Maruko Japanese Noodle House: Ramen Round 3-- About tired of ramen by now

Photo credits to Adorables

*and yet another late post* Annnd in the same day I found myself gorging on some ramen again =P This time it was after a fun evening of skating at Robson Square, and everyone was hungryyyy (and cold).







Restaurant: Maruko Japanese Noodle House (visit their website here)

Location: 1333 Robson Street, Vancouver
Cuisine: Japanese, Ramen
Price range: $10-15





Date of visit: December 17, 2013
Atmosphere: 4/5
Staff/service: 4.5/5
Food variety: 3.5/5
Food quality: 4/5
Buck worthy? 4/5

I was glad there wasn't a minimum charge here, Adorables and I shared a Shio Ramen ($8.95) which was quite good! I liked their light soup base which was also milky and full at the same time (does that even make sense). The ramen was chewy but had that soapy flavor I don't like in ramen =/







Here are some of the things others ordered (dont' recall what the names were but it looked good!)

The cushion fell off and we discovered why these stools were so sturdy!

And some flowers from Adorables <3 #beingspoiled

Anyways, I enjoyed myself here with great company and friendly service. It was actually quite busy despite it being an odd time =) Not the most authentic ramen place I've been to, but for something cheaper it's not a bad option (especially if you're just looking for a little bite to eat).

Ramen Jinya: Ramen Round 2-- 3/10 spicy is VERY SPICY!!

*another late post* Annnd two days later I found myself at ramen once again! This time we went to the other end of Robson where there weren't as many ramen restaurants located together in one place =)

Restaurant: Ramen Jinya 陣家 (visit their website here)

Location: 270 Robson Street, Vancouver
Cuisine: Japanese, Ramen
Price range: $10-15




Date of visit: December 17, 2013
Atmosphere: 4/5
Staff/service: 4.5/5
Food variety: 3/5
Food quality: 4/5
Buck worthy? 4/5

AT ordered a Spicy (regular) Ramen ($10.25), she found it not too spicy and just right. The soup was delicious!

I ventured and tried their new Red (level 3) Ramen ($11.25). You can choose between 1-10 level of spiciness and I found 3 to be quite spicy already! The spice was amazing though, my mouth was on fire and I was sweating profusely (maybe a bit exaggerated) but it was worth it. The spicy flavor complimented the miso pork bone soup base very well. I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't their thin ramen noodles though =(

RL always gets their Black Ramen ($11.25), which did come with their nice thin ramen noodles, and looked yummy as usual!

Overall I found the restaurant too warm, and alongside the hot noodles, it was an interesting experience to be sweating so much in the dead of winter! xD

Motomachi Shokudo: Ramen Round 1-- there's a minimum charge?!

A late blog post for a place I went to last year, I remember it being freezing cold and we were craving some ramen, so we went to the plethora of noodle shops around Robson and decided to wait here, since it seemed like the shortest lineup!

Restaurant: Motomachi Shokudo 元町食堂
Location: 740 Denman Street
Cuisine: Japanese, Ramen

Price range: $10-15

Date of visit: December 15, 2013

Atmosphere: 4/5

Staff/service: 3/5

Food variety: 2/5

Food quality: 3/5

Buck worthy? 2/5

Not knowing there was a minimum charge of one ramen each, I was pressured into ordering a bowl myself (which I ended up packing most of it for home). I ordered their Bamboo Charcoal Dark Miso Ramen ($10.55) after reading about all the benefits for charcoal for the body =P. This was decent, the soup was nice and hot but a bit oily. The ramen was your typical ramen, nothing too WOW about it. Now the egg on the other hand was AMAZING. I loved the gooey yolk and the soft egg white. YUMMY =D

Adorables ordered a Shio Ramen with Extra BBQ Pork ($10.55), so he got pork from different parts of the piggy. The soup base was much lighter and quite refreshing! There were some really fat pork pieces, but he seemed to enjoy it.

First time having ice water in a teacup xD

I was charged for my container (which I wouldn't have needed if we could have ordered one ramen and a side or smth) but noooooo. They charged an extra $0.50 for it. It's not a lot but it's a matter of principle. Onto the next ramen place~

Scoozi's: Homey and comforting deliciousness but not too friendly for the wallet =/

Since it was way past noon but we had a craving for some brunchy foods, Adorables and I wandered over to Scoozis after seeing their high ratings online.










Restaurant: Scoozis Mediterranean Bar & Grill (visit their website here)

Location: 445 Howe Street, Vancouver
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Price range: $15+





Date of visit: December 15, 2013
Atmosphere: 4/5
Staff/service: 4.5/5
Food variety: 4/5
Food quality: 4.5/5
Buck worthy? 3.5/5

It wasn't very busy (nearly empty) and we were greeted warmly by a server then seated relatively quickly. We were told that they were very busy earlier and we came at a great time because they just calmed down a bit. Excited, we studied the menu to decide upon a Superb Scoozis Breakfast Deep Dish ($12.95) because we read that they were well known for their deep dishes. I was surprised by how small it was, but the flavors were there. This comfort food was amazing! Loved the creaminess of it and how well the spinach and tomatoes worked together with the cheese and ham. Bread at the bottom was a bit hard to scrape off though (it was stuck on TIGHT!)

Overall, had an enjoyable experience, waiters were all very friendly and this felt like a very homey establishment =) Besides it being a bit pricey, the food itself is delicious!!

Look how cute they were! :D

Marble Slab Creamery, Vancouver: What do you mean we can't pay by credit card?! ><"

Right before the fireworks, RetroGirl and I decided to grab something to eat before we actually got hungry. It was a warm day, hence the ICE CREAM craving. Marble Slab was our target.

Restaurant: Marble Slab (visit their website here)

Location: 1184 Denman Street, Vancouver
Cuisine: Dessert, Ice Cream, Smoothies
Price range: $5-10




Date of visit: July 27, 2013
Atmosphere: 3/5
Staff/service: 3/5
Food variety: 4/5
Food quality: 4/5
Buck worthy? 2/5

Super long lineup! But I guess everyone wants ice cream eh? Noticed they had frozen yogurt, so I decided to try it! Waiting in line, I got to watch waffle cones being made fresh! =D

Finally got my frozen yogurt, it was such a terrible set-up everything was CONFUSING. We both got a small cup of their Raspberry Frozen Yogurt (~$5-- forgot the exact price).

Decided on a Ferrero Rocher Mixin', and proceeded to be confused by their setup

Turns out the line is separate for paying, so we had to go to the back of the store and line up again. WOW. Then. . . their system malfunctions and they can't accept credit cards anymore, so they start telling people lining up they won't be served if they cannot pay by cash. Well, by this time, I'm already half done my frozen yogurt and needed to pay be credit. Stared at them and giggled, didn't know what to do, the ladies behind us just left after finishing their ice cream LOL. Very eventful, luckily, the machine started working again when I got there, so I could pay =)

I was quite sad that I finished my dessert before I got back to the beach, their setup really needs improvement, one cash register for five ice-cream scoopers, JUST DOESN'T WORK OUT!!!! Anyways, hope they fix themselves since they're in such a prime location near English Bay. That is all.