It was a Saturday evening and Ben wanted go out for a walk. But the weather was more like fall and wet although summer is just a week away. We parked at Lansdowne Mall to check out what was still open. Unfortunately, only restaurants were opened and the mall had already closed.
We ended up walking to Alexandra Road to check it if there are any new restaurants.
We ended up having dinner at Gmen Ramen Izakaya @ Nanchuu. I had always wanted to have the ramen here since the merge but they used to open only for dinner. But now, they also open for lunch. We had been to Nanchuu before the merge.
The restaurant is quite narrow and tight. The lighting is on the dim side; not too good for photography. But the service is friendly. The only thing is sometimes, it’s hard to understand what the server says.
We like that the condiments are set on a rack and do not crowd the table. They are properly labeled and there is even instructions on the wall for how to properly enjoy the ramen.
Ben ordered the Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen for $8.75.
The ramen is made al-dante which we like.
The soup broth was very rich and it left a stickiness on your lips. Gmen claimed that their soup broth is cooked for 9 hours to extract the taste from the pork bones, chicken back bones and herbal vegetables. There is also a note on the wall that states that if you do not like the oiliness (richness) of the soup, you can ask for a lighter version.
Ben commented that the broth was cloudy.
I ordered one of the special of the day which is Hot and Sour Noodle. It is basically hot and sour soup with vermicelli. It is lightly spicy and has bamboo shoots, mushrooms, carrots, tofu, cabbage and bean sprout in it. The bamboo shoots give the noodle some crunchy texture. The gravy is thickish. This noodle is over $9.
By the way, hot tea here is $1 a cup.
The above is their ramen menu. You can click on the image to have a larger view.
The total bill before tips came to $22 plus. Gmen Ramen Izakaya @ Nanchuu accepts credit card.
I believe this restaurant is or was related to Gyoza King on Robson St. and G-Be Izakaya at the Villa Casino in Bby. Gyoza King has the best gyozas in Vancouver and was one of the first izakaya-style places in town. G-Be is not as good due to a different menu and higher prices.
The original Wo Fung Dessert in Aberdeen mall has been sold to new owners for a while now, I think for a couple of years now. They changed the name ever so slightly to Wo Fong. This new Wo Fung in Alexandra Road is opened by the original owners. Actually, they initially had it as a Tonkuotsu place like Saboten but that didnt become successful so they switched to a noodle place. I haven’t tried it but I think they do serve their famous friee chicken wings there.
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