Motomachi Shokudo Ramen

On this beautiful sunny day, I thought it will be the perfect day to force Meko to go downtown for some shopping! I usually dislike heading downtown, due to the inconvenience of parking spots. But of course, there only two things that will bring me to downtown: Ramen and Holt Renfrew. Which both requirements were satisfied today. Yay! Our first stop was Pacific Centre. Then around 1:30pm, we walked to Waffles and Berries for a snack. When we got there, we found out they sold out of waffles for the day. Slightly angry and immensely hungry, I suggested Motomachi Shokudo for some ramen!! It's been a while since we have been there; I needed a refresher before I write this blog post.

Exterior of Motomachi Shokudo

Inerior of Motomachi Shokudo

As Meko and I walked down Robson Street, we passed by Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, which had a short line up. And Kintaro Ramen had a long line up as usual. The line up is one of the reason why I prefer Motomachi Shokudo. You don't need to wait in the freezing cold first for a very tasty bowl of ramen at a good price! The current hype for ramen in Vancouver is Santouka Ramen and Kintaro Ramen, whereas Motomachi Shokudo is not as well-known. It is tucked closer to Alberni Street, so most people will not walk pass it unless you are heading to Stanley Park.

Motomachi Shokudo feature ramen with a lighter broth. It is not as thick and rich as the ones you will find in Kintaro Ramen. Even the "light" ramen in Kintaro Ramen is comparatively more rich. This is because Kintaro Ramen's broth is all pork based. The broth in the ramen of Motomachi Shokudo is actually chicken based. Pork is generally fatter and create a richer and more flavourful taste in soups. The usage of chicken is healthier, as it is not as fattening.

New Generation Miso Ramen ($9.45)
Blend of four types of miso. This bowl of miso ramen is topped with Japanese leek, green onion, bamboo shoots, corn, a lot (I mean A LOT) of bean sprout, and a single piece of cha-shu. The noodles has a good chewy bounce to it. The broth itself is flavourful, yet not heavily greasy.

Extra Cha-Shu Miso Ramen ($11.45)
Cha-shu is BBQ pork. Very reasonably priced. For $2 more, you are getting 4 extra pieces of cha-shu (shoulder and back rib) and seaweed. I actually like the cha-shu from Motomachi Shokudo the most when comparing with other ramen shops (excludes toroniku from Santouka Ramen). It has a better marble blend of lean meat and fat, hence it is not too dry and not too overwhelmingly fatty in certain bites.

Light Miso Broth Ramen

Recall my previous post. For the Robson Street and West End area, I ranked my ramen satisfaction in the following order:

1. Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
2. Motomachi Shokudo
3. Kintaro Ramen
4. Benkei Ramen

Santouka Ramen has my number one vote because of the delicious melt-in-your-mouth toroniku (pork cheeks) and tasty pork broth. However, their regular cha-shu is actually inferior when comparing it to Motomachi Shokudo's cha-shu. If I only had $10 to spend on a bowl of ramen, I will head over to Motomachi Shokudo. Otherwise, a bowl of Tokusen Toroniku Ramen will make me very happy, costing $15. I personally find Kintaro Ramen a bit too rich and greasy for my taste, but I do have my occasional craving for their yummy Cheese Ramen! It is all personal preference, so leave a comment stating which is your favourite ramen shop :)

Extra charge for green tea.

Location: On Denman Street and Alberni Street. Just a few stores north of Kintaro Ramen. Generally has a short line up (approximately 15 minutes). The whole store only seats 18 people. Please note: they only accept cash and debit. There is also a $1 charge for green tea.

Food: Delish light ramen that is a healthier-option. Cha-shu is very good.
Service: The waitresses were not very attentive. However, the kitchen was speedy; we received our ramen shortly after ordering.
Price: We spent a total of $26 with tax for an afternoon lunch snack.
Recommended? Yes! Read above regarding my comparison of downtown ramen shops.

- Hippo


Motomachi Shokudo 元町食堂
740 Denman Street
Vancouver, B.C.
Phone: 604-609-0310

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

Four words: Best Ramen in Vancouver! Whenever I crave ramen, I think about Hokkaido Ramen Santouka. From the delicious broth to the unforgettable toroniku, it keeps you wanting more. As of today, I've been to a few of the ramen shops in downtown. As for the Robson Street and West End area, I will rank my ramen satisfaction in the following order:

1. Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
2. Motomachi Shokudo Ramen
3. Kintaro Ramen
4. Benkei Ramen

*I will soon write a review on each of the them explaining why I gave them the corresponding rankings.

Anyways, back to Santouka Ramen. You will almost always have to line up. I have been there countless of times and every single time, there is a wait. The worse time to go will be from 7pm to 9pm. Try to go before every gets off work or a weekday. When you step into this ramen shop, there is a communal table that seats approximately 15 people. This time, I went with a group of 4. We were quite lucky as we were seated in the inner dining room with our own table.

The service was quite speedy. Moments after ordering, here's what was on the table:

Miso Tokusen Toroniku Ramen ($14.50)
I absolutely loved this. You have a choice of Shio, Shoyu, and Miso flavour. The miso broth was amazing; flavourful but not salty. The ramen noodles were cooked perfectly - not too soft, not too chewy. And I love the fact they serve the toppings on the side so you can add to your liking. I personally don't like green onion, so I didn't put all of them in. Lastly, the toroniku... it was to die for. Every person who enjoy ramen needs to try this at least once in their life! So what is this toroniku cha-shu? Well, it essentially pork jowl - the lower part of the cheek. It has a very rich flavour due to the high content of marble fat. I like to dip it in my miso broth then let it melt in my mouth. Recommended by Hippo!!

Tsuke Men: soy sauce flavour ($11.45)
Meko wanted to try this. The cold noodles are on a separate dish because it is meant to be dipped in the soup broth, then consumed. I thought the portion looked enormous and it was. The noodle is twice the amount of a regular ramen order. Meko really liked it. He was really bloated after finishing it. Although, I did share some of my delicious toroniku with him.

You only live once, so please try the Tokusen Toroniku Ramen! Both the toroniku and the ramen noodle itself was great! Absolutely fell in love after my first few bites. The only cons about this place is the long line up it can have at times. The waitresses do try their best to accommodate the seating of each party, but with the small spacing, it can be difficult to satisfy everyone.

Location: In downtown west end - on Robson Street, off Bidwell Street. There is paid street meter parking on Robson. Very rarely do you find the free 2 hour parking spots.

Food: Outstanding! A 10/10 for the food we order!
Service: Industry standard. Most Japanese ramen shop have friendly waitresses.
Price: The total came to $59 with tax for four people.
Will I come back? Yes! Highly recommended!

- Hippo


Hokkaido Ramen Santouka 山頭火
1690 Robson Street
Vancouver, B.C.
Phone: 604-681-8121

G-Men Ramen Izakaya @ NanChuu

The first time we were there, it was NanChuu Japanese Izakaya. This time, it is G-Men Ramen Izakaya @ NanChuu. Not much changes to the interior and exterior, except they painted “G-Men” on top of NanChuu’s logo. The menu is still the same. When it was still known as NanChuu, Meko and I was not satisfied. This time was different though. Here is what we ordered:

Tonkotsu Miso Ramen with Butter Corn ($10.45)
This was delicious! The soup was thick and flavourful; rich but not overly salty. The noodle was good and chewy. Notice that the corn is actually topped with a big piece of butter. I really enjoy this. And I love the fact they provide a slotted spoon, which allows me to sieve through the soup and collect the loose corns.

Hiyashi Chuuka ($9.50)
This is a cold soupless noodle topped with sliced pork, bean sprout, cucumber, onion, bonito, mustard, and salad on the side. It is served in this special vinegar ramen sauce. Slightly sour, but goes well with the cold ramen. Meko liked it, but he said he prefers the cold ramen at Gyo-O more.

The ramen is much better the second time, when it changed to G-Men Ramen Izakaya. Hopefully they keep up the good work and I may become a returning customer. On a side note, this is one of the Japanese restaurants that do charge for tea. If you ask for tea, you get a choice of Jasmine or Green. Also, they have changed their hours. They are now opened for lunch, but are now closed earlier than before.

Food: Good, ramen very tasty!
Service: Average. Make sure you sign your name at the door for the seat waiting list. Meko tried to order takeout for me the other day, and he had such a difficult time. Apparently they aren’t allowed takeouts.
Price: The total came to $23 with tax for two people.
Will I come back? I would not mind if it was easier to find parking.

- Hippo


G-Men Ramen Izakaya @ NanChuu
#1160-8391 Alexandra Road
Richmond, B.C.
Phone: 604-276-8391