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Motomachi Shokudo is a ramen house specializing in ramen noodle soup with different kinds of broth. Other dishes include kimchi, mini sushi and smaller appys.
I can't believe how much worse the quality of the ramen here is compared to Kintaro, especially considering this place is on the same block as Kintaro!!
The only reason I tried this Motomachi is because Kintaro was closed on the Monday me and my buddy went to get some ramen. The noodles here are obviously not fresh/hand-made - they are packaged noodles. And yes, it makes a HUGE difference in taste, more than any other type of noodles in soup (pho, wonton noodle, udon, taiwanese, etc). The Shiro soup base was also overly salty for my taste. Also orderd the a dish of gyoza for appetizers and for $4 I got only 4 gyoza.. not really worth it in my opinion.
My advice: stick with the best (Kintaro), don't bother trying the rest.
It started out as a good idea on a day I was going to finally spend with an old lady friend. She felt like Asian so I reluctatnly went along. It turned out to be an annoying waste of time and of hard earned dollars. We could have gone to a real meal. Because of that flavour mediocrity, I was so bored. People, this is street food, not some gourmet New York nouveau cousine concoction by a Michelin-rated kitchen. Why do chicks like it? What's up with THAT?!
Perhaps because it was the long weekend and we were finally able to get together I didnt care, but the service was actually non-existent for long stretches. When the cute white waitress showed up, always in a foul mood, I was not going to let it bring me down.
Literally a stone's throw away from the sister store (Kintaro), I finally got to try out Motomachi for the first time. My initial impression was how it reminded me of tiny ramen-ya's in small town Japan with its lit lantern signage and dark exterior wood paneling. Esthetically more pleasing when compared to Kintaro, and with equally good ramen to boot too. The soup base is not as rich and heavy as Kintaro's and depending on what you order, there seems to be an emphasis on organic, healthier ingredients. I ordered the spicy chicken ramen and quite enjoyed the spiciness and complexity of my soup broth. Tons of shaved spring onions. Pretty flower ordained the food tray on which the huge bowl of ramen was served on. That, plus real black chopsticks and matching chopstick holder! Yes, I'm a sucker for esthetics. Also ordered gyoza's and these were tasty and long-ish in shape. Four pieces served instead of the usual 6.
Service was very efficient and friendly. The waitress came by several times to refill on water and cleared the trays promptly. It was a slow evening and the servers displayed no hurry to rush us out the door after we were done with our meals.
Value was fair....for ramen anyways. I think each bowl was about between $9 to $11, which is still awesome value considering the volume. For a nicer, more comfortable dining experience, I would definitely consider Moto over Kintaro.
Love the ramen. Way less salt and MSG compared to Kintaro. I like it. I had the Dark Miso ramen. Very unique and tasty.
Bad thing long line up small pace. Sears like 20 ppl. My husband had the ship ramen and he agrees there is less msg compared to Kintaro. We weren't as thirsty after eating it.food came pretty fast. Will def cone again
The call for ramen noodles came again so the gf and I headed DT for a late evening meal. The wait wasn't too long and seems most patrons dine quickly. Space is tiny (no more than 24 capacity) but works efficiently. Decor is a mix of Japanese and modern but the excess use of black is a little dreary.
My gf opted for her usual miso while I had the charcoal. They boast of using organic ingredients, so they have a superior starting point but put together the results were somewhat underwhelming in terms of flavour and depth. The soft boiled egg was done absolutely perfect while the noodles (with strong yellow hue) had good bite. I found both broths lacking richness, but again they boast about its health benefits so it made us feel like we were eating medicinal ingredients - cleansing. I enjoyed the charcoal flavour but was fairly subtle and certainly not overpowering. All in all, it's not bland but it also doesn't have a strong notes of flavour. By design, perhaps? Of all the ramen places we've gone to, this one didn't leave us thirsty afterwards.
Service was spartan at best. Friendly staff but our server had pretty rough english so best be keeping orders simple.
Their ramen seems to venture on their own path. It's a good bowl of noodles, but it's hard to rave about them after one try.
Very good food, ambiance & service. Reminded me of the little shop in Tokyo that I went to many years ago. The only difference was of course here there is more meat and veggies in the dish. The soup was very nice though. And a lot lighter than other ramen places in town. It's not a very large place but enough for a kind of homey coziness. There's not a lot to choose from on the menu, but I think having just a few yummy ones they are able to keep their consistent food quality. I'm going for the spicy chicken one next time! =)
I went to this small Jap resto tonight at around 10:15pm and stayed until 11pm cuz my bf craved ramen for late night snack. So, I checked out the reviews for ramen around Vancouver and found out that this place is the best. So, we ordered the gyoza that we find to be pretty good. Very juicy and the taste wasn't too overpowering and the skin was pretty thin. We also ordered the charcoal ramen with pork and the spicy chicken miso ramen. The bamboo charcoal noodle was a little bland in taste but considering that it's an healthy food so I thought it was very good. The soup base wasn't oily at all and interesting enough, it was black. As for the spicy miso, the soupbase was not bad with lots of veggies and some chicken breast. What I like the best is the noodle, it was thin and chewy. I don't eat lots of ramen and I don't know how the standards of the other restaurants are so I think that this restaurant is pretty good so i would definitely come again. Though I might try other ramen places to find out which is the best.
There's 3 ramen places in roughly the same area here, so there's tough competition.
Luckily Motomachi bring something different to the table. You don't get the fatty broth like the other places. Also, they have ramen with organic chicken and also with seasonal vegetables. Add to that some very different flavours and they've got a solid chance here. (Some of the stuff I have not tried even in Japan, even in the ramen museum).
Just like the other places, it isn't big, though it may even be the smallest of them.
The gyoza is bigger than most, it is probably about twice as long and you get 4 of them. The charcoal bamboo ramen is quite good. We also had the spicy miso ramen with organic chicken and it was absolutely packed with noodles and vegetables. It is probably the most expensive of the places, with each bowl getting close to the $10 mark. However, it also has the "boinkiest" noodles and the taste is definitely different.
Probably my new favourite ramen place in town.
I think Motomachi is affiliated with Kintaro as there was a sign at the window of the latter place promoting Motomachi. Both places boast of authentic ramen and true to their word. I love Motomachi's charcoal bamboo ramen. The broth was tasty, hearty and the pork delicious, its a little fat for the pork but you only live once and a slice or 2 once in a while won't kill ya. The room is much nicer and modern compared to Kintaro, prices about $1 extra but for the nicer and cleaner ambience, it was worth it. Service was good and I had an awesome lunch here last week and cannot wait to return soon.
This place is small.....very small. I am not an expert on ramen dishes but the bowl of spicy ramen with chicken at $9.65 seemed overpriced and nothing to write home about. The broth was certainly spicy and the noodles soft and tasty but the pieces of chicken breast were rubbery and hard to find. Most diners seemed to enjoy eating in tight quarters and the atmosphere was lively.
About 4 choices of noodles. Then side dishes & toppings for a premium. Listed 1st is the shoyu ramen. Its savoury chicken soup stock is very good. They focus on chicken stock soup base for all of their ramen offerings as is indicated by the written referral a couple of doors down at Kintaro's. I suppose Kintaro makes a pork stock for their soup base. The soup here is less greasy & the single slab (unless u order the most expensive option that has an extra pc) of bbq pork you get is thicker, less fatty, more meaty than Kintaro but you get next to no greens. I wouldn't call backyard "wild" pickings "greens" & they're the dry weed variety. I'd hate to call them herbs for their total lack of flavour & aroma. It's more of a decorative item. $10 +/- 5-95cents. If you want veggies, more meat, seaweed (a little sheet of the dried sushi rolling type--I felt cheated paying extra for this!). The last ramen option on the list--I forget the name--is much heavier due to the black bean taste/content added to make it a dark green/black soup. Both were served w/ half a cooked (quail?) egg & some bamboo shoots. That was interesting with its strong flavours but masks a lot of the best thing about it--the savoury chicken soup base.
Walking by the very busy Kintaro, I couldn't help but zoom in on the beautiful batch of leafy "bak choi" (?) a girl was enjoying. I remember corn in Kintaro's ramen. I glanced at the prices... $6.95+... $4 less than my bowl of, albeit tasty & not as greasy, noodles but w/ much more barebones except for the thicker slab of meat (a little on the dry side).
Definitely trendy modern & great for the ramen experience but a little more laid back & less rushed than Kintaro. Not sure if it was the mood set by the decor or the fact that there's little to no line-up here in this tiny place in comparison.
Will I be back? Maybe 1-2 times a yr when introducing others to tasty expensive ramen but I'm not sure I'd be willing to fork out more $$ to try their sides.
I went around 5pm and had no problem finding a seat by the bar area. I ordered the spicy noodle with organic chicken and eggs as extra. My friend had the healthy "charcoal" noodle soup and extra noodles. I was surprised at how fast the order arrived.
It was piping hot and delicious. The soup is very aromatic and I like the thin slivers of celery on top. My friend's charcoal soup is very good but you have to get past the appearance of the black soup. The ramen is good and chewy and not overcooked like I usually make it at home.
This is an infrequent indulgence so I didn't mind the oiliness and drinking all the salty broth. I think they use some sort of flavored oil and it is delicious.
I like the coziness of the place with just the right amount of elbow space for a 5'4" person but may be uncomfortable for a much "larger" person unless they sit at the tables.
After adding the chicken and eggs my dish with tip came to $15,which I think is a bit for a bowl of noodles. However,after seeing the movie, "Ramen Girl" I felt justified about the price but this is not something I would do frequently. This was a treat.
The waitress seem to want to rush us as she kept coming back asking if we were finished and wanting to take the money before we could figure it out. But there were people starting to line up and it's no place for a chit chat afterwards.
My friend likes the atmosphere at Motomachi better than their sister Kintaro. The noodles are pretty much the same so you have your pick of atmosphere to dine in.
I would definitely go back.
After searching online for a good Ramen place to try for the first time, my husband and I came across Motomachi. They use organic ingredients where possible in all their products and though on the pricier side of a Ramen meal, you really do get your moneys worth.
I usually order the Shio with Vegetables which (as a previous review mentioned) is not vegetarian, however they do clearly state at the front of their menu that all the soup broths are made with either pork, chicken or seafood. So if you are Vegetarian, you are out of luck. I would say this is the case for pretty much all Ramen stops anyway.....but I digress.
The Shio with Vegetables is an excellent, healthy and very filling dish. Chock full with vegies and the stock is beautiful and light but still flavourful. My husband usually orders the Nama Shoyu which is also great. We have also tried the extra BBQ Pork, Spicy Miso (excellent!), Shio and Next Generation Miso. I couldn't complain about any of these dishes. The Spicy Miso has a really good amount of vegetables as well as the chicken and you can order without the spice if (like me) you are not a fan of hot stuff. Portion sizes are huge, I usually bring my own ziplock container with me to take my extras home. (They do not provide takeout containers but they never frown on me for bringing one myself).
Gyoza are also excellent. The staff are friendly and always say "thank you for waiting" even though the wait isn't usually longer than 10mins from ordering.
If you like quality, authentic ramen, go to Motomachi.
I've been a big fan of Kintaro's for years, but I saw postings inside advertising their little sister restaurant just a block away. The organic factor was also a big draw, as I was looking for something a little healthier than a big bowl of fatty tonkotsu ramen. Not to mention the other competitor down the road, Benkei, is way too salty for my tastes.
I have to say, it was love at first bite.
The spicy chicken ramen has a huge amount of vegetables unlike any other ramen place I've been to in the WOLRD, not just Vancouver. The leeks and lotus root were delicious additions to a great bowl of noodles and a heavenly broth that was not at all oily and MSG-free. I was impressed with the balance between vegetables, noodles, and broth, as unlike Kintaro, I almost always finish all three elements of the dish at the same time. Another important thing to me is the consistency, and Motomachi is very, very consistant. Every bowl of ramen has been just as good as the last.
On visits closer to the summer I also tried out the cold ramen, which has a surprising twist of raw egg and grated taro root, and extra noodles. The base is nice and sweet and a perfect summer flavour, but some might be put off with the slimy consistency from the egg and taro root. The texture is very reminiscent of real sukiyaki, as is the flavour, but as a delightful cool dish perfectly geared for Vancouver summers. I prefer this version to Kintaro's, but my boyfriend is more of a fan of Kintaro's style of cold ramen. Another visit included a tasting of the new-generation miso ramen, but I find the flavour is a little too meek compared to the bold offering from Kintaro. The garnishing is better, but Kintaro's strongest draw is its wonderfully flavoured miso broth and Motomachi isn't as aggressive with its broth flavour in this case.
The 3rd aspect of Motomachi is the comfort level. This is definitely more in line with Benkei, albeit within a much tinier space, but you don't have big boiling pots making the restaurant unbearably humid. All in all the comfort level is way higher than Kintaro and less claustrophobic in its layout. My only gripe is sitting at the tables nearest to the doors on a brisk day, because you can really feel the breeze in such a tiny little restaurant. The service is mid-level, with the waitresses passive-aggressively pushing the (admittedly tasty) boiled eggs, but they are fairly efficient managing customers and food comes within 5 minutes. They are also less in a rush to force you out of your seat, unlike at Kintaro with its seemingly eternal lineups. Although the price is higher than competing restaurants, I feel the extra dollar or two over Kintaro is justified by that perfect ratio of meat, vegetables, noodles, and broth, and the fact that the soup doesn't leave me disgustingly thirsty like the average pho joint or Benkei.
In short: Motomachi is a must-try for ramen lovers, especially the spicy chicken ramen. This is a definitive Vancouver-style ramen joint with its own personality, and a bowl that leaves you bursting full without leaving an oily, salty aftertaste in your mouth from cheap soup.
Okay for those of you who say this place is bad value... this place uses ORGANIC INGREDIENCE, and unlike other places doesnt just fill their bowls with mainly broth and noodles. It has such a savoury pork im still tasting it while writing this. Im on a Ramen kick now and this is the best without a doubt. The ambience was so nice, a little plain with a bit of jazz music made this place have a casual, warm, inviting feel to it. Service was awesome! Our waiter was so friendly and didnt rush us to finish our meal even though there was a line up and refills of tea were prompt. I tried there gyozas.. .excellent! I had the house ramen and my guest had the spicy miso ramen. Both were excellent not too much broth and noodles and not to little but it came with an organic egg which was just perfect. Oozy and soft boiled to perfectly with kimchi, bean sprouts, green beans... i really want to go back and try the charcoal bamboo ramen which is suppost to be excellent for digestion. They have alot of choices on the menu which i must go back and try because there house ramen was just so excellent. THIS PLACE WAS WRITTEN UP IN THE VANCOUVER FOOD MAGAZINE UNDER 101 GREAT TASTE. The ramen is like nothing else ..so light and delicious once you get into the ramen the flavours really start to sink in with the bean sprouts and green onions and just wow... best ramen ever. I think before when i rated the other ramen places i was being too generous but this is just ramen at its finest with the finest, freshest ingredience. Kudos Motomachi.. you've got a new regular.
In short - this is Kintaro done right. Very close taste-wise, but not dingy, clean and you don't have to squeeze yourself into a men's bathroom. The design of the place is also very nice, the ambiance being made a bit quirky by a jazzy music playing in the background.
The place is very small and it has 3 tables for two, one table for four and a large shared table in the middle that sits about 10 people. Sharing a table with other people is not for everyone, but it also means that you will be sit faster if you are alone.
This place is a bit pricey though. Gyoza + noodles + green tea (from a tea bag) + tips = $18. That's for one. Noodles alone are around 8-9-10 dollars. I cannot honestly tell if it is organic or inorganic (hehe), but to me it is worth it anyways.
In any case, if you like Kintaro or the older version of Ezogiku, make sure to check this place out.
I went here on Sunday for the first time with a group of 4, one of whom is a vegitarian.
The restaurant is very small and was fairly busy so seating was not immediately available. First sign of service issues was on arrival we were asked to wait outside rather than in the restaurant. This would be OK in the summer, but in the cold and damp of winter...not so much. Second they wanted to split us up between the kitchen bar and the communal dining table. We declined as we wanted to stay as a group. This obviously frustrated them but allowed us to wait anyway. We finally all got seated and placed our orders, the vegitarian in our group ordered the vegitarian ramen, assuming it was truly vegitarian. What we did not know, and was not made apparent anywhere on their menu, is that all of the ramens use the same stock base, with is a chicken\pork broth. For those of us carnivors, this is not an issue but for the vegitarians in world, a big issue. As such our vegitarian companion could not eat her meal. It was pointed out to the server that this information should have been presented and asked for a takeout container so we could keep the meal. They informed us they do not have take out containers because "all the liquid spills". I would suggest that they check out the nearest chinese take where they deliver soups all the time. At that point we asked that the meal be taken off the meal as the menu was not clear and they could not accomodate us taking it with us. An arguement ensued and they finally did remove the meal from the bill.
The ramens themselves were actually pretty tasty and a good value for the money. I found the Gyoza however to be somewhat overly greasy.
If service and vegitarian options are not important (thats why I gave a 2 rating, otherwise I would have given it a 3), then this is a neat little place. Otherwise, give it a pass
Compared to other Japanese ramen restaurants, this place gives you a great selection and quality ingredients! I like the gyozas here, its a good bite size and a great appetizer to start off with. The soup base is very good, you don't taste grease at all unlike other ramen restaurants. The ramen noodles are cooked to perfection with sides on top. I would highly recommend Motomachi! Its a small place but great place to hang out!
A few of my friends recommended this restaurant to me since they know how much I love ramen.
The unique aspect about this restaurant is that they use some organic ingredients. I had the spicy miso chicken ramen and my bf just had the regular shoyu chasiu ramen. My ramen was filled with a wide variety of vegetables, which is different than the other restaurants that serve ramen. My bf's regular shoyu ramen had sooo much chasiu. We both enjoyed our ramens very much.
The price for each bowl of ramen is a bit steep at almost $10 a bowl, but I think the high price is justified by the use of organic ingredients. Also, it's the biggest ramen bowl I've ever had. I was barely able to finish my bowl. (I am able to finish my bowl of ramen at the other ramen restaurants). We also had the gyoza which was decent.
I will definitely be back!!
I eat a LOT of ramen and I think the ramen here is Amazing. I had the spicy miso organic chicken ramen and it was definitely one of the best bowls of ramen I've ever had anywhere, including Japan. I'd say that it's significantly better than Kintaro, which I find has slid in quality recently. Yes, $10 is bit expensive for ramen, but SO worth it.
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