Quick Eats: Menya Mappen

Menya Mappen is the epitome of Japanese assembly line fast food. All orders are serviced in a queue - hungry customers enter from one end, happy customers exit from the other. The food selection consists primarily of their noodles, rice bowls, in addition to an assortment of Japanese sides.

I passed by on one fine Thursday afternoon in search of lunch and happened upon Menya Mappen as I entered a building just off of George St near Liverpool St. Inside the building, there were plenty of other options (Pepper Lunch, Oiden, etc.), but Mappen happened to be in my direct line of sight. At the entrance of the restaurant, signs directed customers to an entry queue on the left.

A closer look at Menya Mappen's regular menu.

A first-glance at the menu is bound to raise some eyebrows. After all, seeing bukkake on a menu is not an everyday occurrence. Once in the queue, orders are processed with brutal efficiency. After placing an order, customers have the option of picking up any sides that they desire before shuffling over to a cash-only cashier. Interestingly, my order was ready before I was able to get cash to hand.

Tonkotsu Karaage Udon ($8.90, small)

The noodle bowls are relatively simple in appearance and any garnishings are completely self-serviced. The egg is left runny but the soup is just short of being hot enough to cook it any further. The chicken is quite moist and flavourful and the broth carries a peppery and (what I perceived to be) a slightly burnt flavour. Unfortunately, chicken karaage loses its crispness after being submerged in broth. Having experienced more premium tonkotsu ramen offerings in Toronto, my impressions are lukewarm at best. That said, it's clear that Menya Mappen places an emphasis on speed as opposed to gourmet quality.

Customers can choose from a selection of Japanese goodies, under a heat-lamp.

Side Items

I nabbed a skewer of takoyaki and a skewer of fish stick. Both were relatively inexpensive and were tasty accompaniments to the udon bowl. The takoyaki was well-formed (not runny!) but was a tad greasy for my liking. Same could be said of the fish stick.


For anyone looking for a speedy, inexpensive meal, Menya Mappen is a solid choice. The entire process from ordering to dining is blazing fast, leaving ample time for slurping those fine noodles.