Ramen Danbo

Reviews

• Weidi Z.

  star star star star star 9 June 2026

  this is the best ramen I tried in my life.
  Amazing!
  The soup is taste very authentic. I finished all the soup! The noodle is a bit firm. But overall it's super super yum

• Maggie L.

  star star star star star 8 June 2026

  I was in Vancouver a while ago and I noticed that there are A LOT of ramen shops here. This is definitely my favourite ramen shop in Vancouver (I've tried at least 5 ramen shops while I was here). Their ramen reminds me of the infamous Ichiran Ramen in Japan... even though I've never had Ichiran Ramen but it looks very similar to that... that would be my best description of their ramen
  
  Service 5/5: the staff is extremely attentive and they would greet me when I walked in and sat down and I was greet when I left the restaurant as well.
  
  Line-up: Yes, there is a huge line-up every day at this ramen shop. I've waited 20-40mins on average. I waited for less time when I ate alone because it was easier to accommodate one person seat versus a table for two.
  
  Location: There are two locations. I've only been to this downtown location. It was convenient for me because it's close to the tourist attractions including Canada Place. This location is along Robson Street aka my favourite street in downtown Vancouver because they have so many restaurants. I would walk up and down this street and scout for places to eat.
  
  Decor: it looks like a Japanese ramen shop. I love their stools because they double as storage...
  
  Food: 5/5 I love their broth. It's very fragrant and you can tell that they make fresh broth. Also they do a good job blanching their pork bones because the broth was very clean and didn't taste gamey. You can customize things such as the firmness of the noodles, amount of hot sauce  because they give you a sheet where you circle your preferences for each item. Also their egg is so soft and runny and it melts in your mouth. I like my noodles extremely firm and I love how they made my noodles extra firm each time
  
  Portion: Their portion is really tiny so I would pay for extra noodles. I never feel bloated or 100% full even after adding extra noodles and drinking all the broth. If you eat more than the average person, you might want to get a snack afterwards.
  
  Recommend? Yes! Looking back on my visit in Vancouver, this is my favourite ramen shop in Vancouver. I would know because I had ramen 5 days straight when I was in Vancouver and I've visited Ramen Danbo 3 times!!

• Leana L.

  star star star star star 31 May 2026

  We came here on a friend's recommendation. After a full day of sight seeing, including a late afternoon gelato break, we didn't get hungry until  late at night. Luckily, this place opens late. Even late at night, though, there was a small line outside. We waited maybe 30 minutes or so before being seated on a Sunday evening, but it was worth it!
  
  Location: A bit far from where we were staying near the convention center, so we took an Uber there. However, it might be walkable as long as you're not in a rush.
  
  Ambiance: Casual. Not a huge footprint, so it makes sense they fill up fast during prime meal times.
  
  Food: I ordered Miso Rekka Ramen (spicy) and it was delicious. My bf ordered the same thing, but medium. When they say spicy, they're not messing around. It was so good, but this spicy had me sweating a bit. We also ordered the gyoza, which were also quite tasty, but might have been a little too much food for us (as always, haha).
  
  Service: Great service, super attentive. In authentic Japanese style, they announce you when you walk in, which I love.
  
  Price: At under $15 it pretty good for quality ramen.
  
  Would I return? Yes!

• Aaron T.

  star star star star star 27 May 2026

  Easily the best ramen I've had in North America. I ordered the classic Tonkotsu ramen with standard everything except for the noodles, which I ordered firm. I also ordered the Gyoza. The service was fast and efficient, and the food came out within 5-10 mins.
  
  Classic Tonkotsu: 5/5: The first thing I tried was the broth which was rich and had amazing flavor. I could clearly taste the pork bone broth, and it did not taste watered down at all, or overpowering. The noodles were also high quality and were exactly as I ordered. The Chashu was cooked perfectly, and melted in my mouth. Solid 5 stars
  
  Gyoza: 5/5: Delicious and cooked very well. Pretty standard gyoza here
  
  Service: 5/5: The waitresses were very kind and quick with service. Reminded me of the service back in Japan.

• Joy B.

  star star star star star 23 May 2026

  Ramen Danbo is that rare restaurant that makes you question life and determine that until now, all the other ramen you've been eating is swill.
  
  As with many of my great foodie finds on the road (and some bad ones too), Danbo wasn't originally on my dining radar--until I saw a single-file line of people literally queued down the block in the rain for a chance to slurp the glorious delights within. New restaurant? Nope. Free food? Nope. George Clooney in the building? I wish. Normally in America I'd question the long line and think 'hype,' but this is Canada, and Canadians aren't stupid.
  
  The original Danbo shop opened in 2000 in the town of Chikushino located halfway between Kurume on the southern island of Kyushu and Hakata in the Fukuoka Prefecture, the epicenter of Tonkotsu-style ramen. They focused on quality and taste and soon word spread, and so did they--all over Japan. This Robson store is one of four in North America (the others are in Seattle, Brooklyn, and a second in the Kitsilano area of Vancouver).
  
  The ramen here is build-your-own and customizable to the hilt, which aside from the exceptional taste of the broth, is Danbo's biggest claim to fame. In most ramen shops I've been to, you can choose your protein or vegetal toppings. Here you pick everything from noodle thickness and firmness to the amount of lard, richness, and spice in the broth. At first, the level of choice was overwhelming. If the thought of endless possibilities makes you run for the hills, just order 'standard everything' and call it a day. Normally I advocate for the purveyor to dictate the vision for how their food should taste, but in this case, it was kind of cool to granulize, particularly to control the lard. I went with a 'light' quantity of that but you have up to an 'extra rich' on the Richter Scale. To quote the late great Julia Child, "fat gives things flavor." Over time it can also cause a coronary, so everything in moderation is my motto.
  
  Simply put, my order of Miso Rekka Ramen was superb, arriving prepared with chashu (pork), scallions, and a dollop of their top-secret homemade karadare (spicy sauce). "Rekka Ramen" means that an additional layer of Ichimi Togarashi Powder gets added, which did its job to bring extra heat while not overpowering the flavor of the broth. Speaking of broth, Danbo's is based on a starter Tonkotsu pork broth and was savory without being salty or oily. The miso ramen builds on the base by using a blend of two types of traditional Japanese miso. Swirled within the broth were super fresh and firm thin noodles that had a nice chew. Meanwhile the locally sourced Yakibuta Chashu pork had both crisp and melt-in-your-mouth tender textures. Collectively, it was umami heaven, and in addition to being tasty, I imagine this hot bowl of happiness works well when Vancouver is sporting negative temperatures.
  
  Wanting to experience more magical porky savoriness, we also shared an order of Chashu Pork Donburi, served as a small bowl of white rice topped with small chunks of tender pork belly. The braised chashu boasted even layers of meat and fat topped by fresh scallions and a savory sauce. This was a satisfying side dish and served to reinforce the high brought on by the ramen. Just when you don't think it can get any better, it does.
  
  The catch at reaching ramen utopia is that you have to wait, but typical of ramen shops, rest assured that the food here is efficiently served and the line moves quickly. Unlike the fast-casual places where there's one register open just to create a line and thus the appearance of popularity, this is a full-scale sit-down place that's turning over tables as fast as possible. After all, you sit, slurp, pay, and leave.
  
  This is easily the best ramen I've had up to now and puts everything I have back at home squarely in the 'this is crap' category. In this case, the ramen at the end of the rainbow is well worth waiting for.