Ramen

DIY RAMEN BURGER KIT

May 14, 2016Leave a comment

It’s been a minute since I’ve posted here but I thought it would be fitting to start off my new found motivation with a post about a DIY Ramen Burger Kit created by Anothoni Chan, a self proclaimed ramen enthusiast.

Anthoni started blogging about ramen in 2012 and his ramen filled instagram feed in 2015, he’s had over 215 bowls! During that time he started experimenting with different ramen recipes and would post his results on his blog. A few years ago the famous ramen burger took the world by storm but never quite made it to Toronto so Anthoni decided he would make his own. His ramen-loving followers loved the idea and kept asking how they could get their own, that’s how Anothoni’s DIY ramen burger kit came to be.

I’ve had the pleasure of getting my own DIY kit, Anothoni customized it to the flavours I enjoy most, I told him was that I liked Japanese & spicy food and this is what my kit consisted of:

2 ramen burger “buns”, shrimp tempera, cheese, over easy egg, spicy mayo and tempura sauce.

Everything in the kit is individually wrapped and Anothoni gives you instructions on how to reheat everything accordingly. The ramen “buns” had a new crunchy exterior while the middle of it stayed soft and chewy, I was surprised that the ramen stayed so crispy through packaging and travel time. The flavours went well together, I wish the spicy mayo was spicier but there’s nothing a little more sriracha can’t fix. The tempura sauce really kept the burger moist and flavourful.

I would love to see Anthoni come up with maybe 5 set ramen burger kits that people could order, maybe pull ideas from actual ramen combinations but I do love the idea that people can customize their kit.

As of right now Anonthi will do ramen giveaways through his Instagram account (so go follow him!) but he wants to start selling limited kits per month. He has no plans to open his own ramen burger shop anytime soon but is open to the idea of having a workshop so people can make their own at home. If you really want a burger you can place your order with him via anthoni.foodlab@gmail.com.

Thank you again Anthoni for letting me try the ramen burger!

KINTON RAMEN

November 24, 2014September 16, 2019Leave a comment

51 Baldwin Street
Toronto, ON
http://www.kintonramen.com/

Winter is approaching which also means ramen season is here. I’ve been hesitant on trying Kinton ramen for a while now because I’ve heard mixed reviews from a lot of people so I had to try it for myself. Kinton is part of Guu’s giant empire in toronto, from opening two izakayas, a high end sushi restaurant, and now their forth ramen joint.

I’m not a ramen connoisseur but I do have some requirements that I like to mentally check off; 1. the soup has to come to the table piping hot 2. the soup can’t be too salty 3. the meat has to be flavourful and tender. I’m not asking for much, right?

Aaron and Carmen both got the Miso Ramen, soybean paste, bean sprouts, scallions, corn & garlic oil ($10.90). Aaron got his noodles with pork shoulder and Carmen got it with pork belly. I had some of their soup, it was mild in flavour with a hint of miso flavour.

I tend to get the original flavour when I try a ramen joint for the first time. This time I got the Shio Ramen, sea salt, bean sprouts, scallions, nori ($10.90). I also added a seasoned egg for $1.50. My soup base had a little more flavour compared to the miso soup but it didn’t come throat burning hot!

I really enjoy Kinton’s choice of noodles, thin and chewy which makes this girl happy. I like how the noodles were slightly undercooked so they can soften while you’re eating. The egg was perfectly soft boiled, it was probably the best thing I ate that night. While everyone else is raving about Kinton’s ramen I have a different opinion, I found the soup base to be too salty even though I picked a “light” for the soup base. The piece of pork belly was paper thin but I do give them credit for blow torching the piece of meat, giving it a smoky flavour but I guess you do have the option of getting extra meat for $2.

A-OK

November 23, 2013September 16, 2019Leave a comment

930 Queen Street West | Toronto, ON
http://www.aokfoods.ca

As soon as A-OK announced that they were closing down I knew I had to make one last visit but I guess all good things come to an end.
This tiny shop is the sister restaurant of Yours Truly, serving house made ramen and snacks inspired by Asian flavours like Chinese, Schezwan and Korean.

We started off with the KFC (Korean Fried Chicken Wings), coated in Korean chili sauce, peanuts and served with pickles. For $9.50 you got about 8 wings. Sweet, spicy and incredibly crispy, what’s not to love about these wings?

They are finger-licking-good!

We moved right on into the Pork Belly Buns. The bun was deep-fried but the interior was still soft and warm. The thick slices of pork belly were slightly grilled and so good.

Shoyo, $10.5, housemade noodles, chicken broth, soy tare, garlic, duck fat, served with grilled pork belly, nori, scallions, goji berries, seasoned egg.

Dan Dan Mein, $10.50,

Sichuan Chicken, $10.5, housemade noodles, chilled and tossed in sesame & sichuan chili oil, pulled chicken, spinach, celery, scallions, sesame seeds.

As one ramen shop closes, another will soon open in it’s place.

RAMEN RAIJIN

September 9, 2013September 16, 2019Leave a comment

3 Gerrard Street East | Toronto, ON
http://zakkushi.com/raijin/

I’m back on my ramen phase craze again, my coworkers and I visited Raijin Ramen a few weeks ago. It’s taken me a while to visit Raijin beause of the mixed reviews, there’s probably a 50/50 percent like to dislike but I knew I had to try it out for myself.
One thing that stands out at Raijin’s compared to other ramen joints in Toronto is that they serve charcoal soup based ramen. They also have quite a spacious restaurant, no need to sit shoulder to shoulder to complete strangers here.

I got the Shio Ramen which is their regular ramen seasoned with salt. I usually get shio when trying new ramen restaurants. Raijin Ramen does not use pork belly but instead uses pork shoulder, the meat wasn’t as tender and it doesn’t have the same lovely melt-in-your-mouth goodness that you experience at other ramen places.

My favourite part of the meal was probably the egg. The soup was was lacking in flavour and it kind of had a burnt taste (maybe from the charcoal? I’m not sure).

Both my other dining companions got Black Charcoal Dark Miso Ramen and it was ten times better than their regular Shio Ramen.

It was so much more flavourful and I was definitely recommend ordering this one.

We also got the Steamed Pork Bun and the Kara-age but both weren’t anything mind blowing, just average.

Overall the ramen isn’t very memorable but it wasn’t horrible.

RAKU RAMEN & IZAKAYA

January 28, 2013September 19, 20191 Comment

8360 Kennedy Road Unit # 87-90 | Markham, ON
905-477-3828

A new noodle restaurant has replaced the ever so popular (at least in my books) Wonton Chai, Raku is serving up affordable ramen and sushi but I’m not sure about the restaurant being an izakaya though.
They did some construction to make the place more modern and sleek even with a semi private room for parties and such.

The waiters seemed to be a little frazzled, running around the restaurant but we’re quite attentive and polite.
We started off with complimentary salad, it was just mediocre and nothing special.

I had to try their ramen, my mom and I both got the Tonkotsu ramen. The broth was flavourfu, creamy and not a bowl of salt overload. I surprisingly enjoyed my bowl of noodles, each bowl includes half an egg, 3 pieces of pork belly, corn and black fungus. Another thing I loved was how hot the broth was when it came to the table.

My aunt and uncle both got the Miso Ramen which was also equally as good.

We also got the Whole Grilled Squid, $9, which was disappointing. The squid was over cooked and tough.

The Grilled Salmon Belly, $8, was less disappointing but nothing special. The only problem was that the salmon wasn’t grill but deep fried.

Raku is owned be Chinese people but are serving up above average ramen in the Markham area which is a bonus for us uptown kids.

Santouka Ramen

November 24, 20121 Comment

91 Dundas Street East
Toronto
http://www.santouka.co.jp

Welcome Santouka, yet another ramen restaurant has graced Toronto. Santouka Ramen started off a 9 seater from Hokkaido, Japan in 1988. Now with restaurants all over Asia, United States and now Canada, how could I not try Santouka? Dundas literally has 4 ramen restaurants within a span of 3 blocks and just on the corner of Dundas & Church lays Santouka.

Philip and I came on a Wednesday afternoon and luckily the weather was in our favour, the 35 minute wait wasn’t terrible at all. We opted to sit at the bar where I can see all the action happen.

Action Shot.

As the steamy bowl of noodles arrived at the table, I was incredibly excited and had high hopes for Santouka. One look down and my mouth started to water (heck, I’m salivating right now thinking about it.) Philip and I both got Toroniku Ramen, $15.90, this is the only one where the cha-shu is served on the side.

The Tonkotsu soup was piping hot which I love, so hot that I had to spit out the noodles I shoved in my mouth (classy eh? I know!). I always feel like the best part of a good bowl of noodles is the temperature of the soup. The soup is much oilier than most other places but Philip says it’s to keep the broth even hotter. The pork was super tender and packed full of flavour, the fat just melted in my mouth but the best part was hands down the ramen. They were perfectly cooked with right amount of doneness, the best ramen I’ve had in Toronto.

As I enjoyed my noodles, I zoned out everything and just heard slurping. Yes, it was that good. As full as I was I couldn’t finish my bowl of noodles yet even when the bill came I found myself still slowly picking at them.

Santouka is a little pricer than the typical ramen place but definitely worth every penny. Hands down this is my favourite ramen place.

Sansotei Ramen

October 17, 20122 Comments

179 Dundas Street West
Toronto, ON
http://www.sansotei.com/

It seems like ramen places started popping up everywhere recently, starting with Kenzo & Guu’s Kinton. Sansotei and Momofuku Noodle Bar are one of the more recent additions to the the reman scene.
Kevin, Joyce and I visited Sansotei late one Thursday, no line ups. We got some appetizers to share before digging into our ramen.

We started off with the Gyoza, $4.50, they weren’t anything special.

We also got the Seaweed Salad, $5.00, also this was kind of typical.

I wanted to order the Zawgi (Deep fried chicken), $4.50, the chicken was super flavourful and most with hints of sweetness, savouriness & garlic-iness. It was served with a lemon wedge which brightened up the chicken and kept it less oily & and heavy, I really liked this.

Joyce, Kevin and I all got the Tonkotsu Ramen ($9.25), Both Kevin and Joyce got extra noodles. While Kevin got extra eggs, Joyce added corn to her ramen (pictured below). They were really hungry and finished everything in their bowls.

I on the other hand just stuck with the regular portions without adding anything, mine looks so empty compared to theirs! But I was stuffed by the time I finished it.

Everything about this bowl of noodles was fantastic, the soft boiled eggs with the runny yolk is super flavourful and just plain delicious. The pork was tender but I felt it was a little too fatty for my liking. The noodles were different from other ramen places, they stayed chewy and I feel like they were thinner than most places. But I think the highlight of the meal was the soup base, creamy, rich and packed full of flavour.

Highly recommend going to Sansotei! I heard that there were long line ups at Sansotei so I would recommend going early to ensure you can satisfy your hungry stomach.
I still have many other ramen restaurants to try.

NIWATEI JAPANESE RESTAURANT

January 20, 2012September 16, 2019Leave a comment

I have a soft spot for J-town, I love getting sushi from their fish market and the Cafe Green tea has the best Japanese curry with bread chicken ever! So I thought I would give Niwatei a try since my sister was raving about their ramen, also because they had a Groupon for $20 worth of food for only $10.

It’s a tiny restaurant with about 10 or so tables and an open kitchen.

It got kind of busy while we were eating even on a Tuesday night.

I came here with my mom and we got one ramen set, one ramen and a appetizer.
This is my Miso Ramen for $7.80; I thought the soup base was too salty and there wasn’t enough chashu in my bowl, only two small slices. The upside to my meal was that the ramen noodles were really good, they were perfectly cooked with a nice chewy texture.

My mom got the Tonkotsu Shio Ramen set for $12.80 which comes with an appetizer of your choice and dessert. My mom also made a comment about the temperature of the broth, it just wasn’t as hot as we wanted it.
*Note the ramen set is only available for dinner and weekends, also J-town in closed on Mondays.

This is the karaange chicken which is basically fried chicken. It was nicely fried with a light crust and a hint of spice.

My mom got the Mini seasoned Beef with rice as her appetizer. I had one bite and needless to say I ate the whole thing, the beef was tender, the onions were nicely caramelized and the sauce was sweet and savoury at the same time. It was so good, I stopped eating my ramen just so I could eat this.

Chocolate Chiffon Cake was the dessert of the day, it was dry and lacked chocolate flavour. My mom said it was probably day old from the grocery store which is probably true…sadly.

Honestly I don’t think I will be going back Niwatei anytime soon, I would rather pay a little more at Ippai and get hotter broth and more chashu or pay less and go to Cafe Green Tea for basically the same thing I would get at Niwatei.

IPPAI

September 9, 2011September 16, 2019Leave a comment

8865 Woodbine Avenue | Markham, ON
http://www.ippai.ca/

I tend to come here when I have a ramen craving, I did a post of about Ippai awhile back. Not only do they have good ramen, their sashimi is pretty fresh too.

All the different ramen combinations you can get, you can also create your own though.

My mom got the tenderous rib ramen, the broth was flavourful and the ribs were really good; tender and packed full of yummy goodness.

I got curry ramen which had pork cutlet, deep-fried imitation crab meat & veggies. I like how the broth had curry flavour but wasn’t over-powering. I wish the pork cutlet came on a separate plate to keep the crispy coating from being soggy but I love deep-fried imitation crab meat, so good.

I would definitely recommend getting ramen or sushi, nothing else.

WAGAMAMA

April 12, 2011September 16, 2019Leave a comment

Faneuil Hall
http://www.wagamama.com/

We came here for lunch cause Satya loves this place. It’s cafeteria style seating so you can basically hear your neighbour’s whole conversation (just like salad king in Toronto).

Wagamama has daily flavoured unsweetened iced teas, I think he either had tropical or mango that day. I had the melon fruit juice which had apple, orange, and watermelon.

Satya had the chicken katsu curry. Deep-fried chicken breast, served with a light curry sauce and sticky rice. Garnished with a combination of mixed leaves and red pickles. Which was REALLY good.
I had the ginger chicken udon which had chicken marinated in ginger, garlic and lemongrass. served with snow peas, red onion, bean sprouts, chili, egg and scallion. Garnished with pickled red ginger and cilantro (just stole the description off the website). Mine was just mediocre, nothing that special.