life & style // no. 12 theotherpress.ca

Kintaro killin it

>» A ravenous ramen review

Jessica Berget
Editor-in-Chief

 

keen

M ove over Ramen Danbo...There’s
another go-to ramen place in town—
this time with little to no wait.

If you're anything like me, you love the
taste and experience of authentic Japanese
ramen noodle soup but can’t stand waiting
in the hour (or longer) lineup often seen
trailing down other ramen joints. If this
sounds vaguely familiar, Kintaro Ramen is
for you. I have only been to this place once,
but it has easily taken the number one spot
for my favourite ramen restaurant in the
city—which is no easy feat.

Just down the street from Robson
on 788 Denman Street is Kintaro Ramen,
a small and intimate space for chill and
relaxed dining. One of the first things
you notice about this spot is the cute and
artistic aesthetic of the restaurant setting,
making it a pleasure to sit in. Immediately
after that, the second thing you notice is
the huge, barrel-sized pots behind the
counter in the kitchen. They brew and
bubble with the rich creamy broth...and
you can't help but stare at them as you
eagerly await to be served.

Though not having to wait in line
is great perk for this place, it is far from
the only perk. Another thing that makes
this spot stand out from other ramen
restaurants is their portion size. The bowls
they serve the hot and delicious ramen
in are surprisingly huge and beautifully

designed—making it all the more enticing.
If youre still not convinced that this may
be the next best ramen place, each bowl
amounts to less than $15. Frugal and
fulfilling—that’s my kind of ramen.

While the price may not be as high
as some of their competitors, that doesn’t
mean they skimp out on fresh, high quality
ingredients. The bowl I got my first time
here was the Shio Ramen with full-fat pork
and rich broth—and believe me, you want
all the fat. That’s why you're eating ramen,
right?

When they first bring out the bowl to
you, the fat glistening on top of the ramen
bow! looks like the stars in a beautiful
night sky. They are bright, shiny deposits
of rich and fatty goodness. Yet, if the fat is
a star at night, then the pork is the warm
sun—the biggest star in the proverbial sky
of this bow] of noodles. The pork chashu
is so soft, fatty, and tender, you'd want to
wrap yourself in it. Accompanied with
the rich broth, they make for nearly holy
matrimony (that I would gladly be witness
to).

And finally, how can anyone talk
about ramen without discussing a crucial
aspect of this delicious soup: the egg. As
far as ramen eggs go, Kintaro may not
my absolute favourite, but it did satisfy
me immensely. Honestly, once you have
delicious broth, noodles, and meat, the egg
is sort of an afterthought anyway.

As soon as this quarantine is over and
done with, I know exactly where I'll be
going to celebrate.

  

Photo by Jessica Berget

Don't forget about Burger Heaven

» Small businesses need our support

Craig Allan
Staff Writer

 

cc ay you live in interesting times.”
This is an old quote not of

excitement but of dread, as it spells

times of trouble that certainly describe

the world we are living in today. With

the coronavirus ravaging the world, the

people of who experience a large hit from

these “interesting times” are the small and

independent business communities.

With social gatherings shut down,
many businesses are being shuttered
since they are deemed “non-essential,”
and others are forced to scale back their
production immensely. Many small and
independent businesses are at risk of being
wiped off the map by this invisible menace.
One of such is Burger Heaven, and I talked
with manager Chris Geib about how his
establishment is coping in the grips of this
virus, what makes his burgers the best, and
what everyone should order to get through
this pandemic.

According to Geib, business was going
well before the pandemic hit, but now that
restaurants have been told to close their
dining areas for the foreseeable future,
business has fallen by a third. Burger
Heaven can now only offer take-out and
delivery service. Geib said they are taking
things “day by day” and embracing the

 

new normal that is the out-of-restaurant
experience.

There are so many burger options out
there though, so when asked why a Burger
Heaven burger is better than McDonald’s
and A&W fare, Geib highlighted that
unlike other places, Burger Heaven cooks
their burgers on a flattop grill. This brings

Image via @burgerheaven on Facebook

out more of the flavour of the burger than
other places. That, along with their own
unique recipes, makes Burger Heaven “the
quiet secret gem of New Westminster.”
Burger Heaven is not just a site for
scrumptious burgers though. They have
a good sense of political humour. This
past fall during the Canadian election,

Burger Heaven ran a poll in which visitors
could vote with their mouths as to who
is the best political leader by picking
from one of six delectable choices (and
aseventh undecided, or as staff have
called it, “(B)-UN Decided”). Choices
included the Andrew Scheer burger with
its “conservative slice of tangy Regina blue
cheese,” onion, and special sauce—or
the Justin Trudeau with cheddar, sauce,
lettuce, “a liberal slab of bacon,” and a
slice of tomato. The winner of the best
political burger poll was Jagmeet Singh,
who Geib said actually showed up with
local member of Parliament, Peter Julian,
to try his strong “o(u)nions,” tomato, and
Scarborough orange cheddar burger served
ona multigrain bun.

For this pandemic, Geib knows
that people may be feeling down, but he
believes that he has the perfect combo to
lift anyone's spirits. Geib recommends a
number four Teriyaki Mozzarella Bacon &
Mushroom Burger served with wedges or
a tossed salad, and a milkshake because
you “gotta have a milkshake.” These may be
uncertain times with COVID-19 in play, but
Burger Heaven is looking to stare down the
restaurant industry’s greatest adversary by
helping to keep the beating heart of New
Westminster’s culinary scene going—even
if the experience is away from the cozy
confines of the 10th Street location.