's Broadway and Cambie ramen shop is now open for business.
The new restaurant, located at 545 W Broadway, soft-launched on Sept. 26. For those who recall there being a ramen restaurant in that same address before. you're correct: Menya Juémon replaces Benkei Ramen, which closed earlier this year.
Menya Juémon's emphasis is on traditional Japanese soy sauce.
"To further enhance the profile of our ramen, we’ve incorporated a variation of traditional Japanese soy sauce into each of our ramen on the menu," they note on their website, explaining each sauce will have its own unique flavour.
The Menya Juémon menu (which diners access via QR code inside the restaurant) features several bowls of ramen, including shoyu, spicy garlic, umami shoyu, shiro shoyu (seafood and white sesame), and a vegetarian tan tan. Some of the bowls have versions with more meat; for example, the spicy garlic comes standard with two slices of tender pork, whereas the "Spicy Garlic Cha-shu" version comes with six slices of pork.
For the spicy garlic, the broth is well-balanced, with the spice offering a pleasant lip tingle but no break-a-sweat burn. Kernels of sweet corn in the broth and a mound of bean sprouts counter the salinity of the broth and temper the heat of the spice a bit. The garlic is in the form of an abundance of chewy golden-fried "chips."
Noodles at Menya Juémon are either thick or what the menu says is medium thickness (interchangeable with "thin") though the "thick" noodles are not terribly thick but have a pleasing texture and chew.
In addition to ramen, the restaurant has rice bowls (don) and sides such as gyoza and seasonal greens. A new happy hour promo features some drink specials and discounts on appetizers/sides, as well as the option to add a mini rice bowl to your ramen order for just $5.
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With files from Brendan Kergin
This article was originally published on Sept. 17, 2023 and has since been updated with new information
