Sansotei Ramen CityPlace — Restaurant in Toronto

After a long walk, I was looking for a place to sit down and enjoy a meal. Sansotei provided exactly that—a modern ambiance where I could relax and enjoy a delicious bowl of ramen. From the outside, the restaurant uses black to distinguish itself. The familiar signage of the ramen franchise I knew well assured me that I would have a good time. After navigating around the wooden fence, I entered the restaurant. Inside, it looked clean and modern. The decor was primarily black, but the wooden wall on one side, a black Japanese fabric curtain (noren) on the other, and thick ropes hanging from the ceiling like a chandelier made the interior quite interesting. As soon as I was seated, I got the menu. It had clear pictures of the available ramen, along with their names, descriptions, and prices, all easily readable on a single page. However, the paper menu was worn down on the edges, which slightly detracted from the experience. Here’s what I tried: Tonkotsu: I ordered the classic bowl with thin noodles and a side of extra noodles, and I was very happy with my choice. The ramen came piping hot in a bowl. Even the basic bowl included a full soft-boiled egg split into two, along with other delicious toppings like green onions and thin slices of pork belly chashu. The hot, beige, fatty soup made of pork marrow had fat floating on the top, and there was enough of it to accommodate the extra noodles. The noodles were perfectly cooked to be soft yet still chewy. The broth was very well seasoned and matched perfectly with the noodles. I kept slurping until there was no more left in the bowl. I loved it to the last drop. As for the service, the gentleman who took my order was attentive at the beginning but allowed me to eat in peace afterward. The utensils and table were clean, as was the washroom. Overall, I had a great time at Sansotei Ramen. The restaurant offers good value, and I would not mind coming back when I am in the area and in need of a hot...

Compared to the other two Sansotei chain locations (Square One and near Yonge & Dundas), this location missed the mark by a little. The service felt a bit lacking and the food was a bit saltier. Maybe an off-day for this location due to lack of people.

Our group ordered Tomato Ramen (which was compared to the other locations), Black Tonkatsu, Spicy Tantan, Gyoza and Chicken Kaarage. The food (Tomato Ramen) was consistent with the core recipe but seemed off as the broth itself was a tad saltier and the thin noodles felt a bit undercooked or weren't stirred/shaken to separate. Otherwise, the food had a consistent presentation.

The service needs improvement, especially in the communication department. There was a lack of air conditioning (there was only one single fan in the dining area for the whole room) and in a separate instance on a hot day, there is not much air circulation either (we were sweating a bit while eating the ramen). The one server that addressed us was also not great at estimating the wait time, which would have been more realistic at double the time they suggested. Among the serving team, seems like only one server was the most experienced while the rest of the team requires more training based on the estimated wait time, lack of water and utensils were given to us.

Do note: this location has window seating (similar to bar seating) and several table seating areas. They have one big table area that could fit 8 people max. Otherwise, would not come here with a big...

This was satisfaction in a bowl.

Broth: Sansotei's pork-based broth was a deep, layered, umami-bomb, and the shoyu ramen was the perfect lightness. In fact, this is the only bowl of ramen broth I've ever finished. For extra smokiness and garlic-goodness, get the "black" broth versions where black garlic oil is added.

Noodles: I prefer thick noodles, so that's what I tried. Noodles were kansui/egg type noodles that had a tiny bit of wave to them, and that al dente chew.

Toppings: Two moderately thick slices of seared but tender fatty pork chashu. One lightly soy-sauced egg with slight runniness of yolk👌As usual, veg was an afterthought with a sprinkling of green onions and some bamboo shoots.

Service: Quick, and friendly.

Space: Only a few tables in the small space, somewhat cramped spots, but might be accessible. Not sure if the washroom (doors, automatic buttons, etc) are fitted correctly for accessibility.

A few cons to note:

Lack of air conditioning made the small space very warm. It won't just be the hot broth making you sweat. Also, majority of the alcohol menu (only 3 things on it) didn't appear to be available. They had no peach sake, which I had really wanted to get. The menu-specified "16oz" Sapporo ended up being a 12oz bottle. They had a pitcher of Sapporo on the menu so I was expecting a nice refreshing mug of draught. Hopefully these will be addressed soon.

Overall, really enjoyed the food, but wish the space and bevvies made it easier to drink and...