Maria C.
Yelp
On the fence between giving this place 3.5 to 4 stars. I was really excited for this place since the chain is from LA and I had really good ramen in LA (see my review for Daikokuya in Little Tokyo) but for some reason, we live in Calgary where it seems no one can get ramen right 100%...
If you are driving, there's paid street parking in Mission but if you visit for dinner after 6pm, street parking is free.
I visited the first day they opened - we came at 5pm (before the dinner rush) and did not have to wait for a table. Our server was understanding when a few of our friends were late, and still seated us even though we did not have the whole group there.
I had the tonkatsu black with a combo of salad and rice bowl on the side. The description had said the ramen would be spicy, but it was not noticeable in mine. Unlike most places that give you a choice between lean and fatty pork pieces, our ramens were served with fatty pork (which some people like and some do not - all personal preference). My broth was very rich and flavourful - it was so thick and it seemed very gelatinous which again can be good or bad based on personal preference. I had the thin noodles and I thought they were cooked well.
Although the combo was good value (+$5), I don't think I would recommend because the rice bowl was mediocre at best. I only ordered it because the portions of the ramen looked smaller than most places (which it is) but next time I will try an appetizer instead. The crispy chicken that was an option for a combo was fresh and served piping hot which I appreciated, but again, I didn't think was amazing or a must try. The Jinya bun was good but at $4.5 for one, I thought it seemed a bit too expensive.
For dessert, the green tea mochi ice cream was great for sharing (2 round pieces cut in halves - half a piece per person would be good if 4 people wanted to share). The coffee panna cotta was good but a tad bit too sweet with not enough coffee flavour for my liking.
With the ramen averaging about $13-14 per bowl (plus extra for more toppings if you want), I thought this place was a bit expensive. Appies, dessert can add up quick to $30 per person if you make your ramen a combo too, with the ramen portion being smaller than most places in Calgary.
I did not have any issues with service as I was seated when it was not busy, but I did think it was extremely stupid to have people pay for their bills at the front counter by the door where everyone enters and exits, especially when there are tons of people waiting.
It's decent ramen for Calgary but if you've had good ramen elsewhere (Japan, LA, Vancouver, etc.), you still can't compare. If you are dying for some ramen in Calgary, give this place a try and avoid obvious busy times like 6:30-8 for dinner. If you are travelling outside of Calgary where you know you can get a great bowl of ramen, maybe just nurse your ramen craving until then :)