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GMen Ramen Shop - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
3778 Sexsmith RdSte 1101
Richmond, BC V6X
Neighbourhood: Golden Village
(778) 296-3779
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Trendy, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
23 reviews for GMen Ramen Shop
Review Highlights
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"Well,same owner from Gyoza king, and their gyoza is awesome." In 6 reviews -
"The noodles were cooked perfectly, with a nice chew." In 11 reviews -
"...a 'soupless' ramen- the miso, cheese, and kimchi ae soba." In 2 reviews
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23 reviews in English
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Review from Larry L.
GMen is now closed but the staff and the GMen flavour is now located in Nan Chuu!! http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
So if you still love all that is GMen, head on over to Nan Chuu for their famous ramen and side dishes.
At the moment the hours are the same as the Old Nan Chuu which means dinner time and till after 11 or midnight.Listed in: Taste Bud Tinglers, Japanese Food. What it Means…, Asian Noodle Spots in Richmond, Ramen shops worth trying out
9 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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7/29/2011
GMen Ramen will be opening soon!
but not as GMen. I hear they are taking over another G King… Read more »
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Review from Andrea P.
3/30/2011 5 photos
I. Love. Ramen. It is my ultimate comfort food. I have high standards for ramen so here's why I give G*men only 3 stars.
First, my friend and I shared the gyozas ($4.5). They were cooked perfectly, crispy brown on the bottom and with a surprisingly juicy inside. The sauce served with it was vinegar-y and slightly sour but added a tangy flavor to the gyoza. I liked.
I ordered the Tonkatsu Miso ramen. The soup was flavorful but not as rich as I thought it would have tasted. The noodles were chewy and springy and not soggy. I wasn't aware my ramen came with an egg already so I ordered an extra egg ($1.5) and I was a little disappointed when I saw basically an extra egg in my bowl when my ramen was served :( I wish the waitress clarified that it already came with an egg... Oh wells, my bad. The two slices of pork in my ramen were soft, not too fatty and almost melted in my mouth but I think one more slice would have made my noodle eating experience more balanced. You know when you go for your last savory spoonful and you realize you dont have enough pork?! Sad times... But yes yes, you can add more BBQ pork for $2.5
I liked the sides of minced garlic and chili flakes to add flavor to your soup. And they even give you an entire pitcher of water so thirsty ones don't have to keep bugging the waitresses for more water!
Overall, it kind of just felt like any other ramen shop to me... It was good but I've had better ramen in LA and would probably still choose Kintaro over G*men. But I would love to come back and try the "soupless" noodles! Until then, toodles! ;)
Note: Cash only! (oh Richmond...) -
Review from Jay L.
Vancouver, BC
1/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Been awhile since i've come here, especially for dinner. I'm not a real big fan of the richer, more thicker broths like tonkatsu, but once in awhile i do have a hankering. And today, I had a hankering. (Usually they have the lighter broth, like shio, or shoyu during the day and the heavier broth during the evening). The good thing about this place is you can order your soup to suit more of your taste (more or less). You can ask for less salt, or less fat, or vice versa.
My friend and i ordered the negi chasu, one of their signature dishes i think. Cubes of bbq fatty pork, with negi, and sesame oil. It was...beautiful. I also ordered the usual, Tonkatsu ramen, with less salt and fat. and with a soft boiled egg. Gottta love their soft boiled eggs! Yumm!
The other nice thing about this place? they make their own gyoza! Well,same owner from Gyoza king, and their gyoza is awesome! Pork and Chives baby, pork and chives. Unfortunately, they don't have pork and chives gyoza here, but still great nonetheless!!!Listed in: Jammin' Ramen!
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Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
9/20/2010
* Great except for temperature *
I popped in for lunch and had the torigara shoyu ramen. This was made with a chicken based broth instead of pork. It had a nice assortment of toppings including chashu (which was nicely marbled), half of a marinated egg, nori, wood ear mushrooms, negi, and some yuzu zest.
The yuzu zest was a bit of a surprise, and gave a really pleasant flavour punch to the broth.
The noodles were cooked perfectly, with a nice chew.
My only complaint is that the broth could have been hotter. It really was just warm and not hot, which was too bad because all of the flavours and the toppings were nice.
Service was friendly and efficient. The ramen came to me within 3 minutes of ordering. (Perhaps explaining why it wasn't hot?!?!?!) Hm.....
I hope on a future visit the broth is hot, then we'll have the complete package!Listed in: Vanoodle, Vancouver Japanese Food
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Review from Reena M.
I lost my virginity yesterday, right in this restaurant. My ramen virginity that is! And after one taste, seriously, I couldn't believe on what I have been missing out on all this time!
I got the Tonkotsu ramen with shoyu and it was perfect for the rainy evening. It was the perfect balance of everything: salty enough, enough meat (for me), enough noodles, soup, green onions, woodear mushrooms. I think the only thing is next time I would get some wontons in there. The soup was pretty fatty, and I'm assuming that's norm?
The other thing I noticed was that there weren't many soupy ramen options. Is that normal too? I will have to check out other ramen places now to find out what it's all about!Listed in: Shaman-like Ramen
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Review from Simon K.
When I think of eating "ramen" I usually think of heading out to the depths of Robson and Denman, not to Richmond, but my mind must change, as there is a place that has definitely dragged my tastebud senses away of just thinking about going to downtown. I did not expect much from this place, even though I have tried to come here before, and due to massive lineups at lunch time with a friend we bolted to the other restaurants in this strip mall. So on a fateful night, as this was my brothers idea, we ended up here to have dinner.
It's small, cozy, and was not that packed, compared to the times I'm usually around this area. The place looks like any other ramen place in downtown, with the dark wooden look, the simple designs, it all fits with what they are, a ramen shop. There menu is very simple, not too much for you to choose! I went with the simple miso as the soup base and based on what I have had before at other places, there was something very satisfying about the whole experience.
The tenderness of the noodles, along with the mixture of the soup base, and the other staples to this dish, like the pork, egg, onions, just all of it fits, in this big bowl of flavouful goodness that will bring me back for seconds. I did not have that bloated feel after devouring one of these, which I normally do. I am tempted at their house made gyozas, and that may be a follow up review when I go back to eat.
The parking lot is big, you should not have a problem finding parking, just remember, the parking spots are small, and if you know Richmond, everyone drives a big luxury car that goes line to line on the spot. But this one will have to appear on my list of eats! -
Review from Stephen Y.
Richmond, BC
3/15/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I've been coming here quite regularly since this ramen shop opened and as the numerous reviews show, it's quite steady place for well-made ramen!
My go-to here is the ToriGara Shoyu ramen and recently I've been requesting less oil. Their ajitama is more often than not, spot on, not too hard or too soft. I also get extra bamboo shoots, as I like the slightly crunchy texture in my ramen.
Do try out the Negi Chasu and their Gyozas. Both are quite great tasting and hey, I don't know anywhere else in Richmond where you can get either dishes.
Come here early to beat the rush (they open @ 11am)...except Sundays, since lots of people are in church til 12:30 or later. -
Review from Derek W.
2/26/2011
You want thick, rich miso broth that laughs at lesser miso like a ruthless zen master mocking his hapless student? Then you've come to the right place.
The Richmond culinary scene seems to be spotted by these tiny little Chinese or Japanese spots that are as likely to be amazing as just meh. But GMen was recommended to me by my friend's girlfriend, who grew up in Japan. Her standard for Ramen is so frighteningly stringent that she actually has her Japanese parents airmail her a package of "real" Ramen from Japan every month. Gmen is one of the few places she'll eat Ramen on this continent.
If there is a long line - and there often is, I hear - be sure to put your name on the list right away (a similar system as Toshi Sushi off Main). There's seating for waiting near the back of the shop. Also, for an authentic Ramen experience, try to eat at the bar. It just feels more Japanese. Oh, and then slurp. Loudly. So the chefs behind the bar can hear you. They'll appreciate it.
If you can stand the long lines and take the quirky decor in stride, GMen is a must-visit for Ramen fans...or for food fans in general. -
Review from Vincci L.
Did I really not write a review for this yet?!!
Love this little shop for ramen, for the days when I am craving ramen, and don't want to head downtown for some. There's several different soup bases-Tonkotsu, Tonkotsu Miso,(pork soup)-served with thick noodles; and Shio. Torigaya Shoyu, and Torigaya Shio (chicken soup)-served with thin noodles. All these are served with BBQ pork, seaweed, black wood ear mushroom & green onion, and the chicken soup base also has the half ajitama (half cooked egg!!). There's also a 'soupless' ramen- the miso, cheese, and kimchi ae soba.
My fav is the the Torigaya Shio, with extra Shiraga Negi (shredded green onion.) It's always yummy, a large bowl of noodles that hits the spot. Gyozas here are usually good, but I expect more from Gyoza King.
Service is always great. They always give you a pitcher of ice water. I want to go here tomorrrow!!Listed in: ROTDs!, Noodle-ing., Ra Ra Ramen...
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Review from Nam N.
Vancouver, BC
2/5/2011
Yummay, love the ramen here so tasty. I always go for the miso ramen, the broth is so good and the pork slices are deliciously juicy. I enjoy the other ingredients because it all comes together but the broth and the pork slices are what I'm really into, A++
I haven't had any reason to go a different place when its so good here, its probably better than Kintaro now. I've not tried the other types of soups but I'm sure they're just as good, soon soon.
Really like the decor here and the friendly easy-going atmosphere.
PRICE: Great price, good for lunch or cheap dinner. The soup bowl is a good size and I'm always perfectly full afterward.
SERVICE: Awesome! Everyone is really friendly, food comes quick!
SUGGEST: If you like ramen, you better eating be here. There's some other good places too but GMen is in the top 3 and they are consistent. -
Review from Johnson C.
Vancouver, BC
From a guy that knows dick-all about ramen (to me, it's not ramen unless it came in a orange wrapper with a running kid on it), GMen may have opened a new door for me.
For years, I felt like I was missing out on something, the whole ramen obsession. When I lived in Japan, natives would take me to their favourite ramen joints - and at the end of the meal, I would always think, "What's the big deal?". Over the years, I would always give popular ramen places a shot - but always felt it never quite hit a spot that good pho or good Chinese noodle in soup could hit. Like Teddy KGB, [Russian accent] "I feel so unsatisfied".
My buddy, who is a ramen connoisseur, wanted to give the Gyoza King-backed GMen Ramen a go. Remembering the Yelper love to this place, I tagged along. The place is pretty small and was glad to see there was no lineup for dinner. There is a large flatscreen TV where they looped an old kung fu/action TV series named... wait for it... "GMen '75". The coolest part is that it features Bolo Yeung (from 'Bloodsport' and 'Enter the Dragon' fame) in his prime - flexing and kicking ass. That's an instant extra star from me for dinner entertainment alone.
Sitting down and staring blankly at the menu, I would shocked to see "soupless ramen" on the menu. Had no idea such a creature existed (once again, I'm a ramen clod). I wanted to try it, but the allure of the $9 "Project G" Glico x G-Men Curry Ramen was too tempting to pass up for this collaboration hypebeast whore. Maybe this dish could bridge my obsession with Japanese curry over to ramen.
It was definitely unique - and I don't mean 'unique' in a bad way. It's been a couple of days since I ate it and I'm still trying to mentally process the mixture of fatty broth and mild-hot, savoury curry. According to the menu, this is the third 'generation' of the curry ramen experiment (they also have a soupless curry ramen). This is a first for me, the waitress even pushed us for feedback on the curry soup. I was a bit too taken aback to offer any meaningful insight - my buddy felt it was a bit too salty, but was too nice to 'break her heart.'
However, the density of the ramen was perfect and the toppings (green onion, earwood mushrooms, egg, fatty BBQ pork and seaweed) were good. And probably the first time I walked out of a ramen shop thinking "That was a good meal" having hit my 'soup-noodle spot' with a good blend of fatty and savoury. My friend still likes Kintaro better (which I wasn't impressed by) as he felt the toppings were lacking - but thinks he should give it another shot with a traditional ramen since he didn't like the curry broth.
Service is prompt and every table gets a large pitcher of water -- we also got some free chocolate Pocky. The $9 Curry Ramen and $4.50 appetizer gyozas (which was good) includes tax already - I like seeing the bill end in round numbers. This place is cash-only, so be ready with a Laurier or two.
I can't say that I would pick ramen over pho or Chinese noodle in soup yet, but I will be tempted to come back to try their more traditional servings and I'm interested if they keep going with their curry ramen evolution. -
Review from Christian C.
Richmond, BC
3/10/2011
GMen was great. Both my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our meals. The service was good and the ramen tasted liked ramen in Japan. I had the Miso ramen and my wife had Shoyu ramen. If I were to be really picky I would say the taste of miso isn't as mellow as it could be. Kintaro's Miso ramen beats Gmen there. But the Shoyu ramen was superb. I don't think you can get any more authentic than that. 5 stars! I will definitely be heading back in the near future!
PS. Keep in mind GMen is a cash only restaurant. I don't know why a restaurant in this day and age would refuse to accept debit or credit, but GMen doesn't so beware. -
Review from Raymond O.
Vancouver, BC
8/8/2009 4 photos
The sign prominently indicates this new ramen joint in Richmond as 'Gyoza King produced'. As such, for all downtown Gyoza King fans out there, this is a must try only for their own twist on the Japanese noodle classic, tonkotsu ramen. I'm not sure about their website claiming they offer an inviting atmosphere. From the exterior, the place looks a bit run down. If not for the throngs of people waiting outside for a seat, you could easily look past this ramen shop. The dark walls makes the interior seem cozy. It still has a family-friendly Japanese feel to it. Service was friendly, efficient, and helpful.
The selections are pretty limited though, only three kinds of ramen available at the time of our visit, some cold soupless ramen, donburi, takoyaki balls, and gyozas. I liked their broth, it was tasty and flavourful, just the right amount of richness. I must point out though that I did order an extra butter and corn topping, must be that! Having said that, the noodles were decent, not blow your socks off goodness of Kintaro, but still firm and chewy good. The chasu pork was tender and delicious. Beware of the donburi offerings as despite going an extra notch to pay for a larger serving, it still looks like it's from a kids menu. I would recommend skipping these and hit the ramen or gyozas. Prices are average at $8.50 and $1.50 for extra toppings.
Note:
- Cash only
- Open from Thursday to Monday
- When there is a line build-up, place your name on the waiting list hanging by the entrance.Listed in: C.O.V. (Cash Only Vancouver), When in Richmond
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Review from Janice F.
1/18/2010
Solid choice for ramen in Richmond.
I'm liking these new "soupless" options! It would be more accurate to call them saucy though.. The tonkatsu soupless option here is $8.50 and comes with half an egg, pork (too fatty for me), chopped green onion, seaweed and crunchy mushrooms? Not sure what the shredded brown things were, but mixed together everything worked well. Noodles are bouncy.
The miso ramen was pretty standard.Listed in: Restaurants worth a second…
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Review from Kaya R.
Vancouver, BC
7/16/2009
When someone told me about GMen Ramen, I was initially skeptical of it's authenticity and whether it could challenge Kintaro and Motomachi for the title of Best Ramen in Vancouver (metro). After all, a friend had hyped Ajisen Ramen just down the street, an establishment that was decent, but lacked authenticity and taste.
I am glad that I made the effort, as GMen has now supplanted both Kintaro and Motomachi as my favorite ramen establishment in Vancouver. I later learned GMen is also owned and operated by Gyoza King, a name you can definitely trust for Japanese food.
Like a typical Japanese Ramen shop, they do not have a menu that is 4-6 pages long (see Ajisen), but rather keep it simple and serve only what they do well. You have your choice from four types of ramen: Tonkotsu, Miso, Shio and Shoyu. The last two always seem to be sold out (at dinner time), and I have yet to successfully try a bowl.
What I have tried however is the Miso, and I truly believe this is the best bowl you can find in Vancouver. The broth meets the gold standard and is comparable with any ramen shop you'd find in Japan. It doesn't feature a ton of additional ingredients, but some times less is better, and I certainly feel like that's the case here. The pork is truly sublime and literally melts in your mouth. It's hard to put into words, and is something you have to try for yourself.
There are other items on the menu, some standard fare (gyoza, pork slices, etc), and others a tad more unique (donburi rice dishes). Ultimately, everything was good with no complaints.
If there was a small gripe I have with the place, it would have to be that it's closed two days a week. This isn't a big deal if you have a comprehensible sign outside your establishment (they didn't), have a working telephone (they don't), or clearly indicate your hours of operation on your website (d'oh). So let me save you the legwork and tell you not to bother going down there on Tuesday or Wednesday.
GMen is a great new addition to the market. I hate commuting from Vancouver all the way to Richmond, but this is one place that's worth it in my opinion. -
Review from Alison S.
1/6/2010
Had some solid ramen here tonight with the Boy; I ordered the tonkotsu miso ramen, and he had the unagi donburi. We shared the takoyaki to start.
For $4.50 you get 4 takoyaki balls with a little piece of octopus inside. Not bad, about the same price as at night market in the summertime. They are nice and hot with lots of curling bonito flakes on top.
I really liked the flavour in the miso pork soup; it was rich but not to the point where you'd gag from all the fattiness in it. The noodles were nice and springy, not overcooked at all. The pork was quite fatty...I think this is the trend since many places I've been to lately seem to serve more fatty pork (I admit when given the choice I'll choose fatty over lean since lean pork tends to not be as tender in the soup). Portion was very big!!!
The Boy was a little less satisfied with his unagi donburi; he said it could have used a little more seasoning in the sauce and wasn't as flavourful as the unagi he's had at some other places. Since he likes to eat unagi wherever we go I will take his word for it!
Might sample some of the other ramen places around (sounds like there are a lot of new ones cropping up), but Gmen serves up a nice solid bowl of noodles when you're feeling in the mood for ramen!
Also, they are now open Tuesdays (according to a previous review they didn't used to be, so good change!!) :) -
Review from Natasha L.
1/16/2010
A good place to satisfy your ramen cravings, with room of improvements.
The takoyaki was too "flabby" and wimpy; lacking the right texture and crunchiness on the outside. The takoyaki in its sister restaurant "Gyo- O" is much better.
The shio miso seems to miss the mark, personally prefer the richer tonkatsu broth. The soy flavor in the broth was just overpowering and distracting.
The miso and kimchi with cheese is a surprisingly 'cheesy good' alternative than the traditional ramen.
A simple, satisfying neighborhood ramen place that is pretty rare in Richmond area. -
Review from danno m.
North Vancouver, BC
Updated - 7/18/2011
CLOSED AND DOWN FOR THE COUNT!!!
What an Unclassy Move! GMen is closed - no explanation or sign on the door. Not a PEEP on their website.
What gives?1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/3/2011
This was my favorite Ramen Noodle place. Staff friendly, quality food and ingredients.
I just find… Read more »
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Review from Joseph H.
Richmond, BC
12/20/2010
This place was really good the first couple times that I went. Then for some reason, I haven't had good luck at this place since. Noodles were soggy and not chewy. Soup was salty without much substance. Pork tasted old and dry. I still give this place four stars for its past sublime excellence, and I'm hoping that next time I go, it will be as good as it used to be.
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Review from Q B.
Vancouver, BC
11/18/2010
Kintaro and Motomachi are much better.
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Review from Harry Y.
Richmond, BC
10/16/2010 22 Check-ins Here
The food is always consistent wasn't much o a ramen person before till I came here and ate something similar in Shanghai. I Highly recommend the special torigara shoyu ramen. And either show up early or be prepared to wait in line to eat.
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Review from Alan C.
1/16/2010
Far and away the best ramen I've ever had. I got some special $10.50 ramen that the server recommended. I don't remember what it was called, but it had a lot of stuff in it and was beyond delicious. My friend got the normal ramen, and thought it was good, but not great.
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Review from Sam L.
5/2/2010
Being a ramen addict, I recently heard about this newly opened place so me and my brother (fellow ramen addict) decided to give it a try. We had to wait a while for a table, but it was nice out so we didn't really care and we had a bit of time to inspect the fairly meagre menu (4 items!). It all looked pretty good, so when we finally ordered, I got the 'soupless' ramen which I'd never really tried. The server instructed me to mix it all up, so I did, and after the first bite I instantly regretted it. On the top of the dish there was a mound of very thinly sliced nori, so when I mixed it up, it flavoured everything with that really fishy low-tide type flavour. I like it in small doses, but my white taste buds still haven't developed a taste for overly fishy tasting things. When I got a bite of ramen without it, it was delicious, and it was sort of my own fault with the nori, so I'd definitely like to try again, and maybe increase my rating.
