MENYA ITTO - GYOKAI TSUKEMEN
The hot new kid on the block does chicken perfectly.
Editor’s note: For the sake of editorial integrity, we are disclosing that we reconstructed this ramen reviewing experience from scattered photos and a two minute voice memo that *perfectly encapsulates* our experience.
MENYA ITTO is a swanky-meets-rustic ramen shop located on the confluence of Robson and Nicola. One of the newest kids on the block of Vancouver’s cutthroat ramen scene, we decided to visit as a celebratory review. (A’s birthday is almost in June.)
The place was bustling. You walk in and you’re greeted with a massive ornamental centerpiece. Behind, a Buddhist aphorism that vaguely reeks of nationalism, oddly written in Chinese. Yeah, we don’t get it either.
In a break of tradition, we all got the same dish: a variation of the Classic Noko Gyokai Tsukemen, but with duck, chicken, and pork belly chashu. (It’s now off the menu, so sucks to suck. I’m sure the other stuff is decent.)
Of all the meats we sampled, we were most impressed by the chicken. It was done sous vide style, and felt like a pillow in your mouth. Soft and not overpowering, paired with a perfectly balanced soup.
Now, the noodles were interesting. There were rolled up in a way that made it hard to pick up. MJ was struggling, and he’s been using chopsticks his whole life.
There were other downsides.
“Two dollars is too much for an egg,” MJ complained.1
Overall (8.2/10)
We don’t exactly remember the experience that much, but we’re giving it a solidly high score. The reason? Its delicious, delicious, chicken. You don’t get that often from ramen shops. If you’re a regular connoisseur of Vancouver ramen shops, it stands out from the crowd.
Oh, and we had cake afterwards.
MJ still remembers spending way too much time complaining about this.