ramen-licious

Nearly 5 years ago, the first meal I had in Japan was a big steaming bowl of ramen in Nagoya. It didn’t seem like anything to write home about, but that was more due to residual motion sickness from the long flight, rather than the food itself! I wish I could’ve made a bigger dent in my bowl. Ever since then, Alex and I have scoured Vancouver for a place that comes close to par. The best we’ve found has been Kintaro (awesome handmade noodles), Motomachi Shokudo (Kintaro’s “healthier” counterpart), and Benkei (great tonkotsu/broth).

On Saturday morning, I was surfing the Net and came across blurbs about the new-ish Menya Japanese Noodle house. It didn’t take too much convincing for the hubby to agree to a ramen brunch. 

Tonkotsu miso ramen

We both ordered the tonkotsu miso ramen. Compared to our other three regular haunts, the amounts were somewhat lacking — though, at 7 bucks, the price is also lower. I would have appreciated a tad more menma (bamboo shoots), corn, and, oh yes, more noodles. In retrospect, perhaps I should’ve ordered extra noodles…? Apparently just $1.25 more.

The noodles and broth were quite good — much more “authentic” than the non-Japanese-owned Japanese-ramen places (that’s a mouthful!) scattered throughout Vancouver. (I’ve been served instant ramen noodles at a ”Japanese” restaurant and was charged almost seven bucks. Bleh.) Nonetheless, for me, it was slightly less… “exciting”. And not as much to my taste as my other favourites. I think this may have more to do with the geographic ancestry of the noodles, being “Hakata-style” and all. (As ignorant as I am, I have no idea what region the other three represent.)

Menu on the wall

Decor

“Rice ball”

Hmmm… what’s this?

Oh, it’s gyoza!!

Menu (English)

Alex ordered the ramen set (just $3.25 more) for us to share, which included a rice ball (aka. onigiri) and gyoza. I believe the gyoza could have been presented a little better, as it came all stuck together, looking like a burnt lump. Palate-wise? The rice ball and gyoza were decent supplements to the ramen.

I can pretty much guarantee we will return to Menya, mostly because it’s in a more convenient location nearer to home and we’ll always have a ramen craving to satisfy.  Unfortunately, for me, it’s just beyond walking distance for a work lunch break — I would’ve loved it to be a little closer! However, I still believe the best Japanese ramen restaurants are currently Downtown and well worth the extra drive or bus-ride.

Menya Japanese Noodle
401 West Broadway (@Yukon)
Vancouver, BC
Hours: Lunch 11:30am-3:00pm, Dinner 5:00-9:00pm

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Disclaimer: I am not a seasoned critic, and I do not claim to know food. I just eat. If I like, I like. If I don’t, you can’t say I didn’t try.

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