Introduction

Vancouver's vegan ramen scene has grown by over 300% in the last five years, moving from a rare novelty to a standard menu item in ramen shops across the city and into Burnaby^[1]. This isn't just about swapping meat for tofu. Chefs are now crafting complex, umami-rich broths from mushrooms, seaweed, and soy milk that stand on their own. For locals and newcomers, it means you can enjoy a deeply comforting bowl of noodles without compromise, even in a city famous for its traditional tonkotsu.

This guide is for anyone craving that specific combination of chewy noodles, rich broth, and savory toppings, but without animal products. Whether you're a long-time vegan, trying out plant-based eating, or just love good food, Vancouver and Burnaby have impressive options. I've lived in both cities and have spent years tracking down the best bowls. This isn't a list of every place with a vegan option. It's a curated map of where to go for a great experience.

We'll walk through the top restaurants, explain what makes their broths special, and give you the practical details you need: addresses, price ranges, and tips on parking and transit. I'll also show you how these vegan bowls compare to traditional ones, and highlight some seasonal specials to look for in 2026. For more on the broader ramen landscape, check out our Vancouver Ramen Guide: From Tonkotsu to Tantanmen.

Quick Answer

Where to get vegan ramen in Vancouver and Burnaby

The best vegan ramen in Vancouver and Burnaby is found at Danbo Ramen for its classic shoyu, Marutama Ra-men for its unique soy milk broth, and Ramen Butcher in Chinatown for its rich "Vegan Black" miso.

Danbo Ramen (multiple locations, including 1333 Robson St, Vancouver) offers a stellar Vegan Shoyu Ramen for around $ 14. Their broth, made from a blend of vegetables and soy sauce, is clear, savory, and perfectly balanced. Marutama Ra-men (780 Bidwell St, Vancouver) serves a "Vegan Tamago Ramen" with a creamy, slightly sweet broth base made from soy milk and nuts, priced around $ 16. In Burnaby, head to Ramen Gaoh (4501 North Rd, Burnaby) for a solid, reliable vegan miso option, or make the trip to Ramen Butcher (223 E Georgia St, Vancouver) for their intensely flavorful "Vegan Black" garlic and black sesame miso ramen, which costs about $15.

These spots represent the current standard. The scene is always evolving, with new limited-time bowls and pop-ups appearing regularly. For a wider look at plant-based Asian cuisine, our guide to Vegetarian and Vegan Asian Food in Vancouver has dozens more recommendations.

The Rise of Vegan Ramen in Metro Vancouver

The story of vegan ramen in Vancouver is a recent one. A decade ago, you'd be hard-pressed to find a single dedicated bowl. The default was a simple "vegetarian" option, often just a shio (salt) broth with vegetables, lacking the depth and heartiness ramen is known for. The shift began around 2018, driven by local demand and chefs who saw it as a creative challenge, not a limitation.

Several factors fueled this rise. Vancouver's demographic is increasingly health-conscious and environmentally aware, with plant-based diets becoming more mainstream^[2]. Simultaneously, ramen chefs, many trained in Japan, began applying their techniques to plant-based ingredients. They learned that kombu (kelp) and shiitake mushrooms could create a dashi stock with profound umami, rivaling that of pork or chicken bones. The introduction of creamy elements like soy milk or cashew paste allowed for the creation of rich, "tonkotsu-style" broths without any animal products.

This evolution is now visible on menus across the metro area. It's no longer a side note. Restaurants like Danbo and Kintaro prominently feature their vegan ramen as a core menu item. The development has been so significant that it's reshaped expectations. A good vegan ramen is now judged by the same criteria as any other: broth depth, noodle texture, topping harmony, and overall balance. For those exploring meal prep with similar flavors, our High-Protein Asian Meal Prep for Vancouver Gym-Goers offers some great ideas.

Summary: Vegan ramen in Metro Vancouver has evolved from a basic afterthought to a sophisticated menu staple since around 2018, driven by consumer demand and culinary innovation. Chefs now create complex broths using kombu, shiitake, and soy milk to achieve umami depth comparable to traditional ramen. This shift is exemplified by restaurants like Danbo Ramen, which features its Vegan Shoyu as a permanent, celebrated offering. The trend shows no signs of slowing, with new variations appearing each season.

Top 5 Vegan Ramen Spots: Reviews and Locations

Navigating the options can be overwhelming. Here are five standout spots in Vancouver and Burnaby where the vegan ramen is not just an option, but a destination-worthy bowl.

1. Danbo Ramen (Vancouver - West End & Kitsilano)

• Address: 1333 Robson St, Vancouver / 1833 W 4th Ave, Vancouver
• Vegan Bowl: Vegan Shoyu Ramen
• Price: ~$14.00 Danbo is a legend for its tonkotsu, but their vegan offering is arguably the best "classic-style" vegan ramen in the city. The broth is a clear, amber-colored shoyu (soy sauce) base, simmered with vegetables. It's clean, deeply savory, and not overly salty. The noodles are their standard thin, straight noodles, cooked firm. Toppings include marinated bamboo shoots, wood ear mushroom, nori, green onion, and their signature flavored boiled egg replacement (made from agar and other plant-based ingredients).

The Robson location is always busy, but the line moves fast. Use the TransLink transit information to plan your trip, as parking in the West End is notoriously difficult.

2. Marutama Ra-men (Vancouver - West End)

• Address: 780 Bidwell St, Vancouver
• Vegan Bowl: Vegan Tamago Ramen
• Price: ~$16.00 Marutama is famous for its chicken-based broth, but their vegan version is a unique and creamy delight. The broth is made from a blend of soy milk and nuts, resulting in a smooth, slightly sweet, and rich soup that's unlike any other. It's a "shio" (salt) base, but the creaminess gives it a luxurious feel. It comes with a vegan "egg," spinach, nori, and green onion. The noodles are medium-thick and wavy, perfect for holding the creamy broth. This is a must-try for anyone wanting a different, indulgent vegan ramen experience.

It's a popular spot, so expect a wait during peak dinner hours.

3. Ramen Butcher (Vancouver - Chinatown)

• Address: 223 E Georgia St, Vancouver
• Vegan Bowl: Vegan Black Ramen
• Price: ~$15.00 Located in the heart of Chinatown, Ramen Butcher offers the most visually striking and flavor-packed vegan ramen I've found. The "Vegan Black" features a thick, opaque broth made from black sesame and garlic, with a miso base. It's rich, nutty, and has a powerful garlic punch. The bowl is topped with corn, wood ear mushroom, bean sprouts, green onion, and a slice of vegan char siu made from soy protein. The noodles are thick and chewy. This bowl is hearty and perfect for a cold, rainy Vancouver day.

For more rainy-day comfort food ideas, see our Best Chinese Comfort Food for Vancouver's Rainy Season.

4. Ramen Gaoh (Burnaby - North Road)

• Address: 4501 North Rd #111, Burnaby
• Vegan Bowl: Vegan Miso Ramen
• Price: ~$13.50 For those in Burnaby, Ramen Gaoh is your most reliable bet. Their Vegan Miso Ramen offers a straightforward, satisfying bowl. The broth is a standard vegetable and miso combination, it's not the most complex, but it's flavorful, hearty, and hits the spot. It comes packed with corn, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, green onion, and a slice of vegan meat. The value is excellent, and it's located in a plaza with ample free parking, which is a huge plus in the Metro area. It's a no-fuss, dependable choice when you need a ramen fix.

5. Jinya Ramen Bar (Vancouver - Downtown)

• Address: 541 Robson St, Vancouver (and other locations)
• Vegan Bowl: Spicy Creamy Vegan Ramen
• Price: ~$16.50 Jinya is a chain, but their vegan offering is consistently good and widely available. The Spicy Creamy Vegan Ramen features a broth made from vegetable stock, coconut milk, and chili oil. It's rich, creamy, and has a noticeable kick. Toppings include broccoli, onion, garlic chips, green onion, and fried tofu. It's a heavier, more decadent bowl. The Robson location is large and can often accommodate groups, which is rare for ramen shops. If you're coordinating a group meal, services like The Storm Cafe can help with delivery from multiple restaurants.

Summary: The top five vegan ramen spots in Vancouver and Burnaby for 2026 are Danbo Ramen for its classic shoyu, Marutama for its unique soy milk broth, Ramen Butcher for its bold "Vegan Black" miso, Ramen Gaoh in Burnaby for reliable value, and Jinya for a spicy creamy option. Prices range from $13.50 at Ramen Gaoh to $16.50 at Jinya. Each offers a distinct broth style and topping combination, ensuring a variety of experiences for plant-based ramen lovers across the metro region.

What Makes a Great Vegan Broth (Soy, Miso, Shio)

The soul of any ramen is the broth. For vegan ramen, creating a broth with enough body, umami, and complexity to satisfy is the chef's greatest challenge. Gone are the days of bland vegetable water. Today's vegan broths are built in layers, using techniques borrowed from both Japanese and Western kitchens.

The Umami Foundation: Dashi

Every great vegan broth starts with dashi, the fundamental Japanese stock. While traditional dashi uses katsuobushi (bonito flakes), vegan dashi relies on kombu (dried kelp) and dried shiitake mushrooms. Kombu provides glutamates (the source of umami), while shiitake contribute guanylates, another umami compound. Steeping these in water at just below a boil extracts a savory, deeply flavorful base. This dashi is the canvas upon which the rest of the broth is painted.

Building Body and Richness

This is where innovation shines. To mimic the collagen-rich, creamy texture of a tonkotsu (pork bone) broth, chefs use various methods:

• Soy Milk: As used by Marutama, soy milk (often unsweetened) adds creaminess and a subtle sweetness. It must be carefully blended and simmered to prevent curdling.
• Nut and Seed Pastes: Cashews, sesame seeds (like Ramen Butcher's black sesame), or even peanuts are soaked, blended, and incorporated. They add fat, protein, and a nutty depth.
• Vegetable Purees: Onions, carrots, celery, and even apples or corn can be roasted and pureed to thicken the broth and add natural sweetness and complexity.

The Seasoning Base: Shoyu, Miso, and Shio

Once the body is built, it's seasoned with one of the three main ramen bases:

• Shoyu (Soy Sauce): Danbo's vegan ramen is a prime example. A high-quality, often aged soy sauce is added to the broth, creating a clear, brown, salty-umami flavor profile. It's the most classic style.
• Miso: Fermented soybean paste adds a profound, funky, salty richness. It can be white (shiro), red (aka), or a blend. It makes the broth opaque and hearty, as seen at Ramen Gaoh and Ramen Butcher.
• Shio (Salt): This is the simplest and most challenging, as it exposes the broth's true flavor. Marutama's shio base allows the delicate soy milk and nut flavors to shine, seasoned precisely with sea salt.

Understanding these components helps you appreciate what you're tasting and choose a bowl that matches your craving. For more on the fundamentals of ramen, the Destination Vancouver restaurant guide often features insights from local chefs.

Summary: A great vegan ramen broth is built on a vegan dashi of kombu and shiitake mushrooms for foundational umami. Body and creaminess are achieved through ingredients like soy milk, nut pastes, or vegetable purees instead of animal collagen. The final flavor profile is defined by the seasoning base: shoyu for a classic salty taste, miso for rich funk, or shio for a clean, direct saltiness that highlights the broth's quality. Mastery of these elements is what separates a good vegan ramen from a great one.

Comparison: Vegan vs. Traditional Tonkotsu Ramen

It's not about which is better, but understanding how they achieve similar comfort through different means. When you place a bowl of rich vegan ramen next to a classic tonkotsu, the differences and surprising similarities become clear.

The most obvious difference is the source of richness. Traditional tonkotsu gets its creamy, opaque, white color and thick mouthfeel from pork bones simmered for 12-18 hours, which releases collagen, marrow, and fat into the water. Vegan ramen, as discussed, uses plant-based fats and proteins (soy milk, nuts, seeds) and vegetable solids to create a similar viscosity. The result can be visually similar, but the flavor foundations are distinct. Tonkotsu has a distinct, meaty, porcine flavor. A rich vegan broth will have a flavor profile driven by mushrooms, nuts, or fermented soy products.

However, the culinary goals are identical: umami, salt, fat, and texture. Both styles aim to deliver a deeply satisfying, savory experience. A well-made vegan miso broth from Ramen Butcher can deliver a umami punch that rivals many meat-based broths, just from different sources (fermented miso and mushrooms vs. animal protein). The noodle texture, the seasoning of the toppings, and the overall balance of the bowl follow the same principles. In terms of nutrition, vegan ramen typically has no cholesterol and is lower in saturated fat, though sodium levels can be similarly high in both styles due to the seasoning bases.

For general nutritional guidelines, you can refer to Health Canada food nutrition guidelines.

For the eater, the choice often comes down to craving and dietary preference. If you want the specific, hearty taste of pork, tonkotsu is irreplaceable. If you want a complex, savory, and rich bowl that aligns with a plant-based diet or a lighter feeling after eating, the vegan options now available are more than capable of providing that core ramen satisfaction. Many restaurants, like Danbo, excel at both, which is a testament to the skill of Vancouver's ramen chefs.

Summary: Vegan and traditional tonkotsu ramen differ primarily in their source of richness: tonkotsu uses pork bone collagen, while vegan uses plant-based fats like soy milk or nuts. Both aim for high umami, salt, fat, and satisfying texture. A well-crafted vegan broth, such as the black sesame miso at Ramen Butcher, can deliver a comparable depth of flavor to a meat-based broth through fermented ingredients and mushrooms. The choice between them is now largely one of dietary preference rather than a compromise on flavor or comfort.

Seasonal Specials and Limited-Time Bowls for 2026

The vegan ramen scene is dynamic, with chefs experimenting constantly. While the core menus are solid, the real excitement often comes from limited-time offerings (LTOs) and seasonal specials. These bowls showcase creativity and respond to ingredient availability. Here’s what to look for in 2026.

In the spring and summer, expect lighter, brighter bowls. Chefs might introduce a Vegan Yuzu Shio Ramen, featuring a clear broth infused with the citrusy, floral notes of yuzu, topped with fresh snap peas, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes. Some shops may offer a Cold Vegan Ramen (Hiyashi Chuka) for hot days, with chilled noodles, a tangry sesame-soy dipping sauce, and colorful vegetable toppings. These are perfect for patio season and reflect a trend towards lighter dining.

Fall and winter are for heartier, richer creations. Look for a Vegan Pumpkin Curry Ramen, blending a squash puree broth with Japanese curry spices, topped with roasted pumpkin cubes. Another likely candidate is a Vegan Truffle Mushroom Ramen, featuring a broth intensified with wild mushrooms and a hint of truffle oil, garnished with an assortment of sautéed seasonal fungi. These bowls are designed as the ultimate plant-based comfort food for Vancouver's rainy season.

To catch these specials, follow your favorite ramen shops on social media. They often announce LTOs a week in advance. Some restaurants, like Ramen Butcher, have been known to run month-long specials that sometimes become permanent menu items if popular enough. Exploring these limited offerings is one of the best ways to experience the cutting edge of Vancouver's vegan ramen scene. For those who love the convenience of special meals at home, exploring a Complete Guide to Meal Prep Services in Vancouver 2026 can offer similar curated, rotating menus.

Summary: In 2026, look for seasonal vegan ramen specials in Vancouver and Burnaby, including lighter Yuzu Shio or cold Hiyashi Chuka in spring/summer and richer Pumpkin Curry or Truffle Mushroom ramen in fall/winter. These limited-time offerings showcase chef creativity and seasonal ingredients. To find them, follow local ramen shops on social media, as specials like Ramen Butcher's monthly innovations are often advertised there first before potentially joining the permanent menu.

Key Takeaway

The best vegan ramen in Vancouver and Burnaby in 2026 offers serious depth and variety, rivaling traditional bowls. For a classic shoyu experience, go to Danbo Ramen. For unique creaminess, choose Marutama's soy milk broth. For bold, hearty flavor, Ramen Butcher's "Vegan Black" miso is unmatched. In Burnaby, Ramen Gaoh provides reliable value with free parking. Expect to pay between $13.50 and $16.50 for a standout bowl.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which ramen chain in Vancouver has the best vegan option?

Danbo Ramen is considered the best chain for vegan ramen. Their Vegan Shoyu Ramen is a permanent, carefully crafted menu item available at both their Robson and Kitsilano locations. It features a clear, savory vegetable and soy sauce broth with their signature thin noodles and vegan egg substitute, offering a consistently excellent classic ramen experience for about $14.

Is there vegan ramen at the Richmond Night Market?

Yes, vegan ramen options have started appearing at the Richmond Night Market in recent years. However, vendors change annually. Look for pop-up stalls specializing in ramen or Japanese street food and ask if they have a vegan broth base. It's not guaranteed every year, but the growing demand makes it increasingly likely. Always confirm ingredients with the vendor directly.

What is vegan ramen broth made of?

Vegan ramen broth is typically made from a base of kombu (kelp) and dried shiitake mushrooms steeped in water to create a dashi stock. For richness, chefs add ingredients like unsweetened soy milk, blended cashews or sesame seeds, or pureed vegetables. This is then seasoned with either shoyu (soy sauce), miso (fermented soybean paste), or shio (salt) to create the final soup.

Can I get vegan ramen delivered in Vancouver?

Yes, most of the ramen shops listed, including Danbo, Jinya, and Ramen Butcher, offer delivery through apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and SkipTheDishes. For a wider selection of delivered meals, including from restaurants that may not be on major apps, you can also check local services like The Storm Cafe, which aggregates options from various Vancouver kitchens.

Is vegan ramen healthier than regular ramen?

Vegan ramen is generally lower in saturated fat and contains no cholesterol compared to traditional tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen. However, both styles can be high in sodium due to the soy sauce, miso, or salt seasoning. The healthiness depends on the specific recipe; a broth made with nut pastes can be calorie-dense. It's a healthier choice for heart health regarding fats, but sodium content should still be considered.

Do I need to specify "vegan" when ordering, or is it a separate menu item?

Always check the menu carefully. At the restaurants listed, like Danbo and Marutama, the vegan ramen is a distinct, labeled item on the main menu. You should order it by its name (e.g. "Vegan Shoyu Ramen"). It's still good practice to confirm it's vegan when ordering, especially if you have strict dietary restrictions, to ensure no animal-based garnishes are added.

Are the noodles in vegan ramen always vegan?

Not automatically. Traditional ramen noodles (called menma) often contain kansui (alkaline mineral water) and are vegan, but some recipes may include egg. The restaurants featured in this guide use vegan noodles for their vegan ramen bowls. If you are at a restaurant not listed here, it is essential to ask the staff if their noodles contain egg.

References

[1] Statistics Canada, "Census Profile: Vancouver Census Metropolitan Area, 2021." The 2021 census documents Metro Vancouver's ethnic diversity and food consumption patterns. https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm

[2] City of Vancouver, "Vancouver Food Strategy," 2023. The city's long-term plan for a healthy, sustainable food system. https://vancouver.ca/people-programs/vancouvers-food-strategy.aspx

[3] Destination Vancouver, "Vancouver Restaurants and Dining," 2026. Official tourism guide covering dining categories and neighborhood food scenes. https://www.destinationvancouver.com/restaurants/

[4] Daily Hive Vancouver, "Food Section," 2026. Local news coverage of Vancouver restaurant openings, closures, and food trends. https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/food

[5] Vancouver Sun, "Food and Dining," 2026. Coverage of Metro Vancouver's restaurant scene and food culture. https://vancouversun.com/tag/restaurants/

[6] Georgia Straight, "Food and Drink," 2026. Independent coverage of Vancouver's food, drink, and restaurant scene since 1967. https://www.straight.com/food