Rustic Ramen

Yum Yum Yum. I had my first real Ramen experience last night and I must say I was quite impressed! Apparently there was no better place to experience real traditional ramen in Vancouver than Kintaro noodle house on Denman Street, so I was off to a good start! We had been introduced to Kintaro by our lovely new friend Heather who used to be a regular stop-off, and was in the mood for a re-visit. When we arrived we were greeted loudly in traditional manner by all of the staff, and seated promptly at the bar. This was sheer luck as usually there would be a line-up outside, given the very small space inside. I am told that this is how a proper japanese ramen house should be, small and cramped, steamy and aromatic. The flavors filled the air and you could see people of all nationalities speaking no words to one another as they were so involved in slurping their way through the giant hot bowls of porky noodle broth. We scooted into our seats very excited about what was to come, and stared into the giant boiling pots of pork broth. It was the perfect treat for a cold wet night in Vancouver, like giving your tummy a big warm hug.

The menu at Kintaro is quite basic in that they haven't an extensive selection, what what they do - they do really damn good. Something else to also take into account is that they don't cater for vegetarians as all of their ramen dishes are based on a pork broth. You can choose from lean, or fatty pork and light medium or heavy broths. As a first-timer I found that the light and lean option was perfectly heavy enough for me, but I may have to step up my game next time in order to really experience the wonders of the pork fat flavors which give these dishes their true reputation. You also would never need to be ordering any sides with these bowls I found, they are extremely filling despite what you might expect at first. A satisfied thumbs up to Kintaro ramen, fast-paced get-in and get-out style food, and very skilled staff.

image courtesy of Ryan Weal, Beyond Robson.