G-men at NanChuu

This is the first time that we have been here since the move from its old location.  Located on the busy Alexandra Rd, parking is even harder than at its old location.  Luckily we were here at around 3 so it was less busy.

Shio Ramen - I remember this bowl was from the old location.

Shoyu Ramen

Takoyaki -4 pieces for $4.50

Although We ordered one of the noodles as chewy and one regular, I did not notice and difference in the chewiness of the noodles when it actually arrived.  There is a good balance between the soup and the noodles.  Quality was the same as G-men at their old location. Portion feels a little smaller,  but it just may be our imagination.

The takoyaki tastes standard, but not outstanding. I get the feeling this might be from the freezer section as I have bought similar ones before.  The takoyaki has a flat surface,  which is not normally the case with freshly made ones that I have tasted.
I liked the old location better as it was easier to find parking. this new location is very narrow,  so despite being a larger location, it feels more cramped.

Likes:
-Ramen is still good
-Retain the family restaurant feel

Dislikes:
-difficult to find parking
-takoyaki doesn't look or taste like freshly made.

Gyo-o restaurant

This is another restaurant from the gyoza king chain. located at continental centre in Richmond, this cozy restaurant was surprizngly full for a weekday night. Unlike a few of the other restaurants from the same chain, they have a much longer menu encompassing all japaneese food styles, from oden, to ramen, sushi, gyoza, don, udon and sushi. The wall decor and paintings gave the restaurant a vibrant yet welcoming feel.

We ordered a clam ramen, gyoza and a squid and fish egg rice. The plum sauce on the gyoza gave it more depth although the gyoza skin was a little thicker than the one at gyoza king. The ramen uses small clams to give the broth a light and fresh flavor. Their rice bowls are very large. The mayo sweetness and the saltiness of the fish eggs complements each other. Good value given its price.

Gyoza

Clam Ramen

Fish Egg rice.

What I liked : good location, nice decor, nice selection of rice dishes.

What I did not like: the menu was a little too big, sacrificing quality for quantity. The gyoza was not up to the gyoza king standard.

Gyoza King - Part 2

As I mentioned in my previous post, I love going to gyoza king, which is why there is a part 2. A little later in the night I went back to gyoza king for round 2. Although I went mostly for the drinks, I did still taste all the food ordered.


Shoyu ramen : At 7.50 this is a mid price ramen, with lots of sprouts and a nice and chewy noodle. Good flavor for a mid price ramen, and not overly salty.


Pork and shrimp chive gyoza. Need I say more? They are famous for their gyoza and this is by far my favorite. The addition of the shrimp makes this a lighter gyoza. Perfect to gobble down along with the g-beer sold here.


Small Oden. In the oden, the daikon (radish) is the centerpiece. When made well it soaks up all the flavors in the soup. The mustard is mixed into the soup to enhance the flavor. The assortment of fishcakes and tofu cakes gives this dish a variety of textures that is always delightful to eat.


Ebi Mayo. Fried shrimp drenched in their Japanese mayo. A combination that can never be wrong. The shrimp is crispy, and absorbs all the mayo... Yum.

I love Gyoya King, and always like to come back for a late night fix. With all the new additions to the menu, it will take me a while to go through all the dishes.

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.