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.
Address: 411 Church Street
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Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
Is That It? I Want More!
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