Bari-Uma Ramen (Novena Gardens)

Bari-Uma Ramen (Novena Gardens) is a Japanese ramen shop on the ground floor of Novena Gardens at 273 Thomson Road. The Bari-Uma brand started in Hiroshima in 2003 and later opened shops in Taiwan and Singapore. This Novena outlet opened in June 2022.

The shop is known for a rich, dark tonkotsu shoyu broth. That means a creamy pork bone soup seasoned with soy sauce. It suits anyone who likes a heavy, savoury bowl more than a light, clear soup.

What to order

Start with the signature Ajitama-Uma. It pairs the house pork broth with slices of chashu pork and a marinated soft-boiled egg. Reports from the opening describe thick-cut chashu that is grilled before it goes into the bowl.

When the outlet opened, the brand said it brought in its soup base from Japan and made its noodles fresh on site. Other coverage of the brand describes a broth of pork knuckle and chicken bones simmered for more than ten hours, then seasoned with Japanese tamari soy sauce.

Beyond ramen, the menu has side dishes and rice bowls. Look for:

• Gyoza: pan-fried dumplings. At launch there was also a cheese-topped version, seared with a flame before serving
• Karaage: Japanese fried chicken
• Rice bowls: a filling choice if you are not in the mood for noodles

The shop also runs limited-time bowls. In November 2026, for example, it added a niboshi ramen made with dried sardines. Menus change, so check the website for what is on.

Good to know before you go

• Bookings: the shop takes phone reservations for groups of four or more. Smaller groups can simply walk in.
• Allergies: the website has the full menu and allergy information to download, which helps if you avoid certain foods.
• Delivery: you can also order through Grab Food and Foodpanda.
• Pork: the signature broth is made from pork bones, so ask staff for options if you do not eat pork.

Getting there

Novena Gardens is on Thomson Road. The official Bari-Uma Novena Gardens website says the shop is about a five-minute walk from Novena MRT station. Buses stop nearby at the Novena Station and Opposite Novena Church stops. If you drive, the building has a car park, and the shop offers discounted parking tickets.

Nearby

Novena has plenty of other places to eat. For more Japanese food, try Tomi Sushi in Novena. For Chinese roast duck, TungLok Peking Duck at Velocity@Novena Square is in the same area. Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice is a well-known local choice. If you want to stay in the area, look at Oasia Hotel Novena.

See more Japanese restaurants in Singapore or browse all restaurants in Newton and Novena.