I never expected to have such good Ramen in Montreal. But lo and behold, Sansotei did a spectacular…read morejob. No wonder it's 4.6+ stars on Google. Even during peak summer season the restaurant was crowded and even had a line starting to form at peak lunch hour. There are not very many large tables so don't expect a large group to be sitting together. The menu is pretty straightforward with the typical miso, tonkotsu, and shoyu broths. But they even have a tomato broth with Hokato scallops for those more adventurous. We ordered the Tonkotsu Black $19 & the Tonkotsu+ $19. Is it pricey for Ramen? Yes. But was it worth it? Yes. The Tonkotsu Black had a rich broth with prominent garlic oil. The Tonkotsu+ was really the show stopper. With 3 different styles of meat: Smoked pork pastrami, meatballs & chashu. The truffle oil was fragrant and earthy. But the biggest surprise was shiitake mushrooms. They were marinated/seasoned to perfection, with a hint of sweetness. I would've been happy with just a giant bowl of shiitake mushrooms, and truffle oil. The broth was much lighter and delicate than the Tonkotsu Black, yet strong on the truffle. If you're not really a fan of truffle, do not get this. We were tempted to go back again, but we opted to try other restaurants around the downtown area. 10/10 Would go back again! The staff are very friendly and quick. Give it a try! They have multiple locations, especially if you're looking for something new, yet comforting.

While walking around one evening, we decided that some nice warm ramen sounded good. This place was…read moreclose by so it fit the bill. The wait staff were nice and quickly sat us when we arrived. There were many different types of ramen to choose from and we both got different ones. This let us try 2 different versions. One was spicy and flavorful, while the other was mild but still flavorful. Both of them were quite tasty and we were in and out in a pretty short amount of time.

My dad and I have eaten at this restaurant maybe 3 times now. It's a must for us anytime we're in…read moretown. This little spot opens around 5 and I recommend coming early, or expect a wait. You can also order to go here I believe. They really operate efficiently, expect fast service! Tables are tightly situated and there's a cozy bar situation where I sat this time, able to watch the chefs cook right in front of me. The daily specials are posted on their Instagram page, as well as written on pieces of paper around the restaurant. My server quickly helped me to water and a glass of sake. I placed a to go order for one of the daily specials, the grilled sea bass with sushi rice and salad, with some kimchi. I also ordered the BBQ chicken with tortilla and salad, as well as vegetable gyoza. Everything was incredible. Truly. The gyoza came topped with green onions and was SO crispy and hot and was perfect with their soy sauce. I thought sea bass was wonderful with a unique almost smoky flavor that melted in my mouth paired with the slightly sweet sticky rice. The barbecue chicken was great as well and better the next day. One thing I don't really understand is why they served plain flour tortillas cut into quarters with their food. We didn't utilize this, nor the white butter/mayo sauce that came alongside it. I hope to eat here often, for years to come and am so happy to see this iconic Japanese restaurant still thriving years later.

We knew to expect a small lineup and waited just 20 minutes for a table for 5. It gave us time to…read morelook at the menu and plan our attack. Once seated, things happen very quickly...it is go, go, go (in the best possible way.) We ordered appetizers first, the tempura green beans with a delicious truffle mayo, gyoza and the tofu salad (they make it fresh every Sunday). Green beans were everyone's fave, but I have to mention the (pickled?) vegetables on the salad. So flavourful! Also tried the egg drop soup which is so tasty. Mains were the salmon tuna bowl, the beef short ribs, the shrimp burger, and 48 hour pork with curry sauce. Everything was wonderful! Finished with their soft serve ice cream, I had the cherry blossom but one of us had the sake, which is a shot of sake poured on top. Amazing! You can even have wasabi or ginger... I'll try that next time (and there will be a next time soon!)

Kitchen doesn't do a _bad_ job, but the service and the value proposition ain't there. Everyone is…read morenice enough but portions are minuscule and the prices aren't justified. It's fine if you are looking to impress someone with the bill. Dining room is dark and a bit loud but pleasant.

Because we didn't have a reservation, we were seated at the bar. I wished to be seated in the…read morelantern room, which feels like a garden. We ordered some vegetable dishes: Crispy tofu, the tofu are tossed in sambar oelek and served on top of avocado cream, endives. The endives was nice paired with the crispy tofu. Mango and papaya salad, the plating of the salad was impressive, like a tower. I love how the vegetables are finely shaved. The crispy wonton adds more texture to the dish. Crispy mushroom, fried mushroom are delicious! It comes with a soy sauce. Sweet and spicy Chinese eggplants, well seasoned eggplants are tasty! The sweet and spicy sauce would be good to eat with rice. The food is pricey but delicious.

Very friendly place with a pleasant atmosphere. Food was fresh and yummy. Good choices on the…read moremenu to give you variety.

We enjoyed a delicious dinner here recently. The broth from the sukiyaki was a standout. Enjoyed…read morethe udon too. The salad and tempura need work. The green tea ice cream was yummy, but the serving size was one tablespoon! The ambiance is a bit tired, and could use a deep clean and refresh. The restaurant is 51 years old, and it shows. There were a number of staff rushing around, looking harried. Seems like a vacation is in order.

Underground yakuza themed speakeasy with a wide selection of Japanese-inspired cocktails. Busy, but…read morewe were able to get seated immediately. The Hojo makoso was a palate's dear friend, and the bunshin came with a whole smoke show but not as friendly.

In Japan, the yakuza are a powerful, dangerous yet mysterious gangster subculture, and Gokudo does…read morean excellent job of exploring and paying homage to them in a reverent, culturally respective way. This was one of my favorite speakeasies that I visited while I was in Montreal, and it wasn't super hard to find the unmarked Ryoshi sushi bar that it is hidden behind. Gokudo is a great spot to visit on a date or with a larger group of friends, with a chill, intimate vibe in a tastefully decorated, darkened exclusive lounge. I also enjoyed their cocktail menu, which features unique Japanese-inspired cocktails. My favorite was the Okame, which was a powerful, spirit-forward take on the lychee martini. Highly recommend checking out this unique speakeasy if you're in the downtown Montreal area!

A fabulous experience in the heart of montreal. With 2…read moreservices welcoming 12 guests max, you are in for an incredible private experience. The staff is kind, attentive, and spends time explaining every dish served. Guests seat around the kitchen for a true omakaze experience, with the best skilled chefs. Everything is imported directly from Japan and prepared in front of you. We went to celebrate a birthday and would recommend this place to anyone looking for a unique experience in Montreal.

Wow! What an experience. We didn't quite know what to expect. This was an amazing mix of tradition,…read moreskill and performance art. This is the 5-star culinary equivalent to Cirque du Soliel, in that six people collaborated in small teams to prepare and present each delicious course with flair. Before each round, we were presented with the fish that was the base of the dish to follow. I liked this a lot because often I need to google less common fish to learn what they look like. I appreciated the tea ceremony at the end. It was a lovely finale to a very memorable experience. We will definitely return.

A cute Japanese restaurant in a very ideal location in Montreal! I hosted a big bachelorette dinner…read morehere with 15 girls, Kyo was very easy to communicate with, and they offered multiple menu options at varying reasonable price points. I really appreciate the ease of booking and how I didn't have to think about what people were going to order. One hiccup was that I had indicated ahead of time that one of the guests had a seafood allergy, which I understand can be difficult for Japanese restaurant. I had expected them to tailor the $70 menu to her, however, they let us know that it was gonna be difficult and instead asked her to pick from the à la carte menu. She had no problem with this, but I felt bad and didn't want her to think that I had an indicated ahead of time of her dietary restriction. Overall, the meal was good. It was a little bit slow to start coming out. I think our total dining time was over two hours which was fine because we were celebrating something but for the first 30 minutes I feel like no food came out. A little bit on the salty side, but I enjoyed every dish. For the price point I think it was perfect. I would recommend this for a group dinner again. The high top tables weren't the most comfortable for such a large group as we were essentially split in two, but for a group of 6-8 it would be perfect!

Really enjoyed the evening. I thought I'll get a quick bite and be out after a long day of travel…read more Really enjoyed talking to Tristan their bar tender, very knowledgeable, gave me an excellent suggestion for saki and everyone of their staff was very warm and friendly! Good sushi and sashimi! Tuna was really fresh and nice! Strongly recommend to try. Disclaimer: I am no sushi connoisseur but it was good!!

I got the 3-course lunch special (chef's choice) which came with delicious spiced pork ribs,…read moreagedashi tofu, and sesame noodles. My favorite spot in Montreal!

Biiru was okay to be honest, not the best. I understand tapas and small plates but for the prices,…read moreit just doesn't make sense. The place is also overcrowded and set up horribly unfortunately. Drinks were okay, nothing to rave about either. I'd avoid this spot.

My wife and I were looking for something close to our hotel for dinner. We focused on Japanese,…read moreand decided to try Ryu based on positive reviews. We may reservations via OpenTable. We showed up on time for our reservation. The restaurant is dark, and sleek looking, so it could be a place for dinner or for drinks at the bar. We browsed the menu, and decided to go light and ended up trying the the following: - Edamame (with Furakake): Good. Soy beans can only be so different between restaurants. I will note that some of the soy beans we got were the biggest I've even seen. Furakake added needed flavour. - Avocado Truffle Tacos: OK. Quite tiny, but well made and tasted good. I didn't get any hint of truffle though. - Wagyu Dumplings: Good. But similar to any good quality non-wagyu dumpling I've had before. Overpriced. - Paradise Maki: Good. I like the texture of the tempura. - White Dragon Maki: Very good. I think the ponzu sauce elevates this dish another level. Service was pretty standard. Did all the tight things, and timely, but not particularly friendly. Overall, it was an OK visit. Food overall was generally good quality, but very expensive for the quality and quantity you get. But I also recognize that sometimes you pay for ambiance, and you certainly do here.

I ended up out of my element at a high end Japanese Sushi restaurant and had one of the best…read moreexperiences ever. My waitress Jade guided me through and I had an excellent meal. I started with some sake, some nigiri and then a specialty roll. All excellent. I then had the A5 Waygu for the first time which was delicious with a meticulous preparation. All the food was top notch. The decor was high class urban, reminiscent of a fine New York establishment. The easily accommodated by gluten free needs.

While I was in Montreal, I had to check out the FAMOUS Kinton Ramen (yes, I know about this spot…read morefrom their graphic t shirt collaboration with Uniqlo LOL). I stopped by around 8:45 PM, 15 minutes before they closed, but the staff were so kind and lovely, let me dine in, gave me a free drink on the house, and even told me to take my time and not worry about closing. I ordered the spicy garlic pork ramen with thick noodles, and I was blown away with how flavorful the broth and QQ (chewy) the noodles were. I didn't like the pork that much and found it a bit tough and gamey, but they do have two other types of meat (chicken, beef) as well as a vegetarian option available, as well as seasonal menu specials. If I was at McGill, I'd probably visit this spot a bit too often LOL, and I highly recommend checking them out for their comforting ramen bowls and incredibly kind service!

Stopped in for dinner and got the following: - Beer/Sake…read moreCombo: Comes with Original Pork Ramen and a choice of beer or sake. I went with the beer. You also need to decide if you want thick or thin noodles, went with thin. - Original Karaage Simple interior design and layout, either you sit at the tables or the bar. The staff member was very friendly, service was quick and the food came out fast. The Karaage was perfectly fried, seasoned and delicious. However, no dipping sauce is provided, all other joints that I've been to will give you a mayo dipping sauce, not here. The Ramen - noodles were perfectly cooked, however honestly package ramen had a better flavor than their Original pork ramen unfortunately. I had expected this rich and creaminess of the pork broth, that was sticky-lipped intensifying, but it was not. This was disappointing and thus can only give 2 stars. I can't say for other noodle type, but original pork ramen needs a lot of work.