One of the popular ramen places in the Denman-Robson axis. They deserve it I think. Came on a weekday at 11:45, no line, with a friend who swears by this place. Ordered a garlic spicy ramen, mild, medium broth, with pork belly. - the garlic broth is excellent. Really rich and garlicky. Just spicy enough for me. Ever sip is so full of flavour. - noodles are just chewy enough. - the egg. Done just not runny yet. Perfect. - ah the meat. This is great soft pork belly cut into thin Chashu slices. It melts. Really good. Everything comes together here. This is a bowl of ramen you will want to come back to. read more

Kintaro Ramen - Spicy garlic ramen - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Haven't been here in 13 years and had great memories of the ramen. However, I saw the Original! Cheese Ramen and had to try it. Unfortunately it wasn't that great. Wish I had the ramen instead. Service was typical Japanese and friendly. Classic ramen shop vibe and look. read more

We enjoyed this place! We were seated very quickly, the atmosphere is so nice, and we got our food relatively quickly. Both of our broths could've had a little more flavor, but we for sure come back again if we're in the area. read more

Kintaro Ramen - Miso ramen add egg and Vegetarian Sio Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

The mark of good ramen is that the broth is hot and flavorful, and that the noodles are still ardent when served, the vegetables still a bit crisp. This place has it down pat. I had the spicy garlic ramen with a medium thick broth. The scoop of garlic on top was a bit overwhelming until mixed in, and then it was just right. The spice level was also perfect. It's nice to have the option of pork shoulder rather than pork belly. It was lean and tender. We also had gyoza, which was perfectly seared, nd edamame, which made a nice starter. Service was friendly. read more

See all

This place specializes in tonkotsu ramen, and boy is it good. I got the rich broth with fattier pieces of pork, and a side of kimchi, and a hot green tea to drink. The server was very polite and helpful at explaining the menu. The ramen bowls were gigantic, and soooo delicious. I had a medical procedure done earlier in the day and I needed a wholesome comfort food badly - and this was exactly what I needed. Price was super affordable, and even the toppings for the ramen - like the marinated soft boiled eggs and the marinated bamboo shoots - were great. The only downside was that they could do some work sprucing up the interior. Everything was clean, but it was kind of run down - this could deter people if they don't know what they're looking for. I saw many local people eating in there and there was a line outside, so I knew it had to be good despite the rough look, and I was right. read more

Kintaro Ramen - Shio ramen (rich broth and fatty pork) with kimchi and green tea - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Kintaro ramen didn't suit my tastes. I thought the broth was extremely salty and overpowering, despite ordering a medium. The portion size could be more generous too: I only got 2 slices of pork belly (chashu), bean sprouts, and 2-3 pieces of bamboo shoots in my shoyu ramen. I've had better and would probably not return. read more

It's been years since I visited Kintaro, this is my memory of having the very first Japanese ramen from the early 2000s (or was it late 90s? Either way my age is showing here) The place was almost empty at 5pm, surprising but who wants to stand in line right? The waitress is very friendly, and we had our order placed quickly. As I look around, the interior of the restaurant looks like not much has changed except looking aged and tired. I got my favorite cheese ramen, it tasted similar to what it was like back in the days, but overpowered by the taste of bean sprouts. My family didn't really think much of their food, which was miso ramen, shoyu ramen, and onigiri. I was excited to show my family where ramen started in Vancouver (at least in my mind), sadly this might be the last time we come back given the number of great ramen now exist everywhere in the Vancouver area. Kintaro is OK, but maybe this is the final farewell. read more

Kintaro Ramen - OG cheese ramen - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

This is my go to place for ramen if I am in west end. Straight up traditional Japanese ramen joint. Nothing fancy, just old fashioned ramen bowls! read more

Always a line out the door at this place and for good reason! The portions are awesome for the price and the flavours are so extremely tasty. I love that you can choose how rich you would like your broth and I would recommend the fatty pork over the lean. For me, a small menu always indicates great quality and flavour! We were seated at the bar which was, in my opinion, are the best seat in the house. Watching the two chefs so in sync meticulously creating each bowl was like having dinner and a show! Overall a mellow place that does everything right. Bonus - hand made noodles! read more

See all

I had an alright time at Kintaro Ramen! The portion was huge, the noodles were alright, and the eggs were great. I thought that the Shio broth was not flavorful enough and could have used some more richness. My favorite part was probably the eggs and the fatty pork, rather than the ramen and broth... usually I finish the broth, but I had a hard time finishing here :/ I did really like the authentic vibe of the place, reminds me of eating ramen at countertops in Japan. read more

Kintaro Ramen - Shio Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

One of the best ramen I've ever had!! Stopped by for dinner and ordered some gyoza, the spicy garlic ramen, and miso ramen. Loved the spicy garlic ramen!! read more

Kintaro Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Top 3 on my list of ramen shops in Vancouver ! The chasu is perfect and the portion is amazing for the value! Definitely a must try read more

Kintaro Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

First time at kintaro and was surprised I didn't have to wait in line. Sat at the bar, which was nice as I could see them make the ramen. I ordered the shio ramen, medium richness, and with lean pork. I added on some wakame. I kind of regretted my choice of lean pork as I found it very dry and had no flavour. The broth itself was rich and salty. The noodles had a nice bounce to it. The bamboo shoots and beansprouts added some crunch to it. The egg was flavourful and I'm happy they gave a full egg as some places only give half now! I was also surprised by the portion. It was honestly quite a lot of noodles and was really filling. I don't know if I'd come back as I'm not downtown often and I wasn't amazed with the ramen. read more

Kintaro Ramen - Shio ramen - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

Decent ramen shop. You can choose the strength (oiliness) of your broth (rich / medium / light) or meat (fatty / lean). Add extra noodles for $1.75. The miso broth has more depth of flavor than the shio stock. I suppose this is why the restaurant and menu suggest the miso as their best noodle. They were out of gyoza, sadly. This was mostly why we picked this place. read more

Spicy Garlic Ramen definitely worth the wait. They're usually really quick. The ramen bowl was super big! We came after a long walk around Stanley Park, and ooofff this hit the spot! Spicy and garlicky!! A bowl for just $16.45! The noodles were soft and bouncy read more

See all

What happened Kintaro? This used to be such a delicious OG spot, but we were utterly disappointed. We ordered two ramens and the soy onigiri. The portion of the ramen was HUGE. There was a lot of bean sprouts but the amount of noodles was also quite generous. The marinated egg was nicely marinated with a slight runny yolk. Flavour was average but we found the food salty and we were really thirsty after the meal. My mistake was ordering the lean chashu instead of the fatty in an effort to be "healthier". The lean meat was super dry and lean. My meat lover bf refused to finish it for me... The onigiri wasn't anything special and flavour was flat. Service was average and not what we expected from a ramen joint. We had to wait a while before someone came to take our order. We also had to flag them down for a couple of things. Sadly, it doesn't seem the same as what I remember it used to be. read more

Kintaro Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Been coming here for at least 10 years, quality and taste is consistent. My favorite Ramen resterant in the whole city and I drive 20 minutes to just to come here for a bowl of noodles. read more

Probably had my first bowl of ramen ever here, and is still one of my favourite places for ramen. However, it was my first time ordering the zenbu ramen (which includes all the toppings, except butter). There is a minimum order per person, so if you want to share this, I'd suggest adding noodles or getting an appetizer. I added extra noodles, and boy, the bowl was huge. As with most ramen places, you can choose how rich you want the soup as well as lean or fatty meat. The toppings included were: seaweed, corn, egg, green onion, kimchi, wakame seaweed, garlic, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, melted cheese, and of course pork. One of the reasons I love ramen is because I love the toppings, hence the zenbu ramen is perfect for me. (I also love the soup and noodles.) The only topping that I wouldn't want next time is cheese; it just didn't go along well with the rest of the flavouring. A main reason I love Kintaro is the rich aroma. That did not disappoint. They are currently charging an extra $1 per head due to COVID19. I'm OK with that but it would've been nice if they posted that sign outside. Take your bill next door to Weather Tea for 10% off BBT with a Kintaro receipt! read more

See all

Wow what a hidden gem in the west end. It was a cold day and we wanted to eat something to warm us up. I've always seen the line up outside Kintaro and always wondered about the Ramen. Unsure of whether it'll be good or not, it was empty and during these challenging times..m let's get on it and give it a try. No wait time during the week around 3pm. Walked straight in, socially distanced and can only hold about up to 8 pax given restrictions. Sat down thes server gave us advice on what to order and what complimented what. Before you knew it I had this gigantic bowl of Ramen infront of me... wow it was delicious and so filling and such a good price. Service was great. Food was delicious and now I concur on the long line in the weekends. Please support local and this delicious in-house made Ramen soup. Just wow. That's all they do and read more

Kintaro Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

There's a reason that there's always a lineup outside of this restaurant. I really love coming here for a warm bowl of ramen on a really cold day. I find that the portions are very large for what you get, sometimes I can't even finish the bowl because there's so much food! Quite a small place with only a few seats. Staff are really nice and willing to accommodate my peanut allergy with no issue :) this is a staple for us, and I will continue coming back here for great comfort food. read more

Kintaro Ramen - Miso Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

This well known ramen place is a must anytime of The year This little shop is my favourite spot for a hot bowl of ramen. Been coming here for Years We got the spicy garlic ramen. And ooooof. So good. They are always so friendly, and always on top of things. My water cup was never empty for long. My partner ate the whole bowl so fast. I've also ordered the cheese ramen before, and this is a must try. But order the cheese on the side so you can adjust how much cheese you get on every bite. read more

Kintaro Ramen - Spicy garlic bbq pork - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

My friend who visited Vancouver said that the garlic noodles was a highlight from his trip. + Shop itself is what you envision a neighborhood ramen shop to be + Friendly service + Priced fair + Fun options outside of ramen and limited items early in the day + Come early or lines will form outside The big question is how good was the ramen? I felt it was pretty good but I did not feel like it was beyond anything I've had before. The garlic ramen had good flavor and the garlic blended in nicely with the overall taste. Noodle quality was high... I just did not think it was mind-blowing. Worth checking out though! read more

Kintaro Ramen - Garlic Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Unfortunately the quality has gone wayy downhill at Kintaro after covid. IIt used to be my go to spot for ramen. The ramen now is just salty and otherwise flavourless. Did not taste any miso at all (I ordered miso ramen). That ramen umami flavour is completely gone. The presentation is also awful. I would not recommend my friends or out of towners to come here anymore. There are better options / authentic ramen representation nearby. I am so sad to write this :( read more

Kintaro Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I came to Kintaro like three years ago or something? I came with a couple friends and didn't think too much of it cause I hadn't hit that ramen phase fully just yet. Now that I've fully immersed myself into that state, I've finally come back for some more delicious noodles. Boy oh boy I'm so happy I've finally found the time to come back. It's a more smaller location than most other ramen locations. Definitely a chance you may have to line up for a bit to get in. Staff is super friendly from my experience. They seem to know regulars and are pretty good at talking up with folks. I was a bit embarrassed when I couldn't really talk with them since I wasn't expecting it. I ordered myself the miso ramen. The broth is one of my favourite ones I've ever had. The flavours definitely stood out a lot and I drank almost the entire bowl of broth. There's a generous serving of bean sprouts and corn as well and I really enjoy having a nice amount of veggies in my bowl. The pork slices are pretty good as well and I enjoyed how fatty the slices were. Noodles themselves were really good and I would gladly order another two servings. Fantastic experience overall and I don't think I could ask for more. Well I guess I could ask for more food but that's not really fair. I think a few minutes of waiting is definitely worth coming by and having a delicious bowl of ramen to feast on. Can't wait to drop by again for another bowl. read more

Kintaro Ramen - Miso Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Awesome ramen! There's almost always a line here, but we were seated quickly on an 80 degree summer day. This is a tiny ramen joint where we sat at the bar and watched the ramen magic happen. Everything is carefully orchestrated here and you can tell the cook as a system down. Each bowl of ramen is prepared with care and cauldrons of broth just simmer away on one side. We ordered the miso bbq pork ramen and the shio ramen. Portions were huge compared to other places and I appreciated how lean the pork was. The addition of bean sprouts was also really nice and added a nice crunch. Broth was creamy and delicious and overall, it was a bomb bowl of noodles. read more

Descent portion size ramen. Miso taste weak, ramen noodle portion bit small. For a regular male you may consider extra noodle size. Miso soup blend, need ask 7-Spice to kick in the flavor. Overall still good deal for $11.95 ramen. Highly recommend to go early as line up still require as limited seating space inside. So please be aware wait time will be longer than normal. read more

Kintaro Ramen - Miso ramen - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

We arrived at Kintaro a little before 6pm to beat the line as we know the ramen restaurants downtown Vancouver has lineups. I heard about Kintaro back from a former co-worker from Seattle ~2004. He is American Japanese and would always come here as he said it's the best in West coast and would make the drive. I believe Kintaro is one of the original ramen restaurants that started the craze of all ramen restaurants around Vancouver scene. We were quickly seated at the last 2 empty seats at the bar. Now the place is all full. The setting reminds me of hole in the wall ramen restaurants in Tokyo, unpretentious setting and cozy. It was a warm day and I did start to feel hot when we were done. That's ok by me. To the food. The soup from both spicy (husband) to non spicy miso soup was super flavourful. We both choose medium. Though my husband said he prefer less miso taste but still very good soup base. The noodles were also good and all the toppings complemented each of our bowls. You do get a sizeable large bowl of ramen. Inexpensive meal. My husband wore his Maruhan ramen T-shirt. His first time at Kintaro. I know, you'd think he lived under a rock, eh? The workers loved his shirt and commented "we don't serve packaged ramen here." Hahaha. At the time we left, line up of 17. It begins. What was nice you can pay using app GlancePay, which we did. We also received a loyalty card. Would I come back, why yes I would! read more

See all

One of the best ramen place I have had. Spicey garlic ramen is what I had and generous (and I mean generous amount) of garlic in it. The pork is fatty to bring out flavour and is super tasty with nice thick ramen noodles. Soup is flavourful. Be prepared to smell like garlic for a few hours afterward but we'll worth it. read more

Love this place and how consistently awesome they've been over such a long time! The most authentic and perfect Japanese ramen joint in Vancouver! read more

Kintaro Ramen - Spicy Garlic Ramen - can't go wrong with this! #ramen #miso #garlic #chashu #bbq - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

The soup is so rich and tasty. Pork belly is so good. You will fill so warm in a cold day. read more

Kintaro Ramen - Extra BBQ pork ramen (Miso) - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I can only say that I have walked away from my half eaten bowl of spicy ramen. After frequenting this fading establishment for nearly ten years if not more, I can't go back. The broth was flat. I mean Saskatchewan flat. In an area brimming with competition, I would always expect the leader to be at the best everyday. Not today. I say this was the best for a very long time and now it's time to move on. Thanks for the memories read more

Excellent Ramen shop, very small store. We shared a large table. The miso Ramen was delicious with the soup broth very tasty and flavorful. My family ordered other ramens and are very happy with theirs. We widh they have more room to sit more as there were a line waiting. read more

Kintaro Ramen - Store logo with name. - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

Kintaro serves 14 different types of ramen, ranging from common flavours like shoyu, miso and shio. They also have their own signature ramens known as spicy garlic and cheese ramen. We got the shoyu ramen and the spicy garlic ramen. You have the option to choose the richness of your broth, as well as the fatness of the BBQ cha-siu. Of course we got the fattest option From the broth, you can really taste the length of time they've spent simmering the bones to maximize the flavours. It was definitely a hearty broth we also loved the BBQ cha-siu because it was so tender, we probably didn't even have to chew. If you LOVE garlic, you should really try the spicy garlic ramen. There's literally a ball of fresh garlic. read more

Kintaro Ramen - Top: shoyu ramen Bottom: spicy garlic ramen - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

If you're craving a rich hearty ramen on a cold winter day, this is the spot to go. Be warned that it can get quite busy at times, so I would recommend going in smaller groups (aka 2 people will get you through quite fast). [Items Tried] Spicy Garlic Ramen - $11.75 (5/5) Taste: The best part of this ramen was the broth - rich, flavourful, and the right amount of spice and a ton of garlic. The marinated eggs were cooked to perfection and the pork was juicy and tender. They use thick noodles here and I prefer them cooked "hard".Note that these noodles are for the garlic lover and be prepared to bring a piece of gum/mint with you after the meal! Portion Size: Huge portion size for 1 person [Value for Money] Good bang for your buck! Affordable price point for a large bowl of noodles. read more

Kintaro Ramen - Spicy Garlic Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

This place gooooooessssss. So so good. I'll be back ANY time I'm in BC Huge portion, my perfect ambiance, unbelievable broth. Got the shoyu. Life's good read more

Kintaro Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

- spicy garlic ramen = $12 - - shio ramen = $13 - 《Chungry Rating = 8.5/10》 Oh. My. God. Look at that bowl I don't think I've ever seen a bowl of ramen this big that wasn't also a food challenge! Kintaro Ramen serves up an amazingly delicious bowl of ramen, that's for sure. That scoop of garlic on top gives it a nice punch of flavour after you mix it into the broth. Here, they give you a choice between lean or fatty chasiu, or half&half! I tried the half&half this time, but I would definitely go with full fat next time. I'm just such a sucker for fatty pork belly. This spot is great for both your wallet and your belly. Come give it a try! read more

Kintaro Ramen - Spicy Garlic Ramen with Half Lean & Half Fatty Chasiu - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

big portions which i love, unfortunately like 4$ pricier nowadays than once upon a time (miso ramen now $15). used to be my go-to non-danbo location but broth/meat was a little underwhelming this time, if ur near this location i think maruhachi (formerly marutama) is a lot better read more

Kintaro Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Compared to my hometown in the Bay (California), Kintaro definitely was something different; in better ways than not! The soup here hit different for sure, was on the blander side and flavors didn't have much depth as I'm used to. However as a result I did enjoy drinking the broth along with my noodles and didn't feel like I needed to constantly chug water. Also worth mentioning the broth was on the greasier side, and the ramen didn't have too many toppings. It came with the usual bean sprouts (alot in fact, which I didn't mind since I looove the sprouts), bamboo shoots, chashu, and seaweed. Assuming I read over the menu and what was given with my ramen but to my disappointment, there was no egg! Had I known, I would've paid extra to include it. I paid extra and added corn as well. However, I am very optimistic and truly enjoy trying different versions of the same kinds of foods. After all, everyone and everywhere has their own twists and offerings. All in all, Kintaro did stand out to me and I would be back if I'm in the area! read more

The perfect hole-in-the-wall ramen joint, and I mean that in the best possible way! Quick, friendly service. The ramen itself was wonderful; large portion, very nicely flavored. The spicy garlic was just enough to make your nose run! I would definitely visit again. read more

Come hungry, because the portion is HUGE and they do NOT allow sharing - this restaurant has a rule that each diner must spend at least $10 CAD. This is probably the biggest bowl of ramen I've ever gotten. I honestly wouldn't mind paying the same price for less food, because I don't like to waste food. Yes you're def getting your money's worth considering the portion and the quality of the ramen. But it's not something that I would wait in line or go out of my way for. This place can be categorized as a solid local staple, no more, no less. We went around 2pm for a late lunch after walking around Stanley Park, and we were third in line. The couple behind us mentioned that this place is usually jam-packed and the line goes out the door. My favorite parts about this place include: 1) you get to pick the thickness of your broth, light, medium, or heavy; 2) the perfectly cooked/flavored ajitama and 3) the perfectly cooked ramen (that's freshly made in-house, that's always a plus for me). While I usually prefer a lighter broth (I find most broths in Houston/Austin ramen bars too thick), my friend's medium was just right for me, and my light broth, to my surprise, tasted a bit bland. This may or may not have been a 5 star review if we weren't forced to order our own bowls because this place is value and quality in one. read more