Konjiki Ramen

Restaurant: Konjiki Ramen

Address: 5051 Yonge St.

Phone: 647-350-7766

Operating Hours: Wed-Mon 11:30 AM - 8 PM, Tues CLOSED

Website: www.konjikiramen.com

Interior

Menu

Smoky Black Tonkotsu Ramen, $13 + Egg, $1.50

Review

My Order: Signature Clam Broth Ramen (Shoyu), $14 + Egg, $1.50

I work right across Konjiki Ramen, the hottest Michelin-recommended ramen shop in Toronto right now. The small restaurant shares space with Saryo Cafe, a Japanese dessert shop. I skipped out on it when I was at Konjiki because I wanted to try their soft-serve when summer hits.

I got there at around 11:15 AM on a weekday, 15 minutes before it opened. My cousin and I were third in line. No more than 10 minutes later, the lineup grew rapidly. Being third in line allowed us to get a table to ourselves instead of being placed at a communal table. I decided to go for the Signature Clam Broth Ramen. This can be a hit or miss for some people because a couple of my friends weren't a fan of it. I, on the other hand, quite liked it! It was very light and definitely felt like I had the healthiest ramen option possible. My cousin remarked that it didn't have much flavour. If you are a ramen traditionalist and prefer thicker noodles and a heavier broth, then I recommend going for another ramen like the Smoky Black Tonkatsu Ramen.

I was in and out of the restaurant within 30 or so minutes. You will get swift service and the manager might come by to tell you more about the ramen. I really like how efficient and attentive the staff at Konjiki Ramen was. I wouldn't say I am crazy about the ramen but I definitely enjoyed it. I recommend if you have the ability to go for lunch time, drop by at least 15 minutes before opening to get ahead of the crowd. By the time I left, there was a huge line up. Don't go with more than one other person because it's a tiny shop with limited seating.

Boston Pizza (Yonge and Empress)

Restaurant: Boston Pizza
Address: 100-5170 Yonge St.
Phone: 416-792-3172
Operating Hours: Mon-Thurs 11 - 1 AM, Fri-Sat 11 - 2 AM, Sun 11 - 12 AM
Website: www.bostonpizza.com

Review

I've been to this location once before during the summer with my coworkers. It was decent service at the time and close to our office so we decided to go again this time around for a coworker's birthday. I'm giving a 1 star based on the service we have all received today. There was a total of 11 people, most arrived right at 12 PM and the rest arrived no more than 10 minutes later. At the time, the restaurant was not very busy. The server took some time to get everyone their drinks. Water was forgotten twice for a couple of people. Our orders were finally taken around 12:20 PM long after everyone got their drinks.

While we waited, another server came out with a couple of plates. We were pretty sure neither platters belonged to anyone at our table. The server gave us a bit of attitude and tried to place down the food. It turned out the food belonged to the table next to us. The group of 7 people beside us came around 12:15 PM and they received their food around 20 minutes after ordering. Our table was still waiting and everyone was getting agitated by 12:40 PM. Most of us only had the ability to take an hour away from the office. Food started coming out around 12:45 PM. Everyone finally got their meals by 1 PM...except me. It wasn't brought out until another coworker of mine pointed out that I haven't received my food yet. The server forgot my plate completely and I did not get my food until around 1:10 PM. I ended up having to scarf down everything as fast as I could because I was supposed to be back at the office half an hour ago. I was not out til close to 1:25 PM. Half of my coworkers were still in the process of eating by the time I left the restaurant.

For lunch, I ordered one of their $10 lunch combos. With the wait that we all had to do for our food from the moment we were seated, we might as well have gone to the food court and paid for the same price but get our food immediately instead.

Han Ba Tang

Restaurant: Han Ba Tang
Address: 4862 Yonge St.
Phone: 416-546-8218
Store Hours: Mon-Sun 5 PM - 2:30 AM
Website: N/A

Interior

Menu

Review

When Han Ba Tang first opened, it got quite the buzz online in the Toronto foodie community. Han Ba Tang is a Korean Asian Fusion restaurant that transforms your everyday Korean ingredients into unique tapas. I went with one of my best friends and she was eager to try it out after I showed her BlogTO's article on it.

When we arrived, the restaurant was packed. There were no single tables left aside from the communal one. The communal table was a free for all and was empty when we got there. It didn't bother us that there might be people sitting beside us later. The restaurant had an extremely relaxing vibe and honestly was a cool place to hang out with friends to try some unique dishes. I shared the Spoon Pizza with Bacon ($10) and Kimchi Pancakes with Bacon ($7) with my friend. I enjoyed the Kimchi Pancakes with Bacon a lot more. It was crispy and made for a great appetizer. Since we ordered more appetizers than meals, the food wasn't filling. However, the price point was decent and I liked the atmosphere. I would definitely consider bringing some friends here again.