Crafty Ramen is a Canadian food brand specializing in restaurant-quality frozen ramen sold in grocery stores across North America. Founded by Miki and Jared, the company traces its roots to 2010 when the couple met in Vancouver and subsequently moved to Japan to immerse themselves in ramen culture. After attending the prestigious Yamato School of Ramen in 2012 and spending years traveling Japan to study the craft, they returned to Canada and opened their first ramen restaurant in Guelph, Ontario in 2017. The 24-seat shop quickly gained a devoted following, setting the stage for the brand's broader ambitions.
In response to pandemic-related challenges in 2020, Crafty Ramen pivoted to home delivery ramen kits, using the same restaurant-grade ingredients from their kitchen. This innovation led directly to the launch of their frozen ramen line in 2021, designed to replicate the full restaurant experience with no compromise on quality. Today, frozen ramen is the company's flagship consumer product, available through multiple retail partners at stores across North America.
Each frozen ramen bowl is built around scratch-made noodles produced daily in-house using high-quality wheat and noodle machines imported from Japan. The broths — including classic and rich chicken varieties — are slow-simmered for hours using real bone broth and finished with house-made seasonings. Bowls arrive fully loaded with restaurant-style toppings and deliver 16 to 23 grams of protein per serving, requiring no assembly or added water. Products are ready in minutes via microwave or stovetop, targeting busy consumers seeking premium, convenient meal solutions.
The product line is continually evolving, with globally inspired flavor innovations such as the Brisket Birria Frozen Ramen — a bold fusion bowl featuring tender brisket, birria broth, white onion, black beans, cheese, and tomatillo salsa. This reflects the brand's core philosophy of applying Japanese ramen principles — regionality and constant innovation — to create new interpretations of the format for a global audience.
Crafty Ramen's target market spans retail grocery channels and direct-to-consumer segments, positioning itself as a premium frozen food brand in the growing better-for-you convenience category. With Michelin-trained culinary influence and over a decade of ramen expertise, the brand differentiates itself through authentic technique, real ingredients, and a chef-driven approach to frozen food development. The company continues to operate its original restaurant while scaling the frozen product line toward becoming a household name in restaurant-quality ramen worldwide.