Genki Eki Noodle Bar — Restaurant in Vancouver

The food was quite disappointing. It was an interesting concept similar to other Asian "cart noodle" experiences where you can pick your own soup, noodles, and toppings. However all of the ingredients were seemingly canned or frozen. Worst of all was the udon which should have been the star of the show but it tasted like frozen udon purchase from T&T. Their signature duck was also quite mediocre. Tenderness was on point but it was neither flavorful nor juicy.

The staff were extremely friendly and inviting and really tried their best to make it pleasant and approachable for new patrons. They spoke fluent enough English to communicate everything with a slight Japanese accent.

The atmosphere was cutely Japanese but the seating is quite limited and oddly arranged making for a large standing area and a narrow hallway reminiscent of a subway restaurant. The most egregious waste however was an enormous Japanese drink vending machine that dominates the public seating/standing area. It wasn't even functional and is an awkward sore thumb in an already strangely laid out restaurant.

Overall it was not a fantastic experience. I had high hopes seeing the reviews and menu but I hope that they can improve the food. The seating is clearly an afterthought and probably rightly so given that I think it's mainly a takeout restaurant so it's forgiven mostly. At the end of the day though the food needs to be much better to earn another visit from me.

Final note.. it's not a deal breaker and it really isn't their fault, but we did drive and park nearby and had to pay $6/hr. Drastic difference from going to Robson Street where it was for some odd reason $1/hr. This is again not their fault but just a note for anyone who was planning on driving down. Probably best to visit on foot,...

I've had this place on my list for so long and to be honestly I was a little disappointed. Firstly, I loved the decor, it was fun to see a Japanese vending machine in the wild but sadly it is decommissioned. It's super casual in here and the premise is kind of like a diy noodle bar where you pick your soup base, your noodles and then your toppings with some premade options to choose from.

When I arrived, there was only one woman behind the counter and a lot of people waiting to order. I felt really bad for her. Everyone was patient but it seemed stressful.

I ordered the yuzu miso with soba, tempura and imitation snow crab and most toppings. I did have to wait a bit and that wasn't an issue because I could see how busy it was but I do think it affected the food quality that I received.

The broth was tasty, just slightly bitter and salty but where things fell apart was, my soba noodles were mushy. Definitely overcooked. The puff wheat also had a strong smell like when things turn stale. The bowl was just okay. I suspect the lineup of people and only having a single person to serve them all had something to do with it.

I still plan on returning to retry and perhaps sample their oden as well as to give them...

Their menu is very odd. There's no option for basic bonito broth or kombu broth (for the vegetarian/vegan), which hot udon / soba is typically served with. The noodles I got were pre-cooked and warmed before being served (so they had no texture and broke apart when picked up), the "soup" was watery and tasted like it there was no dashi, and the only available toppings are those you would find in the frozen foods section of a small T&T. The "tempura" I got was somewhere in between a tempura and an ebi-fry - it wasn't panko breaded, but it wasn't fluffy like regular tempura either (very dense). I can only assume it's either frozen tempura, or whoever made the batter over mixed it. For $19 after tip, I can make a better bowl of soba at home in 10min, using ingredients I already have in my pantry.

The decor is cute, I'm not picky about "inauthentic" food if it's tasty, but alas this was not. The staff who helped me were very nice however.

5* for staff friendliness and service,...