here seems to be no end to the noodle lovers on Robson Street. The hefty crowds eager to slurp have been spilling out of Kintaro and Musashi into the rain. Thankfully the Benkei Noodle Shop has opened up on the block to accommodate the overflow. Open only a few weeks and already packed to the rafters on the regular, Benkei fits right in.

The shop is humble with its forty or so capacity and its cozy vibe. Wooden beams and Japanese paraphernalia make up the décor of Benkei. The space is nice enough, but people are showing up en masse on account of the ramen, not the décor.

The menu lets guests build their own ramen. There is a choice of three broths: 1) miso, 2) shoyu and 3) shio. There are of course ramen noodles, pork belly slices and a choice of four toppings. Try butter, corn, boiled egg slices and spinach or green onion, pickled bamboo shoots, bean sprouts and kim chi. The bowls are filling. Customers leave with happy swollen bellies for only $7 a bowl.

Kyoto native and owner Mistuaki Inoue helped people start up noodle shops back home through which he could help his noodle-manufacturing father move his product. With Benkei, Inoue had made his enterprise international and local ramen-lovers are only too eager to slurp it up. The line is worth the wait. –J.T.