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.
Ordered karage tokoyaki & grilled squid for starters, tonkotsu ramen main. Starters are pretty good. Grilled squid came immediately & cold. I assume a cancelled order for someone else -1.5. Ramen was really bad , noodles carried no flavour. Broth had no depth, egg was just a soft boiled egg. Pork shoulder not belly so no flavour whatsoever. -2 bad service would add another -1 but not adding that to this review.
On the second visit nobody bothered to ask if we are ready to order. I needed to ask for an attention eventually. Then the order was mixed up a bit. This will not stop me going there again.
The ramen here is really good - rich, flavourful, & honestly tastes just like the bowls I've had in Japan. The service is friendly & attentive, & the waiters are knowledgeable about the menu & happy to explain the different sakés & wines. Overall, a great spot for authentic ramen in Montreal.
Unfortunately, we were disappointed dining here. I got the pork broth ramen which lacked depth & flavour. My friend got the sesame broth ramen with chicken & her sesame broth was extremely thick, to the point where it was difficult to sip & did not feel like a broth at all. Pieces of her chicken were also, unfortunately, raw. Overall the experience was not a positive one :(
May 6, 2026
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Best ramen I've ever had, & the service was really above & beyond. It's a popular spot, but it's bigger than it looks online so you can seat a group if you get there right at opening.
I came to the 10th anniversary event & got the secret ramen special. Personally I didn't like it. It was heavy & the flavour was reliant on the pork fat. I will try again with the regular menu but for a Michelin star restaurant I was expecting something unique.
Apr 30, 2026
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Since we didn't want to wait three hours we decided to order take out. We waited 30min for it & when we got home, we opened the box & there was no broth in it. We were really disappointed by that…
Came at 5h30pm, ate at 8h45pm. Waited more than 3 hours just for the food being meh. (Broth too salty, noodles undercook, meat hard to chew or mostly fat). Their ramen are not consistent, my friends bowl had more meat while I had more cabbage. Honestly, overhyped & overprice for ramen. How was it considers Michelin star?
Servings are so cheap for what it really is. Pork was like 95% fat, broth was too salty & the entire dish was so plain. Couldn't believe it. Doesn't even taste good. All hype.
Apr 26, 2026
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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.
This place is very unique. The waitress went out of her way to help us, & also greeted us in Japanese. The food was amazingly tasty. The atmosphere was very interesting & inviting.
