Introducing: Kinton, a new Baldwin Village ramen bar from the people behind Guu

By Renée Suen | May 23, 2012

By Renée Suen | 05/23/2012

(Image: Renée Suen)

This summer, a number of new ramen restaurants—from Japan and Vancouver—are scheduled to invade the city’s arguably lacklustre alkaline noodle scene. The first to make it to opening day: Kinton Ramen, a long and narrow noodle shop by the same group that introduced Guu to Toronto (along with its boisterous greetings, also present here). It opened last Friday in Baldwin Village, and has already seen lineups out the door. Managing the 46-seater is chef Nobuaki “Aki” Urata, who started as a ramen chef in Japan at the age of 19, before spending the next 15 years in Canada, seven of them managing Kintaro, a well-known Vancouver ramen restaurant (the upcoming Raijin Ramen on Gerrard Street is from the owners of Kintaro).

Bennett Lo of Dialogue 38 (Guu Izakaya, Spring Rolls) designed the natural wood–clad space. At the entrance, light from the windows spills over a long wooden tachinomiya (standing bar)—the first of its kind in Toronto, but common in Japan. Tall wooden stools surround the kitchen bar, and at the back, a gleaming steel kitchen is equipped with a gyoza machine and ramen noodle boiling stations imported from Japan. There’s also a communal table that (tightly) packs nine. We’re told Kinton’s mascot, a golden pig, is associated with prosperity; it adorns the wall behind the bar and its illuminated presence in the washrooms is a constant reminder of the restaurant’s porcine devotion. Even the dining room’s eye-catching textured walls—made up of the cut ends of raw wood, tiled at angles—resemble cut slices of chāshū pork.

The restaurant relies on executing two things well: the ramen noodles themselves and the variety of soup combinations they come in ($9.50-$12.80). The fresh noodles are custom made specifically for the restaurant using Alberta flour and brought in three times a week. Kinton’s broth, meanwhile, is rich in collagen, the result of pork bones, chicken, fish and vegetables slowly simmering for 20 hours. Four soup bases are available: Miso (soy bean paste), Shio (sea salt), Shoyu (soy sauce) and spicy (with chili pepper), all of which can be served light or chacha (i.e. fatty, with added pork back fat that’s whacked through a sieve over the noodle bowls). Toppings range from the traditional (spicy garlic) to the decidedly unconventional (Swiss cheese), although the two types of chāshū (shoulder and belly) and Kinton egg (soft boiled with an oozing golden yolk) stand out. There’s also miso garlic oil made from pan frying garlic in back fat to the point of becoming burnt like charcoal. Vegetarians beware: while Kinton does serve vegetable ramen ($9.80), it’s not actually vegetarian, as it’s cooked and served in Kinton’s meat-based stock. Non-soup options include small plates ($3-5), like gyoza and fried chicken, and donburis (rice bowls, $5.80); look for specials, such as cold ramen salad during summer months. A liquor license is still pending (several kinds of beer and beer cocktails will be available), and like Guu, it’s open seven days a week but does not, naturally, take reservations. As at Guu: expect line-ups.

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The golden pig even appears in various forms in Kinton’s lower level washroom area

The Kinton egg: a soft boiled egg with an oozing golden yolk that’s seasoned with a custom blended egg sauce and found topping the shio, shoyu or vegetable ramens. The egg is also available as an additional topping ($1.50).

Kinton’s noodles are custom made off-site using Alberta flour and delivered to the restaurant three times a week

Spicy Garlic Ramen ($9.80): chilli pepper, Kinton pork (belly), bean sprouts, onions, scallions and fresh grated garlic.

Vegetable Ramen ($9.80): choice of miso, shio, shoyu or spicy soup with seasonal vegetables, seaweed, corn, onions and a seasoned egg. This is the restaurant’s signature, although it’s not actually vegetarian friendly.

Miso Ramen ($9.50): soybean paste, Kinton pork (shoulder), bean sprouts, onions, scallions, corn and charcoal garlic oil.

Three of Kinton’s seven ramen options. From left to right: Vegetable, Miso and Spicy Garlic.

Chef Aki finishing up the Miso Ramen with his custom-blended charcoal garlic oil

Toppings ranging from bean sprouts, grated garlic, corn, onion and seaweed crown the noodle bowls. Kinton’s specialty includes the pork shoulder or belly and seasoned soft boiled egg. More adventurous diners might be interested in the extra butter or swiss cheese options.

Chef Aki finishing the Kinton pork for the noodle dishes. Both types of chāshū (shoulder and belly) are prepared in a soya-based marinade before being cooked

Chefs Aki and Masato preparing Kinton’s signature ramen: vegetable ramen

Aki’s special miso garlic oil that’s added to the miso ramen. This dark paste is made by pan-frying garlic in pork back fat to the point of becoming burnt like charcoal.

Noodle bowls can be lean or chacha (fatty). Fatty orders are sprinkled with warmed pork back fat that’s dispensed by whacking chunks of it through a sieve over the noodle bowl. The fat adds flavour and a creamy texture to the resultant soup

This gyoza cooker was also imported from Japan

Custom-ade noodle bowls and wooden utensils from Japan

The rear communal table that can seat a party up to 9

Large vats of Kinton’s soup base are prepared daily using a mix of pork bone, chicken, bonito fish and vegetables that’s are simmered for over 20 hours.

Baskets containing fresh noodles are lowered into this large-scale ramen noodle boiler that was imported from Japan

Kinton’s long open kitchen allows kitchen bar diners a full view of the chefs in action

Kinton’s chefs, from left to right: Hideo, Aki and Masato. 30 staff service the space and welcome customers with the boisterous greeting characteristic of ramen shops in Japan.

The tachiomiya table. We’re told by the owners that this standing bar is supposed to help bring “noodle shop culture” to Toronto

Kinton’s mascot, the golden pig. We’re told that the mascot represents Kinton’s main product (the broth and chāshū) and is associated with prosperity

Kinton’s bar is adorned with golden pigs. The restaurant is still waiting for a liquor license before it can stock the bar

Kinton Ramen, 51 Baldwin St., 647-748-8900, kintonramen.com, @KintonRamen

4 thoughts on “Introducing: Kinton, a new Baldwin Village ramen bar from the people behind Guu”

Adam says:

May 23, 2012 at 9:47 pm

I was their first customer. Yummmm.
Noodle Lover says:

August 12, 2012 at 8:31 am

Too much hype at this spot. Looooong line up (an hour wait as they do not take reservation, they will not seat u unless the whole party had arrived), the front staff is not organize. The soup base is so so, we were so thirsty after, is this a sign of 2much MSG? However, the interior is nice.

We think there are other noodle place like Kenzo and Manpuku Japanese Eatery is better.
NewbNood says:

September 7, 2012 at 5:04 pm

Nothing notable. Move on.

Salty broth. Undercooked noodle. Soft meat from a low quality part of the swine. Its ramen folks. Wartime food that now commands war-like conversation about “where’s-the-best”.

What’s next? Burgers?
chowdown says:

November 21, 2012 at 11:27 pm

Good not Great. Soup is salty. Pork is very good. Ramen quality is average. 2.5 *’s out of 4. Nice for locals. Driving more than 10kms for this…you’re a fanboy. Just don’t tell anybody.

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Introducing: Kinton, a new Baldwin Village ramen bar from the people behind Guu

4 thoughts on “Introducing: Kinton, a new Baldwin Village ramen bar from the people behind Guu”

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