My sister’s a huge fan of ramen, so the other day I brought her to try some of Vancouver’s finest at Santouka Ramen. This noodle shop is a franchise straight from Tokyo, Japan, and they have stores located around the globe; Vancouver’s lucky to have the only one in all of Canada. Located near Robson and Denman, Santouka Ramen is close to English Bay and the downtown hot spot for Japanese food.
Santouka Ramen Sign
There was a bit of a wait outside the restaurant even though it was early, and we got in after about twenty minutes. Because this restaurant is small and its dining area is practically shared with its kitchen, it got very hot inside on a summer day. Almost everyone inside was complaining about the heat! But nevertheless, that didn’t stop me from getting some equally hot ramen noodles. Me and my sister started off by getting some Gyoza. These pork dumplings were fairly delicious and served with some seasoning oils. Their dough was perfect and they weren’t overly greasy, so I liked them a lot.
Gyoza ($5.75)
My sister got a Shoyu Ramen that came with a few slices of cha siu (pork) and a few other traditional ramen toppings. Shoyu is a soy sauce soup base which is light and tasty, which is a healthier option for ramen soups. My sister liked how soft the pork was and how the noodles were absolutely perfect.
Shoyu Ramen ($8)
Since I like more intense-flavoured soup bases, I got a Spicy Miso Ramen. It came with the same toppings as my sister’s and it was very yummy as well. The spiciness wasn’t overdone, but yet it adds a bit of a kick to the soup. I too liked the cha siu alot; it was a melt-in-your-mouth kind of meat.
Spicy Miso Ramen ($11)
I really liked Santouka Ramen’s food and their traditional ramen shop appeal. It was definitely worth the wait since everything was delicious and at very reasonable prices. But, in the midst of summer, the heat inside gets a bit intense…whether or not that’s worth it is really up to you. It’d be a dream to come here in the winter though! It’s like hot pot…but better.
- Excellent food at good prices
- Very traditional
- Dining area gets extremely hot in the summer
- No reservations
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