There is a new hidden ramen stall in the West End selling $9.99 tonkotsu right now.
That’s because Menya Tsuzuki sits on the second floor of Robson Public Market at 1610 Robson St, the quiet upstairs food court most people don’t know even exists.
I stumbled onto it on a West End walk last week, tucked in beside Nine Dumplings, the only stall that seems to stick around.
If you’ve never been up there, the market itself is a two-level, glass-vaulted building, and the upstairs food stalls sit under skylights in one of the quietest corners on Robson.
The stall is run by two Japanese chefs who came over from Toronto, where they honed their craft at various ramen shops before setting up their own counter here.
It opened earlier in July, and the soft opening deal is the reason to go now.
Both the Tonkotsu Original and the Abura Soba are $9.99 for a limited time, down from their regular $12.95.
The full menu runs deeper than most food court stalls bother with.
There’s Tonkotsu Black with a garlic hit and a spicy Tonkotsu Red at $13.95 each, a Jiro Style Ramen at $15.95, and a dry noodle section with abura soba, Taiwan mazesoba, and tan tan mazesoba between $12.95 and $14.95.
Mini chashu don and mini curry rice run $6.95 if one bowl isn’t enough, and the topping list goes properly deep: seasoned egg, onsen egg, extra chashu, wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, garlic oil, even a spicy miso paste.
I went with the Tonkotsu Original, the soft opening special.
The noodles land on the firmer side with a proper chew, while the broth is creamy but on the milder end of the tonkotsu spectrum.
If you want more depth and punch, the Tonkotsu Black or Red looks like the smarter order.
The bowl doesn’t skimp where it counts though: three generous slices of chashu, plus kikurage, green onion, and a pop of pickled ginger.
The West End is stacked with ramen, to the point we’ve called the Robson stretch the city’s ramen alley when Betsutenjin joined it.
That second floor could honestly use the traffic, and a $9.99 bowl is a pretty good reason to finally climb the stairs.
Menya Tsuzuki is the newest challenger on the alley, joining recently opened Vancouver spots like BBQ & Co on Cambie and Delysees at Oakridge Park.
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.
Address: Robson Public Market, 1610 Robson St, Vancouver BC