Restaurant
Our restaurant is the beating heart of what we do; it is our origin and our studio. Within this tiny space we showcase our greatest hits and test new flavours using the same principles that got us started.
Principle #1: Noodles Rule
We believe there is no point in making ramen unless you make your own noodles and we have done so since day one. We choose the flours, alkaline salts, and other ingredients to create the noodle thats suit the dish. Tokyo-style shoyu ramen? Our original, medium firmness noodle. Hakata-style Tonkotsu? It has to be thin and extra-snappy. Something freestyle that’s never been done? A custom recipe may be in order.
We started with one, to date we count more than ten distinct noodle recipes that have rotated through our menu. Plus, we make our own gyoza skins – how many other shops do you know that do that?
Principle #2: Great Ramen Begins With Great Ingredients
That is why we feel so fortunate to live where we do.
We strive to source our ingredients nearby: from the hyper-local farms of Merville and Black Creek to the waters of the Salish Sea, from pork and poultry producers down Island to the orchards of the Okanagan. We make our noodles from premium wheat grown on the Canadian Prairies and we source beer, cider, and sake from local craftspeople.
In Japan, regional variations of ramen are due in large part to local tastes, local climates, and the availability of local ingredients. Here in the Comox Valley, we are faithful to the principles of authentic Japanese ramen – while giving it our own, local touch.
Principle #3: Eat Your Ramen Urgently
When your bowl arrives in front of you, do not delay! Regard the bowl, taste the soup, then dig in to the noodles. Slurp loudly, inhaling some air as you vacuum the noodles into your mouth. Eat quickly as there is a brief window where the harmony of the ingredients is at its peak.
If you so desire, pay your compliments by drinking the soup down to its last drop; remember, our stocks are scratch-made with wholesome, all-natural ingredients. As you would do this in our shop, our grocery products also allow you to do this in your home.
Principle #4: Continuously Strive to Be Better
The Japanese word for this principle is “Kaizen” and it is etched into our DNA. We set a high bar for ourselves when we opened in 2016, and we have raised it little by little over the years. It is not always apparent.
Our Shoyu ramen for example may appear unchanged but it has undergone many iterations of improvement to please even the most discerning ramen nerds. We give all things in our business this treatment and it is also how we live our lives. We could not have reached where we are today without applying the Kaizen principle at every turn.