With colder days and rainy nights quickly approaching in Vancouver, so too is our craving for a bowl of ramen.
We’re lucky to have a wealth of fantastic ramen restaurants in this city, but that also means it can be hard to choose where to go.
From chicken-based broths to traditional tonkatsu to innovative charcoal-infused bowls, there’s ramen for every taste, mood, and occasion in Vancouver.
To make things easier and to help you compile a bucket list of noodle destinations, here are our picks for the best ramen in Vancouver.
Maruhachi takes a different approach with its ramen, opting to use a creamy chicken broth over a traditional pork or beef broth. The end result is an equally creamy but arguably lighter bowl.
Address: 780 Bidwell Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-688-8837
Address: 270 Robson Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-687-0487
Address: 2858 Main Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-829-6136
Address: 5278 Kingsway, Burnaby
Address: 2780 No 3 Road, Richmond
Address: 1190 Pinetree Way #108, Coquitlam
Address: 9082 152 Street, Surrey
Ramen Taka operates a location in Richmond in the Aberdeen Centre and offers Asahikawa-style ramen with noodles made without eggs and minimal water.
Address: 4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond
Phone: 604-821-8080
Ramen Danbo checks off all the boxes, offering classic ramen, shio ramen, miso ramen, negi-goma (white sesame oil), and a deathly spicy “rekka ramen.” This spot is so awesome that there’s almost always a line around mealtimes, especially when it’s raining.
Address: 1333 Robson Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-559-8112
Address: 1833 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver
Phone: 778-379-8977
Address: 2277 W 41st Avenue, Vancouver
Phone: 604-263-0846
Address: 1445 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver
Phone: 236-551-1445
This ramen shop never disappoints. Standout menu items are the tomato cheese ramen and the spicy garlic miso ramen. This is another shop that can get busy quickly, so be sure to plan accordingly when you’re heading here.
Address: 515 Abbott Street, Vancouver
Phone: 778-737-3805
Santouka is hotly contested as having one of the best bowls of ramen in the city. In addition to hitting all the stops with a wide selection of ramen, both locations offer tasty rice dishes that pair perfectly as a side. Although you won’t go wrong with any one item, those who crave the spicy and creamy are encouraged to try the Kara-Miso.
Address: 1690 Robson Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-681-8121
Address: 558 West Broadway Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-565-1770
Address: 8010 Saba Road, Richmond
Phone: 604-285-2500
Two standout items from Jinya’s already-popular menu are the wonton chicken ramen and the Goku Midnight Cowboy. The latter, which is less self-explanatory than the first, is a pork broth mixed in with beef brisket, bean sprouts, and a seasoned egg. Other must-try items on the menu are the Brussels sprouts tempura, mini tacos, and Tokyo curry rice.
Address: 541 Robson Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-699-9377
Address: 1518 W Broadway, Vancouver
Address: 4567 Lougheed Highway, Burnaby
The Ramen Butcher has been bringing fresh noodles, gyoza, and rice bowls to Vancouverites for years now. A smaller, but carefully curated menu is highlighted by black garlic ramen, green basil ramen, orange miso ramen, and the butcher shoyu ramen — chicken broth with a kick of ginger.
Address: 223 East Georgia Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-806-4646
Here’s an easy reason to pay a visit to Ramen Gojiro: each ramen offering on the menu can be served with either a traditional side of chashu or a crispy, mouthwatering serving of karaage. We highly recommend the spicy bakamori, perhaps the largest bowl, piled on with ample servings of both noodles and karaage.
Address: 501 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-673-0918
Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba
Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba, the world’s largest mazesoba chain, opened in Vancouver and folks have been loving its brothless ramen. This spot uses special techniques and Japanese technology to soften the water for its ramen, so you know that it’s got to be good.
Address: 551 Seymour Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-559-8872
Address: 531 North Road #109, Coquitlam
Phone: 604-917-0719
Address: 5728 University Boulevard, Vancouver
Phone: 604-558-2550
Address: 2285 W 41st Avenue, Vancouver
Phone: 604-326-2965
Address: 106-1901 Rosser Avenue, Burnaby
Phone: 604-973-1911
Address: 6049 Silver Drive, Burnaby
Phone: 604-416-4576
Address: 1835 W 4th Avenue, Vancouver
Phone: 604-423-6111
Address: 11660 Steveston Highway, Richmond
Phone: 604-285-8818
The noodle joint is known for its authentic Japanese ramen and casual atmosphere. Patrons can expect eats for lunch and dinner developed by Executive Chef Aki Urata. There are five styles of ramen up for order with the diner’s choice of either slow-cooked pork or chicken broth. Varieties include a vegetarian option along with Original, Shoyu, Miso, Spicy Garlic, and Spicy Jalapeño. Folks can also choose thick, thin, or shirataki noodles.
Address: 6111 University Boulevard, Vancouver
Phone: 604-423-5452
Address: #105 – 1325 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver
Address: 13639 George Junction, Surrey
Address: 434 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver
Phone: 604-559-9996
Address: 420 Robson Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-428-0999
Wagyu Shoyu Ramen (Hanna McLean/Daily Hive)
Afuri Ramen and Dumpling opened its first Canadian location in Richmond back in 2019, with its Vancouver location opening on Main Street in fall 2022. Afuri is known for its signature, picture-perfect, and MSG-free dishes like Yuzu Shio Ramen and its killer dumplings, too. The hazelnut tantanmen is a real show-stopper here, with spicy miso tare, hazelnut broth, bok choy, shiitake, leeks, and miso cashew crumbles.
Address: 2801 Main Street, Vancouver
Address: 7971 Alderbridge Way, Richmond
Known for its light, smooth broth, which is slowly simmered for 12 hours, and is famous for its balance of chicken, seafood, and curated Japanese ingredients.
Address: 1479 Robson Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-568-6898
Ramen Kounotori
This ramen spot on Main Street has a small menu but each bowl is executed so well that you don’t need a lot of options here. From the Tori Paitan Ramen to the Tori Shio Ramen, you can’t go wrong at Ramen Kounotori.
Address: 3950 Main Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-844-8620
This authentic Fukuoka tonkotsu ramen spot serves up fresh noodles in a rich and creamy tonkotsu broth alongside a special spicy tare sauce. It opened it’s first international outpost in 2018 in Vancouver and has just opened its second location in Burnaby.
Address: 4500 Kingsway, unit 1687, Burnaby
Address: 1226 Robson Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-620-6111