Where to find Tokyo-style ramen in Toronto

I tragically have been ruined by the best of the best Japanese cuisine from the West Coast.

Earlier this year, I visited some friends in Vancouver and took every opportunity to try out recommended restaurants. If you asked me before the trip about my opinions on dishes like tempura, sushi or ramen? I wouldn’t have much to say. But now my standards have undeniably been heightened by that experience, and it was confirmed when I went to an all-you-can-eat Japanese chain with my family last month. Tragically, not all Japanese restaurants are built the same, and I fear landlocked Etobicoke could not compare to the deliciousness I had out West.

Thankfully, when I was craving a good, savoury ramen, I am pleased to say that Oji Seichi satisfied that itch with a vengeance.

For five years, this restaurant has offered East Chinatown high-quality Tokyo-style ramen with made-in-house-noodles. Their menu is brief but packs a punch with six core ramen-based dishes, and extra treats like sake, sandwiches, gyoza and soft serve ice cream to top off your meal.

As a chronic 506-er, I’ve passed the restaurant countless times but had yet to enjoy a meal there. I looked at the menu longingly on grocery runs and chronically checked, then forgot to book a seat for their Summerlicious special.

And, finally, the stars were aligned. The restaurant was open, and corn was calling my name, so I tried their flavourful chicken and pork broth-based spicy sesame ramen. It was smoky, warm, filling, with a handful of corn and a jammy egg to top it off. The meal was already a 10 out of 10 in my books, but their curry spring rolls took it to a whole other level.

It was a bit messy getting the broth mixed in with the noodles, but it was worth it for how downright delicious it was. It isn’t too spicy, which I was kind of bummed about, but it more than made up for it with sizable toppings and portion. Every bite was as flavourful as the last. I even had leftover broth by the end, which I poured over a bowl of fluffy purple rice and chicken the next day.

Don’t get me started on the curry rolls. I never really thought to pair a sweet-and-sour cream sauce with beef curry, and now I am begging for them to offer more than two per serving or to at least consider making these in bulk. They already offer their frozen gyozas and ramen for Oji Seichi-lovers, so why not add the rolls to that list? I’m already planning my next visit to try out their shio ramen, so trust I will be coming to them with this suggestion IRL.

The restaurant was busy the evening I went in, so I enjoyed my meal at Hubbard Park; it’s safe to say there’s nothing more cinematic than enjoying some good food as the sun sets. So, if you’re in the East End and hankering for a traditional ramen with Canadian sensibilities, Oji Seichi is definitely worth the visit.

Do you have a cool restaurant you want to recommend to me?

Email me at hello@thegreenline.to for all inquiries or send a DM on Instagram at @tglhelps.

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