Introducing: Touhenboku Ramen, a new Queen West ramen shop from a Tokyo-based noodle master

Introducing: Touhenboku Ramen, a new Queen West ramen shop from a Tokyo-based noodle master

Introducing: Touhenboku Ramen

Name: Touhenboku Ramen
Contact Info: 261 Queen St. W., touhenboku.ca, 416-596-8080
Neighbourhood: Entertainment District
Owner: Zuimei Okuyama
Chef: Keiichi Machida, who mastered the art of ramen-making in Tokyo

The Food: Unlike most ramen shops, Tohenboku uses chicken broth instead of traditional pork. Bowls come with fresh-cranked noodles in four types of broth: garlic, chili, original (creamy) and light (clear). Each soup is topped with wood ear mushrooms, a boiled egg, seaweed and scallions. Chef Machida makes his noodles with a special high-protein flour for optimal elasticity.

The Drinks: Japanese beer and sake.

The Place: The streamlined space has bright red walls, modern furnishings and an open kitchen where noodles are cranked daily on an imported ramen-machine.

The Numbers:
• $40,000 for the authentic Japanese noodle-making machine
• 1000 pairs of chopsticks imported from Japan
• 450 custom-made Arita porcelain bowls (which cost $50 a piece and reportedly keep the ramen hot for longer)
• $18 for a bottle of Gekkeikan Junmai sake
• 6 desserts, including tiramisu and chiffon cake
• 1 kawaii mascot named Tomo, an animated log wearing a ramen-bowl hat
• 0 reservations