Wasabi :: Credit Card Roulette with Trevor, Trieu, & Jenn

Strings Ramen :: Meeting the Littles

Umai :: Dinner Time!

 

 

 

Raijin Ramen :: Pre-Class Dinner Combo!

Pineapple Juice ($2.50)

I love the fact they offer pineapple juice since it provides a refreshing change from the heavy shio soup base from the ramen. The juice was delicious and sweet. I wish I had more after my glass was finished!

Two Special Combos were ordered for $11.95 each. Each combo includes salad, rice, and mini ramen (+$1 to get a regular sized ramen).

Torimayo Don & Maze Gohan (left & right respectfully) & Two Salads

boiled chicken and mayo on rice topped with nori seaweed, green onions, and sweet sauce

seasoned rice mixed with sweet sauce and chicken and vegetables topped with nori seaweed, green onion and sesame

I love these small dishes prior to the ramen! Both rice dishes were extremely tasty, savoury, and delicious (the previous visit I didn't quite enjoy my rice but it was still good - see it here). The Torimayo Don was my personal favourite between the two. The chicken was soft and tender and topped with mayo which provided great depth of flavour. The Maze Gohan was more of a sweet fried rice with carrots and other vegetables mixed in. Both were topped with seaweed and onions which provided a crunchy texture. The salad was also delicious since they incorporated the same trends as the rice - flavourful and different textures.

Toridashi (Chicken Broth) with Shoyu (Soy Sauce)

Tonkotsu (Pork Broth) with Shio (Salt)

The ramen has significantly improved from my first review, perhaps I got a bad batch that day. But the noodles were structured but not overly so. The soup base is salty and milky. The pork is tender and the egg was tasty. Based on this experience, I would return to Raijin Ramen.

Raijin Ramen

3 Gerrard St E

Toronto, ON M5B 2P3

Ajisen Ramen :: Thursday Night Dinner

Sonoya Ramen :: Lunch with Dad

Tonkotsu Ramen ($10.95)

Hakata district speciality: creamy pork bone-based broth

Katsudon

rice bowl dish topped with breaded deep-fried pork cutlet, onion & egg

Sonoya Japanese Noodle House

(Part of Kenzo Ramen)

3235 Highway 7 East, Unit 22

Markham, ON L3R 3P3

website

Spring Rolls :: Carson's Convocation Lunch

Miso Ramen

I normally eat from the To Go locations of Spring Rolls, which is the fast food version of the restaurant Spring Rolls. I've also been to the ones located at Fairview Mall and Dundas Square - this was my first time trying the Spring Rolls at Waterloo. Unfortunately, I didn't finish my ramen here as it was extremely salty! I enjoy salty soup bases (hence why I ordered the Miso base) but this was overly salty! I had to drink a glass of water after every few bites - to the point I got frustrated and just stopped eating it. This is one of the rare instances where I didn't finish my food because it was unbearable to eat! My friend Fontaine had the same ramen and also commented on how the soup base made her teeth taste gritty. On the upside, the decor was a lot fancier than the other Spring Rolls locations that I've been to and the service was pretty friendly.

Spring Rolls

550 King St North

Waterloo, ON N2L 5W6

Raijin Ramen :: Happy Hour with Marc

Raijin Ramen is located in the heart of Downtown Toronto a little south of Dundas Square and beside Ryerson University.

If you happen to be going to Raijin between Monday - Friday from 2pm - 5pm there's a Happy Hour Combo where for an extra $0.50 you can get a side or a can of pop (or $1 for both). You will get a choice of a of gyoza or kara-age! However, you cannot use the student discount (student card = 10% off) in conjunction with this offer - but the student discount at Raijin will unfortunately be phased out by the end of October.

Side Order of Gyoza

Tonkotsu Shio Ramen (Regular Size)

salt flavoured ramen topped with pork shoulder, green onion, canola flower, Kikurage mushroom (black fungus), cabbage, 1/2 a seasoned soft-boiled egg, and house-made Mayu black garlic oil

Raijin Ramen is a decent size and price - however considering the slew of ramen houses popping up around the city, Raijin does not offer anything spectacular (food, ambience, price, or service wise) to set itself a part. If anything - the student discount - which they are phasing out is a disappointment as it is located in a student concentrated area. Phasing the student discount will fail to keep Raijin as the choice between other local ramen houses. In my experience, students who have time to kill, enjoy eating with their friends, and bonding over great food - are willing to wait in line for a better dish at the same price (ie: Guu over Don Don Izakaya). 

In my opinion, the ramen noodles are a little thick and the soup base is not as flavourful as Sansotei or Santouka (basing off the Tonkotsu Ramen). Additionally, my favourite part of ramen - the Japanese-style soft boiled egg - the yolk was disappointedly not as soft or liquidy (though I should not complain as I can't make the eggs myself - but it is expected at a restaurant that such simple features of the ramen should be carried out technically and with finesse). Additionally, for the same price, Sansotei offers the full soft boiled egg - not just half. Nonetheless, the ramen was average - not inedible - but there is definitely room for improvement. 

It should also be noted, that this is my second visit, although my opinion from my previous visit has yet to change. If anything, this visit solidified that I prefer Sansotei much more than Raijin. It is clear that Sansotei and Santouka are the two frontrunners in the Torontonian ramen scene in my eyes, but I have yet to decide if I prefer Raijin or Kinton (I've tried the Cheese Ramen at Kinton, which I did not care for). Based on my friends' and online reviews, majority prefer Kinton (I have yet to find someone to name Raijin as their favourite ramen house). Based on such reviews and the fact that it is never consistently busy, although it is a decent ramen house, Raijin needs to make some changes to survive. The only thing Raijin has in its favour is that its a very sure bet that you won't have to wait in line.

Raijin Ramen

3 Gerrard St E

Toronto, ON M5B 2P3

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka :: Dinner with Chris

Shio Ramen (Salt Flavour)

shio ramen is our signature ramen which is mild and creamy soup seasoned with salt. shio ramen isthe only ramen that is topped off with a Japanese pickled plum.

Based on the Shio Ramen from both Santouka and Sansotei, both broths, noodles, and pork were extremely similar in taste and quality. The soup was perfectly creamy without a terrible after taste (which is often experienced in some ramen restaurants) and the noodles were cooked with a little structure, but not too hard. I thoroughly enjoy ramen from both locations and would highly recommend either restaurant to anyone in the vicinity of Dundas Square. As a personal preference, I did not enjoy the Japanese pickled plum, but its taste was reminiscent of dried golgi berries. In comparison to Sansotei, food quality and included ingredients were identical aside from the Japanese pickled plum - but the portions at Santouka were sightly smaller and was a dollar more expensive.

Santouka Ramen

91 Dundas St E 

Toronto, ON M5B 1E1

website

Sansotei Ramen :: 1st Year Anniversary Free Ramen Day Celebration with Mike

Sansotei Ramen

179 Dundas St W 

Toronto, ON M5G 1Z8 

(647) 748-3833

website

Event Alert :: Free Ramen Day at Sansotei Ramen Tomorrow!

Hello to my fellow ramen lovers!

To celebrate their 1 Year Anniversary, Sansotei Ramen has announced on Facebook that they will be giving away 200 bowls of ramen for free! 

The only catch are the following:

- In store only

- Limited to first 200 bowls; first come, first serve, 1 free ramen/guest

- Choose from Tonkotsu, Shoyu, or Shio (with only original noodles offered)

- No side dishes or extras

- Will close after the 200th dish is given away

- Open 11 AM - 200th dish

Happy Eating!

samshimi xx

Ten Ren Teahouse :: Office Day Lunch

Ten Ren Teahouse

111 Times Avenue, Unit 101

Thornhill, ON L3T 0A2

website

Raijin Ramen :: Post Color Me Rad 5K Lunch with Memie

Raijin Tori Pai-tan Ramen ($9.50)

salt flavoured ramen topped with pork shoulder, green onion, canola flower, Kikurage mushroom (black fungus), cabbage, 1/2 a seasoned soft-boiled egg.

"Tori pai-tan is similar to Tonkotsu in the way it's cooked but the main ingredient is whole chicken, made in-house using a pressurized pot creating a rich and creamy Tonkotsu like texture. Tori pai-tan is called the fifth element of ramen in Japan next to Shoyu, Shio, Miso, Tonkotsu, and is getting popular."

Kinton :: Lunch with Memie

Kinton Pork Shoulder Rice & Japanese Green Tea

included as part of the $12 lunch special (with selected ramen)

{ The amount of meat provided with this side dish is quite small, though savoury. If you are hungry or plan to order a drink than the combo special is worth the extra $2 if you are planning to order ramen from the selected ramen menu. If you plan to try a different ramen or don't plan to order a drink - skip this. }

Garlic Spicy Ramen

chili pepper, kinton pork, bean sprout, scallion, fresh granted garlic

Cheese Ramen

miso and light soup, swiss cheese, kinton pork, bean sprout, corn, basil

{ Today, I tried the Cheese Ramen after all the hype that I was hearing from my friends. I was told it was a unique ramen that everyone had to try at least once. In my opinion, Cheese Ramen is not for everyone - you either love it or hate it. However, upon trying the Cheese Ramen, I must say I'm not on team 'love it'. I tried Kinton once before, during opening week, and nothing stood out for me. However, I tried the Miso Ramen last time and found it quite salty. Since Kinton has been open for awhile now & the hype was still buzzing, I decided that I would give it another try. Unfortunately, the miso & light soup base is still quite salty, and generally I enjoy salty things which says a lot! My friend Memie had the Garlic Spicy Ramen and had the same comment about her meal. Also, I found that even trying to mix the swiss cheese evenly before it melted and clumped it didn't help. The cheese clumped into 2 large chunks and imprisoned the ramen within it. I would recommend that you take out all the cheese and place it in a separate bowl and slowly pick it off and garnish your ramen with it while you eat it. The combination of the cheese being clumped and the salty soup base - the ramen was too much for me to eat & was quite filling. It's probably since potassium/salt is used in the process of making cheese to maintain its soft texture - the additional salt in soup base made the cheese morph & taste a little weird.  This was one meal I haven't finished a very, very long time. Perhaps, if it were dinner I would have finished more of my meal. I personally would not recommend Kinton, though I have heard others rave about it. Personally, I woud recommend Sansotei for a more consistent and savoury taste that isn't too salty. }

Kinton Ramen

51 Baldwin Street

Toronto, ON M5T 1L1

website :: menu