Nobuya — Restaurant in Toronto

Little cozy restaurant with cool decorations run by just one Japanese guy. It is quite the gem in Mimico. My friend and I ordered ramune, karrage and ramen. Both of us were beyond satisfied with the food. The owner is especially energetic and passionate about his work. He didn’t mind me practicing my poor Japanese with him and even gifted me a package of ramen and green tea before we left. He also makes it really clear to everyone who walked into the restaurant, before they were even seated, that the wait is going to be long. So please be prepared and expect to spend some time entertaining yourself. I saw someone brought a book and their friend was knitting. My friend and I watched videos using the restaurant wifi to pass time. But the experience is worth the wait. Make sure you also follow the social media account closely to check their opening hours. It is not open everyday but you can message the owner through social media to check which day is open. I would also arrive 15 minutes before the opening time to minimize the wait. If I recall correctly, the place was full within 20 minutes. But despite the need of high skill in time management on your end, it is definitely a must-visit if you are around the area.

Now I do have to say though, the ramen is not the most authentic. At least from my experiences, it doesn’t have the traditional toppings a ramen has. I can say this because I have been to Japan many times and my mom went to culinary school in Tokyo then opened a ramen restaurant with my dad in Japan for 10 years. So I completely understand if some people can be put off by this or even disappointed.

But I think the bowl of ramen that was served to me that night was still good ramen. Please expect it to be a bowl of ramen with some twists. Just like the karrage, traditional Japanese fried chicken doesn’t come with sauce. But this owner added some sauce on top and I think the sauce elevated the taste of the chicken to another level. If you want your usual, traditional Japanese cuisine, you can fulfill your needs at your place of choice. But please visit here with an open mind. If you don’t like it at the end, that’s fine. I’m glad at least you...

Came here yesterday on a Sunday as the first customer. Decided to try this spot since it's 5 minutes from my house. Owner seemed very friendly and was sparking up conversation with me and all his other customers. He did not present a menu and was the only one working which were the first red flags. He seemed passionate and very enthusiastic about his job. I placed my faith in him, asked for a chicken karagi, a chicken ramen and hoped for the best (without seeing menu). Food took a whole hour to be made which is too long for some fried chicken and a noodle soup. Soup had pork in it without me knowing (i can eat pork but prefer not to)... I also ordered a Japanese drink he recommended. I wasnt very thirsty at the time but overheard the couple next to me ask for glasses of water to which he then replied stating he doesn't serve water and that they would have to buy a drink. Very odd considering that tap water is a common courtesy and restaurants shouldn't deny it. Shocked to find out my final bill was 62 dollars with tip. I felt ambushed. Could have gotten the same thing at any ramen spot downtown made better for a cheaper price. Wouldn't have tipped but felt obligated since he put in alot of effort to speak to his customers. I lied to him said it was good and was on my way. Broth was a little too rich and noodles were on the overcooked side. Also no egg in the bowl...

A few hours after getting home my stomach felt horrible. I am writing this review at 4:30 monday morning. I've been puking my guts out all night. I like to support small businesses since I know the restaurant trade is tough but their is no excuse for food poisoning. When I typically have a bad experience at a restaurant i often just dont go back and dont care enough to put in the effort to leave a bad review. However, food poisoning is the last straw for me. This 1 star review is well deserved and I am extremely dissapointed considering the owner seemed like a nice person. Won't be recommending or returning. Avoid this place...

If you value your time and taste buds - please read my review and AVOID THIS RAMEN🙏🏽

When we arrived, the owner mentioned he was working alone and asked us to expect at least a one-hour wait. We understood and were willing to wait - sometimes good food does take time. But after waiting TWO full hours, what we finally got was the most disappointing ramen I have ever had, whether in Japan or here in Toronto.

We ordered a tokyo shoyu ramen, a spicy miso ramen, plus gyoza and takoyaki. The gyoza and takoyaki were normal but overpriced.

The ramen, however, was shockingly bad. The ramen was topped with mayonnaise dressing, red ginger and seaweed salad very strange for ramen. The noodles were extremely overcooked and mushy, even worse than instant noodles at home. The spicy miso ramen had the exact same toppings and dressing as the shoyu one, but the broth was greasy, overly salty, and unpleasant to swallow.

What makes this worse is the mismatch between the long wait and the quality delivered. Waiting two hours for truly good food would have been fine - but the outcome here was so poor it made me feel the restaurant was relying on a “hunger marketing” tactic, keeping customers waiting so long that they would settle for whatever is served.

The overall dining experience was also disappointing. When four of us sat down, there were only three chairs, and one broke while we were sitting. The bill was higher than expected, $40 per person. I left the minimum 10% tip, considering the quality and experience (I think I’ve already over-tipped tbh). The owner reacted very aggressively, saying that “other customers always pay at least 15–18%.” This felt unreasonable and rude, especially when I couldn’t even finish my ramen because it was so salty and oily.

Overall, this was the most unauthentic and disappointing ramen experience I’ve ever had. Definitely not...