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.
Overall, Yokato Yokabai Ramen is frequently praised for its rich, deeply flavorful broths and well-prepared noodles, with many tasters calling it the best ramen in Montreal and noting authentic Hakata-style notes you can customize to taste; the atmosphere is cozy and open, though often busy and loud, with a sometimes cramped space and long waits that are eased by a helpful SMS waitlist system; sides like karaage and edamame get strong nods, while some diners find the prices high or the bowls only warm rather than hot and occasionally feel the experience is overrated or uneven, depending on time, table, and dish.
It being listed in the Michelin Guide set my expectations quite high. On my first visit, the wait time was 75 minutes, so I decided to come back the next day. This time, I arrived before opening, but the queueing system & entry process were quite confusing. There was no clear guidance for customers on where to wait. The ramen shop signage said to enter through the izakaya next door, which was very confusing. The staff didn't seem to manage or inform the queue, even though the door was open (it probably should have been closed if they weren't ready to receive customers).
When they finally opened, people rushed in-whoever stood closest to the door got in first, with no real order. Once inside, I was surprised to see that the izakaya & ramen shop were actually connected. Seating was bar-style (no backrests), & if you had a lot of belongings, there wasn't really anywhere to put them-you'd be better off coming light.
I ordered the chicken broth ramen. The soup itself was rich, flavorful, & clearly chicken-forward. However, the chashu pork was too lean for my taste, making it a bit tough & hard to eat. The noodles & broth didn't come together as well as I'd hoped. Toppings were minimal (like green onions & seaweed), & you had to pay extra if you wanted more. At the bottom of the bowl, there was some orange peel, which added a refreshing note if the chicken fat became too rich.
If I come back next time, I'd probably try the chicken topping instead.
Ce fut une expérience étrange. D'abord, difficile de savoir par quelle porte entrer dans le restaurant, il y a une porte ouverte pour le déjeuner & une qui est ouverte pour le souper. Du côté du restaurant où nous étions assis, c'était très petit. Le staff semblait occupé & peu de service aux tables, bien que lorsque nous demandions quelque chose nous avons été répondu. Nous avons commandé des ramens tokontsu, des takoyakis & du kaarage épicé. Les takoyakis étaient croustillants mais assez petits. Le Kaarage était génial, délicieux! Le ramen avait un excellent bouillon & du bon porc, par contre, cela manquait d'harmonie avec les ingrédients. Honnêtement, c'est bon, mais j'ai vraiment l'impression d'avoir payé trop cher pour ce que j'ai mangé & j'essaie régulièrement des restaurants de ramen.
Apr 11, 2026
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Amazing Ramen! Very tasty! Everyone loved the ramen soups , we also ordered the pork sidedish which was good, but less unanimous. Atmosphere was very cosy & interesting … we felt like the time spent there in that space, we were transported in different world than Montreal… Line Up is quite busy, but the SMS-based waitlist approach is pretty useful & works well!
Delicious Ramen! One of the best I've had.
Took one star off because the service was slow- took about 45 minutes for the ramen to be served, & it wasn't served hot enough, one of the sides I ordered for the soup (fried garlic ) arrived half way through eating the dish.
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.
We had pork & sesame broth thick noodles Ramen. Chicken & pork. Sesame broth was too heavy for me. The soup was colder than expected. Spicy chicken entree was good. Rice with pork entree was tasty. The place was packed on Sunday at 2. We waited for 20 minutes for a table. 4 stars overall.
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.
Dec 28, 2025
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Attempt #2 trying to go here worked as the first time on a Friday night was told 1.5 hour wait & you cant make reservations. Second time for a weekend lunch they had implemented a new system which was much better where there is a tablet where you enter your name, number of guests & phone number & you will be texted when to come back when a table is available. Our estimate was 15 min to 45 min but ended up being much closer to 10 minutes.
Yokato was great but hurt by high bar expectations in terms of the Michelin Guide reference. Service was very good, as was the ambiance & food just nothing that blows you away which for better or worse what you expect when you hear the name Michelin name.
After getting the text me & my friend were led to our tables. For lunch you fill in a little sheet with what sides you want, the broth, meats & any extras which I appreciated for the efficiency.
We ordered the Pork broth with Pork & the Chicken Broth with Chicken. Both were very good & savory, & didnt take too live to arrive after ordering. You also get a little caddy with add-ons for the soup which were spicy sesame seeds in oil, regular sesame seeds, pickled radish & pink onions I think.
Overall the service, system & food were all very good, just not mindblowing or novel which is what I kindof expected with any association for the Michelin Guide
La soupe était tout simplement excellente ! Le délicieux bouillon Tonkotsu débordais de saveurs, les nouilles parfaitement cuites & les portions généreuses. Environ 1heure d'attente qui en a vraiment value la peine. Une superbe expérience, je vais certainement y retourner !
delicious ramen place in Montreal. The ramen soup was full of rich, & thick. The karaake chicken is really good, perfectly crispy & seasoned. I really love the kakigori shaved ice with matcha cream & strawberry sauce, good combination. Its a bit busy, we waited there around 45 mins but not so bad. You can go in & reserve your spot in front of the house & they will text you when the table is ready
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.
Jul 26, 2025
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We had dinner here at 5pm on a Friday. No line to get in & was promptly seated. The restaurant was small & my husband & I were put in a seat facing the wall which was fine. The restaurant was dark & hot. Hot because they are literally cooking the food with fire right in front of you! Which is awesome. I hate when ramen comes out warm/hot. This came out extremely hot which is perfect.
I ordered the sesame broth with normal salt & chicken teriyaki. The broth was nice & creamy. They put HUGE pieces of chicken in the soup. I was actually shocked. It was all very filling. If you aren't absolutely starving or aren't the type of person to have a big appetite, you can share one bowl with two people. $22 for that much food was great.
The service was great & the food came out quick. Clean big washrooms as well.
There's a lot of waiting, but my complaint doesn't relate to that. After being seated, the cold drafts from the doors opening & closing were draining. Thankfully, the soups were served hot. The server, though nice & quick, seemed to be in a hurry when answering my questions about the different add-ons I could choose for my soup. It felt like I wasn't allowed to take my time to reflect, just to make a choice. While eating at the top counter, the credit card machine was placed right in front of me, & every time the dusty bill printer worked, particles of dust seemed to fall dangerously close to my soup. Despite these issues, the place itself looked great. When my soup arrived, it tasted really good, but they forgot two of my extras. I didn't mind waiting for them to be added, but when the mushrooms finally came, they were so cold that it was disappointing. The broth, however, was delicious, & the noodles were amazing. While eating, I noticed a girl in the kitchen with blue or green hair (or maybe both) cleaning something with a sponge right next to the soups lined up for their add-ons. Drops of water from whatever she was cleaning were falling into the soups, which, given how crowded the kitchen was, seemed unhygienic. I can't lie-I was happy with my meal. I liked being able to follow the preparation of my soup while sitting at the counter, & the food itself was good. However, small hiccups like these made the experience less than perfect &, overall, a bit disappointing. Will I go again? Yes. But will I hype it up to others & say it was amazing? No. I think a few small changes could greatly improve the atmosphere & experience.
Vegetarian soup (not the veg milk one) tastes good but not super special, though the toppings, sides & everything are definitely very thoughtful & well made. According to our friends the chicken soup is REALLY good. Takoyaki & shaved ice are standard tasty. We waited at least an hour, was pretty annoying that the wait time increased as we were waiting, it was just a thursday night. The waiter was very nice though.
Oct 18, 2024
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Really enjoyed the experience! The food was worth the wait, Saturday night is vey busy. We took the Kaarage (fried chicken) & the Chashu Don (Braised Pork rice) & Ramen soups that are personalized to your liking. Oh & do take the lemon ice cream. Service was quick & courteous. It felt like we were transported in Japan, sitting at the bar, looking at the chefs making their magic!
Now we are really greedy. A big Japanese lunch, one ramen down; we are going for the next ramen hit. If you were not looking on the map app, you will probably miss the entrance. YYR has a discreet entrance, but actually joins on to the other side where they can have some bar food & drinks. But we are here for the ramen - apparently the richest tonkotsu broth in town. Well, it was. The noodles were also nice & al dente, that allow the soup to grip on to. So it justifies the slurping! The host was a really nice Chinese guy who explained the way to order. Had a chat about the way of life in Canada too. Lovely friendly atmosphere. After all, the whole point of travelling is to meet & learn from the locals. Right? If you like your tonkotsu broth thicker than the average, then this is the place for you (& me)!
Now we are really greedy. A big Japanese lunch, one ramen down; we are going for the next ramen hit. If you were not looking on the map app, you will probably miss the entrance. YYR has a discreet entrance, but actually joins on to the other side where they can have some bar food & drinks. But we are here for the ramen - apparently the richest tonkotsu broth in town. Well, it was. The noodles were also nice & al dente, that allow the soup to grip on to. So it justifies the slurping! The host was a really nice Chinese guy who explained the way to order. Had a chat about the way of life in Canada too. Lovely friendly atmosphere. After all, the whole point of travelling is to meet & learn from the locals. Right? If you like your tonkotsu broth thicker than the average, then this is the place for you (& me)!
Le bouillon était savoureux & bien balancé. L'oeuf était correct sans plus. Par contre, j'ai pris le poulet c'était divin dans la soupe. Ce dernier est glacé (soya/sucre) c'est vraiment bon. Les nouilles super bonnes & fait maison Le service super rapide.
