Intriguing items abound at ramen restaurant Paper Tiger

• Sharing Plates: $5 to $12

• Large Plates: $13 to $19

• Diet: Vegan options available

• Wheelchair accessibility: Yes

After hearing much about Paper Tiger I arrived to find a location frequented by both young and old hipsters. I, at least, put myself into one of these categories. I liked the casual feel of the place with the small open kitchen next to the bar that has on-tap local craft beer.

I was told that whatever I do, I must try the Beast Broth. As the folks at Paper Tiger point out on their site, the broth is as old as the restaurant itself because they always add fresh bones and meats to the older stock, from the animals they break down. I also ordered the cucumber salad.

The salad arrived in short order and the large cut cucumber pieces were sweet, crunchy and fresh-sprinkled in a dressing that felt sharper than the described rice vinegar. A minor quibble as it was ultimately very pleasant and colourful.

The Beast ramen was less imposing than the name might imply and came served with scallions, ajitama egg, pork belly, and pickled zucchini. The pork belly was a cured and grilled delight. Serve me a bowl of this stuff as a bar snack with beer. Someone must have thought that pickled zucchini in a ramen would be a good idea. It's not. There’s not enough fat in the broth for the pickle to serve any function and the taste just doesn’t harmonize.

A key component to any ramen is the noodles. Here they are a disappointment not fit to be in the company of such a fine broth. They tasted watery and were without the spring of traditional ramen noodles.

The broth itself is very good and certainly complex but lacks salt. Salt brings out flavours and I was left thinking that a splash of soy would be nice as the beast broth was definitely underseasoned.

There's talent at Paper Tiger with a number of intriguing items such as black mushroom Udon and creamy fried Brussel sprouts, on the menu. I look forward to another visit with a deeper dive into their culinary world.