Warm your soul and fill your belly at 10 of the most quintessentially Toronto ramen shops.
Asking Torontonians who makes the city's best ramen will drum up an array of answers, leading you to a rich stew of cultures and flavours. Thanks to the city's multicultural food scene, noodle lovers will find everything from classic Japanese ramen to less commonly found regional iterations, multicultural mashups, plant-based versions and more.
This winter, stay atatakai (an adjective meaning 'warm' in Japanese) by ordering up at these uniquely Toronto ramen shops. We can't agree on which one is "best"—try them all, and you decide!
Toronto's Most MICHELIN-Recognized Ramen
Musoshin Ramen
The Toronto MICHELIN Guide recommends this under-the-radar ramen-ya in west end Roncesvalles Village for its exquisite house-made noodles and light vegetable broth—a refreshing change from tonkotsu (a heartier, creamier pork bone broth).
Chef Aoi Yoshida, an accomplished baker, was tapped by an old junior high school pal to open the first overseas location of this Kyoto-Osaka mini chain.
MUST-TRY: Vegan Curry Ramen for a flavourful combination of vegan curry, kelp and shiitake broth, piled with veggies and noods.
Toronto's OG Ramen Chain
Kinton Ramen
Wherever you are, whenever you need your ramen fix, chances are you're near one of Kinton Ramen's numerous Toronto locations.
Kinton Ramen fans know the chain has its recipes down to a science. The signature house-made noodles are created using a special air-tight kneading technique for the perfect texture. Chicken is sous-vide cooked for a French take on Japanese cuisine.
With options for everyone, including vegetarians and spice lovers, Toronto's original homegrown ramen chain is a crowd-pleaser for good reason.
MUST-TRY: Veg Shoyu. Rich broth, fried bean curd, wood ear mushrooms, handmade noodles, and pickled ginger. Need we say more?
Toronto's Best Ramen for Soup-ficionados
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
Santouka follows a strict process for its signature white tonkotsu broth: pork bones are gently boiled to create a mild-tasting soup, but only once to preserve its delicate taste and aroma. It is never re-boiled.
Each bowl of ramen is served in a special donburi, a thick bowl selected by the founder to properly insulate the dish for peak flavour. The temperature at which the ramen is served may be less hot than you're used to, but it's meant to be devoured straightaway, down to the last drop of broth.
Sooo good after a winter ice skating sesh at nearby Nathan Phillips Square.
MUST-TRY: Shio Ramen for its pure white tonkotsu broth, mild salt flavour and rich aromatics. It has remained unchanged since Santouka’s founding in 1988.
Toronto's Most Dippy Ramen
Ramen Isshin
Local ramen fanatics flock to Ramen Isshin, a popular chain straight from the motherland with locations by Kensington Market and on Queen Street West. Their name's meaning is "one heart, one ramen," and that passion can be tasted in every bite.
Known for harder-to-find ramen like tsukemen (dipping noodles), this shop wok fries veggies with miso, sake and seasonings for extra flavour before pouring their broth and fixings overtop. A variety of vegetarian apps and three meatless ramen options will keep plant-based diners happy.
MUST-TRY: Stone Bowl Shoyu Kotteri Ramen Tsukemen, where chashu pork and super-thick noodles are served alongside a rich seafood-pork broth. Dip, eat and enjoy!
Toronto's Spiciest Ramen Menu
Kenzo Ramen
Toronto-born Kenzo Ramen draws inspo from a variety of Japanese regional ramen. This local chain boasts uniquely thin noodles (house-made, naturally), a signature 24-hour-stewed pork-chicken-seafood broth and house-fermented sauces.
Besides basic ramen, speciality ramen (e.g. egg drop Jisu Ramen) and vegetarian ramen, Kenzo offers six options for spice lovers. With four Toronto locations, including Etobicoke and the Annex, you're never far from a steaming bowl of satisfaction.
MUST-TRY: Spicy Charsu Ramen, infamous for its four levels of spice. This Hakata-style pork ramen packs a punch with its special ingredient: drops of pure capsaicin extract. Warning: maximum spice is only for extreme chilli heads.
Toronto's Coziest Ramen Spot
Konjiki Ramen
In addition to the steaming bowls of can’t-miss, umami-rich ramen with innovative ingredients like west-meets-east white truffle oil that have earned this Tokyo-based chain global raves (including from MICHELIN), you’ll find expert-level tempura, too. But only at their downtown Yonge Street location.
That’s because Konjiki Ramen shares space with the only foreign outpost of Shitamachi Tendon Akimitsu, an Asakusa restaurant known for its gold-standard tempura.
MUST-TRY: Signature Clam Intense Shoyu Ramen, for its full-bodied broth made from aromatic pork, chicken, and clams… with a side of prawn, herring roe and giant scallop tempura, of course.
Toronto's Best Mall Ramen
Sansotei Ramen
Some of Toronto's best ramen can be found at the Toronto Eaton Centre and Scarborough Town Centre. (Surprised? Wait 'til you hear about our vibrant strip mall food scene.)
Specializing in authentic tonkotsu ramen, Sansotei Ramen honours the legacy of Kyushu's famed pork bone-based ramen broth, one slurpable bowl at a time.
MUST-TRY: Tomato, a colourful bowl of thick- or thin-cut noodles (you choose!), tomato-spiked pork-bone broth, chashu pork, Hokkaido scallop and a pile of shiitake under a tangle of red chilli threads. Food ’grammers, this dish is for you!
Toronto's Friendliest Ramen
Midori Ramen
Expect cheers of welcome when you walk into Midori Ramen. Japanese omotenashi culture emphasizes the importance of hospitality. Midori Ramen proudly embodies this philosophy. From entrance to exit, you are embraced wholeheartedly per the "soul in a bowl" ethos of chefs Masaru Ogasawara and Natsuhiko Sugimoto.
Anticipate heartfelt service alongside their signature tori paitan (creamy chicken broth) ramen. Vegetarians are catered to with a uniquely complex, creamy cauliflower broth for their noodles.
MUST-TRY: Signature Tori Paitan for its delectable broth, perfect soft-boiled egg, choice cuts of chicken or pork chashu and toppings galore, including aosa sea lettuce and menma (bamboo shoots)
Toronto's Most Protein-Centric Ramen
Ikkousha Ramen
Hakata-born Ikkousha Ramen offers twin Queen Street West ramen shops, each with an exclusive protein focus.
At Ikkousha Tonkotsu, expect porktastic chashu and all the fixings served up in a white tonkotsu broth. If tori ramen is more your style, walk two stores over to Ikkousha Chicken for tender breast meat chashu atop your noodles and broth.
MUST-TRY (Ikkousha Tonkotsu): Signature Tonkotsu, with tender chashu pork, black fungus, spring onions and Ikkousha’s custom-cooked noodles (which you can order to your preferred tenderness: the traditional preference is al dente).
MUST-TRY (Ikkousha Chicken): Tori Black Ramen, with its tender chicken chashu and black fungus, served in a striking black broth of creamy tori paitan darkened with charcoaled garlic and house-blended black sesame oil.
