Horin Ramen Robson

We came on a Wednesday night, and even though it was a weekday, there was a consistent small line to get into the restaurant which is always a good sign. There’s a decent amount of seating, the restaurant was nicely lit, and clean. My husband and I both decided to get combos. He got the house special “The One” which had included a soft boiled egg, bean sprouts, 4 pieces of pork, and green onion while I ordered the “Agitama” which had a soft boiled egg, 2 pieces of pork, and green onions. While he got the chef recommendations for the noodle softness/spiciness level, I decided to get softer noodles, less salty broth, but the ‘hot’ spicy level. Their spicy sauce already has sodium in it, so the suggestion by the server was that the soup would not have to be as salty, which was a good choice. We shared the pork gyoza, takana & cucumber/seaweed salad, and homemade matcha tiramisu. The gyoza and salads were decent, but nothing special. The matcha tiramisu was the highlight for me. The cream was smooth, the matcha flavour was just right, and it wasn’t too sweet overall.

Yum! Service was SO FAST which makes sense because there was always a bit of a lineup outside the door of people waiting to come in. The ramen was delicious and we enjoyed the menu options. Would recommend & would come here again.

9/10 Ramen~ My boyfriend and I had a great experience eating at Horin last night. Their broth is great but, what we absolutely loved was their noodles! Worth the price and their combo deals and happy hour — where you get free noodles (as long as you finish it) is wonderful. The extra bonus is that they also serve matcha 😍 Horin has won my heart after just one time. Service is great, kind and friendly servers, the culture where you are greeted and they wish you a good day when you leave is excellent. Overall restaurant is pretty clean and the lighting, design and everything is nice.

Oh my goodness. Wow. My first time here and first time trying traditional tonkotsi ramen. You know it's legit when everyone spoke Japanese and there's a bidet in the washroom 🤣 I highly recommend getting the combo and try their pumpkin tiramisu. The service, quality of food, broth (!), and presentation of the dessert were superb. 5 ⭐ through and through

Good ramen joint with flavourful tonkotsu broth. Like it that we can customise our own noodle texture and richness of soup. The gyoza was delicious too. Service was also friendly and fast! Highly recommended

Horin Ramen on Robson serves delicious, rich ramen with great flavor and texture — perfect comfort food as we move into the colder months. The broth is flavorful, noodles are nicely cooked, and the overall quality is consistent. However, since it’s fall and winter is coming soon, seating near the entrance can be a bit uncomfortable. Every time the door opens, cold air rushes in, making it chilly and causing the ramen to cool down quickly. It would be great if the restaurant could find a way to minimize the draft. Still, the ramen itself makes it worth the visit — just try to get a seat farther from the door!

Finally tried this place after hearing about it everywhere. I ordered the Ajitama (ramen with egg), and we all chose the combo, which is such a good deal since it lets you add one side and one salad. Highly recommend getting the combo so you can try more dishes. We ordered the horin gyoza, chicken nanban, chashu bowl, and matcha tiramisu. The must-try is definitely the chashu bowl. The flavour was so good that we actually talked about ordering it as our main next time. The matcha tiramisu was also delicious and reminded me of the dessert at Ichiran in Japan. The chicken nanban came highly recommended, but we didn’t finish it because there was just too much sauce. I would probably ask for the sauce on the side next time. The worst part of our visit was how long it took to get seated. The servers didn’t seem very efficient. They kept seating smaller groups who arrived after us and didn’t try to adjust any tables, even though moving people around a bit could have gotten us in much earlier. Overall, I still prefer the broth at Ramen Danbo, but the aburi pork belly chashu here is better. Next time, I would probably just get the chashu bowl or try a different ramen.

I ordered the Horin combo with The One ramen bowl and fried chicken. The broth is the star of the bowl. Very porky in flavour and perfectly seasoned - you can tell a lot of time was put into making it. The rest of the bowl of ramen was average - the noodles were a little bland, but the pork chasu was a little tough and a bit overcooked for my taste. The egg and veggies were decent. Next time I may try the broth without the chili sauce. The accompanying chicken nanban was a little confusing. The chicken was fried perfectly crispy and juicy, and the sauce was a delicious tartness and sweetness that made me want more. But somehow the dish is less than the sum of its parts - I'd rather have the chicken on its own and the sauce on the side, as when the chicken is lathered in the sauce I lose the flavours of both and it's a bit overwhelming. Overall a nice bowl for a decent price, but for me it's a bit below the competition.

I find the broth for the ramen pretty oily and bland. You need to mix in the dollop of sauce for the broth to be flavorful. The ramen is ok, it just doesn't stand out to me. The only nice thing here is that you can customize it. It is not a place I will crave for the ramen.

The broth was very rice and was very comforting on a rainy day. With so many ramen options in this area, this is still one of my the top 3 places for ramen.

Best ramen I've ever had hands down. The broth is perfect and delicious. The noodles firm and filling. No reservations but the wait was not too bad 30 mins and all people in the party must be present to be seated. The yelling when people come in is a bit nerve racking but still worth the visit. The Japanese music is soothing. Will def be back again!

Was desperately looking for a last minute Christmas dinner and we luckily stumbled upon Horin which was near our hotel! ***What I ordered ~ **The One (Size Small & Mild Spice) 8.5/10 ~ The broth was rich, easy to eat, and flavorful. Loved that the Char Siu was cooked to perfection and was tender. Also loved the eggs! The noodles were thin and cooked to perfection. I personally love that you can customize your ramen too! Although, I was wish there more variety with flavors for the tonkotsu. Overall, Would definitely come back again. Staff was friendly, food was good, and service was super fast! The best meal for a cold day :)

For the money, one of the best values in Vancouver. Excellent broth, spicy sauce is very flavorful. They seat you quickly and offer you a menu while you wait. This is about getting in and getting on your way. Ambiance is high energy and a little frantic but it works. A lot of people got it to go as well.

Horin has delicious ramen and excellent/fast service. We went here for dinner and were genuinely surprised by how good and cheap the food was. We got the original ramen with hot chili and seared pork. The flavor was so good, and we finished our food quickly. Thin noodles are not my favorite, but this place is an exception. If you prefer thicker noodles, this might not be your best place. However, I would still give it a try. The servers were all really nice, attentive, and very fast. There was a wait to get a seat, but this place is worth the wait. The inside is small, and this is not a place for a long dinner night. It is better to go with the expectation that you will be in and out for dinner. Overall, I love this place so much, and we would go back.

Quick and friendly service. No line which was a blessing. My guy ordered the ramen and I got the small pork bowl and takoyaki. The ramen broth was complex and tasty and the seared pork added an additional depth to the dish. My pork bowl was a bit underwhelming. The pork was cooked a bit too much. It was a bit too crispy. For$6, I think it was not worth it. In hindsight, I wish I had ramen instead. The takoyaki was yummy and had actual pieces of octopus in there. The matcha dessert was so refreshing and creamy. Overall, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the ramen. Really glad we stopped by.

Came over to Horin the first time cause the lineup at Danbo was too long. It was just a quick ramen fix but was pleasantly surprised that it was comparable to Danbo. Service was good and servers were very attentive It was a narrow shop and the atmosphere was rather nice. Comfortable seating with nice lighting. I picked the original ramen, noodles were thin and firm, you get to choose the broth, and the fatness. Oh also the degree of spice as well. Overall I'd say it's very decent. I do still prefer danbo tho. I think it's just a better umami in the broth. Really just about personal preference. Food 7.5 Service 8. Ambiance 8. Value 8

We went in late on a weekday and there was no line. The service was very friendly and the food came super quick. The reason for the three stars is because I felt like the ramen wasn't super hot, it was more lukewarm. I opted for the spicy option but I think it needed more. The broth was light and good but didn't have enough flavor to it. They have a small size option which is great because the average ramen size is always too big for me. Overall it was a very average experience. Nothing mind blowing but also nothing horribly bad!

Delicious vegetarian ramen. The soft boiled egg was cooked well with great runny yolk inside. The soup had great flavor. They gave extra spicy sauce on the side which additional provided great flavor to the ramen. This place was significantly better than Maruhachi ramen. I wanted to come back again and would have if we were staying longer in Vancouver. Highly recommend! :)

Came for an early dinner on a weekday and there was plenty of seating/no line. Pretty well priced ramen though a few of the apps/sides looked slightly high. You can elect quite a few options to customize your ramen to your liking. The broth is rich and delicious and the charred chashu is delicious. The karaage was great as was the cucumber salad. The one downside being quantity. The chashu was quite thinly sliced. Additionally, the amount of ramen/broth in the bowl was not enough! I never understand restaurants that use giant bowls but don't fill to the top. Use a smaller bowl? Service was attentive.

ajitama ramen with the customization (flavour: medium, Noodle firmness: firm, Broth richness: medium, House made chili: medium, Chasu: aburi) The soup was very nice and flavourful which I enjoyed. I found the medium spicy to not be spicy at all, it just tasted like white pepper. I am still a thick noodle person so I personally was not a huge fan of the thin noodles. The thing that was a little disappointing to me was the chasu. It wasn't rlly fatty or anything (which is fine) but it just didn't stand out to me at all. Even though I chose the aburi option, it seems like it was just for show and didn't enhance the flavour like how it is like with other places I've had. There's usually a super long line in front of this place and luckily I went a little earlier because once I got in, a line started to form. I don't really understand though because it wasn't especially good to me

This place opens relatively late as when I went it was past 9 PM, making it a great option for those on Robson later at night. The interior is bright with nice music playing in the background! I ordered the House Special with everything medium & rich broth. This has to be one of the best ramen I've had in a long while. The broth & aburi meat were tasteful, and the noodles were tasty along with having a good texture to it. It felt like ramen instead of just noodles. Coming in at $18 for a regular, it is not the cheapest option - but I would absolutely come back!

We came here for dinner tonight for the first time and we really enjoyed our meal! We were craving ramen and saw the line out the door so thought it must be good which it was! We both ordered the original ramen with seared pork and loved it. The broth was so rich and flavorful. I really like how you can customize your ramen (richness of broth, firmness of noodles, spice level, etc). I'm personally not a huge fan of thin ramen noodles and prefer thicker noodles so that would be my only objection (but that's just me being picky). Service was great here! The staff were all very attentive and constantly came by to check in on us. The food came out very fast too. We did feel a little rushed though because of the line of people outside waiting for a table. Ambiance is good as well! It is a very small space with very limited seating though. Definitely a good spot if you're looking for a quick meal - probably wouldn't recommend coming here if you want to sit around, relax, and talk for awhile if there's a line of people waiting for a seat.

I've been wanting to go here since they opened ages ago and today I finally made a visit! They cook their ramen broth for 20 hours so ensure it's packed full of flavour. I love that the broth is customizable too! The noodles were the perfect level of cook and I chose to have the broth "hot". The spice level here isn't burning hot or anything it's more of a low heat in the background even if you ask for it hot so be mindful of that when you order. We also ordered the gyoza which came with a crispy top!

I wanted to go to Ramen Danbo but there was way too many people so I decided to go to Horin Ramen which is so under rated because it was actually so good. I waited 20-25 minutes in line for a table for 4 during a weekend late lunch. The store isn't very large, I think it can maybe seat 30 people max, so just keep that in mind while you're waiting. All the servers were very nice though, the food came within 5 minutes after ordering which was quite amazing. Essentially they only have one type of ramen, it just depends on how many ingredients you want. In addition you can customize it down to how much flavor you want or broth richness which is pretty interesting because I've never been able to customize either of the two things in ramen before. I ordered The One which has all the side ingredients and it was actually delicious. The broth is amazing, its not too dense and salty which is what happens at many other ramen places. I also appreciate that they have a lot of broth as the broth was definitely the star of the show. The pork was okay but I thought it was interesting trying the Aburi Chasu versus the original which had more of a smoky flavor. The egg was so good too, as per usual... I can definitely eat 5 more of just these types of egg. Overall, honestly Horin Ramen exceeded my expectations by a long shot and I will definitely be coming back again when in Vancouver for more. Maybe next time I will try it with more spice just for an extra kick of flavor.

Excellent food and authentic atmosphere. Brought me back to Japan. That style of Ramen is as described on their website. Staff are efficient and friendly. Really enjoyed the experience and hope to be back soon.

We went there to get the vegetable tofu bowl and kimchi takeout. The serve was friendly and prompt. The food however was sub par. The tofu bowl was mostly rice , few vegetables with the worst tofu I've ever had. I love to cook snd tofu is my go to protein. This tofu was rubbery and tasteless. The bow was bland without any sauce whatsoever.

Nice little shop, friendly, efficient. Lots of choices for your ramen too. Chili is a nice twist. The broth, though, is the real attraction. Such wonderful balance! Maybe 50 years of experience does make a difference! Take note, other ramen shops! This is the standard to meet.

Very simple menu so you go for the one type of ramen. The ramen was quite delicious - different type of noodle than I am use to so that could throw you off. We like a more wavey noodle so it can bring up the broth better. These noodles were straighter. The toppings were all on point and added a lot of flavors to the ramen. The broth was very yummy! Gyoza was good! Tip: even on a weekday, get there before it opens because people are already lined up. They are small so once it filled up, you'll just have to wait until the tables turn. But since their menu is small and to the point, the tables turn within a reasonable amount of time.

Friendly, attentive service, neat and clean. Fast serving, decent prices - great Ramen. ごちそうさまでした~

Horin, is a small, bright and airy restaurant with lots of small tables for 2. The service was really friendly and kind. Ordered the House Special, it was really delicious. Make sure to order you order the aburi chasu , as it adds a nice sear taste, and the chasu had a perfect combination of fat and meat, so tender and melt in your mouth. The ramen noodles were cooked to a perfect medium firmness, and the egg was cooked perfectly too. I ordered the medium rich broth, and it was amazing good, with a nice rich and creamy taste, full bodied taste. Horin says the broth is slow cooked with pork bones for 20 hours. If you're really hungry, for $6 more you can get the combo that comes with pork gyoza and Japanese style salad. There's usually a short line but it's definitely worth the wait. I'll be back.

I like that you can customize your bowl of ramen. I ordered "Original" for pickup with this customization: Flavour: strong Noodles: firm Broth: rich Signature chili: medium Chashu: aburi The broth was so flavourful, but a tad salty. The noodles were thin & chewy with the perfect firmness. I recommend adding extra noodles ($1.50 for 65g or $2.50 for 130g.) It was my first time trying aburi chashu and you definitely need to try this!

- Flavorful rich broth, not oily, drank almost all of it - Thin al dente noodles - Wish the pork belly was more charbroiled/basted more fat off

Solid ramen with the ability to adjust different things! Location: on Robson street, close to lots of shopping Food: really enjoyed this ramen! Unlike other shops you can adjust the firmness of your noodle and the richness of your broth. Highly recommend getting the pork seared! Service: good service, pretty quick. Atmosphere: nice casual spot, definitely could be a little loud if it's full.

As someone who was born and raised in Japan and loves ramen, I've been wanting to try this place for a while. My favourite type of ramen is from Yokohama/Tokyo, but I do appreciate ramen from the west side of Japan (in this case, Fukuoka) as well. I ordered the small 'The One' and gyoza dumplings combo with seasoned beansprouts. We also ordered some grated garlic and seaweed (7 pieces of flavored seaweed for $2) on the side to go with the ramen. FYI, small has 100g of noodles and regular has 130g. Customization: Flavor - Strong Noodles - Hard Broth - Rich Chili - Medium Chashu - Original (but I recommend aburi after trying my partner's) The One The ramen was quite flavorful with a thin, chewy noodle that went well with the soup. The egg was made well with the right amount of fattiness on chashu. One of the best (if not the best) west Japan/Fukuoka style ramen I've had in Canada. Gyoza It's supposed to come with crispy wings but it was quite soggy with 0 crispyness. The dumpling itself was nice but nothing special. It was nice that they added the yuzu pepper paste on the side though. Seasoned bean sprout The combo came with a choice of salad so I chose this one. It was nice a tasty and reminded me of the seasoned bean sprout that I had at this ramen shop in Japan (although they served it for free on the table in Japan). I just wish they gave us more since it was so small. The staff was also nice and good with their service.

Yes. I will have more of that. This broth is thick, and it will leave you feeling satisfied. You can adjust the richness and the texture of the ramen noodles here, and it's their only outpost outside of Japan. Be prepared for a bit of a wait, but like all good ramen places, their ordering and service system is extremely expedient, as they really just do the one thing, and they do it well. The interior is pretty stuffy and cramped, as there aren't a lot of tables that can fit in the small floor space, but it's worth the wait. Plus, because things happen so quickly inside, the tables turn over very quickly. If we're ever back in Vancouver, I would 100% go back. The pricing is extremely reasonable too.

We came on a rainy Monday afternoon -- perfect ramen weather -- and the place was packed. The wait wasn't too bad and the ramen was more than worth it. The small is basically a regular and the regular is like a large, so be warned. The noodles were thin and cooked to perfection.

Got the tan tan ramen and it was tasty. It came with green noodles and tofu. Loved the broth - it was creamy, rich with a lot of peanut flavour. It really hit the spot after a cold day of hiking. We also got the gyoza, and it was slightly charred lol. It was good but not amazing. So far Horin one of my favourite ramen places in Vancouver.

The ramen is so amazing that we had to go twice during our vacation to Vancouver. There was a line each time, but it was definitely worth the wait. Service was extremely friendly and it's a very cute spot. Would definitely recommend!

Solid ramen option in Vancouver! Got the Ajitama and the broth is super flavorful and rich. The gyoza is also a great add-on! The wait took over 1 hour on a weekday night (the waiter said it would be 20 mins), my guess is because there aren't a lot of tables. However, the servers were extremely apologetic for the long wait and were really attentive and kind.

I visited Horin with a friend that recommended it to me and, after trying it, I completely understand. I got The One and was surprised by how much we were allowed to customize the flavor. Everyone's tastebuds are different after all. I'm not typically a spice person but after reading the history of Horin, I decided to at least get a bit on the side to try, and it really is a good spice. Despite the small space and how popular the place seems, we never felt rushed by the staff. They came by to check on us and refill water. They had great timing on when we seemed to be finished and ready to check out. I had a great experience and can't wait to come back :)

Outstanding. I cannot stop thinking about this ramen. Even taken out (I was staying across the street) it was fantastic. Line can form outside this small (6 tables?) restaurant. Worth the wait. Chasu aburi (flame seared pork belly) is a must! Travelled from the US for it, will do it again. Highly recommend 12/10.

The perfect linner for a cold day! I love ramen and this place did not let us down. My partner doesn't eat the Chashu so I get his tooo...lucky me. The broth is rich and creamy and noodles just right. They are made to order, imagine that! I love that the egg it is still a bit runny and there was lots of bean sprouts. The weather is cold so of course we had to try their House Sake "hot". Mm mm all warm in side and out. Visit this little restaurant, the staff is lovely and attentive.

Solid vegetarian/vegan ramen, but not one of the city's top offerings. The furthest west of the countless ramen places in the West End, this is a small, narrow place with seating for maybe 20-25 people. I came in because I saw a vegetarian ramen on the menu that could possibly be vegan -- indeed, it can be vegan if they omit the egg (they replace it with tofu; the noodles are spinach noodles and are vegan) -- perfect! It's a spicy creamy tan tan ramen ($16.90 plus tax), so it's not bland by any means. I also ordered a couple of side salads: seaweed salad and cucumber salad with chili oil ($3.90 plus tax each). Everything came out at the same time, within 10 minutes of ordering. The seaweed salad was much too sweet. The texture and flavours were good otherwise, but it tasted like they dumped too much sugar into it. The cucumber dish was much better, coming with a very satisfying paste-y, chili oil -- solid. The ramen comes with a large portion of spinach noodles, plenty of bean sprouts, and 5 pieces of unseasoned soft tofu. The filling to broth ratio is very high here, so you don't get a huge opportunity to taste the broth alone. Nevertheless, the broth was pretty well-done, coming with a side of chili sauce to spice it up. It's much less creamy than expected from the title of the dish, but still thicker than your average shoyu broth. The fillings were pretty lacklustre though, with no veggies and rather flavourless tofu. Overall, I'm happy they have a veganizable ramen on the menu, but I think it's needs some sprucing up to compete with the many high-quality vegan ramens in town.

Popped in for a quick lunch while Christmas shopping on a cold sunny day. The service was friendly and efficient. I had their combo with a small size of "The One" (ramen has all the toppings added) plus the gyoza. The combo comes with a small side of pickles and your choice of salads. I picked the spicy bean sprouts. The ramen flavour was good (albeit on the more delicate side), and the serving size was perfect. The reason why they're getting 3 stars is because the soup was barely warm, not even close to hot - not sure if that's the way it's supposed to be with this style, but I was really hoping for something hot! The type of noodles they serve here is the thin skinny kind, like somen, which I have to admit is not my favourite, but it was a good flavour and texture for that style. I found some of the slices of chasu had that porky funky taste while other slices tasted normal without any of that "funk." Thankfully, their gyoza was piping hot, and tasty. I really liked the little dab of spicy yuzu sauce/paste they gave you with it as it really added another layer of flavour. The gyoza seemed lighter, and a lot less greasy than most other places', and like their ramen, the flavour was not as intense as at others, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Overall, I enjoyed it, but will try "strong flavour" option for the broth next time.

Best ramen i've ever had!!!! Amazing service, ambience, and delicious food. Horin Ramen is a must try if you're in Vancouver

Friendly and very quick service. Food was delicious! Quaint little spot! Nice to able to customize my ramen. Also to able to add a salad (3choices) and gyoza for only 6 dollars

This is my Favourite ramen place in the city. The ramen is made fresh and the service is absolutely incredible. The line up can get quite long on weekends, but if you go at the right time, you can usually get seated and eat right away. The ambiance is relaxing and intimate, and the staff always greet you as you come in, providing a cool experience.

Not the best ramen I have had. We got the chicken karaage, vegetarian ramen with egg noodles, and the one ramen. Service is good and everyone is efficient. Chicken karaage tasted good, peanut sauce as salad dressing was good. Tasted a little too oily. Vegetarian ramen, there was a whole lot of noodles. Broth tasted really good and their chili sauce definitely adds flavor. Do get that The one was ok. Not the biggest fan of the broth. It was light and not super creamy which is good. Overall just another ramen shop :)

One of the best ramen places I have been to! Must try it with the aburi chashu. Their chilli oil sauce is very fragrant. You can also get it with a combo for an extra $5 you may choose from gyoza, chicken karage, or ice cream with side dishes. 10/10 would go back again.

My son is a ramen aficionado and loves this spot. We order The One, and it's yummy. Affordable, too. Broth is delicious without being too rich. Medium is sort of spicy, go for hot if you're like us. Chasu is much better than most spots. Plenty of noodles but you can get more on the side. Pretty much always a line outside, not that many tables inside but they cycle through at a good clip.

Ramen, karaage, and potstickers are delicious! Portions are good! Not sure if they take reservations but we came on a rainy Sunday afternoon and it was about a 15 minute wait outside (people just lined up).

I got their house special ramen "THE ONE" The pork broth was so flavorful. The One has thin egg noodles, house special chilli sauce, soft boiled egg, green onion, beansprout, and seared chashu. Their service was quick and very friendly. If you work in downtown, it is a good place to go if you only have a hour lunch break. The presentation and ambiance was perfect, I would go back!

10/10 ramen! I recommend trying it. Line might be long but such worth the wait! Love the service and ambiance. Every time you enter staff says welcome. And the flavors are delicious.

There's a wait but it wasn't too bad when we went at 12:30PM on a Saturday. The line got longer by the time we finished and left. Food service was quick and efficient. Staff were friendly and patient with our orders. You can customize your ramen orders by broth richness, noodle firmness, flavor strength, spicy chili amount, and chashu flavor (original or aburi, I highly endorse the aburi). You can also get regular size or a small. The ramen was greasy as is all ramen but the flavor overshadowed this because I didn't really notice until I finished the whole thing. Takoyaki was good but paled in comparison to the gyoza. The sauce for the takoyaki was filled with bits of egg that made it way too filling to be a side for ramen. The gyoza on the other hand was not too heavy and paired well with the ramen, adding more flavor depth to the meal as a whole. If you add gyoza as a side to the ramen to make a combo, you also get a salad of choice and Japanese pickled radish. All in all, I would come again if I'm ever in the city but not too often as it is a lot of heavy hitting dishes.

Great place for ramen amongst stuff competitors in downtown Vancouver. They have customizable options for your noodles and flavour which I always appreciate and it was made perfectly to my liking. I ended up getting the ajitama ramen and I had absolutely no complaints about it. Friendly staff. Would highly recommend!

Love the story that Horin ramen put on its website: Over 50 years ago, in the region of Ogori in Fukuoka Prefecture, there was a restaurant which for the first time in Japan used chili peppers in its tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen. It became famous throughout the land as "the restaurant where chili ramen was created." Eager to taste its ramen, people from all over Japan would come and line up outside. Unfortunately, the restaurants founder became a victim of his own success. Unable to handle all the business, he became ill and, even though it would be missed, closed his restaurant. To revive the flavors of the founder, I collaborated with him to create Ramen Restaurant HORIN. It was my goal to continue the founder's legacy, taste, and ideas regarding ramen. The original restaurant was established in 1966, and exactly ten years after it went out of business, we started afresh under a new name. We make our broth and tare sauce by hand daily, making adjustments depending on the time of year as well as the weather. We ordered its signature ramen with tonkotsu broth and it has a gentle, uncomplicated flavor. Also, the Goza was fantastic, real meat and solid texture inside with great flavor.

The first time I tried this place was when the Covid restrictions were still implemented in the restaurants. Then saw this place close up for awhile and finally saw it reopened as we were cruising along Robson street to go to Holts to pickup something. Trying to find parking along Robson street can be a challenge sometimes so may need to circle around a couple of times or park on the side streets, it's all pay parking. Finally managed to find a parking space on Robson closed to the restaurant. Was greeted and promptly seated when we entered the restaurant. It's a pretty small ramen place, structured with one strip of tables with plexiglass dividers between each other on one side and the other side is the kitchen. Quite simple and casual, eat and go kind of atmosphere. Here were what we ordered this time; 1. The One (the house special) with medium ramen firmness, medium flavour, rich in richness and hot spices on the side. Choose cucumber slices and seaweed for the sides and our chasu aburi. ( we both ordered the same ramen). What kind I say? The aburi chasu were chewy, honestly it was like chewing on dried pork jerky and was feeling tired from chewing them, I don't like if they overhead my sarcasm and my facial expressions but the next 2 tables that were seated besides us, their aburi chasu looked a bit more fatty then ours. The ramen itself was okay but the soup was warm. I think I mentioned before that It you are eating noodle soups and the soups are not steaming hot, it's an automatic failed because it's very unpleasant and somewhat disgusting? Of course unless it's a cold ramen dish, besides that, no if's or but's. 2. Gyoza. Very nicely pan fried, great texture and moist. Ordered them as a combo with the ramen. 3. Takoyaki. It was okay, had way better ones and too much sauce. 4. Sides of cucumber slices, seaweed, and pickled veggies. What can I say? It is what it is. Overall, from what I recalled the first time I came here. The soup was hot and tasty, the chasu were tender and flavourful. That's why i came back again but don't know what happened this time around. The waitresses were friendly and attentive, but its a ramen place and I am here for a good bowl of hot tasty ramen not here to be the staffs next best friend? Well I can be that but still want a good bowl of ramen first. First visit from before wood he a solid 3.5 stars but unfortunately I returned to a 1 star experience.