The Ramen Butcher
223 East Georgia
604-806-4646
TheRamenButcher.com
Open Tuesday-Thursday from 11am-3pm and 5pm-10pm; Friday-Sunday from 11am-10pm
Vancouver is no stranger to ramen. We have had authentic noodles in penicillin-rich broth for several decades. Those large, healing bowls have traditionally been found in the environs of Robson Street, but recent additions have popped up near the financial district (Gyoza Bar) and, now, in Chinatown.
Ramen Butcher is part of the large Menya Koji franchise out of Japan (almost 200 restaurants and counting). Each franchisee is free to use their own name and recipes, and the name here is a play on the Japanese words “buta” (pork) and “chasu.” It’s more of a mom-and-pop operation than a McFood establishment, thankfully, although the limited beer selection (Sapporo, Asahi and Pabst) could use a makeover. (Ramen and beer is a classic, am I right?)
The space is small, sleek and grey, with a stellar sign over the bar; the restaurant name hand-hammered with about a zillion nails from the looks of it. It’s an amazing work of perseverance and gives a nice sheen to the room. There are less than thirty seats, so line-ups on rainy nights are to be expected. Go for lunch if you can or earlier in the week.
The menu is equally minimalist. Four main ramen bowls ($10.95-$11.55), all with a tonkotsu (pork broth) base that is given hours and hours to simmer and percolate, make the bulk of the menu. The broth itself is fairly good, although it lacked flavour on two early visits, and did only marginally better on a third visit. Roasted garlic and roasted garlic oil with chashu and marinated egg was my favourite version, but could have used a little more depth. Fresh basil paste in the “Green” version was an odd addition that didn’t add much to the flavour. The noodles, on the other hand, are made in-house and are excellent, as is the chashu pork. A chicken-based broth ($9.95) was lighter and surprisingly, more aromatic and flavourful. Chicken karaage ($5.35) is delicious and oven-baked to perfection. The crispy exterior is paper-thin and the flesh is juicy and tender.
Mini pork chashu don ($3.75) was less impressive. The pork that was so buttery and delicious in the ramen was dried out in the rice bowl and lacked definition. Gyoza ($5.95) were a much better option. Lots of umami here in the pork with okonomiyaki, and the sharpness of the green onion was the perfect finish.
Ramen Butcher has a lot going for it, and it’s a nice addition to Chinatown, but the inconsistency in the dishes needs work, and the “bone broth” thus far isn’t enough to draw me away from ramen stars like Hokkaido Santouka or Kintaro.
All ratings out of five stars.
Food: ★★1/2
Service: ★★★
Ambiance: ★★★
Value: ★★1/2
Overall: ★★★
Rating legend:
★: Okay, nothing memorable.
★★: Good, shows promise.
★★★: Very good, occasionally excellent.
★★★★: Excellent, consistently above average.
★★★★★: Awe-inspiring, practically perfect in every way.
• Hear Anya Levykh every Monday on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast and find her on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and Facebook.com/FoodGirlFriday.
