With all the cold weather occurring, you must be craving hot food! After all, nothing beats eating hot food to warm you up on a cold day. Check out some of the most popular ramen noodle spots in Vancouver and Toronto (and elsewhere).
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka (Vancouver & Toronto)
With two locations on W Broadway and Robson St in Vancouver and two more locations on Dundas St and Yonge St in Toronto, Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is one of the very few, if not most, authentic ramen spots you can find across Canada. Hailing from—you guessed it—Hokkaido, Japan, they are known for their rich, classic tonkotsu (pig bone) broth and tsukemen, a ramen dish where noodles are eaten after being dipped in a separate bowl of soup or broth. While Santouka has many locations across Japan, the founder has expanded his restaurant to other parts of the world, including the U.S., Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. One thing for sure is that their ramen dishes are delicious!
W Broadway location: 558 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1E9 (inside Neelu Bachra Centre)
Robson St location: 1690 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6G 1C7
Dundas St location: 91 Dundas St E, Toronto, ON M5B 2C8 (3-minute walk from Yonge-Dundas Square)
Yonge St location: 2057 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4S 2A2
Horin Ramen (Vancouver)
Known as The Soul of Ramen, Horin Ramen’s dishes draw inspiration from the history behind the first chilli-flavoured tonkotsu ramen in Ogori, Fukuoka, over 50 years ago. Today, their menu focuses on ramen noodles, many of which include a signature, Horin-style chilli-spiced variety. Styles of ramen dishes include traditional, ajitama (soft-boiled egg), moyashi (bean sprouts), kikurage (wood ear mushrooms), chashu (pork belly slices), and The One (a house special dish that adds all ingredients). Horin’s noodles can also be cooked to your preference, so be sure to let your waiter know your order, and the texture of the noodles will be adjusted accordingly during the boiling process.
Location: 1226 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6E 1C1
Konjiki Ramen (Toronto)
Konjiki Ramen is another famed tonkotsu ramen soup shop, with house-made noodles and toppings served in a warm, vibrant space. Dubbed “Japan’s #1 Ramen Restaurant” by various Canadian blogs in 2017, they were recommended by the Michelin Guide in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Pretty neat, huh? The shop has three locations, with two in Toronto and one in Markham. Their most popular location, however, is on one of the busiest streets in all of Toronto: on Yonge St., Menu items vary by location, but their most popular dishes include the Signature Clam Intense Shoyu Ramen, premium wagyu ramen (in very limited quantities), smokey black tonkotsu ramen, and lobster ramen (also in limited quantities). Be sure to check them out!
Yonge St location: 5051 Yonge St, North York, ON M2N 5P2
Yorkdale location: 3401 Dufferin St Unit 601C, North York, ON M6A 2T9
Markham location: 115 Times Ave Unit b2-b3, Markham, ON L3T 0A2
Kintaro Ramen (Vancouver)
If you want that cheap and affordable experience that ramen noodles are known for in Japan, you’ll want to check out Kintaro Ramen. Located in the heart of downtown Vancouver, Kintaro is well-known among locals for its warm, hearty bowls. Their menu is expansive and caters more to the Western audience. Popular items include BBQ pork ramen, vegetable ramen, and cheese ramen. There are also side menu options such as gyoza and kimchi, and additional toppings such as green onions, garlic balls, bamboo shoots, wakame (seaweed), and corn. So the next time you are looking for a warm meal in the cold, rainy weather, consider Kintaro!
Location: 788 Denman St, Vancouver, BC V6G 1C9
Sansotei Ramen (Toronto)
You might be surprised to hear that Sansotei Ramen is a Canadian brand, but you won’t be disappointed once you try their tonkotsu ramen. Founded in 2012, Sansotei’s menu relies on Japanese authenticity, so its ramen dishes take heavy inspiration from the Kyushu and Hokkaido regions of Japan. Their signature dishes all have a tonkotsu base, with “flavours” ranging from miso to shoyu (soy sauce) to shio (salt) to tomato. Their sides are heavier on meat: pan-fried pork gyoza, spicy slow-cooked wings, zangi (Hokkaido-style fried chicken), seaweed salad and gyudon (rice with shredded beef and caramelized onions). They also serve a delicious cheesecake for dessert; you’ll have to choose between the mango and yuzu flavours, though!
Dundas location: 179 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M5G 1Z8
Yonge St locations: 650 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4Y 2A6; 220 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M5B 2H1
Fort York location: 115 Fort York Blvd, Toronto, ON M5V 0K2
Adelaide St location: 30 Adelaide St E, Toronto, ON M5C 3G9
Front St location: 65 Front St W, Toronto, ON M5J 1E6
Sources: Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, Horin Ramen, Konjiki Ramen, Kintaro Ramen, Sansotei Ramen
