G-men

Gmen. 1101-3778 Sexsmith Rd, Richmond


This restaurant is the sister restaurant to Gyoza King downtown. We have always been fond of Gyoza king, so we were very excited to be able to try this place.

The counter area is made to resemble a Ramen stand. This small restaurant has enough room to sit only about 20 people at 1 seating. We were lucky that when we visited this place that it was not too busy.


ToriGara Shio Ramen. The black fungus adds a crunchy touch. The lighter chicken broth is a good choice for lunch. Uses the same ramen noodles as Kintaro. What we do like is the flavor of the soup. Portion sizes are larger than Benkei and Menya, and comparable to Motomichi.


ToriGara Shoyu Ramen: Extra large and with extra egg. This is the Japanese version of the extra large pho noodle. This was served in a bowl the size of a small wash basin! Served with 1.5 times the amount of noodle, this is a pretty impressive bowl to consume. We were the only table to order this. Needless to say we got a few stares when they were bring over the noodle. We loved the flavor of this soup. Deep flavor but not overly oily. Most importantly is that the MSG factor is low.



Takoyaki. This tastes good, but would have been better if it was made to order. Seems like this was made before hand and reheated. Slightly disappointing.

Our Verdict:

• Good location outside of downtown. This strip mall is busy during lunch hour with its highly concentrated number of restaurants. Be prepared to wait.
  
• Price: Very reasonable size and portions. Price point is cheaper that most of the restaurants located downtown. Restaurant is small and will not be able accommodate large groups.
  
• Service is fast. We were able to be in and out in an hour.
  
• Offers dry ramen that is more unusual. Would love to come back here again
  

Santoka Ramen

Santoka Ramen on 1690 Robson Street, Vancouver.

Serves Hokkaido style ramen. Opened recently in May, this restaurant is the current popular joint for the ramen loving crowd. The broth is richer and thicker than most of the other Ramen restaurants. They also offer Ramen plus rice bowl combos. The noodle here is thinner than the noodle used by the other restaurants such as Kintaro, Motomach Shokudo and Gmen


Small size Shoyu Ramen: 7.95. This smaller size noodle is still surprisingly filling and rich. The noodle has bite. Served with 2 pieces of char siu and some bamboo shoots and seaweed slice. The char siu is not as tender as the ones served at Benkei, but the broth is definitely more complex and milky.



Toroniku Shio Ramen: 12.95 . A deluxe ramen with a fatty pork jowl meat as the accompaniment. As delicious as the 50/50 fat to meat ratio is, this dish is not for a small eater. I found this very heavy and rich.


Gyoza. Nice grilled crust, not not quite as flavorful as some of the other locations we tried.

Our Verdict:

• Central location, upscale decor
• Price: Expensive. A good $1 to $2 above comparable restaurants
  
• Has rich and deep flavor. Large portions and we like that you can choose the sizes. We love the thin and chewy noodle, but find the soup base too heavy for our tastes.
  

Menya Ramen

Menya Ramen: 401 West Broadway, Vancouver.


Tonkotsu Ramen, regular noodle: Soup is on the salty side. Lacks depth, has a creaminess, but not enough depth to the flavor. Noodle has good bite to it, but overall the ramen has a flat flavor profile.


Shoyu Ramen, regular noodle. Presentation was clean and simple. Portion is smaller than other places.

• Small restaurant, no stall parking, meter parking on side streets. Located close to broadway skytrain station.
  
• Portion is small given the price point.
  
• Noodle is suppose to be hand made. As good as the noodle is, took off points for the lack of flavor in the soup.
• Conclusion: Mediocre. Does not leave a lasting impression. If I was looking for good ramen, might as well drive the extra 10 minutes downtown to get something more satisfying.
  

Cheetos Flamin Hot Limon Crunchy

$0.99. Got this on a trip to San Diego.

• Deeper red color than the regular cheetos
  
• The spicy and tangy flavor has a Mexican influence. Reminds me of the Mexican salad salt from Mexico.
  
• Love the spiciness, but not nearly as sour as the Mexican Takis chips that we had.
  

Unfortunately this is not available in Canada, maybe next time I am in the states I will look for it again.

Hapi Pudding

Cost $3.99 on sale for a package of 3. Purchased at Kobinya on Robson St.

• Japanese version of the custard. Lighter than western style custard. More gelatin and less cream.
• Liked the dark jelly brown sugar bottom. Good flavor.
  
• Kid friendly design.
  
• Verdict: A-Okay. For the sale price it was good. However at regular this is too expensive, paying more for shipping than the dessert.
  

Beard Papa Cheesecake Stick

Cost: $1.95. Available at any Beard Papa Store.

• Liked the lighter sponge cake base layer. Definitely healthier than traditional version
  
• Cheesecake taste was standard, too sweet, texture creamy but not a strong cheese taste.
  
• Like the simple packaging, but portion size is small.
  
• Verdict: Overrated. Too expensive and nothing special. Stick to buying just the Beard Papa.
  

Dine Out - Au Petit Chavignol

This small restaurant is located on 843 E Hasting Street, next to the main store for Les Amis De Fromage. Being this close to the largest supply of cheese and meats in the area you know you can expect good things.

Spanish Tasting Plate: $25 : includes 36month Iberco, Iberco Chorizo, and Calbreese. Loved this. The 36 month Iberco is amazing. This is a must try.


4 cheese mac and cheese: With blue cheese in the mix this is gooey goodness. Part of the $28 dine out menu. This is also available for sale at Les Amis.

French Onion Soup: Thick and sweet, sprinkled generously with cheese

Goat cheese : surprisingly fresh of milk. A great accompaniment to bread and crackers.

· Simple menu

· High quality food at very reasonable pricing

· Good wine, cheese and charcuterie selection

· Not suitable for families or large parties, the restaurant can probably seat about 20 -25 max

· Location: Not a great part of town, especially later at night.

Conclusion, would definitely go there for lunch and to buy the prepackage food Les Amis next door. Lunch and dinner menu is the same.