Nikkei Ramen-ya in Courtenay

Best Ramen I have tasted, love the Kara miso paitan! Only reason I gave 3 stars on atmosphere is because it is always so cold inside.

Authentic ramen is delicious and eve try one from the cooks to the guests are very friendly.

The staff wasnt really welcoming; I had to figure out myself that I had to order through a self service counter. Food was very average, and why there was a big piece of melting butter in my soup? Do you want an extra heart attack in your bowl? No, thank you...

Awesome ramen! Not great to dine in with smaller kids/toddlers as the seating is mostly higher stools. Kid-friendliness: Offer reasonable kids ramen options, but dine in seating isnt great for the small ones.

Pretty good Ramen.

Absolutely love the ramen here. Take my opinion with a grain of salt because Ive never really had ramen that much, but its really good to me. Had my fair share of soups, though, and can definitely tell they do their broth in house with how flavorful and rich it is. Theres so many ramens I wanna try, still. Dont sleep on the appetizers, either; their chicken karaage is so tasty, it has a firm breading with a slight crunch, and their gyoza is just right on how its filled and pan fried. Stopping in the valley, I would definitely recommend this place. Just be forewarned about coming with a group; theres not a huge amount of indoor space.

This ramen was amazing! Had the Kara ramen and it was like a warm hug. Super laid back atmosphere. Friendly staff. Highly recommend.

Kid-friendliness: Great kid menu! Food

The portions are a little small for the price. The flavor was good. I dont like the kiosks as if like to ask questions and the staff looked busy when I was there.

Hubby and I stopped in on a rainy day. We both enjoyed our choices, the pork was melt in your mouth tender. Will definitely stop by next time we go through town :)

My seven year old has celiac disease and one of the foods he misses most is ramen noodles. Its a really big deal for him to come eat gluten free noodles here when we visit Courtenay -- always a highlight of his trip! Hes also quite picky but the restaurant was able to accommodate him without any issues. Thank you for having an environment that is safe for those with gluten restrictions and food that is so delicious! Dietary restrictions: Safe for celiacs! Amazing! Kid-friendliness: My seven year old loves this place. They have child versions of their dishes and can leave off any toppings if requested.

It s the most expensive ramen I ve tried. Egg is extra, portion is super small, takeout is extra, mandatory 15% living surcharge - all comes to ~$27!!!Ridiculous. Would not recommend.

Got the gluten free Ramen through their self serve till in store. There was only one option, chicken, so I got it. I paid 25$ and it came with 4 pea shoots, two slices of dried tomato, and a quarter of a dry chicken breast cut into chunks. Noodles were okay, broth was not salted enough or very flavourful. The 25 included a mandatory living wage fee? I dont think a business should get to brag about paying a living wage when its subsidized by the customers. Save yourself the disappointment and dont come here for gluten free Ramen. I could have made the same meal for a quarter of the price at home.

Expensive and not great service. They force you to tip with the living wage add on so basically a special way of forcing you to pay more for their lack of management skills. Will not be coming back and letting people know not to waste their money.

Go here if you are interested in paying crazy amounts for a sub-par at best, bowl of ramen. The ramen broth was good and tasted homemade. However the noodles were clearly dry packaged and not fresh( Any Asian grocer sells the same straight-cut dry ramen noodles). The chashu was not chashu. It was sliced deli meat, and tasted like ham. Portions were very small as well considering the price. Charging extra for the sides is acceptable considering most ramen shops do, however 3 dollars for an egg and the same for a small portion of extra noodles, is borderline robbery. Speaking of robbery, a 15% forced gratuity is charged at checkout for living wage. As an employer, it is your responsibility to pay your staff a fair wage. The employees I dealt with and witnessed in the kitchen were very non-professional and provided little to no service on top of making food. To me, that wouldn t deserve any gratuity at all. The Bc government website also clearly states that gratuity is not needed at any establishment, and is never to be forced on a customer. In other words, illegal depending on who you ask. Living wage in bc is between 22 and 26 dollars an hour, and the owner has specified in his review responses, that he doesn t even pay them that. That tells me someone is lying Anyways, will never be back. Better ramen will be found anywhere else for the fraction of the price. To the owner, whoever you are, get a grip on reality and wake up.

The staff at Nikkei Ramen-ya are both professional and nice, and it cost less to do the living wage top up than even a modest tipper would give.

Fantastic staff always friendly. Im a regular!

The ramen is basically very tasty, but not outstanding or special. I think the prices for the food are okay. Very little space in the restaurant.

As local residents we love to stop here for a great bowl of ramen. Always excellent quality and tasty. Staff is friendly and polite. Yes the space is tight but they are in the process of moving and hopefully that results in some more space.

Average ramen. Will satisfy the need. No table service. I am spoiled as I lived in Richmond.

Great Ramen , spotless , fast and yummy !

Ive eaten here before and the food was amazing but tried to order pick up today and they charged a $21 service fee and wouldnt allow us to order over the phone. So ridiculous and we ended up ordering pizza instead on principle.

Very very delicious! Always remember to get the extra noodles! Vegetarian options: There where a few vegan options Kid-friendliness: There was a whole kids menu for picky eaters

Great spot!

Theres cider hiding in the beer menu! :) and the ramen is great. I just wish the ordering system was more flexible so I wouldnt need toppings added manually.

Absolutely no consideration for wheel chair customers, they cant even access the outside patio. Staff is lazy and the store is dirty, watched 2 people walk away as the tables werent cleared and ready for the next.

Recommended to us by a local and I have to say we agree with them. Know that when it says spicy it means it. Good flavors and a couple of nice options for those of us celiac.

I got the Shoyu Ramen with an egg. The meal was small and tasted okay and yet all together cost $25. I appreciate that this is employer pays a living wage as I believe people should be paid a living wage. However, at these prices, the employer isn t paying it, you are. While at the same time having to do free work by ordering yourself and cleaning up after yourself. While I love ramen, I don t think I will be able to afford another meal here.

Best ramen Ive tried so far! Fun atmosphere and friendly staff. You order with a machine near the door and it tastes authentic to me (some random white guy)

Chill atmosphere, Really good ramen, amd the staff are chill, and respectfull

Absolutely fantastic!

I really liked this place so revisited recently. Unfortunately, it will be my last time going there. 30 dollars for a bowl of ramen. 14.8% service charge provided little to no service. Everything is self here. Shockingly small portion of ramen this time. I even ordered extra noodles for 3.50 and asked for some more soup with it. Received an answer we dont do that . Tables were not clean with soup splashes everywhere. At least wipe down the table if you are charging a service charge? My 34 dollars could have been better used.

One of the nicest little ramen shops I have ever been too, the noodles are house made and have good bite, broth was made patiently and homemade kimchi was spot on as well. Will be back tomorrow and probably the next day! Hats off to the staff!

Best Ramen youll ever have!! Transports you to Japan with the authenticity of the flavors. Great ambiance, awesome staff!

Very casual dining. Wonderful simple food. Fast food. But healthy food. Always love to eat here when I can. I like the open kitchen and you can see how clean it is and the pride the staff have in their work and work environment.

Serious meh Noodles are overcooked Broth lacked depth I make way better veggie ramen at home.

Good service and my favorite ramen. If youre a beer drinker, try the Japanese red rice beer! Recommended dishes

Excellent ramen, multiple vegetarian options that did not disappoint! They dont offer a tip option because they pay a living wage, which makes this ramen at this price point a steal!

I only go up to Courtenay once a year but I always go to Nikkei Ramen-ya when I am there.

It was our first time here and even though it is an hour drive from Nanaimo we are really excited to visit and try their ramen! What we liked about Nikkei: Delicious ramen! Easy kiosk ordering system Quaint traditional ramen shop vibes We ordered Hokkaido Miso Ramen (comes with a curly type of noodles) and Tonkotsu Shoyu Gyokai Ramen (comes with thin straight noodles) both with Ajitama. The noodles are firm and perfectly cooked. Ramen noodles that are made from scratch are definitely the best. The broth is thick & rich which I liked! The thin tender slices of that chasu, kanpeki. The ajitama was on point! I did my poke test lol, cut it in the mid with my chopsticks, and then poof! There she goes, that soft-boiled marinated, center oozing with goodness tamago. What we disliked about Nikkei: Loud background music Small serving for the price point Not a family-friendly restaurant We expected that it was a family-friendly place as wed seen on a google review and watched a small clip of a baby eating on a HC with a table attachment so we went with our 18-month-old. They do have high-chairs (I believe, those are ikea ANTILOP) BUT the problem is that they dont have the table attachment (I asked) and the HC is too short to fit on their tall tables. They all have bar tables and stools. So both of us (to all parents you know the drill lol, time is running and we need to start eating that bowl of hot ramen and most importantly avoid any impending tantrum) just SLURP and GO. So in the end, we concluded that maybe the table attachment we saw was brought by a customer, and if only our toddler was seated properly, all of us wouldve enjoyed eating that bowl of ramen more and not been in a hurry.

Very busy, but a great space. Food was really interesting, well made! You order at a kiosk and grab a seat, then they call your name, and you pick up your order at the counter.

Just great! Wish to expand the space Kid-friendliness: Great to have kids size menu Food : 5/5 |

The broth was extremely good, but the portion size was very small, and the noodles were somewhat under cooked and not very good. Im surprised at the cost, and how many of the common ramen toppings are only available for an added fee. The atmosphere was incredibly authentic however, and reminded me of ramen shops in Japan. If youre wanting to try real ramen and have no expectations, this is a good place to start your journey, but if you have a lot of experience with ramen you might be a little underwhelmed.

Disappointed as a japanese person

It was 52$ for two bowls of ramen and the food wasn t anything special. It wasn t a lot of food either and my friend and I were still hungry afterwards. Loud and very crowded on the inside. This place used to be amazing but I feel for the cost its no longer worth it.

Waited over 45 minutes, ti then have my souo given to another patron. In all it took over an hour to get my soup and i believe it was what the other patron ordered, not what i had ordred. Tge employees did more chatting amongst themselves than cooking. $70 for the two of us and Not even given an apology or explanation for over an hour wait other than they gave my soup to soneone else. Horrible experience. Will never return and sugest others to think twice about dining here.

I was visiting in the area and found this Japanese ramen house by surprise. I have to walk 15 mins in the rain to get there, but it was worth it. It s very much an authentic ramen house and even it is self-served, the kitchen staff are friendly and helpful. There are different options to choose and substitute which is nice. Ramen is fresh and broth is tasty. Definitely will revisit next time when I am in the area. Highly recommended.

Best ramen on Vancouver Island maybe even BC.

Exceptional food at a decent price!

For the price it didnt seem like enough food. My partner and I were both still hungry when we left. We paid an extra $2 for more noodles on one of the orders and we were going to split it and they never gave it to us. The staff cooking are the only workers there so its hard to talk to them. After trying to get their attention to ask about the extra noodles, no one saw me so we just finished the rest of the broth and left. It was good ramen. Very small and tight space inside with uncomfortable seats. If you have back problems you probably will have a hard time dining in with the backless metal stools they have. It felt very cramped loud and a little pricey for the amount you get. Besides that the ramen itself is quite tasty and nice they have 1 or 2 vegan options.

Great meal and nice atmosphere

I love that they are a living-wage employer! Food is tasty, my family can always pick something they love despite our picky eaters and diet restrictions. Food is ready quickly but is of high quality and fresh.

Overpriced Undercooked and low quality. Better off with a bag of Mr.Noodles. The living wage top up is a scam. You deserve better. Spend $$$ elsewhere. .

Amazing ramen. Our group had 5 different kinds and we shared them all. Every single one was absolutely delicious. Authentic eatery, small space, full flavours, damn amazing Ramen.

I have always adored this place; my family and I come to Comox to visit family all the time, and we always make a stop here when we can. The ramen here is unlike any other place I ve been! The food is amazing and the preparation process is super impressive. Meal prices are well worth it, and ensured each employee a living wage. Speaking of which, the employees are super friendly and welcoming it s clear the people working here care for the restaurant. When we were eating there today, I could hear the staff chatting about making ramen tier lists! To the staff: you guys have done such an incredible job getting through the pandemic. It s not been easy on small/local businesses, but you re going strong as ever. Much love!!

Elected not to eat here due to the 15% living wage top up charge at the final stage of ordering. Just increase your prices like normal people. YOU as the employer pay the living wage. Transparency would be customers being able to tell before they get to the final stage of ordering that there s a 15% mandatory gratuity for a no-service restaurant.

Most authentic ramen on the island.

I appreciate how they pay a living wage and the tip is automatically put on the bill. Well done.

Bro the vibes were good, and the food was even better

This restaurant has always been a favourite of mine. I ve dined in and done take out. It has the BEST ramen. Tonight I was very disappointed with the service with one particular female employee, not sure if she was the owner or not. She was very rude and passive aggressive about me being early for my takeout order. I have no problem waiting and had 0 expectation about you preparing it any faster. For instance, she made a comment to other customers how takeout people should not wait inside (even though there was enough space) so I quietly went to wait outside by the window instead. I agree that if your restaurant is busy, takeout people can wait elsewhere. It was your approach to the entire situation and secondly, there was enough space for me to wait inside. Kindness can go a long way and the way you approach paying customers doesn t go unnoticed. The rest of the staff was wonderful and thank you to the gentlemen that came to give me my takeout order outside.

Slurp some slippery noodles & gulp down a Gyoza. Delicious ramen. Friendly folks.

Delicious flavourful ramen. Chewy noodles, wonderful umami chicken broth, melt in your mouth chashu! Managed to snag a spot for 4 around 130pm on a Friday. You order through a tablet. Food came out within 30min. Service was friendly. Recommendations: Hokkaido ramen (chashu is insanely tender), gyoza, and veggie miso ramen. Treat yourself to the ajitama egg. Worth it. Only issue was that the noodles stuck together. Would ve been good to boil them 30s longer and have the broth hotter to cook the noodles a bit. It was a tad too al dente and the stuck noodles took away from an overall amazing ramen experience. Comparable to what you d find in Vancouver. Will come back again when I visit the island.

Came here for lunch and the food was absolutely delicious! I had the tonkotsu ramen and my mom had the shoyu ramen. Both were delicious. Great atmosphere and friendly staff.

Super rude kid answered the phone... Asked to place an order for pick up when I was directed to place an order online with a very snarky tone. Then I got a ughh fine I can take your order... Definitely not the attitude I want preparing food for me.

Ive come for the week to Courtaney for work and the first thing I look up is Ramen. This place is great! Menu is friendly to kids and anyone with dietary requirements. The food is quick and amazing! Definitely one of the best Ramen Ive had! Edit: the staff are friendly, they make everything they can from scratch and you can buy kits (sold at other locations) to take home to make your own ramen. Menu isnt big, but it doesnt need to be. I couldnt be happier to have found this amazing place

Tasty ramen. Love having the extra options. Cozy & charming atmosphere. Good price point. Strongly recommended.

We had the Gekikara karrage miso paitan ramen and it was spicy and amazing!

Unreal.

Staff were super friendly and helpful about ordering and the food was delicious! Ill be back

Weve been looking forward to trying Nikkei for ages; weve struck out a couple of times, but were able to snag seats this time, and the wait was absolutely worth it. If you havent been before, claim your seats right away, but dont sit there like we did, waiting for service. I guess we missed the signs, and nobody mentioned it to us, but there are two self-serve computers where you place your orders. Once we figured it out, we got our orders pretty quickly, and it is absolutely and without reservation, the best ramen Ive had in the island. Id recommend splashing out for the chili oil too - it adds a nice little bite! Cant wait to go back!! Dietary restrictions: They also offer gluten free noodles!! Way to go, Nikkei!!

Excellent Ramen. Noodles prepared fresh to order. Lots of delicious options. Service was quick. One thing to note is is not a place to spend a long time. More like a Tokyo noodle counter. Yum

Get the extra noodles, eat the noodles without drinking the broth, then add the extra noodles and eat it normally

This place is always amazing. The food is terrific. I recommend the Shoyu ramen with the chili oil, chili solids, and marinated egg. Im hungry again just thinking about it. No way I remembered to take a photo either. Dietary restrictions: They have gluten free ramen and vegetarian broth too

We are from Powell River and heard about this place from a friend there. Happy for the recommendation. We stopped in for lunch while shopping. I really enjoyed my shoyu ramen. Prompt service and the broth was tasty. We ll be back.

Had the Kara Miso Ramen and it was delicious, full of rich flavour and can t wait to have it again the next time I m in town. The marinated egg is spot on and the noodles were cooked beautifully! Just as good if not better than the majority of Japanese ramen places on mainland. No it isnt $2 instant noodles, it is the real deal similar to something you would have in Tokyo including the ordering from the computer! Loved it!! The only suggestion would be to be able to have the assortment of vinegars and chili oils on the table to be able to play around with flavours but not necessary. Just a thought. I was surprised to see how empty this place was but perhaps it will get busier as more people find out about this special spot in the Comox valley.

Weve been here a few times now, service is always great!! Love the patio tables and LOVE that gratuities are included as a 9% living wage top up. Plus the ramen is soooo tastey! GF, Vegetarian & Pescetarian options, Vegan might be trickier but I think doable!

Literally the best ramen Ive ever had anywhere (including Tokyo). I love this place so much that I have their official merch. I come here almost anytime I visit Courtenay. If I could rate six stars I would.

Mediocre ramen, small portion, and expensive. $25 for this.

I was blown away by how delicious the ramen is here. My entire mood was uplifted by a bowl here. Highly recommend.

Went for the first time today and we really enjoyed ourselves. We were greeted right away by a friendly member of staff and shown how to order and pay on the touch screen. I loved ordering and paying this way less pressure while selecting an option! For those who were not comfortable navigating the touch screen menu, I saw a staff member help them make their selections. Sat at the bar and was really impressed by how calm, super clean and organized the kitchen is, even as it got busier. Food was served pretty quickly. We tried the gyoza, which had a great flavor. We also really enjoyed the delicious ramen broth and how tender the pork was. Portions are just right, and prices are reasonable. Great experience overall and very friendly staff. We will return! Thank you!

This was my first time here. The Ramen was wonderful! Its a bit on the pricey side but I can also understand that as everything is made inhouse. I am sure I will be back just not as often as I would like.

Amazing food, fast service , small hole in the wall type shop. Highly recommend this place

The hype is real. This shop serves amazing, high quality, carefully prepared ramen in a small and lovely space. The chashu was fatty and tender and the egg was perfectly soft. Very worth stopping if you are in Courtnenay.

Does not disappoint. Its the best ramen Ive had in a very long time :) such a lovely vibe in there and the food is all made in house and it shows!

I tried to give this place a second chance, and my second experience was ever worse than the first. The guy tried to make me pay full cost for a different dish, as my initial dish was inadequate... pretty disappointing for an already $30 meal. I was excited for the valley to get a Ramen joint, but Id never recommend this place to anyone.

Always top notch. A favourite place of ours.

It is simply quite good.

5 stars for the soup and 6 stars for the owners rebuttals to the 1 star reviews

Incredibly overpriced! Instead of charging people nearly 16% for fair wages how about you pay your employees a livable wage? 2 bowls of ramen should NOT cost me $50, ridiculous! They also try to charge you more just to order takeout? What a money grab for average food.

Overpriced for what you get... charging customers for a living wage is insane. Maybe pay your employees a descent wage and not charge your customers for it. Food tasted allright but barely any meat in the dish for the price point. Wont be going back for the fact you pay almost 18% extra for takeout.

Great experience. Staff is very friendly. Vegetarian options: That one was very good Food : 5/5 |

This is an authentic taste for the Japanese ramen.

Excellent food and friendly staff. The atmosphere is chaotic and fun, the open kitchen brings a sense of involvement and engagement with the action of the chefs, which is what Nikkei wants you to be, engaged with the food. They make their own noodles on site (except the gluten-free) and they are proud of it, check out their website for more info. The poker chip tokens are to be presented when youre ready for a noodle refill (leave broth in your bowl in anticipation of this). Vegan notes: 2 dishes are vegan, noodles and everything (just ask for no butter), was very easy to order and it was filling and delicious. I went on Nov 10th and they had a 50% off special for veterans and currently serving military, which I thought was really amazing. Update: its years later and theyre still going strong and the food is as good as ever. Nikkei Ramen Ya is a living wage employer, they automatically add the gratuity to your order and theres no tipping options or choices to make, I find that really refreshing in a world where tipping and inflation have gotten out of control. Its a great example that more businesses should follow and also should commit to paying a living wage. Vegetarian options: They have a vegan ramen option Dietary restrictions: They have gf options

As an out of town traveller, it was very hard to find a restaurant open on Monday. So grateful I found this gem. Fair prices. DELICIOUS food. On time service. Easy to place an order online and pay. Their broth is absolutely heavenly. I had the vegetarian ramen and it was so yummy.

Great ramen but poor service. Stood waiting for my take out that was sitting on the counter for nearly 20 minutes well the cooks and some guy on a laptop ignored me.

Edit: The broth was much better the second time! A lot thicker and creamier. Good service too. Great experience. Original Review: I found the tonkotsu to be a bit weak and lacking some depth. The service and ordering was also somewhat strange. Overall though, its not a bad little ramen place.

Wonderful Ramen! Kid-friendliness: Extra meals for children Food : 5/5 |

The lemon ramen was DELICIOUS!!!

The ramen here was great, highly recommend!

If I had seen this receipt before paying, I would not have eaten here. I guess such tricks can only be pulled off here. If you do this in Vancouver, I guarantee you will be scolded very badly. As a chef, I believe that the operating costs of Vancouver restaurants are not lower than yours, but they may be more honest. P.S: if you have time and energy to refute bad reviews, maybe you can go to Vancouver and try Maruhachi, Jinya and Danbo.

Now this is what I call good ramen.

Went there for the first time, the other day. Friend told me about it and had to try it. Best ramen I have had. Need to get it more, but sadly, I am from out of town. Will hunt down the kits to try and will try to go before I go again.

Wow, Im picky and this is the best! Easy self order and great service, nice tunes and street view.

We waited in line for 30 mins. You get in and have to order on a computer and then pickup your food up yourself at the front. What we wanted was sold out. The food was overpriced. The restaurant was cold inside. The pork was mediocre and you barely got any of it. The waitress was shouting that she couldnt handle the amount of people in the shop and was rude to the customers because of it. Some people even walked out. We were forced to prepay our tip at the kiosk. When no one was hosting/waitressing us for our food. On top of that, standard toppings you would get everywhere else was denied.. as it only came with other meals. I wont be recommending this Restauraunt until changes are made and staff can treat their customers right, and better food proportions for your money.

One of my favorite spots during my stay in the comox valley, I ordered the chicken miso ramen and the karaage, the karaage was the star of the meal. Sadly they only made it once during my 2 visits to the location, but the chicken was perfect.

The food made me feel sick after, way too salty. Also don t expect a kid friendly experience, even if the guys aren t doing anything and just chatting, they won t help you carry any food to your kids. Also it tasted really low quality and salty. The chicken breast tasted like it was the prepared chicken that comes in a package. Really bad. Sorry.

Living wage added onto bill?? Seriously?? You get tipped for your food/service it is not automatic . And considering majority of your staff are young I doubt they are married with 2 children - what a living wage constitutes of in Canada - you make pho guys one of the cheapest meals one can make - and your pricing is already high anyone who has a knowledge of how the food industry works knows you make a killing ,, yet you still tack on more disgusting and shameful.

You pay for what you get and what you get is a great bowl of noodles in tasty broth.

Were lucky to have such great ramen in a smaller town.

First time here. I will go back and try other options.

Expensive and the noodles seems undercooked. Great to have as a option in a small town but my ramen was very salty at the end and the noodles were chewy.

Such a small spot but we ll worth going to! The ramen was *excellent*, portions were kinda small so I recommend loading up on the extras!

Fun, community style, order on a tablet when you come in and pick up at the counter, put away your own dishes. This ramen is so amazing, Ive been twice since I was recommended by a friend and I just wanna go over and over until Ive tried it all! The noodles are cooked to perfection, the broth is to die for and all the vegetables are fresh and very flavorful!

It was okay, we were probably expecting a better meal with all the good things we heard, but of was mediocre at best. Dont really know what all the fuss is about. Very pricey for noodles and a few toppings.

Used to be great, the quality of food and especially service has taken a real nose dive. Disappointing and overpriced. Kept returning hoping for a better experience, but I sadly cant recommend the food or experience anymore.

Visited as a group of 4 on 16/12/2023, dinner time @ 1800hrs. Atmosphere is great, similar to what you will experience in Japan. A small ramen shop. Ramen tasted great, both the tonkotsu and Yuzu Shio options. However, the owner makes diners pay a mandatory 14.8% on top of your total bill, stating its a living wage policy. Firstly, why put the responsibility to pay a living wage to your workers on the customers? Secondly, your shop basically provides 0 service, because you expect your customers to pick up their own orders, grab own cup for drinking water and own utensils. Yet you expect people to pay 14.8% for that? Don t get me wrong, the food tasted great. But everything else just doesn t warrant the hefty price tag.

Very tasty ramen in Courtenay.

Nice ramen, but the mandatory living wage top up really make me feel uncomfortable. Wage should pay by employer not customer. This just give me a sense that I was force to pay tips. I can pay tips but it shouldnt be compelled.

Lovely patio heating and delicious as always! This is my favorite place to eat in Courtney.

Tasty ramen... Friendly staff. Covid proof Dine-in is possible and there is a heated patio next to the sidewalk..

This place is wonderful and the ramen is super satisfying. Ive been going to Nikkei Ramen-Ya since it opened and its always a treat. My favourite is the Shoyu with an egg (the egg is a must). Always happy when I come here:)

Evertime we go to Mt. Washington we go here.

All ways a treat

Amazing food, nice outdoor seating and a great business platform. Love the self order and efficiency of the place.

Loved it and had it twice during my stay in Courtenay! Ramen and the katsu curry special are amazing! Nice outdoor patio too!

Amazing Raman! My kids love it, I love it, everyone loves it ! A true gem in the town of Comox. The take-out is just as good as eating it, and the outdoor seating area is well heated. Good selection of beers

Quick and quite good. I got meat and egg in mine. My wife got a veggie ramen. She thought the noodle to veggie ratio to be too high.

Tasty, Tasty....

Wow! Delicious noodles and very friendly staff! Pretty small noodle shop but there is outdoor seating when the weather cooperates.

Love the sustainability aspect to this business model. Would come here again just to support the restaurant. Best ramen in Courtenay, although there really aren t that many ramen options. They still make delicious ramen. Delicious broth that I sipped up every last bit! They have cool ramen combinations that are not necessarily traditional ramen, but it works. Loved the Ebi ramen. Partner enjoyed his shoyu ramen. Kind service! Not a whole lot of seating inside, dress warm if it s cold outside they have heated patio seating. Restaurant got busy during lunch on a weekday. Restautant recommend!!

This is Ramen done right, amazing broth and perfect noodles. Oh yeah definitely get the marinated egg absolutely amazing

That was the most disappointing meal Ive ordered ol from a restaurant. I just paid $40 for two bowls of water with sesame oil and some wheat spaghetti in it and two thin slices of tofu. It was also luke warm. They also asked for Vax passes for people ordering out. Customer service was good. Did arrived fast, but I wont be returning and dont recommend.

Great ramen & bonus noodles. Love the convenience of ordering kiosks. Best ajitama Ive had.

Really solid vegetarian ramen. I liked it but wasn t totally blown away. The staff were really helpful and the atmosphere was great.

Absolutely delicious. Prices have gone up a little bit (no more free noodle refill) but I dont think its unreasonable. Also really pleased that they ensure theyre paying a living wage to the staff!

We order Nikkei Ramen-ya a few times a month and love it! I love that you can customize your takeout orders and the pricing allows for their staff to be paid living wages! <3

Absolutely delicious ramen, friendly staff and quick service even though it was busy! Highly recommend checking it out when in downtown Courtenay

Great food, will be back.

The most amazing Ramen!

It was Only ok for a $25 bowl of noodle soup

Ramen was good but not great. I prefer a richer, fattier broth. This was much more delicate for my preference.

I had the miso ramen, it was delicious!

Yasai and miso yasai, vegan and delicious, great ramen, I liked the miso yasai broth more.

Was pretty good, if on the pricey side. Only issue was that the self serve terminals automatically put a big tip on the order with no easy way to change it, which is a bit dirty. Its a cost of living adjustment, which should just be built into the price of the food and not hidden in a tip. A tip should be a tip, not a substitute for a living wage.

Great place to eat , loved the food and the Terrasse.

Very delicious, especially the soup, flavourful, soothing, yet not overpowering or salty like other ramen places. The pork chashu is also very nicely done, melts in your mouth yet not fatty or greasy. Just a little surprised by the mandatory 15% tip, I mean it is self served and everything, and $1 extra for chili flakes or chili oil. Other than that, I gotta say it s one of the best ramen places in BC and I have had my fair share of ramen from living in Vancouver.

Delicious ramen!! Great flavour and variety of options. Highly recommend the miso with pulled pork!

Skip this place. Dumpster food in a nice bowl.

Interesting concept of self sustaining system. Order from machine, pick up ur own food, return ur dirty plates etc. I am not going to comment negatively since I read the reviews and people are attacked by the owner. Its quite interesting the defensiveness of the business. I like the concept of the store tho and if I live here I would support this local business once In awhile when I crave Ramen. Please dont attack me

Great food, loved the part you can pay a couple bucks for a extra bowl of noodles for your broth. Th only reason its not 5 stars is there is not option for tips. They automatically put a 14.8% living wage added to the bill. They dont take your order, you place it yourself. Its not right that we dont have the option to give a tip. Will not be back or ever eat at a living wage restaurant again.

Meh noods - too chewy for me Meh soup Drinks were good kinda Meh experience Somewhat fast service

You can tell when an owner is incredibly passionate about quality. I have yet to try the ramen, but I will update this review when I do!

Really enjoyable ramen, we had the summer special (spicy sweet tsukemen) and the Hokkaido and both were excellent - the in house made noodles are great. Love that they have abolished tipping and instead have a living wage surcharge, which is a huge step in the right direction for fixing the exploitative nature of restaurants. The 1 star reviews probably havent had much ramen in their lives if they think this is bad. Will be back and recommend this place to others.

Waited outside as they told me they had to bring it to me . It never arrived . Finally went in after long wait . Uncomfortable seats picnic tables and hard stools no backs . Overpriced 18 dollars for broth noodles a couple mushrooms and corn . Disappointing and terrible service .. preorder on computer and no help getting condiments etc

I tried several ramen in Vancouver, Lisbon and Turin but I could definitely said that this is the best one. A really healty food made in the authentic way. If you are lucky you could find the owner here that will explain from when products comes and how they are made. You could find this product to bring with you at home at Edible Island Market and at the Old Farm Market. A nice spot outside from the big city of Vancouver where you could join Japanese Ramen Culture.

Love the food and I know the staff are working hard but they need to get better on the timing of their orders. When you re told 20-25 minutes for your food and then it takes 50 minutes - it s frustrating and it happens all the time here. I don t know another place I eat at in town that consistently pooches on the timing. It would save a lot of headaches for people if they just overestimate it instead of consistently underestimating it.

A new beginning. An authentic ramen shop is rare to find in towns of BC. I commen Nikkri Ramen for taking bold steps to identifying what ramen can be. They understand the simplicity of Japanese food, not over complicating flavours and sourcing fine ingredients. Their journey is ongoing. Maybe its the egg or noodles or broth but theres something more that is needed. Still I recommend people trying it out. Its a different but yet somehow still authentic take on ramen.

The food is delicious, it is so good every single time. We come here often as a family, and will show people visiting us this place, its always one of the first places we go

It was very busy when I went so there wasnt any place to sit down not that it would be very comfortable anyway. You dont go to Nikkei for the comfortable seating, you go for the delicious food. Noodles are surprisingly filling. I usually get takeout and bring it home so I can have a relaxing dining experience and play with my food. Wheelchair accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible to dine in. Barely accessible for anyone in my opinion. They will accommodate take out and its worth it

Delicious

Yummy

Sensational food. Quick easy self order kiosk made it simple and effortless to order. I ll be back soon.

Very good food. Wasnt the cheapest but I definitely was satisfied with what I paid for. Ill be going back again.

Delicious! Pricey. Liked the self-serve aspect. Limited seating, but fast turn over.

This restaurant adds on a employee living fee to the cost of my meal. I am more than happy to add a tip and I always have but if you are going to add on a required fee, just INCREASE the price of the ramen and give it to the employee(s)!?!? Doesn t make sence to me. Feel like I am getting scammed.

I come here at least twice a month. Nice customization and gluten free options, love the tea. My favourite post-workout treat! Food

Phenomenal ramen. The cooks here need to give themselves a pat on the freaking back. Better than anywhere I ve been on the Island. Better than anywhere I ve been in Vancouver. Your taste might disagree, but you re wrong.

Really good ramen. I was disappointed to see that I paid for extras but they were forgotten (maybe double check your food before driving off with take out).

Food was great, maybe a tad expensive.

Very tasty

This place has great food in the Courtney region. Most asian food cant compare to this food. Only complaint is that the transparency of the Living Wage added on to the check isnt clear and is prompted at the final part of ordering and confirming your order. After reading into the Living Wage on the government website this wage is stated that it is for a family of four, two working adults with two dependent kids. I honestly think it is a bit too high for the people that I saw working there. Are these 18 year olds that are working there, not offering much in service due to Covid restrictions, popping out kids like bunnies? Maybe, maybe not. As the owner says we are all entitled to our opinions and it is his business which is successful but transparency is better then suprise.

Our son had highly recommended this restaurant to us a few months ago and today we finally found ourselves in Courtenay at dinner time and enjoyed our amazing ramen with his lovely wife! We took photos for him so he could see that we d followed his advice :). We had three different ramen dishes and all were excellent. Definitely add the egg.

Super delicious, interior is subtle and simple but the food is delicious. Traditional ramen with soup bases of obvious Japanese influence and leaves you with a warm satisfaction.

Just click on the options for a 1 Star Review and read the Owners unhinged responses. If youre a Conscious Person with a Functioning Brain and a Modicum of Integrity ~ these Reviews will Speak Volumes. Why support any business that promotes and gleefully encourages Blatant Bigotry?

Excellent service and food

Great food, gluten-friendly

Not bad if they had more vegan options.. But its the same menu month on month.

Side walk and bar dining. Great service. It was 2C outside but heating was provided. Not all the adnvertised items were avaliable - chasumen, karaage chicken etc.. The shoyu ramen was however very tasty. The soft boialed egg was excellent! Perfectly done!