The Ramenman

Really good ramen with the biggest spoons I’ve ever seen in my life. Also had the chicken karaage and pork scallop gyozas with housemade chili oil, soooo good! Will visit again and try their clam ramen. :)

Ramen made with modern techniques. Sous-​vide, induction plates, a proper mise-​en-​place. I think the portion is just right. It’s not good to be so gluttonous. The chicken chasu was delicious. omfg. The pressed sous-​vide chicken chasu was tender, juicy, just barely crossing the border between still raw and perfectly cooked. It’s basically the equivalent of a 63 degree egg in the form of chicken meat.
Noodles are made fresh. I felt like something was missing though. I think the dough wasn’t rested enough or wasn’t exposed to kansui long enough for the chewiness to develop.
The soup was sumptious. I missed the note of wine but it was still good. Drank it all to the last drop.
Beer was served in tin/​zinc mugs. Although the vintage flavor is cute, I didn’t like the metallic aftertaste.
The renovation was done quite well. It feels relaxing and calming just to be there. It’s nice that the place is slightly hidden and off the beaten path of Robson.

Went here yesterday since I really wanted noodle soup and Ramenman was my choice for the day. Clean small ramen resto located on the rear side of Robson and Bidwell.
Spacing is not as big as Santouka and no lineup when I walked in, YES! Menu is just small and simple it doesn’t have variety as other places. I picked chicken x regular for $ 9.75 and they even have Veggie Miso ramen which is based on shiitake mushroom and kombu (sea kelp).
Serving size was small but I’m satisfied about price and portion. You won’t like it if you’re big eater. Chashu topping was unique you can choose either pork, chicken but I got one of each– that was cool. Pork came as pink at first, but came out done in hot ramen soup. Noodle was handmade and delicious. Soup was mild and I personally love chicken soup a lot. Tasted similar as Marutama Ramen few blocks down.
Egg was alright. Didn’t come out as melty, runny texture more like half boiled I have to say. Service was fast and food was good. Downside? Chair wasn’t comfortable at all I wish it had back support on it.

The Team behind The Ramenman
There’s a new ramen house in town and the team behind The Ramenman is a force to be reckoned with. They’re tucked away in the west end in a little corner between Robson and Bidwell and possibly the smallest ramen shop in town.
But size doesn’t really matter because The Ramenman serves up bold and delicious bowls of chicken broth ramen with house made noodles and other modern techniques in their kitchen.
They also don’t mess around when it comes to serving their customers with a perfectly cooked 63 Degree Egg — where the egg whites is set but the yolk is still runny.
The edge behind The Ramenman is that they specialize in chicken broth ramen and their chicken and pork is cooked sous vide, which is a method of cooking where food is cooked in a temperature controlled environment either through steaming or in a water bath. The reason behind cooking via sous vide is the meat retains its moisture and also less oily.
The team at The Ramenman maintains a minimalist menu which consists of three different chicken broth ramen varieties — Chicken and Clams with Truffle Oil, Chicken Stew with Burdock and Oil, and Regular Chicken Broth, but don’t worry they also have a very delicious Vegetarian Miso Broth made with Shiitake Mushrooms and Smoked Kombu.
Their menu also has a few other items to fill you up if you aren’t already full from drinking all the chicken broth. You could snack on a plate of Gyozas or munch on an Appetizer Plate which has — Char-​siu, Ramen Egg, Bamboo Shoot, Japanese Leek and Spinach. My personal favourite is the crispy Chicken Karaage — juicy on the inside and super crispy on the outside.
If you’re really not full yet and still have more room in your belly than another must-​try is their Staff Meal Curry with the 63 Degree Egg. The curry they serve is not your typical «Japanese curry» which tends to be on the sweeter side. Their curry is much more bold with savoury flavours and has a bit of a kick to it which I really enjoyed.
The Ramenman might be the new kid on the block, but they definitely do not disappoint when it comes to cooking techniques and flavour profiles.
So if you’re in the area and it happens to be raining (which happens often enough in Vancouver) then make a pit stop at The Ramenman say hello to the team and enjoy a delicious bowl of chicken broth ramen!
@the.ramenman

Ramen slut stumbled upon this place and thought she’d give it a try. Broth 4/​5, ingredients 4/​5, noodles ⁴⁄₅ but the only thing that brought it down to a 3 was the portion size. Most places give more everything and the bowls are bigger. Flavoring was on point tho.
I also tried the scallop gyoza that Unilocalers were raving about and it was normal gyoza, nothing special to my pallet. I’ll come back but not if I’m starving and want to get stuffed on ramen.
Great atmosphere, friendly people, good music, my only complaint is that I can’t stand sitting in tall stools that have no backs.

This place offers creative mixtures of ingredients in a bowl of ramen that could be seen as a good thing or a bad thing. If you’re looking to satisfy your tastebuds with a classic bowl of ramen, this is NOT the place to go, but if you’re bored with regular ramen and you’re looking for a twist, then you’ve found your spot!
There was a chicken and clam based broth that was quite tasty and strong in clam and wine flavour. Then, there was an interesting «chicken stew» flavour one, in which the broth was so thick and starchy that it was more like a sauce than a broth. I do not recommend that one.
The noodles that this restaurant uses are the straight kind, not the chewy yellow kind, if that matters to you. Also, the chashu is rather different; it is pink and tastes more ham-​like than the chashu in other ramen noodles.
Check it out if you’re bored of all the other ramen joints.

Their curry rice bowl is actually better than their ramen! Curry is good, pork cubes and potatoes nicely cooked!
Their ramen is kind of a new style. Not sure how to make of that! The clam is very solid though!
They are experimenting a cold ramen, will come and try when they have it on the menu!
I belief this a real Japanese restaurant as the staff and most customers were speaking Japanese when I was there! Not those Chinese/​Korean owned Japanese restaurant.

Small ramen bowls. I like my noodles a bit thicker and tender. Chicken and pork less pink. Broth less heavy.
Service is slow and their response is that the ramen has to be cooked one portion at a time. The space is quite small and the noise level is loud. The communal table is something troubling as your strange guest could be super annoying.

The chick both with clam is not good!!!
I don’t like that kind the chashu so much either.
The price is better cheap so I feel ok but I don’t think I will go there very often.
My friend said the stew one is good!!!

Very unique. Quite different from the local ramen competition although this is both good and bad …
The food tastes good but the service is very slow and the soup bases are salty. I had the «stew» ramen which is a thick but smooth liquid substance that resembles a very light chicken gravy.
The ramen was average of the end of the day although very different than the local competition. The exception to our experience was the gyoza which was fabulous.
I can’t really recommend this for any other reason than a unique and quirky change of pace.

Went to Ramenman for lunch and ordered the chicken and cam ramen, with an added egg and a side of scallop pork Gyoza.
The ramen came with 6 clams which was nice and you are allowed to mix the meat. I got a piece of chicken and pork. The pork flavour is very strong slow cooked and tender. It’s very different and a good change.
The gyoza was pretty good with actual small pieces of scallop in it.

I stumbled across Ramenman by chance, as its somewhat hidden on the sidestreets of the West End along Robson St. I already had a hefty week of ramen this week but the Grand Re-​Opening peaked my curiosity.
Ramenman is from the same guys who brought the delicious Juno Sushi in Yaletown, which I also recommend for sushi.
They look to venture into the ramen ring, and Ramenman delivers on my taste buds. They look to differentiate from the rest of the ramen shops with a chicken, pork or mixed, creamy broth flavor to their ramen, which differs from the chicken broth at Marutama ramen one block away.
I have to say I was very impressed with the ramen. They have 3 different price points —
Regular $ 5, Stewed-​style $ 6, Chicken with Clam juices $ 7
I went with the regular mixed ramen and gyoza, all prepared in their open kitchen.
Some may be put off by the pinkish color of the pork toppings in the ramen, but it was tender and juicy, perfectly blended in the ramen broth.
Inside is clean and the ingredients are all fresh. Very well prepared and good presentation. Another customer must really like this place because he ordered another helping of ramen.
Its a terrific and welcome addition to the ramen craze in the west end.

No surprise Jun’s new ramen restaurant is amazing. I love his other restaurant Juno! We had the chicken karage and the regular chicken ramen. The chicken was crisp and juicy even better than another place I recently tried. The ramen was also a delicious with high quality ingredients and rich flavor.
The décor was great too I loved the large Edson bulbs, they were a great compliment to the beautiful woodwork and steel of the tables and chairs.

Nice little spot off Denman. Space is a clean, simple and thoughtful design. Love the metal beer mugs.
Somewhat tricky to find vegetarian ramen in this town … ramenman has it dialled down. The broth is full of umami! The mushroom and seaweed base is thick and creamy. I give it full points!

Vegetarian ramen is a rarity. They offer it, and it’s fantastic! I used to eat meat and this was just as good as an experience!

Excellent ramen, service, price and environment! I would give 4.5 stars here! I would love to come back to eat ramen here for sure.
Ramen has the right tenderness; the pork or chasu has the right texture and flavour that the meat is very soft and melts in my mouth; the soup base is very rich and thick that I want to keep eating the bowl of ramen. I am a small person, so the portion of the ramen is good enough for me, but if it is for a guy or whoever eats more, this bowl of ramen is too small and he or she must order extra noodles.
Customers keep coming into this ramen place, so it is busy but there is no lineup or only a short wait for tables. The servers offer great service. They treat customers better than others ramen places.
Prices are acceptable and food is affordable here. Although this ramen place is in downtown, it is not too expensive.
The environment is cozy with wood shape tables and stools with a big high table in the middle of the restaurant. The servers do not rush the customers to finish the meal quickly and make them leave right away. It is quite comfortable enjoying the ramen here.
** LIKE **

I ordered their chicken and clam ramen ($ 11.75) and a side order for chicken karaage ($ 4).
I’m not particularly fond of the ramen, the noodle is a tad too hard and the broth has a little bit too much wine for me. It’s a new (at least for me) and interesting combination but I still prefer the traditional ramen style.
On the other hand, the chicken karaage is a winner, perfectly crispy and juicy with a delicious mayo-​based sauce on the side.

The chicken+clam ramen was the best I’ve had in a while. The rice wine brought out a whole different element. The noodles were medium thickness and al dente the way I like it. The chasu was cooked like finely shaved tender succulent ham. It was a flavorful meaty counterpoint to the delicate clams in the broth. Absolutely delicious in every way. The only critique I might have was that the portion seemed too small. I could have devour two bowls of this golden elixir with noodles.
The gyozas are nothing to write home about. The family meal curry rice was ok. The noodle bowls are the star. Very hipster, very japanese. This is the new school version of ramen. A rather french-​influenced style.

We were glad to find a ramen place that had a miso-​based broth as my coworker doesn’t eat meat. Went at lunchtime on a weekday and there was a 15 second wait while they cleared off a table for us. The ambience of the place was pretty cool with their funky lights and loungey-​kind of music playing. The staff were all really nice and the service was quick. I got the regular chicken broth with the mix of chicken & pork meats. Nice creamy flavour in the broth and the meat was juicy. However kind of wish there was a bit more bamboo but that’s just nitpicking.

It’s just okay. Compared to what other ramen places available around here. Marutama, Kintaro, Santouka, Danbo… This would be the bottom. Worth going to one time and your last time. You can order plain jane ramen and add stuff. No line-​ups on weekdays — noodles a bit overcooked. They have options of adding a white rice combo. Décor and atmosphere is pretty cool, high stools, wooden theme with some old skool Sony electronics — hipster type of place.

When all you see are grey skies and hear the pouring of the torrential rain, there is no better way to cozy up with a hot bowl of ramen.
Ramenman is the perfect nook. Located right off of Robson, it is next to a small grocery shop. Upon entry, it has a warm atmosphere, with a funky light fixture and a large wooden communal table as the centerpiece.
The menu is simple, with three different chicken based noodle options. I chose the chicken x clam one, which is a lighter soup with green onion, red onion, black pepper, garlic, and the addition of truffle oil. You can have the option of having slices of pork or chicken, or both. As well, the egg is not included; it’s $ 1.25 for the egg. They also serve beers on tap from local breweries.
The ramen is delicious. It was cooked just right– medium firm. I would to see the option of having the option of adding noodles. The soup has a prominent chicken flavour, but it’s not overly salty. The clams are added to the bowl at the very end, so the soup doesn’t have any clam flavour. The egg was a perfect ajitama egg, I almost wanted to order one more! As for the pork and chicken, I like how it was cooked sous-​vide, but my slice of chicken was still cold. They probably should have submerged it in the soup for longer before serving. The soup spoon is also gigantic, which take a bit of time to get used to.
There’s bottles of water on the table that you help yourself to, which I always like. Ramenman is a good alternative to Marutama, as I’m always a fan of chicken soup!

Came here because hubby had a craving for ramen and Maturama had a long line. So since this place had good reviews and wasn’t busy, thought we’d give it a try.
I ordered the chicken stew $ 10.50 and hubby ordered the chicken clam $ 11.50.
Chicken stew was good but not something that would bring me back again. Chicken clam was ok per my hubby. Portions seemed small for the price.
Photo included was partially eaten forgot to take a photo before I started eating. I’d say it was about an inch higher. The bowls don’t help with perception of the amount of food. They should use different bowls so it doesn’t seem like a small portion.

I went here unexpectedly with some friends after we discovered we couldn’t eat at Motomatchi (broth was chicken + pork + shellfish). We each ordered the Chicken Stew.
The broth was good, although not what I expected, but still good; the noodles were also good and nicely cooked; the veggies were on the skimpy side (2 leaves of spinach was all I noticed).
BEWARE: The chicken is partially raw. Apparently it’s safe to eat (they explained it thoroughly when we asked); but I don’t like slimy textures. They graciously offered (and did anyway) to bring us fully cooked chicken. It just raised eyebrows for everyone at the table.
I really liked the atmosphere and the staff was so nice (thanks Jeremy!). The food wasn’t quite as good as Marutama (but not far behind), but we’re planning to go back to try the Vegetarian bowl that we somehow overlooked.

Chanced upon the Ramenman in a few weeks ago, when our usual ramen places had lengthy lines and we were too hungry to survive the 45−60minute without getting falling into h-​angry mode.
We walked into a warm inviting space, and were seated at the long bar table.
We both ordered the chicken ramen stew. Lovely presentation, robust flavours, a good bowl of hearty food. I’d be honest, it was tasty but I probably wouldn’t order it again. Something about the stew and the way it tasted and clung to my perfectly cooked ramen noodles as my dish cooled down wasn’t so lovely, that and I prefer my cha-​shu less texturally like ham.
Service was friendly enough, food was tasty, and we thought the space was welcoming. My rating would be at 3.5 stars, but alas it’s one or the other (3 or 4), so until my next visit — 3 it is.
They were still in «soft-​opening» when we dined there, so it’ll be interesting to see if the menu evolves. My dining companion mostly enjoyed the experience also, but we’re on the same page about the stew — we’ll be back to try something else.

By far my favourite ramen joint in Canada. I’ve eaten at every ramen restaurant in Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver. The clam and chicken ramen is superb. The broth’s flavour profile is perfect for me. There are rainbows coming out of my mouth after the delicious meal!
Note, the base broth is the same for the regular and clam one but they have different flavour profiles in the end. The clam ramen uses truffle oil and the regular is green onion oil. Having the clams in the soup also adds another layer of complexity to the broth.
The noodles are cooked just the way I like it. Al dente! Oishi!
The stew is very different. The «soup» is like a thick gravy. Personally I am not a fan. If you’re expecting to eat ramen I would recommend sticking with the other choices.
They recently added chicken karaage to the menu which is a great choice! From Dec 1^st — 6^th 2015 the karaage is $ 1 with the purchase of a ramen. These are delicious! Even at regular price,$ 4, I would order these.
Service is friendly, fast and attentive. We got our food quickly. Our water pitcher was constantly changed without needing to ask. We never got to a point where our glasses were empty.
Price is reasonable!
Heads up they don’t use the fatty pork (cha sui) found at other ramen joints. They use ham. It reminds me of Christmas or thanksgiving ham so I still enjoy it. If you opt to get chicken instead they give thick cuts of chicken.
Tip: Freshly chopped garlic and cracked pepper can be requested on the side for free to add to your ramen! I always get both.
As time goes on I hope they add more to the menu. Would be nice to have gyozas and noodle refills as an option!

I am not usually a big fan for chicken broth from it comes to ramen, but this place amazes me. When I was told that this place serves chicken ramen base, I was kinda upset, but I thought, heck I am here, why don’t I just give it a try, since it’s new. So the 3 of us order one of each kind so we get to taste all of them. The chicken stew one is almost like having your ramen in a chicken chowder. Very thick and saucy, at the same time, very strong flavouring, just no soup. The regular one is perfect, not too salty, or too thick. I love it. I am not a huge fan of the clam, the broth didn’t compliment that well with the seafood, but otherwise everything is just OMG delicious! Chasiu both chicken and pork are all nicely done. Not dry. I am loving it!

Nice clean flavourful soup. not too salty not too rich but tasty! I like the clams and the rest of the toppings. Noodles are pretty good. Different from the other ramen shops!

Went here with a friend last night and we loved it! We both ordered the chicken and clam ramen… The broth was very flavourful without being too salty, and the noodles were cooked to perfection.
The atmosphere was warm and inviting and so were the staff. Our server Jeremy romanced the menu to us and explained what made Ramenman’s ramen so unique.
Needless to say, my friend and I will be back and we can’t wait to tell people about this new little hot spot.

Oh look, it’s another ramen joint in the Westend of Robson. They are still having their soft opening but have been around for several weeks from what I understand. They are discreetly located. I would never have spotted them if not for the sign in front of Cobs Bread.
The place is new, so the interior is quite immaculate. Service was attentive. Very few things on the menu makes for easy ordering.
I tried regular chicken with pork char sui. The broth was nice and light, not heavily salted. It was actually very foamy when it first came out. The soup to noodle ratio was a bit off. I prefer less noodles and more soup. Decent noodles but the broth was the highlight for me. The complimentary ramen egg left something to be desired. The egg lacked flavoring, not sure if it was marinated at all?
I will come back to try their chicken and clams which I saw a few people eating. All in all, a passable lunch noodle option in the area. Only time will tell how they stack up with the other ramen chains in the area.

New, Elegant and trendy looking ramen joint that’s so different than its neighborhood ramens.
If you don’t like chicken soup, this is not the place for you. (For now… since there are only three soup options; and no gyoza)
TOTALLY different cha siu (pork) alert! It’s not silky and thick like others, it’s tender, chewy and almost like a piece of very thick bacon.
AMAZING soup… Even though you can’t pick how rich /​fat the base is, I think the soup overshine eveything else in the bowl. Perfect texture, consistency and it’s hard to stop drinking until the very last drop. So comfort that I would probably crave on every cold day.
The noodle itself is alright, not too thin, not too stiff nor mushy… so basically nothing too special.
Little details like having tiny bits of raw onion in the chicken and clam base to cut down the seafood smell showed a lot of care.
However, the chicken was cold. It is tender and delicious but it was surprisingly frozen… I had to push it down into the soup for a bit before taking another bite.
Overall a very warm and comfy ramen lounge to try out!

In response to the astronomical line ups at Robson’s better known noodle houses and simply because Ramen Man deserves the opportunity to impress, my lady and I decided to give it the good old college try.
Despite having only one guest when we arrived, we were not deterred. Far too many people are afraid to deter from their habitual paths and I suspect many newcomers experience similar slow starts due to the infamous nature of that area for BC’s best ramen.
Ramen Man impressed. A simpler menu to choose from with three ramen soup/​stew broths to choose from.
I went with a noodle-​free (paleo hack, here) pork stew with an extra order of chicken topped with two spinach sides to round everything out. The stew base was rich and creamy. You could taste the depth of the broth turned stew, seasoned perfectly.
My lady had the regular chicken ramen with similar results. A rich and well seasoned broth foaming with chicken goodness. The noodles — from her review — were of the same standard of any of the high end Robson ramen joints.
The only positive criticism I have is to improve ventilation. There was a slightly «off» smell upon arriving that is not uncommon for many establishments in the West End. Those that adjust their ventilation tend to minimize this. Again — this is NOT unique to The Ramen Man and a suggestion from a satisfied customer.
I would not shy away from Ramen Man and I would encourage you to try it. Albeit one of many great options for ramen, it has it’s own unique approach and flavours that rival that of any ramen house in Vancouver.
Enjoy! I’ll definitely be back…

First off, their chicken and clam broth is fantastic!
I’m gonna have to give these bad boys 3 stars with some room for improvements:
* More broth, please! I know that broth is mighty tasty (and you might be wanting to save it for other customers) but the broth to noodle ratio was lacking.
* Cha-​siu — thinly sliced ham and not the thicker cut fatty pork I like at other places.
* Chintzy and inconsistent on the bamboo and seaweed portions (I only got 1 piece of bamboo and seaweed, where my counterpart received a bit more. Yes, I was jealous.)
* The giant spoon is cool, but not the most functional.
The good:
* Solid chicken and clam broth
* Clams
* Noodles — medium thickness and cooked just the way I like it (al-​dente)
Great service and hip vibes.