Koi Sakana Ramen House

I honestly wish I took pictures of my food before I ate it but as I explained to the friend I dined with at this place today, I’m usually too excited and hungry to remember to do that.
I’ll start by saying that my friend and I arrived before 11:30AM which is actually when they open. As soon as the open side turned on, we went in. The service there was pretty good in the sense that we never had to ask for more water and plates were provided for us by the waitress when she sensed that we would be sharing food. Our waitress also smiled quite a bit at us when she served us which is always a nice touch!
The food itself was delicious. My friend and I had both ordered the House Tonkatsu Ramen as you can’t go wrong doing that. We also ordered the Miso Ox Tongue to share which was a great choice considering how tender the meat was and how tasty it ended up being. Perhaps I just have a small stomach but the portion of the ramen for me was very filling. I found myself struggling to help my friend eat my half of the ox tongue because of how full I was after finishing the ramen. This ultimately meant that the price for which I paid was very much worth the food and service I traded it for. All in all, a great experience!

I went to Koi Sakana last Saturday, my second visit in the past 3 weeks,
This tiny restaurant located in a strip mall is absolutely amazing! They have a simple menu with LOTS of delicious choices. I ordered the House Special BBQ pork ramen and it was fantastic. The noodles are made to perfection, the toppings are carefully prepared, and the seasoning is just right. Each bowl of noodles is delicious! You can request extra toppings or extra noodles to customize your dish for a small extra cost (I requested extra BBQ pork). My friends ordered a variety of choices from Hokkaido to spicy ramen to pork cutlet and curry ramen and everyone liked their food.
This is a small restaurant so the owner doubles as the only waitress. She knows all the menu items very well and provides friendly, efficient service. Me and my friends all got exactly what we ordered — delicious, tasty ramen!
I took a photo of my ramen… I will update this review later when I can find the photo on my phone.
Koi Sakana is now my favorite Ramen restaurant.
4.7 /​5.0

Never come here. The owner is rude and service is terrible. The food would have been good if not for the service.

When my wife first told me about this place about how their ramen bowls are only about 9 dollars or so plus tax… I was very skeptical about the quality. I’ve had ramen from other places around this price range and they were absolutely crap. So my wife and I decided to check it out. As others mentioned, the place was a bit tricky to find.
When we got there, I ordered the spicy ramen with a level 2 hotness and my wife ordered the Hokkaido ramen. When our bowls arrived, it looked delicious! My first sip of the broth was heavenly. I couldn’t believe what I was tasting! The ramen tasted fresh and a bit chewy just how I like it. Level 2 spicy was not really spicy for me but it still packed a bit of heat as the meal went on. The pork meat was nice and tender. My wife enjoyed her bowl as well. My only complaint was that the soft boiled egg was extremely cold on the inside. It seemed they boiled a bunch of eggs in the back and stored it in the fridge and simply cut it and serve when an order is placed. They could of at least warm it up or something.
Anyway, for the price and quality, this would definitely give all the major ramen places like kinton and sansotei a run for its money. We will definitely make this place our top spot for our ramen fixes.

I did not come here with high expectations as I have been let down by many Scarborough and Markham ramen stores. But as a ramen lover. I still wanted to try this place out. We ordered the beef tongue ramen, curry pork katsu rice, katsu spicy ramen and their level2 spicy ramen. Everything tasted good. Their eggs were done perfectly, ramen noodles were chewy and the broth was delicious! Their waitress was also really nice and attentive. Super impressed and happy that I gave them a try. Will be back soon!

Loved this place! Small and cozy, and unbelievably comfortable. Me and my friend were looking for late evening grub in the area and happened to find this little gem tucked away. I got the seafood curry ramen (around $ 11, if I remember correctly) and my friend got the Hokkaido ramen ($ 9). Overall, delicious food + would go back + would recommend to anyone and everyone! Ditch the packaged ramen, come here instead. Worth every penny!

We ordered the spicy and house ramen and the grilled calamari when went there for dinner. I thought the spicy ramen was very good. I got the level 1 spicy. I thought the broth was nice and balanced. The pork was tender and the egg was perfectly cooked. I know it’s a sin to say that but I wasn’t the biggest fan of the dried baby shrimp on top. I could do without them in general. They remind me of fish food. My wife got the house ramen and really liked it. The noodles were tender and the broth was hearty, and right amount of salt.
Didn’t enjoy the calamari. Mainly maybe because it was served a while after we got our ramen and we were almost full by then.
Service was very good and friendly.

Cold nights = Soup noodles! Decided to check out this place for some Ramen tonight.
The restaurant is quite small, and hidden. Max seating I would say is about 30? My boyfriend and I decided to try the Hokkaido Ramen ($ 9.95)
The Ramen was delicious! Broth was very flavourful and milky, I actually ended up drinking most of it. The eggs were cooked to perfection. The pork was also quite tender. The noodles itself were pretty good, I was hoping for it to be a little more chewy.
Service was impeccable. I’ve never had an Asian restaurant come up midway through my meal to ask how everything was. Definitely 2 thumbs up. They also kept offering to refill our tea.
I think this will be my new Ramen joint :)

Koi Sakana is a pretty small Ramen shop in Richmond Hill. Not too many good ones up there but Koi Sakana is one you got to try. Besides the limited seating they have 1 person all day working the tables and cleaning up. Which can be very slow at times. The noodles itself was very good and perfect chewy just the way I like it. The soup base is good for all 3 Ramens we ordered. The server was to allow us to swap the curry ramen that came with the Katsu to the spicy Tonkotsu Ramen. Added like $ 1 more. The other 2 we got were the House Tonkotsu and the Tonkotsu Ramen. The best one is the House Tonkotsu Ramen it was very flavorful.

This has become my new go-​to place for Ramen in the Markham area All their ramen bowls are very good and the price is reasonable.
The only downside is the limited seating and that there is only 1 waitress doing everything right now. It’s really hard for her to clear dishes, while taking orders, and bring out new orders all at the same time. As such, the food does take a bit longer to get to you.
Despite this, I usually go during off-​peak meal hours because I enjoy their ramen so much.

Delicious.
It was my first time trying Ramen and I was not disappointed at all. The house ramen was so good. Perfect portion. I also got the ika Yaki squid and it was so tender and the teriyaki sauce was great. I am very interested in the ramen scene now. Thanks!

I was surprised that a ramen shop was in this plaza so of course I would try it out. Upon entering, it is a pretty small place. They have 8 tables of 4 which says that their max capacity would be 32 people.
I went during the lunch hour and it was packed with people. After checking in upon arrival, I waited about 25 minutes till my ramen came. So I do not recommend this place if you are in a rush or want a quick bite.
I ordered the bacon and cheese ramen. I was surprised that this bacon and cheese combination tasted pretty great. It is like having breakfast in a bowl with ramen. Overall, the noodles were impressive. I had better cha shu pork and egg at other ramen places so those were just sub par. The broth wasn’t thick or rich but I found it a bit oily (probably due to the bacon). As well, the broth was a little bit salty for me as I had to keep drinking tea after I finished my meal.
Service was good. The young lady who served us was quick on refilling tea even though she was the only server there.
Overall, I would come back but waiting 25 minutes for a bowl of ramen is a bit excessive for me.

First let me say, the service at this ramen house is exceptional. We had a young girl serve us and she was great. Asked for more water and it was there, extra napkins, and they came. She was the only one working the front of the room, but she did a great job given that this place was full.
The restaurant is small, probably seats 7 groups (30 people max) and it filled up fast. We got there early and got seated quickly, but we definitely beat the lunch rush.
I got the spicy ramen, level 2 (read online that level 1 was weak), and it had a big kick to it, I probably would have enjoyed level 1 better. It was good, but I’ve been to other ramen houses that were better. It came with a boiled egg, some dried mini fish, corn and pork belly. You get a good portion for the price, but it just wasn’t the best. Maybe I was still riding high from the other ramen place I visited downtown.
If you’re looking to stay in Markham for ramen, I’d recommend you come here. If you’re willing and able to drive a little further, there are plenty of other options.
I have a feeling this winter will be ramen like last winter was my phở. Stay tuned.

It’s time to update my review for Koi Sakana. It’s obvious I’m always craving for their ramen based on the number of check-​ins. I have my usual order, the lady owner knows by now. I always order the pork cartilage ramen with spicy level 1 broth. The spicy level 2 ramen is reserved on cold rainy nights. :)
Another ramen place opened uptown not so recently (Sansotei) With the hype, I heard one should be ready for at least a 20minute wait. I thought eventually the hype would die down, but when I went there 2 weeks ago, it was still a long line up at around 830 pm. This was actually my second time, the first, I gave up after 15 minutes of waiting and decided to go to a wings place.
The reason for the bump up from 4 to 5 stars is based on the quality of food, service and value of Koi Sakana. Sansotei’s ramen doesn’t even close to theirs. Koi’s noodles are the right consistency, the broth very flavourful and being able to customize your broth makes it interesting each visit. The pork at Koi didn’t have that ‘porky’ taste, it’s all tender bbq goodness. The egg is always cooked perfectly, gooey yolk. Portions are decent, it always satisfies even when I’m starving after yoga. :) Their ramen IMHO is better than momofoku too. Service is on point. Even when the place is packed, and the lady owner is the only server, rest assured you will be getting constant tea refills with a smile. Now that’s 5 stars worthy in my books.

4.5 stars! The BF and I came here around 1:15pm on a Wednesday for lunch after reading some good reviews.
I had the Bacon and Cheese Ramen ($ 9.95). The Ramen had bacon, cheese, BBQ pork, corn, green onion, and egg. Cheese is my favourite topping on ramen, so I knew I had to try it the moment I saw it on the menu. The broth is the tonkotsu soup base. It had good flavour, was not overly salty and I wasn’t thirsty even after drinking a lot of the broth so that was good. The soft-​boiled egg was perfect. So good! BBQ pork was not cut too thick nor was it overly fatty or dry. The only negative thing is that the noodles were the standard kind you can buy from most stores. Not the best, but It was cooked well so I did not mind too much. To me, a good broth is more important.
The BF got the Pork Cutlet Curry Ramen ($ 9.95) The Ramen had a large piece of seaweed, black fungus, green onion, corn, a fishcake, and egg. A full serving of pork cutlet came on the side. This is a pretty good deal since the pork cutlet itself would have been $ 5.95 had you ordered it as a side. The meat was a good thickness, and wasn’t dry. I usually don’t like any kind of cutlet since a lot of places like to cut the meat too thin so that it gets all dried up during the frying process. But I liked the cutlet they had here! I don’t really like curry soup base, but the BF thought it was good so I’ll take his word for it.
We also got the Ika Yaki ($ 7.95). Yummy! Portion size was pretty good, I was actually expecting something smaller and was surprised at the portion size when it came. It was cooked perfectly, still very soft and the good kind of chewy. Maybe just a few pieces at the top of the head was slightly more charred than the rest.
I was so stuffed I could barely finish all the food! Honestly, if we shared the pork cutlet between us and each had our ramen, and that would have been enough for lunch. But I’m glad we ordered the Ika yaki to try. The tableware here were all very cute. I loved the cute rabbit cups. Our waitress (and I think one of the owners) was super attentive. Came to check how our food was several times and our teas were never more than half empty. I never felt hurried to leave either. The place wasn’t very big, around 8 – 9 tables maybe. We sat in the booth at the front right by the windows and I found the booth a little tight compared to the booths you would find in a western-​style restaurant.
I really like this place and I’ll definitely be back to try some of the other ramens and sides. Prices are pretty good for the portion size you get. As a note, the BF and I went to the new Sansotei Ramen in Markham about a week later. And we both preferred Koi Sakana over this Sansotei Ramen in the Markham/​Richmond Hill area. We just liked the atmosphere, soup broth, and sides here a bit more.

This is a hidden gem in Richmond Hill. This ramen joint is run by a very sweet Chinese couple and although it’s no Santouka, it’s pretty damn good. I always get the Hokkaido ramen and my boyfriend gets the spicy ramen level 2. Beware of level 3. My boyfriend can eat spicy food, but he suffered a little from the level 3.
The real star at this restaurant is the pork cutlet. At $ 5, it is super crispy, fresh and moist. This is the best cutlet ive ever had and I’ve been to a lot of Japanese and Korean restaurants. The gyozas are amazing too. Legitimately pan fried. Not the cheap deep fried stuff like the other restaurants.
Waitress is the owners wife. She is very sweet and works hard. Always makes sure we have tons of ice water (with straws).
Only drawback is the beer is super expensive. My boyfriend ordered a Sapporo and it cost $ 7. Definitely not worth it.
All in all, best ramen house in Richmond hill and Markham. Saves you the drive downtown, free parking, and no lineup.

A simple ramen joint run by Chinese and in my opinion they do a pretty good job at it. I thought the menu was very simple to follow and liked how there were pictures for many of the items.
As per usual, I read up on Jennifer K’s review and when I saw a 4 star rating based on their ramen I had to go visit ASAP.
It was a really hot summer day so I only got the spicy ramen level 1 for $ 8.50. Not that I can’t handle the spice but I didn’t want to be sweating even more than I already was. Level 1 spice was not spicy at all in my opinion. The noodles had a nice chew, pork meat was good, broth was nice. Came with boiled egg which is a plus but the real kicker were those baby shrimps which only comes with the spicy ramen. They were crispy and quite tastey. (Yes, I said ‘kicker’ and stole a line that Guy Ferretti normally uses).
Also tried a bit of the Hokkaido ramen which was just as good as the spicy ramen. I really liked the creamy broth in this one.
Service was nice and quick.

Koi Sakana is a very small Chinese-​operated Japanese restaurant with around 10 small tables. Although it’s been around for a while, this is our first visit since it is so close to home.
The restaurant was not too busy but it remained 90% full most of the time. As they have very limited seating, it’s not an ideal place for large parties.
The menu is not too big at Koi Sakana just like most Ramen restaurants but there is a good selection of different soup base and also quite a few vegetarian options. Snacks are also available for a good price.
Curry Pork Cutlet Ramen
One of the most important thing about ordering a pork cutlet soup noodle is to have the pork cutlet served on the side in order to retain its crunchiness. Most other restaurants just serve the cutlet on top of the ramen and once it gets to the table, the breading is all soggy. However, Koi Sakana serves it on the side by default which is very thoughtful. The pork cutlet is fried to a perfect level of crunchiness. The broth on the other hand is very rich in curry flavour and goes together extremely well with the don katsu.
Hokkaido Milk Broth Ramen
We were very excited to try the Hokkaido Milk Broth Ramen, as not many places have milk in their soup base. And without a doubt this is the most amazing soup we have had that comes with ramen. The broth was very milky and creamy, it would be even better if this ramen also comes with cheese. The meat and ramen are average, it is not bad but nothing extraordinary. Since other components of the ramen is average, we found that we spent alot of time drinking and indulging in the broth.
Pork Cartilage Ramen in House Broth
The house broth is a rich soup base filled with pork bone flavours. The ramen has a very good consistency (not too soft, not too hard) and the egg is boiled perfectly that part of the yolk is still runny. The pork cartilage is only average as some of the meat is way too chewy (perhaps overcooked?) while the actual cartilage is cooked to a perfect jelly texture. All in all, the ramen was not the best I had but pretty high in ranking.
We definitely recommend this cozy ramen spot if you happen to live in the area and crave for some quality ramen. We would definitely return again and we’ll be looking forward to new additions to the menu!

Koi Sakana had transformed to a Ramen Joint since my first to review and I am glad they are getting much better after revamping their menu to concentrate on Ramen.
No more Lunch Specials but their ramen is quite reasonably priced from $ 8.50.
Spicy Ramen Level 2 was quite satisfying. This may not be a «Japanese» owned ramen restaurant but quality and quantity both decent. Noodle cooked with a good point and the broth was spicy and rich. The most standout experience though was the friendly and attentive service.
I would be back to Koi Sakana when I have some ramen craving up at Richmond Hill.
Cash Only!

When my friends suggested we go to a ramen place on Highway 7 for lunch, I was not exactly enthusiastic about it. It’s a Chinese run place pretending to serve authentic Japanese ramen? It’s not going to be as good as Santouka or Sansotei. Even the names don’t make sense. The Chinese name of this ramen place is «Inoue», but Koi Sakana means «Carp Fish», or Koi can mean love but you don’t use it this way.
I was only there to expect a mediocre bowl of ramen like Sonoya/​Kenzo, so how come the 4 stars?
Food:
I was really surprised by how good the ramen were. We ordered the Hokkaido Ramen and House Tonkatsu Ramen. The broth of our Hokkaido Ramen was milky and buttery. The ramen noodles were very good — chewy and wasn’t soggy. The two big piece of meat were tender. I would love it to be fattier like Santouka. The House Tonkatsu Ramen was more garlicy and saltier than Hokkaido. The menu said it is the less salty option than Tonkatsu Ramen.
Not saying that there’s no drawback of the place, ie. hygiene. The seaweed in the bowls kept flying around as the waitress served the bowls of ramen to us. It might not be the prettiest when the seaweed flopped down, but please don’t use your bare hand to touch my food when you are serving us.
The ramen was definitely good quality and I’m pretty sure I’ll come back.