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The Noodle Box
Category: Restaurants Asian Fusion Asian Fusion [Edit]
818 Douglas StVictoria, BC V8W 2B6
(250) 384-1314
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sat-Sun 11 am - 9 pm
Fri 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
26 reviews for The Noodle Box
26 reviews in English
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Review from Steven F.
3/14/2012 4 photos
Nice clean medium-sized fast casual (order at counter) noodle restaurant. I had the Tonkotsu Ramen special which was $10 but a generous portion and very tasty.
A dozen or so small tables and some bar seating. Easily accommodated our toddler. -
Review from Sean C.
3/27/2012
Let's say you're an American, like me, and you're in Victoria for a day of sight-seeing. You need to eat fairly quickly -- something good, something to get your energy level up -- nothing that will take longer than a half hour of your time. This is the place for you! Trust me when I say you want something off of the NOODLE BOX CHILI PLUM section on the menu: Thick noodles, peppers, green onions, sprouts, sweet chili plum sauce. Tasty and Slurpy!
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Review from Dru C.
11/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
It seems like ALL the Noddle Box are so different from each other... The West 4th has a nice comfortable vibe as it seems like it can accommodate like a large party. The one in Down Town is like an intimate restaurant, with low lights. The one in Victoria is like a bar, where the colours of the wall just POP out at you...
I really did not like the colours of the wall. There was various colours and it just popped right out at you. So I will minus a star for that... :P Anything thing other wise was great though.
The noodles were perfectly done, like usual, and it tasted like any other noodle box. Just a typical franchise for the Noodle Box. Only thing I realized that was VERY different was the added of sauces station. Most Noodle Box stations have the regular sauce in the bottles, but this one had the typical Asian Jar with spoon sauces.. LOL. It was pretty interesting to see that they wanted to increase the variety of sauces to the store! I was happy to see sweet/spicy chilli on that shelf! I was pretty excited too as well :3
I am happy this place people CLEAN UP THEIR OWN DISHES. On top of that, the people here keep the place very clean. The people who eat here are like the people who eat on West 4th. I am pretty grateful that there people who do try to keep the place nice and clean and know how to use the 3 step garbage properly.
Will come back again as it is located in a perfect spot in the Victoria Down Town area. -
Review from Emily-Anne P.
Vancouver, BC
3/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
There once was a day where going to Noodle Box meant trekking across downtown Victoria, past boarded up store fronts and empty parks to Fisgard where you had to hope you beat the crowd to have your face burnt off because you accidentally chose Medium Plus over the Mild Medium on the Peanut Curry, but it was oh so totally worth it.
Now it's more like elbow your way past the government employees frustrated that they have to wait longer than 10 seconds for their Singapore Green Curry.
I was once a huge fan of Noodle Box, and now I am just frustrated by their inconsistent, slightly over priced, not as fresh lunch and dinner options. My most recent visit was tolerable, if only because I was incredibly hungry.
I find their service to be incredibly inconsistent, the food is even more so and the prices are not right for what you get.
If you really have a craving for noodles, as I did on Friday, go for it. -
Review from Genevieve L.
Victoria, BC
Updated - 1/23/2011 3 Check-ins Here
when the cost of the food starts to exceed the quality it's time to find a new place to eat.
This place used to be a little street food cart in China Town. Selling generous and tasty noodles in a box cooked by the owner himself.
Then he opened his first restaurant on Fisgard and then this one on lower Douglas hiring a bunch of kids to cook his dishes.
Last night was the very last time I will eat at Noodle Box. I ordered a Spicy Peanut sauce dish with Tofu and Rice and what I got was a box of bland coconut water mush that didn't taste anything like peanut sauce.
shame. I used to really like this place and Victoria really needs more street food places. Don't waste your money here. If you want quality food worth the price then check out The Little Thai Place or J&J Noodle House. -
Review from S Alicia S.
10/3/2011
Thai Chow Mein blessed with Noodles.... completely heaven sent. Friendly employees too!
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Review from Bill X.
Burnaby, BC
12/29/2010 11 Check-ins Here
Barry, you're the most amazing person ever. (he was the one that pushed me into The Noodle Box.)
The moment I walked into the restaurant, I fell in love with it. The choice of music set the mood of the restaurant perfectly. It's a bit loud and makes talking difficult, but it suits the restaurant perfectly.
I was recommended to try the Spicy Peanut bowl. I did. The spiciness guide is very amusing and does a decent job explaining the different levels of spiciness. I got exactly what I expected when I ordered in a reasonable amount of time. The variety of dishes available is amazing. The entire place is even celiac friendly!
The only downside to the meal was that it was expensive. Still, I happily returned there for dinner and every week thereafter. -
Review from dave m.
3/14/2011
Why do I do this to myself? Last time I was in Victoria we went to the other noodle box, which was a bland and meh. I was hungry and wanted chow, and thought maybe it was a location thing. I ordered thai style chow mein and vegetable dumplings.
The thai chow main was oily and flavorless, and the chicken in it was clearly pre-cooked and not fresh. The dumplings were a charred mess.
Only two stars since I didn't get sick. -
Review from Patrick L.
11/10/2011
Smells good. Just after lunch crowd and still have people streaming in for take out. Had the Singapore Cashew Noodle while my kids had the nasi Goreng and the missud had the Black bean Noodle. the Nasi needed help. the Black Bean was good. the Singapore Cashew as good enough to give me stomach ache. We will be back for just the smells next time..
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Review from Gigi S.
2/19/2010
Stopped in here today for lunch. I'm visiting with my husband, who is a native and wanted to go here. By "stopped in" I mean we were looking for a quick lunch solution and only had enough coin for 27 minutes on the meter. Quick in, quick out. We'd been once before and it didn't leave a good impression. Couldn't remember why. Now I do.
The place has this cool hipster vibe which I and I'm sure the downtown lunch crew can dig.
We put in our order for a spicey peanut noodle box and a tom yum soup. These are our go-to dishes from our usual greasy-chopstick or any asian-joint.
At $30 for the two, my expectations were high. After 15 minutes of waiting I got nervous and sent my husband out to the car to pump the meter. He came back surprised that our food wasn't there yet. In another 10 minutes it came. That's right- a 25 minute wait for a box of noodles.
So now I'm thinking "these have to be great." At first bite my husband and I gave eachother that "we've been had" look. The noodles were drenched in a sauce that can only be described as watered down creamy peanut butter. The soup just didn't taste good. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't good. Like they forgot a spice or to add "yumminess." The food looks great- tasted mah.
We were super disappointed and I insisted my husband take me for a Tim Horton's donut to make up for it. I'll be using Yelp for our future meals here. -
Review from Dani B.
9/29/2009
This place got rave reviews from my friend, and the crazy long line would make one assume this is the best spot for tasty noodles, but that wasn't entirely true.
I got the spicy peanut noodles which were not spicy and not really peanuty either. It was more like a curry with noodles and peanuts sprinkled on top for aesthetics.
My friend and I both agreed that we liked the decor, the music, the ambiance and the staff, but we were just not that thrilled about the food. They claim to be an "Asian" noodle house but since each country has its own way of doing things, none of the dishes stay true to their name. -
Review from Alyssa G.
9/27/2010
What I love about the Noodle Box is the variety:
Pick your dish, now choose your protein (chicken, pork, beef, prawns... all perhaps? I go w/ tofu because it just fits with their dishes), then switch between noodles or rice, and finally add-on some extras or up-grade the existing ones. So wonderful and simple!
What I don't enjoy about the Noodle Box are the line-ups, moderate customer service, paying a large percentage of the cost of the meal if you choose additional items or substitutes, and the long wait times.
The food is great while ingesting it, afterwards however, if you're susceptible to MSG like I am, you will likely regret it. -
Review from Julian H.
8/26/2010
Incredibly wonderful aroma fills the space; otherwise unremarkable. Music is very loud making conversation difficult. The queue is a bit chaotic, eventually giving way to slightly slow service.
Bonus star for having a Kids box on the menu. -
Review from Matt B.
Victoria, BC
10/18/2010
I'm blown away tonight. I tried all three specials tonight (chicken satay skewers, Thai red curry, and pumpkin spring rolls). They were all so good.
I'm so glad there's a Noodle Box a couple of blocks from home! -
Review from Desiree B.
9/8/2008
Maybe I've been spoiled by Seattle's plethora of tasty Thai/Asian joints, but this place was just Ok - and that's coming from someone who was ravenous when they walked in for lunch at 4pm (I don't know about you, but pretty much everything seems delicious when I'm starving...).
I tried both the chicken and tofu Spicy Peanut Noodle Box (which oddly, were completely different colors) and the tofu was definitely better. Both dishes were much too saucy for my liking. I also tried the veggie dumplings, which tasted mostly of fried dough.
The prices also seemed a bit on the high side for this style of restaurant -we spent $26.50 CAD on lunch for 2, without drinks.
They do have a pretty nifty recycling/compost thing going - you can recycle pretty much everything, including your chopsticks! -
Review from Ido R.
Vancouver, BC
1/3/2010
This place is amazing. I try not to return to the same place twice when I travel. In this case, it was hard to convince me to eat anywhere else.
The place is awesome. The staff is great. The food is, well, better than any other noodle place I have tried - and I have been to Thailand, Laos, and Camboia... the music is great.
It is very environmentally responsible. Even my two years old enjoyed the noodles for the first time.
yummmmmy.... perfect. -
Review from Ellen L.
9/5/2009
I can't help it. Whenever I'm in town, I'm drawn to Noodle Box like a moth to a paper lantern. There is this incredible flavor and spice that I haven't been able to replicate at home. Ever. I don't care if it isn't proper asian fusion! It's delicious. At least it was. I'm knocking off one star because they changed some ingredient in the oils.. and that ticks me off. They had it perfect, and the noodles are still very good but not great., and that's what I had bargained for when I brought friends into the lively, bright, trip-hop playin', modern joint that is a bright beacon in a sea of old people restaurants in downtown Victoria.
AND they make a fuss over removing the metal handles on your box so you can recycle it, and compost your scraps--if there are any. (meticulous recycling makes me swoon) -
Review from Tom N.
9/13/2008
Arrived in Victoria on a late ferry and saw a lot of local traffic at the Noodle Box - always a good sign. So I headed in for what ended up being a so-so meal.
The Noodle Box follows a popular template of choosing a base type of noodle with a mix of seasonings/vegetables, adding in your choice of meat/tofu (for extra charge), and having it cooked to order. Kind of an Asian version of Chipotle.
I really like Black Bean sauce so I tried their Black Bean and Garlic Stir Fry with Hokkein noodles and premium local chicken (figured I was on vacation and would splurge). The sauce itself was a bit vinegar-y and the noodles and chicken were just average.
With all the restaurants in downtown Victoria I can't really recommend this place but it wasn't exactly terrible either. -
Review from Graham S.
Victoria, BC
5/25/2011
So heard so much about it. Went with 3 friends. So disappointed. 3 of us got rice options. Rice was undercooked enough to be crunchy. Seriously. One friend tried to return it. They offered to remake. He asked for something new because they clearly werent making what he ordered first properly and they wouldn't. After a bit of talk with this eye rolling snotty cashier he got a refund. She literally threw his money at him, onto the counter. So unimpressed. We get that you guys are hyped up the hooha but take the bad too. I asked for mild. I got fucking spicy hot. Don't believe the hype. Go anywhere else. Best thing was the beer.
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Review from Kev C.
4/14/2011
We just happened to be passing by this place when we were in Victoria. We ended up liking it a lot and even went there twice. probably would go again if we went back.
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Review from Amanda C.
Victoria, BC
5/14/2009
To hear others talk about it, you would think that The Noodle Box was God's gift to Victoria. Um, no, I think not. The disorder and pace of the place made me jittery and the noodles were beyond revolting. Flaccid, badly seasoned, and watery. It was supposed to be Spicy Peanut Noodle, but it tasted of neither peanut nor spice of any sort. It was just a real mess and my dining partner's pick looked no better. Maybe it was an off night? I don't really know but I won't be back.
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Review from Christie S.
Vancouver, BC
9/24/2009
Yummy food. Lackluster service. The music is enough to drive me mad. But it's cheap and filling, and I'm a sucker for those cute little takeout containers!
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Review from christine c.
Victoria, BC
9/24/2009
This place is revolting. My one experience was bad enough that you couldn't pay me to give it a second chance. The flavour could only be described as dirt. I was ferociously ravenous, but I could barely scarf down the offensive mush they call food just to stave off starvation. I know a lot of people like this place, and I'm worried about their mental state. Not only that, but there are so many fantastic food options in the downtown vicinity. If you like Asian dishes in cute little boxes, go to Foo. They know how to throw together a decent dish and it will save you from a macabre experience.
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Review from Ali F.
10/26/2010
My goodness. As a vegetarian from the real-life farmville here in Yakima, WA, I am panting for some real-life, not once-was-alive, vegan food. Some friends and I, after running the half-marathon in Victoria, wandered into The Noodle Box looking for a substantial meal that would replenish our carb reserves. We got it. The servings are huge - more than enough to feed two very hungry people - and the flavors were complex and hearty. I ordered the Singapore Cashew Curry with smoked tofu. I don't even like tofu (so why did I order it, you ask? I'm stumped.), but this tofu was amazing, and not the slightest bit squishy. The lady taking my order was able to tell me exactly what was veggie/vegan and what was not, which I greatly appreciate, since here in Farmville many think that eating vegetarian means you eat animals that only ate vegetables when they were alive. But anyway - The Noodle Box did me right. Vegetables were sauteed to just-crispness, the broth was spicy, smooth and flavorful, and the cashews seemed to be lightly roasted. Delightful. And filling. And just as tasty hours later from the takeout box.
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Review from Mark M.
Vancouver, BC
2/1/2010
We have gone to The Noodle Box in Vancouver for a few years and have always had a great meal and efficient service.
The food was good at this location, but the lady at the cash register last evening left a bit to be desired. She argued with us in respect of our order.
Oh well, we'll keep going back, but we were sorry to have had this experience when the Vancouver one has been so great. -
Review from tina m.
9/2/2009
skip it. it seems like just the kind of place for a quick yum meal, but it's overpriced and bland. it seems like each dish is missing a couple seasonings/ingredients. BUT, this just might be the way they like things up in the great white north because the place was packed and it was getting raves from the locals. just didn't please my american palate.
