Torimaru Ramen — Restaurant in Vancouver

This is not just a review, but a thank you letter.

I first went to torimaru somewhere around march 2024, i was studying at VFS at the time and i was checking all the ramen places close to school.

I found torimaru on the google maps and decided to give it a go, it would also be my first time visiting the mall so i was excited about it.

When i got there, i was greeted with a big smile and when asked what i wanted i decided to order a black tonkotsu and oh boy... did that started something special.

After tasting the black tonkotsu i was blown away by it, the noodles were on the right softness, the broth was amazing and the chashu was melting in my mouth. it instantly became a favourite and i started being a regular to torimaru.

My time in school was rough, i was studying from 8am to 9pm monday to sunday and i can say with no doubts that torimaru's ramen were my favorite part of the day and kept me going throughout my year in film school.

I started bringing lots of friends from school to torimaru and all of them were amazed by it and they would always come back with or without me.

I planned to go one last time before coming back home but i had some trouble and ended up not being able to go...

Now, i'm back in brazil and don't plan to visit vancouver that soon... but sometimes i dream about that black tonkotsu and miss being welcomed by the man with a big smile and that would always give me a free coke.

I don't think you will ever know how happy you and your food made me throughout my time in vancouver, i hope we can meet again one day so i can order my black tonkotsu with...

Totally surprised!!

I was going to the Congee Noodle Delight and found out that they are now closed on Sundays!! Not wanting to go anywhere else and was getting hungry, thought of the famous Indonesian place in the food court...with my luck, they are closed on Sunday as well!!

Walked by this ramen stall and thought I would give them a try, I have to say the young man that was the only person there was pretty angry to finally have a customer, as I waited for about 3 mins. before he slowly walked out from the back, he might have been enjoying his quiet nap!! Oh well, I made my order and he hardly said anything...maybe he was just being grumpy that day??

After about 6 mins. my noodles & takoyaki are ready to be picked up...

Tan-tan Noodle ... have to say this is one of the best ... with just the right amount of "heat" from the chilli oil and a hint of the numbing Szechuan pepper, it was a perfect balance, the use of chicken broth actually makes this ramen more rounded and not as heavy as it would be if they choose to use pork bone broth!!

Black Ramen ... noodles are al dente and cooked just to the right consistency! Again this is a chicken broth noodle with a splash of the roasted black garlic oil which is made from coconut oil! Very smooth in taste and has a creamy texture, another winner!

Well, the young man's "coolness" is totally forgiven in this case, I will just treat him as one of those "artist" that don't like to interact with others! Next time, Torimaru will be the the sole reason for my visiting this food fair!! ( Oops, I still haven't tried the Indonesian...

A ramen restaurant in a sketchy food court in the sketchy part of town? Sounds kind of sketch to me. But hold your horses, this place is legit and deserves a chance in the spotlight among the rest of the ramen restaurants in Vancouver.

First thing I notice when I walk by is a set of huuuuuuge pots. One of which had an overwhelming stack of pork bones. So you already know that means their broth is going to be amazing (and it was).

The prices are also really good value! At the time of posting, a black chicken broth ramen is $13.80.

The noodles were standard ramen noodles, they were a solid.

The broth was really flavorful and was garnished with fresh onion and garlic! Which is pretty unique compared to other ramen restaurants.

The chashu was also really good. They were well marinated for loads of flavor and was also gently torched for a smokey touch.

The egg was bliss! A golden creamy center, also well marinated for a burst of flavor.

Also comes with fresh or fried garlic on the side too!

The only con is the food court might have some folks who seem unsavory, so it's not super comfortable. Also the washrooms are basically a biohazard.

But dang this is some real good...