Ramen Quest – the search for Vancouver’s hidden Japanese Ramen.

You can download the this week’s PDF format HERE (or grab the full newspaper HERE,) or just keep reading (the unrated version) below.

Episode 6– Pièce de résistance

Image cutline: The Spicy Miso Ramen at MotomachiShokudo starts off with an innocuous chicken soup base and is built to perfection with two distinct miso pastes, loads of vegetables and a more delicate noodle than what you’d expect at other ramen shops.

A hand-scrawled note recently landed on my desk indicating that I was to then meet an unnamed informant at a relatively new ramen shop on Denman Street. A new Ramen Quest feature, I thought, and I was up to the challenge!

I started to do my research and my stomach dropped – queries that came to mind included, “what type of madman opens up a restaurant in direct competition half a block away from his original restaurant?” I’m sure that there were answers if the questions were to be phrased correctly, but then if I failed to be unentertaining, perhaps in this situation, it would be curtains for me. I decided to get my affairs in order and inform friends and family of my plans.

Fast forward to entering the place, I was greeted by two relatively sharp looking secret agent types dressed completely in black including black berets. I’m thinking to myself, uh oh – MI6 or Mossad or hired assassins?! Thankfully, they were brandishing gyoza, not guns and I was immediately put at ease when they showed me to a well-lit table in the center of the restaurant. Seated there was a man known only as Taku-san and it became immediately clear that he was willing to answer any question I put forth.

As we chatted, I learned that although Motomachi Shokudo and sister restaurant Kintaro share some ingredients from time to time, Taku-san’s people pride themselves on serving up ramen with a smooth chicken soup base composed of mostly organic ingredients. The original Tokyo-style ramen, he proclaimed. It’s lighter than and not as rich as the popular pork soup based ramen that are de rigeur at other shops.

Upon concluding our discussion, the meal they served to me was something else – Butchigiri Gyoza which was a winner by a long shot and the Spicy (Kara) Miso Ramen served with a ton of vegetables for good health which proved to be the pièce de résistance. With fond memories of this meal and other previous quests, I thought to myself, “another meal enjoyed – another quest done, and so far no price on my head. A good day indeed.”

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Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media juggernaut and part foodie. He runs urbanmixer.com, publishes a miscellany of his musings at raj.jp and can be found on twitter with the username ‘tinhead.’

Ramen Quest – the search for Vancouver’s hidden Japanese Ramen.

You can download the this week’s PDF format HERE (or grab the full newspaper HERE,) or just keep reading (the unrated version) below.

Episode 5 – Sit Down and Take Notice

Image cutline: When it comes to Ramen, Oru doesn’t mess around – from noodle to broth, their Ramen is just the tip of the iceberg.

If there’s ever a place that will make you sit up and notice the food, it’s Oru. The restaurant’s concept is simple – serve home cooking from various Asian countries in an attempt to one-up Grandma. Located in the recently-opened and beautifully designed Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel, Chef David Wong has extraordinarily big shoes to step into. During the development of his menu, Wong made it clear that his staff need to impart their traditional generations’ past recipes and that his research would be carried out over home-cooked meals. The result is food that most anyone will have an opinion about – whether it’s two chefs under Wong’s command having to meet in the middle as to the consistency of their Adobo or visitors enjoying freshly made Naan bread, cooked in Oru’s very own Tandoor oven, that blows away variations available on Main Street’s Punjabi Market.

On one hand, the Chef’s lack of compromise on the quality may have something to do with the immense popularity of this restaurant, but on the other hand maybe he’s just that loveable of a guy and the various Grandmas who have helped Wong develop the menu may have just spilled their secrets. Either way, messing with grandma is a daunting task. I recall once challenging my mom in making an Indian meal. The resultant bruises on my psyche quickly taught that I can’t beat momma’s cooking so to Chef Wong, I wish him all the luck.

As for the Ramen, as in everything they serve at Oru, they did a ton of research to come up with the recipe. It’s a Shoyu Ramen which is much lighter than all the others I’ve reviewed thus far and they’ve gone all the way by making their own noodles – somewhat of an anomaly in the ramen business. Perhaps it’s not too lofty of a vision considering they’re selling dozens, not hundreds of bowls during the course of the day and given the quality that’s built in, it’s a worthwhile stop on the trip to ramen-discovery in Vancouver.

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Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media juggernaut and part foodie. He runs urbanmixer.com, publishes a miscellany of his musings at raj.jp and can be found on twitter with the username ‘tinhead.’

In the business world, nothing beats expanding a business with franchising and in franchising, the name of the game is how good the product is. In the case of the Suntouka Japanese Ramen, the product is something to rave about. Billed as having the most authentic Japanese ramen in Vancouver, this is definitely a franchise you would want to invest your hard-earned moolah on.

Ramen Quest – the search for Vancouver’s hidden Japanese Ramen.

You can download the this week’s PDF format HERE (or grab the full newspaper HERE,) or just keep reading (the unrated version) below.

Episode 4 – The New Kid in Town

Image cutline: Santouka purports to offer the most authentic ramen this side of Tokyo. Flavours include yummy, super yummy and for those searching for the real deal, oishii!

Imagine if Jimmy Pattison knocked on your door, told you that you should keep what you’re doing and he’d market and franchise your business. Pretty neat to be attached to such a juggernaut, don’t you think? Well, that’s essentially the case with the new Suntouka Japanese Ramen shop that recently opened on Robson Street slightly east of Bidwell.

Headquartered in Hokkaido, Japan, the Suntouka and Kamei companies struck a deal some years ago. Kamei, which derives over 4 billion in annual revenues from other ventures including those in the natural resource industry decided to become the company that oversees the franchising of Suntouka Ramen. The company which has stores in the U.S., Singapore, Hong Kong and now Canada, has ambitious plans to show locals what authentic Japanese Ramen is.

The restaurant has four varieties of the standard ramen – Shio Ramen (salt), Shoyu Ramen (soy-sauce), Miso Ramen (fermented soy bean paste) and Kara Miso Ramen (hot spices and fermented soy bean paste) and a number of specialty items and a single item on the menu that can be turned into a vegetarian dish, which is already head and shoulders ahead of the mere mortal ramen joint.

The Ramen that I chose for the purpose of this occasion was the plain Shio Ramen, served warm, not piping hot like other ramen I’ve tried. It was accompanied by braised pork slices topped with sesame seeds, bamboo shoots, green onions, wood ear mushrooms and a single pickled baby plum that is supposed to be nibbled on, one bite at a time during, the enjoyment of the meal. Although the first thing I devoured was that little pickle, it’s absence during the rest of the meal didn’t have any bearing on my absolute enjoyment of the dish from start to finish. I ate the soup to the last drop and will be coming back for more soon. Very soon.

As for the company known only as Kamei, congrats to them on a solid bet with Santouka.

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Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media juggernaut and part foodie. He runs urbanmixer.com, publishes a miscellany of his musings at raj.jp and can be found on twitter with the username ‘tinhead.’

Some like it hot but this one’s definitely hotter.

Ramen Quest – the search for Vancouver’s hidden Japanese Ramen.

You can download the this week’s PDF format HERE (or grab the full newspaper HERE,) or just keep reading (the unrated version) below.

Episode 3 – The Emperor’s Dish

Image cutline: The Sundubu Ramen at Sura is one of the tastiest ramens you’ll ever taste. Pair it with a Soju cocktail to quell the heat, either that or a fire extinguisher.

Michael Kim, the owner of SURA is certainly well known in the Korean community. I first met Kim a couple of years ago at his previous venture, Chung Dam Anh, a Japanese-Korean Izakaya-style speakeasy on Cardero Street just off Robson. If you weren’t in the ‘know,’ chances are you would have never entered through the doors of Chung Dam. Fast forward to today, Kim has opened an equally-mysterious restaurant on Robson Street slightly East of Cardero. You may have a hard time locating a sign on this block that says ‘SURA’ – the majority of their sign is written in Korean and has a small stamp and the word SURA in small letters on the side. Thankfully we’re not in the French Province which has draconian sign laws – or I’m sure by now they’d have lined up the proprietor and subpoenaed him senseless.

Back to the restaurant, it’s an elegant 70 seater that has a descriptive and informative English menu, serves up tasty Korean cuisine and also sports a nice Sake and Wine list. Very accessible. The Sundubu Ramen they list is a spicy soup endowed with soft tofu, your choice of seafood or beef and of course, ramen noodles. On the occasion of this review, I ordered the beef variety of the dish but have since eaten both. The soup is certainly spicier than any Japanese Ramen I’ve ever had but that’s what I’d say is to be expected with Korean cuisine. The noodles are plentiful and at just under ten bucks, given the ambience, the unlimited refills on the complimentary ‘banchan’ (side-dishes including Kimchee) and the superb quality of the ingredients, there’s as much value built in as there is burn-off-your-face heat.

Next time it will be Ramen first, Korean Bar-be-que next and we’ll wash it all down with their innocuous Soju-cocktails.

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Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media juggernaut and part foodie. He runs urbanmixer.com, publishes a miscellany of his musings at raj.jp and can be found on twitter with the username ‘tinhead.’

Sorry to say Martin ole boy, I definitely know the destination. What can I expect to see on my journey, you say? Well, that’s another story.  In my continuing search for the hidden Ramen treasures of Vancouver, I had a wicked flashback on this stop of my quest.

“Hai, oiishi desu”

Ramen Quest – the search for Vancouver’s hidden Japanese Ramen.

You can download the this week’s PDF format HERE (or grab the full newspaper HERE,) or just keep reading (the unrated version) below.

Episode 2 – There’s goodness outside the centre of the universe too!

Image cutline: Menya’s Nagahama Ramen – the closest thing to Tokyo I’ve tasted in a long time. Next time I’ll have to try their special ramen, subject to change at the whim of the chef.

If you talk about Ramen to anyone who dines out on the delicious Japanese noodle-dish in Vancouver, inevitably, they’ll tell you that the best place to go is to the West End where there’s a plethora of shops that seem to be thriving with just that product on their menu. Of course, there’s got to be good Ramen outside of the centre of the universe! Similarly, it’s just plain wrong when someone pipes up on the idiot box and says that Toronto is the best city in Canada. What? It’s probably because there’s less syllables in Toronto or perhaps the orator just has his head shoved up his posterior – either way, there’s definitely goodness out in the real world, and I have set out to find it.

Hopping on the Canada line and stopping at City Hall, I crossed West Broadway and headed to Yukon Street where I found Menya Japanese Noodle restaurant, which somewhat resembles a clearcut forest given that most chairs are tree stumps and the whole interior is varnished wood. Their menu is simple – they have four different types of Ramen on the menu, a couple of alternatives and some sides. On the occasion of my visit, I tried the first thing on the list, the Nagahama Ramen, their authentic pork-bone ramen with a special soy sauce seasoning, accompanied by Gyoza (pork and cabbage dumplings) and a rice ball.

The first taste transported me back to Japan – a place of fond memories where I used to enjoy Ramen almost nightly while living in Tokyo. I remember regularly sitting at the counter and being served by a trio I affectionately named the Brain, Iceman and Spaz. I suddenly surfaced from my little day dream, when asked if my food was good. I nodded my head and sounded a quick “hai, oiishi desu” and went back to daydreaming.

Menya may not be situated in the heart of Vancouver or Tokyo, but it’s good enough to capture my heart.

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Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media juggernaut and part foodie. He runs urbanmixer.com, publishes a miscellany of his musings at raj.jp and can be found on twitter with the username ‘tinhead.’

Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish that originally came from China. The word ‘Ramen’ has several etymologies, one of which states that it may have been the way the Japanese pronounce the Chinese ‘la mian’ which means hand-pulled noodles. Another says that the original word was ‘laomian‘ or ‘old noodles’ while a third one states that Ramen was originally called ‘lumian‘ or noodles cooked in a thick, starchy sauce.

Whatever its origin, Ramen is definitely the greatest Japanese invention of the 20th century, not to mention tasty as well.

Ramen Quest – the search for Vancouver’s hidden Japanese Ramen.

You can download the this week’s PDF format HERE (or grab the full newspaper HERE,) or just keep reading (the unrated version) below.

Episode 1 – What legends are made of

Image cutline:Kintaro’s Spicy Garlic Ramen is loaded with garlic and spice and is accompanied by bamboo shoots, green onion, bean sprouts and a couple of egg halves – it’s only on the menu for a short while, until the chef decides he wants to serve something else.

It all started somewhere in the 17^th Century – Tokuguwa Mitsukuni (best popularized by Japanese TV series Mito Komon,) discovered Ramen which quickly became his favourite dish. It only took about three hundred years for the tasty noodles to take the world by storm. Today, dozens of variations have spawned from the original ‘Shio’ ramen which is made with plenty of salt and any combination of chicken, vegetables, fish and seaweed.According to consumer trends, ‘Tonkotsu’ or pork bone ramen seems to be the most popular variety, so let’s start this quest off on the top and find the ever-revered Tonkotsu Ramen.

In Vancouver, ask anyone who knows about ramen where to go for the good stuff, and they all seem to point in one direction – the iconic Kintaro restaurant on Denman Street. The 26 seat diner is known for lineups out the door and a limited menu featuring several varieties of one main dish – ramen, and that’s it. They have their business down to a science.

Having eaten there many times since their opening ten years ago, I can say their rendition of Tonkotsu ramen is addictive and great value for the money. From time to time, they like to deviate a little from the master plan and offer a special variety of ramen, something to break the monotony. This time around, they had a Spicy Garlic Ramen which looked supremely appetizing and certainly didn’t disappoint. Loaded with enough garlic to keep the vampire population at bay and enough spice to burn any zombies another one, I didn’t have to travel to the Eastside tonight to get a fix. Thankfully, I’m not a creature of the night and not only did I satisfy my craving, but with all that garlic and spice, I surely boosted my metabolism and lifespan. If Mitsukuniis out there lurking as a vampire or decides to come back as a zombie, this one might be his undoing.

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Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media juggernaut and part foodie. He runs urbanmixer.com, publishes a miscellany of his musings at raj.jp and can be found on twitter with the username ‘tinhead.’