Gin It Up

The ramen noodle craze has spread from Toronto to Ottawa. So for the holiday Monday, I decided to have lunch at Ginza Ramen. While the main location offers a variety of Asian dishes, this smaller sister spot in Chinatown concentrates on ramen and a few Japanese appetizers.

It was a tiny spot with a few communal tables. They have gone for the traditional "inn" look, all wood and cozy. First up was the chicken karaage ($6). Ginza's version of this fried chicken came in small pieces, reminiscent of KFC popcorn chicken. It was reasonably tasty dipped in wasabi mayo. For the main, I chose the spicy tonkotsu ($11.95). It was serviceable bowl but not outstanding. There were only a few bamboo shoots and mushrooms. The bean sprouts were just a little too soft. The broth was good, but the noodles didn't have that great chew. There were several good sized pork slices but they could be more tender, and should be seared to get that smoky note.