Food

All about that ramen

pork ramen

A ramen feast: original pork belly ramen with bean sprouts, nori, scallions, seasoned egg in a regular pork broth with thick noodles

Ramen, ramen noodles, warm bowls, broth, rich pork, irresistible egg yolk. I think I have a thing for comforting bowls of broth and noodles.

When I think of Japanese food, I think of sushi, but I wanted to try another culinary favourite from Japan. Ramen.

I happened to see Kinton Ramen when I was in Baldwin Village; I’m there almost every weekend stuffing my face with all-you-can-eat sushi. I really enjoyed being able to customize my bowl. I was able to choose the flavour of broth, its richness or lightness, the type of noodle, and any additional toppings.

It was a comforting treat on a not-so-cold March day.

spicy ramen

Pork ramen and its spicy garlic counterpart with additional nori topping

 

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Food

There’s no sincerer love than the love of ramen

ramen_Momofuku

There’s something about the first snowfall that makes me want to curl up with a bowl of comfort food, a warm cat, and a cup of gingerbread tea. I’ll even make the trek outdoors for a hearty meal with a friend. So when Kate asked me where we should go for our Thursday dinner date, my mind wandered for a bit before landing on ramen! Specifically, Momofuku Noodle Bar on University Ave and Queen St. W.

I made sure to bundle up. The only visible part of me were my eyes peeking out from under a toque and over three layers of a scarf. It was a cold cold night and I was glad we would be sitting down to warm bowls of ramen. I had never had real ramen — only the packaged kind my little brother used to make for me.

Of course, I went through the wrong entrance. I was in a gigantic room with people in suits, ties, and evening wear. I was going to text Kate and tell her I felt totally underdressed. Then I saw some people go through another entrance. I decided to follow them and was relieved to see younger folks in oversized sweaters and oversized glasses, which was the exact outfit I had on.

Momofuku_noodle_bar

Once we both arrived safe and sound, we decided to share the Momofuku Ramen and the Dan Dan Mian. Holy ramen, it was delicious! I also bought half a dozen cookies for the road, which were temptingly displayed in the Milk Bar on the second floor of the restaurant. I obviously had a corn cookie after the meal.

It was so nice to visit David Chang’s restaurant. I had watched him in the first season of The Mind of a Chef and then yesterday I was able to step into his world through his delicious dishes. The service was excellent. It was lovely to spend time with a friend over good food, a pint of cider, and beautiful furnishings.

I’d recommend putting on all your layers and braving the trek outdoors for a bowl of ramen.

There is no sincerer love than the love of food. – George Bernard Shaw

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Food

Enjoy an afternoon of fresh sushi and sunshine

Kuni Sushi Ya is one of my favourite sushi restaurants. The food is fresh, simply prepared, and mouth-wateringly delicious.

Kuni_sushi_ya

My sushi feast at Kuni Sushi Ya was featured on the Gastropost section of The National Post.

There’s nothing better than enjoying a fresh dish while sitting on the patio with the summer sunshine coming through the overhanging branches.

It’s situated on a quaint street in Baldwin Village. Baldwin Street in Baldwin Village. Easy, right? The servers are nice and accommodating. I’ve been there a handful of times, and I’ve been served by the same two friendly people.

A word of advice: If you’re getting the all-you-can-eat, which I would recommend, don’t wear high-waisted shorts, you’ll be wishing you had more belly room. I would also recommend bringing something to read. I like to hit up a nearby park afterwards to let my belly breathe.

An all-you-can-eat feast with tea and tip will cost you around $18. Well worth it for a lovely Saturday or Sunday lunch.

Kuni Sushi Ya,
20 Baldwin St
Toronto, ON M5T 1L1
(416) 260-3188

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