McRamyun – Permanently closed

I was invited to come to the newly opened McRamyun at McCaul and Baldwin, just a little north of the AGO. They have their own little spin to instant ramen noodles, pairing it with traditional korean ramen soups and also quirky versions of North American staples. Accompanied by my good friend Jojo, we got to try their Korean fusion dishes last Thursday.

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As I walking down McCaul St, I started to realized that McRamyun was the former Yakitori Bar. If it were not a little bit chilly, I would have wanted to sit by the patio. It was a tempting idea as it looked comfortable and most perfect seat to do some people watching. Jojo and I walked in and found that the inside was as comfortable, with banquet seating on one side and a long bar on the other. I immediately spotted the fun display of a oppa gangnam style doll by the shelves and I have this big impulse to start dancing. Ah but the socially proper me just smiled and took a picture. LOL.

We sat by one of the tables and we were given the option to try one appetizer, two ramen bowls and the Mc Chicken Wings. Jojo wanted to try the Avocado salad and then we went for their signature McRamyun and Bulgogi Ramyun and of course the wings. As the place is Korean, it surely did not miss my attention that almost every item has a chili rating. You can actually ask for the dishes to be mild and that was what we opted for. I also must say their service is pretty quick as the dishes came fast and furious, I was trying to keep up with taking pictures of each one of them.

Sharing each item, I do love the Avocado salad as it blended well with the yuzu dressing. The wings came fried wrapped in crushed ramen. Digging into the big bowls of ramen, Jojo and I are split with what we liked. He preferred the McRamyun while I liked the Bulgogi one. I have always preferred the beef flavour over pork and that was why I was leaning more towards the Bulgogi Ramyun. And when the heat of the spice of the broth started picking up, we were actually able to get extra plain broth to dilute the heat. That was quite welcome as no matter how often I try spicy foods, I still have a very low threshold. I did go back to the Avocado salad to give my palate a chance to recover and then helped myself for more of the ramen. Foodies like me always find a way.

When it was all said and done, both Jojo and I are so stuffed. All servings came so generous, I was glad that I came with a friend. I don’t think I would be able to try all items on my own. Thank you so much for the invite, Harry Kim. Your warm hospitality is so appreciated.