Jinya Ramen Bar has 3 locations in the lower mainland – two in Vancouver and one in Burnaby. Their restaurants offer a sleek and modern dining atmosphere while serving non-pretentious noodles in a good, solid broth.

Aside from traditional ramen, you will find the chef’s creations quite tantalizing. Such was the Slurp Up Cilantro Ramen made with a clear chicken broth, cilantro, chicken chashu, kikurage, seasoned egg. lime and chili sauce served with thin noodles. I love cilantro, and I found the lighter broth to be perfectly paired with the fine taste of the herb and the slight hint of citrus.

Once you’ve tasted Jinya’s excellent ramen broth, it’s hard to go somewhere else. I found their chicken broth to be hardy and flavourful without being too greasy. The meat is always cooked to perfection, either being some spicy chicken or tasty pork chashu.

Jinya also offers a variety of smaller plates, and a “happy hour” menu. Some dishes not too miss are the Jinya Buns (karaage or chashu, they’re both delightful) as well as their Caramelized Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts Tempura, and of course, their Pork Gyoza.

Overall, the price is quite reasonable for the quality of the food you’re getting. If you’re a fan of ramen, I  highly recommend this place.

A couple of tips: Make sure to arrive early. I can’t speak for the Vancouver locations, but the Burnaby one has at least a 30-minute wait for lunch by noon on most work days. One thing for sure: the wait is worth it.