Ramen is one of those dishes that I could eat over and over again – whatever the season.

Coming from living in Vancouver (where there is a multitude of ramen shops), I was spoiled and had access to the best ramen chains from both Asia and North America, along with those from independent local restaurants. Within my friend group, going out for ramen is an activity. We were one of those that line up outside Ramen Danbo on Robson St. just to get a steaming bowl of ramen on a cold day.

Fast forward to my family’s move to Langley in 2019, there were only one or two restaurants that specialized in ramen. Sure, there were a lot of sushi places that offered them in their menu. However, I quickly realized those were the instant kind and for a ramen lover like me, it just won’t do. The depth of the BROTH is everything, the meat, the toppings, and most importantly, the Japanese soft-boiled egg’s quality. Perhaps my trip to Japan several years ago has made me a bit more particular, but I’m no snob and open to all the ramen types out there.

As for those in Langley, here are my four go-to ramen places:

Akedo Showten Ramen – Langley City

The best in town! Lunch time is always busy but service is quick. They have several protein options and three broth types. I personally like just the basic one or original broth. In photo is their Meat lovers ramen, additional egg and a side of edamame.

Noh Ramen – Walnut Grove, Langley

They serve good ramen and the first place I saw chicken karaage in ramen. I still prefer the original chashu (pork) but they have reasonable prices and an order already comes with an egg. Bonus points in my book.

Hiroshi Ramen – Langley border with Surrey

They also serve great ramen. However, I found their broth more on the salty side (or I could’ve just ordered the wrong one). But most of their bowls already come with an egg and you can’t beat their lunch special – ramen and gyoza for $19.75 on weekdays from 11:30am to 3:30pm, dine-in only.

AO Ramen & Sushi – Willowbrook mall, Langley (photo from the restaurant’s website as I realized I only had videos)

Found in Willowbrook mall, AO ramen offers not just ramen but serves other Japanese dishes like sushi, sashimi, teppanyaki, etc. An interesting one in their ramen menu is their ramen with kimchi and they also have several chicken ramen options. I still like the original ramen the most but if you like some spice, their tantan ramen is a good option with the addition of a chashu for more protein as tantan ramen usually only comes with minced beef.

As more and more people are moving to Langley, I’m hoping to see more restaurants and hopeful for more ramen places to open up.

Let me know if you’ve tried eating at any of the above. Sayonara!