Yokato Yokabai is a premier destination for authentic Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen. Known for its rich, creamy pork bone broth simmered for hours and prepared entirely without MSG, this cozy eatery offers a true taste of Japan. With house-made noodles, highly customizable bowls, and savory sides like their famous karaage, it delivers an uncompromising and traditional ramen experience.
Patrons describe Yokato Yokabai Ramen as a cozy, authentic spot where rich tonkotsu or torikotsu broths meet chewy noodles and generous toppings, with karaage, gyoza and takoyaki seen as standouts. The atmosphere is repeatedly praised for its warm Japanese vibe, though seating is tight and the space can feel cold or noisy when crowded. Service is often friendly and attentive, but pacing and consistency vary with long waits during peak times and some missteps. A virtual waitlist helps manage crowds since reservations are not common. Many call the ramen among the best in Montreal or close to Japan, though a few note price, portion size, or occasional service gaps. The Michelin link is debated, but the overall experience is described as a top ramen destination worth visiting for a comforting, authentic bowl. The main caveats are crowding, temperature hotspots near doors, and premium pricing at peak times.
I returned after they received the Michelin star. The menu system is easy to use. The main course (ramen) was slightly cold for me, but the taste was fine. The fried chicken (karaagee) was crispy, but if you eat just the chicken without the sauce, I found it bland. The drinks at the bar were excellent.
This used to be a great place food wise. I think it is just ok at best nowadays based on testing takoyaki, karaage & ramen. Not Michelin worthy for sure.
Mar 15, 2026
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The place is cute atmosphere is nice!
We had the Karaage Chicken wasn't impressed at all. Had way better ramen in other places Surprised how it got a Michelin Star. Service was good.
They changed the pork, where before it was baked then torched to perfection, karaage was improved upon with the addition of a vinager garlic scallion sauce, & soup extra thick.
would recommend, worth a try if you are ever in the area. Ramen soups is normally very salty but not in this case, totally drinkable, very savory, better than average for sure.
Karaage was a pleasant surprise, layers of flavor, I rate it higher than the ramen, maybe I just like fried chicken more in general.
Karaage was good, pork broth was good but not crazy. To be honest the restaurant is overhyped. Service is mid & restaurant is cold as hell because of how close the entrance door is to the small dining room, which makes the seating cramped too.
Dec 16, 2025
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Pendant notre séjour à Montréal nous avons été deux fois chez Yokato Yokabai & les ramen étaient excellents & très copieux. Nous avons également gouté les takoyaki & karaage & tout est était parfaitement exécuté.
We went there on Saturday & there was an hour & 15 minute wait we put our name in & waited for 25 minutes before they called us back then we had to wait another 10 to 15 minutes to get seated & then another 10 minutes for someone to come get our order. Then we also waited another 40 minutes & then I asked the server where our order was cause & he unfortunately lost it. I understand that mistakes happen, but we were waiting for so long at that point that I was kind of disappointed & very hungry. We were seated by the door which they was always open so it was very cold. He brought us some free karaage as an apology. We waited another 30 minutes to get our ramen, at that point we were at the restaurant for an an hour & a half. The ramen was ok. It wasn't anything special. I feel like the wait was way too long for the quality of the food. I don't know if it changed since they got that Michelin recognition but I feel like it was just not worth the price, we paid around $30 for one Ramen, which is crazy so yeah I guess if you wanna try it go ahead like the food isn't amazing but it's not bad either. I don't think the experience is worth it.
A rich broth that isn't overpowering or overly fattening with tasteful cuts of pork shoulder. The noodles weren't anything amazing, but their agreeable length added to the experience. The takoyaki & karaage were great.
Oct 11, 2025
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This restaurant reminds me so much of being in Japan which is amazing. From the interior decor to the countertop seatings, everything felt so real. The service was also friendly & welcoming but it is definitely not as'perfect' as in Japan. The food itself was great. The thick soup has great flavours & complements the noodles so well. The pork slices were thick & soft & the eggs was bursting in flavours as well. Everything tasted delicious & each element kept adding on to the bowl. Such a simple yet amazing bowl of noodles. I do think that I would have preferred the noodles to be a bit thicker but it was still pretty good. I especially enjoyed the flavours of the karaage. The little sauce/topping on top had this slight sour flavour & it paired so well with the fried chicken. The biggest difference from eating this here & 8n Japan is probably the price. One bowl of ramen here is around 21$ but the portion is pretty good & there are a lot of customizing options which is always a plus for me.
While the regular ramen is personally too expensive for me to justify buying (considering I would want to add a couple toppings, upgrade the egg & get thick noodles), their limited time cold ramen is really delicious, & this is the second summer I've made sure to get it. The sour & slightly spicy yuzu/lemony broth contrasts perfectly with the karaage, which is rich & stayed extremely crispy even after I mixed it in the broth.
The current kakigori (matcha strawberry) was too strong for me, with too much of the matcha topping & not enough of the shaved ice to mellow it out. (The matcha topping was very fluffy & soft, but strong enough that its bitterness could not be fully masked by the shaved ice underneath.) Just a warning for those who prefer their matcha in less intense contexts. Also the strawberry was not very noticeable because the matcha overpowered it.
Lunch was a lot less crowded than when I went for dinner in the past, & I found the atmosphere to be much more pleasant because of that. (No wait, but I went on a weekday at 1pm).
Yokato Yokabai Ramen is definitely one of the best ramen place in Montreal. Their ramen is super delicious & the prices are reasonable. Service is great as well. I also love their karaage & edamame beans. They also have a bar section to grab a beer/drinks with friends/coworkers. Would easily recommend this restaurant. Only con : it's often busy so might have to wait for a table.
I'm so sad this ramen has gone quite downhill from since I first started going years ago. the pork used to be fatty & tender but now flat & dry, the kara miso wasn't as complex as I remembered, broth pretty mid, & they somehow made the shiitake flavourless. I used to drink all the broth at the end but I barely wanted to finish the bowl this time. we also had the spicy karaage & it was very one note.
also what's up with the far corner table?? the two person bench is ridiculous & uncomfortable to manoeuvre. the service wasn't spectacular either; I filled out my form, went to the washroom, came back & the server still hadn't took it. I went up to the cash to put our orders in.
this was my favourite ramen out of any spot in montreal/toronto/vancouver at one point but now I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
May 5, 2025
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Petit endroit cool & tamisé pour savourer l'un des meilleurs ramens de Montréal. Nous optons toujours pour le karaage épicé, qui est absolument délicieux. Il peut y avoir une file à l'entrée, mais le service est assez rapide. À essayer.
Good ramen in Montreal. I tried this place out during a 2 day stint in the city due to its' high amount of reviews & I was happy with the option. The broth was solid, along with pretty delicious noodles that tasted very fresh. The meat was good as well. I didn't really like the spoon situation as drinking the broth at our tiny 2 person booth was a little... like annoying. But it LoOkS tRaDiTiOnAl. Whatever. The chicken karaage was good too, but definitely not like a "must get." We should've gotten a small plate for me & my girlfriend because the chicken was loaded on the tiny plate & kept tipping over, with not a lot of chopstick power. Other than those tiny points, I would come back again to get my ramen fix in the city.
Great vibes & food was really good. Only complaint is that the broth was only luke warm but everything else was on point. Noodles were great, broth was flavourful & the chashu was tender & portion was very generous. Also ordered the spicy karaage which was also very good, really crispy & the sauce was tangy with good heat. Restaurant is small though so expect to wait. I came at around 6 on a Monday & it was already full with 8 people waiting in line.
