I was near Loblaws last Friday night and contemplating another expensive salad bar dinner when Jinya Ramen caught my eye. I'd been walking past for a while now and meaning to try it. I headed on over and was quickly seated by the hostess and given a menu.
I ordered the vegan spicy ramen and a Cameron's Brewery red ale. The vegan ramen was really tasty but not spicy at all, I definitely had to add some hot sauce to give it a kick. The beer was delicious, I'll definitely be seeking it out again.
in comparison to Ramen Isshin (my favorite in the city) Jinya scores and loses a few points.
Pros:
- Very attentive customer service. My server was always accessible and she did return promptly after 'giving me a few minutes' but without bring pushy
- Nice decor and different seating options for solo eaters, groups and couples
- Lovely food presentation
- You can custom add all sorts of things as toppers to your ramen. Brussel sprouts, peanuts, you name it. I thought this was a cool idea and a good differentiator.
Cons
- As mentioned the spicy vegan ramen wasn't spicy. It also wasn't actually vegan as they served it to me. The vegan noodle option is the spinach noodles and they cost extra. Even though I ordered a vegan dish the server didn't ask me about the noddles. This is ok for me as a vegetarian but I feel that a dish labelled vegan on the menu should be served as such or be clarified with the customer.
- A smaller portion than Ramen Isshin. Also not a fan of the raw tofu cubes, would prefer cooked.
- Some of the staff in the open kitchen were continuously yelling loudly when orders were up. It's a smallish place so it definitely effected the ambiance.
All in all though a good and easy experience. I'll likely be back coz it is decent and in a convenient location.