Motomachi Shokudo - Vancouver

It was raining, and we had been in it all day. Soggy socks and a drenched jacket, the result of traipsing around without an umbrella. So when lunch rolled around, we were within walking distance of Denman Street, and thought ramen would be the cure. Something comforting to help warm us up. With all the options in this “noodle corridor”, choosing is hard. My guest narrowed it down by refusing to visit any restaurant that was empty at 2pm this Sunday afternoon. I restricted our pool further, not wanting to wait for a table. So what cinched it for us, and had us stopping at “Motomachi Shokudo” was their menu. The menu opened and laid out, outside their restaurant showcasing their black charcoal ramen.

To my dismay, the chashu was piled atop a pile of bean sprouts. It wasn’t as egregious as the towering mountain that you get at places like Gojiro, but honestly, if I wanted to eat bean sprouts, I’d be going for pho.<br/ <br/ I’ll start with the broth. The miso flavour was present, but accentuated with a slight smokiness from the charcoal. It wasn’t particularly overpowering, and the smokiness was a nice addition, but it didn’t really blow me out of the water.<br/ <br/ The chashu was probably the one of the highlights in the ramen bowl. Like the appetizer dish, the slices were thin enough that it wouldn’t weigh me down on the walk back to work, but still heavy enough to feel like a substantial meal. I think the chashu had been seared a bit before being served to give it a bit of crispiness and texture, which I appreciated.

Motomachi Shokudo is consistently one of our favorite ramen places in town. The texture of the ramen is fantastic, the broth is sufficiently rich, and everything is beautifully presented. The dining room itself is tiny don't expect to be able to get a large group in.

New owner and new menu. The previous owner retired and the head chef became the owner. I was here last time, I ordered their signature bamboo-charcoal dark miso ramen and I remember the noodles were too soft and the soup was lukewarm... This time I ordered Shio Ramen and I was impressed! It was the best shio ramen I had in town and everything was perfect! Highly recommended! I’ll try the spicy shio ramen next time! <br/

Not easy to find but worth it. Very small place. Food was great. I had the charcoal ramen that was delicious. The food and ambiance were very authentic.