Kintaro was the last one on the list. Although it has arguably the best reputation, it also has the longest lineup and the thought of standing outside in the rain seems to have more sway than the thought of hot soup. Turns out, if you go right at noon on a Tuesday, not only is there no line, but there are even tables available! The couple coming in behind us was so startled they checked twice to make sure it was the right place.
While Motomachi and Santouka and even Menya have decorated with warm wood, Kintaro is all about the ramen. The bowls and big and decorated in the ramen tradition but the kitchen is utilitarian; scratched paint, cold metal counters and uncomfortable chairs mean that the ramen is so good they don’t have to dress up the decor.
The menu features the usual assortment of ramen options – shoyu, shio, miso, etc. and and cheese! (according to the menu, “Ladies just lo-o-o-ve it!!”) but then there is a choice between rich, medium and light soup broth and lean or fatty BBQ pork. I had the Miso ramen with medium broth and fatty pork and Matt had Shio with lean pork (also with medium broth).
The fatty pork turned out to be a stroke of genius. Warming up in the broth, the fat melted into the broth and gave it the illusion of being thicker and creamier. The noodles were perfect, the broth was perfect. Unlike Santouka, which made me swoon, this is every day, excellent ramen. It’s not hard to see how students live off of it.
Wikipedia defines Miso ramen as:
a relative newcomer, having reached national prominence around 1965. This uniquely Japanese ramen, which was developed in Hokkaidō, features a broth that combines copious amounts of miso and is blended with oily chicken or fish broth – and sometimes with tonkatsu or lard – to create a thick, nutty, slightly sweet and very hearty soup. Miso ramen broth tends to have a robust, tangy flavor, so it stands up to a variety flavorful toppings…The noodles are typically thick, curly, and slightly chewy.
whereas Shio ramen:
is probably the oldest of the four [types]…is the lightest ramen, a pale, clear, yellowish broth made with plenty of salt and any combination of chicken, vegetables, fish, and seaweed. Occasionally pork bones are also used, but they are not boiled as long as they are for tonkotsu ramen, so the soup remains light and clear. Noodle texture and thickness varies among shio ramen, but they are usually straight rather than curly.
I still don’t have a favorite type. Different days call for different soups, and sometimes even shops. Luckily we have some good ones.
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Kintaro Ramen
788 Denman Street, Vancouver
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