Lore
If you search for popular ramen restaurants in Toronto, all the place I’ve reviewed so far will appear. But there’s one place that is mentioned very frequently, but I haven’t reviewed: Sansotei Ramen.
Which might be weird, because Sansotei is everywhere and is popular. I think it’s almost perceived as the “Shake Shack of ramen”. If I really was out to review good ramen places, surely Sansotei should be on the list of places to visit. So why haven’t I posted anything about Sansotei?
The answer is that I had bad experiences (I emphasize the plural) at Sansotei. I’ve tried it multiple times but could never like it because the broth was just too heavy for me. Sometimes I felt nauseous after eating at Sansotei because the broth overwhelmed me.
The last time I ate at Sansotei was about 5 years ago. Ever since then, I’ve always considered it a meme restaurant. I’ve seen people line up for it during cold, rainy nights. I’ve seen wait lists over 20 minutes long. And because I had bad experiences at Sansotei, I always viewed the restuarant as overhyped.
But this was 5 years ago, when I was a different person. Maybe I’ve changed since then, and now I’ll love Sansotei. I thought it was about time to find out, so I went to give Sansotei a redemption opportunity.
Introduction
As mentioned, Sansotei is everywhere. I went to the one by Dundas and University, which is the original store that my Sansotei joke started from. But besides this place, I think I’ve seen at least 5-8 locations in Toronto alone.
Since the last time I visited, Sansotei seems to have added chicken broth ramen to their menu. They also have an interesting $12 super minimal dish, which piqued my interest. I was pleasantly surprised by the reasonable prices.
Food
Tonkotsu Black + Extra noodles ($18 + $2)
I was debating on whether to get the regular Tonkotsu or not, but ultimately went with this one. The Black version has garlic oil in it. You can choose between thin and thick noodles; I went with thin.
I thought the ramen was pretty solid, something I couldn’t imagine I would say a few years ago. The broth was definitely on the richer side of ramen that I’ve tried, but it wasn’t overwhelming or make me feel nauseous. It also wasn’t very salty, which can happen at some places.
I was impressed by the base toppings included in the dish. Most other ramen places offer half an egg or don’t at all, yet this one came with a whole egg by default. The pork slices had a smoky maple flavour to them, which I think was nice. The black fungus and green onions tasted fresh.
The noodles were average. Overall, the Tonkotsu Black had an overall rich yet mild flavour, something that would be suitable for comfort food.
Thoughts
While I went to eat at Sansotei with a braced stomach, I didn’t expect this kind of positive outcome. Unlike my previous visits, I actually enjoyed eating at Sansotei this time. There was no nauseous stomach or super heavy broth, but just good ramen that is able to hold its own against other places.
The food is pretty good, prices are in check, and the interior is very clean. Not much criticism I can say until I try the other dishes. I guess I can now release my negative thoughts I had against this place. Good job Sansotei, you’re now part of the “recommendable ramen place” list.