Hey uptowners, Joseph and I have been checking out this ramen place called Sonoya. It’s conveniently located at First Markham Place so you don’t have to drive all the way downtown!
We liked the Japanese decor and the cozy interior with ample booths and long tables.
Pickled radish to stimulate your appetite.
On our first visit we ordered King Ramen and Gyoza Ramen.
For the King Ramen you can specify the level of spiciness you prefer, either level 0, 0.5, 1, 2, or 3. Joseph chose 0.5 and the slight addition of heat and spice greatly enhanced the flavours. For an extra $2.50 you can order extra noodles, which we did. We always recommend paying for the extra noodles, because usually one serving isn’t enough and this is more economical than ordering two bowls of ramen. The toppings include slices of barbecued pork, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, seaweed, half a soft boiled egg, and a fishcake product called Narutomaki, or simply Naruto (white with a pink swirl).
This is the Gyoza Ramen, with pork-filled Japanese dumplings. The toppings were very much the same as the King Ramen, with the addition of deliciously crunchy corn. The broth was soy sauce based with no spice.
Housemade noodles.
The slices of bbq pork were definitely thicker, larger, and very plentiful (more meat for your buck), but we would’ve preferred them grilled a little longer for more meat flavour, like Sansotei Ramen.
Not a noodle left!
On our second lunch date, we tried Tonkotsu Ramen and Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen. Facing us is the Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen, where shoyu means soy sauce (which was added to this broth – you can see that it’s darker in colour). Pink slices of ginger garnished the top.
We liked that they offered many different styles of Japanese ramen. Tonkotsu Ramen always consists of a milky pork-bone based soup. This ramen specialty originated from the Hakata district in the city of Fukuoka, Japan, to which I was fortunate enough to travel.
In comparison to my Fukuoka travels, here are pictures of a bowl of Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen that I had in Japan. The Hakata broth was fattier and much richer in pork taste, and I could tell that countless hours were spent simmering the broth. Sonoya’s soup, on the other hand, wasn’t as fatty but we would have preferred less salt because it left us very thirsty throughout the day; we wouldn’t recommend you drink every last drop.
A cute toothpick holder on every table.
Colourful chopsticks display on our way out.
Ramen will be on our minds with Winter fast approaching, because there’s nothing more soothing than a hot bowl of noodles on a cold day. Sonoya’s prices are similar to the ramen restaurants downtown, but seating is more comfortable here and parking more accessible. We look forward to trying out the rest of their menu!
Sonoya Japanese Noodle House
3235 Highway 7 East (First Markham Place)
Markham, Ontario, L3R 3P3
(905) 944-0990
