Kinton has been getting a lot of hype recently as the best new ramen place in Toronto, and I've been meaning to check it out for a couple months now, especially since I'd been recommended it from several friends. Jack and I found ourselves hungry and craving noodles, and since we are trying to be more adventurous (e.g. not going to our usual pho spot every time we want noodles), I mentioned Kinton. When we got there, the small restaurant was packed, with a line-up literally out the door. A table for two was a 45-minute wait, and even though we were hungry, we were determined to wait it out since we drove all the way down there and paid for parking already (and, frankly, too lazy to go elsewhere). After what felt like eternity, we were finally seated all the way in the back of the restaurant, which was perfectly fine with me since it was less crowded and not quite as deafeningly loud.
After asking for a recommendation, we got an order of the Hot Karaage to share, which is Japanese deep-fried chicken coated in hot sauce. The chicken was tender, lightly battered and deep-fried until golden and crispy, and coated in an addictive tangy hot sauce that wasn't too spicy. The sauce didn't overwhelm or take away from the flavour of the chicken, and the nuggets somehow remained crispy on the outside, despite dripping in sauce. I would definitely order this again, and maybe also try the Tofu Furai (tofu nuggets) next time.
Our server recommended the Miso Ramen, so that's what I got, with "regular" broth and pork belly (you have a choice between belly and shoulder — there's really no contest, though, 'cause belly is always better). The broth was perfectly flavoured but still relatively mild; the "regular" broth, as I came to learn, is milky and just rich enough without being too greasy. The noodles were firm with a good spring and a nice bite. But it was the pork belly that was really, truly glorious. Half-fat, half-meat, it was so soft and silky, with the most perfect smoky saltiness. Probably the best pork belly I've ever had. My bowl of noodles along with the shared appetizer was filling enough, perhaps bordering between full and very full. Jack had ordered the Extra Pork Ramen with "rich" broth and a mixture of pork belly and shoulder, and he could barely finish it. It was a serious amount of fat, so much so, that he ended up giving me a piece of his pork belly (no complaints here!) because he was nearly overdosing on it — the "rich" broth, as it turns out, also contains a high amount of fat, to the point where the fat will start to congeal and curdle as it cools down.
The decor is sleek but cozy, simple and streamlined. The set-up reminded me of Guu, where there are long wooden communal tables that multiple groups of people share. Also like Guu are the servers and cooks shouting greetings as people arrive and depart the restaurant. The service is very polite, helpful, informative, and efficient; it is owned and run by Japanese people, after all. In the end, we both agreed that the food is fantastic here, worth both the wait-time and the money. If you don't mind that it's small, loud, and bustling (and waiting 45 minutes for a table on a Thursday night), Kinton is definitely worth trying out.
Kinton Ramen
51 Baldwin Street
Toronto, ON M5T 1Y9
(647) 748-8900
Hot Karaage
After asking for a recommendation, we got an order of the Hot Karaage to share, which is Japanese deep-fried chicken coated in hot sauce. The chicken was tender, lightly battered and deep-fried until golden and crispy, and coated in an addictive tangy hot sauce that wasn't too spicy. The sauce didn't overwhelm or take away from the flavour of the chicken, and the nuggets somehow remained crispy on the outside, despite dripping in sauce. I would definitely order this again, and maybe also try the Tofu Furai (tofu nuggets) next time.
Miso Ramen
Pork belly!
The infamous noodles
Our server recommended the Miso Ramen, so that's what I got, with "regular" broth and pork belly (you have a choice between belly and shoulder — there's really no contest, though, 'cause belly is always better). The broth was perfectly flavoured but still relatively mild; the "regular" broth, as I came to learn, is milky and just rich enough without being too greasy. The noodles were firm with a good spring and a nice bite. But it was the pork belly that was really, truly glorious. Half-fat, half-meat, it was so soft and silky, with the most perfect smoky saltiness. Probably the best pork belly I've ever had. My bowl of noodles along with the shared appetizer was filling enough, perhaps bordering between full and very full. Jack had ordered the Extra Pork Ramen with "rich" broth and a mixture of pork belly and shoulder, and he could barely finish it. It was a serious amount of fat, so much so, that he ended up giving me a piece of his pork belly (no complaints here!) because he was nearly overdosing on it — the "rich" broth, as it turns out, also contains a high amount of fat, to the point where the fat will start to congeal and curdle as it cools down.
The decor is sleek but cozy, simple and streamlined. The set-up reminded me of Guu, where there are long wooden communal tables that multiple groups of people share. Also like Guu are the servers and cooks shouting greetings as people arrive and depart the restaurant. The service is very polite, helpful, informative, and efficient; it is owned and run by Japanese people, after all. In the end, we both agreed that the food is fantastic here, worth both the wait-time and the money. If you don't mind that it's small, loud, and bustling (and waiting 45 minutes for a table on a Thursday night), Kinton is definitely worth trying out.
Kinton Ramen
51 Baldwin Street
Toronto, ON M5T 1Y9
(647) 748-8900
OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWe have to go sometime!! We just HAVE TO!!!!
Haha, deal! We'll try it out next time we head downtown, yeah? :)
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