G-men Ramen

I love Ramen specially during the winter so when I heard about G-​Men and was in Richmond I had to go try this place.
The restaurant is not that big. Most of the tables are for 2 people. If you have more than 2 people in your group then expect to be seated at the back.
The service is friendly and attentive. Our server checked on us 3 or 4 times during the hour we were there. The place is clean except for the floor leading to the ladies washroom. I almost slip. There was a spot of oil on the floor.
I love peanut sauce so I got the Tan Tan Ramen. In most places I ordered Tan Tan, the broth comes out too salty for my taste but I think G-​Men got this one right. A hint of sweetness to the peanut broth was perfect. I love the shredded pork plus the generous amount of bean sprouts. I thought the portion was big. My husband ordered extra noodles for his RCMP Ramen. He has a big appetite but he admitted that he did not need the extra noodles.
I would recommend this place and would definitely go back when in Richmond.

The limited parking in the back was full, but paid on-​street parking is available. There was a line to be seated but we didn’t have to wait long. The waitress was great. Our water was always topped up. It was good ramen and we will definitely come back the next time we are in the area.

Tight waiting area. Wonderful authentic ramen but I’d prefer more meat in mine. Oh. And best chicken karaage ever.

A ramen place actually owned by Japanese people?! Oh. My. It is as others have mentioned, quite small and breezy. But the service is very good and quick.
Now on to the food.
Chasu shoyu ramen:
Delicious. Rich yet smooth broth. A little bit salty but that’s the nature of ramen. A good amount of meat, and the perfect soft boiled egg. The other ingredients that were in the ramen (green onion, bamboo, etc.) were not excessive but nicely complimented the ramen. Very balanced. They have this little «How to enjoy ramen» note on the tables. I suggest you follow it. You will be delightfully surprised.
The noodles were perfect (ask for the hard noodle).
Karaage:
These tender, juicy, crispy, perfectly seasoned pieces of fried chicken are not only amazing (can you tell I like them?) but come in not your average bite size pieces, but what looked to me a whole thigh (of a not genetically modified chicken). 4 pieces should suffice. It comes with a side of mayo, which I don’t really care for.
Okonomiyaki:
Now a disclaimer, it was my first time having it. I wasn’t impressed. I don’t really like that sweet sauce thing… And I felt it would be better if it were more crispy.
Tip:
We came at 1:20pm and it was pretty easy to get seated.

Best Ramen outside of Vancouver, it’s packed with Richmond locals on the daily. So much so that it’s pretty much a guarantee that you will be stuck in their tiny waiting room. Each time someone leaves, it’s a jostle of legs to make room for their exit. Tiny.
If you are vegetarian, you are out of luck — everything is made from pork broth, and that’s why it is delicious. Ask for it to be less oily if you are worried about fat content, they skim off the oil for you.
It’s good, all of it, each Ramen dish. Try one, remember which one you tried, because you’ll want to try another the next time. Make sure you are hungry, it’s filling, and expect to have splattered steamy glasses if you are a four-​eyes like I am.

Was in Richmond and came her due to the Unilocal reviews! Happy I did because it’s a great find. The restaurant is quite small and has a sign up and sheet for a table at the front.
The service was excellent and we were served and seated very quickly. The peanut ramen is very savoury and delicious. It’s very rich and a little spicy. I was little disappointed that they do not use a miso broth for the other ramen dishes. Will come back for peanut ramen!

Recommended by a friend got me thinking, «why haven’t I been here before»? Located in the busy area of Alenxandra Rd, Gmen Ramen Shop, just lit up my mouth! I always go with Tonkotsu Miso Ramen with Ajitama for only $ 11. Rich and full of flavour broth. Big serving, I can only eat half. I tried their Tori Karaage as well, perfectly cooked and seasoning was on point, dip it in mayo, I had no shame of double dipping. Tea was $ 1, but didn’t get even drink it because it got too warm inside. Service was great, attentive. Place is a bit narrow and tight, but the ambience is nice enough to enjoy. Definitely my favourite Ramen restaurant in Richmond!

G-​Men Ramen is a tight little space with a totally inadequate waiting area (but benches right outside) because of the queue that apparently forms every day, not just Friday and Saturday nights. However, turnaround is quite fast. There is also «bar seating», which actually isn’t that bad as the bar table is quite wide. Good for couples since they are side by side anyway.
Make sure you put your name down on the waiting list (which can move quite quickly despite the maximum 2-​hr time limit per seating) when you arrive. You will be asked whether you are okay with bar seating or if you need a table, at the time you put your name down and again when seating becomes available.
Tan Tan Men ($ 10.25) 8oz spicy sesame & peanut flavour pork bone broth with thin noodle
–Thin noodle looks like the type you get in a packet of instant noodles. And there’s a LOT of it. Quite a bit of diced pork as well.
–Overall, a heavy and filling meal for just $ 10.25 and you may want to consider not ordering a drink in case you can’t finish it all. Bonus points here for good price: portion ratio.
–Tasty and peanutty but not spicy enough for me. There are condiments at the table to add more heat (or garlic!).
–Good and tasty but I think Kingyo’s Tan Tan Noodles still edges out and is a bit cheaper too (but isn’t peanutty, if that is the predominant flavour you want).
AAA Beef Yukke ($ 9.25) chopped beef sashimi marinated in yukke sauce
–Reminds me of steak tartare but totally not the same in taste.
–Served cold and totally worth a try as it’s tasty. But pricey.
Kimchi Baigai ($ 5.95) kimchi and Japanese ivory shell
–Our server couldn’t explain «ivory shell» but it turns out they are a type of sea snail. Quite firm and more crunchy than chewy but not hard to eat at all.
–Overall, a cheap way to try an interesting food. Quite a good amount of snail as well.
–Other than the novelty, give this a pass. You mostly taste the kimchi anyway unless you carefully isolate the snail, which isn’t that tasty on its own.

Not too shabby for a ramen place in Richmond. The lineup is always long and you got to be careful, even if you put your name on the list and mention to them you’ll wait outside since their doorway is so crowded, they may forget to come out and call you. It’s happened to us twice.

Nice little hidden gem
When I think of ramen, I usually think downtown, Robson or deman street. When I heard of this little place in Richmond, my expectation wasn’t high. However, I was genuinely surprised! Aside from the fact that portions are a bit small and you gotta pay extra for the egg, the flavour is solid. The décor reminds me of those ramen places in Japanese movies! Really cool! I would recommend this to people for sure

Good comfort food. Space is clean and organized. I have actually been here twice, therefore, I am aware of the changes but those changes aren’t large and or significant enough for me to put this place at a lower rating as it is just preference at the end of the day. I do find that the beef one is over salty. Service has been slow a few times.

Wow! The noodles!
Richmond needs some more awesome ramen places so I am glad that I went and checked out G-​men for lunch. The Shio ramen was very flavourful and light with a decent amount of toppings. I really enjoyed the extra tender pork slices. The real show stopper for me was the fact that the noodles were done just right in my opinion. I’m not sure why, but I really noticed these noodles. Well cooked, but firm noodles, that didn’t fall apart, but at the same time aren’t so hard that you need to really chomp down.
In addition, service was fast and efficient and my tea was always filled up. Awesome.
The only downside is that the portions aren’t very big, so if you are a big eater, I recommend getting an add on or some sides (which look very delicious).

Came here with a few coworkers for lunch. Was a bit skeptical when we entered the parking lot as it’s the notorious lot that’s shared with chubby lamb, leisure, etc. (warning: don’t ever attempt to park here on a weekend evening.) Luckily for us, the parking lot was empty for a Tuesday lunch. Our table of 5 was seated right away. Our server explained to us the specials and poured us ice cold water right away. I ordered the shoyu ramen as it seemed to be their shining dish. Food came very fast. Even though it was a warm day, the bowl of noodles hit the spot. The broth was rich and creamy, and the noodles were nice and chewy — exactly how a bowl of ramen should be (although I’m no expert.)
One star off because of the ambience. Chairs were a bit uncomfortable, and I was sitting against a wall with a little shelf built in right behind my head so I couldn’t lean back. Being it was a warm summer day, the place didn’t have any fans or A/​C which made it a bit uncomfortable after slurping down a bowl of warm broth.
Overall a great little place in Richmond for ramen. Definitely comparable to the other joints downtown around Denman/​Robson. Will definitely be back to try other dishes!

This place is definitely a go-​to place for ramen in Richmond. One thing that seemed to have changed is that when you ask for less salty ramen, they do deliver! I really enjoy all their ramen varieties from shoyu to miso. I don’t like the RCMP and penut sauce noodle but that is personal. I think the RCMP is not spicy enough and lack flavor whereas I generally don’t think ramen (or any noodle) and penut sauce go together. The pork slices came in lean and soup had deep and rich pork flavor. Ramen was cooked perfectly to al dente. Service is quick and attentive. Parking can be hard but sometimes you can find spaces in the free lot in the back.

What an amazing discovery in my neighbourhood. I almost didn’t spot the storefront because the name on the front is so tiny. We got there shortly after they opened for dinner and was surprised to already see a wait. They had a spot at the bar which was fine with us.
I ordered their Ae Soba (dry noodles with a little bit of broth) and my friend got their Tan Tan noodles (spicy peanut broth). Despite what looked like small portions in the bowl, they were both really filling and tasty. I really liked my Ae Soba as it felt lighter than if I had a full bowl of soup. The only problem was at the end, the last bits of noodles were really salty from soaking in the broth.
Service was efficient and surprisingly not rushed given the long line we walked past as we left. I really liked the random notes posted on the walls and the whole atmosphere was like walking into a tiny ramen shop in Japan. I’ll definitely be back.

Despite the awkwardly written english sign on the front of the restaurant, the wait staff speak fluent english! I think they speak Japanese too. Came here for the Ramen and ordered the Ae Soba + butter and corn while my girlfriend got the tan tan ramen with marinated egg. She wanted the tonkotsu ramen but that is only served during dinner probably because it takes hours to make the soup. You’ll find the lunch menu/​dinner menu label on the top right corner of the menu.
The ramen was really good and I find it better than the likes of kinton ramen or Santouka. The Ae Soba comes with very little broth, which is the perfect amount for me, since I don’t drink the soup after anyways. Everything in it tasted as it should and put together, made a divine bowl of noodles. It cost about $ 12 per bowl, which is the average price for ramen, but definitely worth it.
We got there at 12:05 and there was a bit of wait but you just need to write your name down and they’ll get to you in an orderly fashion. I’d definitely go back when I’m in need of some good ramen!
Interesting observation: If you ask the wait staff for something and they suddenly pull out their phone and start texting, don’t be alarmed! The restaurant uses wireless devices to do things like put in your order and print your cheque.

[Agent Ramen]
When I first heard the name, I wondered what the «G» stood for. Government-​sponsored? Gargantuan? Germ-​infested? Once I set foot in the place, I became completely distracted by the décor — it felt like I had stepped into an izakaya in small town Japan. Too cool. The place was long and narrow with seating for 50.
I perused their lunch menu and decided on the Shoyu Ramen. This seemed to be their feature dish and it didn’t disappoint. The pork was tender and juicy, the noodles fresh in a flavorful broth. My only real beef was portion size. I was fairly hungry today and had to add on a side of takoyaki to curb my appetite. At $ 9 for the ramen, it was very decent value. I would also recommend the tan-​tan noodles if you’re big on peanuty flavors. Service is a little hit or miss but the waitress we got was friendly and accomodating.
I frequent this place for workday lunches and it never disappoints. Based on their drink menu, G-​Men seens like a good place to come for some post-​dinner drinks.

Vancouver Ramen Challenge 5 — Manchu G-​Men ramen
After getting some advise from Japanese friends on the Vancouver Ramen Challenge, they steered us away from Vancouver to Richmond (prominently a Chinese dominating suburb about 30 minutes outside of Vancouver downtown) to this Izakaya spot that specializes in ramen.
We happily made our way there with one of our Japanese local and arriving close to 8:30pm, we still had a 20 minute wait. Good sign as we walked in, we saw mostly Japanese clientele happily waiting to be seated and bowls of ramen coming out of the kitchen.
We had the original Shiyo, Tan Tan Ramen (PB and Tahini based) and RCMP Ramen (spicy) and cheese added with some pan fried gyozas.
‘Tan Tan was very thick as expected and rich in flavour almost too rich to have the full bowl alone but it went well with the others. The RCMP isn’t too spicy for those who cannot handle it unlike Jinya previously reviewed which can get burning hot even at lower levels of spiciness.
Maybe we were starving, but the ramen was pretty good. Many other reviewers were comparing it to Santouku Ramen and Kintaro (known to be the Top 2 Ramen joints in Vancouver), the noodles were just the way we like it chewy and firm. The broth was OK, the egg perfectly cooked soft — yum. The toppings were not too bad but not spectacular. We added pork which was tender and juicy unlike some other places we tried. The gyoza was meh but then again it’s not know for Gyoza.
It is a bit of a drive out so not sure how often we would return but definitely worth a try to when attempting the ramen challenge in Vancouver area.
Value ⁴⁄₅
Atmosphere ⁴⁄₅
Service ⁴⁄₅
Quality 3.5÷5
15.5÷20

Pretty awesome place to get some japanese don’s and get away from all the other typical japanese restaurants in Richmond/​Vancouver that only cater, sashimi, maki’s and tempura. Which they also have that stuff here too but more don style bowls.
I had gotten the sashimi tuna and salmon don, really simple bowl but very delicious stuff. They bowl was pretty deep so you know what that means, they go NUTS on stuffing the bowl with a mountain of rice (oh hey it looks like Mt. Fuji =P) Obviously, the fish is the least amount but everything about the bowl was delightful.
Fish was fresh, rice is well… rice… so much carbs and starch but who cares! YOLO that bowl! And I also got a side of okomoyaki’s which was pretty good as well.
The place is pretty small and kinda squishy but hey it’s RICHMOND! everything is small and tight!!! So not alot of room to move around or else you’ll stick your whole entire arm into someones food and then people will start a fight with you and then they’ll start throwing tempura’s and sushi at you… so it’s just gonna be a fishy mess. My advice is just don’t move that much and be courteous of others so you won’t end up having a hand roll stuck down your pants…
Customer service was good, friendly. Quality is pretty good but always seems to be busy at all times. So just dont mind waiting for a seat.

This is a separate review for the changes that I’m not in favour of at Gmen which used to be my favourite place to eat. Why the one star when I used to rave about this place? Remember, this is just my personal opinion and you don’t have to take my advice.
Menu changes are always good but when to take away Gyoza from the ramen equation. It’s like splitting up a family or couple. Like pie and ice cream. There is a lot of competition and I’m sure Gmen ramen is still at the top here in Richmond. Unfortunately they’ve lost their Umami …
Things change, not always for the better. Maybe this is for the better, but with my dietary restrictions I can’t eat here as often. And this time I forgot to order hard noodles which they were able to thankfully apply. But how can they not serve gyoza??? And everyone says its way too salty now.