Crafty Ramen — Restaurant in Kitchener

We visited with our expectations set low, as friends had told us that the broth here was too salty when they visited, and we were recently returning from a trip across Japan. Still, we were curious.

Nice ambiance, service was pleasant, and the staff at the counter was more than willing to put up with our indecision when we couldn't figure out what to order.

Karaage was too salty, and the accompanying sriracha mayo was also too salty.

Our ramen dishes came out presented well. In both dishes, broth severely lacked any body or depth, almost as if the broth hadn't been allowed to cook for a sufficient amount of time. 'Bland' is the best word I can think of right now, and we felt like that didn't do it justice either.

Toppings were decent - lotus root was flavorful, and the pork cha siew came in plentiful amounts.

What we felt like really fell flat on its face however, ignoring everything else, was the absolute mushiness of the noodles here. In both dishes, noodles came in seemingly overcooked to the point where they had absolutely no bite to them. This single element alone made the entire experience disappointing.

For the price this restaurant charges for its dishes, we felt that the food was severely disappointing. Two of the most fundamental aspects of a ramen dish: the flavor of the broth, and the texture of the noodles need to be improved.

Without either of these aspects being improved on, you're better off getting pho, if you're looking for a soup-based...

The ramen is not bad, but it’s not the best either, and for the price they’re charging, it was not up to that standard at all— for a similar price, try Konjiki Ramen when you’re around Toronto, you will not be disappointed.

But let me tell you about my dining experiencing, first, you order at the cash register where you’ll have the option to tip (but you may consider not tipping, it’s not like you were served yet and you can’t guarantee the quality of service you’ll get right), then, you’re given this orange cone to place onto your table so that the servers can identify you and your orders; you get your own water (which I did not mind at all). If you’re lucky, you’ll receive your appetizer before you finish your bowl, if not, you’ll be waiting for your appetizers like desserts after finishing your meal. I had the Pork Gyoza, but let me tell you a little hack, go to Costco, there you’ll find big bags of Gyoza that taste very similar to theirs, but it’s bigger and even more juicer!

I’ve been wanting to try this place, now that I have, I may not ever return. There are a few more ramen shops out there that will offer you a better dining experience, I suggest going to Kinton or Sansotei ramen, they serve delicious ramens there too!

Their servers and service was kind, but I’ll be deducting stars because of the dining experience and the quality of ramen they serve for the price...

At the beginning of the week a co-worker had something delivered for lunch and the wondrous smell filled the office. I asked her what she was eating and it was one of the spicy ramen dishes from Crafty Ramen. I got the details and location and decided we would head there today. My husband and I have been getting tired of the same old restaurant food like wings or burgers. So today we went and I have to say what an amazing meal. We started with the Korean chicken appetizer and it was delicious. Then we had the Meat Lovers Spicy Ramen dish. I have to say the meat was delicate, plentiful and succulent. The broth was so fragrant and full of many layers of flavours. The noodles which are house made were so yummy. I could only finish half the bowl as it was huge and filling. My hubby gladly finished his as well as mine. We also brought our son who had never tried anything like that. I pride myself on making lots of different foods at home, but when I read about the work that goes into making these broths and noodles I decided we would let the experts prepare them for us. I give them five stars and will definitely be coming back to try all the different offerings they have. Thank you...