"Kuma Japanese Noodle" Revisted

Having decided on trying something a little different, I ventured out to Kuma Japanese Noodle for the second time. The atmosphere and service was as pleasant as I remembered it, but the people working this time were not quite as fluent at English - not that I'm complaining, just an observation.

Last time I was at Kuma, I tried the miso bbq pork ramen and left feeling a little hungry. This time, I decided to try their katsu don (fried pork cutlet with egg on rice) and their gyoza appetizer. It should be noted that last time, I commented that the prices weren't the best, but I did not take into consideration that HST is included on the menu price. That said, the value is comparable to pho or different types of noodle places, which really isn't bad at all.


I have tried katsu don at a few Japanese restaurants in town, but this one was awesome. The fried pork had a nice crunch on the outside, while maintaining a tender and moist texture inside. The scrambled/poached egg on the rice was well seasoned with tempura or ponzu sauce, sweet corn and sauteed onions. The portion size was decent, but I definitely needed something on the side for it to be a satisfying meal.

This leads me to the gyoza side dish, which comes with 6 dumpings for $3.50. Not bad at all! I didn't get a chance to ask if they made them in house, but I suspect that these gyoza were purchased frozen from somewhere else. The gyoza had a nice sear to them, and were juicy on the inside; something reminiscent of steamed "su lung bao" for those of you that have tried Shanghainese dumplings.

The person I went with tried Kuma's noodle and rice combination, which was a little disappointing. The additional cost for the combo is their soy noodle soup with a bowl of white rice on the side. The soy noodle soup isn't as flavourful as their miso ramen, and didn't have a whole lot going on compared to the katsu don I ordered.

As I've had the opportunity to try a few more of their items, I can safely say that Kuma is not just a "noodle shop". Their katsu don and gyoza are relatively inexpensive and really hit the spot. Considering that their prices include HST, their menu is competitively priced for what you're getting. Again, if you can really pack away the food, you may even want to consider ordering an additional side, but I'll leave that call to you!


Happy dining!
- Mr. Pink