DinnerMotomachi Shokudo
[rating:3]
Motomachi Shokudo is located on Denman Street, just a few doors down from their sister restaurant Kintaro. Their speciality? None other than Japanese ramen noodle soup. But made with more healthier, organic ingredients.
Motomachi Shokudo is a tiny, intimate space. Inside is a large wood communal table and a few smaller tables. Carved tree trunk stools are used as seating, which seemed like a neat idea, but are a bit uncomfortable since they sat pretty high up on the table.
Unlike Kintaro, which uses pork and fish base, Motomachi Shokudo broths are made with a chicken and fish base making it a somewhat healthier alternative by lowering the fat content.
(Above: Shio Ramen Soup, beautifully arranged.)
We ordered two bowls of shio ramen and a side of gyoza. The ramen was beautifully presented in a bowl with: a soft boiled organic egg, shredded bamboo shoots, barbecue pork, white pepper, thinly sliced chili pepper, and seasonal green vegetable stewed in a light broth seasoned with all natural sea salt and topped with angel hair Japanese leeks.
The broth was nice and had a hint of a smokey charcoal flavor, but was tad bit on the salty side. The organic egg was the best soft boiled egg I’ve had. It had a touch of sweetness that added that little extra something. The ramen noodles were awesome as expected: perfectly cooked, thin, firm noodles that had a nice bite. The lean barbecue pork, however, was drier compared to Kintaro. Lastly, the gyzoa was decent, although nothing really special.
(Above: Pan fried gyoza.)
Our bill including taxes and tips came to just under $25, which is slightly more expensive then Kintaro, but justifiable given the quality of ingredients and care put into each dish. The service, however, could use some tweaking. Even though we enjoyed Motomachi, Kintaro is still the tops in our books. But it’s nice to know that if we can’t get into Kintaro, we can simply walk a few doors down for some good ramen.
Perfect for: Ramen with a conscience.
The Details
740 Denman Steet
604.609.0310
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