Are you a Japanese food loving Montrealer who is tired of the over-emphasis on sushi in this fair city? Don’t get me wrong, a good sushi restaurant can top 95% of the eateries out there. But, sometimes you want Japanese cuisine that goes beyond sushi. You want something with spice, something with flair, something with noodles, and most of all something cooked.

Ramen-ya is first and foremost a ramen restaurant. Surprise, surprise. I wouldn't go here for sushi. There are other places for that. We love this place for its take on Japanese comfort food... consistent flavours, super yummy ramen, and endless choices which always leave you satisfied.

The restaurant is small (there’s seating for about 25) and minimally decorated, but this only adds to the DIY charm. It makes Ramen-Ya feel like a hidden gem, a little locale of culinary excellence that few will ever visit.

The menu isn’t particularly massive either, but this place is all about quality over quantity. Choices for appetizers include nice gyoza, a surprisingly scrumptious sesame pancake (think scallion pancake minus the scallian), and a very satisfying vegetarian spring roll. When it comes time to dive into the ramen dishes, there are three choices of broth available: soy, miso, and curry.

Most ramen purists will be disgusted by the fact that any restaurant would serve multiple broths rather than sticking to a house specialty, but Ramen-Ya is not for them. They can move to Japan if it means that much to them. Everyone else can enjoy the freedom of choice.