Toronto is one of the most multicultural and diverse cities in the world. The diversity of culture in this city can be expressed through the cuisine. In Toronto, food is used as a way for people to communicate and share their culture with others. Some of the distinct cuisines that Toronto has to offer include African, French, Russian, Caribbean, Vietnamese, and Japanese. 

Japanese culture has had its largest impact on North America through the ever so popular Japanese anime and manga however, food has also had a large impact. One of the most popular Japanese dishes is ramen. Let’s take a look at what Japanese ramen shops in Toronto have to offer!

Ajisen Ramen

This restaurant originated in Japan as a small ramen shop. In 1996, they made their first expansion and created a new restaurant in Hong Kong. Eventually, the business grew enough in 2005 for it to bring the restaurant along with their culture to Toronto. Currently, there are 3 locations in the GTA with over 40 kinds of ramen on their menu and there are even more options if you include their non-ramen choices!

Sansotei Ramen

This restaurant’s origin is different from Ajisen ramen’s origin. This restaurant originated here in Toronto. Their ingredients come directly from Japan and the ramen chefs are Japanese, so even though the origin is from Toronto, you’ll still get the authentic Japanese ramen experience! This place is usually packed on weekends due to its popularity. This restaurant has made a huge impact in Toronto because it has turned a once niche dish into a very popular one! The menu offers a large variety of ramen soups and toppings with a choice of spiciness. The menu not only offers ramen, but also other Japanese dishes such as karaage (Japanese fried chicken) and Japanese cheesecake

Ramen Isshin

This restaurant is slightly different from the other two because they have a section of their menu dedicated to their original creations. Most other ramen shops stick to the same flavours, but this shop likes to be spontaneous. For their red miso ramen, they add a different combination of flavours for the soup and they are the only ramen shop in the GTA to serve wok fried ramen noodles. They also substitute different ingredients such as egg in the noodles so that everyone can enjoy the taste of their ramen whether they are vegetarian, vegan, or whatever.

Ramen used to be very niche, but with so many options now it is very easy to find a ramen shop. Many people only know about instant ramen, and that’s absurd! If you are one of these people, I strongly encourage you to go outside and try one of these amazing restaurants to experience real ramen while learning about Japanese culture.
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Works Cited

http://nextstopcanada.ca/cultural-foods-toronto/

http://www.ajisen.ca/about-us/

https://www.sansotei.com/

https://www.ramenisshin.com/

https://www.blogto.com/toronto/the_best_ramen_in_toronto/