Motomachi Shokudo

The popular Japanese noodle soup dish, ramen, has a bad rap due to the popularity of the instant-noodle version. Fortunately, in Vancouver, we can experience the real thing. While a few ramen places have opened recently outside the downtown core, the Robson-Denman area has most of the heavy hitters like Kintaro Ramen, Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, Benkei Ramen, the newly arrived chain, Ramen Sanpachi, and our destination, Motomachi Shokudo.

We ordered two appetizers, a Petit BBQ Pork Rice Bowl, which came right away,

and Butchigiri Gyoza, which arrived sometime later. The yummy rice bowl was just enough to tide a hungry person over till the ramen arrived. The gyoza, served with both a regular and a spicy soy-vinegar dipping sauce, were just as they should be: slightly chewy, thin skin; nicely seasoned filling.

Coming after the lunch rush means some empty tables and no wait.

We ordered the regular Shio Ramen,

the Spicy Miso Ramen with Organic Chicken,

and the Shio Ramen with Natural Salt and Seasonal Vegetables.

The chicken-based broth, which sets Motomachi Shokudo apart from its sister restaurant, Kintaro, didn't feel as heavy as the more common pork-based broth, and in fact, most of any oiliness came from the added sesame oil.

What better way to lunch on a cold, late winter day. It's no wonder that Motomachi Shokudo, Kintaro Ramen, and many other ramen joints have thrived in Vancouver.