It’s been a few months since I’ve posted anything about food. Now that I have some more time, here’s the first review of 2023 to break that stagnation; another ramen review.
The store being reviewed this time is Ramen RAIJIN with all caps. It’s located close to the Wellesley and Bay intersection and seems like a very popular place. It was insanely cold when I went here, because I expected the nasty weather to discourage most people from showing up. And despite the conditions, I still ended up waiting for a seat.
Food
Umami Shoyu Ramen + Extra One Noodle ($13.5 + $2)
Despite being chicken broth ramen, the flavour was surprisingly strong. I could taste a lot of soy sauce and some subtle savouriness. Because of the strong soy sauce taste, the broth is on the saltier side. Besides the saltiness, the broth is mild like most chicken broth ramen. If you want something that isn’t too strong, this dish might be a good choice.
There is another ramen store I visit that serves clam broth ramen (review coming later). The Umami Shoyu broth tastes very similar to the clam broth despite using completely different meats for the flavour.
The toppings are fresh, especially the onions, and the noodles are very chewy and nicely cooked. You can order a lot of extra toppings for $1 or $2 each. The pork slice was ok, nothing too special.
Two extra noodle portions are offered: half (Extra Half) and full (Extra One). The half portion is $1 and is probably half the quantity of the whole. Offering two portions is something I haven’t seen before and fills the niche for people who don’t want too many noodles.
One complaint about this dish was the lack of meat. It came with just the one slice of pork. It would have been nice to get one or two more slices, but I suppose the price reflects what the dish offers.
Thoughts
Overall, I think Ramen RAIJIN is pretty decent. I cannot conclude how their ramen is overall, but the Umami Shoyu was pretty good. It’s a solid dish that most people shouldn’t have a problem eating.
In my opinion, the big selling point of Ramen RAIJIN is the value. They have the lowest prices for good ramen out of the places I’ve been to. While most other stores charge around $22 - $25 after tip and tax, this place cost less than $20. I can’t say if they have the best tasting ramen, but the value they offer is very competitive.
Maybe that’s why there was a waitlist on even a frigid evening. If you want to go here with a fairly large group of people, I’d recommend making a reservation.