Kinton Ramen 4

My favourite ramen spot in the city. I’ve had some pretty memorable meals here, and our go-​to is always the following: a) a bowl of shio ramen, b) a bowl of spicy garlic ramen, both with pork shoulder, and c) an order of their delicious gyoza.
We’ve always visited at off-​peak hours — around 5:00 PM for dinner or later in the evening, around 9:00 PM, just to avoid the lines that inevitably form. Seating is very limited, with a mishmash of communal tables and separate individual tables. Spacing is very cramped, but nonetheless, the food is delicious. These are the best gyoza I’ve had in Toronto to date, and I often order a second round just to satisfy the cravings (I’ve been known to eat two orders of gyoza in one sitting…). The ramen itself is wonderfully light but full-​bodied in flavour, with noodles well-​cooked, and the meat very, very tender. I like the extra dashes of uniqueness you can add to your bowl, such as extra green onions, sweet corn, among other options.
Service can be a bit slow, but other than that, I’ll continue coming back here (or it’s other sister locations) both for my ramen and gyoza fix.

Had the karaage, spicy garlic ramen and Asian delight tea. The karaage was fine, but skimpy for $ 5.80. The ramen was filling, but the spicy garlic broth and the noodles were just ok. The Asian delight tea was good.

Kinton ramen was mediocre… Nothing too surprising here. Small place, cant see it hosting large groups.
Their spicy chicken they had i felt was better than the ramen i got.
The service was great, open concept to where you can watch them make noodles and get our water from the tap.

After starving myself on a cold winter night in Toronto, I decided to treat myself to a nice bowl of ramen. I looked around for options and Kinton stood up because of the Spicy Garlic Pork Belly noodles they offer.
This is an epic bowl of ramen, choose thick noodles and regular broth. Also, add sweet corn. You won’t regret it. The taste is amazing and they do a great job of the Pork Belly. It’s not too fatty, as they are flamed individually. It’s also a large piece compared to other ramen spots I’ve tried across Canada. The spice could of been more. The garlic taste was particularly strong but if you love garlic it’s perfect! Make sure you mix it well with your soup to get the full flavour.
As seen above, I got the combo that came with Japanese Oyomaki Octopus Balls which was truly tastey.
The head chef YUSHIN is a young ramen master, and he made my day recently at Kinton Ramen at North York. We spoke about Japan and his work ethic was quite intense. He would be bowling noodles, flaming pork belly, and putting dishes to wash all at the same time!
As seen below at the photos, he enjoys his job greatly and loves making ramen!
Do you like ramen? What are you waiting for! Check out Kinton Ramen.

Just a short walk from the North York Centre subway station this is the only Kinton outside of downtown (so far…). I’ve been to the one on Queen and also the one on Baldwin previously and I think this is the smallest of the three.
In terms of design it’s the same as the others. Maybe because it’s smaller or the staff are just livelier but there’s serenity more of an electric feeling here than he other two locations that I’ve been too.
The food at Kinton is always spot on and his location is no different. On a cold day and craving hot soup Kinton is the way to go. Can’t go wrong with Extra Pork Shoyu Thick Noodles with Pork Belly.

Came by this little place for a hot bowl of noodles after snowboarding for a day! Saturday night, surprisingly not as busy as I thought but it could be the weather. Anyway, we waited 15 mins for a table; for those of you who have never been here before, there is NO waiting space. Super limited seating. But the good thing is turnover is fast. Staff on the whole are quite friendly.
We ordered the original and also the miso this time. Though the miso was light, it felt thicker than the original broth regular. Anyway, ramen was cooked al dente just the way I like it. The gyoza came after the noodles (we ordered a combo each). They did not disappoint, but my only negative comment was as good as that mayo was, I did not appreciate it drenched over my gyoza. Perhaps if they drizzle less or just serve it on the side it might be better. Anyway all in all it was a good meal. The noodles are delicious! But if only the place was a bit bigger and not mostly bar seating it would be even better :)

I love the design.
After eating the pork ramen which was by the way, tasty, I had a really bad case of the runs. I don’t know why but I cannot digest authentic rich ramen very well. Maybe if I try spicy garlic, I wouldn’t have the same problem.
I hear if you can eat a whole bowl of ramen including the soup, you can get a point stamp.

Preface: I was very hungover and needed a big bowl of soup. I got the spicy garlic ramen with extra noodles and extra pork shoulder. Definitely a solid bowl. Not a fan of the shoulder, though. Too chewy. Next time I’ll probably go for a more simple broth. This was REALLY garlicky
What killed me, though, was the music. They were playing dancehall remixes of god-​awful disco/​bar-​mitzvah songs and it was SO LOUD.
When push comes to shove, there is better ramen in the city. Hell, between Ajisen and Kenzo, there is better ramen on the block!

I feel like their ramen is overly salty — the flavour is very good but I’m left super thirsty for water after. Its definitely good ramen but not the best in Toronto IMO.

Came here for Sunday afternoon with 3 other friends. We came in around 1:45pm for lunch and waited around 15 minutes for a table. They have very limited seating at this location, and it’s very hard for them to accommodate groups larger than 3. The waitress’s advised us multiple times that it would be 5 minutes wait, but in total we had waited 15 minutes, however the servers apologized for the waiting time and they were all super friendly.
We got seated at the bar, hoping to get a table face to face tho since I wanted to catch up with my friends. The bar definitely limited the conversations and it was difficult to hear my friend talking on the other side.
However the bar area had front seats to the kitchen where they were making the ramen!
I opted for the port original ramen with thick noodles, pork belly. I enjoyed the noodles, quite chewy which I liked. The broth was mediocre. And the porn belly was too chewy for me which was difficult for me to break apart since it came in 1 big piece. The egg in the ramen was amazing tho! Wish I knew how to make it like that at home (yolk melts out)
I would come again if it was a smaller group (1 – 2 people)
Washrooms were quite far downstairs. As well since it’s a smaller resto, they do encourage people to put up their jackets in the rack in the front. All their chairs do not have any backings so it’s not meant for you to sit for a long time

Came back and got a more popular option.
Get the rich miso pork belly with thin noodles. I believe this is all people get along with the spicy garlic noodles as everything else is probably average on best.
Really reminded me of the ichiran chain back in Asia. Will be back!

Kinton Bowler 3x here.
Garlic lovers’ friend’s beware: this place has an awesome spicy garlic ramen. Word of warning, the taste in your mouth will last you hours after, but while you’re eating it, oh man!
The fun thing about Kinton Ramen is that you can choose everything: thick or thin noodles, heavy or light soup base, pork belly or pork shoulder, add ons etc… While more expensive than other ramen places, definitely worth trying.
I got the spicy garlic ramen with thin noodles, normal soup, pork belly and added sweet corn. Drool. My fiancé luckily got a spicy garlic ramen too, so that was a free pass, otherwise — please do not order it if you’re on a date!
The spiciness is perfect, no too spicy, but definitely has a kick. The garlic (yes, they serve it with a scoop of garlic) is delicious. The corn gave the spiciness a nice sweet touch. This is a pretty darn good ramen.
The shop is small (like classic Japanese ramen houses), but the wait is short. The service is excellent, quick, speedy and attentive. Can’t wait to be a Kinton Bowler 4x

I don’t know if it’s just b/​c I should order the heavy broth (I’m always way too freaked out to do that) or if my taste buds are dead every time I go but the broth lacks a lot of flavour. I just don’t get that «umami» when I’m tasting that ramen and broth… it’s quite sad.
I’ve gone a couple times now and each time, it’s been a different experience — some better than others.
Line-​ups are okay — the turnover is quite quick as luckily, it doesn’t take long to eat a bowl of ramen. You have to pay to get tea… so if you want something hot to drink (for free, order water). Their hot tapas — karaage is worth trying but the tofu nuggets, not so much — especially since I believe you have to pay extra in that combo.
Overall, an okay experience.

3.5÷5
Oh Kinton, how I loved ye for introducing me to ramen that’s not Ajisen or Kenzo. That was way back around 2 years ago when I visited the Kinton branch downtown. Now that Kinton is extremely well known, they’ve expanded beyond their Baldwin branch and have opened branches across downtown, as well was here in North York Centre!
I visited this Kinton branch this past Saturday, as my original dining place had a 2 hour wait. Yes, I went to Kinton because a place had a long wait, when usually it’s the other way around! Either way this place was full seated for the most part, but I didn’t have to wait as there was a table of 3 immediately available.
The menu has changed slightly since my last visit to Kinton. They’ve now incorporated more of a build-​your-​own-​ramen style, choosing your broth, type of ramen, your meat, your toppings, and whether you want any extra snacks. For my visit, I ordered pork ramen with miso flavour, regular broth, thick noodle, pork belly, and a side of takoyaki for $ 1.
The takoyaki arrived first, and I must say for $ 1 extra it was definitely worth the order! They give you 4 pieces, and they do not skimp out on the octopus pieces inside, averaging 2 for each piece. The ramen came second, and after trying out so many ramen places I’ve lost my unreserved love for Kinton. While the ramen is not bad, I definitely prefer Sansotei’s thick ramen now. Kinton still makes the best pork belly, although for this branch the pork belly is narrower than the original store. Finally, the broth, despite the fact it was regular, tasted more bland than usual. I probably should’ve gone rich, though last time I went rich it was too rich for me. Can’t seem to win sadly.
Considering my past Kinton experiences, I have to say service here is quite subpar. Normally a server will come to take your order and give you the bill without asking, but I had to wave someone down for both cases here. Also, the restaurant was too hot even though I was sitting nowhere near the kitchen, plus the fact it was a mild night that night.
For the most part, I’m still good with Kinton and would take someone here for food if the time comes. However, with the ramen craze that’s taken over the region in the past 2 – 3 years, I have no choice but to up my standards, and sadly Kinton is losing ground in my ramen places to frequently visit in the future.

We ended up at this place waiting for another place. First of the service was pretty awesome. They were very energetic and enthusiastic. However not the best Raman place. The stocks that my friends and I had were sub parr. Maybe we made the wrong selections. But not the best stock. The fried chicken was good as an appetiser, or good in comparison to the bad Raman. All in all I would not go back.

The ramen competition in Toronto has really ramped up over the last few years, so we’re getting tons of great ramen options now. Maybe that’s the reason why my visit to this Kinton didn’t really faze me.
We came here on a Saturday evening before the dinner rush and were seated within 5 minutes. We ordered:
— spicy jalapeño chicken ramen (regular broth with thick noodle and pork belly): broth was good and the spicy level was just right
— original pork ramen (rich broth with thick noodle and pork belly): the rich broth was my boyfriend’s choice so I wasn’t a huge fan of the big chunks of fat floating in the broth and the egg was overcooked
— hot karaage: pretty good but eat it quickly — if you let it sit, the spicy sauce will make the chicken soggy
Overall, I thought the food was not bad, but I felt the ramen flavour lacked depth.

So after having this place hyped-​up to me for the last year, I finally had a chance to try it out. As expected, there was a somewhat long wait-​time for a Friday night — 20 minutes for a table of two.
ATMOSPHERE:
As it looks from the outside, this place is cramped and busy — definitely not ideal (or possible) for a larger group. I’m not a fan of places that are too smoky on the inside, and this place definitely was (humid too). However this place was fairly lively, what with their Guu-​like salutations and talkative patrons.
Our table was sticky, which I’m guessing happened b/​c of the quick turnover to meet the demands of the long lines. The wooden chairs were quite uncomfortable, but I understand they’re used to conserve space, rather than provide comfort.
SERVICE:
Service was slow, again due to the place consistently being packed, but the servers were friendly — they take the time to break down menu options, and do check in pretty regularly throughout the meal.
FOOD:
I can see why many enjoy this place, as it offers more options than the standard Ramen joints. In addition to the typical options to add extra «meat» (you can actually specify what kind of meat here, unlike some other places), you can actually choose between noodle types, and soup base. They also offer a few small plates, including the option to combo a dish with a ramen meal. The tea came in jars, which was a unique touch.
I will say that the noodles at Kinton, really set this place apart — they were silky smooth, and just felt (and tasted) higher quality than most Ramen places. The pork shoulder I ordered seemed a bit on the tough side. After going with the «Spicy Garlic Pork,» I realized they were not kidding around with their garlic — this thing was DROWNING in it. Luckily, I love garlic, so all was well. The spiciness level also met my expectation, as I needed to stop and wipe my brown many a times.
VERDICT:
3.5. This might have been a «4,» but my expectations were blown through the roof even before coming. Also, while the food was satisfying, I’m not a fan of the interior. I will probably be back.

I’ve heard a lot about Kinton Ramen as visitor to Toronto and was glad to try it out at least once, though not in the downtown location.
There was a short 15 minute wait for a Saturday evening dinner.
I got a ramen set that came with a choice of side and ramen. Prices here are actually not bad, but that might be because I’m from NYC and am used to paying ridiculous prices for food anyways.
As my side, I chose the takoyaki and actually really liked it. It was hot, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with tender octopus. The sauce was good.
Then it went a little bit downhill. I found my spicy garlic ramen to be a little bit tasteless. I chose the thin noodles instead of the thick because I love the thin ramen; they recommend you choose the thicker noodle with the spicy garlic. I don’t regret my choice — the noodles themselves were fine. Where Kinton lost some points with me was on the broth. I LOVE garlic and eat garlic in everything but this broth had way too much minced garlic in it. I had garlic breath for days. More importantly than that, however, was the soup (regular richness) had little to no distinction or flavor to it. It also wasn’t salty enough, which I never thought I would say about any ramen restaurant… there’s usually TOO much salt.
I paid extra for my egg, and that egg is always worth it.
The pork belly was plentiful and was not too fatty.
Service overall was so-​so.
Probably ranks quite low on my ramen restaurants list.

Beat the dinner rush as we arrived just before 6PM. We ordered the cold noodles and the spicy ramen with pork belly, delicious!
The cold noodles were very good, it came as a generous portionof noodles, 2 pieces of pork shoulder, a bowl of soy sauce with mixins of raddish, green onions, wasabi and a raw egg ($ 12).
The spicy ramen with pork belly was also delicious, but it did not have very much noodles… there was equal parts noodles to bean sprouts ($ 11).
Overall, great experience as the restaurant is very lively (lots of chanting from the staff) and good service. Would not recommend for larger parties as they only have one large table, the rest are bar seating and tables of 3.

It all depends on your taste buds. Some prefer other ramen houses, but I don’t mind this chain (given the limited selection of really good places in Toronto).
As usual, I’m a little discouraged due to the cost of a single serving of noodles. More of an issue is that one cannot add more noodles to an existing bowl of remaining broth. Thus, encouraging you to order another full meal should the extra noodles placed with the original order isn’t enough to fill you.