FAT MAO NOODLES
217 E GEORGIA STREET 604-569-8192

With its street-facing kitchen and the cauldrons of boiling noodles, Fat Mao perfectly evokes the look and feel of a classic Chinatown wonton house. All of the noodle bowls on the well-edited menu reflect Chef Angus Ang’s mastery of Thai flavours. The Hot and Sour Pork Soup has a sophisticated balance of sharpness, heat, and savory notes—best paired with clear rice sheet noodles for maximum buoyancy and chew. A starter of the bean salad with peanuts, shallots, and chili lime dressing is also highly recommended.

THE RAMEN BUTCHER
223 E GEORGIA STREET 604-806-4646 

This was the first North American outpost of the Japanese chain Menya Kouji—specializing in hakata (rich pork bone broth) and tsukemen (dipping) ramens. It remains hugely popular with both locals and tourists and line ups can start before the shop even opens. The Red Spicy Ramen is a superb choice, with the silky richness of the broth playing against the red chili garlic paste adding a layer of lively heat and brightness—the thin snappy noodles are the perfect vehicle for happy slurping.

DD MAU CHINATOWN
145 E PENDER STREET 604-559-6076 

Walk through what feels like the doorway into a tiny shop and be prepared to have your breath taken away as the space unfolds into one of the most stylish rooms in town. Such are the hidden beauties of Chinatown. The expansive menu leans into street food classics from both Northern and Southern Vietnam. Of particular note, the Bun Cha Ha Noi may be the best in Vancouver right now. The meat patties have proper char—grilled depth, the pork is rich and tender and the fish sauce broth is bright and clean, served with a huge tangle of warm rice vermicelli noodles. Absolutely superb, and a treasure worth seeking out.

MING FONG FAST FOOD
180 KEEFER STREET 604-687-8223 

Tucked in a quiet corner of Chinatown Plaza, Ming Fong Fast Food has developed a bit of a cult following for their Singaporean Fried Noodles. The noodles are cooked to order, a huge portion laced with bean sprouts, red and green peppers, and slivers of BBQ pork, gently spiced with yellow curry and full of fresh wok hei. It's the little details that elevate this dining hall classic, the careful trimming of the sprouts, the clean knifework, the lovely lightness of the noodles… details that showcase the proprietor’s deep care for his craft.

RED BEEF NOODLE KITCHEN
550 MAIN STREET 604-423-5500 

The Taiwanese are absolutely fanatical about their richly flavoured beef noodle soups. Here, the soup is deeply resonant of careful cooking and slow extraction of flavours without any greasiness. Though the classic beef noodle soup with sliced braised shin is hugely popular, the Premium Beef Noodle Soup is also superb. Hot broth is slowly poured over well marbled thinly sliced beef—poaching it to remarkable tenderness. The sight of the beef rippling under the flow of rich soup as it is poured from a kettle tableside will set your appetite on fire.