Menbow Ramen Bar -- Authentic Japanese Ramen

Perfect restaurant for mixed veg and non-veg company. Two vegan ramen options plus several sides and add-ons. Delicious!

Don’t pay attention to the low reviews posted on here - they are from the mall kiosk version at Hillside which, admittedly, loses something in the translation. Menbow on Blanshard is absolutely excellent! Tourists? Walk a little farther! You won’t be disappointed. Way better than Kinton. No comparison for flavour.

Definitely one of my favorite ramen places. Affordable yet never fails to hit the spot. Service was great and servers are always attentive towards customers’ needs. Highly recommend black garlic ramen, gyoza, and chicken karaage

Very promp service, tasty food, I would recommend exeptional Chicken Kaarage Don and Veggi Gyoza, combined with Sapporo beer.

My favourite ramen in Victoria!

unassuming from the outside, but once you go deeper in there’s a recreated indoor outdoor courtyard! also the ramen serving size wasn’t too big. i’m a young 5’4 woman and usually struggle to finish my bowl but not here!

It was good quality food but a little pricy.

Got a pick up order here today. Miso ramen was so good and the reception were very nice too !!!

The food was well prepared, tasted great and arrived in a timely manner. It is a very convenient place to have lunch downtown. The service was also very good, Our server was helpful and attentive.

Most recent edit: revising review back down. Quality dropped off a cliff with changing out of so many ingredients.

Update: After many more visits and take out orders I am pleased to report the ramen is still great and I haven't had any issues with missing sides or toppings. Nicely done!

Food itself is great, would definitely recommend overall but I can’t in good faith rate higher than a 2 due to my order constantly being wrong. 3/4 of my last pick up orders have had missing side dishes and missing extra toppings. At this point I think I’ve paid enough for extras I never received to cover a bowl of ramen. I’ve called and let staff know but that’s a pointless exercise since I’m already home. If you are picking up make sure to thoroughly check your order before leaving the restaurant.

The service was very slow, which was already disappointing. After we paid without leaving a tip, the server approached our table and rudely questioned us about it. Their behavior was unprofessional and made the experience even more unpleasant.

Delicious ramen! This rivals some of my favorite spots. The Chashu is so flavorful and delightful and I LOVED the broth of the Menbow Black Garlic Ramen. Would highly recommend.

My personal favorite Ramen place in town; but we were not expecting nastly service at our tables.

Bowl is loaded and worth the price.
Even though chicken and vegetarian options are limited (as most of the dishes are made with pork broth) , they are the delicious and filling!

However, I wish service would have been great. The young lady server gave us an attitude like we were visiting her home for free meals.
Additionally, she was hesitant to give us our preferred table even though the whole restaurant was empty.

We had lunch on January 26, 2025. The food was absolutely great. However, I was extremely disappointed with the service we received. Personally, I don’t always give tips, especially if I’ve ordered a lot, as I prefer to manage my expenses. Tipping is not mandatory, and choosing not to tip is not a crime.

The server who attended to us around 1:30 PM acted unprofessionally. After I paid, she returned and asked why I didn’t leave a tip, even questioning if there was an issue with their service. I told her there wasn’t. Later, as we were leaving, I thanked her, but she ignored me and gave me a rude, snobbish look.

This behavior is unacceptable and reflects zero customer service. If a customer doesn’t leave a tip, it’s no reason to act upset or disrespectful toward them—it’s not the end of the world.

To the owner: I strongly suggest training your staff on proper etiquette and professionalism. This kind of behavior can drive customers away, no matter how good the food is.

Best Ramen in town!!