Vancouver’s ramen and gyoza enthusiasts, brace yourselves…
Gyo Para, a cherished spot in Kitsilano, has recently announced it will close its doors at the end of the month.
The news, shared on Gyo Para’s Instagram on July 21st, has left fans both old and new in shock.
Originally known as Gyoza Paradise, the restaurant first opened in 1993 on Thurlow and Robson, serving authentic ramen alongside hand-made gyozas.
However due to the block being redeveloped, the restaurant was shut down.
Founder Takashi Aramaki, was born into the ramen industry and had a huge influence in the Vancouver food scene.
His father ran a Shoyu ramen restaurant in the postwar 1950s Tokyo.
Eventually, they shifted and grew into the successful national food manufacturing company, Tsukimen.
A little after Takashi immigrated to Vancouver, he opened one of the city’s top sushi restaurants that’s still operating today: Octopus Garden.
The following year, Gyoza Paradise was born.
According to Ryutaro, Takashi’s son, in an interview with Way of Ramen, his father worked his way up Blenz Coffee after Gyoza Paradise shut down.
Ryutaro states that his father had a large hand in making Matcha begin to trend in North America.
After some time at Blenz, Takashi and his son assisted Ramen Danbo in opening their first international location at Kitsilano and the Robson outpost.
In 2017, the father-son duo itched to create their own craft ramen again and opened up Gyo Para.
Gyo Para quickly became a local fav for its quality ramen, made using natural ingredients and traditional methods.
The restaurant used a special water system to ensure the purest water for their broths, and noodles made to Takashi’s specifications with techniques learned from his father.
This commitment to quality resulted in a well-rated restaurant with 4.5 stars on Google, with many reviews praising their tonkotsu ramen and gyozas as the best they’ve ever had.
In their Instagram post, Gyo Para shared: “it’s been an incredible 7-year journey reopening our family restaurant again in Vancouver, but the time has come for our owner Tak to retire, and so this chapter in Gyo Para’s history is coming to a close.”
Many loyal customers in the comments thanked Takashi and congratulated him on his retirement.
Other publications have reported that their final day is July 28, 2024, but Gyo Para has told Noms Magazine that they may be open for a few more weeks instead.
So there’s still time for one last bowl of ramen or a plate of gyozas.
Make sure to drop by Gyo Para before they close and share this news with friends who love ramen and gyoza!
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Address: 2120 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC