Ramen Jinya with two clowns

Ah, not much going on here except two clowns fighting over a bowl of ramen.  My buddy Eric was in town and since he's been really into ramen lately, we took him to Ramen Jinya.  The last time I had ramen with Eric was at the now defunct G-Men Ramen where he ordered TWO bowls of miso ramen.  This time, he just ordered extra noodles, but Jay took on the challenge of two consecutive bowls of ramen.

I really have no idea how they did it.  I love ramen, and I'm a particularly big fan of the very unhealthy variety where the broth is so thick, you could walk across it, where the chashu is so fatty, you'd swear you bit into a whale belly, where it's slightly on the salty side and you're screaming for a glass of water after you're done.  And that is why I love Ramen Jinya.  It's got nice, thick broth, it's well seasoned, and they are not shy about serving some really fatty chashu.  If you want health food, go eat a salad.

Ramen Jinya

I think this might be the last of my posts using my HTC Desire phone cam.  After this, I started shooting with a new toy I might just do a post about.  Anyway, I heard about this place through the grape vine while talking about ramen with someone.  They mentioned this place called Jinya opened up and I had to try it.  I assured them that Nan Chu Izakaya had the best ramen in town, however they suggested I try this because I'd be in for a surprise.

I orderd my usual - miso chashu ramen, and to my surprise, it was actually really, really good. 

Just look at that chashu....amazing how much fat there is!  I wonder if the owner or chef of this place was listening to me moan about how healthy, but boring ramen was in Vancouver (with the exception of Minoru-san's ramen, haha!).

Gyoza was really good too....loaded with garlic.

Anyway, back to the ramen.  It came in a huge bowl, surpisingly, there wasn't all that much broth.  It was very, very rich, so thick you could walk across it.  It was also nice and salty, just the way I like it.  And the staff can read your mind because they've got a nice cold glass of water waiting for you.  By the time I finished, I was screaming for the water, haha!  The chashu had to have been the fattest I've ever seen so far.  I mean, just look at the picture, and most of the chashu is white!  It gets nice and melty after it sits in the broth for a bit. 

Despite some serious health concerns, this place makes a mean bowl of ramen.  The service was quick and friendly, the food comes quick, and I've never had to wait in line to get in.  It's also inexpensive.  In my opinion, this place is light-years ahead of the likes of Kintaro or that other trendy place downtown....Santouka?  Anyway, when they said this place could give Minoru-san's ramen a run for his money, they weren't kidding.  I would not say it's better or worse, but either way, it's a damn close call.  Would I go back?  Haha, that goes without saying. 

One thing weird about this place though....I saw someone get ramen for take-out.  WTF?  I have never in my life seen anyone get ramen for takeout before, but apparently some weird people out there like to come to a ramen shop, and have it to go.  To each their own I guess, but ramen is not something I'd go buy at a restaurant just to take it home or back to work to eat.  I'd just slurp it down in the shop, or make it myself at home....oh well. 

Nan Chuu - Ramen night!

Well, Nan Chuu Izakaya officially opened with ramen on the menu!  The glorious thing about this visit is that it was 11pm and there was still ramen available!  I know, I know, ramen is probably the last thing you want this late at night, unless you absolutely don't care about your cholesterol level, but it's not like I'm eating here every night.  The izakaya was still pretty busy at this time of day, but we didn't have any trouble getting a seat.  We were greeted with friendly smiles and nods, and I peaked into the kitchen to see Minoru-san working.  Thougjh he was busier than hell, he still managed give me a nod and say hello. 

Our intention was to get ramen, and that was our mission.  But as soon as we sat down, we saw the menu and thought it would be nice to sample some of the izakaya menu items.....but no, we stuck to our plan and ordered ramen.  We'll save the other stuff for another visit.

Though I really, really liked the Shio Tonkotsu Ramen, my eyes sparkled when I saw miso ramen on the menu.  Oh God, how long has it been since I had really good miso ramen????  It had been too long and I couldn't resist.  Like a fat kid in a candy story (or in this case, a fat guy in a ramen shop), I greedily ordered it, and to really seal the deal, I got it with butter corn.  The chashu was cut as if Minoru-san could read my mind, and he knew exactly how I liked my chashu - fatty.  It's gotta be at least 50/50 for it to taste good.  You want lean and healthy?  Stay home.  The noodles were cooked to perfection, and I don't think I will ever find a better bowl of ramen outside of Japan.  The broth was so thick, you could walk across it, and you could tell that the chef (Minoru-san) had slaved over it for a long time to get the recipe just perfect.  It was nice and salty, not lean at all, full of flavour - an explosion of concentrated flavours.  This is why they serve ice cold water at ramen shops - to refresh, to cleanse the palette so that you can enjoy anew.  Some of you may not share my flavour and passion for ramen.  You people are heathens. 

When it comes to ramen, I'm like heroine-junkie and Minoru-san is my dealer.  Crom laughs at your four winds, and any other ramen shop in town.

Nan Chuu Japanese Izakaya

Great news!  Suzuki Minoru of G-Men Ramen fame is now back in the saddle and making the lower mainland's finest ramen!  Nan Chuu Japanese Izakaya will now be serving ramen!

Kintaro, Benkei, Santouka, Sampachi. Aji Sen, Menya and serveral others were available, but G-men's Miso ramen was by far the best ramen I've had outside of Japan.  It was rich, it was intense, it was exciting.  I got that eager feeling of anticipation before sitting down to a bowl of ramen there.  My friend and fellow foodie Eric once ordered two bowls in a row.  The atmosphere always mentally put me back in Japan and the service was always spot on.  It was my little ramen paradise on this side of the Pacific. 

When G-men ramen closed down, I was devastated.  I told everyone I would find out where G-Men's chef went, stalk him and get him to make me a bowl of ramen.  A few months later, through a strange turn of events, I found him!  I got a chance to taste some samples last night and to my surprise, discovered something that tasted even better than his miso ramen - his Shio Tonkotsu Ramen, but I'll get to that after.

The first thing we got to try was cabbage. Doesn't sound very exciting does it? But I was as surprised as anyone else that this simple looking cabbage dish was freakin' amazing. It was lightly dressed with sesame oil, salt, pepper and probably some other stuff, and a perfect way to start the night off.

We also got to try two slight variations of chicken karaage. The first had slightly more seasoning than the second, but don't get me wrong, both were delicious. The meat was incredibly tender, and you know it's the freshest of the fresh, the skin nice and crispy, and the coating had a reasonable amount of seasoning. Add a squirt of lemon or a dip of mayonaise, and you end up with a plate of happiness.

Ok, so maybe it isn't better than his Miso Ramen, but it is a damn fine substitute, and thinking back, I'd have a hard time deciding if one was actually better than the other because I love them both.  I could easily order the Shio Tonkotsu if Miso wasn't available.  Anyway, my ramen was AWESOME. The broth here is nice and rich, and seasoned to perfection.  Some may maon about it being too rich, or too salty, but this is exactly the way I like my ramen, and to be honest, I think ramen should be like this.  If you're not screaming for a cup of cold water when you're done, you didn't have good ramen.

The noodles were cooked perfectly - no soggy, fat noodles, or undercooked, clumped-together noodles here. I really couldn't find any flaw in the ramen that I had, and you're hearing this from a guy that lives primarily on Miso Ramen. The only thing I probably would have preferred was a fattier cut of chashu.  The only problem is, alot of people don't share my taste in fat and unhealthy cuts of meat, so looks like I lose to the world.  Anyway, the entire bowl tasted like pure guilty pleasure, and I greedily gulped down every last bit.   Minoru-san, you truly are the Ramen Master.

Other's had different types of ramen, including tan tan men, which could give my dad's tan tan mien a run for it's momey. The sesame paste was mixed in smoothly (no clumps of sesame paste) and there was just the right amount kick.

We finished off the food sampling with fried rice, which had the right amount of shine.  Although I was pretty full by that point, it still tasted really good. 

On to the drinks!  Nan Chuu is an izakaya afterall, haha!  We were given a variety of drink samples, mostly named after movies, and most of which I cannot remember the names for the life of me. 

This one tasted like Mr. Freeze ice bars, the ones you used to get for 50 cents at the corner store.  You know, the ones that turn your tongue whatever color the ice bar is?  Anyway, this one tasted really good.  I think it had calpis and some other stuff in it.

This one was calpiss, cassis and some other stuff....another really tasty drink.

Suzuki-san on the left, Hide sensei on the right.

This one apparently was minty, but I didn't try it.

The Godfather, haha, the only drink name I remembered.  I think it was basically a Black Russian, but I'll have to double check that.....or you could double check that for me and let me know, haha!

By the time this drink came around, I was pretty bagged, and I had to drive home eventually so I cut myself off and sucked back hot tea for the next few hours.  Great food, excellent service, awesome experience.  Would I go back?  Absolutely!  During this visit, I also heard that Nan Chuu wll be one of the few ramen shops open till the wee hours of the morning.  If I had my way, I'd have them open 24 hrs, haha! 

Menya

I could have sworn I did a review of this place, but I guess not.  I was attending a Kimono De Vancouver event at Sakura Days Japan Fair at Van Dusen Gardens (I have no idea why they have it there because they don't have any sakura trees....at least no that were in bloom anyway) and a group of us went to grab a bite to eat afterwards.  Menya just happend to be the place we chose, and I just happened to have my camera.  I've been to Menya any number of times, but don't remember ever taking any pictures. 

Gyoza, the golden match with any decent bowl of ramen.  Some people will order onigiri, or even a bowl of rice to go with their ramen....me, I like gyoza...if I'm hungry enough.

I ordered the miso ramen, as usual, but this time I got extra tamago.  I love the half-boiled, semi-runny egg and it goes perfectly with the rich broth of miso ramen.  It will kill you if you eat this everyday, but hey, once in a while right?

Ramen salad....for those hot summer days where eating a steaming bowl of noodles is really just counter productive. 

Menya is a nice simple place, that's not overly fancy and certainly does not rely on the decor to bring in customers.  The service is as you would expect at any other Japanese restaurant, friendly, quick and efficient.  The prices are good and the ramen is awesome.  If this place was located in Richmond, I'd say it could give G-Men a run for it's money.  My only gripe is they close so damn early.

G-Men Revisited

 G-Men Ramen revisited.  While my pal Eric was in town, he mentioned that he had been craving really good ramen and I couldn't think of any other place I'd like to make a good impression other than G-Men.  For me, it's the best ramen in town.  Someone prove me wrong. 

 I ordered my standard miso ramen and not surprisingly, it is still my favourite.  Sometimes a place will go downhill after a while but so far, G-men maintains the standard that I've grown accustomed to. 

It was so good in fact, Eric ordered a second bowl with another order of gyoza.  I don't think I've ever seen anyone have two bowls of ramen back to back.  Amazing.

Benkei Ramen on Broadway

I've officially given up on Benkei Ramen's Miso Ramen.  It's just too lean for me and doesn't have enough seasoning.  It's not bad, it's just not my thing.  I tried their new location - Broadway and Cambie and also found another bit of disturbing news.  The Peko Ramen (formerly known as Shiro Ramen) is now only available at the Robson location. 

Surprisingly, I found the Vegetable Shoyu Ramen to be much more flavourful and tasty compared to my miso ramen.  Sad that I actually enjoyed something that had the word vegetable in it. 

As sugggested by Yanagida-san (CEO of Benkei Ramen Group) and Mr. Chan (General Manager of Benkei Ramen Group) that I could order my ramen with extra fat in the broth, as well as extra fat chashu (you can read about my past gripes about Benkei's lean ramen here).  However, even with a request for extra fat didn't do the trick.  I found the miso ramen was still too lean, and lacked seasoning.  The Chashu itself was way too lean for my liking as well.  Whatever recipe Benkei had is now long and gone.  It used to look like this.  The explaination I got several times was that people on the west coast are more health conscious and there's no market for the style of ramen I like.  %$*&! damn granola eating, tree hugging hippies.

The gyoza were good, loads of garlic in these suckers so no kissing after some of these.

So, this visit spawned two disappointing revalations:  Peko Ramen is now only abailable at the Robson location, and the Miso Ramen from Benkei is dead to me.  That being said, I discovered that the shoyu ramen isn't too bad and I'll have to pay them another visit to make sure it wasn't just my imagination.