Ramen Truth

By Mike Lin

I find this restaurant review of Ajisen Ramen amusing. It contains this quote of a vegetarian complaining about the lack of vegetarian soup in a ramen house. That’s like asking for vegetarian steak. If it’s not a meaty soup, it’s not ramen. There are some places where one can’t expect a lot of vegetarian options, like most Chinese restaurants, ramen houses and Alberta. It’s fun schadenfreude reading about people trying to fight these truths and not getting their way.

When I ask my server if the suspiciously milky broth that comes with Ajisen’s assorted vegetable ramen ($6.99) is vegetarian, she points at its picture on the menu. We’ll take that as a no.

A little background:

Toronto has no good ramen. I’ve searched. It doesn’t exist. This isn’t Vancouver people. The only ok ramen I’ve had here was from the uptown location of the previously dissed as non-vegetarian Ajisen, yet that place is Chinese run, and puts too much MSG in the soup. So I’d be ok with an unfavourable review if it were written from a position of authority. Unfortunately the reviewer brings up how much he loves Kenzo Ramen, a Korean run ramen place that I enjoy much less than Ajisen (eg tepid soup). I guess the problem is ramen experts seem to only migrate as far as the west coast… as it stands though, Ajisen is the place.