Ramen Archives | Page 2 of 3

Iconic Vancouver Ramen House: Kintaro Ramen

January 7, 2017 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Kintaro is one of the most iconic ramen houses in Vancouver serving ramen lovers since 1999. Line-ups are common as loyal customers return for comforting bowls of ramen. Over the past year, I have eaten at Kintaro many times. I love going there for a piping hot bowl of ramen on a rainy or cold day. Here is an overall review of my experiences at Kintaro in the last year.

Kintaro Ramen Menu

Kintaro offers 14 types of ramen ranging from basic (like shoyu, shio, miso) to specialty (like cheese and cold). Their broth has been reported to be simmered for 22 hours in order to maximize the flavour from the bones. You can also customize your order by choosing the richness of your soup (rich, medium, light) and how fatty you want your cha-shu (fat or lean). Ramen bowls are known to be budget-friendly and priced around $10 – $13. If you are feeling extra hungry, you can order additional toppings, meat, noodle and soup.

Basic Interior

The interior of Kintaro is functional. It’s an unpretentious eatery where you sit down, have your bowl of ramen, and be on your way afterwards to make room for a new customer. Not your kind of place to sit down for a long romantic dinner or to bring a large group of friends. Seating is mostly along the bar overlooking the open kitchen. There are a few two-person tables and one round table which is good for a small group or for communal seating.

Photos of the kitchen are not permitted as indicated by a sign. While I enjoy the food at Kintaro, I would like to raise issue of some cleanliness issues. On my last visit, I sat at the corner next to the while and noticed some highly disturbing yellow substance mixed in with dirt (I think?) on the wall. Kintaro really needs to work on maintaining their restaurant interior to an acceptable level.

What I Tried

I have tried the following at Kintario:

Miso ramen twice ($10.45) with additional wakame seaweed ($1.25)
BBQ shoyu ramen ($11.95)
Shio ramen ($9.95)
Spicy garlic ramen ($10.95)

I have only gone with “standard” options for the In general, I have found that the noodles are cooked al-dente, the cha-shu nicely gelatinouos, and the broth to be rich and flavourful. The portions of noodles and other ingredients are reasonable too.

My favourite is the miso ramen, which is Kintaro’s best ramen. The soup is blended with soy bean paste and Japanese spices so it is very flavourful. I love to add in seaweed for some extra oomph.

Kintaro miso ramen

If I were extra hungry, the BBQ ramen is the best choice. It comes with 6 pieces of cha-shu which is bound to make you full.

Kintario BBQ ramen

The shio ramen is simpler in flavours as the soup is much milder.

Kintaro shio ramen

If you’re not planning on getting to close to other people after your meal, you might want to go for the spicy garlic ramen. It comes with a ball of freshly ground garlic and has enough heat to tickle the taste buds but not set them on fire.

Kintaro spicy garlic ramen

Overall Impression of Kintaro

I continue to be a fan of Kintaro’s food but I hope that they work on having a cleaner restaurant. There are still many types of ramen to try but I’m happy with my go-to choices as well. Rating: 4/5

Yah Yah Ya Ramen Now Open on Robson

December 26, 2016 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Japan’s Yah Yah Ya Ramen opened a Downtown Vancouver location last month at 560 Robson Street beneath Korean supermarket H-Mart. With 4 ramen restaurants in Japan (Tokyo and Sapporo), this ramen chain entered the North American market in 2014 with a location in Richmond. Yah Yah Ya specializes in Yokohama iekei ramen in which the soup base is created by boiling together pork bone, chicken bone, konbu (kelp), and vegetables for a minimum of 12 hours. This is then flavoured with soy sauce, green onion, garlic and chicken oil. Not having visited Yah Yah Ya Ramen in Richmond before, I was interested in trying out their Yokohama-style ramen. This past month, I visited them twice on cold wintry days for some comforting eats.

Spacious Ramen Eatery

Compared to popular ramen eateries in the West End, Yah Yah Ya’s Robson location is so spacious it almost feels a little awkward. Having been used to slurping up my noodles in a small, crammed up space, I quite like the extra elbow room that Yah Yah Yah Robson offers.

One interesting part of their design is their very spacious waiting area in the front of the restaurant. If you’re used to lining up outside at ramen joints elsewhere, you might find comfort in Yah Yah Ya’s inside waiting area. Perhaps something to consider on those chilly days when you want ramen and prefer not to line up outside for it.

There are a few communal tables and two-person dining tables as well. The overall atmosphere of the restaurant is clean, modern and welcoming.

Yah Yah Ya Menu

The menu features seven noodle choices: shoyu (soy), shio (salt), miso, spicy miso, black garlic tonkotsu, abura soba (soupless), and mazesoba (soupless). These range from $9.95 to $13.25 and come in either regular or large size. Additional topping such as spinach, toasted seaweed, butter corn and more are available. Orders can be customized for noodle type (hard, normal, soft), taste (heavy, normal, light) and oil amount (more, normal, less). I confirmed with one of their staff members that their noodles are pre-bought, machine made. In the West End, The Ramenman makes their own noodles.

They also offer ramen with choice of small rice sets. That is, you can enjoy ramen with onigiri, chashu don, spicy chashu don, mentaiko don, or salmon don. Cold ramen options and Japanese appetizers are also available.

What I Tried

On my first visit, I went with the conservative choice of a large shoyu ramen ($11.95) which is their No. 1 ramen. This option comes with three pieces of toasted seaweed, 2 pieces of cha-shu, and a ramen egg. For my bowl, I went with all standard choices for noodle, broth and oil amount.

One thing I found was that their noodles were very springy and chewy, perhaps a little too springy. The broth was rather light for a “standard” option and seemed not so rich and flavourful. The chashu was standard – neither too lean nor fat.

The soft boiled egg may be perhaps cooked too much as the yolk wasn’t quite runny. Overall, the ramen was just okay and filling but flavourwise not too exciting.

On my second visit, I went with the black tonkotsu ramen and went with thinner noodles and additional butter corn this time around. I think the butter corn added a lovely sweetness and creaminess to the bowl which made it overall richer and more flavourful. I quite enjoyed the softer, thin noodles with this bowl and would go with thin noodles at Yah Yah Ya in the future.

I definitely felt more satisified with this bowl than then shoyu ramen.

Overall Impression of Yah Yah Ya Ramen

While the shoyu didn’t impress me much, the black tonkotsu ramen with butter corn and thin noodles wins my heart (and stomach). The spaciousness of Yah Yah Ya Robson makes it a comfortable and enjoyable environment to enjoy a meal. If I were to revisit them in the future, I’d have the black tonkotsu again. Rating: 3.5/5

Facebook: @richmondyahyahya

Newly Opened: Touhenboku Ramen on Denman

August 16, 2016 by foodgressing 1 Comment

Another day another ramen house opens up in Vancouver. This past weekend, Touhenboku Ramen at 854 Denman Street (Denman and Haro) starting serving ramen lovers. This location marks Touhenboku’s first location in Vancouver and fourth in Canada (the other three are in the Greater Toronto area)

Touhenboku currently has a Grand Opening discount on their ramen: 30% off (August 15th – 21) and 20% off (August 22 – 29). Over the weekend, they had 50% off ramen which drew in long line ups of customers.

“Blockhead”

Touhenboku is founded by Zuimei Okuyama, who had undergone training at a famous ramen school in Chiba. He had previously opened his first ramen shop in Ueno, just outside of Tokyo. As for the origin of the restaurant’s name, Touhenboku is Japanese for “blockhead”. The name pays tribute to a cafe of the same name that Zuimei used to visit when he was young. The mascot of Touhenboku is named Tomo, a half-Japanese and half-Canadian tree bark. Tomo’s profile is on the the Touhenboku website which notes that he is 5 ft, 180 lbs and loves ramen, friends and laughing.

Credit: Touhenboku

Bright & Clean Space

Unlike most of the ramen eateries in the area which are dark and crammed, I really like Touhenboku’s bright, clean and somewhat spacious interior. The design, I would say, is a mix of contemporary and traditional Japanese. There are two large communal tables which can accommodate 6 people, small dining tables for 2 and a few counters. They also have some wooden high-chairs for the little ones. While their front windows do open up to the street, it still can get quite hot in the summer (I was sweating!).

Touhenboku Menu

Touhenboku specializes in a style of ramen from Kyushi, Japan and uses mizutaki – a slow-cooked thick, creamy chicken-based stock. In this sense, they are a competitor of nearby ramen eatery, The Ramenman which also uses a chicken broth. Pork broth is available at an extra $1.00.

The regular ramen bowls are $10.50 and include White Original, Red Spicy Ramen, Black Garlic, and Light. Specialty ones like Meatlover Chashu and Vegetarian are $13.00. You customize your soup (chicken or pork), seasoning (soya sauce, sea salt, miso), noodles (thin or thick) and meat (pork belly, pork shoulder, chicken). Each ramen bowl has some seaweed, a boiled egg, wood ear mushrooms, and green onions.

Appetizers range from karaage (fried chicken) to gyoza, takoyaki, korokke (panko croquettes), ebifry (panko-crusted prawns) and ebi mayo (tempura prawns). There are five donburi options (pork belly chashu, chicken chashu, grilled ginger pork, fried chicken and BBQ chicken). Touhenboku will have an in-house pastry chef to create desserts including tiramisu, mille crepes, Japanese cheesecake and chocolate cake. When I went, the desserts were unavailable and a few appetizer options were either unavailable or sold out. The full menu photo can be downloaded here.

What We Tried

My husband and I went for lunch and we ordered a White ramen, a Red ramen, and a karaage. To start, the karaage was lightly battered and the pieces were fairly large compared to a lot of places I have been to. The outside wasn’t as crispy as I would like but the the meat was very juicy and tender. Overall, I liked that the karaage wasn’t very oily.

For the White Ramen, we had pork broth, sea salt seasoning, thin noodles, and pork belly chashu. I quite enjoyed the rich and creamy pork broth. One thing I did noticed was that the soft boiled egg was a bit overcooked; I like a ramen egg to have a bit of a runny yolk.

There is just one piece of chashu in the ramen bowl, so I would advise ordering some more slices if you are hungry.

For the Red Ramen, we went with a chicken broth, soya sauce seasoning, thick noodles, and chicken meat. There was a nice amount of spicy kick to it. The chicken was very flavourful and tender, but there was only one piece. As mentioned earlier, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to order more meat.

The thick noodles are definitely bouncier than the thin noodles we had in the White ramen.

Service

I thought that the service at Touhenboku was better than a lot of ramen eateries in the same area. The servers checked on us more often than what I experienced elsewhere. Furthermore, I found the servers to be very friendly, energetic and more fluent in English than at other ramen houses.

Overall Impression

I thought that the ramen at Touhenboku was good though I think the ramen eggs could be improved by having a soft-set yolk. I can’t say that their ramen is that much better than other places in the area, but I did like the more relaxed atmosphere and service. Rating: 3.5/5

Facebook: @TouhenbokuVancouver

Website: www.touhenboku.ca

Ramen Koika: Davie Village’s Only Ramen Eatery

May 25, 2016 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I was invited to attend a media event organized by Pork Ninjas. Opinions are my own.

While the West End is home to many ramen eateries, mostly in Robson and Denman area, there is only one ramen house in Davie Village. Located by the Rainbow crosswalk, Ramen Koika is a place where ramen aficionados can get their noodle fix in this neighbourhood. It has been a year since I last reviewed Ramen Koika; I visited them as a regular customer on a few occasions. This time around, I attended a media event where I sampled newer items that have been introduced to the menu since then.

Corporate to Culinary

The story behind Ramen Koika is fascinating and I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely owners of Ramen Koika, husband-and-wife team, Caleb Lee and Sophie Won. Formerly a bank mortgage specialist who decide to pursue his culinary passions, Caleb went to Japan to study the art of ramen making. He followed Japanese ramen sensei for three months with the help of a full-time translator. To fund his training and pursuit of being a restauranteur, the family sold their car and even their home. While the ramen training in Koren would have been much less compared to Japan, the ethnically Korean couple decided on training in Japan to support the creation of an authentic Japanese ramen house. If that’s not dedication, I don’t know what is.

After Caleb’s training was complete in Japan, the couple opened Ramen Koika in 2014. Soon after, Sophie quit her job to help with the business full-time in the background. Aside from Ramen Koika, the couple also own Sushi Hatzu (rebranded from Sushi Bella in February) just a few steps down the block.

Ramen Koika Menu

What I noticed previously and still remains true is Ramen Koika’s extensive ramen options. These include chicken-broth, pork-broth, wok-fried, vegetarian broth, regular cha-shu, non-cha-shu, salad and more. They also offer a number of side options as well including rice bowls, tonkatsu, takoyaki balls and gyoza. Their menu is fully available online.

What We Tried

Our tasting menu including the following:

Tako Wasabi ($5)
Tornado Potato Stick ($5)
Chashu Panini ($6)
Chashu Wrap ($6)
Chashu Plate ($6)
Housemade Gyoza ($6)
Assorted Ramen
- Ramen Sarada ($10)
- Chicken Tamago Ramen ($11)
- Nagasaki Champon Seafood Ramen ($13)
- King’s Ramen ($12)
- Queen’s Ramen ($12)
- Mayu Miso Ramen ($12)
- Okinawa Umi Ramen ($12)
- Koika Red Ramen ($10)

The meal started off with a wasabi kick from the tako wasabi (octopus marinated in wasabi). Cleaning up my sinuses in no time, the strong, hot flavour was balanced with the seaweed.

My second time having the tornado potato stick did not disappoint. A definite fun, crispy snack made with a spiral-cut potato which is then skewered and deep fried.

The chashu panini is a newer item on the menu. It was a definite comfort food with cream cheese, cajun honey chashu, lomain and wasabi mayo. Loved the melt-in-your-mouthness of this panini.

One of the standout side dishes was the chashu side dish, another new menu item. A lot of soft, tender, fatty meat which is not for the faint of heart (or stomach)!

Now for the stars of the meal…the ramen! One thing to note is that Ramen Koika makes their noodles in-house. I must confess that I was unable to try all the ramen as I had gotten very full.

However, my definite favourite and summertime recommendation is the ramen sarada. I very much enjoyed this brightly-coloured spring mix with soft boiled half egg, cherry tomato, garlic chip, corn, red pepper, green pepper and black sesame salad dressing. A flavourful and refreshing dish.

One of their top-sellers is the black garlic ramen. It is a delicious and earthy flavoured concoction of bamboo shoot, roasted seaweed, soft boiled egg, chashu, black tree fungus, green onion, garlic chip and black garlic oil.

In general, the noodles were al-dente and proportions of toppings and noodles were very reasonable for the price.

If you have a huge tolerance for spicy foods, then you might be interested in the Koika Red Ramen Challenge. There are three levels of spiciness (Level 1, 2 and 3) and if you can finish your serving of Level 3 spiciness ramen within 15 minutes, you can get the ramen for free, a picture on the “Wall of Flame” and a certificate of completion. We tasted the broth of a Level 1 spicy and I was already on fire!

Overall Impression of Ramen Koika

I continue to be impressed with Ramen Koika’s diverse ramen options from different broth bases to side options. Prices and friendly and portions are filling. Rating: 4.5/5

Website: http://www.ramenkoika.com/

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Lunch Specials at Ramen Danbo on Robson

May 21, 2016 by foodgressing 1 Comment

It had been several months since I visited Ramen Danbo in Kitsilano. It was a pleasant experience then and they have since opened a second location on Robson in the space formerly occupied by VanVan Izakaya. I went to Ramen Danbo a few times recently for their lunch special and here is a review of my visits.

Fukuoka-Style Tonkotsu Ramen

To start, Ramen Danbo serves traditional tonkotsu ramen (pork-bone broth) crafted in the Kyushu Hakata style (other popular regional styles are Tokyo and Sapporo). For some geographical context, Hakata ramen is from Fukuoko, which is Japan’s sixth largest city and is located on the island of Kyushu. While Ramen Danbo has over 20 locations in Japan, their Kitsilano location is the first international one and the Robson one their second.

Seriouseats.com noted that many ramen broths are gently simmered to develop subtle flavors. However, tonkotsu broth like at Ramen Danbo is cooked at a rolling boil, which gives the soup a rich body, opaque appearance, and rich texture.

Ramen Danbo Menu

Ramen Danbo has 5 signature ramen ranging from a classic tonkotsu ramen to a spicy blazing hot rekka ramen. The prices are between $9 – $12 which is standard for a ramen eatery. At Ramen Danbo, you can customize your ramen by choosing the thickness and firmness of the noodles, the thickness of the noodle broth, and the amount of lard and spicy tare sauce. While I have chosen the noodle type at other ramen restaurants, the latter options have not been offered in my experience. At Ramen Danbo, extra-noodles can be ordered as a half ($1.00) or full order ($2.00). Extra topping choices included the usual chashu pork, soft-boiled egg topping and seawood. They also offer typical toppings for Hakata style ramen which are kikurage (cloud ear mushroom) and Karashi Takana (pickled Japanese mustard greens with a spicy kick). The Ramen Danbo menu is fully available online.

There are three lunch set specials which are available weekdays 11:00 am to 5 pm. My go-to set is “A” which includes your choice of ramen with 3-pieces of pan-fried Yaki Gyoza and 1 of 4 ramen toppings (Soft-boiled Egg, Nori, Kikurage, or Karashi Takana) all for an extra $3.

What I Tried

I had the Classic Tonkotsu Ramen and Negi-goma Tonkotsu Ramen as lunch set option A with 3 gyoza and a soft-boiled egg. Like at the Kitsilano location, the broth was nicely milky, golden in colour, and flavourful, while the noodles were thin but firm. The chashu, though not the most melt-in-your-mouth I have had in Vancouver, was still very tender.

The gyoza was good: crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

My favourite is still the Negi-goma Tonkotsu Ramen which has scallions, 2 pieces of chashu, toasted sesame seeds and white sesame oil. I love the fun texture from the white sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.

My experience is that if you order just the ramen alone without any other extras you will most likely still be hungry. With the lunch set special, I was definitely comfortable but not stuffed.

Overall Impression of Ramen Danbo

All in all, I enjoy the ramen at Ramen Danbo and their customization options. I would recommend getting extra toppings or side dishes to ensure that you are full. The broth is rich, flavourful and very drinkable. Rating: 4/5

For more information, visit Ramen Danbo on their website.

The Ramenman Grand Re-Opening

May 4, 2016 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

It has been five months since my last visit to The Ramenman when they had just opened. Recently, I came across their Facebook post announcing that they were having grand re-opening. They apparently were closed for about two months due to renovations. As part of their grand re-opening, they are having ramen specials including $5 for their regular ramen until Friday, May 6. The promotion was certainly enticing and I visited The Ramenman yesterday for some ramen.

What’s New

Based on their Facebook post, The Ramenman has a few new improvements. First of all, they make all their ramen noodles in house now. A Granville Island sake maker’s sparkling sake is now available on tap for the first time in town. The restaurant itself has a new bar counter overlooking the open kitchen. Furthermore, they are going to introduce a new ramen after their promotional week.

The Ramenman Menu

All of the ramen at The Ramenman is in chicken broth. Their grand re-opening menu has four ramen options:with clams ($7), in a chicken stew ($6), vegetable broth with miso ($6) or regular chicken soup broth ($5). For all ramens, you have a choice of char-sui: pork, chicken or one of each. A ramen egg or 63 degree egg (poached) is an extra $1. They also have kara-age and gyoza for $4 each.

Sous-Vide Method

The meat at The Ramenman is prepared using sous-vide technique. Therefore, you should expect the meat to be very tender and moist, but a bit pink. The owner had explained to me previously that it was becoming more popular in Japan to employ the sous-vide technique as people are more health-conscious. The meat is prepared with less oil using sous-vide compared to traditional barbeque methods.

What I Tried

My husband and I went for a late lunch and we sat at their new bar counter. We got to see some kitchen action during our meal. We enjoyed a regular chicken broth ramen with a 63 degree egg as well as a clam ramen in chicken broth with a ramen egg. We also ordered the five piece kara-age.

I really enjoyed the kara-age which was fried perfectly with tender, juicy chicken on the inside.

Their house-made noodles which were al-dente. According to the chef, they are aged for one day to ensure the right flavours. I love that they are additive-free compared to other ramen houses where they use pre-made noodles.

The regular chicken ramen came with bamboo shoots, green onion oil, green onions, corn, garlic and black pepper. The meat was moist, tender and slightly pink. The bamboo shoots added a sweet flavour. The broth was cloudy but flavourful and very drinkable.

I prefered the regular ramen but my husband liked the clam ramen more. The clam portions were reasonable and definitely had more of a “taste of the sea.”

Overall Impression of Ramenman

I enjoy The Ramenman’s method of preparing the meat sous-vide resulting in a more succulent, tender and moist meats without the heaviness and greasiness. I love their new bar counter which gives you a chance to see how the food is being made. The chicken kara-age was surprisingly good as well. Be sure to get in on their ramen promotion which ends on Friday! Rating: 4/5

To read more about my first visit to the Ramenman, see here. For more of my ramen adventures, follow my ramen tag.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/The-Ramenman-172684076409030/

New Ramen Joint: Ramen Gojiro is Now Open

February 29, 2016 by foodgressing 3 Comments

Ramen lovers, get ready for some more noodle slurping! Vancouver’s newest addition to the ramen scene, Ramen Gojiro, is now open. Located at 501 Dunsmuir in Downtown Vancouver, Ramen Gojiro start serving customers just yesterday and will continue their soft opening until Tuesday. Ramen Gojiro is owned by The Menya Kouji Group, who owns over 150 restaurants in Japan as well as Ramen Butcher in Chinatown. As a ramen lover, I was excited to try out Ramen Gojiro and I headed there for lunch today.

Downtown Location

Ramen Gojiro is located at the corner of Dunsmuir and Richards and will likely be great lunch spot for nearby workers and International students. The restaurants seats 38 and is clean, bright and a lot more spacious than other ramen eateries.

Ramen Gojiro Menu

At Ramen Gojiro, you can get either karaage (fried chicken) or chashu (roasted pork) ramen in either basic or spicy. There are two sizes of ramen available: regular or bakamori. If you are super hungry, you will find satisfaction with the bakamori which is basically a super-size ramen which has more of everything. Currently, during the soft opening, the regular sized ramen is $5.26 + tax and the bakamori is $8.26 + tax. They plan on offering Tsukeman (cold dipping noodle in hot broth) in the future. Side dishes offered include karrage, gyoza, and Japanese Fried Rice.

The noodles at Ramen Gojiro are “jiro style” – that is they are thicker and stand up better in a saltier and fattier broth. The broth is made with both pork and chicken.

What I Tried

My wait outside was rather short compared to what I have experienced elsewhere (only about 20 minutes).

My husband and I tried the basic bakamori karaage, spicy chashu bakamori, and gyoza. We ordered an extra egg (ajitama) for each of our bowls for an extra $1 each.

At first glance, I was impressed with the mountain of bean sprouts and cabbage toppings on the basic bakamori karaage ramen . The karaage certainly appeared mouthwatering and it tasted just as good as it looked. A wonderfully crispy skin and with a very tender boneless meat. I was in heaven. The ramen egg was flavourful and had a nice runny yolk as expected. I actually found the broth to be on the lighter side but still flavourful and not overly salty.

The noodles were plentiful and most certainly thick and chewy. They weren’t joking with the bakamori – there is literally so much more of everything including meat, toppings and noodles. This really puts those ramen eateries where you need to order extra noodles to shame.

We also tried the spicy chashu bakamori ramen at a medium spice level. You can customize the spiciness (mild, spicy, or atomic breath). The spice level was good but I think we could tolerate even hotter like the atomic breath level. The chashu was delicious but I think more on the leaner side rather than super fatty.

The gyoza was also delicious and I could taste the chives in the filling. I also noticed that the gyozas were not very greasy at all.

Overall Impression of Ramen Gojiro

All in all, I really enjoyed the ramen bowls from Ramen Gojiro. Even though it was just a soft opening, all the staff seemed were very well-trained already. My advice is to go on an empty stomach and get the bakamori for a very satisfying meal. Rating: 5/5

For more information on Ramen Gojiro, visit their website or social media (Facebook, Instagram).

Warm Your Soul with Ramen Danbo

January 2, 2016 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Happy New Year everyone! Wishing you tons of delicious eats in 2016!

The weather has been cold (*brr!*) and a hot bowl of ramen is just what you need to warm up. Located near 4th and Burrard, Ramen Danbo has been open since late spring last year. My husband and I were shopping on West 4th recently and we popped into Ramen Danbo to take a break from the cold. Ramen Danbo has been well-received by ramen lovers and has had favourable reviews overall on Zomato and Yelp. As a ramen enthusiast, I was eager to slurp their noodles and taste their savoury broth for the first time.

Fukuoka-Style Tonkotsu Ramen

Ramen Danbo serves traditional tonkotsu ramen (pork-bone broth) crafted in the Kyushu Hakata style (other popular regional styles are Tokyo and Sapporo). For some geographical context, Hakata ramen is from Fukuoko, which is Japan’s sixth largest city and is located on the island of Kyushu. While Ramen Danbo has over 20 locations in Japan, their Kitsilano location is the first international one.

Seriouseats.com noted that many ramen broths are gently simmered to develop subtle flavors. However, tonkotsu broth is cooked at a rolling boil, which gives the soup its rich body, opaque appearance, and rich texture.

Ramen Danbo Menu

The Ramen Danbo menu is fully available online. It includes 5 signature ramen ranging from a classic tonkotsu ramen to a spicy blazing hot rekka ramen. The prices are standard for a ramen eatery with bowls between $9 – $12. The wonderful thing is that you can customize your ramen by choosing the thickness and firmness of the noodles, the thickness of the noodle broth, and the amount of lard and spicy tare sauce. While I have chosen the noodle type at other ramen restaurants, the latter options have not been offered in my experience. At Ramen Danbo, extra-noodles can be ordered as a half ($1.00) or full order ($2.00). Extra topping choices included the usual chashu pork, soft-boiled egg topping and seawood. They also offer typical toppings for Hakata style ramen which are kikurage (cloud ear mushroom) and Karashi Takana (pickled Japanese mustard greens with a spicy kick).

What We Tried

I chose the Negi-goma Tonkotsu Ramen which came with fresh scallions, 2 Yakibuta Chashu pork slices, toasted sesame seeds and white sesame oil.

My husband – the spicy lover – had the Blazing Hot Rekka Ramen ($10.45) with a conservative choice of 5 times the standard spiciness (rather than 10, 15, or 20 times). The spiciness was courtesy of the Ichimi Togarashi red pepper imported from Japan. Since we just can’t get enough of chashu, we ordered an extra three slices to share ($2.25). We also went with standard for all the options for noodles, broth, lard and spicy tare sauce.

The order arrived quite quickly, and was piping hot on arrival. I found the broth to be nicely milky, golden in colour, and flavourful, while the noodles were thin but firm. The chashu, though not the most melt-in-your-mouth I have had in Vancouver, was still very tender. I loved the fun texture from the white sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. My husband found his ramen to have a nice kick to it but he would take it to the max next time by choosing 15 times spiciness. I was reasonably full and having extra chashu pieces definitely helped.

Like many ramen restaurants, Ramen Danbo is rather small and you will most likely need to wait outside. However, the covered waiting area in their doorway is limited by one gigantic red lantern. My advice to management would be to remove it to allow a bigger covered waiting area. It is particularly helpful when it is raining outside!

Overall Impression of Ramen Danbo

It was my first time trying Hakata style ramen and I found it overall very hearty and delicious. I love how they allow so many customization options. I would recommend getting extra toppings to ensure that you are full. Rating: 4/5

For more information, visit Ramen Danbo on their website.

West End’s New Ramen Joint: The Ramenman

November 2, 2015 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Just when you think there are enough ramen restaurants in the West End, a new one pops up. The Ramenman is the newest addition to the West End’s Japanese ramen scene. It is located on Bidwell and Robson, and a block away from the very popular Hokkaido Ramen Santouka and Marutama Ramen. I popped into The Ramenman this past weekend on two occassions for lunch to see how well their ramen fairs in an area where ramen joints are aplenty.

Hipster Chic

At first glance, I could have mistaken The Ramenman for a coffee house. Jazz music played in the background while industrial style lights hung above their single communal table. Some of the staff donned chic industrial aprons which reminded me of baristas. The vibe of the restaurant kind of put me in the mood for a latte to go with the ramen. But I digress. I was there to try their ramen.

Soft Opening

The Ramenman is currently in a soft opening phase. They are open for dinner (5:30 pm – 10 pm) from Wednesday to Sunday and for lunch (12 pm – 3 pm) on Saturday and Sunday only.

The Ramenman Menu

All of the ramen at The Ramenman is in chicken broth. Their soft opening menu has three ramen options: with clams ($11.50), in a chicken stew (thicker broth $10.50) or regular chicken soup broth ($9.50). For all ramens, you have a choice of char-sui: pork, chicken or one of each.

They also have an appetizer plate ($5.50) with char-sui, ramen egg, Japanese leek, bamboo shoots, spinach with green onion oil and chili pepper. Additional toppings can be ordered as well.

One of the owners noted to me that the char-sui is prepared using the sous-vide technique. Therefore, you should expect the meat to be very tender and moist, but a bit pink. The owner explained to me that it was becoming more popular in Japan to employ the sous-vide technique as people are more health-conscious. The meat is prepared with less oil using sous-vide compared to traditional barbeque methods.

What I Tried

On my first visit, I tried the ramen with clams, pork and chicken char-sui ($11.50). Other ingredients included green onion, red onion, parsley, garlic, black pepper, green onion oil and truffle oil. My bowl came out rather quickly within five minutes of putting in my order. The broth was indeed flavourful while the noodles had a nice chewy and springy texture. The pork and chicken cooked sous-vide were tender, moist and slightly pink. The ramen was overall good but I felt like there was too much of a mix of flavours from the clams to chicken to pork.

On my second visit, I decided to simplify a little by going with a regular chicken broth ramen with pork char-siu only. This time, I found the flavours to be more enjoyable. The bowl came with a ramen egg, bamboo shoots, Japanese leek, green onion, garlic, green onion and truffle oil. The bamboo shoots added a sweet flavour while the yolk of the ramen egg was not overly runny.

On both visits, I easily finished my ramen bowls though I was not totally full. I think the additional toppings or char-siu would be worthwhile.

Overall Impression of The Ramenman

The Ramenman distinguishes itself from other ramen restaurants by preparing the char-siu sous-vide. The result is more succulent, tender and moist meats without the heaviness and greasiness. In this sense, their ramen feels lighter than the ones from Hokkaido Ramen Santouka. I preferred the flavours of the regular chicken ramen with pork versus the one I had with clams, pork and chicken. With the current portion size, I think ordering additional toppings or cha-siu would make it more satisfying. There is potential in The Ramenman and I would be interested in seeing what they offer in the future. Rating: 3.5/5

Facebook: www.facebook.com/The-Ramenman-172684076409030/

Motomachi Shokudo Ramen Restaurant

May 25, 2015 by foodgressing 2 Comments

For my next ramen adventure, I headed to Motomachi Shokudo located near Denman and Robson. Motomachi piqued my interest after being mentioned as one of the best places to have ramen in Vancouver. This post reflects my experiences from two recent visits to Motomachi.

Small & Intimate Space

The wood accented interior of Motomachi has a traditional Japanese feel. The calming and inviting atmosphere made me feel zen. The restaurant is small with a large communal table, a counter near the kitchen and a few stand-alone dining tables for 2-3 people. Motomachi would not be appropriate for a large group that want to sit together.

Motomachi Shokudo Menu

When I looked through Motomachi’s binder of a menu, I noticed that they offer some healthier ramen varieties. There is the spicy miso ramen with *organic* chicken as well as the shio ramen with *natural* salt and seasonal vegetables. The ramen bowls range from $9-$12, and extra noodles cost $1. Zomato has a photo of the simplified menu here.

The Ramen

On the first visit to Motomachi, my husband and I shared two ramen: the bamboo charcoal dark miso ramen ($10.55) and the shio ramen with natural salt and seasonal vegetables ($10.50).

The bamboo charcoal dark miso ramen seems to be Motomachi’s signature dish. With the incorporation of bamboo charcoal into the dish, I expected the broth to be a bit gritty but this was not the case. The charcoal in the broth did not have much of a texture as it seemed like very fine powder. It also did not add any taste to the broth. One page I found on the Internet confirmed that bamboo charcoal used in cooking adds no taste to the dish because bamboo charcoal is tasteless and odorless. The broth was definitely more of a miso flavour. The soft boiled egg is always a delicious addition to ramen and the pork was tender and fatty.

I ordered an extra piece of BBQ pork ($1.50) with the shio ramen with natural salt and seasonal vegetables. The ramen had a heap of veggies including corn, grape tomatoes, seaweed, snow peas, lime and cabbage. The dish was light, flavourful and delicious.

On another visit, I had the extra BBQ pork shio ramen ($11.50), which had two types of BBQ pork: shoulder and back rib. I loved the melt-in-your-mouth goodness of the meat. The broth was also rich and flavourful with the right amount of salt.

Loved the melt-in-your-mouth chashu in the “Extra BBQ ramen” 👌 #denman #weamaze

A photo posted by Foodgressing 🍴 (@foodgressing) on May 22, 2015 at 7:21pm PDT

A few tips

Motomachi only takes cash or debit. If you have a ramen craving on Mondays, then you are out of luck as Motomachi is closed on Mondays. They are open Thursday to Tuesday, noon to 11 pm.

Overall Impression

The dining experience at Motomachi is solid with delicious ramen and healthy options available. The setting is small but has a cozy, zen atmosphere. I personally still prefer Hokkaido Ramen Santouka or Marutama Ramen because I enjoy their ramen flavours more, but Motomachi has its own little charm.

Bamboo charcoal dark #miso #ramen 👌#ontheblog #latergram 🍜🍜🍜 A photo posted by Foodgressing 🍴 (@foodgressing) on May 25, 2015 at 8:37pm PDT

Other West End Ramen Restaurant Reviews

Check out my other reviews on Ramen restaurants in the West End:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Motomachi-Shokudo/154698807901132

Kintaro Ramen Menu

Basic Interior

What I Tried

Overall Impression of Kintaro

Spacious Ramen Eatery

Yah Yah Ya Menu

What I Tried

Overall Impression of Yah Yah Ya Ramen

“Blockhead”

Bright & Clean Space

Touhenboku Menu

What We Tried

Service

Overall Impression

Corporate to Culinary

Ramen Koika Menu

What We Tried

Overall Impression of Ramen Koika

Fukuoka-Style Tonkotsu Ramen

Ramen Danbo Menu

What I Tried

Overall Impression of Ramen Danbo

What’s New

The Ramenman Menu

Sous-Vide Method

What I Tried

Overall Impression of Ramenman

Downtown Location

Ramen Gojiro Menu

What I Tried

Overall Impression of Ramen Gojiro

Fukuoka-Style Tonkotsu Ramen

Ramen Danbo Menu

What We Tried

Overall Impression of Ramen Danbo

Hipster Chic

Soft Opening

The Ramenman Menu

What I Tried

Overall Impression of The Ramenman

Small & Intimate Space

Motomachi Shokudo Menu

The Ramen

A few tips

Overall Impression

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