I was lucky enough to attend a pre-opening event at Konjiki Ramen before their grand opening next month.The concept is quite unique where they combined two prominent Japanese brands in the same location. Ramen meets dessert where the brands excel in their respective specialties. The owners were nice and told the story of how they brought these brands from Japan.
The master ramen chef Atsushi Yamamoto was overseeing the night by preparing a variety of ramen bowls for all the attendees. I was told that he taught the two other ramen chefs that opened the only 2 Michelin star restaurants. Although his restaurant was only Michelin recommended, his restaurant is highly regarded by the local critics to be the top ramen place in Japan. He will be at this location for the first 2 months of opening so get there when he is still in Toronto to witness the magic.
I tried the smokey ramen and it was different from any other places that I have been in the area. The soup base and noodles were done perfect despite being sample size. There are some minor adjustments to the ingredients but it is completely understandable as it was a pre-opening tasting and the kitchen staff were still refining their dishes given a new kitchen and suppliers. The owners told me that they will focus on unique high quality dishes as an affordable luxury for everyone to enjoy.
Despite the restaurant still finishing the final touches before its official opening, everyone enjoyed the night. I am especially excited to return when they will be serving lobster ramen and another surprise dish that is only available on the weekends in limited quantities. The owners, staff and the chefs were particularly open to our feedback throughout the evening so they can adjust their dished to our Canadian taste buds.
I really appreciated the owners spending time to chat with the group and telling their story along with accepting our feedback with open arms. I hope that the line will not be long when it opens but I'm afraid I need to accept the fact that it will be.