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Menya Japanese Noodle
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
401 W BroadwayVancouver, BC V5Y 1R4
Neighbourhood: Mount Pleasant
(604) 725-9432
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:30 am - 3 pm
Mon-Sat 5 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
44 reviews for Menya Japanese Noodle
Review Highlights
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"Tan Tan Men is sooo good here." In 3 reviews -
"What more could a ramen-lovin' gal ask for." In 29 reviews -
"The gyoza and onigiri (rice ball) were both top notch." In 7 reviews
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44 reviews in English
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Review from M H.
Burnaby, BC
I love coming to Menya for lunch. I like the fact that it is family run and everything is hand made; the broth, the noodles, even the gyoza!
My favorite dish is actually the Ramen Salad. It's a really refreshing salad with soba noodles in it and the BEST salad dressing. I order it as a set and am very happy. I Love the gyoza. -
Review from Simon K.
I came with my mom for a quick solution for lunch, and was not planning to come here, as there was many mixed review from friends, but I was around the neighbourhood, and couldn't think of anywhere else to go for a quick bite. Venturing in this place, I really did not know what to expect, as I do remember the business that was here before this one. I was seated very quickly as we came during the lunch rush, and they run a pretty good business where they understand that you want to get in, and you want to get out of here fast, and fed.
My mom and I shared a bowl of their pork ramen, and went with the combo, which also had a fried rice ball, and gyoza. I am not the biggest eater in the world, and the portions served fit the bill, me and my mom were fed full with the extra combo set. The ramen was done just right, not too much taste, but way more appetizing than that other place that you would get the same type of food! I can't say anything really 'wow'd' me, but my stomach was satisfied, and the price was about right for all the food we had.
It is a comfortable restaurant, fair sized, with good seating, never feeling too cramped, and never feeling too rushed from the Japanese staff in here. -
Review from Elizabeth L.
Vancouver, BC
This place has decent ramen. I went on a weekday afternoon after the lunch rush and was promptly greeted by a friendly server, who seated me right away and offered me a cup of tea. I was pleased with the service, which was polite, attentive and prompt.
This is definitely not your flashy, loud ramen restaurant. If you're looking for that, go to Santouka or even down the block to Benkei. Instead, Menya is simple and almost has a "mom n' pop" feel to it. It's a good place to go for a nice, quiet meal.
The lunch menu has a fair number of choices and the prices are affordable. There were a number of dinner combo specials that were modestly-priced, as well. I ordered the Tonkotsu ramen (miso broth with pork, bamboo shoots, green onion, corn, bean sprouts, and garlic chips) and it arrived very quickly. My ramen rang in at about $8 and change, after HST.
The ramen itself was alright (I've had better). The noodles were cooked perfectly, but my biggest complaint was that the broth was very salty and lacked any real umami. Menya keeps a healthy offering of condiments at each table, including chili oil, soy sauce, "ramen sauce" (which is quite salty but has more depth than plain soy sauce), and sesame seeds.
What impressed me most was that my noodles arrived with both a regular "Asian-style" soup spoon plus a slotted spoon to dredge up all of the delicious bits in the ramen broth. A thoughtful touch! -
Review from Alexander Bromley Clark D.
Vancouver, BC
Menya is like that puny kid you always see on the playground near your house trying to reach the monkey bars, while the other kids can reach them easily and are clearly lovin' it. You just want to go over and lift that little ankle-biter up to the bars so it can produce food...I mean, so it can have fun...like the other children. I have eaten at Menya twice in my life, despite living in the neighbourhood, and forgot about my meals before digesting them. This is a family-run restaurant, with decent dishes, but there are a lot of great places near/on Main. I tried the ramen here once. The packaged noodles and watery broth turned me off the idea of soup for a while. Perhaps I didn't know what I was ordering at the time and mistook the Chinese/nagahama broth for tonkotsu. Regardless, it didn't make an impression. The second time I dined here, I enjoyed my gyoza and noodle salad. It seems as though Menya is better for snacks and light meals, rather than massive feeds. To reiterate, Menya is the vertically-challenged kid on the playground, not the abnormally tall bully who hogs the swings and dominates the monkey bars. If I ever go back I want to try the tan tan soup. Props for this local boy...errrrr, restaurant...taking credit cards though, and charging less than $9 for a bowl of soup!
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Review from Andrea L.
Vancouver, BC
I'm a little torn between the "meh, ive experienced better"& "A-Ok". but I decided they were nice people, so they deserved another star.
It's a small little place, but the side wall could fit a decent sized group, I like the seats they had, they were big stumps of wood!
I had some ramen, gyoza and a few other things there and I gotta admit, I wasn't wowed. I just didn't see what the hype was about..the broth was a tad bit bland and the noodles reminded me a bit of the stuff that comes out of a package..
But the side dish (gyoza) definitely made it better! -
Review from Fritz S.
I don't usually like Ramen Noodles but i have to say that this place is not bad.. not bad at all.. the broth was tasty and pretty big portions AND reasonably priced as well.
Staff was very polite and helped me choose the best combo for me (being a noob and all LOL) -
Review from Helen Y.
Vancouver, BC
what happened to this place?
I came here when it first opened and was great, and now, it's so below average?
why?
did the owners change?
my mom had the original broth and i had the tantan and was so not much happening.. -
Review from Kristina C.
Vancouver, BC
I love me some ramen!
I ordered the miso ramen while my dad had the nagasaki chanpon, which has both seafood and meat (probably pork). We also shared a small order of gyozas.
The noodles were so fresh, nice and chewy, and the broth was very flavourful. I like how they add corn to the bowl. The noodles in the nagasaki chanpon are not ramen, but looked more like lo mein noodles. The broth is this dish is more soy sauce based, lighter than the tonkatsu miso broth, but really tasty. The gyozas were TINY, much smaller than most Japanese restaurants. However, they were quite good, with thin, crispy wraps. I noticed after I ordered that they also offer yakisoba, so I'll have to come back to try that one day.
Friendly service and clean decor. Its tight quarters in this restaurant, so be prepared to eat close to your neighbours. Accepts major credit cards and debit. -
Review from Jessica O.
Vancouver, BC
I don't understand the hate goin' on here! I LOVE Menya. No, I LURVE Menya.
I choose the fish broth with ramen noodles, fish cakes and hard boiled eggs and I am full, happy, warm and glowy. The portions are a bit smaller than at the huge glutton-fest ramen restaurants downtown (like Kintaro) but I don't want a soggy mass of leftover noodles rotting in my fridge, so....
The staff are friendly, the soup is great and the prices cheap. What more could a ramen-lovin' gal ask for?Listed in: Yummy Veggie-Friendly Fast…
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Review from Vicky H.
Vancouver, BC
Good little restaurant. The staff was super friendly and their food was very good. I had the Nagahama Ramen and it was better than I expected. Will definitely go back again =)
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Review from conrad y.
Vancouver, BC
This place has saved my bacon more than once with it's delicious bowls full of goodness.
Plus the Staff are friendly-if a bit run off their feet when it's busy-they try really hard.
This is a classic noodle bar-siddown/order/slurp it all down and hit the city/no time for trifling. -
Review from Denise R.
Vancouver, BC
Yum! The TanTan Men is my favourite! The broth is tasty, and comes with lots of meat. I recently tried the Chanpon and the taste is delightful. And they do to-go!
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Review from Alex G.
Vancouver, BC
After a long debate with a couple of discerning Japanese ex pats and their gringo spouses, I agreed to try out Menya because they swore up and down that it was better than Kintaro (which apparently means "Golden Potato"...or else I was viciously lied to).
Anyway, I gotta hand it to them. It was delicious. Better than Kintaro, although I would (and will) give both 4 stars because homemade ramen and slow-cooked stock deserves nothing less. The portions at Menya are more manageable, yet still very filling. We ordered a set with gyoza and a sticky rice cake both of which were devourworthy.
I found the tonkotsu broth (which comes in one variety, not light, medium, or heavy) to be actually better tasting than the Golden Potato's. It was salty, porky, but not over powering. I was advised to order another ball of noodles to dump in my extra soup, and I felt like my father (a terrifying development) when my brain insisted on ordering it in the Japanese word I just learned. This is going to be what the rest of my life is like? God help me.
I loved every slurp, but I suppose I could've caught Menya on a good day. Still, it's won my nod. -
Review from David R.
Came here on a whim last Tuesday. I was in the mood for Ramen, and this seemed to be the spot.
I admit I am a fish out of water in places like this. I don't have a lot of Ramen experience, and when I order, I am not always sure what to get. I looked at the people sitting next to me, and what they ordered looked delicious. Maybe I should have had them order for me as well.
I ordered the Tonkotsu. For 7.50 I expected a meal, what I got was more of a snack. 3 small pieces of pork, and not even that many noodles. The broth was decent, but by no means special.
I also ordered a small gyoza. Again the value here was not great. The gyoza tasted like freshly made dumplings, but they were small, and not worth the 2.40.
The main draw here it seems, are the waitresses. The staff seemed to be super friendly and helpful. This place was really a 2.5, but because of the staff I have upgraded.
If I wind up back here, I will try the Yakisoba which seemed to look pretty hearty. -
Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
* Consistency is VERY important - penalty point for not having it! *
Sadly it seems they have gone downhill a bit - or at least they are no longer consistent. I visited last week and forgot to Yelp about it until today. Had the miso version again. The pork was not as tender and juicy as it had been in the past. It was thin and a bit dry sadly. The onigiri was not the same as it had been in the past - as if it had been microwaved?!?!?! Gyoza were still good. But overall they've lost a star for consistency.Listed in: Vanoodle, Vancouver Japanese Food, Vancouver Dumplings
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/29/2008
This ramen restaurant specializes in tonkotsu broth. My favourite soup on the menu is the miso… Read more »
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11/29/2008
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Review from Christine R.
New Westminster, BC
Menya has been on my "to try" list for some time now. This casual noodle shop gets the flavour right in the atmosphere, but the ramen itself was disappointing. In fact, I'm not even sure what they served in the Nagahama ramen *was* properly ramen - the thin, straight white noodles looked more like somen than the heartier, curvier noodles you usually get. I tried to ask the server about this as she came to refill my tea (+), but her English was too charmingly broken for us to really sort out the mystery noodles together.
Me: Are these somen noodles?
Her: Oh, you know somen? But this is ramen.
Me: They kind of look like somen.
Her: Somen is a different noodle.
(mutual nod and smile)
Her: How was ramen?
Me: Oishi!
She with her kerchief and teapot seemed impressed by my knowledge of noodles. I didn't want to argue with such a smiley person. Kawaii!
Actually, the best part of the meal was the gyozas. They were fried crispy on one side and soft on the other, and they were really tasty with the gyoza sauce supplied at the table. They came along with a fried onigiri (rice ball wrapped with nori seaweed) as a combo for only $3.40 with the purchase of "ramen" ($7-9).
Menya gets snaps for value and cute Japanese speaking servers, but at this point, I'm can't recommend the ramen. Maybe their udon kicks ass?Listed in: Irraishaimase!
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Review from samuel a.
Vancouver, BC
Not a fan.
My second time there just because I was unable to make it down to Kintaro, and I needed some ramen.
I got the Tonkotsu MIso set. The portion size is LACKING. The toppings are LACKING. It's dinner people not a snack! The soup flavor was an improvement over the last time. I swear the noodles are thicker too, which in my mind is a plus.
With the set I got gyoza (nothing special) and the onigiri, which as Marc D. has pointed out seems to be mircowaved? I guarantee that it IS microwaved. Premade, set aside, warmed up.
I won't go back, unless I see some markedly better reviews. These people just need to head down to Kintaro and copy much of what they do there.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/19/2009
My expectations were probably a little too high for this place, as it is with any Japanese run… Read more »
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5/19/2009
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Review from Beverley W.
Vancouver, BC
I like Menya, but I wanted to love it.
I had high hopes, given the cool tree stump seats and cheery Japanese staff working out of a spotless kitchen
But, sigh, their tonkotsu ramen was just OK. I had no problem with the noodles, and the pork -- moist, fatty and cooked to perfect tenderness -- is pretty good, but the broth lacks the rich flavour of truly delicious tonkotsu. Broth is the soul of any noodle soup, and it's a bad sign if I can't really even recall its flavour now, except that it was flat.
Maybe the noodle chefs at Menya need to watch "Tampopo" for some inspiration.
That said, I will go back to Menya for another try. I want to be won over! -
Review from Stephen Y.
Vancouver, BC
High expectation... wanted it soooo much to be like that special ramen place in Porter Square...
Alas.. small portion and not much "bite" in the noodle.... Not a lot of "fillings"... I quite like the "ramen sauce".... yum
However, not bad considering there are no ramen places close to work -
Review from Meg B.
Vancouver, BC
I'm a sucker for udon noodles. All & all, its not bad! I ordered the udon with veggie tempura, that came with the biggest tempura fritter I'd even seen! It was bigger than my face!
I will admit that the rice ball that came with my set wasn't my favourite but that's just me. The restaurant is clean, Staff are polite and the service is fast.
I will certainly be going back again to try the ramen. -
Review from Sam L.
I first tried Menya not long after it opened right around the 'ramen boom' a year ago. This place is pretty good, and although I think the chashu at Benkei is better, nothing comes close to the tan tan men at Menya! I start twitching if I go too long without it. So rich and flavourful.
Not sure why Kintaro still gets so much attention when you have places like this, Benkei, Motomachi and now Santouka in town. -
Review from Sachi M.
Whoa!!
This is the first Ramen establishment in Vancouver where I noticed the soup first. It had No Taste. Sure, it was white and tonkotsu-looking, but I couldn't taste anything at all.
One positive here is that you can pick your noodle thickness. I went for the Thin. It wasn't the kind I crave, though... feels rough in my mouth. I think I'll give up my search for Hakata Ramen in Vancouver and try to be satisfied that we have Ramen at all.
Since they don't claim to be a Ramen store but a "Men" (noodle) store, I may come back to try the Yakisoba I saw on the menu... -
Review from Trude H.
Vancouver, BC
Oh, Menya, what has happened to you?
I dropped in for lunch the other day after a year-long absence. Ordered up the Soba (buckwheat) with vegetable tempura.
The soba had little taste - so the table top chili and ramen sauce came in handy. The broth, which the menu states is homemade fish stock, lacked body.
I will admit, noodle soups are not my favorite, but I had been to Menya many times when it first opened and thought I may become a convert. Once I adjusted the seasonings, it was more yummy; and I knew the tempura was fresh as I had watched the cook make it.
I so want to like this place; and the dozen Japanese fellows who were happily chowing down here filled me with hope. The staff are all young and enthusiastic.
I will give it one more try, with my Japanese friends. -
Review from Rose N.
Vancouver, BC
Cheap on ingredients....
Great location, but unfortunately the chefs are just a bunch of kids and it shows in their cooking. Ordered noodles was suppose to have chicken, but instead of getting actual pieces, it was shredded, with worked out to less than 6oz and 2 pieces of carrots...
Lots more better than this eatery.. -
Review from Arnold P.
The place: Lots of room compared to other ramen places. Friendly staff.
The food: We were in a hurry as they were almost closing. I had the shoyu ramen.
The verdict: Very Salty. I would rather go somewhere else.Listed in: Ramen
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Review from Kim L.
Vancouver, BC
Between the two occassions that I have been here, I've tried their ramen with three different soup bases (Nagahama/Tonkatsu, Miso Tonkatsu, and Shoyu). Sadly, none of them stand out, but if I had to choose one to recommend it would be the Shoyu because the other two reminded me of ramen packet soup bases. I do want to give them them props for giving patrons a choice of thick, regular or thin ramen noodles. The staff is friendly and quick with service--which made me want to like this place...but I just can't bring myself back for the noodles. Personally, I find their ramens missing that X factor, however, if I were to come back, the crispy gyoza (8 for$4.80) and seaweed salad with spring mix (large and fresh salad for $4.00--a steal!) are worth mentioning and eating.
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Review from Sheila W.
BC
The 4th star is for the atmosphere and genuinely Japanese-y feel of this little shop. I was surprised when I walked in to hear the familiar high-pitched call of "Irashaimasen" welcoming me into a Japanese establishment. Similarly, the bookend phrase of "arigato gozaimasu" was called (even from the kitchen) as I exited.
I like the wooden tables and stump stools and the matching wooden plaques on the walls featuring the menu in Japanese. Of course, the big benefit is that you're also brought a menu with English and the service is all in English -- unless you're feeling like taking a stab at Nihongo. They have nice chop sticks -- not the slippery plastic kind common to Chinese places. And they also have nice tea cups (also not the plastic variety). I appreciate these little details in a noodle shop!
The service was quick and the meals both arrived lickety-split -- also a very Japanese trait. But where the meal let me down was in the broth. It is that milky-type of broth that is salty ... the flavour is very delicate. In Vancouver I'm used to Chinese and Vietnamese soups that offer such vibrant flavours. Japanese are known for the simpler tastes, and appreciating each ingredient for what it is.
I had the Nagasaki chanpon -- a dish that I compared to the real thing that I had last year in Nagasaki's Chinatown (although I remember it being translated to 'champon'). It was a massive bowl full of vegetables, seafood and thick noodles. The broth was salty and slightly sweet and it was an incredibly filling meal for $8.90. It was comparable to the real thing ... but the broth just wasn't doing it for me.
But between my chanpon and my dining partner's Nagahama Ramen, we were both hoping for a little more. The gyoza and onigiri (rice ball) were both top notch. You can add them as a set for an extra $3.40! If you're going for the Chanpon, it's probably not necessary, as it's a huge meal as-is. -
Review from Emily C.
It was A-OK.
I came here many moons ago, simply when I was driving by and noticed a ramen shop on Broadway. At this point, I was living within a 5 minute walk from two of the best ramen places in downtown, so I was intrigued. Grass is always greener right? So I stop in for lunch. And .... all I could remember was it was raining. And the lady beside me had a really huge umbrella. And people kept knocking into my purse. And I had really dope parking that I didn't have to pay for.
DIDN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING ABOUT THE RAMEN! Isn't that horrible. I left ok-satisfied but unimpressed. It's never good whenever you remember every other detail BUT the food.
I didn't get sick. It was ok. But I still love those two places on Robson better. -
Review from Debbie P.
Great local ramen place with no fuss no muss ramen. Even the interior is simple with old desks from schools and chairs made from wood trunks.
For me the most important part of ramen is the broth followed by the noodles and both are done wonderfully. -
Review from Ka L.
Vancouver, BC
The noodles take awhile to be cooked, a little slower than the other places on robson. However this was on a Thurs night after the end of dinner time so maybe they were less staffed than usual.
Noodles were the chewier type, with the soup lacking in comparison with the flavor of the other soups elsewhere. Combo with the gyoza and rice ball was a nice touch
Went there again and this time the soup much more flavorful compared to the first time. However, the garlic chips were over burnt to the point of being bitter (they were black brown). -
Review from Emily S.
Vancouver, BC
I thought I already reviewed this place. I would have given it 4 stars... except... after my visit today, I probably won't ever go back.
It's been 6 hours since I ate there and I'm still hurting. And it's not just me, the people I went with are all sick, too, and they ate different soups than me. So tasty but deadly... I'm not going to get into details. This place is at your own (intestinal) risk. -
Review from Robert C.
I'm giving it three stars for now. Because I relied on Yelp to get me there... and failed. Yelp currently thinks that this restaurant is at the intersection of Burrard and Broadway. The restaurant is actually located on Broadway near Cambie Street. I think this is more of a google maps issue, but still. Disappointing as I ended up at Moxie's grill because it was close by and we were on foot (yuck).
edit: finally made it to the restaurant. the noodles are well done but the broth a bit over-salted. -
Review from Christine K.
Vancouver, BC
I tried this today for lunch and had the $7.00 or so miso tonkatsu ramen & the egg! The egg was my favourite part. I've never had Japanese soup before, well udon I guess, but not like this, so I have no rating to base it on really.
I thought the egg was so good! The broth was plain tasting to me really. There wasn't very many noodles. There was one bite of pork only with a couple of mini cubes, but really no pork.
Semi-satisfying lunch...without the egg, I probably wouldn't have been too impressed! The other thing is sitting on the chairs (tree stumps)...they were too high for the table and I really had to lean over to eat...not comfortable really. Service was polite & good.
I'll give it another try. The gyoza looked excellent! -
Review from Kyle B.
Vancouver, BC
The tan tan men is great and very different from typical ramen. However, this positive review is plagued by Menya's big downfall...cappy hours!
Shop Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:30-3:00, 5:00-9:00
Sun 11:30-3:00
You're probably saying to yourself...'well they operating in the business district, and need to change from their lunch menu to their dinner menu'. WRONG, on both accounts...firstly, the number of residents that live around the shop is ridiculous and only getting bigger...secondly, menu change for a ramen joint wtf.
Menya needs to wake up and realize that the olympics are well over and the fact that japanese olypians ate there doesn't matter jack, nor does that fact that you have some mural, because I can walk a block and half and get my ramen fix at Benkei. You know what that's called competition. Get used to it!
So Menya, get off your high horse of lazy slacker work hours and here's an idea... stay open like a regular business that wants to survives...or wallow in your own demise.
This is intended as creative criticism and if Menya chooses to ignore my comments and fails as a business, remember this...'I told you so!' -
Review from Geoff W.
Vancouver, BC
Mediocre. I like the broth's flavour at Kintaro and the other one Denman much better.
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Review from Dennis T.
North Vancouver, BC
Tan Tan Men is sooo good here. Spicy and sweet and always piping hot. I'm not crazy about the combo that includes a brown rice ball and a few gyozas. You're better off ordering the gyozas and go for one of the really tasty rice balls that come with shrimp tempura! Very comforting....
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Review from Ory O.
Vancouver, BC
I'm not sure why most reviewers here are expecting a five star meal from a 10 dollar noodle house. I'm at Menya at least once a week with a mound of soba noodles hanging out of my mouth and the sweet sound of Huey Lewis in my ears and loving every minute of it.
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Review from Ant L.
Burnaby, BC
I have been coming here for its Nagahama noodle for a few years. I have to say that the quality and service had dipped. The texture of its noodle was more soggy and the soup not as hot as should be. And the place is not super busy (full, but no line-up or anything), yet no one had come for a service check or tea refill once after our noodles arrived. I will probably try something new next time I have a craving for ramen.
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Review from Troy S.
Vancouver, BC
I love the decor, the tree stumps that you may happen to be seated at,the people are so friendly, the service was fast. The Nagasaki Chanpon was terrific, the noodles are supreme, broth nice and rich very tasty!Free tea, assorted condiment"s.Very pleased would go again for sure! who wants too join me? Check out the pic's
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Review from Larry L.
This is a Japanese run establishment which is a good thing. I haven't been here for a few months but coming back after a small hiatus, I have to say that it has lost Its place as one of the better locations for ramen. We tried the hiyashi ramen set. Mine was with the goma version which was tasty, but there was one ingredient that I could have done without. It was the shrimp on the top, which tasted like fuel, it's the only way I could describe it. It wasn't bad, just tasted bad. The rest of the dish was good. The other thing that bothered me was the gyoza.
Where's the gyoza??? It was soooo tiny. Half the size it used to be.
Like the other person who posted about consistency...... This is true. It's just not the same. This is one thing I warn to new places. Once you set the bar high. You have to keep it that way. If you don't people will notice and they will find another place. Menya, go back to basics and don't cut corners, especially on quality and consistency!!
Written on my iphone
