Motomachi Shokudo
740 Denman St, Vancouver
It was just a matter of time I visit Momotachi Shokudo, the third ramen shop near the corner of Robson and Denman, the two others being Benkei and Kintaro. Although I already had plans to go there, the cool weather in the last couple of days expedited that…
An odd picture of the table – in the background and out of focus, the kitchen.
The condiments…
I arrived just after noon and, unlike Kintaro, it was not completely full yet. I was given the option to choose to sit at a small table or the “communal table”. Now, it was not round but a long table, 3 on each side and two at each end. Also, there were some straws(?) in the middle so you will be partially separated from them. Also, the decoration is different to that of Kintaro and more on the lines of Benkei, that is, it has a more modern setting. Well, after all, it is a more recent restaurant (compared to Kintaro).
Having said all that, to the main point: the food. I ordered the a Shio Ramen (?) with the extra BBQ ($11.50 with taxes):
After stirring it to show the noodles.
Now, it might be a bit difficult for me to compare this one to Kintaro or Bentei’s as, for the other locations, I ordered the regular bowl of noodles. However, if we go solely for the noodles and broth… I must have to say they are similar to Kintaro’s. A plus, however, was the fact it does not have corn by default though it is cancelled by the fact it also had a lot of bean sprouts. (This might be a fluke or the other options, i.e., shoyu and/or miso might come with other toppings). Nothing against it – in fact, it is not only Motomachi but also the other noodle places, just that I feel it is used as a filler. Had they taken the pho approach, that is, bean sprouts on the side…
Now, the pork… If you look closely, you will notice the fatty portions. Well, in the same bowl, it also has lean parts to balance things (not really but you get the idea). If I have to compare it to the other locations, it falls in the middle, with Kintaro being the better of the three.
Overall, it was a hearty lunch and the fact it was raining helped me enjoy the meal. If it is for comparison purposes, it will be at par with Kintaro and, in both cases, over Benkei. But, in the end I encountered the same problem as Kintaro: it was not a sublime experience. If I had to choose between Kintaro and Motomachi, my selection might be more on the lines of which is has a seat readily available. They are all good but not good enough to conclude my search for THE bowl of noodles in Metro Vancouver.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Kim, give the “dry” noodles at Phnom Penh a try and see how you like them (e.g. what we had @ our dinner with Ben and Suanne). They have a bit more of a “SE Asian” flavour to them, and are quite different from the Japanese or Taiwanese noodles.
Now, I am not saying the Phnom Penh noodles are sublime, but man, they sure are tasty and will be something quite different than what you have blogged about.
I have to say that as a Japanese ramen lover, I am now more motivated to give this a try after seeing your post. To me, the pork and the noodles both look good. But I cannot imagine what the broth tastes like. I am headed there tomorrow, hope they are open.
Hi ET,
Thanks for reminding me of Phnom Penh. I have planned to visit that place for ages yet every single time I forget about it… If I drop by, I will keep your recommendation in mind; however, I will not make any comparison between the dry noodles and ramen or Taiwanese noodles. In a way it is comparing apple to oranges, as there is no broth in the dry noodles to compare against. And, as you are aware, that’s a key part of ramen and Taiwanese noodles!
Hi shokutus,
If I managed to convince somebody to visit one of the restaurants I blogged, in a way I feel I did my job. And no, I am not paid to write a blog!
You are not the first one to intrigue me and cause me to think about checking out a spot. That has to be one of the best parts of the Vancouver food blogging community!
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