=== 1. VERDICT/VALUE A touch of Japan on Cedar Hill - come here for the food, language, good food, and if you're a young one - Pokemon cards from the proprietor! === 2. FOOD Salt (Shio) Ramen ($16.50) The broth here makes the difference - thick, and true to flavour when one steeps a long time with bones - it's good and flavourful, yet not too salty and it doesn't leave you thirsting to drink anything thereafter. The Japanese-style BBQ pork slices, delicately-boiled egg and bean sprouts of course work well. Pork Egg Don ($18.25) Great pork tonkatsu - lightly battered the way it should be and it overall a great choice of dish if you're not looking for something soupy! Fried Rice ($4 for regular size; $7 for large size if buying an entree) I think it's worth it - it's tasty but a little salty and the portion size is good ofr sharing between two people! === 3. SERVICE I've only ever seen three people work there before and so while service is professional, they can get a little busy when the house is fulll (which is not uncommon). But it's worth it. And the leader/owner (?) is always cognizant of little kids including my own and is ready to hand out a choice of a random Pokemon card to bring more smiles into the establishment! === 4. ENVIRONMENT It's all, a little dim, and maybe updated in the 90's. The lights are different coloured, but they clearly spend the money on the staff and food. There are a few two-seat, and four seat tables/booths. There is a single table that seats up to eight. Wheelchairs and baby strollers could fit but only barely and they may best stay near the front. Parking is about as lucky as you get in the shopping complex which seems to ebb and flow throughout the day! read more

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I've visited a half-dozen times now with family and consider this the "go to ramen shop". Simple, relaxed layout and direct, no nonsense service, but the ramen is fantastic and prices are reasonable. Mostly spicy bowls (one non-spicy called the "Salt" that I always get due to food allergies). Lots of options for "extras" (e.g., meat, corn). You can get a basic side of fried rice that is a nice add-on. It has a warm, social vibe and is popular with the younger crowd. Appreciate that the guys offer my kid a Pokémon card at the end of each meal - makes him feel welcome. read more

Kuma Noodles Japan - "Salt" ramen bowl (fantastic) with extra egg and corn and a side of fried rice. - Ramen Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

I went there with my family on a weekend lunch time. It took forever for our order to come out. Fried rice must have sat at the counter for a long time as it was lukewarm. (It had been a while since we heard something fried.) I don't know how long they had it in the bath, but Ramen was WAY overcooked, soup was boiled down sludge. It was disgusting. I couldn't believe they served them. May be they had an off-day, but I would not go back there since they don't know what they are doing. Ramen place in Hillside mall offers more consistent & (not the best, but) decent quality ramen with fast service. read more

I love their ramen, especially the one with Kimchi on it! Its got to be one of the best in Victoria. They also serve fast and its well-priced as well! Also, seeing the crew on the kitchen working on the food makes the vibe so eastern. read more

Kuma is a small ramen joint tucked away in a strip mall. If you're a party of one and arrive during peak hours as I did, you will likely be seated at the bar. The bar features an assortment of manga, collectibles, and other knick knacks for your viewing pleasure. If you're seated near the cashier as well, be prepared to be in close quarters with not only your neighbor, but with staff passing by every so often. Having looked at their online menu in advance, I was prepared to order a ramen with fried rice combo. The prices have since increased, but are still quite reasonable by Victoria standards. SOY RAMEN ($10.50): The ramen noodles were thin and cooked al dente. It retained the flavor of the rich soy broth (which I elevated with some additional seasoning and chili oil), and had some extra crunch from the bean sprouts and green onion. The ramen was also served with three slices of BBQ pork, all of which had a good fat-to-meat ratio. The biggest issue was the hard boiled egg, which was a stark contrast to the marinated soft boiled egg that is typical of most ramen joints. Kuma's egg was not only cold (which leaves much to be desired against the hot broth), but it was also overcooked, as evident by the grey rim around the yolk. FRIED RICE (SMALL) ($3.50): Is it weird to prefer the fried rice over the ramen at a restaurant that specializes in ramen? The fried rice was executed extremely well: hot, peppery, and not oily whatsoever. Though there was also BBQ pork, veggies, and green onion, the rice sure let those ingredients know who was boss. Note that the fried rice here is now served as an add-on rather than as a combo. It is also offered in both small and regular ($5.00) sizes. As far as service goes, I had a bit of a mixed bag experience in that it was either too quick or too slow. I was asked for my order not long after being seated and again after asking for a few more minutes. Understandably, there was a lineup forming, so the servers wanted a higher turnover of seats. However, they were also understaffed that day, so when one server was on the floor, the other server was busy at cash. Another thing I noticed (albeit after my friend pointed it out from her experience) was how coveted napkins seem here. You have to personally request for them from the servers as the napkins are only available at the cash register. To close, is it the best ramen I've ever had? Not quite, but I will likely be back again because it was a nice break from studying. If you opt for the fried rice add-on like me, a food coma may be in your near future. read more

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I ordered soy noodles and I think it is delicious. I was very full on that. However, the actual price is different from the online menu on Yelp, maybe it is time to change it read more

Small location, very friendly staff. There aren't a lot of tables so seating might be challenging depending on the time of day. The hostess helped answer all of our questions. We ordered miso ramen and beef with rice. The beef was tender and had a great flavor to it. Soup, rice and sauce were all yummy. The miso ramen stock was very flavorful with just a touch of heat to it. The pork was tender and delicious, I just wish there was more of it. Overall: great service and food for a very reasonable price. Highly recommended! read more

Kuma Noodles Japan - Beef. - Ramen Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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Delicious! I absolutely love ramen and rice bowls, so a few people recommended that I come check out Kuma. Right by my old house and now that I know how good it is, I can't believe I didn't go here more when I lived in the area. It's relatively inexpensive for some delicious Japanese food, made by a very active and vocal kitchen team that greets everyone who walks in together, and thanks them as they leave. The servers are attentive and kind, but not overbearing. A wonderful balance, in my opinion. Now, I have to say, I didn't actually have any ramen this time through. I got the steak and egg rice bowl (which comes with miso soup) and it was thoroughly delicious. I definitely want to go back and try their ramen but this time through, I have no complaints. The miso soup was quite good and complemented the meal extremely well but the rice bowl was most certainly what stole my heart. This probably goes without saying but for those who aren't aware, you NEED to know how to use chopsticks here, lol! It's a true Japanese restaurant and the utensils that you're able to get are chopsticks, chopsticks, and more chopsticks. Practice up before coming and then mow down on some delicious food. Hope you enjoy! read more

Nice little Japanese restaurant. We had the ramen and gyoza both of which were great. Great service as well. Would definitely recommend if you're in the area! read more

To start, the name of the place is Kuma Noodles Japan. Whoever categorized this on Yelp as a Chinese restaurant was horribly misguided. I wouldn't go as far as to declare myself a ramen snob, but I've had my fair share in San Francisco, Japan, and New York. Kuma definitely surpassed my expectations. Don't be fooled by the unassuming signage and decor, or the sparse three (now four) reviews on Yelp. Oh, and the workers are actually Japanese and speak Japanese. I dined with six friends, and we all had ramen. I opted for the combination miso ramen (with three slices of chashu, sprouts, scallions, nori, and half of an egg) and fried rice (vegetarian). The soup is chicken based and the noodles are straight. Remember this if you're used to pork-based tonkotsu broth; they're not the same style. The ramen was great. The noodles were cooked well, the brother was sufficiently complex, the noodle-soup ratio was on point, the size was ample, and the chashu was of good quality (fatty and salty). If I want to be really picky, the only thing I was disappointed by was the egg. It was only half of an egg (rather than two halves), it was hard boiled (rather than onsen-style with a semi-solid, viscous center), and the egg was chilled, which is inconsistent with the hot temperature of the rest of the dish. The ramen and (fried) rice combo isn't worth it in my opinion. Just stick with ramen if that's what you want. The extra carbs are unnecessary and not worth the extra bucks. I'll definitely stop by again. Next time I want to try out some of the rice dishes: oyako don, katsu, and curry. read more

Kuma Noodles Japan - Noodle and fried rice combo. Miso ramen: chashu, sprouts, scallions, nori/seaweed, and half of a boiled egg - Ramen Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Former employee here. I would like to say that it is the worst place in town the owner treats his employees like garbage. Made confrontations in front of customers. High prices for nothing. If u plan to work here, don't. Never do it cuz u will definitely regret. That's why they are always hiring If u want to eat, don't either. Not authentic Japanese ramen at all and the owner will stare at u like u are some thief or else. read more

I'd wanted to come to this place for a while as it seemed to boast the least expensive Japanese ramen I could find online in Victoria. For my first visit here, I opted for the standard shoyu ramen. First, the good - the broth, chicken-based, is great. It's full of chicken flavour that's been fully brought out, but without being overwhelmingly salty like a lot of tonkotsu/pork bone-based ramen broth can sometimes be. A subtle hint of spice adds some depth as well. The noodles have a soft, almost silken texture to them, but not quite like it's been sitting and soaking up broth. Really very nice (al dente purists may cry foul though). It was also served at a good, hot temperature (although the boiled egg, obviously pre-made, was a little cool in parts). The chashu is very tasty: so flavourful and a good tender blend of fat and meat, but the pieces themselves are rather small. Now for the not so good. The service is incredibly slow. I waited about 30 minutes for this after ordering it. The place was reasonably busy, to be fair, (clearly people come here for a reason) but ramen should be fast, high turnover food. While I'm no chef or restauranteur, from what I observed of the kitchen staff moving around, it looked somewhat chaotic. The servers were friendly enough, but seemed somewhat lost and disorganized as well. Finally, at just under $11 before tax, the price is lower than what you might find in Downtown Victoria, and comparable to some of the ramen places in Vancouver. So all in all, this was a good, reasonably authentic dining experience, one I'm glad I sought out, but distractingly marred by the slow service. Kuma still gets a recommendation. Just be sure to come when you're not in a hurry. read more

Kuma Noodles Japan - Ramen Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

I love this place! I used to live in Japan and this is the most authentic tasting and authentic environment too. Best Japanese noodles in Victoria definitely. read more

I love Kuma Noodle like no other noodle restaurant. I love Kuma Noodle like it was a member of my own family. I will never love any noodle house the way I love Kuma. Living down the block from their location, I've eaten at Kuma countless times; having recently moved away to Vancouver, I find myself longing for their delicious broth and savoury noodles. When you eat at Kuma, know that some where in the world I am seething with jealousy and longing to steal your noodles. Okay, seriously though, Kuma is the greatest and a really hidden gem in Victoria. Their food is authentic, affordable and delicious! The broth of their ramen is to die for and their noodles have just the right texture. And they're willing to make some adjustments to dishes, at your request (bean sprouts?! yuck, no thanks) with is much appreciated. The staff are friendly, outgoing and thoughtful -- especially their waitress, Yuki-san! Who, if you go in enough, will memorize your order and notice when you don't visit regularly! Even outside the restaurant, Yuki would recognize me and my family and give us a wave! She's super friendly and thoughtful, best waitress I've ever had! I'm trying to find a new ramen place over here in Vancouver, but no noodle will ever compare to that of my beloved Kuma... sigh. read more

This place is located in Korean Town, which is quite far from tourist inner bay spot (about 30 minute-drive). Not very extensive selections that they offer but they do very well in what they have. We were promptly greeted by the staff as soon as we walked in, water was served immediately. Few minutes later orders were taken by a very nice & patience lady. We ordered miso ramen, gyoza and chicken don. Miso ramen was very light & creamy. The broth was made from chicken stock. Noodle was perfectly cooked, nice & firm. Each table has chili paste if you want yours a bit more kick (be very careful with it, it can be intense). Gyoza skin was just a perfectly seared and firm. You can tell from the skin that this is definitely homemade (not frozen). Chicken don was nice, only complaint was it was a dark meat. The sauce on top is not overly sweet like other place. I highly recommend this place if you are in Victoria read more

Excellent! All the Dons are worth trying, especially the Steak Don. Loved the service and atmosphere, proudly displayed the Japanese Culture. read more

Excellent value, authentic Japanese soul food. Thumbs-up on the gyoza, pork egg don, chicken egg don and yakiniku combo. Small place and nothing fancy. Just really good food and quick service. read more

Yup! I am a definite fan! This place has the best ramen in Victoria by far!! Especially with the garlic :) Would and do recommend. Don't change a thing, Kuma!! read more

Came in for the first time with some friends. I had the Pork cutlet/Egg ricebowl while they had the ramen. Everything tasted great! Our food tasted lively and authentic! Their service was also great. Definitely worth it! read more

Kuma Noodles Japan - Ramen Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Not bad for Ramen in Victoria. Taste of the miso broth was a bit bland, though. Service could be better though... I had to sit at the counter as the tables were reserved for 2 or more diners only, even though there were still tables free by the time I completed my meal. Not cool. Also not offering authentic marinated half boiled Japanese-style eggs in the ramen docks the restaurant a star. Another star docked for having tea bags for green tea as opposed to loose leaf japanese tea. If I return, I'll opt for takeout instead. read more

One of the cheapest and tastiest Japanese food in Victoria. Definitely a must to visit. The pork kimchi rice is delicious with a tinge of sour and sweet. I love the staff service as well. It's a thumbs up for me. read more

I came for lunch with my family on a Saturday afternoon on the hopes that we would find an amazing ramen shop that lives up to the 4.5 star average on 21 other reviews. I was disappointed. The BBQ flavor ramen didn't fulfill the promise of its name. It was a humble, somewhat flavorless broth with boring noodles and few ingredients. The egg tasted of very low quality, and even appeared somewhat cold. The menu was fairly limited as well. I was really hoping that this would be that great place that the locals visit, that hidden neighborhood gem that people rave about. Alas, I was wrong. On the upside, it doesn't cost much and the staff seem nice. But when you go out for ramen, you want amazing ramen, not smiles and savings. read more

First time to he establishment. Great broth on the soya ramen. Very tender pork too. Good dish all round and I will be coming back for more. Very reasonably priced too read more

Wife and I stayed for one night in Victoria and had a craving for ramen instead of Vietnamese noodles, so we decided to check this place out after reading the reviews. Called them and they said last order was at 9:30pm and when we arrived at 9:15pm they said we could only do take-out. Not to be a snob but take-out ramen is definitely not the same as eating it at the restaurant so we politely declined and showed up again the next day. Definitely very reasonable prices and the broth and noodles tasted great. I wish the portions were a tiny bit larger but what you sacrifice in portion you gain in taste. I would definitely go again. read more

Very good and authentic Japanese ramen. A bit simple. About $8 per bowl. Good atmosphere with lots of UVIC students. Recommended. read more

Kuma Noodles Japan - Ramen with soy flavoured noodles and chicken based stock. Pork slices tasty and soft. Delicious. - Ramen Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Good hole in the wall place a bit out of town, but worth the drive. Their signature dish (soy ramen) was a bit bland for my taste, but a little chili paste made it delicious. The kids loved it with and without the spice. Very friendly staff. Good people. Good food. read more

I was delighted to discover this little Japanese style Ramen shop the other day. From being greeted by an enthusiastic いらっしゃいませ! as I entered, to the atmosphere and decor straight outta Kyoto to the amazing ramen (best I've had in Victoria) to the great service... I can't recommend this place enough. Take your kids -take your friends! read more

Another authentic Japanese find! Love the greeting when you walk in the door, and the menu is in both Japanese and English. The Shoyu Ramen tastes just like in Japan!! Very casual atmosphere, nothing fancy at all, but there are always lots of locals enjoying the delicious ramen. The gyozas are good, too!!! I recommend Kuma Noodle Japan. read more

I've been To Kuma Noodles loads of times but just never thought to write a review for the place. I love it! You get a friendly greeting as soon as you walk in and are promptly seated. The staff are always happy and friendly. I usually get the BBQ Ramen with either miso or soya. It has always been amazing. The pork melts in your mouth and the broth is perfectly flavored and seasoned. If I'm feeling super hungry I will also get the gyoza which are delicious. My friends usually get a curry or fried rice and they have loved them all as well. I would recommend this place to anyone in a heart beat! read more

This is the ONLY ramen in Victoria and although not the best, it is better than any other "Ramen" you might find on another menu here in town. If they could only employ steady staff it would be even better. With such a high turnover rate the consistency is just not there. The Chef orders Miso from Japan, none of that garbage we make here in North America so the potential is there for sure. I support this place and I hope it stays open for a very long time. ご馳走様でした read more

Love love love their ramen!!! The place is a bit small and they're usually busy, but it's still worth a visit :)

Kuma noodle is the best chicken ramen restaurant in Victoria by far I recommend you go and try it

Kuma is one of my favourite Japanese restaurant!! It's not expensive but the ramen and any rice is the best! Recommend to students as its near the school. It can get really busy on weekends. read more

Very little selection by expected it as it's a ramen place. I had order the miso ramen and it was so flavourful and good. However it tastes like any other miso ramen at other restaurants. No special twists. Nonetheless, I love the vibe here and of course the food. Reasonable pricing too! read more

Best ramen in Victoria, I eat there weekly and the taste is authentic. I haven't tasted their Miso ramen as it's not available at the moment, which they advertise as the authentic ramen from Japan. will definitely update if it becomes available again. read more

I like to stop here after school for a quick bowl of ramen probably once a week. They're usually busy, but the service is good and the ramen is delicious. I like the miso ramen. The one thing I don't like is that the eggs are hard boiled rather than soft boiled which is more traditional read more

Very reasonable prices for all their dishes. Service is friendly. Their food is bette than most. One complaint I have is that their soup for the ramen is too salty. Other than that, I'd recommend that you try this place out. read more

This is a great fine! Good ramen at a very reasonable price! Service was good and food was quick! Will come back again!

Not understand the good rating of other folks. Took long to get the ramen and the quality of the soy ramen was at best mediocre

Good ramen here. Just a little bit salt for me. Love the fried rice. Good place if you want to invite friends. Small place so go there early to find a good place. read more