Toronto’s Best New Restaurants: MeNami
After a few too many years of geeking out on ramen, I’ve decided I’m really an udon guy, especially if I’m in the vicinity of this (way, way) uptown izakaya. The chef, Hwan Jeong, pulls his noodles fresh on premises in a climate-controlled room. His menu lists 18-plus varieties, from the fairly conventional (udon with spicy pork, and udon with dried shrimp and seaweed) to the slightly freaky (udon coated with black sesame purée such that it resembles worms, and udon baked with shrimp, scallops and bacon in an approximation of a mac and cheese—tasty in small doses).
My go-to is the kake: room-temp noodles in a chilled broth with a generous grating of ginger and green onion. It’s the best way to appreciate the chewiness and springiness of the fresh noodles. I swear, you’ll be so mesmerized, you won’t notice you’re slurping cold soup.
5469 Yonge St., 416-229-6191, menami.ca
