When people think of Canada, a few things may come to mind: cold weather, apologetic people, and Tim Hortons. For me, Canada is the place that introduced me to one of my favorite foods – ramen. Canada and ramen don’t exactly go hand-in-hand, but, on a chilly afternoon in Toronto, I walked into a ramen restaurant for lunch. This was my first taste of true ramen, homemade noodles soaking in flavorful broth topped with green onion. It was life changing.

Since then, you could say my life has become a quest for this Japanese staple.

When Eric and I travel, we scope out the ramen scene to see if anyplace strikes our fancy. We visit the Detroit-area a few times a year, and one ramen restaurant we’ve gone to (and revisited) is Johnny Noodle King. Located in an industrial area near the riverfront, the ramen sign shines like a beacon of light among the old brick buildings. The menu offers everything from brothed noodles to sauced noodles, so there is no question that noodles are the star here.

While my heart will always have a soft spot for traditional Shoyu ramen, my favorite dish at Johnny Noodle King is their Korean-style ramen. I was tentative about trying this because of the spiciness warning on the menu. I enjoy a little heat, but not to the point where your mouth feels like it’s on fire.  The slight spice is balanced out with flavor-packed beef and kimchi, accompanied by, yes, noodles.

Arguably, the most important element in ramen is the broth. The savory, not too salty base ties everything together. Judging by the massive stock pots in the open kitchen, Johnny Noodle King’s broth is the real deal, simmering on low for hours.

For classic ramen, and ramen with a twist, Johnny Noodle King checks all the boxes. Stay tuned for the next ramen adventure!