Kintaro Ramen
788 Denman St
Vancouver, BC V6G
This week, I have not brought lunch to work, mainly because of my job switch. OK, that’s not really a good excuse as I had chance to cook but, in a way, is still the transition adjustment. I think starting next week I will be bringing lunch around three times a week and might be eating out twice (Friday will be probably one of them). That is next week and, as for today’s lunch, it was… Kintaro Ramen!
I have written about ramen before; this time I think is the grandfather of all these ramen places in (Downtown/West End) Vancouver: Kintaro Ramen. First, their kitchen:
Their menu is pretty short, half a dozen of ramen (including one called cheese ramen) and some appetizers. They are not jack of all trades, master of none; they are supposedly good at what they do… Here is what I ordered – miso ramen (medium broth and fatty pork):
Another view, this time, after stirring it to show the ramen
By default, it does not come with the egg, I requested it for an additional $1. In the end, the bill was $9.40 (tax included). Now, the big question… How was the bowl of noodles? Hmmmm… Unfortunately, expectations, took over again. I was hoping for an unique experience and did not get it. The noodles were not soft and al dente; however, I did not get anything else. The broth was hearty; however, just like Benkei, it did not “wowed” me. Then, are the additional “toppings” that comes with the bowl of soup, namely, bamboo shoots (OK), corn (not convinced but it comes by default so won’t complain here), bean sprouts (I am on the edge of hating these, more on this some other time) and green onions. And, of course, the pork. The pork was really good – fatty and flavourful. But, then again, nothing I have not prepared myself at home.
Overall, I think expectations made me not like it as much as I wished. I was expecting a sublime experience but did not get it. In the end, I find Lao Shan Dong’s noodle better than Kintaro. Sure, it is comparing apples to oranges to an extent but that’s the only comparison I can make at this point…
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I think for a meal to be perfect, it has to be more than just the food. Case in point, my fond and not so fond experiences of Kintaro.
First the fond – it was a really cold winter evening, the wife and I wanted some ramen, and there wasn’t a lineup outside the restaurant. We walked in, sat by the bar, placed our order, and slurped and enjoyed. The heat emanating from the cooking range kept us warm and toasty, and we were happy.
Then not so fond – it was late summer, on a warm evening. We walked up to the restaurant, and there was a lineup. 15 mins later, we were let in and seated at the large commununal table by the window. The HVAC was pretty ineffective, the piping hot ramen was making me sweat, and even though it was the same order as last time, I left feeling a lot less satisfied.
The noodles and broth – I find pretty agreeable. Certainly comparable to the ones we’ve had in some ramen shops in Japan. Did we find it sublime? No, but we’ll keep searching – all part of the fun,isn’t it?
Nice shot of the kitchen area. Were you sitting there at the counter, or did you snap this when walking in/waiting in line?
I need to get to Kintaro again, its been a long time and I need to confirm my thoughts on their ramen offering. With the weather getting cooler, its becoming ramen season – I dislike eating it in summer.
Hi ET, yup, that’s part of the fun! Momotachi Shokudo is next in the list! Ah, the “joy” of working in Downtown/West End Vancouver…
Hi shokutsu, I was seated on the first stool/chair at the counter. What you see to the left is a fan they had there to “cool” down the cooks a little bit. However, after taking a couple of pics, they (politely, I must say) asked me not to take pictures of them in action.
On an unrelated note, I am all for noodles regardless of the season. I know it will make you sweaty but, c’mon, people still eat curry and drink tea no matter if it is summer or winter!
Just like you, I liked the ramen, but wasn’t wowed. I guess high expectations can do that. I did like the portion size though, it’s bigger than the other places.
{ 5 trackbacks }