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| - One of the few viable options on Dundas between Spadina and Yonge St., and a plausible destination at which to recharge after a day of horrible, horrible, but unavoidable shopping in the Eaton Centre or visiting the AGO if you don't want to venture into Chinatown, especially in the dead of winter. I've been twice, and I don't see why I won't be going back several times.
The King of Kings ramen is rich, spicy, and chock full of crunch and tasty tidbits, including sliced and ground pork and a nice egg. The servings are *humongous* -- bring an appetite, or prepare to be defeated and exhausted as you dive into a bottomless bowl. The noodles are passable; I've certainly had better.
My friend, who recently ate his way through Japan, said it compares favourably with what you'll get at most places there, and I would rate it just slightly lower than my favourite of all time, Saiwaii Ramen in SF.
The Osaka octupus balls are *insanely* rich, and even six is far too many for two people, consisting as they do of soft cheese (I only found out later that this is what they are made of ... glad I didn't know before I ordered them ... also since when do Japanese dishes involve dairy?!?) doused in super-sweet teriyaki sauce. I loved the shaved dry octopus on top. Oddly, they were a little bit like small melted, spherical seafood okonomi (PS: see my review of Okonomi House for the genuine article).
This is not a cheap fill-up, but it's probably the best value in this neighbourhood (which exploits suburban shoppers who don't want to venture too far from Yonge & Dundas when they come to town), and even worth a visit if you live elsewhere in the city.
The tables are small, and it's pretty busy, so I can't really recommend it for a party of more than 2-3.
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