I was here with two guests All our noodles were complete undercooked The "pork" was not typical raman pork shoulder, it was some kind of gooey mystery ham. The egg was unsliced and cold The soup had been watered down so much it was almost tasteless. PLUS we were charged a 14.8 % "living wage top up fee" on our bill. - my bowl of Ramen was $26 !!!! It was an absolutely terrible experience Never again
sandy z
This place is a must-stop when traveling up Island. You can customize your order to your liking. From the broth to the noodles than your veggies and protein. Anyone can find something this will enjoy.
Luigina Gardin
Delicious!! They only had one menu Item at the time and it was great. The Katsu was light and crispy and the meat was juicy ?. The portion was huge as well. Staff super friendly and easy to talk to.
Stephanie MacKinnon
Best katsu I have had !! The portion was perfect and it is delicious!! Every time I'm back in Courtenay I have to have it.
L Danger B
Delicious!! They only had one menu Item at the time and it was great. The Katsu was light and crispy and the meat was juicy ?. The portion was huge as well. Staff super friendly and easy to talk to.
steve051363
I grew up eating Ramen in Vancouver where there is an abundance of great authentic Ramen shops serving fresh noodles with beautiful artisan broths. And Nekkei is as good as any of them. So nice to have this wonderful authentic Asian restaraunt in a town known for its mediocre and uninspired Asian scene. Thanks for your passion and your honesty in your reviews. I wish more restaraunt owners were as passionate as you. It comes through in the bowl. I also had a look at your commissary up the road from the restaraunt . I knocked on the door and asked to buy some noodles. The guys invited me in and answered all my questions about the process. It was very interesting. I was there for a while. I also left with some noodles. I'm sure this wasn't common practice as they wouldn't have time to work so thanks !
Erin Garneau
This place is a weekly stop for me when I'm driving through Courtenay. Love their ramen shop and this place did not dissapoint! Homemade and quality ingredients in each dish I have tried. My favourite so far is the Chicken Katsudon.
Andrew Webb
The food just doesn’t make me feel good. The staff is self righteous. Doesn’t accept cash. Crowds the street. Super expensive for what you get. But if your hipster go there it’s the place to be you and the bonus is your likely to get the latest gut cleanse.
Skye757
Stopped in for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed it. Best gyoza we've had I a long time. Tried two different soups and both were excellent. Helpful and friendly staff. Followed Covid protocols well. If this restaurant was closer to where we live, we'd likely be there once a week.
LarissaYork
Save yourself the trouble, avoid the rude service, don't support discrimination. Chop some fresh veggies into a pot of Ichiban ~ it's actually better tasting than this watered down, unoriginal stuff. You're better off going to one of the local friendly delis for some real food, just blocks away... Seriously. Do Not Recommend.
The ramen was ok however the staff was not very accommodating seemed annoyed with me asking questions. The experience and food was not worth the money in my opinion. Thankfully there’s many more options in Courtney.
JoanieShark
The concept is great with several options. The miso ramen broth was very nice, and the meat and vegetables were ample and really tasty. I just wasn't all that keen on the noodles. In my Vancouver days I ate a lot of ramen for lunches in the Davie and Denman area, so I do know my ramen. The noodles just seem overly soft and flat-tasting. None of this means we won't go back or that it's not good. It just isn't what I'm used to given my experience.
ndjsc
I just don’t get it...tasteless (may as well be instant!) noodles in stock, with a hint of meat. Seriously, you could make this for less than $2 and feed four people. Be prepared to pay through the nose though.
atfox1
My daughter and I went shopping on 5th street and stopped in to eat here. While there is nothing wrong with the establishment, the staff seemed a bit off. It’s such a small area to place your order and pick up the food, server was not rude, but rather firm in her communication and lacked friendliness. We may have come in after the lunch rush and caught them in a turnover. No biggie. I wish i could tell you that I loved my Ramen. But I didn’t. We had eaten here pre-pandemic and I felt that it had been better last year. It just tasted off this time. The noodles were hard and there was just something odd going on with the broth. It was pretty disappointing. In this particular pandemic climate our family have really tried hard to support our small local businesses. In saying that....I am really conflicted with the condescending and absolutely rude comments from the owner of this establishment on his social media and previous negative reviews on trip advisor. It makes me not want to recommend it to anyone. The way he rips into people is downright mean. As for my 3 star review. I thought it was expensive and just average. Maybe we came on an off day.
sharongF5647OU
After reading reviews and specifically the responses given by the representative of the restaurant I didn’t really want to eat at this establishment. However my Husband was eager to try the ramen offered. It was ok, nothing to write home about. We probably won’t be coming back. Little service which is the style. Needs some work on customer service. When I’m dining out it is something special, especially now. Instead we felt we were a nuisance to the restaurant, just because we’ve never ordered food in this way. Admittedly, my feelings (and probably tastebuds) were influence by the egotistical, defensive and condescending responses to other reviews. Maybe piece of humble pie?
I was here with two guests All our noodles were complete undercooked The "pork" was not typical raman pork shoulder, it was some kind of gooey mystery ham. The egg was unsliced and cold The soup had been watered down so much it was almost tasteless. PLUS we were charged a 14.8 % "living wage top up fee" on our bill. - my bowl of Ramen was $26 !!!! It was an absolutely terrible experience Never again
This place is a must-stop when traveling up Island. You can customize your order to your liking. From the broth to the noodles than your veggies and protein. Anyone can find something this will enjoy.
Delicious!! They only had one menu Item at the time and it was great. The Katsu was light and crispy and the meat was juicy ?. The portion was huge as well. Staff super friendly and easy to talk to.
Best katsu I have had !! The portion was perfect and it is delicious!! Every time I'm back in Courtenay I have to have it.
Delicious!! They only had one menu Item at the time and it was great. The Katsu was light and crispy and the meat was juicy ?. The portion was huge as well. Staff super friendly and easy to talk to.
I grew up eating Ramen in Vancouver where there is an abundance of great authentic Ramen shops serving fresh noodles with beautiful artisan broths. And Nekkei is as good as any of them. So nice to have this wonderful authentic Asian restaraunt in a town known for its mediocre and uninspired Asian scene. Thanks for your passion and your honesty in your reviews. I wish more restaraunt owners were as passionate as you. It comes through in the bowl. I also had a look at your commissary up the road from the restaraunt . I knocked on the door and asked to buy some noodles. The guys invited me in and answered all my questions about the process. It was very interesting. I was there for a while. I also left with some noodles. I'm sure this wasn't common practice as they wouldn't have time to work so thanks !
This place is a weekly stop for me when I'm driving through Courtenay. Love their ramen shop and this place did not dissapoint! Homemade and quality ingredients in each dish I have tried. My favourite so far is the Chicken Katsudon.
The food just doesn’t make me feel good. The staff is self righteous. Doesn’t accept cash. Crowds the street. Super expensive for what you get. But if your hipster go there it’s the place to be you and the bonus is your likely to get the latest gut cleanse.
Stopped in for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed it. Best gyoza we've had I a long time. Tried two different soups and both were excellent. Helpful and friendly staff. Followed Covid protocols well. If this restaurant was closer to where we live, we'd likely be there once a week.
Save yourself the trouble, avoid the rude service, don't support discrimination. Chop some fresh veggies into a pot of Ichiban ~ it's actually better tasting than this watered down, unoriginal stuff. You're better off going to one of the local friendly delis for some real food, just blocks away... Seriously. Do Not Recommend.
Restaurantji Recommends
The ramen was ok however the staff was not very accommodating seemed annoyed with me asking questions. The experience and food was not worth the money in my opinion. Thankfully there’s many more options in Courtney.
The concept is great with several options. The miso ramen broth was very nice, and the meat and vegetables were ample and really tasty. I just wasn't all that keen on the noodles. In my Vancouver days I ate a lot of ramen for lunches in the Davie and Denman area, so I do know my ramen. The noodles just seem overly soft and flat-tasting. None of this means we won't go back or that it's not good. It just isn't what I'm used to given my experience.
I just don’t get it...tasteless (may as well be instant!) noodles in stock, with a hint of meat. Seriously, you could make this for less than $2 and feed four people. Be prepared to pay through the nose though.
My daughter and I went shopping on 5th street and stopped in to eat here. While there is nothing wrong with the establishment, the staff seemed a bit off. It’s such a small area to place your order and pick up the food, server was not rude, but rather firm in her communication and lacked friendliness. We may have come in after the lunch rush and caught them in a turnover. No biggie. I wish i could tell you that I loved my Ramen. But I didn’t. We had eaten here pre-pandemic and I felt that it had been better last year. It just tasted off this time. The noodles were hard and there was just something odd going on with the broth. It was pretty disappointing. In this particular pandemic climate our family have really tried hard to support our small local businesses. In saying that....I am really conflicted with the condescending and absolutely rude comments from the owner of this establishment on his social media and previous negative reviews on trip advisor. It makes me not want to recommend it to anyone. The way he rips into people is downright mean. As for my 3 star review. I thought it was expensive and just average. Maybe we came on an off day.
After reading reviews and specifically the responses given by the representative of the restaurant I didn’t really want to eat at this establishment. However my Husband was eager to try the ramen offered. It was ok, nothing to write home about. We probably won’t be coming back. Little service which is the style. Needs some work on customer service. When I’m dining out it is something special, especially now. Instead we felt we were a nuisance to the restaurant, just because we’ve never ordered food in this way. Admittedly, my feelings (and probably tastebuds) were influence by the egotistical, defensive and condescending responses to other reviews. Maybe piece of humble pie?