Maruhachi Ra-men (Robson)

Maruhachi Ra-men on Robson (formerly branded as Marutama, rebranded to Maruhachi in late 2023) is Vancouver's pioneer of tori-paitan ramen — a milky, creamy chicken-bone broth style from Kyushu, Japan that's a close cousin to tonkotsu but made from chicken rather than pork. The restaurant opened in 2013, grew to six Metro Vancouver locations, and remains one of the most-awarded ramen operations in the city — Gold in the "Best Ramen" category at the 2019 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, the last year the category ran.

The tori-paitan broth is made daily in-house, no MSG, no imitation flavouring — 100% chicken bones cooked through a detailed morning process before service. Noodles are house-made, thinned and wavy to match the broth viscosity, prepared fresh daily with no preservatives. A hint of aosa (sea lettuce from Japan) lifts the broth with mineral umami. The Tamago Ramen — tori-paitan broth with a soft-boiled egg — is the signature order and the restaurant's most-ordered dish.

The Robson Street location is the downtown flagship, serving a mix of office workers, tourists, and international students staying in the West End. Hours align with typical Vancouver specialty-ramen shops — lunch through late evening, 7 days a week. Walk-in only; lines build at Friday-Saturday dinner to 20–30 minutes. Cash and credit accepted; no reservations.

For newcomers: if you've only had tonkotsu ramen in Vancouver, tori-paitan is worth the detour. It's a distinct broth style — lighter on the palate than tonkotsu, with a different kind of richness. Maruhachi does it more faithfully than anyone else in the city.