| rev:text
| - I am a relative newcomer to ramen, but felt that I was a purist. So before rushing off this review of our dinner at Kyouka last night, I googled, and I've changed my opinion slightly, for the better.
Backing up:
I live in Leslieville, and Shlo and I wanted ramen. He Yelped and found Kyouka, a relatively new place in the Beach, and we were off.
Entering the nicely renovated space (I have lost count of how many restaurants have tried to start up in this space and died a sad death over the years), the overpowering aroma was of fried chicken (aka karaage). But not the rich aroma I'm used to (and was craving) from the broth offered at my usual places, Touhenboku or Santouka.
We both ordered Shio ramen, my go to. What arrived was interesting, but a bit strange as well. Green onions are chopped fine, which I didn't enjoy. Nori was present, half a nicely cooked egg, and a slice of kamaboko, all delicious. The chashu (one slice each of very pleasantly wood-smoked pork, one of chicken) was very nice. Maybe a little stingy. The noodles were firm and nicely chewy. But the broth...it was redolent of clam. The menu, which I'm referring to now (as I didn't have access to it after we ordered) says it's chicken and clam broth, but there was no hint of chicken. However, I missed the rich, mellow flavor that I strongly associate with true ramen, whether the broth is pork or chicken based (or a blend).
That being said, the googling that I referred to above says that places in Japan are offering clam broth in their ramen, so it's a *thing*. But it's not my thing. The broth was pleasant, but in my opinion (and possibly coloured by my expectation of pork) much too fishy. That being said, it was tasty enough that I finished nearly the whole bowl. But I wanted pork broth. Shlo, who had never had ramen before last night, enjoyed it very much, as he had no preconceptions about what to expect.
I now see that their house ramen has chicken and pork broth, and so I should have read the menu more clearly. Bad me.
The service was super quick, very polite, and altogether nice. Perhaps, as they offer such an unusual broth, they might want to explain the different options to sloppy menu readers like me on their first visit. Or make it stand out on their menu a little more.
So would I go back? Perhaps. But I'm more likely to drive a little further to Santouka when I have a craving, because I know it's stellar ramen.
/git
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