Ramen joints have been popping up all over Toronto the past year to great popularity and demand. The trend is a welcome addition to the foodscape of the city as a low-priced, delicious and quick meal, but really…how sustainable is it? Personally, I adore ramen and am enjoying the new options available. Hopefully, any new noodle places continue the trend with high quality food and a true understanding of the depth of flavours involved in a good bowl, not just jumping on the bandwagon for quick buck.

Atmosphere: After waiting for an hour outside in January, we were happy to just get inside. Our part of 6 shared a communal table with two other diners. The interior space is small, at most seats 25 but not crowded with a lot of wood decor and clean feel. A few people had luggage with them (coming/going from the bus station across the street??) which was a little awkward but still manageable.

Service: Since it seems there’s always a line outside, it’s hard not to feel rushed. Also, with a limited menu, there’s little time needed between the order’s placed and the ramen’s ready; my table was in and out in under an hour. The servers didn’t precisely rush us, but they were efficient and cleared the table as soon as a plate was clean, and then proceeded with the bill. This isn’t a place to linger and chat for sure.

Food: I ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen with thin noodles and a Chashu Don (bbq pork belly on rice) was split for the table. The ramen broth was thick and creamy, not over salted and I liked the texture of the noodles. The soft boiled egg was also cooked well and I liked the added black fungus. There was no added garlic paste  and the pork itself was a bit bland but the tasty broth made up for that, which my empty bowl attested to. For the Chashu Don, the sauce was good and the pork belly was crispy, it’s a good order for anyone who wouldn’t be satisfied with just the ramen, but not a must have

Lil Baci is located within a few blocks of work for me and has been picked up into my roster of lunch venues in the area. The menu is within a good price range for lunch ($15-$25), the portions aren’t oversized but filling and of course delicious.

I usually order the soup (made fresh daily)  and ½ sandwich combo and have tried the Ragu Boy (pictured below) , Italian BLT and Lil Baci Hero. A side salad is served with each plate, very lightly dressed. Some of the lettuce pieces were still full leaves, which I didn’t mind but I did have to cut it up myself a little. As for the sandwich itself, I love the fresh baked bread. It’s soft, airy and just soaks up the sauce. For the Ragu Boy, the pork was tender and fell apart easily. I would recommend any of the three sandwiches I’ve tried. The side soup of the combo is served in a small espresso sized mug, this portion could be bigger. The service is always excellent and our water jug was always full.

Next Visit: The pizzas