Hida Takayama Ramen

This was the first place I ever tried ramen and boy, did it ever set a good first impression. Since then I’ve become obsessed with ramen and have tried many other places, but I’ve also been back here several times.
I’m a big fan of ajitamas and for me, Hida holds the ajitama title for the best I have ever tried. There’s just something about the way they marinate it in soy sauce that always tastes better than the rest.
The shio ramen is my go-​to bowl everytime and although, it’s a little salty, I still think it does the job. Portions are large and the noodles are handmade in-​house. Very reasonable prices as well with almost every choice under $ 10!
They will also give u extra cha-​shu if u like their facebook page, which I have done a few times by unliking and then liking it again, which they seem pretty cool with: P u can facepalm about that now, but wait until u try it, cause when u do, I bet u will definitely be going back there for more!

When you have no one who wants to come eat with you, this is a wonderful place for ppl who are shy and want some quiet time enjoying their meal.
Don’t talk to strangers, you might fall in love…

An Asian on my floor recommended this place so I had to check it out. Wow. What is going on with this mall? It’s like being in a desolate strip mall in kamloops in the early 80s. (Minus the Asian presence).
Anyways it turned out to be really relaxing, there’s actually an outdoor patio that looks over Robson street, free wifi and lots of space to chill and eat.
Now concerning the food… I ordered the Shio Ramen with extra broth (which is why my photo may look like the ingredients are drowning). I got the blended broth (you have a choice between chicken, or rich or blended which is mixed). I found the broth a little weak. I think I’ll try the rich next time. The noodles were okay, and the pork and bamboo shoots were good. All in all it was ok but definitely for next time I know where to tweak my order. The staff is super friendly and cool.
Yours Truly, Ramen Slut

Tried the hida spicy ramen few days ago, in chicken broth, and also the ground pork spicy ramen in rich broth. The soft boiled egg is perfect. the hida spicy ramen was not really tasted in spicy…
Dropped by dt vancouver on monday, and the K ramen was close, so we decided to try Hida, at 2^nd floor of robson public market…
you can «like» their facebook page to get one extra charsu… but I perfered the «melted» charsu than «chewy» one…

I really wanted to like this place based on recommendations from others as well as the positive Unilocal vibes here.
This just wasn’t my cup of noodle.
The good:
* Generous portion for the value
* The extras are free (seaweed and bamboo shoots) — egg is extra$
* No line-​ups like the other ramen joints around
* Gyoza — juicy with pork and vegetable
* Al-​dente noodles
The «only ok»:
* Shio broth — didn’t pack the punch of flavour I was looking for
* Chasiu — very lean and dark meat, didn’t have that richness that I love
* Gyoza sauce — wish it had a vinegar element to it
The search for my perfect ramen in Vancouver continues.
PRO-​TIP — «Like» their Facebook page for extra cha-​siu.

First let me say, If you’ve not seen Tampopo, stop here, go watch it, and then come back.
Ready?
Ok.
I saw Tampopo a good decade before I ever ate ramen, but this place reminds me somewhat of the spirit of effort and intention that the ramen coach personified: this place has integrity. Not the greatest ramen, or broth, but solid.
I’m giving this non descript, Hole in the wall, local flavor a well deserved four stars.
Seems like they really put the effort in to bring you a real heart bowl of ramen full of tasty broth and nice toothsome noodles.
I liked the shiso w egg best.

It’s so good. And so cheap. The broth is so flavorful. The soy sauce tsukemen tastes so japanese. Still, after all these years, in the deadest of all dead public markets in the Lower Mainland. Basically, the only reason to visit the second floor of this «mall» besides the restrooms conveniently located next to the ramen shop. BTW, the underground parking lot is FREE for 2 hours. This mall is so dead that they offer free parking in downtown Vancouver, near Robson and Denman, and no one knows about it and no cares enough to visit still. The parking lot was half empty at 8pm. Like really. Wow. Unfortunately, the parking garage closes around 9pm or so. But still. Free parking in downtown. Why am I telling you this. I need to keep this a secret for myself.

This ramen place is located at the corner and outside a public washroom on the second floor of Robson Public Market. My boyfriend brought me to this ramen place as he insisted that their ramen was excellent.
Looking at the Japanese decoration and ramen pictures and menus at this stall, I didn’t expect too much. All the decorations were like 90′. Nothing was fancy like what you see in other ramen restaurants in downtown Vancouver. I just hoped that the quality of the ramen would be fine. My boyfriend and I ordered a white sesame ramen with extra chatsu as well as tsukemen. We added one extra noodle. Surprisingly the quality of the soup base and the ramen was excellent! The ramen that was thin and chewy was made by the Japanese staff in the stall. The soup base looked oily but I did not feel too greasy. There was a lot of chatsu in the bowl of white sesame ramen.
We came here for dinner around 7pm. All the shops andother food stalls in Robson Public Market had already closed, but this ramen place had a lot of customers coming in and out as Robson Public Market opened till 9pm.
Their prices were average. Tsukemen was $ 9 without meat though. White sesame ramen with chatsu was $ 9.50. It’s worth to come back to try other ramen or dishes.
LIKE!!! :)

Low-​key fell in love with Hida Takayama ramen, a hidden gem in the Robson market! I had the white sesame ramen, something I’ve never seen offered anywhere else. The broth is really rich, nutty with a hint of spiciness to even everything out. We also ordered a beautifully cooked egg and extra cha-​shu (which you receive by liking their Facebook page!) And a large serving of noodles! I found my noodles to be clumped together a bit and too hard for my liking, so I’ll have to ask for softer noodles next time. This was SO much for such a great value, In LOVE

Awwww I really wanted to like this place!
After eating here a few times I have to say it was a disappointment to me. I tried the sesame ramen twice and their regular miso once. Each time the soup was a bit thin, not rich like it should be, the chashu was tough and lacked flavour, the huge portion of noodles got too soft in the soup and the little mall it’s in is kinda depressing.
Lol it’s funny how people make it sound like you’re saving so much money by eating here. It’s only like a $ 1 cheaper! I’d rather pay $ 1 extra and get better ramen elsewhere.
I think people have a soft spot for this place because it feels like they’ve discovered something secret, when in fact it just isn’t on par with the other ramen shops nearby. Sorry Hida Takayama!

Firstly, let me start of by saying that I know my ramens pretty well. I’ve tried almost all of the ramens in the West End, and this is by far the best, both in terms of taste and price.
Tucked away at the top floor of the Robson Public Market is this hidden gem. It doesn’t look like much, in fact, it looks more like a cafeteria establishment without any of the nice decos, etc. But do not be fooled by looks, their ramen packs a punch! Take a good look at the image below, and tell me that you are not salivating as you finish reading this sentence.
They have quite a variety of soup base to chose from, but I always order the Hida Chuka (soy chicken broth). For a small additional price, you can even have extra chashu. A bowl of ramen here cost less than $ 10. And best of all, the crowds are usually manageable. Which is why I’m scratching my head everything I see lines of people standing in the rain waiting for a seat at the other ramen places on Robson and Denman. Why pay more and stand in line, only to be cramped in an uncivilized shoe box, when you can get a better ramen at a lower price point?
PS: Get the loyalty card. You get 1 stamp per purchase. 10 stamps, and the next meal is on them. Woohoo!

I am often too lazy to review places, but this one deserves it. Typical «hole in the wall», a gem amongst several ramen places in the West End. It is hidden in the second floor of this public marketplace (remember, «Hidden» Takayama Ramen lol). The girls at the counter are super friendly, and they will bring your food to your table. I chose the spicy miso ramen because I was craving some Asian spice, and they totally nailed it! Hey and no MSG here! For $ 9 tax included, it is simple and wonderful. I won’t waste my time with lines around other restaurants ever, and truly recommend this. Not the fancy type of place, the «awesome good food, fair price» type of place, my favorite type!

I had dinner here last night with two friends on one of their recommendations. The first thing I did when I found out about this place was read all the Unilocal reviews. Thank you to my fellow Unilocalers for mentioning the free underground parking and recommending adding the egg to my order – both were extremely helpful! There are indeed 2 hours of free parking accessible from the alley behind the public market. What an awesome find.
As many have mentioned, Robson Public Market is really quiet except for the Hida Takayama shopfront. I scanned the menu but already knew that I’d be ordering the white sesame based on several Unilocal recommendations, and was perfectly happy with my chewy ramen noodles and rich, creamy broth… until I sampled my friend’s dipping noodles with spicy ground pork sauce. That made me only want to return and order the dipping noodles next time! Those were so good!!!
My large white sesame ramen (regular and large are the same price!) with a yummy egg was around $ 10.50 and came with 4 – 5 slices of cha shu. My only complaint was that the broth could have been a little hotter. The service was very friendly and despite it being a fast food restaurant, the server brought the bowls to our table.
I’m really happy to know that this place exists. It’s rare to find a hole in the wall that lives up to the well-​warranted (and relatively secret) hype!
PS. For context, Santouka is/​was (?) my favourite ramen place and I always get the shio ramen there. I may have to get the dipping noodles at HT a few times before trying their shio.

I have a confession. I’ve been a secret Hida fan for over two years now. I go by every month or so to get my ramen fix because to me, this is the only place I can the best ramen — great soup, fresh noodle texture, friendly service, buttery chasu and big portions. And no lines!!!
Why have I not written a review for this place in the past 2 years? Because it was my secret. If I were a squirrel, this would be the nut I hide so only I can find it.
My favourite bowl, if I’m feeling indulgent, is the spicy pork white sesame ramen. The broth is rich, flavourful and doesn’t have msg! White sesame flavour over flowing and every bite is just perfect. Some may think this particular ramen is too rich, but this is a ramen for when you want to have something rich.
I’ve had their miso ramen, which is plainer and less thick. Flavour is still amazing. I have this on days when I need a ‘skinny-​version’ ramen.
Never forget to add an egg to any of your ramens. Their ramen eggs are one of the best I’ve ever had. Really packs a punch in taste. Yolk is still gooey but by no means undercooked. Perfect ramen egg.
Until next time, Hida!

Wow. I almost didn’t want to write a review for this place… Just so I could hoard it for myself… after all, Christmas is months away and Santa will have forgotten by then, right? Anyway…
Tucked away on the back corner of the second floor in sleepy Robson Square market, I would have never, ever, NEVER in a million years found it without Unilocal!There were 5 Japanese staff working when we visited and it seemed that the people venturing upstairs only made a beeline directly to this restaurant.
The two ramens that we enjoyed here were:
— Shoyu ramen (+egg,+extra chasiu via Facebook) — their shoyu broth was amongst the most flavorful that I’ve had in Vancouver. and I’ve been to all the popular ramen haunts in Vancouver and this ranks amongst the top for broth.
— Spicy ground pork ramen with white sesame base (+egg, +extra chasiu via Facebook) — this broth was substantially thicker and richer than the shoyu, so be forewarned! But if you like the taste of sesame, don’t mind flavors on the saltier side and don’t plan to slurp up all the soup, this is your soup.
— The noodles — According to the sign in front, the noodles are handmade in house. To me, they had a great texture, just the right chewiness! They also do not skimp on noodles here, how awesome is it that they automatically give you a large sized portion unless you request otherwise! That never happens! :)
— The eggs — ¹¹⁄₁₀ for these! Golden and runny inside and perfect in flavor outside. Delicious.
— The chasiu — very generous in portion and easy to eat. It was a marbled combination of fatty and lean pieces.
Other bonuses:
— Ample seating inside and out (patio)
— FREE parking underground
— No lining up in the cold (Santouka I’m looking at you!)
— Stamp card — buy 10 get 11^th free.
— Remember to «Like» them on Facebook before ordering for extra chasiu, you won’t be disappointed!
…my only wish is that I could speak Japanese, because I’m sure the chef/​owner (?) could have given so much more insight into his food…
Regardless… When you have authentic ramen, free parking (on Robson no less!), no line ups, friendly staff, relaxed environment… this checks all the boxes, so how could it be any less than 5 stars? No way! :)

The thing I have learned about dining out in Vancouver for dinner is to eat early. If you don’t make reservations and decide to look for a place to eat at around 7 pm, your options become more limited and you likely will need to wait. Sometimes outside the restaurant. Not pleasant when the temperature outside is barely above freezing.
This was the lesson I learned as I looked for a restaurant to eat at on the West End on a Friday evening. I was looking for a ramen place, but every shop that I walked by had a line. I recalled reading about this ramen shop inside Robson Market and decided to give it a try.
Hida Takayama is located on the second floor food court. It happened to be the only place still open which made for some awkward ambiance. But at least the place was warm and there was no line to wait here.
The ramen prices here are lower than other places in the West End. Likely due to the lower overhead costs of operating in this location rather than one of the storefronts. Didn’t know what to order, so I just decided to order what was popular. Chose the shoyu ramen ($ 8.25) and a side order of gyoza ($ 4.50).
Upon trying the shoyu ramen, I was pretty disappointed. The broth didn’t have much flavor, the pork chasiu was chewy and I didn’t like the texture of the noodles. The ramen just tasted inferior compared to the bowls I had at Motomachi Shokudo. As for the gyoza, they were okay at best. I like that they use Kurobuta pork as filling, but the dumplings were too watery.
The only bright side of the meal here was that I found the staff here to be nice. I don’t know if I would recommend this ramen shop even though their prices are cheaper than their competitors. I would probably eat something else other than ramen if I am left in a predicament of limited options again.

If it wasn’t for the other ramen places nearby, this place would’ve gotten a solid 3 stars. I’ve heard great things about this hole in the wall ramen joint so decided to give it a shot. Being a food court, you’re not going to come here for the service or the atmosphere, you’re going to come here because you’re hungry. I feel kind of like a dick for giving this place two stars but the truth is — meh, I’ve had better at every other ramen shop I’ve been to.
FOOD — ²⁄₅ — I got the spicy miso ramen. I hope it was on an off night because the broth was watery and bland — nothing like the rich broth I’d read so much about. Also learned that the spiciness came from a couple squirts of sriracha into the broth, although I didn’t see it for myself. The chashu was well seasoned though, if not a little cold and stiff. Broth not-​withstanding, texture-​wise everything seemed right. But the serious lack of flavor in the broth really hurt the dish.
SERVICE — ³⁄₅ — It’s a food court, so food court service, aka none. But the cashier was polite.
ATMOSPHERE — ³⁄₅ — It’s a food court.
Will I go back? Sure, if the lineups at Motomachi, Santouka and Kintaro are too long and I have a ramen fix that needs to be addressed right now. Otherwise, probably not.

I come from Paris where the Ramen is becoming an institution in terms of food, we have a large choice there with top notch restaurants.
I came here because I found the place online and was interested in the handmade ramen.
It is situated inside the food court of a small mall on Robson street. There are a few seats and even a patio. We went there between 4 and 5pm so there wasn’t much crowd.
The service is pretty quick although you can’t pay with credit cards so don’t forget to bring cash or debit.
I ordered their special white sesame ramen and it was good but it was lacking personality, I like my ramen strong with a very distinctive taste. Although there is a large choice of ramen so some have probably stronger taste.
The entrée was very good as well: bread and beef inside (I can’t remember the name).
The place is tiny and in a not so conventional place, not the nicest too, but when you are in need of a good quick meal that is perfect.

Tucked away inside second floor or Robson market. It is definitely priced nicely all under $ 10 but the toppings are lacking. Very friendly staff and authentic Japanese. Reminds me of the vending machine ordered ramen in Japan. Very basic but great noodles. Unfortunately they were sold out of their marinated soft boiled eggs so it was very missed in our ramen bowls. The miso spicy had great broth flavour. Upgraded to pork Jowl which is must but the quality isn’t as great as santouka then again it’s about 50% less in price too.
Make sure to bring cash. Not really that special especially without the egg.
Value ⁴⁄₅
Atmosphere 2.5÷5
Service ⁴⁄₅
Quality ³⁄₅
13.5÷20

Came here for ounch because I read all the reviews. I can sum this up in one word… «meh». I didn’t find it so much better than other ramen places downtown. I had the spicy miso ramen. I found the soup to be a bit bland. Maybe it was just today, but a lot of flavour was missing. The noodle quantity was ok but iy seemed small in the big bowl. It is funny, they have this sign in front of the shop saying that the put so much chashu that you almost can’t see the noodles. It isn’t true!
Location is easy to get to. Inside the Robson Public Market. Ample seating at lunchtime.
I will give this place another try. Would live to try the spicy pork ramen.

Very tasty indeed! Was not disappointed with the flavor, quality and the quantity. I had the White Sesame Ramen and it had a rich smoky flavor. Cheaper than other ramen places and definitely comparable in taste. Don’t overlook it if you are in the area.