She had the Laksa Seafood Rice Noodle bowl and I have the flagship Taiwanese Beef Noodle Bow". She…read moreloved hers and I really enjoyed mine perhaps the only critique is that the beef will too well done for my liking but I would order again. Service solid and definitely would be in my rotation if I lived in Vancouver. So 4.5 rounded to 5

Went here last night for a quick dinner with coworkers! First time here, and I was craving…read moreTaiwanese beef noodle soup. The waitress explained the menu well, and I ordered the tomato beef noodle soup. It was so flavourful and delicious! The soup was a bit thicker than I expected but hit the spot on a cold night. Beef was tender. It was very steamy and warm in the restaurant - beware of sweating during your meal haha.

I went about 5mins after they opened for lunch and was seated immediately, though there were…read morealready several groups inside. I got the vegetarian cauliflower and tofu khao soi curry (with wonton noodles) - it was delicious, flavorful, and perfect on a cold rainy day. Service was very friendly and the food came out quickly. This restaurant is great for solo dining - I went by myself and sat at the counter next to two women who were also dining solo.

fat mao was busy when we visited around noon on a sunday and we ended up sitting at the bar. the…read morespace has a casual, modern feel with an open kitchen and a pretty lively atmosphere. unfortunately, there was a strong burnt grease smell hanging through the restaurant that was hard to ignore during the meal. our party of two ordered the khao soi chicken curry ($24) and the braised duck noodles ($26). one thing fat mao does well is the freshness of the ingredients. both dishes came with fresh bean sprouts, a lime wedge, cilantro, and a choice of noodles, which added nice brightness and texture. the presentation was appealing and both bowls looked carefully put together. i had the khao soi chicken curry with clear rice sheet noodles, those soft, silky, wide translucent rice noodles, but they didn't really unfold or separate nicely and felt like they may have been slightly overcooked. the broth was a rich, creamy northern thai style curry with crispy noodles and pickled mustard greens. while it had good flavour, it leaned a bit salty overall. the braised chicken leg also didn't taste freshly cooked, which was disappointing. my friend had the braised duck noodles with shanghai wide noodles. the aromatic soy broth was comforting and the duck was tender, though the seasoning again came across a bit salt heavy. overall, fat mao was okay. the fresh garnishes and nice presentation were highlights, but the strong saltiness, chicken that didn't taste freshly made, and the lingering burnt grease smell took away from the experience. not a bad meal, but not one i'd be in a rush to go back for.

I recommend going early! Since I was having a solo party, I was able to be seated early at the…read morecounter if there were any available seats! The guy in front of me, Deng, looked at me with such envy as he cut in line. This place is incredibly popular! Every time I pass by, there's a long queue. Even on rainy days, people are willing to get soaked in the rain just to have a bowl of hot tonkotsu ramen. While you're queuing, the staff will hand out menus. The ordering system is similar to Ichiran Ramen; you can choose the noodle firmness, broth consistency, spiciness, green onions, oil level, and MSG amount . The basic ramen is only $13. I added a soft-boiled egg and pickled cabbage for $2 each. Although the pickled cabbage is really expensive , I can't help it, I'm a pickled cabbage addict! The pickled cabbage paired with the rich tonkotsu broth was refreshing. The broth was flavorful but not greasy, the noodles were chewy and springy, and the portion size was just right. Overall, it's incredibly good value for money; no wonder there's always a queue. After eating, you really get that "Ah~ this is the taste of happiness" feeling

Coming from Hawaii, I had high expectations. This is my 2nd time visiting Vancouver, and the 1st…read moretime had a long line that I walked away from. This time, still a line, but it went faster. This is definitely not a sit down and enjoy your meal w anyone. Order your food from a slip of paper you're given so that by the time you sit, they collect it and place the order. Seats are hard and it is devised where you and then leave. I had the goma vegetarian and my brother the tonkatsu. We both had thicker noodles. However, one could not tell. The vegetarian was loaded with sesame seeds. Now i love those seeds but it was way too much for my liking. Too much seeds to chew on. They also do not put any vegetables on like Hawaii does. Everything is ala carte and that adds up. I simply chose the ramen version without all the add ons. The broth was yummy but again with the loaded seeds, it made it challenging to just drink the soup. I will say, Hawaii has by far better ramen, but this place was ok too. Pricey for for what you get though.

There was a lot of hype around this place when it first opened and i passed by it many times. I…read moredecided to check it out for dinner, mostly to check it off my list of Japanese restaurants to try. As a transit user, It's conveniently located across the street from chinatown stadium skytrain station. I like that it opens a bit later until 10pm so i can go there after an evening movie at international village a 5 minute walk away. There was basically no queue to order so i was able to order as soon as i walked into the restaurant. I told the staff i was a first time customer and asked what was the most popular dish, and they said number 5 which is the nikutama udon. It comes with sweet beef, BK sauce, and onsen eggs on top of thick udon noodles. The braised sweet beef was alright in terms of flavor and it definitely hit the spot. It's by far the best ingredient in the udon. I had never tried onsen eggs before, and I didn't really care for them. It's basically eggs that were cooked slowly at a low temperature. The texture and appearance is unusual in my opinion. i thought the nikutama udon overall was pretty good and it has unique flavors and ingredients. It's not amazing but I can understand why people love the unique BK sauce's flavors. There's not many customization options but you can get the dish served hot or cold, and you can choose to get a regular version or larger version for only $1.50 more. There's apparently a lot of hype around the BK sauce but i didn't find it that great. It has a unique combination of salty, sweet, and smoky flavors. The portion size is a little smaller than i prefer so i'd definitely get the large size. But i think most people will find the regular size just fine. I was able to eat my whole dish within 5-7 minutes and im not a person that wolfs down their meal quickly. Price-wise, the cost of their udon is fair. They are around $12-13. Slightly cheaper than other ramen places. The tempura add-ons are expensive in my opinion but I saw lots of folks buying them anyways. At the time, other ramen places like Kinton Ramen had a $15 set meal, which I thought was a better deal because it came with a special summer drink and gyoza. I wish Marugame's nikutama udon had something like this. Like adding a choice of a couple tempura and a drink for a similar price. The dining area was a little smaller than expected because half of it was closed at the time. But I was still able to find a seat at the counter where i could eat my dish. They don't use a wait staff but it's cafeteria style where you get the food at the counter and bring your dish to the table, and bring it back to the cleaning area yourself. I like that you can get your own water at a tap, napkins, utensils, and cups too instead of asking for them at the counter. The dining area was pretty clean and spacious. Overall, I give Marugame 4 stars out of 5. You should definitely check it out at least once if you are a fan of Japanese udon. Try the nikutama udon with BK sauce and see if you'll like it too.

Japanese udon chain restaurant. Right across from the Stadium Skytrain station. Medium sized space…read morewith simple modern decor. There is the ordering area after you enter and the seating area to the left. You order at the first counter for the udon or rice bowls, which they'll assemble for you on the spot, or bring it to your table if they are waiting on udon noodles. Then you move left where you can self-serve the tempura items, and then pay at the cashier. Utensils, sauces, and water are off to a counter in the seat area, and there's a return area to bring back your empty bowls/trays. Not super busy when we got there on a weekend night, but filled up as an event at BC Place was ending. We got the beef udon with the classic soup, the beef rice bowl that has the runny egg, the chicken katsu curry udon, and a few tempura items. My favorite was definitely the curry udon, since the curry soup/sauce had more flavor. Out of the fried items, the shrimp tempura is delicious, and the zucchini tempura has a nice sweetness to it. Udon noodles were pretty good, has a nice solid texture to them. Overall bill was $50ish for 3 people. And since this is basically fast food, you don't necessarily have to tip.

This place doesn't seem very busy, but parking is a little tough to find…read more Waitress took our orders and food came out quick. We were the only table on a Sunday so it's extreme quiet. I like the decoration. They have booths you can sit in. Dan Dan noodle is overly oily and not enough numb when you eat it. The dumplings take good as well. The spicy cucumber is good. We made Dan Dan into a meal with come with a drink which is soda. If lemon is add it will cost $1 more for 2 slices of lemon. I was hoping for more of a wow factor. I don't think I would get out of my way to visit again.

Dan Dan noodles were very good! Mild was still spicy. Can't imagine how much hotter medium would…read morehave been. Lip numbness for sure!

This was a super authentic experience. This is a small establishment with limited seating to…read moreapproximately 20 patrons. We got the pork curry rice which was DELICIOUS. Flavors just meld so well together. A full-bodied experience with every bite. We split a ramen because we wanted to save room for the rest of our food crawl. Ramen broth was silky, smooth, flavorful, creamy without cream. Exquisite. Reminds me of the ramen in Japan. We got an extra Ajitsuke Tamago (ramen egg) and I'm so glad we did! The egg was PERFECT, marinated beautifully and so jammy on the inside. I love bamboo in my ramen so also added this as a side. Noodle refills are only $2!! Fantastic. I dare say this was one of the best ramen experiences of my life. 5 STARS.

Stopped by Maruhachi on a Saturday lunchtime after our long commute from Seattle. this restaurant…read moreis tucked in a corner not too far from the main Robson street. Paid parking was not too hard to find on the Main Street but during busy dining hours it might be difficult. We got seated right away at the bar since there were no tables open and the service was quick. Traditional Japanese style ambiance and even the bathroom had rounded Japanese bowl sink. As someone who doesn't have chicken broth (paitan style) ramen, I was really looking forward to the original ramen I ordered but I was a bit disappointed in the flavor profile of the dish. The ramen had both chasu and seaweed paired with thin round noodles. The broth was creamy and had a hint of chicken flavor but even adding several rounds of their soy sauce/salt seasoning they have on the side to adjust your broth to your liking-- I found that the richness of the soup was not what I had expected from the reviews that I read prior to coming here. Overall, a bit disappointed in the flavoring of the broth but maybe we came on an off day. I would be willing to give it a shot again in the future if I had ramen cravings and given that it was very affordable ($11-15 per bowl with tip), but I would probably opt to try another place first.

We were visiting from California. We arrived on the later side of dinner. The restaurant was still…read morevery busy and full of people who appeared to be Indian/Pakistani - always a good sign. They have a big tv above the bar and above the entrance that was showing the hockey game. It's a small storefront entrance on a busy street but you couldn't hear the street noise. The food was AMAZING. We got the goat biryani, chicken tikka masala, samosas, garlic naan, mango lassi and a hot chai. Big delicious portions of everything. The service was ok, they were busy and potentially less attentive than usual. Anyway, would definitely go back again.

First there is no mistaking this for a high end restaurant as another review recorded. This is a…read moresolid Nepalese joint. However it is not focused and instead provides a little bit of the region for everyone (Nepal, China, India, Pakistani influences). Came in for lunch on a weekday. Quickly seated and tended to by the staff. Interior is more of a diner scene than nice cafe. Bathrooms are gender neutral and clean but not nice. Here's my three things: 1) I got a lunch special featuring fish peckora, and tandoor chicken. Good flavor but missed on the real spice flavors. Veg salad was sour and worked with the rest of the plate. 2) These folks can make some NAAN! The Naan stole the show. Sweet, salty and crisp. 3) Price wise you can fill up and have a drink for $25-30CAN.

This is a small little hole in the wall restaurant serving up some traditional Taiwanese dishes. We…read morecame on a weekday afternoon right before the busy lunch hour - it was packed 30 min after we arrived! The gentleman (owner?) greeted us and provided us with some suggestions on their best sellers. During our dining experience, he was a little loud with shouting instructions to the kitchen and we did feel a bit rushed to finish our meal and not occupy the table with diners lining up. I ordered the beef noodle soup, and the noodles were prepared well (good texture and not soggy) and the soup had a slight but not overwhelm sour taste from the preserved vegetables. The beef wasn't as tender as it could be, but it wasn't chewy or tough to eat. Prices are reasonable at around $20 after tax and tips. While it wasn't the best or most authentic beef noodle soup I've had, it does hit the spot if I'm craving Taiwanese food downtown or want a hot bowl of noodle soup on a cold day.

A small self served Taiwanese eatery. I come here when Ramen Gojiro next door is too crowded and I…read moredo not want to wait. I think most people do that so it also gets filled up during the lunch hour rush. The food is ok, nothing special. The price increase makes it even less appealing. I don't know why there is chili in my Taiwanese beef noodle soup. I don't like spicy soup. Lucky I am ok with spice but I wish it is stated in the menu? So if you cannot take spicy food, check with them before ordering. The beef noodle soup is tasty as I do like the addition of pickled vegetables in it, giving a bit of tartness. The beef is tender though the quantity is very little. More noodles than meat ratio. The combo is totally not worth it now that the price has gone up to about $13. If you want rice and noodle for lunch, I think Peaceful Restaurant across the street is a better bet. At least the portion is bigger.