Ezogiku Noodle Cafe (270 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone 604-685-9466) serves bowls of hot, steaming Japanese ramen noodle soup. A bowl of ramen soup costs around $7.25 plus tax, and you can also order some appetizers such as pan fried gyoza dumplings. I enjoyed the Kimchi Ramen (pictured below), which featured the traditional Korean spicy cabbage as well as barbecued pork.

Ezogiku Noodle Cafe is located near the Vancouver main library downtown, as well as BC Place Stadium, home of the BC Lions Football team. It’s also a short walk from GM Place Stadium, home of the Vancouver Canucks hockey team. The restaurant is within easy walking distance of hotels such as the Rosedale on Robson, Westin Grand, and the Hampton Inn and Suites.

Kimchi ramen noodle soup

The interior of Ezogiku Noodle Cafe on Robson.

Khai Thai Cuisine (809 Seymour Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-682-7000) is a nicely decorated, airy room with skylights, and a layout of tables and cozy nooks in which to enjoy a relaxing Thai meal.

Located conveniently in the heart of downtown Vancouver near hotels such as the Vancouver Westin Grand, as well as the Vancouver Public Library, Khai Thai Cuisine has affordable lunch time specials, with a variety of choices of curries and other Thai dishes such as the Pad Thai.

The combinations are $9.95 at lunch, and come with a green salad (pictured below), rice, deep fried spring roll, and a main course such as the Penang Curry with Chicken (also pictured below). I found the service was excellent and the flavors of the curry were so good that I finished every last spoonful!

Panang Thai Chicken Curry, served with rice, spring roll, and green salad (pictured above), all for $9.95 (at lunch time).

Kintaro Ramen (788 Denman Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone 604-682-7568) serves hot steaming bowls of Japanese ramen noodle soup (the miso ramen is pictured below, $7.50). The soup comes with freshly made noodles and a wonderfully rich vegetable and pork broth. You can order your ramen with a choice of lean pork or more fatty pork, as well as choose some appetizers such as the pan fried gyoza (also pictured below, $3.25).

Miso Ramen ($7.50)

Pan fried gyoza ($3.25)