Chicking.YYC RAMEN & ONIGIRI SHOP (formerly Boom-Boom Ramen House) — Restaurant in Calgary

Glad our go to sushi restaurant was closed this afternoon and we ended up detoured here instead. It was a very pleasant surprise.

This is a very cute ramen restaurant with a good gravel lot parking in the back. It is conveniently located centrally in the city, just 2 blocks north of 16th Av N (HWY #1). For our transit friends, there is no C-train route nearby yet (might be a few years) but this is right on a bus route.

The space is small but is assessible enough for any friends that need wheelchair access. The washroom and entrance doorways are a tight fit.

Looks exactly the same outside as before. Still has the old Boom Boom Ramen signage. Inside has been updated.

Service is friendly and efficient. Food comes out at a good speed but well paced enough to not feel rushed.

We tried a variety of items. The ramen flavours are fantastic. The ramen noodles are chewy and bouncy (as they should be). The temperature was perfect for kids or people who can't handle heat but I personally prefer piping hot soup.

Although there weren't many sushi options, the sushi available is fresh and good value. The scallop special and aburi mentai mayo could have been better. They were both a bit bland instead of the usual slightly sweet seafood taste. The sushi rice is exceptional and worth noting. It is as delicious as they say.

This is a very good place for a casual date or meet-up with friends. I wouldn't feel awkward going in solo either; I saw a handful of such folks. Nice window bar seats as well as regular table settings. It was also good to see they were consistently busy even for 3pm on a weekday afternoon. No awkward feeling of disturbing them during an afternoon break.

Note: They sell many of the random gifts and snacks along the wall and cash counter. Read the signage for what is for sale and what is display...

Boom-Boom Ramen is a Ramen speciality restaurant. They specialize in Japanese Ramen along with a few appetizers.

The menu is not all that big. There is at most 5 different types of Ramen. Each with a unique broth. The restaurant appears to be in an awkward location with no parking. However, there is parking in the rear. Allowing for a much easier access to the restaurant.

While the menu is not all that big the Ramen was incredible. The broth was extremely pure and delicious. Without being too heavy or rich. The noodles were the perfect size, not too big or too small. Nor were the noodles soggy or undercooked. The meat is nothing special, but paired with the broth allows for a delicate and light flavor. Taking a sip of the broth made it feel as though all the troubles washed away.

Aside from Ramen there are some appetizers. One of the appetizers was the mini curry katsu. The meat in this dish was unbelievable. The meat was juicy and tender with no hint of dryness. While the outside was golden and crispy. Out of all the appetizers this should be given a try.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is nice and soothing. There aren't too many tables allowing for a more cozy environment. As it leaves a decent amount of space from one table to another. Furthermore, the bathrooms are extremely clean and well maintained. The service was a little slow at the start, but quickened as time went on.

The price is reasonable when compared to other ramen restaurants. The size may seem slightly smaller when compared to other places. However, the quality and flavor make up for it.

As this is a new restaurant, I hope they maintain their quality. As of right now this is on pace to be one of the best Ramen places in Calgary. I highly recommend everyone to give this...

Chicking is an unassuming little place that has a lot of charm. The restaurant is inviting with little flairs of memorabilia, Japanese treats, and information about the food that they serve.

I decided to try the Chicking Ramen and a couple of their Dream Team Onigiri.

The server primed me about the Ramen and made sure I was aware that it had a tomato based broth. I've never had Ramen with this sort of broth so I was curious to try it.

I was expecting the broth to be punchy like most other tomato based dishes, but this soup was much more delicate. It had the flavour of tomato without the acidy high notes. The broth managed to be flavourful without overpowering the rest of the ingredients.

The noodles had some bite to them (something I greatly prefer) and held the flavour of the broth well. There was a decent portion of the noodles that felt adequate for the size of the dish.

The egg was a perfect medium boil with a ton of flavour. While the chashu was delicious and cooked well, I did feel like one slice wasn't quite enough. At 3 dollars for a slice, Id probably order an extra Onigiri instead.

Speaking of the Onigiri, I was super impressed. I had the Samurai Eel and the Tempura Shrimp Knight. The rice was super fluffy and fragrant. The seaweed added umami flavouring without overpowering the rest of the ball or getting stuck/tangled in my mouth. Both the Unagi/Tamago and Tempura were seasoned and cooked to perfection with a good ratio of protein to rice.

I'll definitely be back to try their other Ramen, Don,...