nomiya: tapas sushi and ramen, edmonton

You know what's great about Edmonton? It's always cold.

And you know what that means? Yes, you've guessed it! It's always ramen weather.

When I was told Nomiya was the best place for ramen in Edmonton, I just knew I had to go and see for myself!

The outside doesn't look like much, but it was it was packed with people slurping up bowls and bowls of steaming hot ramen. I couldn't wait for my turn to get my hands on a bowl.

But first, some fried chicken.

Chicken Karaage ($6.95):

These tender pieces of lean chicken are deep fried till golden and is served with a wedge of lemon. They were incredibly crisp evident from the loud 'crunch' when everyone at the table simultaneously bit into the chicken yet still very juicy and moist inside. It would have been absolutely perfect with a tiny dollop of kewpie mayonnaise but it was still a solid start to the meal.

Now for the ramen.

Shoyu Ramen ($10.50):
A soya flavoured ramen, this is one of our lightest soups. Complete with marinated egg, this ramen is tangy, salty and savoury. 

The Shoyu Ramen is light soy based broth loaded with sweet bamboo shoots, shallots, fish cakes, squidgy egg, tender fatty roast pork, crunchy wood-ear mushrooms, corn and a sheet of toasted nori. The broth is flavoursome, noticeably clearer and tasted extremely light. Oh, if you like a little heat, generously sprinkle some shichimi into that broth for that extra kick.

For those who aren't into collagen rich soups, this is perfect for you! But for those who are, feast your eyes on this next ramen.

Tonkotsu ($11.50):
The heart of all our ramen! The many hours of simmering makes this ramen hearty and milky smooth. 

The Tonkotsu Ramen was a large bowl of smooth, milky broth brimming of collagen from the many hours of simmering pork bones. The noodles are topped with succulent slices of pork, fermented bamboo shoots, crunchy wood-ear mushrooms, sweet juicy corn, shallots, toasted nori and spinach. The toppings definitely complemented the broth, cutting through the greasiness, making it a pleasant and hearty bowl of noodles.

I haven't mentioned this yet but the noodles in each bowl of ramen are a consistently cooked to perfection. They're never-ending, firm, chewy and springy. The pork belly is slightly charred, smokey, and melt in your mouth tender. What more could you want?

Spicy Miso Ramen ($11.00):
The mixture of different spices adds a savoury kick to a traditional flavour.

The Spicy Miso Ramen is a miso based pork soup topped with, egg, shallots toasted nori, tender chashu, bamboo, mushrooms, corn and toasted sesame seeds. This nutty and spicy ramen broth is the ultimate remedy for the cold. While there was a subtle deep and rich flavour from the miso, it wasn't as creamy as the Tonkotsu and definitely much lighter. Personally, I would have preferred more of a stronger miso flavour from the broth but for those who don't, this will be perfect for you.

Shio Ramen ($10.50):
A favourite among many Japanese locals! The tonkotsu based soup is seasoned with homemade Shio (sea salt) flavour, giving this ramen a well balanced flavour of pork and a light creamy broth. 

The Shio Ramen is a salt based pork soup topped with slices of chashu, bamboo shoots, wood-ear mushrooms, corns, shallots, soy marnated gooey egg and a piece of toasted nori seaweed. Although it is a relatively rich broth, it didn't look and nor did it feel as heavy as the tonkotsu. The pearly white broth was creamy and tasty without being overly salty.

I haven't tried nearly enough places to make a list ... but right now, Nomiya comfortably sits in first place for best ramen in Edmonton.

Nomiya: Tapas Sushi and Ramen
3803 Calgary Trail NW
Heritage, AB T6J 5M8
f: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nomiya-Edmonton/125675734174030
t: (780) 462-1300
w: http://www.nomiyarestaurant.com/