Toronto restaurant owner closes chain location and opens new concept within weeks

A ramen chain in Toronto was just steamrolled by a seemingly similar concept after its owner decided to take the independent route.

Toronto restaurant owner Samantha Yu operated the Queen West location of Midori Ramen for about two weeks before permanently closing the business to launch her own concept.

Opening its doors in 2021, the ramen shop near the intersection of Queen and Spadina was the first location in Toronto that ultimately spawned a handful of additional locations in the city and broader region.

Despite the location's sustained popularity, even in the short period she spent operating Midori, Yu got the sense that the neighbourhood was hungry for more.

"Even at that time, it helped me quickly understand the neighbourhood, customer flow, and what people in the area were really looking for when it comes to Japanese food," Yu tells blogTO.

It didn't take long, evidently, for Yu to realize that it was high time the neighbourhood got a Japanese restaurant serving something other than ramen or sushi. Soon after, Yukimi Donburi was born in the same space Midori had formerly occupied.

Whereas Midori almost exclusively served ramen, Yukimi has a more expansive menu, with gyudon — a rice-based dish topped with thinly sliced beef and a selection of other toppings.

The decision to put her eggs in the gyudon basket, Yu explains, was a personal one driven by her own desire to eat the dish, but inability to find it in the city.

"As a food lover, I cannot find a Japanese beef bowl restaurant which is able to provide good tastes, more portions and lower prices at the same time," she tells blogTO. So, she built it herself.

In Yu's opinion, rice-based dishes are much more filling than ramen and other noodle soups, and they come served in larger portions, meaning the diner gets better bang for their buck, while the dish itself is quick, easy and relatively affordable to make.

"Donburi lets us focus more on flavour clarity, speed, and consistency while still delivering a satisfying Japanese experience and, in addition, the feeling of fullness," Yu tells blogTO.

On top of a comprehensive gyudon menu, the restaurant offers a comprehensive suite of other Japanese dishes: udon soups, katsu, curry don, and appetizers like karaage, takoyaki, gyoza and tempura all make appearances.

After officially opening for business at the end of November 2025, Yu tells blogTO that the immediate response from the community has been "very encouraging."

"We're seeing a healthy mix of neighbourhood regulars, office workers, subway construction workers and delivery customers, and many guests who try us once come back again," she says.

"It's still early, but feedback has been very positive overall, not only on our beef bowls, but also on curry rice and udon noodles, and the feeling that Yukimi is a place created with real care for Toronto's food lovers and local families."

Time will tell whether Yu's estimation that gyudon will be the city's next food fixation proves right, but, for the time being, she's happy doing her own thing.

Yukimi Donburi is located at 412 Queen St. W.