ZUBU Ramen - Downtown — Restaurant in Vancouver

ZUBU Ramen - Downtown Vancouver: A Snowy Day's Culinary Escape

On a day where snowflakes pirouetted down the Vancouver skyline, I found myself nestled at the intersection of Smithe Street and Hornby Street, face-to-face with the warm embrace of ZUBU Ramen. Like a noodle-laden beacon in the wintry chill, it beckoned to my ramen-craving soul with the promise of a comfort food odyssey.

The Four-Course Saga Begins

With a set menu that seemed to wink at my wallet, promising an epicurean adventure for a cool $30.00, I donned my gastronome’s hat and dove in. Round One featured a veritable colossus of a spicy tuna hand roll. This wasn't just a hand roll; it was a hand roll with aspirations, the Godzilla of the sushi world! The nori, as crisp as a fresh dollar bill, and rice so perfectly tender, you’d think it had been massaged by the hands of a Zen master. Though it shyly skipped out on the traditional sugar-vinegar seasoning, this roll still waltzed its way to a 4 out of 5 in my books.

The Karage Chronicles

As I embarked on Round Two, five generous pieces of chicken karage strutted onto the plate like a seasoned K-Pop group ready to dazzle. And dazzle they did! Each morsel was a crispy, juicy, flavor-packed performance worthy of a standing ovation. Without hesitation, the karage earned a resounding 5 out of 5 score from my taste buds' panel of judges.

The Ramen Revelation

The seasonal Ramen bowl, an additional $5 cameo to the set menu's stage, was a spicy spectacle adorned with a delicate broth and pork chirashu – a true winter warmer. The broth, a harmonious symphony of flavors, was a testament to the chef's liquid craftsmanship. Paired with stellar toppings, it was as if each sip whispered tales of a culinary Shangri-La. Alas, the noodles, though earnest in their efforts, didn't quite ascend to the lofty heights set by their brethren in noodlehood. Still, they performed valiantly, securing a 4.5 out of 5 in my ramen roster.

Service with a Smile

Let us not forget the minstrels of our feast – the servers. Their smiles were as warm as the ramen, their service quicker than a ninja on rollerblades. The wait for food was shorter than a Vancouver summer, which is why, with a heart full of gratitude and a belly full of ramen, I bestow upon this experience a glorious 5 out of 5 rating.

Final Thoughts

In the heart of Downtown Vancouver, ZUBU Ramen stands not just as a restaurant but as a bastion of culinary joy. Whether it's the gentle tap-dance of snow on the streets or just another day in the city, ZUBU offers more than just a meal – it offers an experience, a memory, and the silent promise...

I hope to share this experience and hope that the restaurant can provide some customer service training to one of the waitress. We arrived at the restaurant in a group of 4 people. We ordered our food and one of our ramen is requested for no greens and any mushroom. When the 4 ramen bowls arrived, the waitress hand out the ramen to each of us. Later on, we found that one of the bowl was given to the wrong person. This is absolutely fine, no problem at all. We asked the same waitress and let her know that the bowl was switched and would like to see if the kitchen can provide some of the greens and toppings for one of us, so that just complete the bowl. She said that she will go back to the kitchen and check to see if they can provide the toppings. So far, this is handle professionally by the waitress and we are waiting for her response next.

Next, she came to our table and argued with us that she passed the bowl to one of us and WE ARE the one cause the confusion. Here is the part that is required for more training in her customer service. One of us clarified with the waitress that she was the one who handed over the bowl to each of us, as we are sitting down and not sure what's inside all four of the white bowls; meanwhile, she passed us the bowl at the standing position, one by one. The waitress then again argued back that we are the one who caused the confusion. At this point, I asked if she can help us to get the basic toppings and this can help us to keep going. She said she can check with the kitchen and will let us know later.

At the remaining of the lunch time for 30 mins, she didn't approach us or give us any kinds of response from the kitchen. She checked in with all of the other tables around us, but she didn't approach even we are all holding our wallet and ready to pay. Finally, after 20 minutes of waiting, she came by to clean up and we told her that we will also pay for the bill. Until to the point of another 10 mins of waiting, we stood up an pay at the door. Originally, I don't want to waste time writing this review; however, I hope this sharing can provide some insights to the restaurant, so that they can understand some constructive feedback of the customer service. I don't expect tailor made service; however, I think this is something that is simple enough for the restaurant to take action and provide us the toppings that every bowl of ramen has.

Green onions, chopped mushroom, and bad customer service were the causes of problems - I really hope the restaurant can take actions to address this issue with the...

OVERALL: Delicious food and great drink! Definitely a must come back.

FAMILY FRIENDLY: Yes PET FRIENDLY: No PARKING: Street Parking

FOOD: Takoyaki (5pc battered octopus, egg tartar, okonomi sauce, mayonnaise, dried bonito flakes, green onion, shredded nori seaweed) $9.95CAD Happy Hour: 5 Stars - I feel like you cant really mess up takoyaki but i've weirdly had some bad ones. This is NOT one of them! Solid exterior wtih chewy-soft interior with big pieces of octopus. There was so much stuff on top that it looked like a mini salad.

Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen (pork broth, pork chashu, kikurage, green onion, crispy garlic, nori seaweed, spicy bean sprouts) $16.95CAD Happy Hour: 5 Stars - I love Tonkotsu! The rich creaminess is hard to replicate at home (especially putting in like 2 days into it) and this was so flavorful! The chashu was super tender and good amount of topping so you get a little something with each bit of ramen.

Kids Meal Set (Appetizer: Snack box of crispy chicken, panko breaded shrimp, french frieds, with nori sea salt, baby leaves, cherry tomato, orange slice / Main: Chicken ramen - chicken broth, thin noodle, chicken chashu, corn / Dessert: Mochi Ice Cream) $9.99CAD: 5 Stars - This is probably the best kids meal i've ever seen. You get so much for $10CAD and i would have loved it as a kid... hell, i would order that now for myself if they would let me. Even the kids ramen broth was rich, flavorful, and hearty.

DRINK: Lycheepolitan (Japanese shochu, soho lychee, chambord, Japanese Yogurt) $11.25CAD Happy Hour: 5 Stars - I would love if any restaurant i go to had this on the menu! The bartender was amazing - the right amount of sweetness that hides any taste of the 2 oz of alcohol but you definitely felt it later LOL

RESTAURANT/SERVICE: There are so many ramen places now and i'm glad i ended up at Zubu! I'm always wary of chains, even if its local as most times i feel like expansion takes away from the quality. I will say the exterior kind of threw me off... as i approached the restaurant i was a little confused as it looked like a random entrance to a hotel restaurant or something kind of run down... Once i walked in, I was surprised at the difference of the interior. Everything was clean and modern looking. The staff there was extremely attentive and very knowledge about everything. They made sure i understand the menu and provided...