The Self Ramen Bar is Toronto's take on the Korean self-serve ramen trend.

Equipped with a ramen vending machine, a wide topping selection, and automatic cookers, your meal will be a fun combination of novelty and convenience.

Owner Jason Ryu hopes his shop will bring the essence of Korea to Canada.

The ramen bar opened in November 2023, quickly expanding the selection of available food items. At the moment, the store offers 3 categories of food: traditional soup noodles (A), stir-fry ramen (B), and tteok-bokki (C). 

Tteok-bokki, a.k.a. traditional Korean rice cakes served in a bright red spicy sauce, is the latest addition to the menu.

There's an easy three-step process to making your perfect comfort meal. While it's manageable on your own, if you're overwhelmed by choices or run into technical difficulties a staff member is on hand to help out.

Step one is to choose your base from the many options available. 

In fact, when you first walk in, you're immediately greeted by a huge vending machine dedicated to one thing only — ramen!

There is a wide variety of options available, and you'll see well-known names like Buldak and Shin Ramyun.

The touch screen conveniently lists the ramen's category (A for soup and B for stir-fry), as well as info like spice level and price. The price ranges from $6.99 to $8.49 and includes taxes.

If you're looking for category C, which is tteok-bokki ($9.99), you can ask the staff to grab it for you. You will still be able to add your own toppings and cook the dish by yourself using the automatic cookers.

Once you've made your selection and paid a little locker will open with your ramen choice already prepped in a bowl.

Step two is to select your toppings and drinks.

These are located in two fully stocked vending machines.

The toppings ($2 each) are prepped in little cups and stocked fresh throughout the day.

There are many choices, ranging from the familiar toppings of chicken, sausages, and fish cakes, to the more "out there" selections like "corn mayo," cheese and "bacon and peanuts."

I tried out the bacon and peanuts, which gave a nice, salty, crunch to the noodles.

There is also a veggie bar available ($2), stocked with bean sprouts and green onions.

The drink selection also boasts some fun options. Beyond your usual soft drinks and juices, some highlights include products like Milkis and fizzy VTalk lemonade.

After you've got your toppings and drink, it's time for the last step, cooking. Even if you're not the best chef, this process is easy and stress-free.

The machines are programmed to cook different categories to perfection. After following the instructions on what to put in your bowl before cooking, you simply hit your selection's corresponding category (A, B, or C.)

Scissors, utensils, and napkins are readily available to make your experience as smooth as possible.

The machine will take care of hot water and cooking time, and in around 4 minutes, you'll have a hot, ready, meal.
We selected three flavours to try: Buldak's Carbonara stir-fried ramen, Buldak's Quattro Cheese Hot Chicken soup ramen, and Korea Gomtang soup ramen (topped with bean sprouts, green onion, and bacon and peanuts.)

The soup ramen were warm and comforting, and the stir-fry had more of a sticky texture.

They've got lids if you need to take your creation to go, but if you stay and eat your meal here you won't be disappointed. There is plenty of standing room available at various counters.

The space has a fun red-and-white theme, and the lighting is suitable for taking pictures and videos of your experience for social media. K-pop music videos are playing on the TV, filling the space with fun and upbeat music. 

When we visited during lunchtime, the shop was decently busy, with many people coming in and out. It's a convenient spot for office workers and students, with U of T being just steps away.

Ryu has seen great success with this location and is hoping to open more branches soon, in places like Kingston and Guelph. 

The Self Ramen Bar is located at 233 College St, unit C.