Noodly Nosh

To be completist, I went on Saturday to Raijin Ramen, the last remaining noodle place on my list. This particular restaurant belongs to yet another Vancouver franchise to land in Toronto. Right at the corner of rather desolate Gerrard and Yonge, it's easy to miss this place.

But the inside is a lot bigger. With both a front and back room, this is probably the largest ramen eatery in town if you are less enamoured with rubbing elbows. Even the seats at the counter are more comfortable, having padded leather cushions instead of hard wood. Raijin specializes in two ramen styles: a milky white tonkotsu (pork), and a clear chicken broth. Lunch comprises of the Shoyu version ($9.50) and a side order of kara-age, or fried chicken ($4).

The chicken comes out fresh and hot from the fryer. It's tasty but not quite as crisply textured and not as tender as Sansotei. In fact, the thicker batter reminds me so much of Indian pakora that I wanted some chutney dip. The Shoyu is rich and creamy with nicely toothsome noodles. The egg isn't quite as perfectly runny and the pork shoulder is leaner than other establishments. This is good ramen but not in the top 3.