It was a cold rainy day so I wanted something to warm me up. Ghost Ramen seemed liked the place to…read morego. It's a simple, bright and clean space. We walked in and it wasn't too busy. We were seated right away. I ended up ordering Gekikara Tonkotsu and it was good. Noodles were good. Pork belly was surprisingly and unpleasantly mushy though. They did provide more toppings than expected. Service was pleasant and attentive. Overall, it was a decent visit. Nothing too memorable but it did the job.

Was super excited to check this place out and found it permanently closed June 2025. Wah.read more

=== 1. VERDICT/VALUE The downtown eatery seems to have a…read moresister location in Hillside Centre - whoohoo! The same authenticity brought to you by Japanese entrepreneurs is available here, complete with Japanese decor and NHK broadcasts on TV :). Good option when you're hankering for warm noodles in soup. === 2. FOOD The quality is just as good as that found in the downtown location, except shio ramen is not available here. I've tried the shoe and miso ramen here and it's delish as it is downtown. The $3.50 add-on sukiyaki beef on rice is good; I just wish it were bigger :) === 3. SERVICE It's all self-serve for the most part - you're encouraged to to use a large-screen kiosk to order everything, including any customizations. The service of the food itself is relatively quick, polite, and can be in English or Japanese. While you can normally bring your dishes to the collection stations, the stone bowls from Menbow requires you to return your tray to Menbow directly. === 4. ENVIRONMENT The Hillside Centre food court offers you a lot of space for groups of any size, with or without baby strollers or wheelchairs to dine in a bright, open, relatively-modern decor. Parking is a breeze too, given the spacious parking lot outside for the mall/.

Delicious ramen and donburi. Adding a mini donburi bowl to our ramen bowl was plenty for 2 people…read moreto eat. We went here twice in our 3 day visit to Victoria. Also tried the chicken appetizer that was delicious. Clean and service was great. Highly recommend!

Was here back in early January 2026 for our family trip. The…read moresushi was fresh! The server was attention to detail. We had a time crunch to drive to BC ferry before leaving the last ferry. The server was honest about the time it took to prepare the food. I would come back to this place again when I could. The price is affordable.

We had a great experience overall! The service was incredibly fast, and everyone was friendly and…read morewelcoming throughout our meal. We tried several rolls, and the Chubby Daddy was definitely the standout. It had a great balance of flavors and was easily our favorite. The Lucky Strike Roll was also very good- I think it would be a fantastic introduction to sushi for someone who's new to it or a little hesitant, since the smoked salmon flavor is approachable and familiar. The tempura avocado wasn't quite for us, as it was a bit too mushy, but that's more of a personal preference than a criticism of the dish. We also ordered another roll to share, but it wasn't particularly memorable compared to the others. Overall, the fish tasted fresh and was clearly high quality. Combined with the excellent service and a beautiful patio that's perfect for summer dining, we'd definitely come back to try more of the menu.

The service was exceptional, and every bite and sip felt like a little piece of heaven. After…read morenearly every dish, we found ourselves looking at each other saying, "Wow... oh my God, that's amazing." The pork belly bao is generously sized and easily shareable. The bun was incredibly fresh, light, and pillowy, while the pork belly was melt-in-your-mouth tender with the perfect balance of richness and tang from the kimchi. The pickled vegetables added a bright crunch that tasted incredibly fresh. We started with the salmon tartare, and it was phenomenal! Rich, buttery, bursting with flavor, and so good we were literally fighting over the last bite. And the scallop? Order one for each person. Seriously. It's far too delicious to share. It had just the right amount of heat, leaving the perfect lingering warmth that immediately made us want another. Do yourself a favor and give yourself enough time to work your way through the menu, because every dish we tried was outstanding. Each plate was thoughtfully curated, beautifully executed, and cooked to perfection. I like to call it the C³ trifecta: curated, created, and cooked. Without question, this is some of the best food we've had in a very long time. We can't wait to come back (when visiting) and continue eating our way through the rest of the menu.

Drove down from courtenay to meet with a friend to go to the…read moreCity & Colour show and she suggested the Block as she had been before. Ambiance was great - super warm and welcoming which was magnified by the host. Super lovely. Then the wait staff. Whoever is hiring/training is doing a great job! Not drinking right now but the cocktail menu was super tempting. Every menu item sounded great. We got some help on ordering from our servers and Tanya picked ones she had enjoyed before. We also sat right beside the pick up window so it was fun seeing food come out! The food was fantastic. See pictures for what we ordered. Not sure if I can remember the names of everything but it was a perfect combo!!

=== 1. VERDICT/VALUE A touch of Japan on Cedar Hill - come…read morehere 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!

I've visited a half-dozen times now with family and consider this the "go to ramen shop". Simple,…read morerelaxed 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.

Authentic bao is all I can say. Taiwanese, Vietnamese, japanese all done right with the flavors…read moreand nicely steamed buns. Friendly crew, nice day, great food. Can't ask for more.

Came here for dinner the other day and it was okay. Not sure if I would come back but if you come…read morehere I would recommend only trying their baos and maybe avoid their noodles. I wasn't craving baos so I ordered a noodle soup but it wasn't to my liking. I feel like this place is more known for their baos so I should have ordered those. I got to try a phew bites of the Taiwanese classic and Chinese bbq Baos because someone else in my party ordered them and those tasted WAY better.

The ground pork curry was so good! This isn't a fancy place but very tasty if you need something…read morequick and fresh.

Came here during a short stay in Victoria at a friend's recommendation. The menu was interesting. A…read morelot of cool Asian fusion options. You order at the register and the food didn't take long to be ready. You grab your own utensils and stuff. There is only counter stool seating inside. There are some bench seating on the patio. Everything we ordered was good. My friend and I shared 3 dishes and that was perfect. Would definitely come again to try more things on my next visit.

Food was great the waitress was very knowledgeable about the food we ordered and explained each…read moreitem extremely well. Excellent Service and our family enjoyed our dad's birthday lunch a couple of us enjoyed the lunch special and the ambiance was fantastic. We look forward to dining in again soon! Our only regret was not getting a family picture with our meal as it looked incredible.

Popped by for a quick lunch…read more They offer a lunch special menu which includes a salad, side dishes and your choice of set entree. Got the chirashi don set. When I got in, I got seated right away despite it being lunch time. But noticed that the servers decreased their frequency of coming to my corner of the restaurant as time went by so it took a while to get anyone at the end of the meal when it came time to pay since the restaurant is so big and the servers were mainly hanging out at the bar at the end. Food was alright. The chirashi don also included a pile of kelp noodles that were not seasoned. The eating experience would have been better without it. Overall, although it might look small, the special was sufficient for lunch.