As the holiday season descends upon us, team lunches at work are about to kick off. Walking into Afuri on a weekday, I couldn’t help but think what an ideal spot it would be for a group of 12 or fewer: the restaurant is large, bright, and surprisingly quiet during lunch.

They even have a special ramen lunch menu where $29.95 gets you a starter (some with a $2 supplement), a bowl of ramen, and a non-alcoholic drink (or beer for an extra $4). For many office budgets, that’s a festive win.

Not long after ordering, the homemade ginger ale arrived. With its pale yellow hue and lemon slice, it looks like lemonade... until that bold hit of ginger reminds you otherwise. Lightly sweetened and topped with soda water, it’s bright, zippy, and refreshingly crisp.

Afuri’s mini tori karaage hit the spot: big chunks of lightly breaded chicken coated in a thin yuzu mayo that’s tangy and light. Just eat it quickly - once the chicken cools, the lean meat gets a bit tough. A couple of roasted shishito peppers on the side add a nice touch.

Tsukemen, or dipping noodles, isn’t something you find at every ramen joint, so I jumped at the chance to try their kara-tsuyu. The spicy version had just a mild kick from the chili powder, definitely on the gentler side. Apparently, if you find it too tame, they’ll happily bring chili oil to heat things up.

I appreciated being able to choose hot or cold noodles. I went with hot, which paired beautifully with the cool dipping sauce. Made with soy and chili powder, the sauce comes on the side, and you can either pour it into the bowl or dip as you go. Dipping was my move, it let me control the saltiness and enjoy each bite just right.

Afuri makes their noodles in-house, and it shows. They’re thick, chewy, and perfectly springy, easily the best part of the meal. The soft-boiled egg was also lovely, jammy in the center and well-seasoned. The rest of the toppings were a mixed bag: the chunks of pork belly fat were too heavy (thin chashu slices would have been better), the bamboo shoots overpowered everything, and the arugula felt out of place. A mix of wood ear mushrooms or bean sprouts would have balanced things out better.

While not everything hit the mark, Afuri still delivers a solid lunch deal in a city where ramen isn’t hard to come by. If you’re hunting for a relaxed lunch in Toronto that won’t wreck the office budget, this one’s worth slurping (or dipping) over.