CLOSED: Ryoji Ramen & Izakaya (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, April 20, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 690 College Street
Type of Meal: Dinner
Toronto’s love for Japanese food continues with another ramen house/izakaya on College. Ryoji is the first North American offshoot of an Okinawa chain and proclaims itself as the first Okinawan-style izakya in Toronto. When my friend heard about a special tasting menu being offered ($26 with taxes and gratuities included), we thought it’d be a great opportunity to see how Ryoji would differ from all the competition.

Esthetically, Ryoji is much larger than other izakayas boasting a prominent store front and spacious interior. A mirrored ceiling cleverly gives the illusion of high ceilings so makes the dining area seem larger than reality. Ryoji also has two large tables (one by the entrance and another near the kitchen) that offers great eating areas for big groups. The one by the kitchen has a much better view, in my opinion, and was where our tasting was held for the evening.



To begin, we were offered a choice of hot or cold sake or a non-alcoholic drink. Sake was the popular choice and I got the cold one which was fairly smooth and easy going. The portion sizes were impressive, enough for about two and a half shot glasses. 



The first dish was a cold appetizer consisting of Ji-MaMi, pickled vegetables and cucumber wasabi. The Ji-MaMi was quite interesting, a peanut tofu with a smooth texture and a consistency between silken tofu and buffalo mozzarella. The tofu didn’t have the typical bean taste but not quite peanut either, most of its flavour came from the thick sweet sauce and was quite enjoyable. Although the cucumbers appeared to be lightly blanched in salted water, the addition of freshly grated wasabi added a nice contrast to make an otherwise simple ingredient interesting.



Next, were slices of sashimi - lean tuna and mackerel – and were good, with the mackerel being one of the better ones I’ve tasted (slight smokiness and very tender). But, what made the sashimi different were the dipping sauces – an emulsified soy sauce (akin to foam), matcha salt and sumiso sauce (a thick sweet miso glaze). I loved the various blends that could be used to complement each of the fishes. My favourite combinations were the soy foam & wasabi with tuna and the sumiso sauce with mackerel.



Skewers of chicken and beef yakatori arrived next with more freshly grated wasabi. I’m quite happy that everything arrives with wasabi and the beef really required it as was fairly bland. Maybe it was just the cut of meat received as certain more marbled cubes were an improvement. On the other hand, the chicken was much better, likely aided by a liberal brush of teriyaki sauce and pieces of skin laid in between each cube to add flavour and keep the meat tender.



Normally, I’d say you can’t go wrong with a platter of deep fried food. However, my first bite of the fried ball was a disappointment. I was expecting it to be takoyaki (a deep fried octopus ball) but it was closer to fried mashed potatoes with a small piece of octopus inside; the texture was too soft and overall wasn’t hot enough. The shrimp coated in a miso mayonnaise and tartar sauce was decent, but a bit heavily battered for my liking.  Surprisingly, the best part of the dish was the zucchini fritters which had a nice dusting of garlic powder and parmesan cheese mixed into the batter and served with a cool tangy sour cream dip. I would have definitely preferred more of those.  



One of the most anticipated dishes of the night, by my friend, was the miso braised pork belly. Having been slowly cooked for four hours, it arrived tender with the fat melting away without being overly heavy. It may be shocking, but I’m not a huge fan of pork belly (perhaps its why I don’t enjoy bacon), and the piece I received was just too fat for my preference. Even so, I enjoyed its flavours and admittedly found it to be one of the nicer non-crispy pork bellies eaten; thus, if you enjoy fatty meats I sense you’ll love it.  



Last to arrive were pieces of albacore tuna (?) and scallop sushi. The tuna appeared to have been marinated to ponzu making it very flavourful (accented by the crunch of soaked red onions), but made the fish’s texture a tad rubbery. Remarkably, the scallop was more of my fancy; Ryoji chopped up the scallops and mixed it with Miracle Whip (?) so that it was well flavoured and helped to mask any strange textures. The crisp piece of nori wrapped around it also rounded out the sushi nicely.



On a subsequent visit, my husband and I were in the area and stopped by for a drink. We were in luck and ventured in on Thursday when Ryoji offers pints of Sapporo for only $5. While enjoying our drinks, we started talking to Matt Knight, Ryoji’s friendly bartender, who introduced us to an amazingly crisp sake “Morning Dew”, made from mountain water and newly imported into Canada. 
For a place that is imported from Japan, Ryoji is surprisingly “un-Japanese” – top 40 blares from the speakers, the staff is notably diverse and there’s no screaming entrances & exits (thank you!). But, it still offers diners a chance to enjoy something different – the peanut tofu is definitely worth a try. All things considered, I’d say it’s one of the better izakaya’s I’ve been to - no crazy line-ups, I believe takes reservations and above all provides the ability to actually hear your fellow diners. It’s a place that’s just a bit more refined and for that I like it.   

Overall mark - 8 out of 10
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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!

CLOSED: Craft Dogs (Toronto)

Posted on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 95 King Street East
Type of Meal: Lunch


 If you like hot dogs, then Craft Dogs is the place for you. With a menu focused solely on these wieners in a bun, you’ll find interesting combinations with a variety of meats and toppings. If nothing catches your eye, the naked dog is also an option allowing you to customize to your heart’s content. Or if you like secret menu items then ask for the “Crack Dog”, essentially a hot dog topped with poutine.


The Chicago shout out ($6.69) is the closest to what a typical hot dog would be - made from a beef chuck and pork shoulder wiener, then topped with a tart pickle, hot pickled peppers, yellow mustard, raw onions and diced tomatoes. I’d like to think I enjoy trying new and interesting things, but it seems for hot dogs I like the tried and true combo the best as the Chicago was my favourite of the day. The juicy tender wiener was able to shine through and allowed me to try the condiments they had available – curry mayo, red pepper mayo and smoked ketchup.


A close second was the pork belly BLT ($9.50) made with berkshire pork belly and topped with crispy thick bacon, tomatoes, mayo and lettuce. Not normally a huge fan of bacon, it actually worked with this hot dog adding that hint of smokiness to counteract the “porkiness” of the plump wiener. But, the wedges of tomatoes made it difficult to eat given they just kept falling off.


The grand poobah ($9.56), the one I chose, caught my eye given it’s made from longhorn water buffalo. This wiener was much leaner, denser and had a stronger taste to it (not necessarily gamier just more flavour). The black mustard mayo that topped it was spot on and went great with the bed of peppery arugula. For me, I wish Craft Dogs just stopped there. The tomatoes, onion and roasted garlic were unnecessary and overpowered the meat itself and not to mention left your breath as a force to reckon with afterwards.


Overall, I enjoyed the artisan wieners and could taste the quality ingredients used in them. But, they needed to be hotter as once the plethora of toppings were added the wiener arrives lukewarm. Perhaps it’s due to the meat being cooked ahead of time and then warmed up when an order is placed – which is understandable given a lot of individuals are looking for something quick to grab-and-go. Personally, I think Craft Dogs should offer the customer the option to wait longer and cook one fresh. After all, if you’re going to use such quality ingredients, it’s a shame when they’re not presented at their best.
Overall mark - 6.5 out of 10
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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!





CLOSED: Envers (Morriston)

Posted on Saturday, April 12, 2014 by
Location: Morriston, Canada
Address: 42 Queen Street
Type of Meal: Dinner


Envers is a popular restaurant near Guelph that has been in business for over 30 years. During our return visit, the restaurant has expanded to include a patio (unused as we went in the winter) complete with a new dining room and bar area downstairs. Located in a historic house, Envers has charming surroundings, with a cozy warm fireplace if you eat in the basement. Despite its antiquated dining area, its menu is rather eclectic with a mix of offerings from all over the world.
My starter of grilled octopus ($13) incorporated Mexican spices and a creamy Thai inspired sauce. The wedges of tentacles were very tender and resembled the texture of chicken. I enjoyed the spicy rub and grilled smokiness of the octopus that contrasted well against the cream coconut sauce on the bottom.

In my opinion, the dish would have benefited from something lighter than sweet potato fries sitting at the bottom as it was a bit heavy for an appetizer. Maybe a typical but delicious corn salsa or vinaigrette based slaw would have helped. The cornbread was dry and tasteless so needed something mixed into the batter (such as corn or roasted peppers) and/or a brush of compound butter on top. All in all, a decent start but not something I’d order again.
Italian and French influences made up my husband’s gnocchi with duck confit ($14). Soft pillows of ricotta gnocchi were flavoured with duck jus to keep it light. Pieces of tender duck confit, shaved foie gras and crisp brussel sprout leaves made this a pretty substantial starter and really could be a great main in a larger serving.


We both ordered the braised beef shortrib ($32) as we didn’t want to risk the other not sharing in the event it was as delicious as it sounded. As expected, the short rib easily broke apart from being cooked for hours in a red wine sauce. Sitting below, soaking up all the rich meat juices, were roasted carrots & parsnips, more ricotta gnocchi and crisp rapini. Chef Ken Hodgins should be commended for adding the shavings of pickled fennel on top which went so well with the dish; the otherwise stick-to-your-ribs meal really helped get a fresh punch from them.

To end, we shared a fairly large cheese board ($14), which was beautifully presented with
tons of fixings – nut and fruit crackers, tart apple slices, sweet black berries and rehydrated apricots that were moist but not syrupy. The four cheeses we received consisted of blue cheese, parmesan and two softer ones (perhaps gouda and swiss)? If only there was a drizzle of honey for the blue cheese it would have been perfect.

Envers continues to be a good place to dine at while making visits to Guelph. I’m sure their patio would be beautiful in the summer time that it may warrant a return meal.


Overall mark - 8 out of 10
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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!

    CLOSED: Mangia & Bevi (Toronto)

    Posted on Saturday, April 05, 2014 by
    Location: Toronto, Canada
    Address: 260 King Street East
    Type of Meal: Lunch
    As a warning, Mangia & Bevi's may be a bit difficult to find given it’s not directly off King Street. Once you get to a series of office buildings, you’ll have to go into a parking lot and at the back find a door with a decorative “260”. Go up the stairs, through the door directly facing the parking lot and once you enter you’ll find the restaurant in the lobby.
    Once you find the hidden gem, your nose is greeted with a wonderful doughy essence captured in a comfortable café like environment. Mangia & Bevi’s décor mixes exposed ducts and brick walls with plenty of artwork; a giant rattan ball light fixture beside the bar is particularly striking. If you don’t want to be disappointed, I suggest you reserve a table. During our Friday lunch visit, the restaurant was bustling and someone had to be turned away given all tables were spoken for.

    Known for their pizza, my friend and I stuck to the crowd favourite and shared the patata & pancetta ($15) and Capri ($16).  The patata & pancetta, a white pizza, topped with potato, pancetta, onions, rosemary, mozzarella and parmigiano is favourite combination. 

     M&B does not disappoint with the pizza chocked full of ingredients and tons of fresh rosemary to really bring an earthy herb smell and flavour to the pizza. For a Neapolitan crust it was toasted quite well on the bottom so that you could easily hold each piece without any drooping or ingredients sliding off. However, given the white pizza doesn’t have any sauce (instead relying on olive oil) the crust began getting hard after eating the first slice.


    Whereas, the Capri ($16) with the tomato sauce base stayed softer throughout the meal. Topped with ham, roasted red peppers, mozzarella and smoked provolone this is a flavourful pizza filled with tons of flavours and gooey cheese. This pizza also went particularly well with the selection of hot sauces and red pepper flakes brought to the table.


    Pizza portions are large and can easily be shared if you add a salad. Given its popularity and freshly made pizzas, it does take a while to get an order – especially if you don’t beat the initial rush; our meal ended up lasting almost 1 hour (after ordering) despite not having any appetizers or desserts. However, service was pleasant and our waitress did come by to update us on the status of the meal. All in all, it was a wonderful lunch and I can certainly see how Mangia & Bevi earned its accolades amongst the Toronto pizza market.
     
    Overall mark - 8.5 out of 10


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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!

    Other Gastro World posts similar to this:




    Yakitori Kintori (Toronto)

    Posted on Sunday, March 30, 2014 by
    Location: Toronto, Canada
    Address: 668 Bloor Street West (2nd floor)
    Website: http://yakitorikintori.com/
    Type of Meal: Dinner


    The newest addition to the Guu/Kinton/Ja Bistro empire, Yakatori Kintori has a similar set-up to its sister restaurants. A clean yet warm environment, efficient use of seating space and an open concept kitchen so diners can watch as chefs make skewer after skewer over hot grills.


    Unfortunately, also like Guu, no reservations are taken after 5pm so if you want to eat at a normal hour be prepared to wait. Luckily, there are many bars in the surrounding K-Town area that helped us kill the 40 minute wait. Surprisingly, for a place that offers a limited menu, tables turned over slower than expected; our meal lasted for over one and a half hours.

    We couldn’t visit without trying their yakatori, which are essentially grilled skewers holding various ingredients. In most instances, the menu offers a choice between teriyaki sauce or salt as the flavouring agent. We relied on the expertise of our waiter to choose the best one.

    The meat and vegetable combinations were ones I enjoyed most as there was a bit more contrast in terms of flavors and textures. The enoki bacon ($2.5) is a nice take on the izakaya dish I generally like (except in Yakitori Kintori’s case wrapped with bacon rather than beef) and was a decent combination of well cooked bacon and crunchy mushrooms. The jalapeno nikuzume ($3.50) was a bit bland since the heat of the ribs and seeds of the pepper were removed so it tasted more like bell peppers. But, the smoky pepper with some ground chicken was still respectable… but would have benefited for a thicker sauce or something else mixed into the ground chicken.


    If you enjoy meat balls, the cheese tsukune ($2.30) may be a good option, given it’s essentially a giant ground chicken meat ball stuffed with a sizeable piece of gooey cheese. Like the jalapeno, it was a bit bland, so an extra drizzle of glaze on top could improve the dish. The momo ($1.90) is a simple skewer of grilled dark chicken meat – nothing amazing but quite tender and always a safe choice.


    Lastly, we shared a skewer of the buta bara ($2) or pork belly. It was well rendered so wasn’t too fatty, yet still have enough of the fat that there was a tender gelatinous bite to the pork.


    Another skewer, which isn’t part of the yakatori section was the chicken karaage ($6). The deep fried chicken was quite delicious, juicy and tender. Complete with a dish of mayonnaise and ketchup it at least provided patrons with the option to season it to their tastes.


    An interesting sounding dish was the yakionigiri ($3) described simply as a charcoal grilled rice ball, with a choice of plum or konbu kelp in the middle. We opted for the plum version which tinted the middle of the rice a lovely pinky hue. In the end, there’s nothing different from what’s described – it was a ball of rice which is lightly grilled. The crispy toasted exterior was a nice contrast against the soft sticky rice but the yakinigiri needed some sort of sauce on it.


    One of my favourite dishes of the night was the takowasabi ($4.50) a cold octopus mixture that’s spiked with plenty of wasabi. Unlike the other dishes which were relatively tame, the takowasabi certainly awakens your senses and clears out the sinus. But, more pieces of nori are required as the amount of mixture far outweighs what could be wrapped. I ended up adding some of it to the grilled rice ball (yakionigiri) which also helped calm the blast of wasabi down a bit.


    Our table was quite excited when the dekitate tofu ($7) arrived, a fresh tofu that’s made table side. Unfortunately, ours didn’t work out very well and hadn’t set. Our waiter immediately took it back to prepare a new one for us – this time doing it in the kitchen and checking it to make sure it’s done correctly. We were pleasantly surprised with the finished product – piping hot silken tofu that can be seasoned to your heart’s content with the salt, pepper and ponzu they provide. The soy was finely grounded so it’s not as grainy as other tofus and delicately flavoured. Even if you don’t normally like tofu you may enjoy the dish so it’s worth a try.


    Our waiter was customer service savvy enough to give us a complementary portion of the tofu & kaisou salad ($7) to tide us over while waiting for the table side tofu dish. The cubes of ponzu jelly tossed throughout really helps awaken what otherwise could be a boring cube of cold tofu with spring mix. This tofu salad certainly held its ground against the ones I’ve had at Bent and Zen.


    To finish, our waiter treated us to the beer sorbet ($5) and sake ice cream ($5).  You could certainly taste the alcoholic content in both. Personally, I found that each of the desserts by itself was forgettable and the beer sorbet too bitter - especially since I had just finished a glass of the sweet Kintori white sangria ($7). But mixed together the sorbet and ice cream became a much better dessert with the ice cream sweetening the sorbet and the sorbet adding a nice crunch against the creamy ice cream.


    On a side note the sangria was a bit disappointing – really wine with some pear juice in it. When I had read the menu describing it with lychee, orange and pear I was expecting actual wedges of the fruit. Alas, it arrived with only one lonely slice of orange. In my opinion, the sake was a much better option. Our table shared a 10oz portion of the junmai ginjo ($25) and it was a very easy going with hints of fruity sweetness (without being actually sweet).


    Kintori is a welcomed addition to the family - a nice alternative to the loud screaming of Guu and as much as I love JaBistro, Kintori is a more wallet friendly. If only they extended the time they take reservations it would be so much better. 
     

     Overall mark - 8 out of 10

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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!



    Kanda Matsuya 神田まつや (Tokyo)

    Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2014 by
    Location: Tokyo, Japan
    Address: 1-13 Kanda-Sudacho, Chiyoda
    Website:     www.kanda-matsuya.jp/p01.htm
    Type of Meal: Lunch     
    Soba are thin buckwheat noodles served cold or hot (heated with a warm dipping sauce or in broth). Like ramen, restaurants will generally specialize and offer only that type of noodles on their menu. One such restaurant is Kanda Matsuya, one of Tokyo’s most popular places to eat te-uchi (hand cut) soba noodles. Started in 1884, Kanda’s longevity may be accredited to their meticulous focus to quality – from cultivating their buckwheat in Hokkaido to perfecting the ratio of buckwheat to wheat flour - their noodles are an artisanal treat.  
    Tourists and locals alike know about Kanda and line-ups often form even before the restaurant opens. When we arrived ten minutes before their 11:30 opening there were already 30 people in line. Luckily, the small restaurant uses communal seating so it can fit a surprisingly large number of customers at any given time (approximately 50-60) so we made it inside.


    Wanting to enjoy the noodles in its purest form, I opted for the cold soba with a soy dipping sauce (¥650). They were deliciously springy with the sauce being just salty enough to flavour without overwhelming the nutty noodles. But, you need to order the noodles omori (extra large) as I was still hungry after devouring mine.  It may look like a lot of noodles, but they are actually sitting on top of a flat bamboo plate so it’s a relatively thin layer.
    My husband’s tempura soba (¥2,000) was much more filling and he was satisfied after finishing the bowl. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to try any as I was sick, but he noted it was good – nothing outstanding but decent and the hot broth satisfying on a cold winter’s day.



    As a warning, it’s pretty hard to order at the restaurant as there is no English menu or speakers. I saved pictures and characters of what we wanted to order on my phone and showed it to our waitress. But this meant we couldn’t spontaneously order something - I saw a table order delicious looking grilled fish and other small eats that would have gone perfectly with my plain noodles. Alas, I had no idea how to order them off and the table was sitting pretty far away so it seemed impolite to point.
    But, if you love noodles, it’s worth it to make the trip out to Kanda Matsuya (just arrive earlier to avoid waiting). Moreover, it’s walking distance from Akihabara, the bustling electronics neighbourhood in Tokyo. So, if you’re not in the mood to eat at a chain or maid café, Kanda Matsuya may be the perfect alternative.

     
    Overall mark - 8 out of 10

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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!



    Baden Baden (Tokyo)

    Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 by
    Location: Tokyo, Japan
    Address: 2-1-8 Yurakucho, Hibiya

    Baden Baden is literally off the beaten path housed under the east side Yurakucho Station train tracks. Located in Ginza by the Imperial Hotel, it's hard to imagine that beneath the tracks there would be such a cozy restaurant serving up German classics. And yes, you can hear the light rumbling of the train as it goes by, but it’s not disruptive or annoying.

    We had to admit, after seeing the row of restaurants built into the tracks, we were intrigued – after all how big could they possibly be with their limited real estate? So, we decided to stop and check one out. Baden Baden isn’t large by any standard, but surprisingly still seats quite a few people. At first, only expecting to get some drinks, we ended up trying some food after seeing tempting pretzel and goulash on the menu.

    The pretzel (¥431) was freshly made, arriving hot and doughy soft. It’s less dense and chewy compared to the ones I’ve had in malls and sporting events, but its lightness is fitting when you’re also downing pints of beer. Although I’m a big fan of savoury foods, it would have been nice if the salt coating it was toned down a bit and instead a dipping sauce accompany it as well since it was a tad dry. 


    After having bowls of goulash while on a Contiki trip, the memories of the thick flavourful stew still haunts me. Whenever it’s on a menu, I generally end up ordering it in hopes of being reunited with the flavours I enjoyed at roadside stops across Austria. Baden Baden’s goulash (¥1,565) had a thick stew consistency filled with tender cubes of beef that had some tendon attached to it so there was some gumminess to it – I know this sounds strange, but it’s something I enjoy. The flavours could have been a bit more spicy but the addition of diced sweet peppers brighten up an otherwise simple dish. If only the pretzel arrived with it, the sauce would have made an excellent dip for the pretzel. Alas, we had polished that off too quickly.



    The restaurant, although not hidden, may be hard to find as you do need to find the right part of the tracks. So, I’ve enclosed pictures of their business card below in case it helps you locate it. Cheers and good luck with your journey, this unique little place is worth a stop.
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    Sansotei Ramen (Toronto)

    Posted on Sunday, March 16, 2014 by
    Location: Toronto, Canada
    Address: 179 Dundas Street West
    Website: http://www.sansotei.com/
    Type of Meal: Lunch
    Having two unsuccessful attempts to eat at Sansotei, I finally got a table after returning on a weekday for lunch (albeit still waiting ten minutes). For my first experience, I opted for the tonkotsu ramen ($9.60), which had a creamy soup base packed with pork flavour – whether you like it is dependent on your palate as I can see some may find it a tad "porky". Personally, I found it enjoyable, especially since it wasn’t too salty so could be enjoyed with the noodles. Thinly sliced black fungus and green onions added a nice crunch and freshness to the overall dish.


    With a choice of thick or thin noodles, I went with the thick ones as they generally are more al dante. Sansotei certainly disappoint as they retained their springy bite. The chashu (roasted pork) was perfectly marbled with alternating layers of meat and fat that made it very tender; likely only second to Santouka’s famed pork jowl.

    Sansotei's egg arrives still runny in the middle. Admittedly, I prefer a soft boil where the yolk is cooked through, but it didn’t detract from the ramen. If everything was a tad hotter, the dish would have been better as it cooled down quite quickly. But, the lower temperature appears to be how its traditionally served as even in Japan they were just slightly above warm. Perhaps, ramen places do this so customers can eat faster and promote quick turnaround. 

    All in all, this is one of the better bowls of ramen in Toronto – possibly tied with Santouka.  If only the wait wasn’t so unbearable I can return one day and try some of their other offerings such as the shio or spicy versions.


     Overall mark - 8 out of 10
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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!
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