Although it wasn’t met with quite the feeding frenzy that greeted the opening of Momofuku last month, hotly anticipated ramen resto Santouka (91 Dundas E, at Church, 647-748-1717) launched quietly on Saturday.
With franchises throughout Japan as well as the US, Hong Kong and Singapore, the 57-seat Hogtown outpost is only the second in Canada. And while the noodle lineup is far more extensive than most – four basic ramen plus several souped-up versions ($10.95 to $16.40) – only a limited menu is available till the kitchen gets up to speed.
A few blocks north, Vancouver-import Ramen Raijin (3 Gerrard E, at Yonge, 647-748-1500) finally looks set to open early next week after months of endless delays. And just a little west, Sansotei (179 Dundas W, at Chestnut, 647-748-3833) is introducing two new noodles as an option to its original ramen.