Written by Carlein Kay

With 10 years of service in the Kamloops community, Tiger Ramen has stood out as a paragon of authentic Japanese cuisine. Locally owned and operated, the restaurant specialises in handmade Ramen dishes that when paired with the atmosphere of the restaurant, makes you feel like you’ve been transported directly to Japan.

Entering the restaurant, customers can expect to wait in a small queue before being seated at either the single dining bar or a group table. The bar is separated by dividers for privacy and faces the kitchen where you can watch the friendly staff make your meal in front of you. The bar is modelled after a Japanese street vendor cart exterior which adds to the ambiance of the restaurant. The dividers have different car figures placed inside them from movies and tv shows. While sitting at the bar, you also have a front row seat to a TV that plays Ghibli movies or other popular anime. The group tables are small but add to the cozy atmosphere of the dining area. The walls are decorated with posters and shelves of figures from various Japanese media like Naruto, Godzilla, Ultra Man, and many others. These touches make it so that you will always have something fun to look at while waiting for your food. 

After being recommended by my friend Zane to try it out, Tiger Ramen easily became my favourite restaurant in town with their excellent food, friendly atmosphere and affordable prices. A bowl of ramen is priced around $14-17, an absolute deal considering the excellent quality of the dish. The Shoyu Ramen is my absolute favourite; made of pork and veggie soup with slices of pork, seaweed, onions, and various other veggies mixed in with the noodles, it brings the best parts of ramen together as one. The salty broth mixed with the handmade noodles blends perfectly and makes you want more after every bite. A single bowl will fill you up for the whole day, a hearty and filling meal. Pictured are myself and two friends who have just received our gorgeous meals. (From top to bottom: Tiger Miso, Vegan Curry Spice 3, and Shoyu Ramen)

As a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, their main source of advertising is through word of mouth from customers. Friends recommending to friends, I decided to interview my friend Zane online, as they were who introduced me to Tiger Ramen.

“How long have you known about Tiger Ramen for?”

“I first heard about Tiger Ramen through some friends back in 2012, and always wanted to try some authentic ramen given how my past experiences came in the freeze-dried and flavour packet variety. Going to Tiger Ramen is one of my favourite restaurant experiences, not only in Kamloops but just in general!”

“Do you have a favourite dish there?”

“The Tiger Miso (the house specialty) is my favourite, and I’ve definitely been meaning to try everything on the menu, my biggest problem is that the Tiger Miso is so good it’s hard for me to even want to order anything else!”

“Was there anything that was off-putting to you about dining there?”

“Using chopsticks to eat noodles was certainly a challenge at first, but after repeat visits it’s become second nature.”

“What made it stick out to you above other restaurants that serve similar food?”

“The overall atmosphere is very cozy as the interior is decorated to look like a sit down ramen stand akin to something like naruto or other anime. They also play Studio Ghibli movies frequently at the front of the store, which helps to elevate the whole cozy experience as well. Staying for the whole length of a movie seems to be impossible given how fast we always eat the food. The staff also always seem to be in a great mood no matter if it’s during peak hours, they’ll always welcome you. ”

Boasting 9 different types of Ramen dishes, with 3 different base flavours, Tiger Ramen offers incredible variety. The Ocean Ramen is pork free, and the Zen Ramen is meat free, so there’s something for everyone. If you aren’t feeling like ramen you could always order one of their Garlic Chicken rice bowls which is topped with a boiled egg, or a plate of Gyoza (fried dumplings) to go with your meal. They also cater to any allergy concerns and are more than happy to help with accommodating personal preference.

The best times to visit are during the morning or evening, as they are usually busy around lunchtime. Located in the Columbia Place Shopping Centre, it’s a 20 minute walk from TRU. You can visit during long days on campus in between classes to sit and relax while enjoying a nice hot meal.

Tiger Ramen is unlike any other Japanese food place in Kamloops. Anyone who has been can only sing high praises for this hole in the wall restaurant. After 10 years of business, this Japanese cultural touchstone is a paramount part of the dining scene in town, and I hope it will continue to thrive in the future.