Ramen Buta-Nibo

Located in Toronto’s bustling Danforth neighborhood, Ramen Buta-Nibo offers a distinct and unapologetically bold take on a classic dish, specializing in the "Jiro-style" of ramen. This is not your typical delicate and light broth; instead, prepare for a culinary experience that is rich, hearty, and intensely flavorful. The restaurant, a sibling of the acclaimed Ryus Noodle Bar, has carved out a niche with its unique approach that prioritizes satisfying, oversized portions. The star of the menu is undoubtedly the Buta-men, a towering bowl filled with a thick, savory pork broth boiled for hours to achieve a complex "umami" flavor profile. The broth is famously fatty, a characteristic that might be polarizing but is central to the Jiro-style. A generous mountain of thick, chewy noodles, bean sprouts, and cabbage accompanies a sizeable portion of garlic paste and two thick slices of pork chashu. The sheer volume of the bowl offers incredible value, often feeling like two meals in one. For those who prefer a different flavor, the menu also includes a lighter Niboshi Shoyu Ramen, which features a clean, crisp broth made from dried sardines. Side dishes like their crispy and juicy Karaage (Japanese fried chicken) and pan-fried gyoza are also highly praised and perfectly complement the richness of the main course. Overall, Ramen Buta-Nibo is a must-visit for anyone craving an authentic, filling, and unforgettable bowl of Jiro-style ramen.

Top choice for Jiro style ramen in Toronto. We ordered the mega ramen and spicy ramen with 2 karaage combos paired with wasabi mayo! Yum!! Nice friendly staff who speak both Japanese and English :)

I’ve noticed a change in the food quality compared to when the restaurant first opened. The broth, which used to have a rich, authentic Japanese depth, didn’t feel as flavorful this time. It may simply be a matter of recipe adjustments or a change in the kitchen team. This place is still my favorite ramen spot, and I truly hope they can return to the excellent standard they set in the beginning. I plan to give it another try, and if the quality improves, I’ll be happy to update my rating accordingly.

Really good place to enjoy a comforting meal. The food quality is good. The ramen has rich flavor, the broth is tasty, and the noodles are cooked just right. Every bowl feels satisfying and consistent. The overall taste is very good, and it’s definitely a spot worth coming back to for a delicious ramen experience.

Great noodle place in Greektown serving interesting ramen style not found at other shops. The portions are large and delicious, just make sure you put less garlic if you plan to meet people afterwards.

Amazing ramen. First time trying Jiro style and it did not disappoint. Huge portions, deep, delicious flavour. Meat is tender and just melts in your mouth. Service was fast. Couldn’t get a photo before the first few bites but it was very well presented.

Very tasty broth and a mountain of ingredients on top of the noodle. Could be too rich/tasty for some if you choose the Rich broth level. I liked it on mine. Ordered the mega. 2nd time there. Would still go back

Went there for Saturday lunch. Had black garlic ramen which I found tasted good but had more beansprouts than noodles. Wife had kind of cold tskukemen which tasted bland according to her. Will have to try other dishes to have definite opinion.

Dropped by during taste of Danforth. Everything had lines, but here is this Jiro style ramen with a bunch of people outside getting the fried chicken, but considerably less people inside. So it was a good time to try this place that had been all over instagram. They had several different bowls to choose from, but of course when you see MEGA RAMEN with double the amount of everything for only 50% extra price, of course you do the MEGA RAMEN and enjoy it for the next 3 meals. Ramen took a bit of time to prepare, which is understandable because of the taste of Danforth rush outside and the kitchen constantly sending out food to the front lines. Also because MEGA RAMEN. When the bowl arrived, it was certainly what you would expect of MEGA RAMEN. Especially since it's Jiro style, so the bean sprouts are piled all the way up. Flavour is great, noodles are nice, broth is...well, most of it was absorbed so I'm not sure. But overall an enjoyable bowl

Pretty good. I would put this as an above-average ramen restaurant in Toronto, but I've had better. We just walked in for lunch on a Sunday afternoon and they had plently of seating left. Some pros: - loved the thicker ramen - you get a GENEROUS helping of sprouts with each bowl of ramen, likely more than you can ever eat in one sitting - the meat was nice and tender Some cons: - I didn't LOVE the broth but it was good - the "spicy" ramen could have been spicier Didn't have a chance to try the karaage so I would maybe do that next time.

3.5 - My friend and I were going restaurant hopping and saw they had kaarage here so we shared a plate of boneless chicken thigh - 3 pieces (small size) and a plate of truffle miso mayo takoyaki. Both were good, nothing too special to point out. Staff was nice and I liked the atmosphere there, especially the booths. I would like to try their bento boxes one day when in the area (Y).

Ramen Buta-Nibo is a sister restaurant of Ryus Noodle Bar, one of my favourite ramen spots on the east end. They serve up Jiro-style ramen - massive portions loaded with a mountain of toppings and thick-cut char siu (pork belly). We ordered the karaage to start and were served large juicy pieces of fried chicken with a choice of dipping sauce. The ramen was piled high with toppings, including a heaping portion of bean sprouts, an egg, bamboo shoots, and sliced chashu. Half our party couldn't finish an entire bowl and had to pack the rest to go. The broths were flavourful and rich in bone flavour, but I preferred the creaminess of Ryus more. The meat could have been on the thicker side. We came on a weekday night and it was pretty quiet with only one or two other tables occupied. Service was fast and the employees were accomodating as we had a toddler in the party. The ambiance is average for a casual sit-down place.

I recently dined at 4lb Ramen Buta-Nibo located on Danforth and, unfortunately, my experience left much to be desired. While I was intrigued by the idea of a massive ramen dish, I found it to be a bit of a disappointment. The first issue I encountered was the lack of meat in the dish. For a ramen that's advertised as a "massive" 4lb portion, I expected a more generous serving of protein. It was disappointing to find that the meat was sparse, leaving me unsatisfied and I ended up ordering karaage and extra pork on the side. Additionally, the ramen itself was overwhelmingly dominated by bean sprouts. While I appreciate a good crunch and freshness in my ramen, I didn't expect them to be the primary component of the dish. It felt unbalanced and detracted from the overall experience. To make matters worse, the dish was overloaded with garlic. While some garlic can add a nice flavor, there was an excessive amount that overpowered the other flavors and made it difficult to enjoy the ramen fully. I couldn't help but wish that I had tried other items on the menu, as this particular ramen left me disappointed. It's essential for a restaurant to live up to the expectations it sets, especially when promoting a unique and massive dish.

Tried out this Jira Ramen place on the Danforth. Having said that, I had the Chicken Karaage with Curry main. (Omg. Soooo good). Love Japanese curry! Hubby had the Ramen. It was a huge serving. The service is friendly but fyi a bit of a different model. They hand you a tablet and you chose your items and it places the order with the kitchen. There are lots of options for add ons. They then deliver the food as it's ready for you. Food quality is great. If you like Ramen the portions are huge. Just west of Pape, parking is on the Danforth or in nearby Green P lots.

I thought I had tried every kind of ramen around, but it turns out that jiro-style ramen is only available at this joint. So I was pretty excited to give it a shot. We showed up minutes after they opened on a recent Sunday, and the place was predictably empty. I decided to try the Spicy Buta-Men (Jiro-Style Ramen) because I can't say no to anything with the word "spicy" in it. The food arrived a little while later and it was intimidating, to say the least. It's a modestly-sized bowl that's been absolutely packed with various components. It had big pieces of pork, a ton of bamboo shoots, and a huge scoop of garlic. I tentatively began eating and I was immediately blown away by how flavorful the broth was. I suppose that's the jiro-style aspect, which is rich and fatty and just addictive. The other components worked really well, too, and the plentiful noodles were a perfect vehicle for everything. Aside from the portion, which was excessive (I was full all day), I have nothing negative to say about Ramen Buta-Nibo. It's so good.

What a massive ramen bowl!!! I had the Grand Opening special at Ramen Buta-Nibo at corner of Danforth and Carlaw. They had a $10 deal for first 50 people for their Jiro-style ramen. It's the first noodle restaurant in Toronto to serve this. So I made sure I was there on last day of the deal when they opened at 12 noon!   Buta-Nibo is a broth made using pork and fish. Buta translates to pig or pork in Japanese and niboshi means dried anchovy. Jiro-style ramen features a rich and oily broth that's made from boiling pork bones and pork fat for hours and includes thick noodles, a dollop of garlic paste and cha-shu (braised pork belly).  When I sat down and ordered the special ramen deal I was asked to customize my bowl with the type of broth, the spice level, amount of seasoned fat and house-made garlic paste. I chose all regular levels and after a little wait it arrived and my ramen turned out specular and super delicious! The broth was so rich and the amount of noodles and sprouts was huge! I could only finish a quarter of the bowl! But with this regular order I didn't like that there wasn't enough pork and no marinated egg. In the end I felt the garlic paste was overpowering all other flavours and next time will ask for less and add more pork and egg. The service was very friendly with lots of smiles from all the servers. I felt it was a little dark inside despite the huge, bright, floor to ceiling windows. And I didn't like the uncomfortable chairs because they were heavy metal and crammed in next to the second seat next to me at my table for four. I still highly recommend trying this Jiro-style ramen if you like extra rich flavours.

Food 3/5 Service 5/5 Vibe 4/5 Came here on a Sunday Afternoon, restaurant was relatively quiet. Service was good, but food did take time to come out (not complaining, just slower comparing to other ramen joint) Ramen is alright, quite oily to be frank, just not my style. GreaT flavour, but oily. (and yes i did choose less richness and for those ramen EXPERTS) Oh! And they add tones of bean sprouts to your ramen, so if you aren't a fan, just tell them to have them removed or on the side. It just wasn't my cup of tea, no hate to the store, some people may love the richness. I just think its too heavy for me~

We stubbled in for a late lunch and the friendly staff were efficient in seating us. You order online so be sure to have someone with you with a working cellphone. We got the takoyaki, the mini karage rice bowl, and the original Jiro ramen. All the items were great but the definite start of the show was the ramen. Sooooo many ways to customize but I went with the regular settings for every option. Amazing rich broth with tons of bean sprouts and thick noodles. Loved the garlic sauce that gave another complexity of flavor. Two different slices of meat and plenty of bamboo shoots. Delicious and hit the spot. I didn't realize that this is a franchise of my favourite ramen place Ryu until after settling the bill and bring handed a points card! Will definitely be back when the craving hits!

The ramen here is great! They specialize in jiro style ramen first in toronto! They have amega ramen that is over 4lbs. The staff are super nice and kind. The store is roomy with lots of space and is located in greek town

Ramen Buta-Nibo serves jiro-style ramen. According to Google, jiro style ramen means aggressive everything ramen which includes thick and tough noodles, huge amounts of veggies, in your-face ingredients and that literally describes the bowl of noodles. I got the ajitama black garlic ramen and the portion was huge! I was super duper full by the end of it. The amount of bean sprouts was astounding and we just opted for the regular size. There was a good amount of meat and I felt the chashu was flavourful and quite fatty. The broth was flavourful but I felt that Midori Ramen was better (broth and garlic oil). The noodles were thick and tough which I found was different and an interesting experience. The egg was perfect. My friend and I also shared the truffle miso takoyaki which came out fresh, hot, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. We also shared the chicken breast karaage which was good but a bit tough. Super customizable ramen and great service. Definitely a ramen spot I'd recommend all noodle lovers to try at least once.

Keep in mind that there is a waitlist upon arrival. Signup through QR code was quick and easy. Wait time was estimated at 50 minutes but was more like 15 minutes so it widely varied between hostesses. I was annoyed I personally wasn't able to find the menu beforehand to see what my options were. Orders are also done through QR code. Food itself was amazing. One of the best ramens I've had in a long while.

Ramen Buta-Nibo does ramen jiro-style. I had no idea what this style was, but having tried it, will now be a go-to of mine. The noodles are thick and chewy, the pork broth is really rich, and there's a garlic paste that you can mix in that makes the pork slices and broth even tastier. Yum! Also tried: - Nibo-men: While more traditional, I actually liked how the dried sardine gave the broth a different taste. - Truffle miso mayo takoyaki: Pretty good, though would have liked a stronger truffle miso taste. It's soft opening so they're ironing out things. But servings are huge and great value for the price, service is earned, and the place while small-ish is maximized. Ramen Buta-Nibo is a great addition to the neighborhood!

AWESOME RAMEN WITH A DISTINCTIVE FLAVOR!!! There are quite a few decent ramen restaurants in town, but after a while, I feel like "that's just another good ramen place". Today, I'm so glad to try out Ramen Buta-Nibo. Their ramen has a really distinctive flavor that surprised me (in a good way). We had the Ajitama Original Ramen and the Ajitama Niboshi Shoyo Ramen. The first one has a stronger and more sophisticated flavor (the generous amount of garlic paste made a difference), while the second one has a lighter and more refreshing flavor. One thing in common is that it has a hint of "yuzu" flavor. The slight sourness really made the overall taste well balanced, and this is what impressed me the most! In addition, the noodle is chewy, the BBQ pork is super yummy, and the boiled egg is definitely way above average! The reason why I didn't give them 5 star is because of the takoyaki appetizer. It's of decent taste, but it just doesn't have that "wow factor" as shown in their ramen. Nevertheless, they're just at soft opening now. With their high food quality and excellent services, I'm sure they're going to get even better in the near future! I'll definitely go back again!

Chicken garaage: The chicken was juicy and tender. We ordered it with spicy miso and yuzu miso sauce. The yuzu had a bright citrus flavour that helped to balance out the heaviness of the chicken. Ajitama black garlic ramen: The ramen was customizable depending on your personal taste but since it was my first time trying, I chose the rich broth option with regular fat level to get the full experience. Surprisingly the broth was super flavourful without it being too heavy. The thick noodles were delicious which were topped with a generous portion of veggies.

Learned about this restaurant from BlogTO. This is the first jiro style ramen restaurant in Toronto. According to Wikipedia, Ramen in jiro style means ramen in large portions and it has distinctively flavoured broth. I ordered a garlic black ramen and a small karage. In terms of karage, there was a wide variety of selections to choose from, boneless chicken breast (white meat) in small, medium, large or extra large sizes, a family for 4 people or 20 pieces. I ordered a small only but requested for a Yuzu sauce to go with it. Normally, most Japanese restaurants only offered mayonnaise/wasabi to go with karage. It's unusual to see Yuzu sauce offered with karage. It did pair up well with karage! I loved it!!! Black Garlic Ramen was good too. I could tell the broth was cooked for a long time for its distinctive flavour. I could taste the garlic flavour in the broth. Noodles were thick and chewy. Chasu was thick too. It did come with a lot of spring sprouts on top of the noodles as well as bamboo shoots, garlics and gingers. I could not name every single ingredients in this bowl or ramen. I could only say it's exceptionally extraordinary Good!!!!! The only thing is there's no beer. Otherwise it would be perfect!

We went Sunday at 2:30pm. We were seated promptly but were not offered water or menus right away. The restaurant has a hip feel to it - less formal than ryus traditional restaurant in a way. There were two staff on site serving tables and two kitchen staff. After a couple minutes a server came around to serve us. We put in our orders and waited for 40 minutes before the server comes back to apologize that our order didn't go through their system and they were just making the food now. Once our food came, they finally asked if we wanted our water refill which I had almost finished the glass. Both dishes had great presentation. The ajitami spicy ramen was very good. The broth was thick and spicy, lots of beansprouts and great flavour all around. Unfortunately the other dish I ordered was not as good. I found the broth wasn't rich in flavour - noodles are the same quality ryus noodles they are known for. All this to say, I think if the servers had been more on their game I would have had a better experience. I will give the restaurant a try in another month and hopefully they take their service more seriously going forward. For now, I do suggest the take away.

When I first landed in Toronto a few months back after leaving Hong Kong, I was on the hunt for some delicious Ramen and Sushi spots. You know how Hong Kong spoils us with those options! I stumbled upon this gem of a Ramen shop during my short stay in East York. Now, I'm not usually into Tonkotsu Ramen (Pork Broth), but their Jiro-Style Ramen stole my heart. Their Buta men (Jiro Style Ramen) features a rich pork broth, stacked with bean sprouts and cabbage, and generously topped with garlic paste, minced garlic, and thick cuts of chashu pork. It's a flavor explosion! I can't resist it, even if it means temporarily ditching my diet plan. If you're more into a subtle taste, their Niboshi Ramen is a must-try. The broth is made from dried sardines, bonito, and kelp seaweed, giving it this sweet umami goodness that's incredibly soothing. It's a different experience but equally amazing. Ramen Buta-Nibo has become my go-to spot for those Ramen cravings. I wouldn't mind traveling an hour to get there - that's how good it is! Instagram: Ms.Minor.Moments Feel free to follow me if you'd like to discover more Toronto food gems (or maybe even the ones to avoid)!

Had lunch here today with 9 other friends and though they are not really equipped to handle such large groups they did for us, grouping tables together. The staff was really nice and helpful. The Ramen here is certainly unique and different than any other in Toronto. It's the first Jiro style Ramen here, a thicker broth and noodle, which is apparently quite trendy in Japan now. Also unique is the fact they use a lot more garlic than the average Ramen restaurant, but you can vary the amount they provide. Of the 10 of us I would say that 9 were very happy with this style of Ramen and would return, including me. Though different it was very tasty, and very filling. It felt more like comfort food than the other Ramen places I have been to, something to eat when you are not feeling your best.

The winning ramen of this place is the veggie options with veggie broth. The blend of flavours they have in this bowl worked so well together. The shoyu is good too, but the fish taste comes through strongly from the broth. The pork in the shoyu was quite dry. The noodles were perfectly cooked though. Their karaage chicken is perfectly cooked, and the sauce choices were all good options. The spot is relatively small, but it's very comfortable and the staff are great.

This place has a fun twist on your "traditional" ramen. Broth is pretty similar, but noodles were thicker and there were TONS of bean sprouts mixed into the noodles. Sounds kind of strange but it was delicious! Would definitely come back.

ラーメン二郎・三田本店の味を再現してくれて良かったですねー 初めて二郎系ラーメンを完食しました The taste is almost same to the one I tried in Tokyo!

I haven't been so excited for a Ramen place in a long while but Ramen Buta-Nibo changed all that. Seeing it is first Jiro Style Ramen in Toronto and in my hood I had to make the trek to visit them. When you first arrive you have to use QR code to reserve your seat but the staff are not on the same page. One staff told me 50 mins the other was like 15 mins wait. Which waa odd overall we waited around 20 mins max. Maybe she was try to deter too many people to come here not sure. Back to the food it was a huge portion as other Ramen places never really fill me up around the city. The Garlic Black Ramen was one of the best I had. Almost didn't finish as I was so stuffed. Price wise it is around $17 bowl for a ramen which is on the higher side but you will see why as the portion is huge and stuff too the top. Worth every penny. Will be back for sure when I crave Ramen again.

This ramen joint is like that one guy the protagonists meet in the middle of his slump because his passion is making ramen and opening a restaurant but his family is against it because they want him to become a doctor, but with the encouragement of his compatriots he gives a heartfelt speech to his family that he can't turn away from his dream and runs away for 5 years to chase it and comes back 5 years later having created a successful genre of new ramen called jiro style and have his family say they've always just wanted him to be happy and they all hug and have ramen together. This is a 10/10 ramen in terms of flavour, portion, and care, fit for dads or daughters and sumo wrestlers alike. You won't regret it and the only regret I might have is if this place blows up in popularity and from then on having to wait 45 minutes for a table. But even then it'll still be worth it.

Different from the other ramens in town but still very good. There was one hour of free parking on the side street which was close and super close. Will have to come back again one day.

One of the best ramen in town. Try their signature ramen with thick noodles, rich and tasty but not too oily or making you thirsty, perfect to go with beer. People are very friendly and helpful, and the casual atmosphere puts people at ease.

Great food and service. Nice inside. Well done Japanese by Japanese!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!