Kinton Ramen 2

Kinton is highly HIGHLY overrated. Their broth is super salty; I just remember it tasting super artificial. The noodles and chicken meat I had with it were also very mediocre as it was soaked in the extra salty broth. They also play their music super loud that my friend and I had to almost shout over one another. There are TONS of really great ramen places in Toronto to explore and salivate over, this is not one of them.

$ 14, including tip, for a moderately-​sized bowl of ramen and a piece of pork belly; not sure if that is worth it!
The noodles and soup were delicious (not sure if it was just because I was hungry and it was cold outside), but nonetheless, it really hit the spot. However, I must say that the fullness doesn’t last very long since I was hungry again after a couple of hours.
The interior is very nice though; the seating is very modern and décor is very hip. The lighting is also quite relaxing, though the noise level is pretty high. I felt like I had to scream at my friends in order to be heard over noise of others and the frequent shouts from the chef.
The only complaint I have is that the ramen and portion didn’t feel worth it for the price that I paid, and also it took awhile to get to our table. I may come back again, or maybe try a different restaurant on Koreatown, but for me, this place was just OK.

so I decided to try the chicken stock which they have at the bloor location. I liked it very much and it is recommended to have the thin noodles. which I did ilke in the chicken stock. The chicken breast is substantial. Unlike the pork belly (which I had mentioned before is really good but has shrunk in thickness significantly since they opened)…we had the lunch special and had takoyaki and the tofu fried ones. can’t remember the name on the combo special. I actually enjoyed the tofu more than the takoyaki though I’ve had better ones elsewhere. I still would go back as I like their noodles and stock. My sister had the light pork stock which had a weird taste to it… tasted medicinal!!! I’m not sure she will go back.
I noticed they now a a vegetarian ramen with vegetarian stock! Something to go back… just to try it… I am an omnivore!

Enjoyed a nice quiet lunch here with my mom on Christmas Eve.
I am not a ramen aficionado nor do I know what authenticity tastes like, so take this review as you wish, but I did enjoy the food.
We shared the chicken karage (think KFC fried bird but better) to start which was served with a mayo sauce. I opted for the veggie ramen, which was delicious and warming. Mom went with the pork ramen and she said it was tasty.
I would return if in the area again — ramen seems to be the perfect winter warming meal.

To end the night with a few bites we stopped in here. Located on the 2^nd floor, this small place does pack quite a punch. Their chairs are actually stools but have a cutout at the bottom where you can slide your purse right in — genius!
They have daily specials and since we were here on a Sunday it was their premium night specials. The table ordered a few different items– horse meat sashimi, beef carpaccio, chicken skewers and some sort of burger (name I have forgotten). These dishes are more tapas style than a full meal. I had the skewers and the beef carpaccio. They were good but after eating at Nana’s earlier in the day… well it just can’t compete. The beef wasn’t sliced as thin as carpaccio should be and was a bit tough for me.
The service was polite but they forgot to bring a few people’s green tea and we had to ask twice. It wasn’t crowded but it was late Sunday night so maybe this is normal so we ordered and our food came out pretty fast.
The ambiance is nice and clean — try finding the doors to the washrooms! And actually I need to mention the washrooms because honestly they were amazing — clean and so beautiful (yeah strange to say a bathroom was beautiful but check it out and you will see why!)
Daily specials and cheap beer specials I am sure keep this place full.

Kinton is OK. I didn’t love the Baldwin location, and this location doesn’t quite measure up to the hype either.
We waited about 5 minutes and got a seat. I had the vegetarian Ramen, which came in a much larger looking bowl than the regular Ramen. Loaded with nori, bean sprouts, Napa, corn, one piece ofm mushroom and 2 pieces of something fried, it hit the spot on a chilly winter’s night. It was decent, just not good enough for me to have a craving for it again. The ton ton don, was a surprising cold chopped up pork bits on a mini hill of rice and green onions. It was actually quite good. Wasn’t expecting the meat to be cold, and but I kind of liked it! The spicy chicken karage was meh.
Maybe they were understaffed as it took 2 long tries to get water.

Really great lunch spot. Took forever to get the waiters attention tho, and the place was only half full. He never stopped by again after dropping dishes to ask our group if we liked it or wanted anything else. Ramen: original pork shoulder in rich broth with extra egg, corn and nori. It was delightful and not too salty, I wish they had had spicy but not garlic as a upgrade. Had the chika chika Don which I got solely bc of the name. And it was just the boringest thing in the world. That’s a word now. Seriously with a name like that I was excited and instead got the most nothing dish ever. The Japanese tea was lovely and actually very pretty!

Great tasting Ramen! Very nice small restaurant. The Waiters and the cook are very loud as they yell good bye to every people that comes out of the restaurant. Music is quite loud as well that you can hardly make a conversation inside.

I give this place four stars for the food and two stars for the protracted service. When we went it was not even busy and yet it still took the waiter more than 10 – 15 minutes to come to us (after I flagged him down) the food then proceeded to take almost 20 minutes which again seemed insane to me given that they were not that busy. The ramen here is very good however, and the the craft beer tall boy special is also a great deal. I ordered the spicy garlic pork ramen which I would recommend to any garlic lover. However, do not plan to attend any social events immediately afterwards! If they can get it together in terms of service, this could definitely become a go-​to place.

This was a really depressing experience, really. It all seemed so promising when we first entered– the buzzing atmosphere and friendly shouts of ‘irrashaimase!’- but looks can be deceiving. Unfortunately.
I have never been to Kinton 1, but I sure hope their customer service is better. Everyone hates waiting, but how do you feel about waiting close to AN HOUR to get your food served? Our takoyaki arrived (un)fashionably late, and it seemed to have been left out in the cold for quite some time considering that it was lukewarm. One of the appetizers we ordered was apparently sold out– and it was 2:00 pm in the afternoon! The ramen took longer to make, leaving my friend and I to scrape the leftover mayonnaise from the takoyaki dish as food. We were desperate to eat something.
The ramen finally appeared, along with our hot karaage. Was it because I was close to passing out from starvation? The food was delicious. I had the original pork shoulder ramen and my friend had spicy-​garlic pork belly ramen. The broth was reminiscent of my mother’s world-​famous pork feet soup. They had generous slices of pork and a soft-​boiled egg. The spicy garlic ramen had quite the kick to it, making me reach for the water glass after the second sip. I love the hot karaage– it had a sweet spiciness to it that enveloped the succulent fried chicken.
I couldn’t finish my ramen so I asked for a container to take it home with. Apparently it COSTS EXTRA? For a disposable bowl to-​go? What? The food itself was pretty good, but definitely not worth waiting for an hour to eat. I’ll eat my sodium-​loaded ramen somewhere else, thank you very much.

Visited this location over the week. It was an ok experience. I love skewers, and this location has that option. You would have to ask for their yakitori menu though. If not, you won’t be able to order.
Their second floor was reserved, so we ate on the first floor ramen. Overall, it was an OK experience. The service there wasn’t very good. Ordered a green tea and an extra bowl that never came.
In terms of their ramen, it isn’t fair for me to review as I’m not a fan of the food. I like yakitori better. In terms of the yakitori, the portions were about the same as some of the other locations that I have tried, but it wasn’t as good. I found that it wasn’t to my liking.
Pros:
Has Yakitori
Their Wagu beef yakitori was fantastic
The family loved the ramen (don’t add the seaweed. The taste overwhelmed one of the soup base in one of the bowls).
Cheese Chicken meatball must eat when hot. then it is good. If the cheese cools, it is terrible.
Cons
Drink and empty bowl didn’t arrive
Soup base very oily
Shitake mushroom yakitori arrived cold and didn’t have any sauce. Tasted really bad
Cheese chicken meatball terrible if cools down

Target customer: health conscious youth looking for a simple, clean, quick meal
Kinton 2 is solid. Ramen is great in the winter, when you want a hot broth to warm you to the bone.
Pro tip: Eat the egg near the beginning of your meal.
I like the spicy garlic broth. It adds a nice kick, but won’t kill anyone with a reasonable tolerance to spice.
Rich broth can be overkill for some people. Know thyself. It tastes great, but can be too much for a full meal.
The appetizers are average. I think the ramen is solid enough on its own, so it might be better to soup up your ramen (e.g extra pork)

Okay so this was my first time cheating on KINTON#1. I’ve been going there since the beginning of time.
We decided to go to KINTON 2 because it was closer by. Let’s say I wasn’t completely disappointed but I was also not as satisfied as when I leave K1.
A few things that made me dislike:
The broth was not as good
The menu was different
There was not the same atmosphere
A few things that were just as good if not better:
The staff were gracious and polite
The actual space is more roomy and open
The noodles were still nice and chewy
Overall, I’d probably return again but would still prefer KINTON 1!

One of my friends who is a big foodie had recommended Kinton Ramen a number of times, so finally I had the opportunity to join her.
We went to the Bloor Street location and I had the Chicken Shoyu with Regular Broth and thin noodles. Typically I go for the spicy version because I don’t find the regular to have enough kick, but it was delicious. I’ve had a fair amount of Ramen, and typically I don’t finish the broth — I drank pretty much every last drop of it.
I will definitely be going back and would recommend it to friends.

Came here to try their fried chicken ramen, only to be disappointed to find out it is a Tues or Mon special only. What a drag. We both got their ramen combos with their pork don and the takoyaki. The good thing about the combos were the fact you could customize it to your liking with your choice of thick or thin noodles, heavy to light broth, whatever else you wish to add (price extra). We ordered their spicy garlic ramen with pork belly. Very very strong garlic, that left our mouths feeling ah-​may-​zing. But all joking aside, after eating the ramen our tummies did feel a bit off. We think it could be the way they store their pork in the tupperware containers that are always being taken in and out of the fridge. We noticed they’re left on the counter where they cook the pork belly with the blow torch, the warmth may cause some bacteria to grow on the pork because it is still raw and in outside warm temperatures then back into the fridge. We sat at the front bar seating facing the cooks inside the kitchen so we just figured that may be why we didn’t feel good. Found the pork don side a bit too dry for our liking (needs a sauce), but the takoyaki was good.
Overall, the ramen/​service was good but not sure if we will be back.

The prices for additions (i.e. scallions, egg, etc.) are quite high. $ 20 for a bowl of ramen is really too much.
However, the spicy jalapeño chicken ramen is amazing.

If you’re feeling very hungry or are craving real ramen, then this is the place to go!
As you walk in you’re immediately greeted with a loud «irashaimase» (welcome in japanese for the unfamiliar), giving you a touch of that authentic japanese feel with a modern twist. It’s great for solo diners with it’s massive bar in front of the kitchen, where you can see the cooks making delicious food.
I usually order chicken ramen with a shoyu broth. I also add a lot of toppings, which while delicious is expensive.
While they offer appetizers and side dishes, you’re really better off just getting ramen. I just wish you had a little more control over the bowls. It’s not too much, but it is a lot of food and can get pretty expensive for ramen.
Still a great place for lunch or dinner.

My partner and I enjoyed some pork and chicken ramen, respectively on a very chilly night this week. Chicken broth was delicious and full bodied, noodles tender and chicken so juicy. I ordered original and loved the forward flavour of the nori. Pork was fatty and rich. If you want it a little lighter go for the pork shoulder.
Kimchi and gyoza are good — nothing mind blowing, but good.
Service was speedy, though we waited a long time for plates to be cleared and to pay our bill.
I think the Baldwin location does a better job at creating their original, fun vibe but the ramen stacks up.
Great, hearty meal on a cold night.

Kinton is a great place to eat and this location is a lot less packed than the others. The atmosphere is great and the décor is very Japanese inspired on the inside. The servers are friendly and I’m a big fan of their ever changing menu items monthly. Although I have seen the giant ramen bowl challenge, I have yet to try it. Maybe sometime in the near future!
My favorite is the fried chicken ramen as it has some nice crispy pieces of chicken on top of their delicious ramen broth. This along side any of their well known appetizers is a great meal for any occasion.
Overall probably one of my favorite ramen places in Toronto and it’s a bonus there are usually no long waits and line ups. The open space and less cramped table seating is a plus as well. I will be coming back to try the giant ramen bowl challenge!

Un restaurant de ramen des proprietaires de Guu? Je né pouvais manquer ca !
Ce Kinton situe en plein Korean Town propose un menu le midi qui est tres attractif (une soupe ramen + un accompagnement)
Vous choississez votre viande (porc ou poulet), votre soupe et son bouillon
(legere, normale ou riche, sous entendue riche en gras), le type de nouilles (fines ou epaisses et votre type de viande (poitrine ou epaule).
J’ai pris epaule de porc, nouilles epaisses, soupe miso (soja, ail, mais) et c’etait bon, pas tres genereux avec la viande cependant. La soupe peut sembler fade pour certains.
J’ai preferé l’accompagnement aux ramens. L’emincé de porc et son riz était vraiment bon, bien assaisonne avec une petite touché sucree.
J’aime beaucoup la decoration quoique tout peut paraitre un peu sombre (surtout les toilettes !)

Show me? Shoyu!
I really can’t get enough ramen. It’s grown up Mr. Noodles, I mean really. What’s not to love? I’ve only been to this spot one time, which is silly considering its proximity to my home, and I really enjoy it. As you can probably guess from my corny salutation, I went for the shoyu and matched it with pork and thin noodles.
I hate thick noodles ever since reading Roald Dahl’s The Twits as a kid. You know when she replaces his spaghetti with worms? Yeah. I still think about that, so I always go thin… I digress.
Get the lunch special, and enjoy your salad and or gyoza. The gyoza come with some magical creamy sauce, which sounds weird, but it’s so. tasty.
PEPPER’S PISSED: What about some hot sauce that isn’t hot powder? I’d really like that for next time.