There’s nothing better than a hot bowl of ramen on a cold day. A dish with Chinese and Japanese origins, ramen is usually made with a slow-cooked pork- or vegetable-based broth and firm, skinny noodles, then topped with vegetables and protein such as a soft-boiled egg or barbecue pork.
The four most popular kinds of ramen are shoyu (a light brown broth made with soy sauce), tonkotsu (a white, thick and creamy broth made from pork bones), shio (a clear, salty broth) and miso (a sweet, dark brown broth). There’s also cold ramen, often served with broth on the side for dipping. No matter which one you crave, there are tons of places to get your ramen fix in the city.
Here are 11 places to eat ramen in Calgary
5S17
This Japanese-fusion restaurant on 17 Avenue S.W. has nine kinds of ramen that feature either tonkotsu, shio or shitake broth. Swing by for a late bite on a Friday or Saturday when 5s17 is open until midnight.
Order this: Duck confit shio ramen with soy egg, scallions and sprouts.
634A 17 Ave. S.W., 403-452-0817, 5s17.com
Eats of Asia
The next time you’re shopping for organic produce or tasty snacks at the Crossroads Market or Calgary Farmers’ Market, be sure to stop for lunch at Eats of Asia in the food court. Along with a ramen option that changes regularly, the eatery serves up tater tots with fried spam, dandan noodles and chicken teriyaki bowls.
Order this: The market ramen changes daily, but it’s always delicious. Past flavours have included curry and wonton.
Crossroads Market, 1235 26 Ave. S.E. and Calgary Farmers’ Market, 510 77 Ave. S.E.; 403-801-9453, eatsofasia.com
Gorilla Whale
This laid-back “Japanese-ish” restaurant opened in June 2018 in the spot formerly occupied by Sugo in Inglewood. It serves up three kinds of ramen, including a vegetarian option with French onion chaga broth. Try some of the unique add-ons like seared foie gras, American cheddar cheese or barbecue eel.
Order this: Chicken Chicken Bang Bang with a curry broth, braised chicken, crispy skin, pickled ginger, celery, egg, sprouted grains and yogurt cheese.
1214 9 Ave. S.E., 587-356-2686, gorillawhale.ca
Goro+Gun
The weekday happy hour at Scotia Centre’s Goro+Gun is pretty popular, but the shining star here is its nine kinds of ramen, which include cold, veggie, vegan and gluten-free options. Pair a bowl of ramen with happy hour snacks like steamed buns or nori shio chips and you can’t go wrong.
Order this: Spicy lamb ramen with shitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots and arugula. Add a smoked egg, slow-cooked for 48 hours.
Scotia Centre, 225 7 Ave., 403-237-5596, goroandgun.ca
Ikemen Ramen Bar
Ikemen in Kensington uses chicken broth instead of pork broth in its ramen. There’s also a vegetarian broth option made with kombu (kelp) and shiitake mushrooms. Ikemen also has a great cocktail list and a wine bar vibe at night.
Order this: Roasted tomato seafood ramen with prawns, mussels and scallops.
217 10 St. N.W., 403-452-2148, ikemenramenbar.com
Jinya Ramen Bar
This popular American chain is making its way across Canada with locations in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto. Head to Mission to try Jinya’s ramen that features a tonkotsu broth and can be made with thick or thin noodles.
Order this: Sprouting Up Ramen with pork and chicken broth, spicy bean sprouts, green onion, egg, Brussels sprouts, ginger and thick noodles.
180, 1800, 4 St. S.W., 587-356-0721, jinya-ramenbar.com
Menyatai Japanese Ramen
Located around the corner from Kensington Wine Market, this cozy ramen joint is great for a casual lunch at a great price. The eatery offers 11 kinds of ramen ranging from a Japanese curry ramen to a spicy perilla sesame seed ramen.
Order this: Tonkotsu shoyu ramen with soy sauce, bean sprouts, egg, green onion, corn, mushroom, ginger, seaweed and barbecued pork.
24 12 St. N.W., 403-263-3666
Muku Japanese Ramen
Muku was one of the first restaurants in Calgary to specialize in ramen, with bowls of miso, shoyu and tonkotsu ramen as well as a two ninja options made with seafood, pork bone and chicken broth. This eatery is another budget-friendly option with most of the ramen dishes coming in at around $13 or less.
Order this: Kuku-miso ninja ramen with miso paste, pork, green onion, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots and corn.
326 14 St. N.W., 403-283-6555, mukujapaneseramen.ca
Shikiji Japanese Noodles and Sushi
If you love pork, go to this spot in Crescent Heights. Most of its ramen bowls are made with a pork-based broth and come with Shikiji’s barbecue pork toro, a tender, fatty and flavourful cut of pork.
Order this: Soy ramen with scallions, bok choy and barbecue pork.
1608 Centre St. N.E., 403-520-0093, shikiji.ca
Shiki Menya
Shikiji’s sister restaurant in Bridgeland has been one of the city’s most popular ramen restaurants since it opened in 2014. Shiki Menya only makes 150 bowls of ramen each day so there’s always a lineup out the door.
Order this: Chili goma with spicy chopped pork, veggies, chili oil, sesame, peanuts and dried chilies.
827 1 Ave. N.E., 403-454-2722, shikimenya.ca
Shokunin
This contemporary Japanese restaurant in Mission was named one of Calgary’s Best Restaurants in 2018. While you can technically order ramen here throughout dinner service, those with a late-night craving should head over for hip-hop and ramen from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m.
Order this: Shio ramen with umeboshi dare (pickled plums) and housemade XO sauce.
1, 2016 4 St. S.W., 403-229-3444, shokuninyyc.ca