It’s difficult to choose a favourite ramen restaurant, or even a favourite ramen dish. There are so many different broths and different flavour combinations, you can eat ramen every day but eat something different each time. But one thing’s for sure: we kept hearing about this one ramen place. People were raving about it. Only problem was, it was in Toronto. Until now.
From the wonderful people who brought us Kinka Izakaya, Kinton Ramen has come to town! The space is just as nice and modern as Kinka Izakaya, with its own special charm. They have an open concept kitchen and you’re once again greeted with cries in Japanese and then told goodbye with the same gusto upon leaving. The Kinka brand calls themselves the Kinka Family, and that’s exactly how it feels.
Kinton Ramen has delicious appetizers to start you off. We tried the karaage, a delicious fried chicken, similar to the one at Kinka, with a seasoned mayo for dipping. We just love this appetizer, and it’s one of our favourite variants of fried chicken.
We also loved their takoyaki, deep fried octopus balls with tonkatsu sauce and mayo for dipping. These little guys are bursting with flavour and are oh so tender. A whole new way of eating octopus!
If you’re thirsty, try their homemade hot or cold sake or guzzle the Shandy Gaff, which is Sapporo and ginger soda. Both are equally refreshing and the perfect way to quench that thirst.
Now for the ramen. We were lucky enough to get a sneak peak of the menu before the official opening and boy are you in for a good time! They let us try all 8 broths (yes, 8!) before ordering our very own ramen.
There are 4 broths for pork ramen, and 4 broths for chicken ramen. There are original, shoyu (which has soy sauce flavour), miso, and spicy for both types. The pork ramen is cooked for a whole 20 hours! Talk about a flavour load. The chicken broth is equally delicious but thicker and creamier than the pork.
Don’t worry, vegetable eaters! There is also a vegetarian broth that can include gluten-free noodles on request.
The first step to ordering your ramen is choosing your broth. Next, you can choose your noodles, either thick or thin. Both are great options. It really depends what you’re in the mood for. Finally, you can choose toppings. There are already toppings included in each broth type, but you can add even more. Some of our favourites were the sweet corn, the seaweed, and the seasoned egg.
Now it’s time to dig in! If you manage to lick your plate clean (no easy feat), you will become one of the illustrious Kinton Bowlers! The more bowls you finish, the more prizes to be won! Accumulate your finished bowls and become a ramen master!
Dig into a bowl of flavourful and rich ramen at Kinton Ramen ASAP! Whether the weather is warm, cold, or in between (ah, Montreal), it’s always a good time for ramen!
1211 Rue Bishop, Montréal, QC H3G
(438) 387-6187
Photos by Dahlia Merlo (@dahllii).