Any list that has Kintaro in their best ramen list is automatically garbage

Hida Takayama is the hidden gem for ramen
its in such a shitty place though

Taishoken was alright. Haven't tried their Tsukemen though( this is what they SHOULD be known for)

Ramen Koika(will need to try this soon) this is the new place

as of now, no matter how shitty the ramen is, I still enjoy Santouka out of all of the options on Robson.

Any particular reason why?

We'll have that next time

Okay, I guess I'll do my blog post on Hida this week. I took the pictures like a month ago but haven't had time.

Benkei used to be really good. Really really good. But at some point in time, the quality just took a nose dive, and IIRC it was around the time they opened an additional location by Thurlow/Robson I think.

I don't know what changed at that point in time but those restaurants disappeared not too long after that.

Santouka is the same story. Really really amazing ramen who's quality has taken a dive lately.

Marutama is relatively newer and is still putting out good quality ramen, but for my personal palate, Santouka and Benkei in their hey-deys were putting out better tasting ramen than what Marutama is currently. But as of late, it's currently Marutama that's best tasting IMO.


I can't explain why though why a restaurant would suddenly go from super good to just... mediocre.

Too much msg! Not a fan of the dashi taste in it as well. I usually get tan tan men, ae soba or rice for lunch at gmen.

Good to know! Thanks :D

many possibilities, could be a change in chefs, access to ingredients, change in management... many many possibilities y a restaurant that was once good took a turn for the worst

Went to Ramen Koika on Davie Street and its combination of price and portion makes it a great joint to revisit when just a tad hungry. $6 taxes included for a bowl! also canned drinks are not a rip off at $1 tax in too.

Any suggestions for vegetarian ramen other than Jinya Ramen downtown?! Tough finding a good spot with a vegetarian gf haha.

Benkei has a location on broadway and cambie. I quite like their broth.

Santoka used to be the king of the hill but then they tumbled down.

If anyone is planning a trip to Hong Kong or Japan, try Ichiran

Tonkotsu Ramen ICHIRAN

Probably the best ramen I had, ever.... Until I visit Hokkaido :concentrate:

Damn, this thread is making me hungry! Glad I posted about this, I figured RS would know the best ramen in town.

I never said it was new, just that it's becoming more popular with more restaurants in the DT core these days. Only recently have I become into it more though.

Screw pho, ramen's where it's at.

I've heard raving reviews for Harvest's.
I source my noodles from the same place.
:concentrate:



Well..... making ramen is a pain in the ass.
Even if you're a pro at it, it's still a lot of work.

Somehow I seriously doubt that they make the tonkotsu master stock on site.

Santouka has a lot of stuff brought into their Vancouver location.
Next time you're there, notice the piles and piles of boxes on your way to the washroom.
If I remember correctly, the shipping label said California somewhere.
Which makes sense. They have 6 locations there.
Shop Locations?Santouka Ramen

If a chain like that was going to employ a single ramen "master" for North America, he probably wouldn't be in Vancouver.

My assumption is that the master stock is shipped in.
While the daily broth is done on site along with the condiments and char siu.

Or I could be talking out of my assand only the shoyu, miso and noodles are brought in.

what is this new place called? want to check out the reviews for it :whistle:

It's called Yah Yah Ya Ramen...exactly as he said..lol

Ebisu on Robson recently hired a master ramen chef from Japan and he has been whipping up some pretty mean bowls of tonkotsu based ramen!

Available in Shio, Miso, Spicy and new signature
Tan Tan Ramen:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.n...47244167eb37a8

I personally used to LOVE Santouka but the price kept going up and quality diminished slightly. Now ordering a rice combo, ramen and drink would run me close to $45-50 for 2?! :eek:
Kintaro soup is way too thick and salty.

I went there a few days ago and tried the Black Garlic Ramen, it was decent. The prices are only $6 for soft-opening so go soon! Not sure how long that will go on for. The bowls themselves are fairly small but fair for that price. If they go up to "market" price for the same sized bowls then it would be a tad overpriced ...

Roasted chashu at a nice old school place in tokyo

http://i.imgur.com/tNjyc5F.jpg

:sweetjesus:

So expensive there, but so good. If anything, it's a bit too much on the umami side.. almost all soup bases are like that in Japan

place looks oddly familiar. is it kiraku?

No idea, it's just a random place I came across in Tokyo (Bunkyo area) when I stayed there for 6 months last year. A lot of the traditional places look the same anyway :)

If you want good ramen in Tokyo, can't go wrong with Ippudo.

You will be exhaling garlic for days, though.

Ippudo is a huge chain.

For chains, I kind of like Ichiran better.

You guys are both wrong. Best ramen chain is Tenkaippin, with extra thick tonkotsu :sweetjesus:

I went to the ramen museum in Shin-Yokohama. Ate 5 bowls in one sitting lol ... the one called "Shanghai Dragon" (I know, CHINA?!) inside the museum is BY FAR the best ramen I have ever had in my life. It was pure awesome in a bowl.
http://image.rakuten.co.jp/raumen/ca...i/ryu000_3.gif