For any meal of the day, what could beat a bowl of steaming hot soup, noodles and pork? Very little, in my opinion – and if that bowl of noodles is done right, then I will most definitely be a happy diner. Such is the case at Kintaro Ramen. It was a sunny May day when Baby Doll, Baby Flo, Wonton, and another pal from McGill visited this West End establishment thanks to my exemplary driving skills.
The restaurant, like most other Japanese-owned restaurants in the area, was quite small. Considering our group was so large, we were lucky enough to find seating at the one big round table they have almost immediately after entering. It seems as if we beat the dinner rush, though; I noticed a pretty long line beginning and continuing to form outside after 6:30.
Baby Flo ordered the shio ramen. Her broth looked quite rich, with what appeared to be an ample amount of pork. She was apparently not all that impressed with her meal.
Wonton picked the shoyu ramen. He deemed it to be acceptable.
Our visiting McGill pal opted for the miso ramen. It looks pretty appealing to me!
Baby Doll and I went hardcore central mainlander and ordered the spicy garlic ramen. Just looking at the thumbnail of this picture in my iPhoto makes me salivate! I can almost taste that rich aroma in my mouth right now. The broth was very consistent: rich, not too oily, packed in flavour. Although it was already somewhat spicy, I definitely shook a lot of the spice powder in to give it more and more of a kick. The taste of garlic in your mouth might not sound too pleasant, but I enjoyed the fact that I could taste it for hours after. Is that overly strange, or is it merely an appreciation for the ramen? I do not know.
In the end, it seems as if I was the only one who really enjoyed my ramen. Perhaps the spicy garlic is just the ideal thing to order here, or maybe I just have low standards for ramen – I frankly don’t know, but I do know this would be my choice ramen place if I’m in the area.
Conclusion: Andy ate a lot.
Kintaro Ramen
788 Denman St.
Vancouver, BC
(604) 682-7568
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