Food: While they do not have as many different types of soups as other Ramen places, the ones they have are favourful. I had the miso ramen and it was one of the best ones I've had. I especially like the noodle's texture and taste.

Service: Service was prompt and friendly. My water was filled out without having to ask, which was nice.

Value: The portion you get for the price is pretty filling for me. The cheese ramen often leaves me stuffed.

Ambiance: It's not the nicest looking place, but I think the decor fits with ramen experience.

Overall: While this is my favourite ramen place, I don't think it is head and shoulders above the others around the area that I would wait in the long line up it sometimes have if the alternatives don't require waiting. Luckily, the turnover is pretty quick and a lineup of a few people usually doesn't take very long.

This is the go-to place for ramen in the Lower Mainland. Large bowls of wholesome goodness. Great noodles, great broth, great fatty chasu. Previous reviewers described the food and ambiance quite well so I don't have much to add. Last Saturday, we beat the pre-dinner rush and snagged three seats at the counter. A line ten deep quickly formed and I was impressed to see how quickly the queue moved. The waitresses scribbled down peoples' orders while they waited and once seated, their bowls of ramen were ready. It was cool seeing pure japanese efficiency at work. Polite and courteous service to boot. We were in and out in less than 30 minutes. Left very satisfied and can't wait to go back.

Service?? I don't expect any decent level of service at an Asian restaurant in this price range. They take your order, bring your food and cheque. Nothing great, nothing wrong. I am fine with that.

Food?? Rich in flavour. But the stock/broth contains too much of that distinctive porky (not in a good way, almost fishy) smell. This is very typical of a pork stock and good chefs know how to minimize it. Unfortunately, Kintaro doesn't. The sliced pork meat (possibly leg or shoulder meat) used for garnish also contain too much of porky odour and it was cold to touch.
**When I say porky odour, it's different from appetizing odour from well-cooked good quality pork chop, bacon, pork belly or ribs.

Value?? More than reasonably priced with large portion sie.

Ambiance?? very basic and under-decorated. That's the whole point. It's like a friendly neighbourhood joint from somewhere in tokyo. But, the restaurant is dirty and smelly. I don't know where that smell's coming from. It smelled like a toilet. Period. Everything I touch was sticky. Yuck. Please clean the restaurant.

Kintaro is a Japanese ramen noodle shop. Best known for it's consistent noodle texture and broth. From my experience, its the best ramen you can eat in Vancouver away from Japan. If you like the typical shoyu or miso ramen, that is quick, hot and tasty - I highly recommend this joint. I have also tried their gyozas here and they are not bad, but not special, just your typical Japanese dumpling.

Ambiance is almost like a wonton house, not exceptionally clean but not dirty. If you get a seat by the bar, you can see the cooks at work boiling the noodles and getting the broth ready. Highly recommended if you are a ramen lover.

Went there few yrs ago and started going again this yr. Nothing has really changed. I like ordering their miso or sea salt base soup but now I'm into CHEESE RAMEN! I always thought it was a weird thing to eat cuz cheese in noodle soup? Wha...? But I remember that first bite very well, it was heavenly! They were right, like the menu says, "the ladies loooove it!" Haha, so true!
Like the previous reviewer said, does the soup contain MSG? I'm always very thirsty after eating this delicious bowl of ramen. And it's kinda annoying b/c after that big bowl of ramen, I don't have any stomach space for drinks. And I don't like the fact that I'm eating something w/ MSG unless it's instant noodles!

Kintaro's is a small Japanese style diner on the east side of Denmen near Robson. There isn't a lot of seating but even if the place is full, its worth the wait as the turnover is fairly fast and the soup is awesome. I had some gyoza, miso ramen, and a side of pork. As it turns out, this was way too much and I could have done without the side of pork and possibly even the gyoza.

We sat at the bar and found the preparation and cooking process interesting. The chef actually tastes the broth in each bowl. The noodles looked homemade, although I didn't ask whether they were or not. The end result was very tasty; the best ramen I have had in recent memory.

If you are looking for takeout or a vegetarian ramen, look elsewhere as Kintaro's doesn't do that. They specialize in pork soup bases and they do it well. I will be going back soon on a Saturday to try their Forest Fire ramen which is supposed to be outstanding.

I have been to Kintaro many times and consistently get huge portions of delicious ramen. I don't really understand why other reviewers find it fatty because you can pick how rich (or not) you want your broth. I always order the miso ramen and am never disappointed! If I had to choose one flaw, though, it would be nice to get a bit more pork. Generally you get 3-4 pieces in your huge bowl.

Service is quick and to the point. I don't mind getting the bill brought to my table while I'm still finishing - there are always huge lineups and I don't feel rushed, but I'm happy to give someone else my table as soon as I'm done. It's a small, cramped space that gets pretty warm/steamy inside, so it's not the type of place I like to linger...I go for the ramen, and the ramen only!

Food: It tastes pretty good. It is authentic and doesn't taste like Chinese ramen if you know what I mean. The texture of the noodles is very good. It's al dente like Italians say about their pasta. There's 3 big thick pieces of pork in the bowl. Meat is very tender. Unlike other cheapskate restaurants in this city, Kintaro is very generous when it comes to portion and toppings. The only thing I notice is that the broth can be greasier than ramen from other Japanese restaurants in major US cities. I always thought Japanese food is not greasy, at least that's what Japanese food is like in major US cities. Nevertheless, it's still yummy.

Service: They are polite. Service is fast enough.

Value: I only rated 3 because the seating situation is so bad. You will know why when you read the following.

Ambiance: Ugh! The store is very cramped. You either sit at the bar or share table with bunch of strangers. Talking about awkward. You better pray you don't sit next to some nosy jerks eavesdropping your conversation or rude weirdos staring at you like they never know what etiquette means.

Because the store is so small. They can only accommodate a few customers. As soon as you put down chopsticks, they give you a check hinting you to pay and leave ASAP. You certainly have to leave right away because there are bunch of customers standing there waiting. Sitting there for more than 2 minutes after putting down chopsticks will make you the public enemy. LOL!

I am never that kind of person who likes to hang out in the restaurant. I finish my meal and I leave. But being rushed and hurried to leave is kind of abusive. I don't think sitting there for extra 5 minutes after you finish you meal is asking too much. Frankly, I don't think anybody wants to sit in a dirty restaurant for too long. But you need to digest your food and drink some water or tea by sitting there for just a few minutes more, don't you?

The store is kind of dirty. It's cramped. And you have to share tables. That really makes dining experience unpleasant. It doesn't have the best location anyway. Kintaro Ramen is already famous. I don't see why they can't move to somewhere bigger and more comfortable. They can get a bigger room at the same price or cheaper since this location is not exactly a hot spot.

Will I come back?
If I am in the area and I don't have to wait in line.

Is it worthy waiting in line?
Not really. It tastes good but it's not so freaking good to makes you think it's crack. It's not "addictive" good. And the seating situation is very abusive. I would not line up and bend over backward for that.

Unlike major US cities with a lot of Japanese living there, Vancouver doesn't have big Japanese population and many Japanese restaurants operated by Japanese. In other words, there's not a lot of competition for Kintaro. It can easily rank as top 3 ramen in Vancouver.

The Gyoza is very crispy outside and juicy inside. The sauce that goes with is is not too salty as well. The ramen is so so, not the best place if you want quality japanese ramen but the value is outstanding. Please beware of the waiting time though. Depending on when you go, you might have to wait for a long while.

Let's get this out of the way: Kintaro has excellent noodles. They do a very authentic tonkotsu ramen and their miso ramen is the boldest, most flavourful broth I've tasted. Their latest offering, the spicy garlic ramen, is incredibly bold and the crushed garlic on top adds a real kick of flavour that's unforgettable. Not to mention the boiled egg, which is cooked to perfection. The cold ramen is a great blend of salty, sweet, and spiciness that's refreshing on a cold day. And everything is priced afforably, because you WILL be full. There is no doubt that you'll be full here.

Now there's the issue of space... I love it when there's no line and I get my soup right away, but that is a rare occurance and waiting in line for 15 minutes to eat my food just as fast can be a real bummer in both the winter and summer. The servers are in a real rush to get people in and hour and clear tables almost as soon as you put your spoon and chopsticks down. And then because the boiling soup stocks are kept out front and everything is cooked in an open kitchen, it gets very humid if you have to sit at the bar, especially in the winter when they don't have the dehumidifiers/air conditioners on. This is a very in-and-out type of place, which is good for some, but Motomachi Shokudo just a block away delivers food just as good for a similar price, and is way more comfortable, and typically less busy. I love the ramen at Kintaro, but it is really hard to sit in when I know Motomachi is just as good (aside from Kintaro's brilliant miso ramen), offers healthier options, doesn't reek of boiling pork bone, and is only a minute down the street. However, Kintaro remains the #2 in my heart. Benkei is too salty, and G-men is too boring with its flavours, and I have yet to try the recently-opened Santouka, next door to Guu. Undoubtably I will return to Kintaro when they bring back their cold ramen for the summer and start turning on their air conditioning to sort out the stuffy atmosphere.