Ikemen Ramen Bar

The first thing I noticed when I entered Ikemen was the moist wooden stench that filled the entire restaurant. It smelled and felt damp in there, like the entire restaurant was once flooded and then after the incident, they just left the restaurant as is. It was not an appetizing smell.
The unique feature of the ramen here compared to the other well-​known ramen shops in Calgary is that Ikemen bowls are chicken broth based instead of the usual pork broth that Calgarians are used to. Although interesting to try, I still prefer the pork broth over the chicken broth, as there is more flavour. I had the Shio ramen and opted for the additional spice with their yuzu-​gosho paste. The yuzu-​gosho paste wasn’t spicy at all, nor did it add any flavour. The kale didn’t fit in with the ramen. However, I must give credit where it’s due — their sous-​vide egg was amazing. It was my favourite part of the ramen bowl. I probably should’ve ordered a side of the egg without the ramen.
Despite the fact that the ramen wasn’t the best, what saved the food experience was the Unagi Poutine and the Tako Carpaccio. The unagi pieces were generously portioned and the gravy mixed with Japanese mayo was what made the dish. The tako carpaccio was an appetizing starter that I would highly recommend. The ginger (albeit faint) yuzu dressing was very refreshing and complimented the octopus slices very well.
Our server was very attentive, but might have been TOO attentive. When I asked him what he recommends as the restaurant’s popular dish, he named almost everything on the menu. As a result, I relied on Unilocal comments to help make my decisions (Thanks Unilocal!). Throughout the night, he was always there the second a dish went empty. He even started to clean up my friend’s bowl while I was still eating. This is a big no-​no for me! When servers start to clean up the table while someone else is still finishing their entrée, it gives off the impression that they are rushing me to leave. I felt like the server had no ill intention, but it was just something that removed from my experience here.
I’m glad I tried this place out, but I don’t know how often I’ll be back as there are other ramen favourites I have in this city. I would come back for the appetizer, but not so sure about the ramen.

So happy we got in for dinner tonight! Started w the Gyoza and edamame appetizers then we each ordered our own ramen bowls — I got the miso Classic and Ed got the spicy seafood — both so good! The service here is so friendly too! Definitely worth a stop next time you’re in Kensignton!

Lovely ramen– shio ramen! Forgot to take a pic unfortunately. The price is reasonable to. Service is fast and the ambiance is nice and quiet.

Good food, everyone enjoyed their ramen. It’s a nice addition to Kensington.
Unfortunately the staff started cleaning up the restaurant even though they were open for another 90 minutes. Nothing worse than dining out while staff stack chairs on tables and sweep floors all around you.

I have eaten here three times and love the curry seafood ramen with the slightly spicy broth which is not curry flavoured as most would think. Don’t let the curry dissuade you from trying. Most people think Indian curry flavour when they hear the word curry but you won’t get that here. Soup bowl is huge and can be shared if you are a small eater or add appetizers to your meal. Broth was not too salty which is a deal breaker for me and very clean– not greasy/​slick and not cloudy from overboiling.
For appies, tried the king mushrooms which were a bit bland but cooked to perfection. The chicken skin was well seasoned but had a few really salty spots. Maybe better tossing would even out the distribution of the seasoning? Chicken karaage was the bomb with the garlic aioli. Have also tried a few sushi items which were very tasty. I have yet to try dessert as I’m usually stuffed from the soup!!!
It’s a great family place that is sparsely decorated and good for kids. It can get quite noisy when full but I highly recommend this as the best ramen place in town.

I had the Tako Carpaccio & the Miso Ramen w/​added spice (not spicy at all — anyone could have it!)
The octopus (tako) was only ok, the sauce was rather lovely but the meat was a little tough. My Ramen was also ok. I have no major complaints. It’s pretty unconventional that almost all the ramen have green kale though! Mine did too, you can’t taste the kale since the broth was so strong. Aside from adding colour it adds a different texture than the cabbage but there was so little kale I don’t know if I liked it or not!
Pros:
Chicken chasiu was delicious!
Open later, excellent for late dinners (post 9pm!)
Price is ok (ramen bowls)
Service was good
Cons: Just ok, nothing special so far.
Kale in ramen bowls didn’t add much aside from colour.
Noodles don’t seem freshly made in house (common issue in Calgary!)

I had the shio ramen. I liked the broth and the noodles. Also had the rainbow roll. Not a bad place to come. I’ll be back and try something else next time.

easily my fave go-​to ramen bar. just wished that they had more selections for ramen. try the green tea crème brûlée but don’t share it! (it’s small).

Got the miso and whatever the other one was right after it on the ramen menu — they are both the same with different broth (one miso, the other sea salt). The ramen comes with egg, chicken, pork, and of course the noodles.
The portions were pretty darn good for the price, if in the area and hungry, go for it!

They have some pretty decent ramen here, on par with the other places that have recently opened, but nothing that will blow your mind either.
What really sets them apart are their non-​traditional items on the menu. Things like the tomato ramen, tom yum ramen, and unagi poutine. Sounds a little odd right? But trust me, unagi and poutine works well. Take two things that I love, and put them together. I can’t say that the philosophy has worked with other things in my life (vodka and guava juice does not mix well). The combination of fries, cheese, sweet sauce, and unagi takes the after-​bar, artery clogging meal to a new level.

I was really excited to try this joint however on this night I’m a bit disappointed. The service was very efficient and the spicy tuna roll was delicious — clearly very fresh tuna and the jalapeño on top was a nice touch. The ramen however was lacking flavour, luke warm and the mushrooms were almost raw and unsalted. To bad:(

I would give Ikeman 5 stars. I discovered this ramen house in the first week they opened and it has been great ever since. Their unique appetizer unagi poutine is drool worthy. I am normally not a fan of purines for many are just heavy heavy heavy gravies and thick cut fries. The balance and flavours in the gravy are superb. There is definitely a Japanese spin on the spices and we took it for a ride around the block. Loved the fusion of Canadian poutine with the unagi and blends of spices. Overall I would recommend this dish.
I have had several ramen dishes there. The seafood ramen was so delicious and light. Typically some seafood in a hot soup would break apart but it was not the case.
The staff are attentive and let us make changes to the dishes with no fuss. It’s a good location but tricky to find the parking for you have to drive around a bit in alley to find it.
I have hit this place after long days of filming so much I am almost becoming a regular.
Overall their ramen is top rated. It’s flavorful and light and not too heavy. I love their poached egg in it. It’s very soft and not hard boiled. I have never had the issues in other ramen houses where I had to make alternate choices because they were out. Not the case with Ikeman.
They make a ginger cold ice tea that is amazing.
Date worthy. Yes being a date here!
Get your ramen on at Ikeman!

When I heard that there was a ramen restaurant opening up in Kensington earlier this summer, I was beyond excited. The minimalist design, advertisements and promise of tasty, delicious ramen drove me to even mark down the opening night on my calendar. My first visit was not a disappointment.
The ramen is fantastically tasteful. The gyoza and other appetizers are absolutely mouthwatering and sometimes even filling on their own. I have returned many times since my first visit, just to expand and explore their ever-​growing menu.
The take-​out option is perfect for when you are on the run, and the service when dining-​in is relatively fast as well. When ordering takeout, Ikemen gives you the broth and the noodles in separate containers, and a heat pad underneath that kept my ramen warm for at least an hour!
First date, quick meal or lazy Sunday brunch, this is the place to do it.
Ps, try the Cold Honey Green Tea and be prepared to share! Huge bottle that is hard to finish on your own, but it’s also too good to not let other people try.

So far so good. Looking forward to trying their other dishes!
Chicken chips…3.5 stars. This could easily have been a 5 star dish but was over seasoned. The chicken skins are perfectly fried and tasted ALMOST heavenly… the choice of seasoning couldn’t be more perfect but was too overpowering. If you love KFC then you’ll love this dish, but ask to have the skins tossed in only half the normal seasoning amount. ;)
Truffle Mushrooms…4 stars. Almost perfect. Nice size pieces of fried king oyster mushrooms with an addictive seasoning. Losing 1 star to being slightly greasy… execution was not up to par with your typical veggie tempura. A side of dipping sauce, like spicy mayo, would’ve been a nice compliment to balance out all the fried goodness.
Miso Ramen (spicy)…4 stars. A very well prepared dish; you can certainly taste the effort. For a chicken-​based broth, it’s quite flavorful if not a tad salty, but the ramen, veggies and protein helps to balance it out. The pork belly is nice and thick and braised to where it’s just tender. It lacked some flavor but, as mentioned, went well with the broth. The sous-​vide egg is lightly poached and, when broken, adds another layer of flavor to the rich broth. And of course the medallion slices of baked chicken didn’t go unnoticed.
Green Curry Seafood Ramen…5 stars. Excellent broth! It’s very reminiscent of Thai tum yum soup but not as sharp, making consumption very smooth and enjoyable. The seafood could not have been more perfectly prepared, as well. The mussel and scallop are super tender but the giant prawn was simply amazing… it melts in your mouth like butter (much like crawfish)! I added pork belly to my soup simply cause I LOVE pork belly… it was even better and more flavorful this time around (need to work on consistency). My only gripe about this seafood dish is the lack of seafood… could use another mussel and scallop.

Finally some great ramen in Kensington. We dined with the kids and they really enjoyed the tuscan rolls and the mango rolls.
My wife and I loved the green curry seafood ramen. We sat on the patio with the kids and the service was excellent.
Will definitely be back!

I really don’t understand all the 4 and 5 star reviews here. The ramen at Ikemen is fine, not great. I ordered the miso ramen. The broth was made from chicken rather than the traditional pork broth (and I generally love chicken broth ramen!) but it was not that flavourful and the ramen didn’t have that much «stuff» in it. They ran out of pork the day I went and gave me chicken instead, which was fine, but there wasn’t enough greens in the ramen and the noodles were overcooked rather than soft and chewy.
They do have other unique items on the menu and a chalkboard with daily specials which I haven’t tried but it sure sounds good!

Ramen snobbery has crept up in Calgary and it’s about time we address it. Well it’s about time I address mine, because owning a copy of Tampopo (google it) doesn’t give me the right to assume the role of ramen expert. But ramen in Calgary is different from the ramen experience in Japan. Even though I’ve never been there I’m sure of it. One reason is that Japanese ramen is still all about getting a hearty and quicky meal, followed by taste. In Calgary, when one simply doesn’t want to bother with cooking dinner, there are a list options and Ramen is in the bottom of that list. In terms of price, availability, and time, I’d take a bowl of Phở’ and Congee over Ramen in this city.
One might ask, what does this have to do with Ikemen? Plenty, because Ikemen follows the same path as Goro, Shiki/​Shikiji, and other restaurants that serve ramen in Calgary. To eat a bowl of ramen means a fancy dinner out, which affects the characteristics of the ramen bowl. Instead of aiming to be the heartiest, cheapest, and quickest meal, it’s now become a battle of broth flavour and it’s toppings. If Ikemen were to be rated in the category of «fancy dining ramen» I think they’d be right up there. The noodles were cooked to the right
consistency, the roast pork executed well, but the broth could have done without the overpowering garlic. Overall it’s a bowl worth finishing. I couldn’t get enough of their sous vide eggs and their char siu chicken was just as delicious as the pork. What entices me for a 2^nd/​3^rd visit were their non-​traditional ramen, concocted to mainly please vegetarian appetites.
I’m giving every star for Ikemen’s imaginative menu. The appetizers alone are worth the visit! we over-​ordered in our last visit and I regret nothing because it was
worth the hit on the wallet and the indigestion that followed. The fried mushroom with truffle oil was salty but balanced with a light seasoning of truffle oil.
I also had a sea bream special, which is a rare item in Calgary sushi menus, and it was refreshing and fresh. But the must have dish at Ikemen: the Unagi poutine. The cheese, the fries, the sweet sauce, the healthy dose of unagi… good gawd… this was a drunk man’s fantasy, a failed dieter’s dirty obsession, and every Crossfitter’s dirty little secret.
Our service was great and the dining room was interesting. However here were a few things to nitpick: 1. our sushi roll was packed with too much cream cheese, a little less would be perfect. 2. See my comment on the garlic overpowered broth. 3. The sea bream didn’t seem like it was served just as sea bream, it may have been spiced a little but men and my gf couldn’t figure out with what, it would have been nice to have special iteams like that served as is, perhaps we should have request a sashimi option.
I’ll def be back for the tomato ramen because I’m a sucker for Japanese Italian fusion and a second helping of the unagi poutine.

We had the Green Curry Seafood Ramen the Spicy Miso Ramen and loved both dishes. The lighter chicken broth made for a less coma like Ramen experience. We recommend trying it but if you go, eat outside, the inside smells like a church basement.

I decided to try out Ikemen yesterday and here’s what I ordered:
Salmon Sashimi (3 pcs) — $ 6
Besides the obvious ramen, Ikemen has other eats such as Japanese treats and of course — sushi/​sashimi. This was on their specials chalkboard and the fact that I always want raw fish, I decided to try out the sashimi here. Not bad. Nicely cut, nicely cooled and fresh.
Bluefin Negi-​toro Roll — $ 7
This is my favorite hosomaki. The toro was velvety and smooth with a decent amount of chopped negi, but what surprised me was that there was wasabi in the roll! As you know I’m quite the sushi purist, I prefer that wasabi is added directly to my sushi as that is the traditional way. The kick from the wasabi was quite pleasant — it was just enough and not overpowering. However, I think the staff should mention to you that’s how they serve it — I have friends who don’t care for wasabi and would send this back if they didn’t know ahead of time.
Rainbow Roll — $ 15
Instead of the pollock mixture inside, there’s julienne cucumber, really creamy avocado and tobiko inside the roll, then topped with an assortment of fish. This was pretty decent but I felt that it was a touch pricey for what it is.
Shio Ramen — $ 11.95
Being also quite the ramen purist, I went with the most basic flavour — shio. The broth here at Ikemen is different than your usual pork — it is made with chicken and you can certainly taste the difference. It’s not as salty but has a cleaner taste, although personally I prefer the pork stock. However, this one is good too! Hubby definitely enjoyed the miso. As for the noodles, it has the similar texture as the packaged ones — somewhat thick, chewy and bouncy and it was cooked nicely. In terms of toppings, you get a sous vide poached egg, one thick slice of pork belly and a couple slices of chicken roulade type thing — all of the meat was seasoned very nicely.
Yuzu Panna Cotta — $ 6
I thought the yuzu flavor in the panna cotta was a bit weak but the dessert itself was nicely made. I like the frozen berries on top — sure gave it a nice contrast! I was actually hoping to try the sea urchin ice cream but it was sadly sold out. That’s ok, it means I have to come back again, right?
Overall it was a pretty good lunch and I wouldn’t hesitate to return! Service was pretty good — food came out at a decent pace as it wasn’t busy and I love how spacious the restaurant is. Next time I would come back and try their Japanese eats — like their unagi poutine!

Ikemen’s décor is very sparse. Mostly wood, no art hung on the walls or pillows for the benches that makeup the seating on the outer edge of the space.
I personally love it, but it does make the restaurant sound exceptionally busy, even when there was only 20 people including ourselves when we came in for dinner.
The menu is simple. Some apps, ramen bowls which are all chicken broth based. Some desserts and a few drinks.
I had the roasted tomato seafood ramen and my bf had the miso ramen.
I didn’t taste much roasted tomato in my dish but the seafood was so fresh, and I prefer having a lighter broth. I find the traditional pork broth too rich, and hard to finish.
My bf said his ramen was good, nothing out of the ordinary but agreed their ingredients were good quality.
Our sever was pleasant and chatty, making sure we were enjoying our meal.