Introducing: Touhenboku Ramen, a new Queen West ramen shop from a Tokyo-based noodle master
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
Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.
