And by “the One and Only”, I mean that there is only one location in all of Canada- and that’s right in downtown Toronto.

Hakata Ikkousha is a ramen restaurant that originated in Japan, and ended up opening locations all over the world- in Indonesia, Singapore, China, and many other nations- as displayed in the singular Canadian restaurant, with a large mural that takes up half of one wall listing every Hakata Ikkousha on Earth.

The restaurant is quite narrow, so it is split into two types of seating: those at tables on the left, and those at a thin, low table set into the right wall. Every guest is provided a paper menu and a Sharpie marker with which to mark off what you want, including any side dishes, drinks, extra toppings, or even anything you don’t want.

Due to it being around dinner time, my family and I ended up seated at the low table as all the others on the left were full. While the plush stools we were given are hard to push out, baskets under the table are provided to put your things in while you eat.

I chose to order the regular Ikkousha Ajitama ramen, with noodles at regular hardness (you can choose to have your noodles as soft, regular, hard, or very hard- according to the small biography included at the back of the menu, the residents of Fukuoka, Japan, where the original shop is, like their noodles hard). Because of my personal dislike of green onions, I decided to exclude it from the meal.

By the time I had finished eating, I was sure: this is quite possibly the one of the best ramen I’ve ever had. The broth, which has a pork bone base, is extremely rich and creamy, and a little spicy. The two slices of pork itself practically melts in your mouth. The noodles were something a little more than amazing.

While it is a little on the pricey side, I can say that it was totally worth it.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to try any of the side dishes, as one bowl of ramen was more than enough to leave me satisfied, but I definitely will the next time I visit.

So, if you’re ever in the area- you should definitely give Ikkousha Ramen a chance. You won’t regret it.