Akedo Showten Ramen+Gyoza — Restaurant in City of Langley

If you have taste buds, do yourself a favor and avoid Aketo Showten. The food is extremely mediocre to the point of being borderline offensive.

I must clarify here that I'm not writing this review due to any sort of poor experience with the staff or service - they were excellent; very courteous and checked back on us frequently. This is entirely based on the food quality, or in this case, unfortunate lack thereof.

The entire purpose of my trip, the ramen, was disappointing to the point of near disbelief. The chāshū was extremely underwhelming - the chicken was EXTREMELY dry and rubbery and the pork was just bland, although fortunately, edible. Most of the bowls you can order come with this chicken, and that's NOT a good thing. There was a noticeable foul flavour imparted by the propane/butane torch that's used to "BBQ" the meat. It's not barbeque by any stretch of the imagination... If you visit expecting authentic chāshū BBQ style meat, you will be sorely disappointed.

The noodles were pale, gummy, and squishy - nothing like the yellowish, bouncy, chewy alkaline noodles I have come to expect from quality ramen. This in itself would be enough to kill the dish but unfortunately the broth (we tried two, both the black and red style) was not flavourful and mostly tasted like salty water. The menu does describe the broth as being made from "100% pure chicken, vegetables, and special spices” that are "stewed together over a long duration of time to produce a creamy texture" but unfortunately my experience did not align with this description whatsoever. There's also a mention that the broth contains no MSG, as some sort of measure of quality. If you read this, Akedo Showten management, I urge you to strongly reconsider this stance on MSG as it will improve your product noticeably; give SASA brand MSG a try.

After thoroughly not enjoying the Ramen (although I did enjoy the egg, shout out to that little guy), my hope was that our trip would not be in vain as we still were yet to try the house-made "PARI" Gyoza. Gyoza are a simple, easy crowd pleaser that's quite hard to screw up. Unfortunately, Aketo Showten falls flat here as well. We ordered them Yaki style, and to their credit the gyoza had some decent texture. Unfortunately they were flat, and mostly flavourless; the dipping sauce did not help at all, somehow managing to just be a salty and sour mess that managed to make an already disappointing dumpling, depressing. The filling was simply not good. I'm not a vegetarian but I genuinely feel bad for any animals that lived and died to produce something that I regret putting in my mouth.

To summarize:

Pros Pretty good egg Nice cold water Large portion size for ramen bowls Excellent service staff

Cons Very bad "chāshū" Gummy noodles more akin to western pasta than genuine ramen made w/ kansui Broth leaves a LOT to be desired, we tried both the red/miso and black/soy flavours Gyoza are flavourless with an unappetizing sauce, although they have a decent texture

All-in-all, I'd give this a 1/5. Unfortunately this just isn't worth the money or the trip. Store-bought packaged ramen from T&T with some veggies and a soft-boiled egg will be superior to anything you can get here. I have no idea why there are so many good reviews, which makes me question...

There are ramen shops, and then there are sanctuaries. Small, unassuming, hidden in the quiet folds of Langley, where the door swings open to the comforting hiss of broth and the gentle laughter of those who have discovered it, too.

Akedo Showten Ramen + Gyoza is one of my favourite places in the world. I have been going there since the first week they opened, and each visit feels like stepping into a memory I want to live in forever.

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🍥 The Bowl That Became Home

It is, without question, one of the best ramen bowls I have ever had—anywhere. The kind of ramen that does not simply satisfy hunger but becomes a reason to pause the day. The broth is deep and soulful, the kind that steams up your glasses while your heart says, “Stay a while.” The noodles are tender yet confident, with that elusive bounce that tells you someone behind the counter knows what they’re doing. The chashu falls apart at the softest nudge, rich with umami, comforting as a wool sweater on a rainy day.

The egg, with its molten golden center, is less garnish, more sunrise.

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🥟 Gyoza, The Faithful Companion

The gyoza arrives, golden and crisp on one side, delicate on the other, the pork and cabbage inside singing in quiet harmony. A bite dipped into the tangy sauce feels like a promise kept.

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🍄 The Truffle Ramen: A Pilgrimage Worth Making

And then, there is July. Somewhere in the heat of the summer, for just a few days, Akedo Showten offers truffle ramen.

It is a hush that falls over the regulars when they post the announcement. A line forms—long, patient, eager. Because in those few days, the rich earthiness of truffle melds with their already impeccable broth, creating something rare and unforgettable. A bowl you wait for, happily, knowing that some things in life should be waited for.

It is, without question, worth standing in line for.

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🏮 Why You Go

Because in a world that often moves too fast, there is a small ramen shop in Langley that teaches you to slow down. Because you have been going since the first week they opened, and it has never let you down. Because each bowl is a quiet reminder that comfort can be found in steam rising from broth, in noodles expertly made, in truffle that graces only a few days each July.

Because Akedo Showten is not just a place you visit. It is a...

Akedo Showten Ramen+Gyoza is in a little strip mall in Langley. Plenty of parking. Back to eating inside (for now!) but with the plastic guards. Ordered the Ajitama Ramen, one with 'black' flavour, the other 'white'. Older menu pics don't show 'red', a new option, which is miso. With Gyoza in the name and promoted on the menu, we had to try them. We choose 'yaki' (fried). The gyoza came first. They looked nice and had good flavour (just a tad salty for my taste). The only thing I will say is there were small. For $1 a piece I would want some bulk added (eg chopped cabbage) for me to buy them again. I was really surprised at the size. The ramen was amazing. The chicken cha-shu was a nice alternative to the usual pork. I liked the black (soy based) and the white (salt based) equally. The white stock had great flavour with the added mussels. Take care for anyone with fish/shellfish allergies. The egg had that perfect custardy yolk. The noodles were thin. They were just past el dente. I do not know if it is an option but if you like firmer noodles, ask if they can do that. The roasted garlic chips were a great free topping. *Just noticed the picture for EXTRA NOODLES on the menu shows brown (buckwheat?) and white. Maybe you can ask for different noodles? I would expect the 'NORI (SEAWEED)' listed under 'TOPPINGS' is usually a mound of the long think pieces. Now when we got the ramen, the black had a sheet of nori while the white did not. I am guessing that is either for the staff to know easily which stock is which or maybe if the cost of the white stock is higher with the seafood. We thought maybe they forgot the nori sheet but after I watched some other bowls served I saw the same. Is nori that much more of an added cost? C'mon, slip me some nori! To be fair, nori is not on any pictures of the menu and Japanese restaurants are pretty faithful to that. So maybe we got a bonus?! Anyway, delicious ramen that I will return for, and I will get my own bowls of black and red in the...