Terminal One. Perfect for travellers wanting to experience Singapore’s innovative ramen scene before departure.
Thank goodness we arrived quite early. The queue was short and we got seated not long after. Once seated, just scan the QR code to place your order. Payment happens at the counter after the meal – straightforward system.
The Dining Experience
Free Flow Hard Boiled Eggs
First to arrive were our drinks and a little metal bucket of hard boiled eggs. That’s right – if you’re dining in at Woke Ramen, you get free flow of hard boiled eggs. If you love eggs, you can eat to your heart’s content.
I only had one whilst my hubby wiped out the rest, haha.
Unique Serving Style
The ramen we ordered arrived served over little stoves. These stoves were quite high, which made it hard to reach the side dishes on the tray because the ramen pots were literally in the way. Minor inconvenience but the presentation looked impressive.
Each ramen also came with sides of half ramen egg (nicely flavoured!), wakame seaweed, and marinated jellyfish plus two slices of watermelon.
Menu Highlights
Woke’s Chicken Chashu Collagen Ramen ($14.90)
This Woke Ramen signature dish comes served with grilled chicken chashu, black fungus, and spring onions. When this arrived at our table, we could immediately get a whiff of that distinctive wok hei smell.
One sip of the soup and I was immensely surprised to get this deep aromatic wok hei flavour in the rich and thick broth. The noodles were done al dente with springiness intact – exactly how proper ramen noodles should be.
The chicken chashu tastes like Sichuan kou shui ji (口水鸡) – tender and flavourful. We chose the spicy version and it really had kick without overwhelming the other flavours.
We topped up $4.90 extra to make this into a set meal and chose Mentaiko Fries and Iced Green Tea. The iced green tea is refillable – just need to ask the staff. They don’t come round automatically to fill up for you.
Mentaiko Fries
These fries delivered on both texture and taste. Hot and crispy fries with very fluffy interiors. They’re cut thicker than usual shoestring style, which I actually prefer.
The mentaiko sauce wasn’t super strong but overall still shiok to eat. Sometimes subtlety works better than overpowering your taste buds.
Woke’s Prawn Paste Ramen ($15.90)
This bowl completely won me over. Woke Ramen’s prawn paste version comes served with prawn paste balls, black fungus, cabbage, and spring onions in a spicy rich prawn broth.
The prawn paste balls contain crunchy bits of prawns that taste incredibly fresh. These prawn paste balls could easily work as har gow filling – they’re that good and delicious. Full of prawn flavour, and you can still taste that signature wok hei element.
I prefer this to the Chicken Chashu Collagen Ramen because of its rich seafood flavour. Very comforting and reminds me of some of the best prawn noodles I’ve had in Singapore.
Additional Sides We Tried
We also ordered two more sides:
Golden Beancurd Skin ($1.90)
This side dish proved absolutely addictive. Dip these golden sheets in the ramen broth to soak up all those flavours – so good. For less than two dollars, this is excellent value.
Takoyaki Balls ($4.90)
Nicely cooked takoyaki with crispy browned exteriors and soft, molten interiors. Nothing revolutionary here, but solid execution of this Japanese favourite.
* prices indicated above are subject to 10% service charge & 9% GST
Value and Overall Experience
All in all, Woke Ramen delivered a pretty good meal. Prices were reasonable as well – if you opt for the set meal, you can get some savings compared to ordering sides and drinks separately.
The most interesting thing is of course that wok hei flavour in the ramen broth. This is something you don’t get from regular Japanese ramen joints. It’s this unique element that sets Woke Ramen apart from Singapore’s ramen scene.
For this innovation alone, I would definitely come back, especially for the prawn paste ramen. It’s essentially a damn good bowl of prawn noodles elevated with Japanese techniques and presentation.
Final Verdict
Woke Ramen nails the concept perfectly. The wok hei element isn’t just marketing – you can actually taste and smell the difference. Plus, the halal certification opens doors for diners who couldn’t enjoy quality ramen before.
Worth trying for the novelty alone, but the food quality keeps you coming back. Woke Ramen proves fusion can work when done thoughtfully. 🙂