likebyregina Have you ever entered the Robson Public Market? You may walk past it, but you just never have the reason to enter this quiet and small market. However, some of the best eateries can be found in the most unexpected places. After reading this post, you will have just the perfect reason to enter and explore a hidden gem for a bowl of inexpensive ramen.
Hida Takayama Ramen is located on the second floor food court of the Robson Public Market. Unlike any regular ramen shop, it offers bigger portion with lower price. More importantly, the quality remains at top-notch.
All broth and noodles are made in house. In order to make a high quality broth, it is simmered over three days, without any concentration or MSG used. The shop features two soup choices: the signature Hida blend broth and chicken & dashi broth.
We ordered the Traditional Hida Spicy ramen to share. It uses clear chicken dashi broth and ohmugi-buta (barley-fed) pork chashu to pair with the ramen. The broth is on the sweeter side, compared to other ramen I tried. I usually don’t drink my ramen soup, but this time I really enjoy it. Without the MSG, I can definitely taste the difference of the soup – light, clear, and without a single drip of oil floating on the broth.
The noodles are cooked to perfection, and I like its firmness and chewy texture. The chashu is tender. How I would enjoy this ramen is to eat the noodles with a big spoon of broth, along with a small bite of chashu. A hint of spice kicks in and blend well with the overall taste.
Overall Impression
I can’t say no to this bowl of ramen with its incomparable price and portion. However, I wish the broth is not as sweet, as I still prefer the savoury broth more. Other than that, the ramen shop does not have any line ups. There is clean and spacious seating in the food court. So why would I stand outside in the cold and wait for an hour for a small bowl of ramen?
Taste : 4.5/5 • Service: 4.5/5 • Ambiance: N/A • Quality-Price: 5/5
