Menya Itto

I was hoping to visit Menya Itto when it first opened but really, I'm not all that into lining up for food these days.  So I let the initial hype die down and waited for a weekday before heading down to try the place.  The location on Robson Street (formerly Ramen Koika) happens to be their first Canadian location.  They are known for their Tsukemen, or dipping noodles, yet they also feature a good selection of soup ramen as well.

Of course we had to get their signature item in the Menya Itto Chashu Tsukemen with shiso infused crunchy textured chicken balls, pork belly chashu and thick housemade noodles.  This also included a pot of clear broth to dilute the remaining dipping soup once we were done.  As for the noodles, they were perfectly al dente with a pleasing chew.  The signature broth was silky with plenty of collagen.  It was flavourful with meaty depth.

We also tried the Classic Noko Gyokai Ramen with the spicy option. This was not quite Ramen Danbo, but still pretty solid.  The chicken broth was silky and creamy, yet not so much that it was too heavy.  The spice came through, but we could've done even spicier.  Juicy and tender, the two slices of chicken chashu was some of the best I've ever had.  The thin noodles were still chewy while cooked through.  Also added the Ajitsuke Tamago and it was excellent having a custardy yolk while being nicely flavoured without being salty.

We went big with the last dish in the Lobster Ramen with a full lobster tail, nori, half ramen egg, menna, corn and chashu.  I thought the broth was excellent almost akin to a lobster bisque (without the cream of course).  It was rich and had all of the appealing aroma and essence of lobster.  The lobster tail was perfectly cooked having a moist rebound and sweetness.  The slice of chashu was super tender and required no chewing.  Overall, the ramen dishes we tried at Menya Itto were solid with the lobster ramen really standing out.  There is a lot of competition for you ramen dollar in Vancity, so I would say there are plenty of other places to try at this price point.  However, Menya Itto belongs in that conversation.

The Good:
- Rich silky broth that isn't too heavy
- On point noodles
- Spacious

The Bad:
- A little on the pricier end, but on par with many other places in Downtown