DANBO - RAMEN REVIEW (SHIO REKKA, MISO CHASHU)
Famed for its customisable ramen, this standalone shop in Kitsilano gets a lot of business.
RAMEN DANBO, situated in Kitsilano, is one of the most famed and beloved ramen spots in Vancouver (MJ: or so they say). Known for its customizability - thickness & richness of broth, spiciness, noodle thickness & firmness - Danbo does not fail to satisfy its seemingly perpetual line of hungry customers.
Upon arrival, MJ thought that the ramen shop was closed because there was no one waiting outside and it looked quite small. We arrived at around 5:45 pm on a Saturday and struggled to find free parking for about 15 minutes (was it 15? We don’t remember, but it was far too long). We ended up succumbing to a fee of one dollar per hour (which is pretty cheap, so no complaints). By the time we arrived, a few people had started lining up but we managed to get there just before the crowd came.
MJ was very hungry beforehand. As such, we ordered a side of gyoza. Now that he thinks about it after gorging himself, MJ feels that these dumplings, though indeed juicy, were not worth $6. A would have to agree. There was simply not enough flavour, and we’d definitely eaten better gyoza than that.
We genuinely could not tell the difference between thin and thick noodles. There probably is some difference, but we are not connosieurs.
At the first bite of the noodles, MJ’s thought was: this feels undercooked but isn’t. A’s thought was: hmm, not bad. The broth was slightly spicy, with delicate richness. We both decided to get firm noodles.
Of the chashiu, MJ said “mine is okay; yours is amazing”. A major selling point of A’s “miso chashiu ramen” dish was the tender, melty chashiu. (MJ also made the mistake of getting slighly too spicy ramen and tasted more spice than ramen.)
We were both big fans of the egg, although MJ had to pay extra for it. He says it was not worth it. Personally, I am of the firm belief that every standard ramen dish should include an egg and chashiu without the burden of additional fees, so I felt a little bit scammed.
Overall (8/10)
We were very satisfied with the meal. MJ thought that his Shio Rekka was so good that it was not comparable to other ramen. His hunger led to him paying an extra dollar for Kae-dama.
I left Danbo with a happy full stomach. I can see the appeal of this restaurant, especially with its vegan friendly options.
Price range: $16-25