AFURI ramen + dumpling Toronto — Restaurant in Toronto

I wanted to love this place and hate leaving bad reviews - perhaps things will improve as they just opened and ironing things out

TLDR: atmosphere is nice, food was good but expensive and service is...? would I return? no

bf and I came for dinner Sunday night, 2nd day after opening day at 8:30pm - was told there would be 1h wait, took my name and number. 9:30pm rolls around and nothing, so we walk back to see empty seats, and staff seating 2 ladies just ahead of us right away, so clearly there were tables available. we explained that we gave them our contact an hour ago and they checked their tablet which showed NO record of my name ever being entered and they apologized - that's fine, tech issues, accidents happen

sat down, ordered gyoza to share, bf ordered the yuzu tsuyu (choosing the option of it served hot) and I ordered the yuzu shoyu, gyoza took maybe 15min to arrive and was crispy and yummy, though not mind-blowing considering dumplings are supposed to be a specialty here

20min later, my bf gets his order of yuzu tsuyu, noodles are chewy and tastes good, my bf is pacing himself eating slowly so we can eat together but it goes downhill from here...

30min later, my noodles are still not here - a server comes to ask how our food is. I said "I can't tell you, my food isn't here...", he apologizes and goes to "check" and never comes back.

10min later, a 2nd server asks how the food is...AGAIN... I said the same thing, he goes to check..at this point the noodles that my bf ordered "hot" is now COLD. I've been watching my bf eat for like 40 minutes...........

10min later, a 3rd server comes asking if we'd like anything else as it's last call. I'm just like yo............... I just want what I ordered.. shortly after the 2nd server comes with my noodles

my yuzu shoyu was okay, also not mind-blowing, it comes with 1 single precious slice of chashu, a little bit of greens and half an egg (to be fair, other places charge for egg, but do provide more meat) - the noodle texture of my bf's yuzu tsuyu was better, more chewy. both dishes have a strong citrus peel taste, so if that's not your thing, this place is not for you

shortly after, while we're eating, the 2nd server comes back and asks if we'd like to order anything else as its last call.. someone else JUST asked like 2 minutes ago..

overall, it seems there needs to be less servers and more kitchen staff, the kitchen staff never had a moment to stop, while there were many servers at the front not doing much. the servers were nice, but at times non existent, and then over attentive, with different servers asking us the same questions within a span of 5 minutes. food was good but pricy and not good enough to make up for the poor service...

Food: Do not expect the same quality and flavour as the AFURI locations in Japan or you will be disappointed. It’s not bad for Canadian standards but not amazing. I use to be a regular at the Roppongi location near my previous workplace!

I ordered the yuzu tsuyu tsukemen because I have always preferred the tsukemen over the ramen at AFURI back in Japan. The one here was okay. The kakuni was dry and my noodles were super stuck together and the egg was flavourless. The tsuyu was nice though - it is the main star of this dish so thankfully it was a pass, though I wish that スープ割is a thing here but it isn’t.

My friend ordered the ramen and it was - bad. The soup was bland and the noodles had a weird taste.

The corn karaage and fried gyoza were good! The chicken karaage was disgusting though. Super dry and very bland. Marinade and cook time needs work.

Service: Staff were friendly but very inexperienced. They need to learn some basic Japanese because they didn’t understand me when I read the menu items correctly. Speaking of the menu, the layout of it is confusing. You add pictures to highlight/feature certain dishes but you don’t put them on the list side either - which is a very irregular menu layout pattern people may not be use to. I definitely wasn’t…

I felt like the servers were like hawks. The moment we finished the last bite of any dish, within 10 seconds (while we are still chewing) we are asked if we finished already and if they can take it away. Chill out please. Give your customers a bit more time before talking to us and taking the dish away It makes us feel super rushed.

Lastly your host was irritating, talks too much, slow and too quiet. I just wanted to put our name down the waitlist but he took so long and talked too much and very slowly. Maybe you should put a touchscreen on a stand and let people do it themselves and cut the extra unnecessary talk.

Overall: It’s a nice space and worth trying at least once. I’m not crazy over it but you may like it :)

If you’re particular and very familiar with ramen like myself, you may want to think twice before walking in.

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PS. You read my Instagram story but chose to ignore it so I’m writing my review here now where everyone can see it.

2023/09/07 - I emailed them twice in response to their reply for this review and got NO Answer. Changing my rating down to one star (would put zero if I could). Don’t tell me to email you if you aren’t going to respond. Horrible...

I couldn't be more thrilled to be among the first to review AFURI Ramen, the internationally-renowned ramen chain that has finally graced Toronto with its presence! 🎉

Having first originated in the bustling streets of Tokyo back in 2001, AFURI Ramen has undoubtedly made its mark across the globe, and now it's Toronto's turn to experience this culinary delight. With several successful branches in the U.S., Vancouver, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Portugal, AFURI's reputation as a ramen hotspot precedes itself.

The restaurant's name, AFURI, holds a captivating backstory, paying homage to Mt. Afuri, a mountain nestled on the edge of Japan's Tanzawa mountains. This place is more than just a restaurant; it represents a sacred mountain of food harvest, with historical significance and mythical tales to captivate your imagination.

I greatly admire AFURI Ramen's commitment to authenticity, operating under a "rigorous no MSG policy" to ensure the purest flavors in their dishes. Their noodles are truly a labor of love, crafted in-house through a meticulous two to three-hour process, using premium wheat flour sourced all the way from Japan.

Now, let's talk about the star of their menu - the Yuzu Shio ramen. 🍲 I must say, it lives up to the hype! The infusion of yuzu, a delightful Japanese citrus fruit, with the gentle touch of shio (Japanese salt) creates a symphony of flavors that dance on your taste buds. The simmered chicken broth forms a perfect base, while the addition of dry fish "niboshi," "katsuobushi," dry konbu seaweed, and vegetables add layers of umami and complexity that make this bowl truly exceptional.

But that's not all, folks! AFURI's menu offers a delightful array of shareable plates, like the refreshing watermelon salad and the crispy tori karaage that left me wanting more. The handcrafted spirits and fresh bar drinks further elevated the experience, and their made-to-order dumplings were the cherry on top of a fantastic meal.

I can't wait to return to AFURI Ramen and savor their remarkable dishes again. Toronto is truly lucky to have this gem in its culinary landscape.

Kudos to the entire team at AFURI Ramen for bringing a taste of Japan's finest to our city. Thank you for the memorable experience, and I highly recommend everyone to pay a visit to this...