Ikkousha Ramen

Located in downtown Toronto, you’ll find two Ikkousha Ramen shops next door to each other. One specializes in Pork and the other Chicken. Ikkousha Ramen started in Japan and any shop they open must follow strict guidelines for their ramen preparation to ensure quality, taste, and culture. Both shops are fairly small, so you may have a bit of a wait if you are wanting a bowl during peak hours; but their service is super quick and efficient so they turn tables pretty fast!

We popped in to the Pork ramen shop, at the time we actually didn’t realize that they had two different shops next to each other. We both love ramen so much that we don’t care how warm it is outside, we will always find an excuse to eat it. Here’s what we ordered: Black Tonkotsu and God Fire. Let’s start with the Black – this bowl comes with a rich, buttery Tonkotsu broth with charcoaled garlic, black sesame oil, chewy hand pulled noodles, thinly sliced pork, green onions and black mushrooms. The noodles were so delicate and bouncy with the perfect chewy bite. I also really enjoyed the broth with the charcoaled garlic and black sesame – it added such a depth to the dish. The pork was also incredible – I am usually not a huge fan of sliced pork in my ramen since it tends to be thick and fatty; but Ikkousha’s pork was so delicate and melted in my mouth. It was unbelievably tender and flavorful. Okay for the God Fire ramen – this is their spicy option that also starts with their signature pork broth and is loaded up with spice. You can choose level 1-4, at your own risk, and the bowl is finished off with their noodles, sliced pork, green onions and black mushrooms. I personally did not go near this one, this was all for the hubby and his spice addiction. He absolutely loved it though! He opted for spice level 3 with a side of extra spice….not even kidding; and he was sweating a bit by the end but powdered through the entire bowl. Ikkousha is a ramen shop you do not want to miss, you really are getting a taste of Japan in Toronto!