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Real People. Real Reviews.®
Mon-Tue, Thu-Sun 12 pm - 11 pm
Another awesome little ramen joint in the West End. There are so many kick-butt ramen joints within 2 blocks of Robson and Denman! This neighborhood is half the reason I come to Van.
The ramen here was excellent. Very tasty broth, lots of yummy ingredients, a good selection on the menu. The service was great. The atmosphere is very Japanese: super small, long lines, uncomfortable seats, rustic decor, frantic ramen chefs sweating away in the back, etc.
My stars still stand, my love still stills my beating heart, I will still slay dragons, walk through fire (or the line up at Kintaro) for one of your free-range soft poached eggs, some bamboo shoots and your perfectly cooked noodles... even if you make me wait outside if there's more than two groups waiting for tables.
But I probably won't eat your cold ramen again. I dunno, there's something un-ramen about it. The egg is sloppy and running, the broth is salty, and that weird marshmallow-y gooey white stuff really didn't do it for me. But hey, the noodles were good and you get more of them.
Stick with the hot stuff, it'll still satisfy, no matter how hot the day is outside.
*Screamed with the universal "rock" hand gesture (thumb, index finger and pinky) standing tall and proud*
I STILL LOVE YOU MOTOMACHI! Yeahhhhh!
Listed in: My West End Hood, Casual Fare, A Halfer's Guide to Asian…, Off the Beaten Tourist Path, Baby It's Cold Outside
5 major yummy slurps!
1. free range chicken and soft boiled eggs
2. organic-deliciousness
3. funny…
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Goodbye to Kintaro's fluorescent glow and insanely hot room! Motomachi Shokudo is the quieter, friendlier, prettier version of Kintaro, plus the menu is healthier and more intriguing. For a guy like me who likes to nitpick on the small details and pinpoint flaws that most people would shrug off I am very surprised I don't have a single gripe about this place. The decor is beautifully understated yet inviting. The staff are inhumanly friendly and accommodating. I've never had to wait in line for more than 5 minutes. The price is extremely reasonable. The food has always been fresh, tasty and always the right portion size. The charcoal bamboo miso ramen is mind blowing. The broth packs an extra punch, the pork is lean but flavorful, the vegetables are firm and abundant, the soft boiled egg is the best I've ever tried, and the noodles are always super fresh.
I don't know why you're still reading this. Get over to Motomachi Shokudo right NOW!!
I ordered dark charcoal ramen, it tasted good. I found a bit MSG when I eating it and I needed to drink a lot of water after.
The Gyoza is ok, only 4 pcs and not home-made dumplings. A bit disappointed.
I think this is the best ramen place in the downtown area.
I recommend the spicy miso and the charcoal bamboo miso ramen. The meat is meh, but the depthness of the broth really makes up for it. Compared with Kintaro, I feel that this place puts a lot more care into each bowl of ramen.
I appreciate that the ramen has a beautiful presentation with quality ingredients - it's all organic!
Go directly to Motomachi Shokudo. Do not pass Go. Do not Collect $200. Do not stop at Kintaro.
Motomachi Shokudo is my pick for ramen in the West End. Just a few doors down from Kintaro with half the amount of people (=no wait!), I find the ramen to be tastier, healthier (organic/free range), and loaded with veggies.
I also appreciate the extra little touch they do of putting a little bit of baby's breath or a flower on the tray when they deliver your ramen.
In light of the ramen noodle craze, I'm adding a new quest to my culinary adventures...... Vancouver's Best Ramen! Could this place be the best? Hmmmm I guess we'll find out after I've visited all other locations.
Very very small joint that only hold to about 20 seats?? So if you're on your lunch break, you better be a fast runner to by pass the line up otherwise show up around..... not so lunch hour... Service was great. Interesting wooden furniture....... yay, I don't like to sit on stools at a restaurant.... unless it's a real hole in the wall place.
Today, I had the Shoyu BBQ pork ramen. I gotta say.. I was quite blown away by the pork. It was so tender and juicy with just the perfect fat content. Bamboo shoots, green onions, sprouts, perfect soft boiled egg, ramen noodles, and a delicious broth all in one good size portion. My only problem.... a bit over priced for what it is, but then again, what's not over price in Vancouver??
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmotomachi!
Add me to the Motomachi fan bandwagon! One of my favourite lunch spots in the West End, and it has to be one of the best ramen joints around, and yes that includes its close neighbor Kintaro.
The broth is fantastic, the noodles are great, and they're stuffed with a tonne of fresh veggies. If you're all about organic eats and a healthier ramen option Motomachi is the place for you.
It's not a large place, it only seats 21, but if you can get grab a spot it's well worth it. I highly recommend the Spicy Miso, definitely my favourite on the menu.
Just don't show up there on a Wednesday, for some odd reason that's the only day of the week they're closed.
I've been told that this is under the same ownership as Kintaro. Just as delicious, but a bit more 'date friendly' as the decore is a little nicer. It's a little quieter, and has a slightly different menu. If you're looking for the authentic family steamy hot diner style ramen, go to Kintaro. If you're dressed a bit better and don't want to bump elbows with all the people slurping around you, then come here. Still just as good.
Finally! Finally a great ramen place! Finally!
And I thought about all of the people walking in... "you SMART smart people. How come you never told me about this place."
Wish I could multiply this great review times 4 because we had 4 businessmen in town from Japan and they looooved it compared to ramen shops in both Toyko and Vancouver.
I recommend the Shio Extra BBQ Pork. $11. Yum.
Updated TIP:
Motomachi DOES enforce the $8 minimum/person, even when the restaurant is emtpy. And if you dare protest, they may let you stay but will ignore you completely and be rude to the entire party. I think this is an unfair business practice, because rules should be flexible depending on the situation. So if one person in your group is just joining you for a beer, expect them to get kicked out if they don't buy 2.
Kintaro was packed so we ventured down here. Ordered the charcoal bamboo miso ramen and the regular miso ramen. Both of the broths were fantastic -- the charcoal one definitely feeling healthier (visibly less oil). They are a bit skimpy on the ingredients but no matter, it was all redeemed by the yummy broth. Also love the decor!
This is a Healthy Ramen store... which is good for health-conscious WestCoast-ers, but not what I look for when I want Ramen. I always thought that Ramen is salty, somewhat greasy, and mostly carbs, which is why you don't have it all the time.
I had the Shio with Seasonal Vegetables and Lime. The soup was pepperier than usual, but that went well with the lime. I was very happy with the soup for the first few minutes, but I got tired of it very quickly, since it is very light and didn't have the body to keep me intrigued. This is not a mistake, though, since the store has purposely tried to make Ramen healthy. That is why it has my 3rd star.
The noodles are a bit thick and curly, which is a "proper" type of Ramen. It's just not to my liking because it's not the type I grew up on (each region in Japan seems to boast a certain type of noodle/soup).
Also, "Shokudo" roughly means 'cafeteria', so I was expecting them to have something else basic, like fried rice or something. Oh well. They do have Gyoza.
According to one of the many papers on the door, they accept Cash and Interac, but no Credit Card.
So many comparisons between this place and Kintaro--to be honest, I would be hard pressed to find Kintaro better than this place. First of all Kintaro has no bathroom (and Motomachi does). This is a huge strike because it means that they really don't want you to stay. Motomachi is a tiny place with maybe 20 seats, but the atmosphere has a Japanese Charm that makes you feel comfy and welcomed. The servers are super nice as well. The prices are a bit higher than Kintaro, but not by much and the lines are considerably shorter. We had the classic spicy chicken ramen and the Charcoal ramen. Both were excellent. The spicy chicken had a wide assortment of crunchy vegis and a broth with a little kick to go with the fresh ramen. It was very light and refreshing. The charcoal ramen had a very rich bold flavor and felt like a more stick to your bones dish. The Japanese have been very keen on the health benefits of charcoal products and this dish fits right in. The noodles for both dishes were quite good-perfectly cooked with a little snap with each bite. Nothing worse than mushy ramen and this place certainly doesn't do that. Both broths were excellent and they had several others we didn't try. Save yourself the wait in the Kintaro line and check this place out. Your taste buds as well as your legs and bladder will thank you.
It is about time. I owe this establishment my words of love and support.
I like to think of myself as a noodle and broth connoisseur, given the amount of noodles I've had in my life. Probably enough noodles to wrap around the earth quite a few times. Let me make myself clear: I *HEART* noodles!
Therefore, it is rare that I have a bowl of noodles so delicious that I wish I had room for more. By happy coincidence, a good friend brought me to this ramen place while I was visiting her in Vancouver in the summer of 2008, and now I understand just why organic tastes so much better.
I am a big fan of their bamboo carbon broth (dark in color, more savory and complex than the shoyu, features more umami taste imo), and their slightly fatty slices of pork. The noodles clearly taste fresh since they have that perfect bit of "spring" when you bite into them-- contrary to noodles that have been sitting in packages for a long time. A slice of organic egg to go with it? Yes, thank you. A big wooden ladle? Sure!
The proof is in the pudding: I ranted and raved about it to another good friend, and planted the seed of obsession when we visited Vancouver together. They have already gone back again, and really raves about it here too!
So what are you waiting for? Heaven is waiting for you in a bowl.
Haven't heard of charcoal ramen broth until I came here. It looks like squid ink soup but tastes like ramen broth. It's supposed to be healthier but didn't feel any healthier after eating it. Plus, the thought of drinking/eating charcoal doesn't seem like a good idea for health.
Their miso ramen didn't come with eggs so I had to order a side egg. The eggs were 3-4 minute soft-boiled egg so didn't mind paying a bit extra. The miso ramen was just okay compared to Santouku in Mitsua (Edgewater, NJ), which has become my benchmark for ramen in North America.
Overall, it's definitely between 3.5 to 4 stars. Not as good as other ramen places I've been to, but good enough to give it a try.
A small, modern ramen restaurant which keeps its 20 seats constantly full.
I ordered the Shio ramen with extra BBQ pork ... so delicious. The broth is light and slightly salty, then topped with two types of pork. The bonus is that the pork is grilled/roasted so the edges are extra flavourful.
Toppings also included some greens, scallion, nori, and soft-boiled egg. The ramen was also bountiful and perfectly cooked.
Ramen ranges in price from around $9-12. Only cash or debit are accepted. Staff is quick and friendly.
Here for the second time (and benkei) for 3 straight weeks awaiting santouka's return. Motomachi does NOT fail.
I had the burnt oil ramen last week and the grilled pork was awesome. The extra pork was of different variety so it was sorta meh.
This week i had the charcoal ramen.
I'm all abt the pork but the ramen is so consistently perfect that i wonder how i can take 3 weeks of ramen. But each time i finish the bowl, i'd yearn for more if my stomach wasn't full. the egg was pretty delicious too.
and the soup... i'm not a big soup guy because MSG is always pinned to my brain but motomachi always lives up the lighter soup hype.
only thing that kept me from 5 staring this place was knowing kintaro has better pork and ramen still.
Four stars for Japanese speaking servers...j/k.
I picked this place over Kintaro because of a friend's recommendation. This ramen place is known for healthy ramen made with organic and local ingredients. I ordered shio ramen with an extra egg. The ramen came with lots of strings of green onions (sliced vertically). That was a nice twist to the usual chopped green onion. The egg was perfectly boiled. The broth was made with the 'best of the best' natural salt from one of two locations which made the ramen shio poi sugiru (aka too salty). I wish there was more chasu, since one slice seems too few but less meat is probably healthier?
I ordered a side dish of gyoza. The gyoza were similar to the Taiwanese style which are longer unlike the traditional petite size Japanese style gyoza. For less than 3 CAD, I would say it's worth trying.
Other than the salty broth, I thought the ramen was decent. Not the best ramen that I have had but acceptable.
Small ramen shop serving organic fare. Seats 20 with step stool like seats. Service is great. This is one of two places I go for ramen when in town.
My favorite is the shoyu ramen. I always opt for the oil with burnt onions to add additional flavor to the broth. The ramen comes with a perfectly cooked hard boiled egg, bean spouts, bamboo shoots, green onions and pork. It's topped with a dried seaweed strip.
I happened across this place after a massage. I wanted something clean and filling.
Am I glad I ended up here. I ate the Bamboo Charcoal Ramen which is known for it's digestive assistance. It sounds groady but it was delicious without tasting overly nutritious.
Amazing presentation, quality and service here. I am just sorry that there are only about 20 seats as this place is obviously getting it's proper due.
There is no shortage of good Japanese food when you're downtown Vancouver, but if you're craving a great bowl of ramen on a chilly dark night, you gotta try Motomachi!
The egg is done to perfection...soft, tender and definitely not overcooked (I hate that). The noodles are soft, but not mushy. The soup is very tasty. All combined in a bowl to soothe the soul, and to warm you up.
This place is best when its just you and a good friend...not that big inside (holds approximately 20 patrons).
Taste = great
Food Presentation = great
Bang for the buck = good
Would I go again = yes
A 5-star ramen restaurant. Although the broth is not as rich as Kintaro's, everything else is better at Motomachi ... interior, cleaniness, ingredients & presentation. With my shio ramen, my egg was perfectly soft-boiled, scallions were julienned, my BBQ pork was nicely charred (unlike the occasional bites of semi-frozen pork at Kintaro's).
Prices are unbelievably reasonable for the location and the interior. My bowl of ramen was less than $9.
I don't think I'm lining for Kintaro anytime more and I started quietly sneer at those in line whenever I walk by.
I found myself back in Vancouver and true to my word, I made it back here for some good ramen. Still as delicious as I remembered, though it felt like there were less meat/veggies this time. Maybe it was just the type of ramen I ordered?
Still can't up it to 5 stars b/c although everything was great (servers were so nice and friendly), I wanted to take my ramen home to slurp later and alas there were no take out containers!!
When my friend raved about organic ramen, I was a bit dubious. I mean, ramen is ramen, right?
Well,…
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This is my brother's favourite ramen shop.
His recommendation: The Charcoal Ramen and I'd recommend it too. I've never had anything like it and its delicious.
Please also try the Spicy Miso Ramen which is flavourful with every slurp!
My only complaint, as with all good ramen shops is the wait and lack of space/seating. But its well worth it~
Listed in: Home Sweet Home YVR
I wasn't sure what to expect while standing in front of Motomachi waiting patiently to open at 12.00 on Thursday. It felt weird standing in a line of 1 while just down the street the competitor had a line of 10+ awaiting their opening.
When I walked in, I felt at home, very welcomed by the friendly Japanese staff. The decor was nice and I felt as though I was in Japan. Service was very friendly and I wasn't rushed out after eating, even after all 21 seats filled up.
Food was good, I'd definitely go back again. I ordered the charcoal miso ramen. The menu says it's good for digestion, but I seem to recall other uses for charcoal. Either way, it was really tasty and I'm glad I didn't chicken out and join the crowd of 10+ down the street. Price wise, I think the my charcoal miso ramen was ~$9.95CAD and an order of pork gyoza was ~$3.95CAD.
Listed in: Vancouver
You don't want fatty pork broth in your ramen? Want something lighter and don't want to go all the way to Richmond for it? Try this place if you're downtown on Denman street.
As Crystal wrote in her review below, there's not really much more to say. She says:
"5 major yummy slurps!
1. free range chicken and soft boiled eggs
2. organic-deliciousness
3. funny menus (with a separate women's menu claiming "good for health" and "low on calorie")
4. clean tables, (albeit on the small side) friendly staff
5. little to no waits
******Bonus: ah-maz-ing broth!"
Couldn't have said it much better myself!
Oh, for something different try the black miso!!
Listed in: Ramen shops worth trying out
Warning #1, do not eat here if you plan on going anywhere other than the fish flinging competition at Pike Place market or your neighbourhood pig run. You will reek of pork broth, which yummy as that is to eat, your colleague sitting next to you may not appreciate inhaling human pork rind eau du toilette.
However, if you have no where to go but home for a date with your washing machine, EAT ON. The ramen is superb, yummy, delish and all words that impart a fabulous eating experience.
Small menu, all focused on ramen as this is a ramen place, do not go in expecting anything but ramen. The ramen is light and perfectly made and cooked. The broth is flavorfully light as well, I was pleasantly surprised.
You have the choice of many different kinds of broth, I had the miso broth which was delicate and tasteful. The ramen doesn't come with much fuss, a large piece of BBQ pork (not to be mistaken with Chinese BBQ pork, similar but not as red and fatty), an egg, scallions sliced thin (perfect), bamboo shoots (which I declined as I feel they take over the taste). If you prefer your broth a little spicy ask for the chili oil, there is also white pepper and Japanese chili flakes on the table.
I have nothing but good to say. I love ramen and hard to find ramen thats not too thick and broth that makes you want to sit in a lump for hours afterwards.
I have not tried Kintaro which gets good reviews as well but I do recommend Motomachi.
I was a little overzealous and got there 45 minutes early for lunch based on the tales of lines. Not necessary, perhaps 10 minutes ahead of time is ample.
Do not dilly dally, they start to look stressed if you don't eat, pay and leave. There is space for only 20. Only 4 tiny table that seat 2 and a communal bar that seats 10 so don't dawdle, they need to make a living. Don't gripe, if you want to sit and pontificate go to Hons on Robson thats seats 200 for noodles.
Someone in past reviews raved about the decor... uh, not sure what he was on? It's wood, nothing much to notice, it's about the ramen, don't go for mood/setting/ambience, go to friggin' eat.
The staff is efficient, though they did forget my gfriend's kimchi, and we did order some gyoza, nothing out of this world... again, for the millionth time, it;'s a RAMEN place, if you want gyoza go to Gyoza King.
I will go back back back many times.
I said this was good for kids but only if you have well mannered children that like Asian food and don't need an hour to be spoon fed.
Ta.
When the line is just too long at Kintaro...stop in! It definitely feels like the healthier ramen alternative to Kintaro. Everything tastes very pure, less fatty. I guess I can't always have fatty pork so this is where I go on my Kintaro off days. If healthy is not your thing, do not come here! They really pride themselves on using fabulous ingredients! OH YES! Almost forgot! It's also a more spacious restaurant so the seating is more comfortable!
Best ramen I've ever had. Generous portion size and the friendly wait staff was more than happy to assist with ordering. The only problem was that they only take cash or full-on debit. For the American traveler, this isn't ideal. Small joint, but it was great for a late-night meal. Again... it was the very best ramen I've ever had.
Lunch last week at Motomachi Shokudo was a special event. We had a friend of the company in from San Francisco who wanted (and knew) good ramen, and it was a rare occasion to leave the 1-block radius of the usual office lunch options. A good thing that our group trimmed itself down to 5 - the restaurant is quite small, but nicely decorated and furnished. That didn't matter. Social structure didn't matter. Once our noodles arrived, we were all absorbed into our private slurping spaces, pausing only to utter a "Hmmm... s'good", followed by an echo of "Yup... good". I ordered the charcoal ramen. Unique, organic, subtle and flavourful. The noodles were soft and chewy, the boiled egg was perfect and the whole dish was satisfying for only 8.95. We also ordered a side of 4 gyoza, which were some of the largest and most delicious I'd had in a while. I can't wait to try the rest of the menu.
* Organic ramen?!?!?!! Cool! *
I like the focus on slightly healthier and more organic when possible that they offer here. It is a unique position in the ramen game!
The broth was rich and flavourful, the noodles perfectly cooked, a generous amount of leeks, onion, negi, bean sprouts, corn and bamboo shoots. The char siu was thickly sliced, tender, juicy, and flavourful.
A very satisfying bowl overall - and somehow makes you feel that ramen can be slightly healthy! (Neat trick!)
Listed in: Vancouver Japanese Food, Vanoodle, Vancouver Organic Food
Finally tried the last of the big 3 on my list and I was definitely impressed.
Service: what I expected! super friend staff with cheery attitudes and big smiles.
Food: loved the "organic" and "natural" of the ingredients. Was a little skeptical at first but after the first few bites and slurps I was believing all the power words they used on their menu. Instead of ordering the gyoza, we ordered the pork (not the side, but the actual appy) which was port "butt" and shoulder. It was served with a bit of sweet sauce on top and ... seriously.. I would put this up there with my filet mignon from Gotham. It just melted in my mouth and my tastes buds were def happy. I like how that they give you options of adding things to the soup base to make it taste more rich and flavorful!
As previously stated, its a little more pricy then Kintaro and Benkei for the standard bowl w/o toppings but for some reason.. after eating here you dont get that super heavy feeling in your stomach where its just screaming up to your brain to take a nap right on the table!
Below is my rating definition.
* = Don't even bother going
** = Nothing out of the ordinary
*** = Pretty good stuff
**** = Outstanding
***** = It's basically 4 stars but they do it consistently
I have tried Kintaro. I have tried Benkei. I have tried g-men. I have tried a bunch of other places. And the best ramen in Vancouver is Motomachi Shokudo, hands-down, no doubt.
Perfectly cooked noodles. Deep, flavorful, complex broth. Good quality ingredients. You can taste the love, dedication and techniques in the bowl.
Yes, Motomachi is the most expensive of all ramen places, but sometimes you get what you paid for. Totally worth the money and visit.
I can't say it's cheap, $10 for a bowl of noodles; however, it's v. good noodles. You can actually drink the stock, I mean good till the last drop. I love the miso ramen. Gyoza is ok, not the greatest...try Gyoza king for the Best Gyoza.
I have to mention loads of veggies...you don't often find nutrious and yummy comfort food. I will not hesitate to go back again if only the line up is not soooo long (45 minutes wait for 2 people)
Motomachi and kintaro are the best in town. Can't really compare the two, they're both taking different angles and they both succeed equally.
I like to get the Shio. It's the perfect salt level and it really allows the quality of the ingredients to shine.
Motomachi Shokudo is my go-to place for ramen. Delectably good and cheap comfort food (and lots of it) in hip minimalist surroundings.
I love their ramen bowls, the spicy chicken is great when you're feeling chilly or a cold coming on, and the charcoal ramen is a good cleanse. The broth is light, the pork is succulent but not overly fatty, and the bowls come chock-full of organic veggie goodness. For the price, what more does one need?
How about aesthetically pleasing surroundings? Too often cheaper dining establishments fall prey to uninspiring formica/white wall/plastic flower/fluorescently lit decor. Yes, I realize blah surroundings and frantic ambiance means your customers are less likely to linger but sometimes, you want pleasing aesthetics and dim lighting with your ramen. At least, I do.
So...Yes it's tiny. Yes it closes on Wednesday. Yes they only take cash or Interac and Yes the seating can be uncomfortable.
BUT...the ramen is crave-worthy. The ingredients are organic. They're cheap and the place is cozy, in a minimalist's kindda way.
Great ramen, great decor for cheap. What else does one need?
6:30 on a sunny Friday night and we walked right on in to our table, past the ridiculous line for Kintaro on the same block.
Motomachi is much better than Kintaro. Why?
The interior is a lot more inviting, you don't leave smelling like the restaurant, they support a local organic poultry farm and their BBQ pork slices are thick and meaty, plus the broth isn't as heavy and they have really good cold filtered water.
I thoroughly enjoyed the rich flavoured "New Generation Miso Ramen" and would like to try the "Nama-Shoyu Ramen" next time.
The staff were a delight!
Listed in: West Ender, Good things come in little…
We were in the mood for ramen so we yelped a few places here in Vancouver where we are honeymooning. All things being equal, we would have gone toSantouka since it is our favorite in Los Angeles, and quite frankly, the best ramen we have ever tasted. But everyone here was going on about Kintaro, and if there was a line at that place, then this one was suggested as a worthy backup. Plus, one reviewer said it was roomier than Kintaro so we went for it. Big mistake.
First of all, as we passed by Kintaro we noticed that there was not a line at all, but the ambience was decidedly dumpier (which is usually a good sign) but it was not all that much larger than our destination. Still we soldiered on to Motomachi. Big mistake.
The first warning sign should have come when we were seated next to the front door. Granted, this a great way to cool your soup, but it's not very comfortable to have a chilling blast of air and people brushing by you every few minutes. In fact, it's really annoying.
Then came the ordering. There was only one ramen dish with spicy miso broth (my favorite), but it was served with chicken in it, so I asked to get it with pork in it instead. "No," was the reply. Okay, well what about all these extra toppings on the menu? Can I order the pork and throw it in there? :Again, I was denied. So I went ahead and ordered the spicy miso with chicken and a side order of barbecued pork, along with some kim chee. When they weren't looking, I tossed in some of the pork slices and hoped I would not get thrown out. Obviously, I was in the mood for living dangerously. Whoopee! My wife ordered the same thing and while she could tolerate the broth, she felt the ramen was undercooked. I held back on the broth with the intention of combining it with the wife's for the perfect leftovers. But I was getting thirsty. Where was that Diet Pepsi I had ordered? When I asked, they acted like it was the first time she ever heard of Diet Pepsi. Okay, it happens to everyone. Just like it's normal for a restaurant to not have any kind of sweeteners for tea--or anything else for that matter. No sugar, no sugar substitute, that's normal right? Uh, wrong. And weird.
With the door opening and closing every three minutes, we decided we would take the soup with us and finish it at the flat. But when it came to packaging the leftovers, we were informed that there were no containers to take the soup with us. The kim chee? Sure, they had a container for that, and for the pork, but nothing for the soup. Sigh. We decided not to take anything with us and just get the hell out of there.
So much for the service. The ramen itself? Not the worst I've had, but certainly not the best, especially when compared to Santouka. So I would not recommend this place, but we will be trying its competition up the street as well as the Vancouver Santouka, so an update is imminent.
Before I post my own review, I felt opined to say that anyone who would give a restaurant a 1 out of 5 rating simply because it was closed on the day you went to frequent it is pretty ignorant and misleading. The truth is that it is very common for Japanese restaurants (that are Japanese owned at least) to close one day a week, and they often choose a weekday because weekends are always busy. A ramen shop is the quintessential small business, and it's often the owner in the kitchen making your meal. I understand it's frustrating when businesses are not open, but then again I also understand the world doesn't revolve around me.
With that out of the way, Motomachi is a place I would most definitely recommend to anyone seeking an authentic and tasty bowl of ramen. I've seen a lot of comparisons with Kintaro, and would like to point out that Motomachi was opened and is run by the same owner as Kintaro. The main difference between the two is that Motomachi ramen is all composed from a chicken stock, rather than a pork stock as is the case at Kintaro. The result is a much lighter (and healthier) bowl of ramen that won't leave you feeling stuffed like Kintaro - whether that's a good thing or not is up to you.
I am normally a lover of miso ramen, and enjoy both types of miso ramen offered at Motomachi, but if miso ramen is your calling, then I have to say Kintaro is king. What I love about Motomachi is their Shio and Shoyu ramen - both are light, delicate, balanced, and flavorful. In fact, I don't think you can get a better bowl of shio or shoyu ramen in the city, and both remind me a lot of Tokyo where these bowls of ramen are most popular.
Like Kintaro, the restaurant is rather small, so don't go in groups and be prepared to possibly wait. The interior is clean and modern in my opinion, about as nice as you can make a 500 square foot ramen shop look.
I definitely recommend giving Motomachi a go, a must for any Vancouver foodie.
So. Finally, I made it back to Motomachi Shokudo when it was open. Yay! Three stars for openage! And for being so purty, down to the backlit flowers in the biffy and then generally calming atmosphere that almost too chill to be a ramen shop.
There I spent half the remaining contents of my bank account on a bowl of miso ramen, and all I can say is, it was worth it. Lovely broth, lots of noodles, an elusive hint of umami flavour, served by friendly Japanese waitresses.
Kintaro and Motomachi down; you're next, Benkei.
Listed in: Irraishaimase!
I'd read the reviews; I made the trek; I leapt off the bus before all those slow-moving exchange… Read more »
Neighborhood: West End
Neighborhood: West End
Neighborhood: Downtown
Neighborhood: West End
Neighborhood: West End
A list of must do's, must eat's and must see's…
My fave's for casual dining - it's not perfect…
Love being a good global citizen and enjoying…
So many Vancouver Japanese food options - here is…
When the night before leaves you with a…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in San…
I love noodles. Although recently I'm not…
Who needs a car when there's so much so close? I…
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