Toronto's best ramen restaurants
There’s nothing more wholesome than a bowl of hot noodle soup on a cold Toronto day. Japanese comfort food has captured the attentions of the city’s culinary elite, making way for a slew of bustling ramen hotspots to appear throughout the city. So, while you dream of visiting the ramen noodle museum in Osaka, warm up, and sharpen your chopstick skills at one of these gourmet spots.
Kinton Ramen 5
396 Church St, Toronto ON M5B 2A2With a slew of locations across the city, this local gem screams ramen from quite a distance. If the big yellow pig graffiti on the wall didn’t give it away, the signature enormous metallic lettering spelling out its name definitely does the trick. You may say that a noodle is a noodle is a noddle, but at Kinton Ramen, the broth it swims in is made from a lip-smacking motley crew of pork, veggies and fish paste that you won’t find replicated anywhere else.
Ajisen Ramen
332 Spadina Ave, Toronto ON M5T 2G2Bright pink seats and a Japanese winking doll (named Chii-Chan) holding a noodle bowl – Ajisen will hook you right in, as you walk past their beloved Spadina spot that looks on to a bustling Chinatown strip (there’s also two locations in Markham and one in North York). If you can think up a ramen combo, chances are they’ve got it. Don’t kid yourself about your spice metre at this joint, because they mean business. If you can handle the heat, the Ajisen spicy pork ramen is a must-try.
Sansotei Ramen
179 Dundas St W, Toronto ON M5G 1C7Of succulent pork belly slices, exotic black fungus, delicate tendrils of green onion, strings of fresh, noodles, and perfectly marinated soft boiled eggs floating in a creamy broth - Tonkotsu ramen is this joint’s signature and most popular noodle bowl for a reason. The lines outside Sansotei are long and winding so you can forget about making reservations, just try and get there ahead of everyone else, as this narrow and cozy hotspot fills up faster than you can say “Sansotei.”
Kenzo Ramen
372 Bloor St W, Toronto ON M5S 1X2With seven locations spread all over the GTA, its flagship location is perched at Dundas Street West. Friendly greetings of “Irasshaimase” from the petite hostesses (meaning: welcome to our shop) will put you right into the mood for a generous bowl of yummy ramen cooked in a special broth of dried seafood, chicken and pork bone. If you’re a first timer and just dipping your feet into the intoxicating waters of ramen noodle soup, try out Kenzo’s King of Kings ramen. You’ll be surprised by how easily it all goes down, leaving you hungry for more.
Momofuku Noodle Bar
190 University Ave, Toronto ON M5H 0A3This is a critically acclaimed hard-hitter in the international world of ramen, and if you start your ramen adventures start here, it will set the bar pretty high. The noodle bar on the first floor is a chic but bustling cafeteria-esque restaurant with long and full communal tables, while the second (nikai) and third floor (daisho) are reserved for the bar and more polished family-style eating, respectively. The ramen noodles are an obvious choice here, but for the complete experience, the bite-sized, succulent and heavenly pork buns are an absolute must.
Touhenboku Ramen
261 Queen Street W, Toronto ON M5V 1Z4This open-concept ramen joint gives you a mouthwatering view of fresh ramen being cranked out of a state-of-the-art noodle maker by noodle master, Keiichi Machida. Their flavourful and fresh ramen offerings are colour coded on the menu, so you won’t have to worry about getting caught in tongue twisters while ordering. The “white” ramen is creamy and delicious, just as it says on the menu, while the “red” ramen is not as spicy as you might fear. If you’re fighting off a cold, and need a punch of flavour to wake up your senses, try out the garlic-infused black ramen.
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka Ltd
91 Dundas St E, Toronto ON M5B 2C8This is a chain of restaurants with locations all over Japan, Hong Kong, USA, and thankfully, Canada. Situated opposite Ryerson University at Yonge and Dundas Square, this humble spot will peak your ramen radar for one sole reason – Santouka’s Kara miso ramen & Ikura rice bowl. This dish is a smashing hit not only for its flavourful pork portions, but also for its side bowl of salmon roe on rice which is a burst of colour, texture and taste.
