Located in Ottawa, is Koichi Ramen, a small Japanese restaurant serving some of the city’s best ramen noodles. A trip here was the perfect way for a lot of us to get away from the brutal -20ºC winter.

The founder, Koichi Paxton, perfected the craft after his journey to Japan. Gaining experience from professional chefs across multiple restaurants, he combined all he learnt and delivered it through this beautiful eatery; Koichi Ramen.

The restaurant has taken a minimal approach with its design, giving a very cozy and welcoming atmosphere. The staff were quick to adhere to any of our needs and were very quick with their service. I had my bar set up pretty high from all that I had heard, and Koichi Ramen definitely did not disappoint.

I filled myself up with a chicken broth dish topped with pork belly. I was far from disappointed with the perfectly cooked noodles, carefully spiced broth, accompanied with the very tender pork belly. Koichi Ramen offers chicken, pork, and vegetable broth with a large variety of add-ons, including extra mushrooms, noodles, pork, and chicken. Customers really have the option to make the dish their own.

A place I have been dying to go to for months, and I finally got my needs fulfilled. “Koichi”, meaning “happiness and one”, has not only lived up to its name but has set a new bar for other ramen restaurants to get over. I cannot wait to get back, but for now, on to the next one.