Horin Ramen Robson — Restaurant in Vancouver

If you’re wandering down Robson Street craving ramen, Horin should be high on your list. On my recent visit, I tried their cold ramen, regular ajitama ramen, and a side of gyoza—and I walked away impressed.

The cold ramen was a standout. Instead of the heavier sesame-based dressing you might expect, Horin serves a soy sauce and vinegar-based broth—light, tangy, and incredibly refreshing on a hot day. The thinly sliced cucumber and soft egg complemented the broth perfectly, and the small dab of chili sauce on top added just enough heat and complexity to keep things interesting. It's a beautifully balanced dish, and honestly, I’d return for this cold ramen alone.

The ajitama ramen, in contrast, brought the richness you'd want from a hot bowl. The broth was deep and flavorful, with a thick sheen of oil that surprisingly didn’t taste oily at all. It was rich yet clean, hearty but not heavy—something that’s hard to pull off. Personally, I preferred the thicker noodles used in the cold ramen over the thin ones in this bowl, but that's more a matter of preference than a flaw. Either way, the bowl was delicious from start to finish.

The gyoza were also excellent—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and served with a dipping sauce that struck a great balance between sweetness, vinegar, and saltiness. It paired especially well with the ramen. One tip though: skip the combo and just get the gyoza as a standalone side. You get more pieces, and the salad that comes with the combo isn’t really worth the trade-off.

All in all, Horin delivers a thoughtful, well-executed menu that covers both rich and refreshing flavors. Whether you're sweating through a summer afternoon or settling in for a warm, comforting meal, Horin...

Looking at some of these reviews where people say the broth doesn’t have enough flavor or the staff rushes you. This is simply not true. Look. This is limited seating and a popular place. As guests you’re not there for a leisurely time-consuming lunch, you’re there to slurp down the best ramen in town and make way for others waiting. (The staff is patient and kind but as a customer you should follow the concept of eat and get out) That being said, the staff is some of the kindest and capable staff I’ve been served by in this city. Always attentive and often come back to check on you even during busy times. I eat here at least 2-3 times a month and have been for a few years. As for the broth to say it lacks flavor is insane. It’s customizable as is every option for their ramen from broth richness, noodle firmness, how you want your pork done, the level of spice in the chili oil, and if you want it on the side. It’s almost as if people don’t understand how options work. For those that say the menu is limited obviously don’t understand that they specialize in a specific type of ramen. It’s literally a thing. People need to understand a restaurant’s concept and that it’s not always about serving 10 kinds of soup. It’s about providing a few amazing items that are high quality. Horin delivers on all of that and more. Horin is by far the best Tonkotsu Ramen shop in town and as a little hint for what kind of ramen they serve and specialize in—It’s literally on their sign. If you want some other kind of ramen there are plenty of options...

As someone who was born and raised in Japan and loves ramen, I've been wanting to try this place for a while. My favourite type of ramen is from Yokohama/Tokyo, but I do appreciate ramen from the west side of Japan (in this case, Fukuoka) as well.

I ordered the small 'The One' and gyoza dumplings combo with seasoned beansprouts. We also ordered some grated garlic and seaweed (7 pieces of flavored seaweed for $2) on the side to go with the ramen. FYI, small has 100g of noodles and regular has 130g.

Customization: Flavor - Strong Noodles - Hard Broth - Rich Chili - Medium Chashu - Original (but I recommend aburi after trying my partner's)

The One The ramen was quite flavorful with a thin, chewy noodle that went well with the soup. The egg was made well with the right amount of fattiness on chashu. One of the best (if not the best) west Japan/Fukuoka style ramen I've had in Canada.

Gyoza It's supposed to come with crispy wings but it was quite soggy with 0 crispyness. The dumpling itself was nice but nothing special. It was nice that they added the yuzu pepper paste on the side though.

Seasoned bean sprout The combo came with a choice of salad so I chose this one. It was nice a tasty and reminded me of the seasoned bean sprout that I had at this ramen shop in Japan (although they served it for free on the table in Japan). I just wish they gave us more since it was so small.

The staff was also nice and good with...