Sansotei Ramen

This is my favorite ramen place in Toronto! It is also the only ramen place where I can finish all the soup and not feel gross after. I love how their noodles are al dente and how the eggs are always perfectly cooked. I usually order a Tonkotsu with thin noodles or a tomato ramen also with thin noodles.
In terms of apps, their dumplings are a must try and the karaage is good but nothing to rave about.

Pretty decent ramen, same level as Santouka Ramen.
proper price with proper ramen!!!

Definitely my favourite ramen in Toronto!
The line here can be crazy. We came at 6:30 pm and waited 50 minutes. The hostess was really nice though and checked in with the customers every 5 – 10 minutes.
The space is very cramped inside. I would not suggest going with more than four people. It would take forever for a seat. Tables are communal style so you can be sitting in front of a stranger if you come with odd numbers. Turn around is very fast though.
We tried he spicy tantan, tonkotsu and tonkutsu black. All were great! My favourite was the tonkotsu black. The soup bases seemed to be the same except for the different oils that went ontop. I didn’t mind though since their soup was amazing! The tonkotsu black had garlic oil ontop. That made the bowl so much fragrant. Just the aroma of it on that first bite is enough to sell you!
I will be back :) maybe in the middle of the afternoon next time so I won’t have to wait as long

Ordered the fried chicken and black garlic ramen. The fried chicken was ok, not very crispy and not as flavorful as I was expecting. The ramen was creamy and garlicky w/​a perfectly yolky soft boiled egg. Too bad the chashu pork wasn’t as flavorful or savory as it looked. Considering the other ramen options, I couldn’t rank Sansotei higher.

Wow! Yum! We ordered the Tonkatsu Black with thick noodles & the Spicy Tan Tan with thin noodles — both were absolutely amazing. I preferred the Tan Tan broth, but the thick noodles. The gyoza & zangi were also SO yum! Perfect for the gross, snowy, cold weather! The service was also incredibly fast — we were in and out in about 45 minutes but didn’t feel rushed at all!

Came on a Saturday afternoon at 1pm. Waited 20 mins before getting in. If you come with 2 people, you’ll get in faster (there was a big group of 5 who waited way longer than us because they had trouble seating 5 people together). They sat us in the two stools by the door facing Dundas St. W. We came in January, and so it was cold whenever someone opened the door.
Food: EXCELLENT. SO GOOD. I had the Shoyu with thick noodles. There were a fair number of bamboo shoots (yay!) and MAN the egg was SO GOOD. The yolk was bleeding into the hot broth and mixing with the thick, chewy noodles. He had the Tonkotsu Black with thick noodles. I had a taste and my verdict is that the Tonkotsu Black’s broth is better than that of the Shoyu.
Didn’t have any sides or desserts, a bowl of ramen was more than enough for a hearty meal.
Washroom: In the basement, kind of dirty tbh. I’m not a fan of dark, dimly-​lit washrooms, and this one was no exception. This would be the only con of Sansotei.

Been here more than a few times, and the first time I ever had the TONKOTSU BLACK I thought I was going to die.
I was like, Ramen? F*** Ramen, who the hell pays 10 dollars for instant noodles? Y’all crazy. Probably just the commoner in me speaking. Had a few places like Ajisen (of which I’m still a fan) and I don’t like Kinton.
But when I put that first spoon of TONKOTSU BLACK in my mouth, I was like DAMN FAM, WHERE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE. It makes me want to consider keeping ramen on my rotation cause it’s still 10 dollars for a bowl of noodles and two little ass pieces of meat. But yeah, it’ll probably change your perspective on life.

I have been dying to go to this place but the long wait always gets the better of me. Mr. H and I did manage to go on a tuesday after yoga and it was the best!
Even though it was a tuesday we still had to wait a bit since all tables were full, once in we were given the menus and placed an order, all in 5 minutes. The work fast here, service is quick and the food comes out fast too. So if you are looking for a place to sit and catch up or be slow about… it might not be the best spot for it.
Thanks to Unilocal I already knew what I wanted, I got the Tonkotsu Black and it was delicious! Mr. H had the Tomato and he said it was good but not as good as mine… so there you go.
It’s for sure the best I’ve had in Toronto and would definitely recommend it :)

This ramen joint is one of my top 2. #1 being kinton. I haven’t been here in a long time, and today I tried the spicy tan tan, which according to their menu it comes in limited quality. Lucky for me I got to try this. The broth in the spicy tan tan had a nice kick to it. I wouldn’t say it’s really spicy because it’s not. One thing I was surprised about was that it only came with one piece of pork belly! Ramen usually comes with two so I was a little sad. Luckily, my bf ordered extra pork belly for himself and gave me an extra one.
The spicy tan tan also consists of bamboo shoots, two eggs and ground pork. Should give it a try the next time you visit sansotei!

**RAMEN IS AMAZING**
My second time, and waited even longer in the cold. 15 minutes. But worth the wait.
1^st time: Tomato Ramen with thick noodles. Loved every drop.
2^nd time: Tonkotsu with thick noodle. I’m drooling just thinking of it.
I want to give 5 stars but they need a bigger space! The food is worth the wait but I did feel a bit rushed because I felt bad for the people waiting outside.
DEFINITELY GO!

I’ve only been to the Markham location once, so this was my opportunity to check out the place where Sansotei started.
Got there at a little after 5pm on a Tuesday and a line had already formed. I only had to wait about 10 minutes but it was well worth it!
I tried the tonkotsu black for the first time and it was delicious! Best ramen base I’ve ever had! It was garlicky and creamy; perfect! If you like garlic, I highly recommend it.
The ramen also comes with an egg, pork, bamboo shoots and your choice of thick or thin noodles. What I love about the eggs (I got an extra one added!) is that the yolks are just a tad on the soft side. Not soft enough to be runny but enough to melt in your mouth!
The restaurant is tiny, so I think a lineup is the norm. I recommend against going in a group larger than 2 or 3 people. A group of 4 behind me had to wait about 5 – 10 min longer just because of their party size.
The service was very quick and polite. I’d say that they’re perfect at turning tables at an effective rate without being pushy.
Finally, the value is amazing! A bowl of ramen without any extra additions is under $ 10. The portion size is pretty good too.
Best ramen I’ve ever had! Well worth the wait and the small size of the restaurant.

After several attempts, I finally gave Sansotei a try. We were lucky enough to only have waited 5 minutes for a table of two at around 6:30pm or so on a Friday evening.
I’ve had ramen at several ramen places around the downtown core but none of them can compare to the ones you get in Japan. With that being said, I thought Sansotei was one of the best I’ve had in Toronto.
We ordered the Tonkotsu Black and the Spicy Tan Tan with thick noodles. The broth of both of the ramens were very flavourful but not overwhelmingly heavy. The spicy tan tan had a good mixture of spice and peanut flavour which was what I liked about it.
The waitress was very friendly but not overly attentive. Overall, this is one of my favourite ramen places in Toronto. This was a perfect meal on a cold fall/​winter night.

I was meeting a friend here for dinner one Monday night around 5:45, and anxiously rushed over from my office expecting to wait outside for awhile before getting a table. To my surprise, there was no line and my friend and I were seated right away. Since it was my first time here, I ordered the the classic tonkotsu with thin noodles. It looked kinda small when it arrived so I was worried I wouldn’t be full, but I was stuffed and couldn’t finish the last bite! The broth was so good, pork belly was delicious and I loved the texture of the noodles. My friend got the spicy tan tan, and really liked that too.
The restaurant is quite narrow and cozy, and you’ll probably end up sitting at a table with strangers. We sat next to a couple who ordered the chicken karaage, which smelled amazing. I’m definitely getting that next time! The servers are extremely friendly and nice too. Our water glasses were never empty, plus they didn’t pressure us to leave even after we had finished eating. Maybe that’s because it was a slower night and there was no line outside?
Ramen is one of my favorite things to eat ever, and Sansotei definitely does it well! I’ll be back.

Best ramen in Toronto, but lines are too much of a hassle for me to come back.
My problem with eating out for ramen is that it’s ALWAYS too salty. Thankfully, they allow you to adjust the salt added to the broth; I requested less salt in my tonkotsu, expecting it to be just watered down broth, but was pleasantly surprised that it came out flavourful and light. The deep fried chicken was delicious as well, and the tofu cheesecake was phenomenal! Price is great too.
The only reason I did not give a five star rating is due to the constant lineups. The tiny restaurant has always been so popular and we waited outside in the cold for 30−40min to get seated. Two customers in front of us were holding a spot for 10… which is ridiculous. Smaller parties were emptying out of the restaurant and everyone behind had to wait until there were 10 spots for the whole party to sit together. What’s the point of making everyone line up if you’re just going to allow 8 people to walk right in and take up half of the restaurant? They should consider enforcing a policy for large parties.

This has got to be one of my favorite ramen place thus far. I’ve tried multiple locations of kinton, kenzo, santouka, and some other ramen shops in the suburbs.
I LOVED the spicy braised soft chicken wings!
The broth I got was great. I asked for very little salt and very little lard, and it’s exactly what I got! When I asked for «less salt» at santouka the broth was still really salty.

Holy moly. This place is the real deal and I love everything about it.
This is the first place my boyfriend and I went to eat when we went on vacation in Toronto. It was SUPER close to my hotel, and had great reviews. On paper, it was a win-​win. In reality, it was even better.
Sansotei is a pretty small, and the seating is a little cramped. It forces you to sit next to people, which I actually think is great. It feels like being in Japan.
My boyfriend and I both got the spicy tan tan ramen and it. was. the. BEST. The broth was so savory and wonderful. It wasn’t too spicy; I would have loved it just as much if it was spicier. The pork was tender and delicious. The noodles were delicious and perfect, and the soft-​boiled egg was awesome. We seriously loved every single part about it. Plus the people working there were super nice.
I’d go here every day if I could. Ugh. Seriously, it was the best way to start off our vacation and I miss it so much!

Mr. winter is coming and with his blowing frozen whispers, so do my quest to search for the best phở and ramen places.
The echinacea hasn’t stop my «achusss» and running nose, so I decided to grab some liquid meal relief to help as a treatment.
I read some reviews that made me think that visiting Sansotei was going to make me a frequent customer, and ask them for a points card, but my taste buddies disagreed.
I visited the place around 4 pm. Fortunately there was plenty of room, because I would’ve been pissed if I put myself on a line for something merely regular.
The place is cozy, with a wooden based decoration, and relaxing ambiance. Maybe that is why lots of people visit this joint to eat by themselves.
The menu is simple, few options of ramen, appetizers, extra toppings, a couple of desserts, and beer (6.50 for a Sapporo).
I ordered the spicy tantan (only available till they run out) with thick noodles, and extra black fungus. The service was fast and in less than 5 minutes I was sipping that orange broth.
Let’s say that after 3 hrs while writing this review, I haven’t been able to remove the taste of garlic from the back of my tongue (I brushed my teeth, made gargles with mouthwash, drank a mint tea, made more gargles with oxygenated peroxide, chewed cardamom and parsley…). I couldn’t feel any spiciness because the garlic over passed any other flavor. I know the soups are cheap, and the one I asked had minced pork, but putting only 1 slice of meat full of gristle was miserly… The soup had like 2 or 3 slices of something that could’ve been bamboo shots, and a lot of salt.
I’ve tried way better ramen joints so this goes to the «not going back list».

Delectable ramen! Sansotei’s signature black garlic oil tonkotsu ramen is a better version of the kind served at Ippudo (in NYC) and Agu Ramen (in Honolulu). While for me, there is something almost cutting and non-​edible-​seeming about that black garlic oil at first, here, it becomes almost synergetic and tastier as it blends with the broth. It is definitely good and as delicious as a black oil slick can taste. And I do love me a marinated soft boiled egg, aijitama!, but I can’t get over how cold it is here. There’s gotta be a way to make that warmer without jeopardizing the ooze of the yolk, seriously.
Communal tables, um hope you like that! I was sandwiched between an awkward date and a group of ramen newbies who were trying to decipher the menu while returning to their conversation of why pepsi reigns supreme over coke. Ok. But that’s also the charm too, although I know a lot of folks don’t want to be that close to people while they’re inhaling their day’s worth of calories in a meal. With that in mind, maybe this isn’t the best place for a date, but more of a cozy-​come-​with-​a-​good-​friend or even alone kind of place, since the seating is tight.
Lastly, the cheesecake looked so delicious and I will have to try that on my next trip along with the tan tan men. Hmmm… I wish I had two stomaches.
All in all, this place is great. Great value. Al dente noodles, soft pork, and full bodied broth make for a perfect antidote to a cold blustery evening.

The devil is in the details for a great bowl of ramen and sansotei definitely pays attention. I’ve been to various ramen places before and was really able to taste the difference here. First thing that hit me walking through the door was the fantastic smell of steamy roasted pork filling the room. Such a warm and delicious aroma.
It took me a good 10 minutes to finally decide on the tonkotsu black (garlic oil added to the original tonkotsu) since I’ve literally waited a few years now before coming here to avoid the infamous lineups. Friends. Trust me and try this! The garlic oil adds so much additional dimension and kickass flavour — I was worried it might make the soup too salty but I found it to be the perfect balance and didn’t overpower the original rich and creamy soup base.
The ramen noodles had great chewy texture and I personally prefer the thin over thick noodles as I think it absorbs more of the flavours. The pork slices were pan seared with a caramelized crust and the egg was also perfectly soft and yolky.
Can’t believe it took me so long to finally try their ramen AND with no lineup at 7pm on a Tuesday night! So there we have it — fav ramen place in the city!

I have one favorite Ramen place in the world (Ramen Dojo in San Mateo, CA), and everywhere I go, I compare it to it. When I read another review for Sansotei that claimed that it was even better than my favorite… well, gauntlet thrown! I had to try it.
This particular location of Sansotei is right on Dundas Street. Hard to miss, considering how lively everything is around here. It’s also really close to practically everything, including Chinatown. The location, however, is very small. It’s like a really long rectangular room with mirrors on one side to make it seem bigger than it really is. Even going to the bathroom can be tricky because the door swings into diners and people who may be walking down the aisle (like an airplane). Since it’s so small, it also means that it’s pretty hard to accommodate kids. I had brought my son, and that made things a bit cramped since without a high chair, he moves around a lot. But no matter — I was not to be deterred!
I ordered the Tonkatsu black ramen since it was the closest match to the black garlic tonkatsu that I so enjoy. We also got the gyoza as a side. The food came out quickly, which was good for the customers since there was a long line outside and it was raining! Overall, I enjoyed the ramen very much. The noodles were the perfect texture and quite possibly the best part of the meal. The broth taste was lighter and more subtle than I think would be ideal, but still very tasty. You really can’t go wrong with black garlic tonkatsu. The meat was tender and fell apart in my mouth. The gyoza were excellent, with just the right crisp and flavor. I really enjoyed the soft-​boiled egg. It did, however, have a piece of egg shell in it.
So what’s the verdict? As much as I thoroughly enjoyed the meal, my mind still does wander back to San Mateo. However, if I’m in Toronto again, I’ll be sure to find myself back at Sansotei for another great meal.