Unconventional and long-running, Richmond’s Shibuyatei ramen shop is serving its final bowls this month.
After 13 years, this tiny one-man operation is closing for good.
Shibuyatei, the no-frills ramen spot tucked next to a car wash across from the Hampton Inn, has always felt like a portal to the past.
Between the barely lit interior, a stack of random Japanese pantry boxes, and a corner TV playing Japanese news, stepping inside made you feel like you weren’t in Richmond at all.
Chef Takeo Sato, the man behind it all, runs the place solo.
He takes your order, cooks your ramen, and serves it to you himself.
And he does it all with a serious presence that sets the tone for the space.
Those who have been know it’s not your average ramen shop.
Chef Sato has shared his story with us last year when we were dining in on a quiet spring day.
He once ran a successful ramen shop in Tokyo that appeared on magazines and TV, and even had investors lined up.
But when his father fell ill, he gave it all up and moved back to the countryside.
After his father passed, things never picked back up in Japan.
Eventually, he came to Canada and opened Shibuyatei around 2011.
Here, he’s been quietly serving his take on old-school Tokyo-style ramen, or “larmen” as he calls it.
His soup is light, clean, and balanced – far from the fatty, trendier broths you’ll find elsewhere.
But as with many deeply personal spots, it came with its own rules.
Every guest – even babies – had to order something.
There was no sharing, no bending of the house guidelines.
At one point, a customer even filed a Human Rights case against Shibuyatei for its rules.
Reviews over the years swung between people finding him rude and others calling it a hidden gem.
Sadly, it looks like time has finally caught up to the place.
On our visit in early July, Chef shared that the building is slated for redevelopment and he will be closing up shop on August 24.
He mentioned that he had been aware for a while and was searching for a new space, but rising costs made finding a new location impossible.
Shibuyatei will join other recent Richmond closures like Shanghai Morning, Suhang, and Pearl Castle in Richmond Centre.
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Address: 2971 Sexsmith Rd, Richmond, BC V6X 2H4