Tip: This place serves excellent ramen. The miso broth was exquisite, with thick cuts of chashu. When I lived in Winnipeg, getting ramen at any eatery wasn't a thing. Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse was the most popular Japanese restaurant then. It didn't and continues to not have ramen on its menu. Sushi restaurants were starting to bud in the city back then. On my first day in Winnipeg earlier this month, I wanted to grab dinner before driving to Steinbach. Since I had never had ramen at a restaurant in Winnipeg, I did a search and found GaiJin Izakaya. I said yes and drove over to this eatery. This restaurant is located in a plaza. There was plenty of parking when I had arrived. I parked and walked in. I was immediately greeted by a woman. I asked if I could get a table. She led me to a booth. I'm glad that I beat the dinner rush, as she asked other customers after me whether they had a reservation. There was a QR code on the table. You scan it to access the menu. The drink menu was there on the table. It was also online. I got these items: - Diet Coke - Gyoza - Miso ramen (bamboo shoots held) - Black sesame ice cream I added gyoza for $5 to make my miso ramen a combo. I recommend it, as gyoza as an appetizer on its own is $14.50. My miso ramen came with miso broth that contained both pork and chicken flavours. This dish featured chashu, wakame, bamboo shoots, green onions, and a marinated egg. I asked if I could get the bamboo shoots held. Done! My Diet Coke came out first. I got a glass with ice. I appreciated that gesture. I poured my beverage into the glass, which made my drink nicely cold and refreshing on a hot summer day. My gyoza came out next. The filling was pork and it was delicious. Each gyoza was flavourful and perfectly fried. They were crispy and yummy. My bowl of miso ramen came out next. I was excited. The best move that this eatery does is to separate the roasted seaweed from the broth. Most eateries dunk the sheets of seaweed in the ramen and you end up eating soggy, flabby seaweed sheets. I appreciated this detail. I had a bit of roasted seaweed left and put it off to the side on a plate so it wouldn't get soggy. My server was super effective clearing items off my table. She was about to clear my plate with the seaweed on it. I asked her to hold off, so I could grab my seaweed. I can't let that go to waste. I loved it. I was also paying for good roasted seaweed. The miso ramen here is exceptional. You can tell if the broth doesn't excite me if I don't consume the entire thing. I did here. The combination of pork and chicken broth with miso was tasty and brilliant. It was wonderful. I'm drooling. The ramen was bouncy and had the perfect chew. The slices of chashu were thick and tender. It had good flavour and I enjoyed the balance between the fat and the protein. I normally get corn, but completely forgot to order some. Oops! I was content with the green onions, wakame, and jammy, marinated egg. They pulled everything together to make this miso ramen so special and comforting. I was ready for dessert. I asked what ice cream flavours were available. There was matcha and black sesame. I chose the latter. I don't have black sesame ice cream often. It was so creamy and had a delightful nutty flavour to it. It was the perfect ending to this meal. My server was attentive. She got me the bill. I let her know that everything was fabulous. She was delighted. I paid with a credit card and tipped. I tapped and I was done. I used the washroom before I made the brief trip eastbound to Steinbach. It was clean. No complaints. I got melon candy as a parting gift. I loved it. It's always a favourite of mine. This eatery is a gem for delicious, authentic ramen and gyoza. Come here! This place also offers sushi rolls, baos, and more. I'd love to return and try other items on the menu. However, I feel that I'll be back for more ramen. Priorities! (250) read more

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WOW -- what a hidden gem! Tucked away on the east side of Winnipeg, GaiJin Izakaya is one of those places you can't believe more people don't talk about. Everything here is done right. Their ramen is excellent -- rich, flavourful broth and thick, tender cuts of char siu that melt in your mouth. The menu is huge, offering tons of variety beyond just ramen, so there's something for everyone no matter what you're craving. Prices are very reasonable for the quality and portion sizes you get, and the service is fast, friendly, and efficient. The interior is clean and modern, with tidy tables and a welcoming vibe that makes you want to stay awhile. It's rare to find a spot that nails both quality and value, but GaiJin Izakaya does exactly that. Easily one of Winnipeg's best-kept secrets -- this place deserves way more recognition. read more

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A must visit for lovers of Japanese cuisine. Owned/operated by Chef Edward Lam who is behind the popular sushi restaurant Yujiro on Grant Avenue. Everything we have tried so far has been excellent. The Tantan, Spicy Chicken Karaage & Spicy Miso ramen dishes were out of this world delicious. Complex flavours and decent portion sizes. The Curry Brisket, Gyoza, squid karaage and the kaki fried oysters (2 per order) were great too. Will return again very soon to try out their takoyaki, tempura and sashimi. Open for lunch and dinner with their ramen dishes available all day. read more

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hidden gem with excellent food and service. Large menu. I had the bao. my favourite was with pork belly. loved the tuna tataki. table also ordered ramen sashimi and and sushi roll. all was fresh. outstanding. will definitely go back. read more

Came here in August 2020 with a group of 5. Reservations were very easy to make over the phone. We came for the izakaya, but wanted to try the ramen, so we all split a tan tan ramen to start. It was delicious. The crispy pork and ground pork were wonderful, as was the rich broth and noodles. Can see that a bowl of ramen will make a perfect lunch in the future. Next, we worked our way through most of the izakaya dishes. Standouts for us were the spicy fried gyoza, the tare takoyaki, the smoky beef, and the spicy agedashi tofu. The pork gyoza were very nice and crispy and came on a bed of spicy vegetables. The takoyaki had a crisp exterior were melt in your mouth on the inside, and the melted cheese on them was a lot of fun and gave them a feel of arancini. The smoky beef was new and served on a piece of cream cheese on bed of torched tempura rice. Really great flavour and very unique. And the agedashi tofu was wonderfully tender and tasty. The other dishes were excellent as well, just not as standout as those. The tuna tataki was sooo tender and could easily be eaten without the use of teeth. The sushi pizza was quite filling (good value) but mostly tasted like the sauce with bites of salmon. The eggplant tempura was good, but even better was the mushroom and tomato salsa underneath it. The shrimp tempura was great, pretty standard, as was the tuna goma ae. The K-town chicken karaage (which is kinda like fried chicken pieces) was great, but could have used some more sauce we thought. The shrimp gyoza with pork were very rustic and tasty. Service was fiendly, fast, and helpful. Decor was fairly mid-level but comfortable. Overall, a very fun experience and we tried so many dishes we hadn't had before or could never make at home. Value for money was probably 7/10. Would say this would be a perfect spot for a group of friends/family or a couple to share a bunch of small plates, or a place to go if you are craving a delicious bowl of ramen. read more

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Terrible service would not recommend, I ordered a ramen with no pork and I do not include pork in my diet. When I got my food and began to eat there was pork in my bowl. Did not refund me or even give a decent discount after an employee told me I would not have to pay for the ramen. Very disappointed would never go again. read more

Terrible customer service. I've been to dozens of Ramen restaurants. And this is the worst one. Will never come back again.

Superior Japanese cuisine with excellent service. The spicy miso ramen is fantastic!! Don't let these other reviews deter you, they don't know what they are talking about. Oh and the COVID protocols are well handled and enforced. read more

The satay beef is the best thing on the menu. Everything I've had the several times I've been there is amazing. You won't be disappointed. The service is good. The only downside is having to sit in communal seating. I had to sit next to a person that is a customer of mine in my own business and it was an awkward dinner. It's definitely something to keep in mind. read more

We tried this place for the first time and loved it. I had the 1/2 spicy ramen and wow what a punch. Definitely not for the faint hearted but it was so flavourful. The egg was cooked perfectly, the pork had the right amount of melty fat, and the noodles were really good. We also had some sushi and my favourite was the the spicy mushroom rolls (not as spicy as the ramen). My kids wolfed down the avocado rolls so I never got a chance to try them. We were happily surprised by the quality and taste. Will definitely be back. read more