A Guide to Montreal’s Best Ramen

The cult classic of Japan! To our great delight (and thanks to an ever-growing Japanese community) we are incredibly fortunate to have a number of excellent ramen shops in Montreal.

We started putting this article together after devouring an old issue of Lucky Peach magazine. In that issue was an incredible article written in collaboration with Nico Fujita, the food critic and coordinator of Japanese events in Montreal. The article was entirely devoted to the history and culture of ramen. Nico left Japan at the age of 24 for the Japanese Embassy in Paris. She was the cultural attaché, working alongside the Ambassador for the realization of the “Year of Japan in France”. Nico studied wine and has lived in several countries around the world, including Senegal and Morocco. Through her travels and exposure to varied cultures, Nico learned the pleasure of sharing food while being thoughtful of what we choose to eat. Since 2004, she has been living in Montreal and writing for the Japanese Restaurant Critics Association and for a local Japanese, French and English newspaper. In her writing, Nico covers restaurants, cafes, bars and cultural events.

Contrary to popular belief, ramen originated from China and the dish gained popularity in Japan after World War II. Nico explained that in Japan, ramen is an important dish,  often eaten late at night, after partying. What makes a good bowl of ramen is the quality of the broth and noodles. According to Nico, “Some people say the noodles are more important than the broth, others say the broth is more important than the noodles, but honestly, it’s really both that indicate the quality of the dish.”

Ramen is a dish defined regionally. The style and flavour of the broth vary from region to region of Japan and taste preferences are intimately related to this regional specificity. 

With that said, ramen can essentially be divided into four main categories: 

• Shoyu: Made by simmering shoyu (the Japanese word for soy sauce) in a light, typically chicken-based, broth.
• Miso: A relatively new style of ramen, adding miso to ramen broths became popular in the 1960s but today miso ramen is amongst the most popular styles.
• Shio: As an island nation, sea-salt is one of the oldest (and most popular) seasonings for ramen broth. This is also the version of ramen that most closely resembles the Chinese soup on which ramen is based.  
• Tonkotsu: A rich, cloudy broth made from very slowly simmered pork bones. This version is most popular in southern Japan and abroad. 

Good ramen is also well-garnished. Toppings including nori (dried seaweed), marinated “ramen eggs” and thin slices of meat — most typically chashu (derived from the Chinese roast pork known as char siu). Presentation is as much a part of the ramen experience as its taste. When choosing a ramen shop you’ll want to keep in mind what kind of broth you want,  the style of noodle (thin or large) and your preferred garnishes.