Kamamarui Ramen & Don

We came to a Ramen restaurant for dinner. Most of the other people at the table were ordering Ramen noodles and some Chicken Karaage as well. As it was a hot summer day, I really didn't feel like a bowl of piping hot soup and noodles. I was so happy to see this Agedashi Tofu on the menu. This was a much better option for me and it turned out to be really good too! The tofu was very crispy. I would happily order this dish again sometime!

Service: Good
Parking: Paid parking on the street ( If you're willing to walk a bit, free parking is available a block or two north of Kingsway)

Ramen base was mediocre but they make up for it with other stuff. The tonkotsu base was lacking depth and creaminess. But for my black garlic one, they do put a hefty amount of it so you get the black garlicky goodness all the way until the end. The cha siu was super soft. One of the better ramen cha sius of vancouver. You can choose the broth richness but I wish you can choose the noodle doneness. The noodles were al dente in the beginning but quickly got soggy. Usually I got for a harder noodle doneness so its perfect midway through.

There are things you can add to the ramen yourself. There's ramen sauce - not sure what it is but it was flavorful. There's also fried garlic. Adds a nice touch and other restaurants don't have this.

The chicken karaage was lacking. Small pieces. Not fried well. The takoyaki was good due to the sauces but obviously frozen takoyaki, which makes it quite expensive.

$16.95 for black garlic tonkotsu ramen is expensive for the quality they give. Same price as santouka and more expensive than danbo.

This place is a bit hidden as it is on Royal Oak, just south of Kingsway. You'll probably drive by and not notice it as there is another ramen place around the corner on Kingsway.

The interior is simple yet rustic looking. When ordering ramen, you have the option of regular or rich broth.

I got the black garlic ramen and my wife got the tonkatsu. My wife likes the regular and I like the rich one. I find the rich one more flavorful, thicker and goes with the noodles. The regular seems slightly watered down but if you are used to a more subtle flavor that doesn't overwhelm the other ingredients, then regular might be best for you.

The service is great, they are efficient and the waitress came around to refill our tea a lot.

Hmmm... the verdict is in -- the best combo could be chicken soup broth from Maruhachi plus the pork slices from Kamamarui. Both places sits on the intersection on Kingsway and Royal Oak on different corners and both have good ramen noodles. So one can choose either ramen bistro based on personal preference.

The taste and texture of pork slices here is good because it's grilled or smoked and adds to soup flavors. Too bad, the miso broth was too salty for me. The ambiance at Kamamarui is more chilled, with interesting decor and homely atmosphere. Kamamarui can also be noted for good value with slightly lower menu prices and free garlic chips but Maruhachi has better broth, free parking and nice service.

Just for a tad bit more, I prefer visiting Maruhachi around the corner for overall ramen experience.

I'd only ever visited their old location, so I was glad that my experience here was just as good.

They have one vegan ramen, a vegan miso ramen ($14.95 plus tax). Their agedashi tofu is also vegan, so I got a spicy version of that to form a combo.

The food all came out in under 5 minutes (!). The broth was complex and well-made. You get a good portion of proper ramen noodles cooked well, bamboo shoots, corn, green onion, some radish, and 4 pieces of fried cubed tofu. Everything worked really well together, though, as before, I'd prefer more veggies (some greens especially).

Very kind and attentive service.

Above average spot in Greater Van for vegan ramen. Recommended.

Summer only Gojira Raman is good~ good portion and flavour. Diced Chashu are really tasty! Thought the cooks are Korean but the waitress is Japanese~ Service is good for us (Japanese Canadian family) Today 's lunch time is not busy so the restaurant is quiet and nice.

Small ramen joint located off of Kingsway on Royal Oak. Take note that there is limited parking! However you can find nearby metered parking without too much trouble. But if paid parking isn't your thing, you can also get here with ease by bus!

Restaurant is quiet and cozy - so you can easily have a conversation here, tables are nicely spaced to give you some privacy!

Server was very friendly, and service was quick - I imagine they do get quite busy during dinner hours, however weekday lunch seemed to be quite slow.

Sushi Bomb (Ball) was seasoned well, however wished it had a bit of firmness or crisp to it, as it literally fell apart on touch, but i guess "bombs" can't be held , so I suppose the name works.

Chicken ramen black - Chashu was on the dryer side, however flavor was nice.. Broth on the other hand, I didn't get much of the chicken aspect out of it - tasted too salty and garlicy. Egg was on point though!

Best Ramen in the city, hands-down. Not sure why this place only has 3 1/2 stars but it's a hidden gem.

Literally only two stars. Ordered the miso chashu ramen and found the broth to be a bit on the garlicky side more so than miso flavour. The chashu was also not fresh as it was cold and dry. We even went soon after they opened so not sure why it was not fresh. The portions were not that big so I felt the price to portion ratio was not balanced.

I've definitely been to better ramen places.

Server was friendly and interior was cute and small.

Hence the 2 stars.

Decided to give this place a try before going for a movie and it did not disappoint! We ordered a ramen combo which included the "bomb" (two balls of rice and seaweed) to start, and a black ramen and chashu ramen. The noodles for the black ramen went very well with the broth, which was flavourful and rich. We also ordered a side of chicken karaage to end the meal, which came with a dipping sauce and side salad.

Overall, the broth alone is quite heavy and oily though so I didn't drink it as I usually would for ramen once I was done with the noodles. The tables and seats were cute however a bit awkward to sit on as they do not have backrests. They do provide hooks on the walls for your bags and jackets though which was nice. Although the food wasn't mindblowing, it is just down the block from Marutama and a solid ramen option for those that want something different. Would definitely try the other ramen flavours if we do come here again!