Jinya Ramen Bar - Toronto, Ontario

Ramen is so good on a cold winter night! First snowstorm of the year in Toronto and ramen was at the top of our list to give us a reason to venture out in the cold to satisfy our tummies! And of course, the place was packed as many people had the ... same idea 😅 But luckily, we didn't have to wait too long and got seated within 15 minutes. We each chose something different and I got to taste the soup base for each; my recommendation : get the Tonkotsu Spicy if you can handle it. The broth was full of flavour and the spice hits your tongue a few seconds after you eat it. I have to say though, each of the broths were full of flavour so you can't really go wrong with any of the ramens here. Best value for money would be the Cha Cha Cha as the bowl was filled to the rim with soup and ingredients! The combo was a nice add on for $5.50. I loved the crispy chicken as the pieces of chicken were thick and fresh. An alternative that I would choose next time though is to get this as a small plate as you get 5 pieces instead of 3 (and less the salad) for just a bit more than what you would pay for the combo. 1 star deducted for the salt level of all of these dishes as it was extremely salty - even for the crispy chicken. A bit less salt would have gotten me to add a kaedama to finish each drop of that soup! Read more

I have to say the Tonkatasu Black is probably one of the best I've had in Toronto. It reminds me of some old favorites back from living abroad in Japan! The staff is friendly and always greet with a smile. Would recommend it if you're looking for a warm meal ... on a super cold day. Read more

Truly exceptional service! Every guest was welcomed immediately and seated in less than 15 seconds. Staff, atmosphere, aesthetic - all beyond incredible! The food is excellent - in appearance, quality and taste! Highly highly recommend to anyone looking for some great ramen (or other great Japanese food)!

Update March/2018: Lunch with a friend. His first time and he keeps on and on about how great the food tastes. And he's right. From appetizers to main course to dessert while the service is on point and friendly. One year in and they haven't lost ... their way. Church Street or Carlton Street, depending on your view of the front angled door which faces either, has finally a restaurant worth going to for the food. I don't particularly frequent establishments that scream at me when I enter or leave but this is Japanese Ramen. Having replaced a breakfast Diner two brothers couldn't keep afloat...more than one queasy stomach made its way out of those doors...the Jinya chain is a welcome addition to the neighbourhood. Opening day 11:30 AM on a Monday. I grab a table by the window opposite the kitchen. It lets me snoop on what's going on at the back. The place fills quickly with students, office types and like me, the famished. The staff keep up with the demand both front and back. Of course Management is visibly present for this important occasion. All hands on deck! The food is delicious and the portions are respectable from vegetable tempura, octopus balls, chicken Ramen, green tea & black sesame ice cream right down to the actual green tea. Although the latter is bagged and not loose leaf. Even the serviettes carry the company emblem, a nice touch. If you're into pork or chicken, you've hit the mother load but oh what I'd give for a seafood version with shrimp, scallops and such bathing in their aromatic broth...sigh. Good thing Pho 88 isn't far and yes, I know it's Vietnamese. And the kitchen? Organised, clean chaos. Looking forward to my next meal. Read more

I still clearly remember my first visit to Jinya a few years ago when it was new - I hated it. The menu laid out their philosophy in ramen, and I remember that they said the most important thing for ramen is the broth. The broth in the ramen I ... ordered was very oily and underwhelming in taste, and I stayed away ever since. Come Sep 2017, I was invited to try out their revamped menu. My group ordered one of each of their new ramen - the sukiyaki Q; Spicy creamy vegan, and the Kara-Men. We absolutely loved all of them! The broth is now much more clean tasting, not oily, and the flavour is good. I am a big meat-lover and would have never ordered a vegan ramen, but that veggie broth tasted fantastic. The Sukiyaki Q ramen tasted good, with my only complaint being wanting more meat (the beef slices are thin, like in Sukiyaki, but I want more meat!!). The kara-men is the most flavourful of the lot and I loved the look of the onsen egg on top. We also had some appetizers beforehand, with my favourite being their Jinya bun - a flavourful steamed bun with a thick slice of tender braised pork chashu. It definitely rivalled by usual go-to at Bahn-Mi boys! The deep fried brussels sprouts were interesting as well and I liked having it. The only disappointing part of our meal was the mochi dessert, which have green tea ice cream inside. The taste is a bit weird for us as it was somewhat "floral" and not like the green tea ice cream we are used to. Wish there was another flavour we could have tried. Overall, I am super-pleased with the change in taste and in the new items at Jinya. I would definitely come back again. Check out @instantonium on Instagram for more great eats Read more