Sure Eat Ramen

On Saturday, I was strolling down Baldwin looking for the Hong Kong-style crepes. Turns out I was on the wrong street. Instead of eating at Kinton, I decided to try its competitor Ryu's Noodle Bar. The inside of this joint is more utilitarian than Kinton's trendy decor, but it has an outdoor patio. Ryu offers a number of unusual choices including Roast Beef and 2 strictly vegetarian fare.

I opted for the Shio ramen ($9.50) with extra toppings wakame ($1) and tofu ($1). The broth was good, slightly less salty than the other places around town. Depending on the choice of broth, the noodles can be thick or thin. The meat came as 2 slices: one chicken and one pork. Both were average, lacking the rich toothsomeness especially with the pork. Another specialty of Ryu is the dish of oil that you add halfway through your meal. I got the garlic and shallot oil, which gave it the muskiness of fried onions, perhaps a little too much so.

Ryu is a good ramen shop though it won't dethrone its neighbour Kinton. However, if you have vegetarian friends who want to eat ramen (especially hard as all ramen shops use chicken or pork broth) or in the mood for beef, this is the place to try.