This has been on my list for awhile and one day I decided to try. It's located in a strip mall with lots of parking. When you go inside, they have a sufficient amount of tables to sit at, but it wasn't very busy on a Saturday night. You order at the register and he brings it out to you. You'll have to be patient, they don't have a lot of staff. We ordered tako karaage (fried octopus), croquettes, Taiwan style tonkotsu ramen with 2 pieces of chashu, and the deluxe bento with butashoga (ginger pork). I had a bite of the pork and it was delicious. Ginger was not overpowering. Tender meat. Prices were very affordable and cheap. Service was great and he brought out our food hot and freshly made. I would definitely come back and try other items. -tako karaage 5 - it had a nice little chew and was not overly fried. Great taste. -croquettes 5 - I loved these. When you bite into them, they're soft. Flavorful, savory filling inside. I should have gotten more of these. -Taiwan style tonkotsu ramen 5 - noodles were chewy. Bountiful amount of ground pork. The two chashu pieces were tender and easy to break apart. Broth was not heavy, it was just right. read more

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I will say I have been to this restaurant many times in the past and the food and service was great. I went back a couple days ago and everything has changed. The menu is much less, the food portions are less, and the container the food comes in is plastic and made for to go orders even though we dined in. The service was also not very friendly and when our waitress brought our food, she didn't even smile or say anything. She just plopped down the food and walked off. This used to be my favorite restaurant but I don't think I'm coming back. read more

I live in Chicago and don't have a car but I truly think I would consider trekking out here via CTA and PACE to come back here. I am lowkey obsessed with this place. The food is delicious and the vibes are immaculate - it seems like such a cute spot to go after school (maybe it's because there was a kid, possibly related to the owner doing homework while snacking at a table) and it is just really cute and cozy inside. Plus the person who was at the counter where I ordered had very kind vibes and it was soooo cozy. My mom also loved it. To the food - we ordered a meat croquette, veggie croquette, saba shio bento with aji fry, oyakodon, and a battery dough dessert that looks a little like a wheel pie with red bean inside. Everything was good, like so yummy and nourishing. I was a bit stressed that day and not in the best mood when we got there but this food cheered me right up. My highlights (aka the things I would come back for, although I am curious about the rest of their menu) were the oyakodon, veggie croquette, bento sides, and the red bean dough dessert. The oyakodon was so nourishing and cozy and perfect. Such a good comfort food. The veggie croquette surprised me but I really liked the flavor combo, better than the meat croquette. The things that came with the bento were soooo yummy (I did not know what they were lol and did not ask) but it would be the reason I would get a bento again. And the batter dough dessert was exactly what I thought it would be when I saw it on the menu. Yum. May this place thrive forever. read more

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Come here for lunch on and off. Usually grilled fish are good. Hamburg is also delicious. So as side dishes. Like to try all kinds of things in the menu. read more

I tried Sozai Benzai restaurant for the first time tonight for dinner - it was pretty good. It's a small restaurant where you can dine in or takeout, the service was fine. The Gyu Don was pretty good - however, it needed more flavor so add a bit of soy sauce and siracha and then you're good to go. Spicy Stamina Ramen was pretty good - but it's really not spicy, maybe I have a higher tolerance level for spice. Overall, a nice place to eat at for a quicker and affordable Japanese meal. read more

Sozai Banzai - Gyu Don(Large) with Miso Soup - Ramen Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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My gfs had introduced me to Sozai Banzai last year, and since then, I've taken my family and friends here several times. We've always had delicious food and friendly service. We usually get a bento, udon, katsu or their special of the day. My son likes their muffins too :). Everything tastes made with care. Highly recommend. read more

Overall, good food for decent price and quick service. Would not be a go-to, but if I was in the area for a quick bite, I'd consider returning. Hard to find location. Tucked away in a small strip mall. Photos of the sign are old, so posting an updated sign to see. No greeting when we walked through the door, no servers? We ordered through the toasttab app. I'm sure it makes sense financially, but it was jarring since we were expecting a sit down restaurant. Then the bill recommends a tip, but like, who is it going to then?! Atmosphere: Cafe-like. Upbeat Japanese music in the background. Service: very fast and friendly. Food quality: Teriyaki sauce is a little bland and thin, but I think that's more authentic Japanese. Husband disagrees. -spicy stamina ramen had raw veggies instead of boiled veggies like I'm used to. I had to pick them out. Otherwise, I added an egg and Chashu which were very good. Noodles perfect for my liking, fresh, firm and chewy. -bento boxes were very good to my taste buds, but not so much for my kids. -potato croquette with pork -my favorite dish here read more

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Want a good place for some ramen? This is definitely a place to look at... Ambiance The place is nicely lit. The chairs and tables seem similar to chairs and tables you would see more at a fast food place than a fine dining, but it fits the aesthetic of the restaurant. It think everything was written Japanese but the guy who works for he counter (he might have been the cook as well) can help you. Also, there are a lot of pictures, so you can point to what you would like. Service I think this is more towards a eat and go type establishment. You go to the counter order your food then sit down till it is ready. They call you up and you get it. Afterwards you bring your tray to the disposal area. It is clean and the staff is friendly and helpful. Food Katsu don I have never had katsu don before. It is a rice dish with a pork cutlet and egg on top. The taste has a slightly sweet taste. The rice is there to regulate the sweetness and also has a fried pork cutlet, which gives some texture. This dish does not seem like it should wait to be eaten since the cutlet does get soggy if eaten later. Takoyaki The takoyaki had a nice taste to it. Sometimes Benito flakes give off a petrol-like smell/taste, but these did not really have them. Ramen They had different types of ramen when we went. The one I ordered was a tonkatsu ramen. It had a rich pork broth with pieces of pork. The noodles had a nice toothy texture where it had some firmness to noodles but not where they were underdone. The other accompaniments gave the ramen different dimensions, I.e. the pickled ginger gave a slight sourness to it. Tsukemen ramen My brother got the tsukemen ramen. Tsukemen is a dipping ramen where the noodles are separated from the soup. It smelled nice and my brother seemed to have enjoyed the taste. Chicken wings... These wings were ordered by accident. We did not have any intentions of getting them. For the most part, they were crispy and had a sauce similar to buffalo hot sauce in it. Other then that, it wasn't bad but not really something I would order again. Overall The restaurant is nice and definitely a place to go if you want ramen. I would say that the other customer were all Japanese and kept looking at me and my brother funny, but that might be just paranoia... read more

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I found this place from the Eater list. Super random find, but I'm so glad we did during our little road trip from Chicago to Stoughton Wisconsin. This is a casual authentic restaurant that provides home cooked Japanese food. Deluxe and mini bentos boast of a variety of offerings such as spaghetti salad, tofu curd salad, hijiki salad, and mixed lotus root with konnyaku medley, which are items you don't normally see in a brick and mortar Japanese restaurant here in the US. We've enjoyed our lunch here. Chicken karaage pieces were very crispy, without being overly greasy. The humble salmon teriyaki was very fresh and tender. The fried croquettes were total savory umami bombs. Friendly service. Definitely a must if you're in the area. read more

As one of the few Asian restaurants that open on Sundays and through the entire afternoon, Sozai Banzai is located in a pretty hidden strip mall plaza that's easy to miss especially coming from the southeast. Garlic Ramen-- the flavor was really good, but pretty dark because of the roasted garlic (so can be a bit bitter to some people) and was more oily than I'd preferred. I loved the thickness of the noodles, it was bouncy and chewy. The surprising part is that the pork is all lean meat (no fat or skin) but still somehow really tender, but the meat is definitely on the smaller side and they only give one slice. The egg I thought was done well, gel-like yoke, but the brown color and marinade flavor is on the lighter side and they only give you half an egg. Not a lot of toppings, so just scallion and very few bamboo shoots, but the bamboo shoots is really good flavor, not overpowering on sweet or acid flavors. Kyushu Style Tonkotsu Ramen-- the broth base has umami and seafood-like flavor profile, creamy and not as oily. The red sweet shredded ginger adds a nice contrast to the broth and paired well with the thin noodles. Same comment as garlic ramen for egg and pork. Like others have mentioned, the portion sizes are definitely smaller than other places for the price and have way fewer toppings, but everything seemed to be made with care and quality. Would come back to try other options! read more

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This is one of those spots where it's consistently consistent. I have never had a bad meal here and they're consistently serving the same quality food and flavors. I really enjoyed their potato croquettes and usually have this to start or an order of their gyoza. My go to dish here is their katsu curry. It's such a feel good comfort food dish with abundant curry sauce and lots of pork Katsu. I usually order a regular (not a large) and even that's a generous serving. They also have gyudon which isn't something a lot of places offer as well as udon and ramen. They post their specials on their social media and have purposely don't detours to have the daily special. Give this spot a try. It doesn't look like much on the outside but they have some of the best Japanese food in town. read more

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I was checking out Sozai Banzai on Yelp because I knew that I would be in the area. The food looked pretty good and then I came across one of my old pics. What?? I've already been here?? If my first visit was forgettable, why was that the case - I dunno??, so I went back to give them another try. You order at the counter and there are only a few tables due to restrictions. Not too many diners but a whole lotta people (Grub Hub, Door Dash) coming in to pick -up. In fact, be careful in the parking lot, some people are in a hurry to get their food - and not necessarily driving carefully. As for the food, the gyoza was fine and my Tonkotsu with extra pork belly was very good. I really enjoyed the porky broth, the flavors really came through. The bento box was ok - I ordered grilled mackerel but it came out fried. The service is minimal due to one guy managing the register, preparing the food (for both dine in and pick up) and for cleaning tables. I ended up going back to my car for a bottle of water, I couldn't wait any longer. So, the food was fine and I would consider this place as primarily a pick-up spot. Ahhh...I guess I know why I had forgotten about my first visit. read more

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First time here with my Japanese friend. The customer service was phenomenal as well as the food. Great price too. Definitely come here again read more

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This place is a great, casual dine-in place you can frequent with a friend, coworker, or family member. I ordered ramen (tonkotsu) which came with a slice of charsiu and a hard-boiled egg. My mom ordered their chicken nanban teishoku (lunch menu which was $11.95). It came with rice, a small salad, a side dish, and chicken w/ tartar sauce (which is what chicken nanban essentially is). The dessert was great - 3.95 for matcha ice cream and 3.95 for custard traditional Japanese pudding. Both desserts are things you can make at home but are too lazy to either get at the store or make from scratch. I'd definitely stop by again when I'm making a grocery run to nearby Mitsuwa or Tensuke Market. read more

This place was delicious, prices were very reasonable, had great service, and was very low-key. It's one of those places you order at the counter so it's very quick/easy as well. I went with a group and tried a bunch of things and they all slapped. I would absolutely come back. read more

My bf and I wanted an authentic Japanese restaurant with a wide variety of options (not just ramen) and Sozai Bonzai popped up on our radar! You know the place is good when it's primarily people from Japan eating there. The place is fairly small but clean. You order and pay at the counter and wait for your food to be made! You can also order online as well from your table by scanning the QR code posted on the table. We ordered Sapporo Reserve, Coke, Gyoza, Corn Miso Butter Ramen, and a regular sized portion of the Ebi Fry Curry. Everything was lovely! The ramen was probably some of the best I've ever had outside of japan. The broth was phenomenal. The fried shrimp was super crispy and fresh and I loved the pickles that came on the side with my curry. I even requested extra, which they kindly accommodated! Our dinner came out to around $55, which isn't bad for two drinks, an appetizer, and two dinner entrees. I would definitely visit this restaurant in the future if I am in the area again! Thank you for a lovely dinner, Sozai Bonzai! Gochisosama deshita! read more

Sozai Banzai - Ebi Fry Curry Regular - Ramen Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Maybe the best ramen I've ever had. The no-frills cafeteria style dining room is a part of the charm, and completely in line with the nondescript strip of stores where it's hiding. The staff is lovely, friendly, and attentive, and every item on the menu is tremendous. Be sure to ask for the sushi menu when you're there, too. Wildly underrated sushi. read more

Quality and affordable bentos and side dishes you'd eat on a daily basis. The hamburg bentos with different sauces are a must.

This place is the best...try menchi katsu...oroshi katsu...any fish shio...all the sides kimpira gobo is a favorite

Authentic, homestyle Japanese place! We've been coming here for about five years and never disappoint. The restaurant is small and semi self service - so if you are looking for a typical Japanese dining experience, this isn't the place for you. It's a place that you go as a regular, a place you go whenever you can't figure out what's for dinner, a place feels familiar and warm. Personally I love almost all the food there and usually order whatever I'm in the mood for - they have a good variety of rice, noodle and bento. If you want to try their daily special, better come for lunch because they sell out quickly. Price is affordable and excellent for the food quality. read more

Sozai Banzai - Ramen Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Cute, clean, modern-looking Japanese restaurant in a small shopping plaza. We went on Sunday around noon and there were a couple of tables occupied at the time. Overall, the service was great and food was delicious (and authentic). I ordered kitsune udon that had two pieces of kitsune and a small piece of fishcake. Although sparse on ingredients and simple, the broth was flavorful and the dish overall was satisfying. I also had an eggplant appetizer that was good but was slightly watered-down. My husband had katsudon and said it was amazing and one of the best he's had. This came with a bowl of miso soup. Because of the service, reasonable prices and the vast menu, I'm definitely going back to try other items on their menu. read more

Sozai Banzai - Kitsune Udon (R) - Ramen Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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Very simple food that is affordable and delicious. We got takoyaki and red bean cake which was yummy. The Taiwanese tan tan ramen was delicious with great flavor. The oyakodon was alright and lacked the soy sauce flavor. read more

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$15.73 for an order of Chasu ramen and a bottle of water. Ramon noodles that were not much better than packaged instant and fatty pork (all three slices had too much heinous connective tissue) in a broth that was slightly fishy. 1/2 egg soft boil was good, but overall disappointing read more

Had the gyudon and Katsu curry here (ordered the large). The portion size of the gyudon was a bit disappointing. The size itself was ok, but there was not a lot of meat and wayyyy too much rice. Katsu curry as well. Two people at our table ordered it and both ended up with rice at the end too with no curry sauce left. Taste-wise, they were both decent, but nothing too amazing. Gyudon came with a small miso soup on the side, which was a nice addition. Decent, well-salted miso soup. Service was quick and they were nice. We did get there right when it opened at 11:30am though, and beat a huge rush of people who came after us. read more

Thanks to one of my friends recommending this Japanese bento (lunch box) shop, I ordered two bento: - Menchi Katsu (fried minced hamburger) -karaage (fried chicken) Each bento got white rice, miso soup, shredded cabbage salad w/ japanese mayonnaise, hijiki seaweed salad, Nimono (boiled) of Chinese cabbage and mushroom, fried tofu, and baby fish. Everything tasted good. I did love hijiki and fried minced burger. And I liked that they used Japanese mayonnaise, which reminds me of bento shops from my childhood in Japan. My wife (American) loved Chinese cabbage Nimono. I called them at 12:15pm from work, told them I am coming to pick up at 1pm. I arrived there at 12:50pm. And I got the foods ready at 12:55pm. Very good timing, flawless service, and even the way they tied the bag was easy to open at home. I appreciate that they care!! It is very difficult to get this high quality of Japanese bento in the area. They have authentic Japanese home-made style flavors. Especially during Covid time, it is difficult to go back to Japan. So I truly appreciate their effort! If you are new to Japanese bento, please try some classic flavors like Chicken Karaage, Demi glacé hamburger, Oroshi Katsu (fried pork w grated radish), or grilled fish. My total score is 5 out of 5! read more

Sozai Banzai - Karaage (fried chicken) bento (excuse my driving to make some salad explode) - Ramen Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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This is a great hidden gem in Arlington Heights located on a small strip mall on Golf Road. Come early because it does get busy during lunch hour. I had the japanese curry which was awesome and had just the right amount of heat - enough to taste but not overpower. Table seating is limited as it is a small space. And the staff is small so you do need to wait a bit for your food. read more

A hidden gem, literally, since you can't see this place from golf road, much less the name. Thanks to Yelp when I want to eat Ramen. Since it has 4.5 stars, we decided to try it. The ramen is in point. My hubby finished the ramen. The mini bento is perfect size for me. Crispy tonkatsu with croquette, potato salad etc. the takoyaki is very tasty and i like the sauce they put on it. This is a small place with about 4 tables. Going in there did not imprrss me with the place bur this is one of those yummy places with reasonable price. We will surely come back again. read more

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Highly recommended. A small mom and pop shop near mitsuwai supermarket which is crazy packed. Great price and selection. Feels like I'm back in Japan. read more

Sozai Banzai - Highly recommend. - Ramen Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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Such an unassuming place! My friend and I came here for katsu curry, and enjoyed every bite! Workers were very pleasant. Highly recommended checking this place out!! read more

I've had this place bookmarked since forever but finally got the time to check it out. Hubby and I came here for lunch on a weekday an hour after it opened and the daily special (pork belly) was already sold out. But no worries we came here for the ramen anyway. Hubby and I both ordered the garlic ramen and shared a chicken karage. Hubby added butter corn to his ramen and to his surprise it actually came with two slices of butter on top. The ramen itself was flavorful but I found the broth very oily. The egg was okay but a little overcooked. The prices are cheaper than other ramen joints but the portion sizes are also smaller. This wasn't a problem for me but it is for hubby's big appetite. Overall we enjoyed our food and will be back for more! read more

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I have been looking for a good ramen place since I moved to Illinois. All the other ramen places I have tried were not that great. The Taiwanese Tonkotsu was spicy but it was so good!!! Everything else was great as well but the ramen was definitely my favorite of everything I tried so far. I will continue to indulge this ramen throughout winter read more

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Good food very small portion of miso soup though. It was a nice Japanese meal that I was craving.

Absolutely DELICIOUS food and very good prices too! 10/10 would recommend to anyone who loves authentic comfort Japanese food

My son and I had rather uneventful ramen. The review has to be at least 85 characters

went with a friend before heading over to Mitsuwa, and it was totally worth bypassing the busy food court at Mitsuwa and grabbing some food at this local spot. tried the karaage don, gyoza, croquette, miso soup, and the custard pudding. all were great and tasty and the food came out pretty quickly. the service was nice and pleasant. looking forward to returning when i'm in the area again. read more

Sozai Banzai - croquette, gyoza, miso soup, karaage don. - Ramen Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

We found this place by accident and are so happy we did. The staff were incredibly pleasant and accommodating, the food was delicious, and the place was very clean and comfortable. I got the garlic ramen and edamame while my mom got the Kyushu style ramen and gyoza. Initially there was a mixup and she was given the wrong ramen, but it was quickly and kindly remedied. My only regret is that we live five hours away in St. Louis. We will definitely be back next year on our annual Chicago trip! read more

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My boyfriend found this place on Yelp and I was interested in going because it seemed like really authentic Japanese Food. I've been wanting to go to a place that served "tonkatsu" which is not the pork based ramen that everyone knows about but breaded, fried pork cutlet. I wanted to order that but didn't see it on the menu. I was a bit confused at their menu actually, it was hard to understand and read which is why I ended up getting something I wasn't really craving. I see people ordering things that are not on the menu so I'm not sure if they have a secret menu or regulars just know what they are able to make. Nonetheless, I did get a katsu don and it was filling. Although there wasn't anything special about it. Nothing that blew me away hence my 3 star rating. The portion of rice was a bit too much so I wasn't able to finish that. I liked how they gave me the miso soup at the same time as my don..I've been to MANY restaurants that think the miso soup is an appetizer and give it to me before my main dish which is alright but then it ends up getting cold and sometimes I like having some hot miso soup with my entree you know?? Is it just me? Anyways, my boyfriend ordered chicken karaage which I'm not really a fan of. It just reminds me of fried chicken except Asian style lol. He also got a Taiwanese tonkotsu ramen which he really loved. He claims it was the broth and the spices they used. It wasn't easy to make, like how some spicy ramen broths he could taste that they just poured hot sauce into it but the broth here was different. Perhaps next time I'll be more adventurous and try out their bento boxes or the curry. I heard they are best known for their ramen here. Will definitely look at the menu before hand so I know exactly what I want. read more

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We are so glad we went here, the place is amazing! Was very quite on a Saturday evening, I'm not sure if that's typical? Wanted to try the omurice(rice omelette) because I saw one on the reviews, but I think it was a one time special. We ordered the large shrimp curry, garlic ramen with corn and takoyaki. One of the takoyaki was undercooked a tiny bit but I think that was just an off-chance. The food was beyond delicious and this is my new favorite place! Excited to try more things on the menu! read more

Sozai Banzai - Garlic ramen plus corn - Ramen Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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all I want to say is WOW, i've lived next to this place for years & have never given the place an actual chance. I'd just take a nibble from what my dad would bring home & i'm just in awe right now. I got the pork curry & asked for it to be spicy. solid 12/10. everything is put so well together starting from the taste of the food, the appearance & crunchiness of the pork also, the cashier/server is extremely helpful & nice! would highly recommend this place for authentic japanese food. i'd take a picture of the food but I already ate it all read more

Found this place while out exploring and it was delicious. A hidden gem! We tried: Tonkatsu Ramen Kimchi Cheese Chicken Cutlet Katsudon Takoyaki read more