Raijin Ramen

Having been to Raijin Ramen a couple of times, I think this restaurant deserve some mentioning about it. So far, the standard has been set from Sansotei Ramen just a couple of streets away. While Raijin doesn’t necessarily compete with Sansotei, it still is one of my favourite ramen restaurants because of it’s value and location.
Once you step into Raijin, you’ll be surprised at how big the venue is. Often times when I come here as a group, there were plenty of space for all of us to sit comfortably in the dining room. The only gripe is that the back dining room does not have any windows, but a TV will suffice.
The menu at Raijin is both elaborative and diverse. You can choose one of many types of the traditional ramen base, but you can also choose to have it in a combo, complete with rice, salad, and soup. The value of the combo cannot be understated, as it provides a good sized portion of side dishes and ramen for less than $ 20. The ramen and side dishes themselves were also pleasantly rich in flavour. My favourite bowls of ramen is the Tonkatsu and Spicy Shoyu, both not too creamy and tasting delicious. The ramen toppings are generously provided, and the side dishes were also plentiful for the palette. As for the service, it has always been fast and efficient. The staff is courteous and respectful.
At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a bowl of ramen (or even more) at an incredibly good price with great flavour, look no further (and definitely not Kenzo…). This is the place to go.

I am wanting to edge up Raijin to other ramen competitors in the general downtown core area. Love that rich broth.
I was recently on a «ramen rumpus» and compared tasting bowls at Santouka, Sansotei and Raijin. I had already been to the other two, but had not heard as much about Raijin and went in fresh. I enjoyed their tonkatsu shoyu ramen the most of all the bowls I tried that day. Everything from the broth, noodles, eggs and meat was super tasty and I had to hold myself back from finishing the whole thing. I had a lot of ramen to consume that cold day, you see.
Santouka definitely had the prettiest presentation; their meat is superior to all and I appreciated all of the accoutrements (sesame seeds, chives, hot powder etc.) and miso broth. Perhaps it would be the overall winner if I were to measure up all categories of competition.
However, based on pure, visceral tastiness, it’s Raijin all the way!!! Sansotei was my last pick (As an aside, I hear it’s less traditionally Japanese and catering to Chinese palates), but with that said, all the places are pretty solid.
In terms of other ramen spots, I’ve had Kenzo a bunch (king of kings always!) and Kinton. I have to try Isshin on College St and see how it stacks up.

It was my second visit to Raijin on a Wednesday at 12 p.m. Unlike a lot of other ramen places around Ryerson, there was no line-​up, which was great. A lot of tables were open since lunch basically just started. Raijin is also located very close to College Station (about a 5 minute walk).
For both of my visits, I came with a friend. It’s much easier to grab a spot if you have about two people. I decided to just get the regular-​sized Tonkotsu Shoyu ramen. The broth was thick and creamy, so there was a lot of flavour to it. The noodles also had a great texture and were not overcooked. Although I do disagree with some Unilocalers below that Raijin gives the same amount of noodles as Kinton; this not true. As someone with a big appetite, I definitely would get extra noodles if I wanted to be more filled up or perhaps even order a large size. Unfortunately, Raijin only gives one piece of meat, unlike other restaurants that give two. I was also a bit disappointed since the meat had a lot of fat to it as well. My friend ordered the Tonkotsu Miso ramen, and felt that this was also a disappointment for her as well. However, the meat did have a good texture, but it didn’t exactly melt in my mouth. I’m also a really big fan of soft-​boiled eggs, but I would’ve preferred it if the yolk was more runny, like at Sansotei.
I did get the ramen combo during my first visit, and I remember that it was pretty filling although it only comes with a small ramen. The rice bowl was a nice addition to the meal and the salad had a nice dressing on it.
The service was pretty average. The server provided us with water without us having to ask for it. Our ramen also arrived pretty quickly.
Overall, although the ramen did taste good, I felt that it was more ordinary compared to other notable restaurants like Sansotei, Santouka, and Kinton. I would definitely come to Raijin again if I didn’t want to wait in line during a busy lunch or dinner period. However, I would visit the other ramen restaurants around the area if I had time to spare.

I have been to this place many times since I am a big ramen eater and I also love pretty close to this place. I am only writing a review now because I feel like I can give a somewhat accurate review now.
So I have ordered many things at this place but I do not have pictures for all of the things I have ever ordered. I tried their Gyoza (pan fried japanese dumplings), spicy tonkatsu ramen, curry rice with karage, karage, takoyaki, and I think that’s it. I like all of these things and they do a pretty good job at making all of them. I wouldn’t say one stands out as being the best in Toronto or the best ever, but they are tasty and good. Takoyaki has a decent amount of octopus inside, not overlooked, crispy on outside and soft on inside. Gyoza are fine, just regular fried dumplings (although my favourite are the ones are Ryu noodle bar on Baldwin). Ramen comes in three different size options (small, regular, large), the ramen is always cooked to perfection, the additional cabbage and bean sprouts and corn and pork they put on it makes the whole dish work really nicely, and the broth i think is terrific too. The curry is good, nothing extremely special about it, it’s a good Japanese curry. And the karage (japanese fried chicken) is moist on the inside and crispy on the outside too, it also comes with a side of Japanese mayo.
The broth they have at this place (especially for the spicy tonkatsu ramen, since that’s the only one I’ve tried at this place) is richer and very flavourful. Some people like their broth really light, so if you do I don’t think you will like their broth. But I think everyone should give it a try cause it really is good and hearty and very very flavourful!
This place also is constantly on the hunt for new inventive ramen and just today I saw some new ramen thing they are offering in collaboration with some famous chef in Japan I think. I want to give this a try next time.
This place isn’t overly expensive and is pretty student friendly in my opinion. Especially compared to all the other places to eat downtown for students, this place is one of the good ones. I’ll definitely keep coming back and so should you.

First time I came here was fantastic, total 5 star. Got the charcoal ramen and it was so fascinating, with the black coloured oil swirling around. The atmosphere is nice and the side order of gyoza was delicious and cheap (there was a special discount happening). A couple months later, I came again and something changed. I ordered the exact same charcoal ramen, but this time, instead of the juicy thick pork slices you usually get, I got these lean, flavourless pieces of meat. I’m not sure how the quality can change for the worse so drastically and so quickly. I haven’t gone back since but recently a friend of mine went and also came out disappointed. What happened, Raijin?

I noticed they have more menu options than other ramen places in the area, like more ramen offerings and multiple combo options. I chose the dessert combo with tonkotsu shio ramen and the gojicha pudding, which also came with a drink and salad. The ramen broth was pretty creamy and the noodles were decent but what I liked most was the pudding! It was only mildly sweet but the dollop of red bean added a touch of sweetness that balanced it out nicely.

Came here on a Friday night at around 8. No line so went right in.
Ordered a tonkotsu shio ramen regular with thick noodles. And my friend ordered a charcoal one. I think the pictures on the menu for mixed up for the tonkotsu shio and shoyu. Because my shio didn’t come as black as on the picture .
Anyhow, I was pleasantly surprised with the soup! It somehow tasted like Chinese shark fin chicken soup!!! The noodles was al dente. The egg wasn’t as runny as sansotei. And it only came with one piece of chashu which was a bit stiff and not fatty. Overall I think it’s pretty good.
FYI: my fav ramen restaurant has always been sansotei. I feel that raijin is a bit less msg-​y than sansotei. It’s a little bit ($ 1 – 2) more expensive Than sansotei.

Thinking that this would be another typical ramen place, our party of 3 decided to try it out on a Friday night. How completely wrong we were! They were full, but service was terrible. After we were seated, we didn’t get any water or any service for another 10 minutes. After struggling to flag down a server, we got our order down completely. Food took almost 20 minutes to come, which is pretty long, considering the kitchen was in full swing when we went and we ordered appetizers as well as 3 bowls of ramen.
There was nothing special about the ramen, if anything the broth was saltier and thicker than other ramen places I’ve been too. The kara-​age, Japanese fried chicken, was nice and juicy, but a handful of pieces of fried chicken for $ 7 seems excessive. Interesting concept about their menu that mirrors those in Japan, are that they offer rice and ramen in the same «set», so you can have a bowl of ramen and a bowl of rice in the same meal. This set would definitely appeal more to those who either want to split the set or tend to eat larger portions.
Considering the slow and lacking service and mediocre quality of food, we probably won’t be back any time soon.

This is probably my 4^th time at Raijin Ramen and each time have been different. I love the Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen (Pork belly), and their selection appetizers.
They added more seatings, or I have never seen the back room before with a huge TV. I have always sat outside with the giant statue and the open kitchen. They provide such a unique Japanese experience such as when we leave, they thank everyone for coming each time. It takes hard work, dedication and commitment for them to bring together such a well balanced bowl of ramen.
I love the corn to balance the spiciness of the Tonkatsu Ramen. Definitely will come again!
If you do come to this place often, they have a loyalty card that offers a free Ramen after 12^th or so Ramen bowl you buy.

Quite enjoyed our experience here. Came on a Saturday and it was busy. But wait was only about 10 mins or so. Btw I had no idea how big this place was. Very spacious tables. The staff were very efficient and friendly. The ramen came very quickly.
I ordered the regular Tonkatsu Spicy Miso Ramen. Loved everything. I had asked the spice level to be not too suicidal spicy so it was still edible and it was perfect. Loved the soup base as it was a bit creamy. I kept drinking and drinking it… even though I should have stopped as it’s probably full of MSG. Sodium overload !
There were also combos with small ramen, rice bowl, salad for around $ ¹⁴⁄₁₅. Pretty decent deal.
I would totally come back again!

Came here for dinner with my friend. I’ve been here a few times but with so many other ramen joints around, I’d give this a try.
Food came very quickly so idk if they were pre made. I ordered a regular shoyu ramen where my friend ordered the shio. My noodles slightly aldente and the soup base can do with a bit more flavour. Towards the end, the soup base got a little more salty. What was a little disappointing was that there was only one piece of meat; I would have preferred to have more or at least in thinner cuts.
They have a huge statue in the middle of the room, which isn’t always the best cause they can maximize floor space better, plus I like to face in front of the person I am sitting with during my meals. They do have larger tables though for groups of 4ish. Wifi doesn’t work ughghghghgh. They also use a stamp card loyalty points system.
Great for students especially for lunch!

It’s that time of the year again, the leaves start to fall and all you’re craving is warm soupy noodles. Cue ramen noodles.
Up until a couple years ago, my definition of ramen noodles was Mr. Noodles or the some sort of .97 $ variety from the local grocery store. When I moved out west, my friends there introduced me to a ramen shop and I was hooked, a couple years later, I went to Japan and well, it’s safe to say I’ve been eating real ramen noodles since.
The key to good ramen is 1) the ramen noodles texture, you want the noodles to be cooked, but with a bite to it and 2) the soup base. Rijian does ramen right.
I ordered the Tonkatsu Spicy Miso ramen (small). I should have gotten the regular, it was so good. The broth was creamy and delicious. Things dreams are made of. For the faint of tongue, it wasn’t very spicy, so don’t worry about that.
Every bite was incredible. It came with corn, cabbage and a generous portion of char siu (pork).
Honestly, if you haven’t had real ramen before, you’ve got to try this!

Interesting décor. Right off my campus, so very convenient. But most ramen places don’t do it for me. Traditional ramen dishes are too salty and otherwise bland. Which is what I found my dish to taste like here. Therefore, this is not the joint for me.
However, they have non-​pork options (chicken ramen dishes) as well as a vegetarian option (which is broth-​less). The service is very fast and efficient. And if ramen is your thing, then I would check this place out. They close at 11pm, and last call is at 10:30pm.

There’s nothing like ramen for a cold rainy day! There are so many ramen options downtown now but I would highly recommend Raijin for the following reasons:
1) they take reservations! Most ramen shops are tiny and walk-​in only, but Raijin actually takes reservations and can even serve large groups! I came with a group of 13 and they were very accommodating.
2) good menu selection– besides all the yummy pork soup based ramen, they also have chicken and vegetarian options for those with dietary restrictions.
3) the ramen is delicious! I’ve tried a few different kinds of ramen here and they were all scrumptious. The soup is thick and flavourful! I would definitely come back to try their dipping ramen.
Highly recommend– especially if you are not a fan of waiting in line!

Portions are very small. Fairly large menu that offered a variety of combos.
Ordered the small ramen + small rice + salad combo. The curry rice is literally just rice and curry sauce. The menu stated there would be pork but there definitely was nothing but curry and rice. Very disappointing.
The tonkatsu shio ramen was flavourful but only came with half an egg and one piece of pork. I ordered the small, my friends ordered regular and large and all sizes only include half an egg and one piece of meat. So disappointing.
The restaurant is fairly large and has three different seating areas so no need for massive line ups outside. The place is quite dingy and kind of dirty. Lots of paint chipping off the walls. Furniture doesn’t look very well kept.
Service was fast and courteous.
Overall, nothing too special about this ramen place other than their combos.

This review is based off Tonkotsu Shio Ramen small ~$ 8.95 in comparison to my other ramen experiences!
Each page of the menu displays details of each ramen bowl available, with different combos that include (and/​or ricebowl/​salad/​dessert/​drinks)
Soup: pork bone and fish dashi flavour was subtle and was primarily a slightly more salty, but creamy soup. The surface of the soup had black bubbles which I assume to be black garlic oil, was not overwhelming. Even though you cannot customize the flavour of the broth, it was a very consistent broth that wasn’t overly salty to the point of dehydration! I was looking for the «soup sand» (ground up bones), but there was barely any.
Noodles: They were edible, but mostly hard and dense. Not my favourite.
Toppings: green onion, canola flower (tastes like chinese broccoli), kikurage mushroom were all finely chopped and freshly prepared. They gave one decent slice of pork shoulder, with only small portions of fat attached to the meat, which would’ve been better if it was torched. The texture of the meat was well put together, but I’ve tasted better with better seasoning.
The restaurant was spacious unlike a lot of other ramen shops around the area, but alike most Unilocalers’ experience here, the language barrier was strong, despite their attentiveness.
Regardless, the small was sufficient as a full meal, as well as to fully savour the soup, considering that I hadn’t eaten for the whole day

The main menu is still the same, however Raijin have changed their combo over the past years — most likely to accommodate students. My friend and I decided on the dessert set, which consist of a small ramen; salad; dessert and coffee/​tea/​pop for $ 14.50.
–Tori Shoyu Ramen:
I got the chicken ramen and the overall ramen is flavorful, not too salty and the broth is clear! I don’t understand how chicken ramen at Kinton or Touhenboku is always oily and rich, I felt like I was drenched in oil after having their ramen. I also liked how the soft boiled egg is not an additional cost in Raijin. At other ramen restaurants, they always charge extra for the egg and since it is an essential ingredient for ramen, I always get the egg even when it’s extra… sighs.
The noodles was a bit different than the normal ramen and I actually enjoyed it. The noodle is more chewy with a rougher texture, similar to Ryu’s noodle bar but that’s just my preference lol. Chicken was soft and tender, and HOT, which is unlike the Kinton’s version.
–Cheese cake
This cheesecake isn’t like the Japanese cheesecake where it has a fluffy and sponge-​like-​cake texture. I thought it was okay, the cake was a bit dense and those 3 dots of raspberry sauce on the plate were a bit awkward lol. What am I supposed to do with it? Why not pour the sauce on top of the cheesecake, or at least give me more sauce on the side!
–Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen:
I didn’t get to try this, but friend said the broth was not oily and very creamy. He also preferred the Kinton’s cha siu over Raijin, as at Raijin the pork meat was a bit tough and didn’t have that nice seared on top like Kinton :(.
–Coffee Jelly:
The bottom layer is a milk pudding, which is really sweet but it had the layer of dark coffee jelly to bring down the sweetness. I actually liked this dessert as it was a refreshing way to end the meal after a heavy bowl of ramen :).
–Raijin Poutine:
The Japanese poutine is a bowl of french fries with some cheese curds, drizzled with a teriyaki mayonnaise sauce and topped with some seaweed. I used to like this dish, however the quality have gone down. I mean, look at those blocks of cheese curds, they didn’t even melt at all, this cannot be called a poutine! The fries are decent, not greasy and still soft on the inside with a nice crunch.
Overall I found the food quality of Ramen Raijin have declined over the years. With the abundance of ramen joints around the area, there are simply better options out there to have a hot bowl of ramen.

«Bless your heart,» said my inner 80-​year-​old grandmother when my table tried to talk to the staff at Ramen Raijin. The struggle was real.
The staff are quite nice. But their English is quite bad. No one speaks English fluently. Things like «water», «see», or «move» need to be repeated or accompanied with hand motions. I understand that English is not their first language, but it was still frustrating.
Remember to like and check-​in on their Facebook page to take advantage of their specials. For the combos, it’s a free topping. When we ordered, someone else in my party said we wanted the same free topping for both combos and the server said «No, not two. He will want something else,» referring to me. When she turned to me to get my topping order, I ordered the same topping… So, I just didn’t really understand why the server said what she said. Question marks all around.
The food was pretty good. A regular size is a decent portion. Large if you’re starving. They only give you one slice of meat, which seems a bit lacking, but if you don’t care about how you get full, it doesn’t matter. The salad and rice that come with the combo are very small and the dessert is a decent size. We shared our combos but if you were to eat it all by yourself, you would probably explode.
The broth is also pretty good. The soya sauce and salt-​flavoured broths are a bit on the too-​salty side, but still very tasty. The spicy broth was the perfect amount of spicy for me, as in not so spicy that you look disgusting in public and the flavour albeit a little strong was very good.
In general, Ramen Raijin was good. The language barrier was quite frustrating at times, but the servers are nice.

The ramen was alright. I had the spicy ramen and added a boiled egg and black fungus.
The broth was just a tad bit too thick/​heavy for my liking, and the noodles a little thick/​possibly undercooked?
Spicy was also not spicy enough for my taste, but to each their own and I probably could have just asked for more sauce/​chilli oil.
I wouldn’t choose to go back if I had the option. Definitely a sansotei fan girl, apart from their ridiculous line ups.
My friend and I went right at 11.30am for lunch and Raijin did fill up fast, I must say. Definitely recommend planning ahead, not sure what the line ups/​wait times would be during peak hours.

–Nice atmosphere and pretty good service
–Got a bowl of Dark Tori Miso Ramen, because I wanted to taste the difference 8 hours of cooking makes to the broth
–Verdict: hmm it was good
–You can get just ramen or mix it with different combo options; add a dessert, a bowl of rice or even beer