Chika Ramen Izakaya — Restaurant in Quebec

🍽🌸 The restaurant is hidden in the basement but it gives it a cool Japanese underground vibe.

🥢We came here sunday night on patriots day and sure enough the restaurant had its first little section very full. The problem that night is that there was only 1 waitress for the whole restaurant doing drinks, ordering, serving etc. I think the restaurant should of anticipated more clients on a holiday and I do not know why they were short staffed but we waited 45 minutes just to get our drinks and 1 hour to get our ramen soup which is extremely long. One table left after 40 minutes of waiting whithout the waitress being able to come and see them to order at least drinks. I honestly feel bad for the waitress who was clearly rushing and could not work any faster than 1 human alone can. Again it was ridiculous for 1 waitress to take on the whole restaurant. I hope the restaurant realises they need to have 2 waitresses on nights like those and to be better prepared next time.

⭐*We were debating wether the restaurant deserved 2 or 3 stars. Depending on the ramen. 2 if the ramen had nothing special, 3 if the ramen was really good but its hard to give more due to the extreme waiting time for both drinks and food and a couple mistakes during the night.

🍥 🧆🍚 The menu is small and simple and puts emphasis on their home speciality which is their ramen. Then you have a bunch of little entres you can have like chicken balls, crab balls, edamame, etc

🍸The drinks were really good! I had Yuzu Classic which was sake with grapefruit and honey tea 😍 and my husband had the Japonese Beer and Matcha tea drink. Both were unique and very delicious.

🍜 And finally the RAMEN. We had the Spicy Miso and it did satisfy our hunger and was a good big portion that we both barely finished, but only because it was very good. You know that broth that has not only saltiness but a distinct taste that is addicting and satisfying. You want more and you enjoy every bit of it. The taste was home made similar to the ones i make at home but better! And it is rare i can say something is better than how i make it. The miso and garlic oil definately gives it a special flavor. We both enjoyed it and the spicyness was perfect. (Its a real spicy for those that can take it) but it was too spicy for my husband so next time he would take the regular and add spicy oil to his tasting.

We will probably come back, hopefully not wait so long next time and reassess if it actually...

Me and a group were on a business trip to Quebec and we were craving soup. Our initial idea was pho but all the Vietnamese restaurants were either closed or not open late enough for us. So we opted for ramen!

The restaurant's vibes and interior was a fusion of modern club-like aesthetic and Japanese decor. The automated lucky cat and ramen display was cool at the store front. Interior is spacious and we got to choose anywhere to sit.

The food came out quick and most of what we ordered was tasty. For the appetizers, the kimchi was a bit too sweet for my liking; perhaps it was not fermented long enough. Warning with the kimchi, it was too spicy for my colleagues but I thought it was fine as I'm normally used to eating spicy food. We ordered the edamame and the seasoning they put in that numbs your mouth after eatting it for awhile. I think they use peppercorn or something. I have never had edamame numb my mouth before.

With the main dishes, all the ramen tasted pretty generic. One of my colleagues had dietary restrictions and they were able to accomodate her and take certain ingredients out. If you order the duck ramen, the meat is sweet almost as if they used marinated duck meat. I felt it didn't go well with the rest of the soup taste. I also ordered a ramen combo that came with a chicken cutlet. The chicken cutlet was left a little too long in the deep fryer but regardless it still tasted good, just extra crunchy!

We shared a L'arc en ciel roll aka rainbow roll. This one was alright, not the most outstanding taste.

The okonomiyaki and salmon nigiri were really tasty. I'd recommend those as you can't go wrong.

The service was a bit slow. The restaurant at night looked like it was run by young teens and I stared for a good 5 min watching the young waitress scrolling through her phone. Our table also ran out of water and I again had to wave her down and get her attention.

I think if I were to come here again, I would stick with the sushi and nigiri next time. Some of the appetizers are a hit or miss but would be interesting to try the other stuff on their menu. Still, it's a great restaurant for late night eats and decent price if you don't mind the...

This place opened quietly this summer and I stumbled upon it while taking my evening walk. I couldn’t wait to give it a try and luckily, I wasn’t disappointed. Chika is the only place in Quebec City that makes tonkotsu ramen so my expectations were high, but they were met: the broth is mouth-coatingly rich and smooth tasting. I’ve tasted tonkotsu broths that were more assertive in Japan and elsewhere, but I like that this one is silky and subtle and turns the spotlight on the garnishes—which were classic and perfect, including the chashu pork, which was super meaty and tender.

Other highlights include the super crisp takoyaki, which have a contrasting, perfectly pillowy interior, and the spicy miso ramen, which was properly spicy! I like that all ramen can be served with either pork or grilled chicken and that they offer both vegetarian and seafood options too.

There are lots of small plates as well, all of which are inexpensive, and a handful of cocktails. This is a great, classic ramen shop that serve the kind of food you crave on a late night, or a night out with friends. All that’s missing to transport you straight to Japan is the “irasshaimase!” welcome call and the frozen beer mugs! Chika is a great addition to the Grande-Allée area, where other Japanese dining options are nonexistent. I’ll be back...