L and I finished our grocery shopping when he announced he wanted to go out for lunch. In November, I won a $25 gift certificate to Ikemen Ramen Bar , so I figured we might as well use it. For this post, let’s listen to something groovy and relaxing, similar to Ikemen’s playlist.
The restaurant is bigger than it appears by its storefront. The room is spacious and stylish. I like the large chalkboard wall of specials, the cool stools and the colour scheme.
Unlike some ramen places, at Ikemen you can make reservations via Opentable and book a table for larger groups. Convenient and a plus for those who detest waiting in line.
I like the addition of kale. Non-traditional but I thought the hearty greens worked well with the salty broth and generous amount of meat. The noodles were chewy and plentiful. The portion was so big I didn’t finish all my ramen. L was shocked. A first for me.
The char siu (pork) was the highlight. The pork was cooked well – succulent and the leaner cuts fell apart easily when you bit into it. There was one piece of meat that was quite fatty and tougher to chew. We like the proportion of meat to noodle, a ratio of about 1 to 4.
L thought all the ingredients in his miso ramen worked well together. The free range egg was interesting in that the egg white was wobbly and seemed less cooked than the yolk, which was in a semi liquid state. The broth wasn’t as hot as we would like. I think if the broth was served at a higher temperature, the egg would have been easier to pick up with my chopsticks.
When our bill arrived, I told our server that I had won a gift certificate. When I went to the counter to pick up my card, I spoke to the person in charge. I remembered that Asian Persuasion informed me that Ikemen hired the ramen chef from Ichi Rock. I inquired and was told that information was false. Glad I didn’t leak that gossip on Reddit. I learned my lesson the first time with Office Dad.
Ikemen is an ideal restaurant to meet up with old friends over a leisurely meal in the heart of Kensington. Service was excellent during our visit. Our server (guy with blondish hair) was attentive and thoughtful. We didn’t feel rushed out and we enjoyed the relaxing ambience and filling meal of ramen.
Hitting the Sauce 