| rev:text
| - Out of the ashes of my beloved Cali (pho too delicious for this world) comes Sansotei, yet another ramen place. I was skeptical, but it won me over: this place is laser-focused on basic ramen, and it's very, very good at it.
SETUP/DECOR
It's a deep, narrow restaurant with tightly-packed seating. There's a bench running the length of the right wall, and tables seating 6 lined up along it. It also has two 4-seat booths at the end, and one 2-seat counter at the front window. If you're coming in a group of less than 5 and don't get a booth, be prepared to share a table if it gets busy (haven't seen it that busy yet). If you have a group bigger than 6, I don't exactly know how that would work.
Decor is nice: dark, with classy looking wall-coverings and thick rope decorations suspended down the middle ceiling. Lighting is comfortable, music is generic soft j-pop played at a low volume.
SERVICE
Friendly and fast. At the moment it has that new restaurant whiff of trying-hard-to-please. They also do that thing where they shout "IRRASHAIMASE!" when you walk in.
MENU
The menu is very limited: ~5 kinds of ramen, nothing weird or original. Shoyu, Miso, Tonkotsu, Tonkotsu-shoyu, and I'm forgetting a couple. You can add extra ingredients if you like, but really that's it. There're a few appetizers (edamame, fried chicken) but really it's just ramen, and basic ramen at that. Prices are a little high ($8.50-9.50 for a bowl) and really high for beer ($6 for a small Kirin).
FOOD
I've tried two of the above bowls: Tonkotsu and Miso. Generally, bowls are a little smaller than Kenzo, similar to Kinten.
Noodles are firm, but not crunchy -comparable to Kinten, with more substance than Kenzo (which are often very soft).
Pork cuts are either shoulder (Tonkotsu) or pork belly (Miso), and each piece is individually braised (see my photos for what I mean here).
Broth-wise, Tonkotsu was meaty and subtly flavourful, while Miso was rich and savoury. Finally, the eggs are firm but tender, and not so hard so that they're completely hard-boiled. The eggs also soak up a lot of the broth flavour, and are quite rich-tasting.
OPINION
I've tried to be objective up to here, so let me tell you my opinion: this is the best ramen I've had in Toronto. Out of Kenzo, Kinten, Ajisen, and the various no-name places I've been to in the city, this is the best. The broth is fantastic, the noodles are perfect, the eggs are delicious, and the braised meat cuts are leagues above the boiled ones at Kenzo.
I do have some gripes. I wish the portions were bigger for the price, and that there was more meat per bowl. I also think the set-up of the restaurant could be awkward if it gets busy. I respect the choice to focus on ramen-orthodoxy, but the lack of selection could be seen as a downside (sometimes I want a heretical hot-sauce-based bowl with ground pork). Finally (and least importantly) I'm done with "IRRASHAIMASE!"
That said, shouting or not, this the real deal folks. I'll be back often.
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