Gyou Ramen is a no-frills Toronto ramen spot that caters to students on the go.

Open since April 2025, the shop is sandwiched between a fried chicken restaurant and a loan agency on a busy section of Yonge Street.

The dining room is simple in both design and decoration, with wood-panelled walls and sleek plastic furniture. Pennants and tapestries hang above the tables, displaying images of koi fish, daruma dolls and lucky cats.

A small walk-up counter sits near the back of the shop. Here, staff members make drinks and prepare pickup orders while pop music plays over the sound system.

If you want to get your server's attention without leaving your seat, worry not — each table comes equipped with a call button, allowing guests to quickly and discreetly alert the staff to their needs.

As its name might suggest, Gyou Ramen's menu consists almost entirely of noodle dishes. Diners can choose between two types of noodles and a selection of meats, vegetables and add-ons.

Dishes inspired by Japanese street food, such as dumplings and fried chicken, are also available.

Chicken shoyu ramen ($15.99) is a simple but satisfying dish, consisting of sliced chicken breast in a soy sauce-based broth.

Seasoned eggs, bamboo shoots and nori sit at the bottom of the bowl, accompanied by sweet corn, black fungus and scallions.

Pork spicy garlic ramen ($16.99) combines tender pork slices with a flavourful pork bone broth. 

Though the toppings are almost identical to those in the Chicken shoyu ramen, the spicy garlic-infused soup gives these ingredients a slightly different flavour.

Curry tonkatsu rice ($15.99) is exactly what it sounds like: a sliced, lightly-fried pork cutlet, served with white rice and Japanese-style curry.

Despite its somewhat understated appearance, this dish is both flavourful and filling. I was particularly fond of the curry, which struck the right balance between spicy and mild. 

Takoyaki ($6.99) are served in sets of six. Each piece is a round ball of batter, filled with green onions and minced octopus meat. Crunchy bonito flakes and creamy sauce are layered on top, giving the dish a distinct texture.

Gyoza ($6.99) come in three different flavours: chicken, pork or vegetable. Regardless of which flavour you choose, the set comes with six pieces, with a side of soy sauce.

Fruit slush ($5.99) is a refreshing drink made from crushed ice and fruit-flavoured syrup. I sampled the mango and strawberry flavours, but blueberry and matcha-flavoured slushes are also available.

Gyou Ramen is located at 630 Yonge Street.