Keeping on the hunt for ramen, I found myself in Underwood the other day, having done some shopping at the local favourite Big Hanaro Mart to stock up on some kimchi. Walking around the area, I noted the newly opened Akai Ushi - Fusion Noodle Bistro, which definitely piqued my interest. Feeling in the mood for yet another bowl of hot soupy noodles, I decided to give it a shot and see what they had to offer.
Stepping inside, the store was fairly small, and all the seats were at that point, occupied. We were advised though, that as a matter of efficiency, they would take down our offer first at the counter, so that when a table became free, our food would be served most promptly. Valuing efficiency above all else, this definitely impressed me greatly.
As the name suggests, the noodles served here are very much fusion, with soups from Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and Singapore, each bowl could be customised in terms of base, stock, noodles and further toppings. There were also two rice options. For just over $10 a bowl, I found it to be excellent value for money too.
We were seated pretty soon after. I noted a slot on the wall which was no doubt for ipads to order food. It had yet to be installed, as you can see, but no doubt the ordering process will become even more efficient when it does. Cutlery was already provided on the table. I noted that the chopsticks were huge.
My first companion's bowl of fish cheek soup with vermicelli noodles came first. She commented that the broth was extremely intense flavoured, with a very thick fish taste that was almost to the point of being gelatinous. There were quite a few pieces of fish cheek in the soup, and this was contrasted with the crunchy deep fried fish skin that topped the bowl. The noodles were brisk and served al dente, the way that vermicelli should always be served, but despite my companion's appreciation of the bowl, in the end, the flavours were too intense for her to finish it all.
Another companion had the Wagyu beef cutlet with curry rice. Having seen the immense popularity of crumbed wagyu beef cutlets in Asia lately, I was definitely super keen to see how this would turn out, as I am a massive fan of crumbed pork and chicken. Unfortunately, whilst the photos depicted a piece of wagyu cooked rare with an evidently pink centre, this beef was cooked well done, tough and chewy. The curry tasted like Japanese packet curry, and rice was pretty standard.
Having had my fill of ramen lately, I opted for the Pork Cutlet with Udon in Tonkotsu soup. Having experienced quite a few top notch tonkotsu soups lately, this had nowhere near the depth of flavour and dimensions of the other soups. It was quite salty, a little watery and overall quite disappointing. I was not able to identify whether the pork was one piece or two, as it was served cut up and served in a small pile. The pork was quite fatty greasy and relatively bland, but at least very crunchy and freshly fried. I enjoyed the udon which was quite tender and smooth with a good bounce. 
Lastly we ordered a serve of honey pork jowl as a side. They tasted very sweet, with bbq sauce and a side of honey, and were also extremely fatty. The portion was quite small though, even for side standards.
Taste: 6/10
Value: 9/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 7/10
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