There are many, many noodle and hot pot places on Robson within a few blocks of each other, and…read morequite a few of them rate five stars. Your preference will depend upon subtleties about noodle thickness and texture and broth flavors, but there is always, always a line in front of Ramen Danbo. A lot of it is probably due to hype or fame, but I have to admit that I think it does edge out the others in several ways. I think the noodles themself are more flavorful and more delicate. And I have to say the pork was extremely tender and flavorful. The egg was perfectly prepared, and the broth was perfectly seasoned to my desired spiciness level. They also do a great job searing their gyozas. Because of its overwhelming popularity, they have perfected the ordering process so that you can fill out a form while you're in line, which greatly reduces your wait time. It's easy to get in and out of here in 30 min, and I'm sure that is their goal. As a result, the dining experience might not exactly be relaxing, but if your focus is on the best quality bowl of noodles that you can get, I think it is worth the wait.

Service is quick and so is the expectation to how fast you finish your ramen…read more There is always a line up outside; rain, hail or shine. Ramen isn't bad but not outstanding either. Prices for a bowl of soup with 2 thin pieces of meat, is sub $20. Chairs are hard. This is not the place to hang out and chill.

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.

Review #3 for 2026 I…read morereally wanted to like this place. I watched many videos and read reviews before coming here, but it just did not hit the spot. After a cold day of exploring Stanley Park, we felt that ramen would really hit the spot, so we went here not wanting to deal with a wait at Danbo with a hungry and tired toddler. There was NO wait when we arrived here and we were seated immediately... which for a place that was really hyped up, should had made us think twice. There was only 1 other party at the restaurant. Now, the workers were super nice and the food came out quickly and we did eat everything because we were starving. We all ordered the cha-shu tamago ramen, 2 of us got spicy and 2 of us non-spicy. It came with extra chashu and the soft boiled egg for about $20 Canadian. The bowl was a good size and there was a promo for free extra noodles while we were there. Everyone except me in our group took advantage of it because I was too full from my bowl. Now, the broth here is different from other places because it is chicken based and not pork based. Everything I had seen about this place promised the broth is every bit just as good as the pork bone broth... however, the broth we received looked flavorful, but was bland. It was completely bland. There was no richness to it, not even a hint. I don't know, coming from southern California, the flavor just was not there period. We did all eat our food because we were starving, but it for sure did not hit the spot at all. Maybe we got an off day? Otherwise our broth had literally zero flavor to it. We all wished we had tried the other ramen place instead right after trying our ramen. Would I come back? I will have to say definitely no. We do not live in Vancouver and I do not want to waste any meals on a place that did not taste good the first time we went.

Finally got here at long last and enjoyed the Mega Jiro-Style Ramen. Ooh wow was it tasty. Yummy…read moreyummy yummy. Clean bathroom. Enjoyable experience all around. Will return.

Maruhachi Ra-men is absolutely delicious. I ordered the spicy tamago ramen, and everything about it…read morewas spot on. Unlike many ramen spots that rely on a heavy tonkotsu (pork) broth, Maruhachi stands out by using a creamy chicken broth. It's hearty yet balanced and surprisingly light. I also loved that they offer side sauces so you can adjust the saltiness to your preference. The spice had a perfect kick -- more of a warming, throat spice that builds without overpowering the broth. The pork was incredibly tender, and the soft-boiled egg was cooked perfectly, with a rich, creamy yolk that was full of flavor. My fiance got the Pork Chashu bowl which she said was so full of flavor, she also was adding the broth from my ramen in it to add some more warmth and flavor to the bowl. The spot itself is small but very unique, and I love how they stay true to tradition. Service was good -- nothing over the top -- but efficient and fast. I truly enjoyed every bite, especially on a cold night in Vancouver. It also seemed like a lot of locals eat here, which is always a good sign. Definitely a must-visit for ramen lovers.

I started this review draft a year ago and I just remember it being good and giving it 5 stars but…read morebecause it's been awhile, I don't remember everything I tried and can't give a detailed review. I trust my prior judgement of giving them 5 stars without detail. Guess I'll just have to come back one day to try them again (:

This ramen spot has been around for 15 years! I am teetering between 3.5 and 4 stars, but rounded…read moreup. Food - I got the tan tan men and really liked it! This restaurant is about $5 more per bowl than another place down the street and I do agree with another writer that they were skimp on the toppings, but I enjoyed my broth and dish and would eat here again. Service - staff was super friendly. I watched as they helped reccomend ramen to people who were unsure what to get. Ambiance - it isn't very big inside. There is one big shared table and maybe 5 tables for 2? I would imagine in busy times there is a wait. They also give you a little basket to put your bag/coat in if you sit at the shared table, it was super cute.

It's one of my always go-to comfort food. I always go for the classic ramen. Sometimes I'll add…read morehalf order of the noodle after first bowl.

Nice little eaterie. Very small space with close seating. Not quite the ambiance that I prefer…read more Food was good. Everything had a nice taste and food temperature was good and Eve was served quickly. Service was great. They are very attentive.

Broth free soba. Thick spicy noodles that aren't as filling as standard ramon. Tried the regular…read moreand low carb option. I would just get the regular and eat 1/2 the noodles. Interesting take

Casual lunch, friendly staff and tasty food. Was coming…read moreafter lunch time, so there are many seats available and food was quick served too

I've been to Zubu a few times now, and the food has been consistently solid. The blue crab hand…read moreroll is a standout, and their Tonkotsu ramen is reliably comforting and rich. If you're curious about the rest of their ramen lineup, the ramen flight is a fun way to try them out without committing to just one. Service has been attentive on my visits, and food comes out quickly, which is always appreciated. Last night, I tried their Dine Out Vancouver menu and thought it was excellent value. For $35, it included a Sapporo beer, five pieces of takoyaki, a bowl of Tonkotsu ramen, and mochi ice cream. It also happened to be Sake Friday, so we picked up a bottle at 50% off - hard to complain about that math. The ambience was generally fine, but the staff were doing a photoshoot for their new menu right beside our table. The lighting was extremely bright and the space felt cramped, and since the shoot lasted the entire duration of our meal, it became a bit distracting. Overall, strong food and good value, with a small but avoidable atmosphere miss on this particular visit.

Came for dinner here with a friend. The first thing I noticed was that the restaurant was really…read morenicely decorated - nothing super showy, but there were these arches over some of the tables decorated with (fake) plants, which I thought was interesting and very pretty. The staff was very pleasant and helpful with menu suggestions. I ordered a vegan rice bowl, and my friend and I shared an order of the vegetable gyoza and an aburi cheesecake. The gyoza and rice bowl were great! The gyoza, which we ordered on the recommendation of our waiter when we told them we were looking for a vegetarian appetizer, were made with soy-based imitation meat that had a very meaty texture - simple but very tasty. The rice bowl also had the soy meat, but seasoned differently, with a more intense flavour, along with atsuage tofu and various vegetables. It was delicious and also seemed healthy. We liked the aburi cheesecake, but it was more lemony than we expected. The waiters who brought it out said the lemon was to cut the sweetness, but we actually felt like the lemon competed with the caramel flavour of the bruleed crust. The textures were amazing though. We really enjoyed our meal here and I wish I'd tried them sooner!

Came here for dinner and had a great meal here We made a reservation beforehand because we heard…read morethe wait time can get pretty long. All the food was delicious, and fish tasted really fresh. We especially liked the calamari and karaage here, but all the dishes were top notch. Service was friendly and attentive as well

Wow! I have heard a lot about this spot but I would definitely say the praise is deserved after…read morecoming here for lunch. Managed to get one of their limited sets that day and was so amazed by the selection - you even get to choose the main dishes, and we opted for sashimi and steak. So delicious! Got a couple appys to share as well, and the salmon tartare was definitely the highlight with the delicious sockeye salmon. The hot stone was a fun experience as well! The curry pork katsu was great as well - the curry had delicious sweet onions that brought a wonderful balance to the dish. Great service, beautiful decor, I will be back!

Eating at Saku has totally reset my katsu scale because this is far and away the best katsu I've…read morehad. They make their own panko and the chicken katsu was cooked perfectly. It was so light and crispy and the chicken was tender and juicy. Saku's katsu was so good that when I think about the katsus I've had is the past at other places I realize now they were just decent katsu. Other highlights here are their house made sesame dressing - so good. They sliced the cabbage salad so thin that in combination with the sesame dressing it was a great combo. I usually don't like that much raw cabbage but I ate every bit of it. The ambience is airy and cool. The staff were really great and asked us about any allergies. We'd walked by this place before and seen a line out the door. Now we know why.

I came back for dinner. Had the Rosu nabe this time (last time I had the regular Rosu)…read more The pork katsu comes served in a (super hot) cast iron dish with a nabe broth with onions and eggs cracked into it. Still comes with a little side of pickles, and unlimited rice, cabbage, and miso soup. No katsu sauce. The katsu was fried to perfection. Juicy, tender, cant complain. But since they serve it in a broth, it does get soggy really quick. Still good, but after a few minutes its just soggy. The broth is nice with rice; comforting kind of meal. The unlimited rice/soup/cabbage is just icing on the cake. My dining partner had the Kake udon (pretty good, noodles good texture and slightly smaller strands than most places) and Menchi Cheese side - basically a pork meatball with cheese and deep fried katsu-style, served with katsu sauce. This was excellent. My original review still stands. Excellent katsu, plus they have the consistency and reliability. $28-30/meal and its plenty of food for 1, especially with unlimited cabbage/rice/soup. Restaurant is nice and comfortable, good spacing and not cramped. Easy recommend. 5/5.

Jinya was our last meal in Vancouver and I can't tell you just how much it but the spot. We waited…read morea bit on line (they don't accept reservations), but then the service was quick, which we appreciated because we had our toddler with us. Atmosphere is so busy and lively, with white a modern decor. It's certainly a hot spot among tourists. We got the Shoyu Tonkotsu ramen, the Jinya Tonkotsu Black, the gyoza, the brussel sprouts, and some beer that my husband wanted. The food was so comforting! So filling! Appreciate that you can choose your spice level and that they had small bite appetizers that children can eat. We really enjoyed it overall and I'd recommend if you're in the mood for ramen.

Jinya is a solid ramen spot and the perfect place to have a pre show dinner downtown. We did just…read morethat last night ahead of our show at the Orpheum. I've had Jinya twice now and enjoyed it both times! The classic ramen is my favourite so far. Last night I had the chicken wonton ramen + egg and it was abit too heavy - they give you quite a few wontons! We also had the crunchy cucumber salad which Wes tasty but wanted abit of a kick of spice to it. And we got the spicy creamy shrimp tempura which is exactly like an ebi mayo which was so delicious! Great sauce great crunch factor! Service is always fast! You may find a line when you go but they try their best to seat you as quickly as they can. The atmosphere is usually always buzzing and the have great alcoholic and non alcoholic drink options! Will be back for sure.