I went back to Ikkousha ramen to give it a redemption chance following my poor ramen choice at the chicken broth store last time. I will revisit the chicken broth store later for a proper re-evaluation, but this time I went to the pork broth store.
Food
Signature Tonkotsu with extra noodles ($15 + $2.5)
This time I ordered the noodles to be extra hard. These are noticeably thinner than hard noodles and are a bit tougher and chewier, giving them a more filling presence. I like them over hard noodles and will probably stick with these if I come back.
Contrary to the light chicken broth, the pork broth is much stronger. Tonkotsu broth found in many cheap ramen stores taste very similar and are not that great. The broth at Ikkousha tastes more meaty, salty, and slightly heavier, which I enjoyed. The broth here is reminiscent of that common broth but has small and unique enhancements. It tastes similar but is subtly better at the same, it’s hard to explain with words but is ultimately tasty.
The pork slices were cooked just right and is one of the best I’ve tried so far. The rest of the ingredients were fresh and tasty too.
Price ($17.5)
I think the price is very solid for the quantity and quality. The base quantity is ok, but adding in the extra noodles really helps. Compared to my thoughts of God Fire, having a dish I could comfortably eat definitely improved my reivew.
The value of Ikkousha is on par with Midori or better in some cases. I’m happy to see competitive value and unique tasting dishes in proximity.
Final thoughts
Ikkousha more than redeemed itself, they have good ramen. I think they have the best pork broth ramen I’ve found so far, so I would recommend this place to those who want good pork broth ramen.
I will later revisit the chicken broth store to see how the non-spicy dishes are, but I’m confident they’ll be good too. The more interesting comparison to make is with a few other ramen stores in Toronto. Once I review one more place, there will be a trio of stores each focusing on different broths: pork, chicken, and clam.
Of course, the search for good ramen stores won’t stop after that. There are still places to go try out, so I’m anticipating more ramen reviews spread across a few months.