TORONTO: iNoodle, uNoodle, we all noodle

UPDATE – Oct. 1, 2009: I’ve just been informed that iNoodle closed around Christmas 2008. Sadness.

I’ve only recently been exposed to a world of ramen beyond those Styrofoam cups and brick-sized instant noodle packages, but I’ve added the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum to the list of places I’d like to visit before I die. Who knew?

Most ramen bowls come with broth with thin slices of pork, green onions, nori (seaweed) and hard-boiled egg. There are four standard broth choices: tonkotsu (white pork broth), shio (salt), shoyu (soy sauce), and miso (Japanese soybean paste).

My sister brought me to the unfortunately named iNoodle in Toronto’s Koreatown for ramen. It’s a small, tidy place with pleasant service.

I’m no expert in the curly noodle yet, but I can say my shoyu ramen was pretty good: nice slices of roasted pork (with a bit of fat which I like for flavour) in a large steaming bowl of salty broth with slightly al-dente ramen.

What impressed me though was iNoodle’s combos that put a lot of food on the table for a very small price.

My ramen was actually part of the tonkatsu combo ($9.50) that came with a separate plate of deep-fried pork cutlet, and Gigi’s miso ramen was part of the gyoza combo ($8.75) that served up five dumplings on the side.

I can’t say if iNoodle has the best ramen ever, but it’s pretty tasty and won’t break the bank. What more can you ask for?

iNoodle, 623 Bloor St. West, Toronto, (416) 535-0108.