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Ajisen Ramen
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
5229 Yonge StToronto, ON M2N
Neighbourhood: Willowdale
(416) 223-0618
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10:30 am - 12 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
38 reviews for Ajisen Ramen
Review Highlights
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"...of a spaghetti lover, their Tom Yum noodle soup gets a win." In 2 reviews -
"It's like a garlicky pho broth on steroids--so savory, so..." In 9 reviews -
"I absolutely ADORE the eel fried rice." In 2 reviews
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38 reviews in English
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Review from Sam T.
Toronto, ON
2/9/2012
Amazing consistent food for the price.
Huge bowl of ramen noodles under 9$.
Try the potatoe deep fried side dish mmm
Great in the winter.
Open late -
Review from Raymond W.
Toronto, ON
1/13/2012
If tacky could bleed, it would bleed pink.
I can't even remember who convinced me to try this place, there's a huge Chinese porcelain statue of a girl wearing a Japanese apron holding a bowl of soup, that's not very Japanese?
All of the chairs were in pink vinyl, which has nothing to do with Japan. It's not like they call it The Land of the Rising Flamingos. There are traditional style sumos painted onto the walls, and a dish display that reminds me of those vendor games where you throw a ball to knock the plates down.
The servers looked Japanese, but of course when I say 'looked' Japanese I'm only referring to their height. I couldn't understand what I was looking at when I opened the menu, I'm not a ramen kind of guy. There was a photo of a dish where it was very obviously octopus covered in melted cheese, but I asked the waitress what it was just to make sure.
"Excuse me, what is this?" Pointing to the photo of the cheese octopus.
"Uhh....I..I don't know." The waitress replied.
I looked at her, she looked back at me, then she looked at my friend, then she looked back at me, and I looked at my friend who looked at me, then I looked back at the waitress who was still looking at me. We all fake smiled at the same time.
"I'll have that" I said.
I also ordered a bowl of ramen.
I didn't like the food, I'm sure it wasn't very authentic. The cheese octopus was horrible. Did I mention that the furniture was all in hot pink?
Japanese food is difficult enough to figure out on it's own, but when the wait staff don't even know what it is, I think maybe the chef should take it easy and humble his menu.
I should of said to the waitress when she brought me the bill. "What is this?" Who knows, maybe I would have gotten lucky. -
Review from Olivier S.
Toronto, ON
5/2/2012
Don't have experience of authentic Japanese ramen, but this place is very good. Lots of choices, I personally love the BBQ pork ramen!
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Review from Thuy T.
Woodbridge, ON
10/24/2011 5 photos
The food at AR is wholesome comfort food and the service is a hit and miss.
AR on Yonge is so much better than AR on Warden.
Restaurant Rating:
0(Too Sad), 1(Horrible), 2(Poor), 3(Ok Lah), 4(Good), 5(Excellent)
Food: 3
Clean: 3
Service: 3
Atmosphere: Casual
Will I Return? Yes
Keep in mind all food postings is according to personal preferences and taste buds. Therefore, it's best to try the places out for yourself and see if it suites your taste. -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
4/26/2011 2 photos
Ajisen Ramen is a great Ramen Joint if you have some cravings for Ramen... great location if you are in the area..and it is opened till Midnight great for a late snack after eating at Izakaya in the area where no matter how much food you ordered, you still be hungry!
Ajisen Ramen ($5.95)
- Milky Tonkotsu always my preferred Ramen broth based and Ajisen did not disappointed!
- Noodle wise, the straight version ramen was cooked nicely with chewiness Bite I found it A-OK!
- The paper thin Charshu and the small rubbery egg were definitely uninteresting
Ajisen Spicy Ramen ($7.50)
- Basically is the same ramen as Ajisen Ramen but the waitress gave me some spicy ground pork to put in the broth so I can adjust the level of spiciness
- It does taste better compare to the basic Ramen if you are into spicy!
Kenzo up the street definitely a better choice if you want a better Ramen and they do have complimentary parking.. but they closes early and have more limited hours compare to Ajisen Ramen!!Listed in: You can get EVERYTHING you…, Ramen in Toronto!
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Review from Duong N.
7/14/2011
We went here on a whim with a group of us. We all tried different ramen, and we added a few side dishes, such as Agedashi Tofu and Karaage Chicken.
The side dishes were tasty and inexpensive, by Toronto standards.
As for the ramen themselves? They were good enough to satisfy the craving. However, I have had much better elsewhere in the states and Japan, so this is good if I wanted to have a satisfying meal. It is not a must have bowl of ramen. The portions were good, and the price was right.
Overall, I would come back for a casual meal if I was in the area and really did not have the urge to go somewhere else. -
Review from Avitania B.
Toronto, ON
After fighting traffic for 40 minutes just to get to Ajisen, I was one cranky little girl who was ready to write off this place for no reason other than I was having a bad day.
But... then I had a taste of their rich, milky tonkotsu broth and realized how short-sighted I'd been. Delicious. I had the pork and corn ramen, and although the serving of pork seemed skimpy, I was totally satisfied by the time I'd slurped the last drop from the bowl. Just the right portion to fill you up without making you feel like you're going to pop open from fullness.
Cute Japanese pop-arty decor and reasonable prices add to the allure. However, find street parking if you can because the lot that this restaurant sits on is ridic expensive. I probably wouldn't come this way again considering there's another Ajisen much closer to where I live (a fact I hadn't realized until after I'd done all my upstream swimming to this particular location), but if I'm in the area this place would be a top choice.Listed in: Ramen About Town
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Review from Kalvin N.
Willowdale, Toronto, ON
10/29/2011
Food was not bad. However, I saw a huge fight/arguement at another table between the customer and 3 workers (like the workers were ganging up on the customers of that table). The workers seem very rude and "crazy". Luckily, they were fine to me. I am not sure if I will go to this branch ever again.
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Review from bold c.
Toronto, ON
Food ok @ this location. Pork noodle is best option with the potato.
Real coke in small bottle +++.
This location lacks parking but is central.
Service open late. Always crowded.
I prefer the warden location which is smaller but the service is exceptional. -
Review from Joanne W.
1/25/2011
It was probably -20 degrees Celsius here in Toronto. My friend and I wanted something nice, warm, and homey in the area. We were thinking of getting pork bone soup, but we were going to cook some pork bone soup that night, so we decided not to. I liked teh Ajisen up in Markham, so might as well try this one out as well.
As per usual, I ended up ordering the Aso takana pickle ramen.
No complaints. However, for some reason, I wasn't full like how I usually would be. It was a good lunch especially on a cold winter day.Listed in: OMNOMNOMs in North York!, OMNOMNOM ramen
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Review from Erika P.
Toronto, ON
4/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
3.5 stars
Hubby got the regular beef ramen. The broth was tasty and the noodles were nicely cooked. The beef was tender. I had the tom yum beef ramen and it was SPICY. I like spicy but I guess spicy + temperature hot made it challenging to eat. The broth was very tasty though. It had a hint of lime which perhaps is supposed to counter the spice.
They only had a few pieces of beef in there, which isn't good, especially when you're paying $8 for a bowl of soup. Add more beef, please!
Service was fairly quick, probably because we went on a Thursday night and there wasn't too many people.
I'd visit again, perhaps try a rice dish or something. -
Review from Pavel B.
Toronto, ON
12/7/2010
I'm a huge fan of spicy Asian food and Ajisen's Spicy Pork Ramen did not disappoint! This is my second time ordering their 200% Spicy scale Ramen and again it was absolutely awesome! I was crying by the end and loving every minute of it! When they say "200% Spicy", they really mean it! This is one of the only places that actually served me nicely spicy food in Toronto since I came back 6 months ago (most take one look at me and think "this guy can't possibly really mean SPICY") :P
I am definitely coming back here for other dishes and would highly recommend it to anybody! -
Review from WaYnE c.
Maple, ON
10/17/2010 1 photo
Ajisen Ramen($5.95)...
Tonkotsu Broth I do have to say I enjoy but then I naturally enjoy and set a preference for this type of Broth over other selections. It was a Milky Broth and at the same time Tonkotsu is always satisfying much like a Beef Stew on those cold nights. Unfortunately, the Broth was the highlight of this meal. 2.5 *Star*
The Chashu and Marinated Egg looked like what I SHIT out from a bad meal. The Noodles is what I believe is highly discussed when anyone goes to Ajisen and so I will also give my honest opinion.
It is slurp-able but uses the Straight style rather than Wrinkled which needs a longer slurp to consume what a small wrinkled slurp could have done. Wrinkled are more playful and also what most of us are more accustomed to as well.
The CHEW after the slurp is where I believe most will dislike as it is somewhat a Spaghetini style Ramen with an Al-dente core which means when you bite into it, it doesn't bounce back and the uncooked mid-core gives off that distinct raw Noodle flavour that doesn't complement the Broth but fights it instead.
In terms of the appearance of this Ajisen, while it has the usual unique Bowl Museum on the side wall and the Sumo Photo Wall. The pink benches and seats were really showing wear & tear and I didn't imagine how unappealing it could be but this Ajisen has now showned me this visual aspect should be budgeted for the next make-over.Listed in: 2.5 **Stars**, Oishii, Pull my Noodles - Korea +…
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Review from Cindy L.
Toronto, ON
10/29/2010
I adore Ajisen Ramen. I have been to the location at Warden/Steeles and I find the quality of Ramen is the same.
Service is average, it is run by Chinese and sometimes service can be slow depending on if they are busy or not. Overall the waiting period for food is under 10 minutes.
I always get the Curry Beef Ramen, it has never been a disappointment. I usually add more "spice" because it isn't spicy enough for my preference. But the flavour and soup base is delicious. I would definitely recommend this place to others for an inexpensive but really good food this is the place to go to. -
Review from Lynn C.
1/3/2011
Love their noodle and broth every time I go, no matter what I try, I'm almost never disappointed. This time I had their new tomyum noodle with teriyaki beef. The noodle an dbroth is good, and the beef was amazing.
YUM!! -
Review from Rana L.
10/9/2010 1 Check-in Here
I love coming here! It's cheap and tastes bloody good! What more can you ask for?
I absolutely ADORE the eel fried rice. It's prob imho one of the best in Toronto. The portion is quite big & I often have to pack it.
The Ajisen Ramen is another favourite! The noodles & soupbase is just delish!! I think it's safe to assume all the ramen are excellent. Wish I could eat this everyday :D
Kani and Fish Roe Salad is another must try! It's also not too hard to make on ur own if u love it. Sliced cucumbers, crab meat, japanese mayo....if u want then fish eggs :D
Service is always wonderful and fast!Listed in: Asian Eats Reviews, Taste of Japan
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Review from Karl R.
I'm not a huge ramen/noodle fan. Soup as a meal I consider a last chance food source before you turn to your pets for calories. But I liked what I found in this North York ramen house. Clean, spacious, and bright. I've walked past this place dozens of times and never saw it too full so it's easy to get a table.Service is quick and efficient. Prices are reasonable. I did like that the menu is huge. Dozens and dozens of items, although most are ramen. Duh.
Tsuma: Have you got anything without ramen?
Waitress: Well, there's ramen tamagotchi sausage and ramen, that's not got much ramen in it.
Tsuma: I don't want ANY ramen!
Man: Why can't she have tamagotchi bacon ramen and sausage?
Tsuma: THAT'S got ramen in it!
Man: Hasn't got as much ramen in it as ramen tamagotchi sausage and ramen, has it?
Samurai: Ramen ramen ramen ramen... (Crescendo through next few lines...)
Tsuma: Could you do the tamagotchi bacon ramen and sausage without the ramen then?
Waitress: Aigo!
Tsuma: What do you mean 'Aigo'? I don't like ramen!
Samurai: Kawaii ramen! Wonderful ramen!
Waitress: Shut up!
Samurai: Kawaii ramen! Wonderful ramen! -
Review from Janelle W.
1/2/2010 2 photos
Ajisen is a sort of Japanese twilight zone in which I was afraid of being kidnapped by a midget dressed as an anime character, to be the submissive in its androgynous hentai fantasy. Ajisen is SO Japanified, with modern stylishness, Hello-Kitty-pink vinyl chairs, a plastic food window display, toonie coin machines filled with furry cell phone charms, and a sidewalk statue of a cute girl holding a bowl of ramen.
I'm going to oversaturate my T.O. yelp buddies with Japanophilia and Japanese food--seems I always choose Japanese food for our get-togethers. This time, Ajisen was the gathering place for a New Year's Eve lunch with yelp's own Karl R., susan c., and Christine C. We conversed about travel, message board trolls, and stupid local commercials from 1980s Detroit. The whole time we lingered, our teacups were kept warm and topped-off.
The only service misstep was timing. Two bowls of ramen were served within minutes of placing our order. A fried rice came out five minutes later. And the remaining two dishes were served even a few minutes after that. Hunger trumped table manners as susan c. and I dug in to our ramen before any else's food arrived--but we also weren't about to let our ramen cool off and coagulate.
The ramen itself was too spaghetti-like, the sliced pork overcooked and dry, and the ladle-sized spoon awkward. There was a rubbery hard-boiled egg, blackish-brown in color, floating amongst the noodles--it was bothersome that this looked more like a corpse from a house fire than a boiled egg. But the broth... Oh, the broth SAVED this dish! This is the light-colored Kyushu-style broth made from pork rib bones, so fatty and full of umami richness. It's like a garlicky pho broth on steroids--so savory, so flavorful.
The S.O.'s "round-eye special" (curry spicy fried rice) was prepared well, but lacked both salt and curry powder. No curry powder in a curry fried rice??? What's next--no hipster douchebags in used record stores? The mystery meat in the fried rice was unnamed on the menu, and remained unidentifiable upon taste--unsettling to the guy who chastised susan c. for being okay with noshing on Fido or Little Bunny Foo-Foo.
But ultimately, Ajisen serves a good, cheap (most every dish under $8), quick lunch. Their rich pork broth is comforting on a cold day and is authentic enough to be familiar. Ajisen's existence alone is superior to any of the dumbed-down "Japanese noodle houses" of greater Detroit. And since I didn't become the sub in anime porn on my way out of Ajisen, I guess it's an alright place to grab a bowl of ramen. -
Review from Christine C.
Etobicoke, ON
1/4/2010 2 photos
Note to self: Never a good idea to sit next to a bowl of Ramen soup that looks like a zombie prop from the movie 28 Days Later especially when you are severely hungover.
My Yelp buddies south of border, Janelle P. and her husband TJ hit up the mean streets of the GTA in search of good eats and when the invite showed up to join them for a bite I couldn't resist. Funnily enough it seems that every time I do get together with them we find ourselves eating Japanese food! I know the truth about these two though. As much as it appears they are chow hounds on the loose the real reason they travel north is for the love of hockey. I expect to see them a few more times before the winter has passed.
I was sporting a major hangover when Janelle sitting next to me got her Ramen soup and when she began to stir it up I felt queasy. Maybe I'm just one episode of Dexter over the line but I swore it looked like body parts floating in that bowl. This is supposed to be appetizing how?
I ordered Ginger Pork with Rice plate. I'll be damned if I could even remotely taste a hint 'o ginger. The only ginger in this place was the colour of the hair streaks on the young teen like waitress who took my order. The meat was slivered very thin, almost shaved and it was juicy and moist but it was completely void of any flavour or seasoning. If I wasn't already feeling the need to drink a gallon of water I would have asked TJ to pass the salt shaker.
What is up with the loud music? Ok, ok...enough bitching on my part. There are a couple of bright spots, one was price point. There was five of us there for lunch and the bill was less than fifty bucks. We sat there for a couple of hours and they never pressed us to hit the road. They kept topping up our tea which is great especially when you are feeling like I was feeling. Now if only I could shake the image of that Ramen bowl from my brain. -
Review from ness y.
Toronto, ON
2/9/2010
This isn't a sad date story, but it *could* have been one...
Met a dude once that said his dating deal-breaker was: Must-Love-Ajisen Ramen. I laughed. He didn't.
I don't love it. It's novel, nearby, affordable, and tasty, but I only like the food and setting here enough to go once every two years. All of the components to a good food joint, but something didn't sit right in between my preference for subtler, slow-cooked flavours or in-your-face spice or savour. I sensed something was amiss for my palate. Still, I do recommend giving the menu a try.
I went out with the dude once. It's not you, it's me. -
Review from Jonathan K.
Toronto, ON
6/29/2010
I don't tihnk Ajisen Ramen is particularly authentic, but the spaghetti was really good. I found it strange that they used spaghetti noodles, but didn't mind. If you look at it from the point of view of a spaghetti lover, their Tom Yum noodle soup gets a win.
What doesn't get a win, is the claim on Ajisen's website that their food is healthy. It should go without saying that there is nothing healthy about eating a bowl of spaghetti in broth made of pork bone, MSG and spices. -
Review from Roma M.
1/24/2010
Be prepared to see a lot of pink when you first walk in. Hot pink seats to be precise, but gorillas of the world, be not alarmed and do not shy away. The rest of the restaurant is quite traditional and welcoming.
The menu is quite colourful and descriptive, the server is to the point, but vaguely polite. I ordered the Scallop ramen($8), and although the noodles were delicious, the scallops themselves were rubbery, and a mental image of Gordon Ramsey flipping out fit the bill to a tee. No, he definitely wouldn't stand for them.
The chicken teppanyaki($6) was well prepared, and came to my table sizzling. If you're going to try Ajisen, you must order the chicken teppanyaki.
As an aside, it always worries me when hot items, such as tea and soup are served in plastic containers. Do we not have enough information about the detriments of consumed melted plastic?
The servers pour out green tea from plastic pitchers and the ramen is always served in plastic bowls. I hope they switch to ceramic. -
Review from Ryan A.
2/24/2010
A chinese friend took me here for lunch and I really enjoyed it. This is a chinese restaurant that serves Japanese-style ramen noodles. I ordered the Tornado bowl... was VERY spicy and delicious! I have a very high tolerance for spicy food, but this bowl had me sweating! yum!
My friend said that Ajisen is a famous franchise in China, and very popular. I can understand why, it was a great lunch and I'll most likely be back. -
Review from Li P.
North York, ON
6/16/2011
I went to Ajisen Ramen couple of times and I really enjoyed the experience. I loved the interior design of the place, which for me greatly contributes to the over all expericence. The food available are quite amazing. I eat ramen all the time here and there and Ajisen comes up when I think of the few good ones I have gone too. If you are in the area, I definitely recommend it!
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Review from Jennie T.
Toronto, ON
1/19/2009
My favourite ramen place in the city -- well, granted, I only know of two (other being Kenzo). I still have yet to try the okonomiyaki at Kenzo so my allegiance still may shift in terms of preferred restaurant, but my vote definitely goes to Ajisen for a bowl of ramen. Mmm!
Update: I found ramen on this continent (in New York) that was a gazillion times better and I can never go back to the grease soup and non-legit noodles that is Ajisen. -
Review from Hilary S.
6/23/2010
I love Ajisen--I spent about three out of five days of the week here when I was in high school. I eventually ended up having my 17th birthday party here and had about 30 people invade the place--the waitresses were really nice and decorated the restaurant with banners and birthday swag saying "Happy 18th Birthday"! Everyone here has always been cordial with me and orders come pretty quickly. I also love the pink...everything! I definitely wakes me up.
Food is pretty mediocre, I have to say. For around 5-10 you get a large bowl of ramen that will fill you up. What else can I say? I also recommend trying some of the snacks/sides as they are pretty good. -
Review from alfred i.
North York, ON
8/5/2011
Great noodles. I love the spicy style of soup here. The portions are often small and contain a vast proportion of noodles. The fuchsia-pink atmosphere is a clear separator and makes this venue very appealing and interesting.
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Review from Sonja Elen K.
Toronto, ON
7/1/2011
Melt in your mouth yummy meats and ramen! Delicious and decadent MSG. Yum.
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Review from Erwin M.
4/1/2010
I wouldnt bash Ajisen's ramen even though its not particularly that good. Reason is I love that garlic powder stuff you get as a condiment which I cant seem to find anywhere. Its also inexpensive and it fills you up. They have many kinds of ramen but they all taste the same. this place is just OK and is definitely better than those chinese noodle soups from food courts in the chinese malls. Hows that for a comparison.
If you want a more decent ramen, go to Kenzo -
Review from Lara P.
3/30/2011
I came to this place looking for that soul warming bowl of soup. I had the house special noodle bowl, which had strips of chicken and a bunch of appetizers. The appetizers were good and the soup was passable, but I found everything to be very salty. I like salt, but in this case it was over applied such that I did not enjoy the subtle flavours of a simple dish. It is too bad because I was looking forward to this place with its kitschy design and plentiful soup offering.
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Review from Kawhom L.
12/10/2011
We travel here. We walked by this place and decided to try it after we already had a bad japanese restaurant for dinner. I read their sign "Best ramen in town#1" I ordered Tom Yum BBQ pork. It was good.
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Review from Wagner P.
Toronto, ON
1/29/2011
Order the vegetarian curry ramen, and you will be happy!
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Review from Lee C.
North York, ON
Updated - 10/12/2010 6 Check-ins Here
Great Ramen
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/18/2010
I have been eating here since they first opened up, in fact I was actually eating there during the… Read more »
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Review from Andrew L.
1/26/2010
Prior to my visit to Ajisen, I had never tried real ramen (do the chicken flavored packaged noodles count?), so I did not know exactly what to expect.
I ended up ordering the unagi ramen, which seemed promising considering my love for BBQed eel. Unfortunately, the eel that I thought would be in my bowl of soup was served on a separate plate as a side dish. Another problem was that the broth was so salty that I could barely taste the other ingredients.
Otherwise, not bad. The appearance of the large bowl stocked with vegetables and noodles was disconcerting, but it ended up being quite satisfying on a cold, snowy night.
Lastly, I ordered a cup of mango bubble tea to go. Not the best idea. The drink was watery and lacked flavor, which is not how I think it should have been. So I just ate the tapioca.
Three stars for the filling meal and nothing more. Good for a quick bite (well, I don't know how 'quick' it will be considering the portion size), also has a nice location. -
Review from Tina N.
Toronto, ON
10/20/2009
I love going here to eat Ramen. Definetly one of my faves. The menu provides a variety of different kinds you can try which is great! I love their noodles best how it's cook just right to maintain its crunchiness and still be soft enough to eat. The broth is also really good too, very flavourful! They also have a variety of famous japanese side dishes that you see in those animes that people eat. My favourite would be the Chicken Knee Caps and the Mini Octopus! They also sell curry rice and other stuff as well, its a really GREAT RESTAURANT!
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Review from Sarah L.
North York, ON
12/30/2009
As nice as it is to have Ajisen in the city it does not compare to Ajisen in Shanghai or Hong Kong. The ingredients are different in Toronto and don't taste as good.
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Review from Ivan S.
Markham, ON
1/28/2010
I've been here a couple times, it's really close to where I live and the price for Ramen is pretty decent. The bowls served look somewhat like they do on the menu. I ordered the chicken cutlet Ramen, which was good. The only problem I had was that it was kinda cold sitting by the window.
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Review from Greg H.
North York, ON
10/3/2009
I love this chain of restaurants. There was an Ajisan near my flat in Japan, and when I saw it here in Toronto I thought it a mirage, or simply a coincidence. Nope, it's the real deal and the curried Tonkatsu (pork) ramen is as tasty here as it was in Japan. Happy days!
