As much as I love summer, I love fall even more. And you know what goes great with fall weather? A delicious bowl of ramen.

My friend Aaron and I decided to check out the new location of Ramen Koika on lower Robson St. “Koika” means love song in Japanese, so if you’re bold enough to call your ramen a love song, well, you might say that expectations have been set a tad high.

the menu has something for everybody: small bites, salads, and small plates, but the items I was interested in were the King’s Seafood Ramen and the Triple Black Garlic Ramen.

The King’s Seafood Ramen lives up to its name by offering large portions of clams and crab. The thick and savoury made-from-scratch broth is the perfect accompaniment to their thin noodles, which are also made in-house.

Most bowls are well priced ($10-$15) so you get a good quality meal without breaking the bank. We enjoyed the atmosphere and service well enough, but the restaurant lacks the warmth of other well-known Isakayas and ramen bars close by.

The Triple Black Garlic Ramen is the perfect fall meal in my opinion: savoury, thick and filling. I love garlic, so I truly enjoyed it. The garlic chips on top gave the dish a nice, satisfying crunch. This dish can be modified to accommodate dietary preferences such as vegetarian, offering tofu instead of chicken or pork. Since the noodles are made with eggs, it’s not possible to offer a full vegan ramen at this time.

Another menu item worth mentioning: The puri-puri ebi – Jumbo shrimp, deep fried and panko breaded. Can’t go wrong with this and a glass of beer.

Ramen Koika has two locations to serve you: 1479 Robson Street and at 1231 Davie Street.