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| - Holy moly, this place is good. I'm obsessed with tonkotsu ramen, and Isshin's Kotteri Rich Shoyu delivers. As more and more ramen joints have cropped up across the city, I've always found that I've preferred Sansotei but the broth at Isshin might - *gulp!* dare I say it? - be even better. It's just as richly porky but more complex. The toppings are basic but perfect - they don't need anything more. The pork is always thinly sliced and delicate, just like in Japan, whereas at Sansotei their quality control sometimes slips slightly in the form of thicker chashu.
They use thinner noodles for this particular ramen, and I like it, but I wish they'd undercook it just a bit
more so that they can stay chewier longer. And there's more oil on the broth than I'd like, but it's not a dealbreaker. It's just that they seem to keep the temperature a bit on the crisp side in Assembly Chef Hall, so the fat on top starts to congeal in like 10 seconds if you don't touch certain parts of the bowl.
I've also tried their black sesame tantanmen. It was good but I prefer the plain tonkotsu - I seem to prefer sesame in sweet applications, and I found that the sesame flavour kind of overpowered the glorious porky base. But it was good.
I also really enjoy their house-made ginger ale. It's super delicious and refreshing - kind of like a cross between ginger ale and a citrus pop like Sprite - but with a gentle kick, a slight spiciness. Super delicious.
I was originally a little dismayed to see that their prices here are higher than their restaurant at College but if you factor in the TTC fare required to go there (I can easily walk to the Assembly Chef Hall location), it all evens out. Actually, I might even save a buck or two by staying in the downtown core. So it's a non-issue.
Highly recommended for ramen fans!
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