Sanji Ramen

Parking was difficult but worth it, my friend and I came in to try the Hellfire challenge.
I was defeated spectacularly and my friend failed by just a hair.
Now because my pourpose for going there was to burn my taste buds out of my face I can’t comment on how anything tasted, my tongue died at the onset of our meal.
I can tell you that the service was fast, efficient and smooth. Our waitress was kind and we gladly over tipped for our fun filled afternoon of pain and defeat.
The restaurant itself is clean and welcoming, we will definitely be returning to try some non-​face-​killing food.

Street parking available most times they have a small lot behind the restaurant as well.
Service was very slow. It felt like the server was the cook, although I don’t think that was true. He was very polite and kind.
I love the jikoku ramen. I usually get level 2. My friend got level 3 but hers wasn’t as spicy as mine haha. I’m guessing the level of spiciness is not consistent. I like that you can get a small ramen size which allows me to get the mabo rice small bowl as well which is very delicious.

We came here tonight with hopes of getting our noodle cravings satisfied. Unfortunately, the chairs were off the floor, the restaurant was dark and the doors were locked. New hours of operation were posted but obviously does NOT include weekends. Website states they’re open from 5:00 PM to 2 AM.*
Please correct or update your posted business hours… we weren’t the only disappointed folks!
*Found a coupon in Dining Out newspaper section dated ⁹⁄₂₈ that lists their hours. M-​Sat 11AM — 2:30PM, 5PM — 2AM. Closed Sundays.

A peculiar venue for odd tasting ramen. I’m not quite sure what to make of my experience at Sanji Ramen. The restaurant is ideal for One Piece lovers who will find the animé playing on the tv screens and the manga lined up on the bookshelf as you enter. Parking in the area is hairy, so good luck battling the Korean Supermarket customers. The miso ramen was my favorite of all broth sampled. The spicy ramen is not spicy whatsoever.
If you decide to take the challenge, be sure to bring a lawyer to read the fine print on their long list of rules and regulations. You’ll be asked to sign a contract before indulging. And yes, someone finished it in about a half minute. Get that guy a gastroenterologist.

I was pleasantly surprised. Good ramen!
I had the jigoku spicy #2 ramen… not too spicy… very tasty.
I will be back to try the other ramen!

One night while trying to figure out where to eat at me and my boyfriend was driving around and we past by Sanji ramen and saw that it was finally open because we would never see it open when we pass by and the place wasn’t crowded at all. We went in, grabbed a table and asked the waitress for their most popular dish «JIGOKU» level 2 with no char sui. The bowl was huge, the noodles were on the thicker side but they were soft and the broth was unbelievably delicious! Spicy yes and really flavorful and not too salty and not oily either. I wasn’t very hungry that night so I ate less than half of my bowl but took it to go and a few nights later we used the leftover broth for our at home hot pot soup which was still delish!
Prices are not bad, workers are nice and ramen is good. Parking is a little of a pain because there isn’t a huge lot and it’s on a busy street so be prepared.

:D
NOT DISAPPOINTED!!!
This place is cute, it’s One Piece themed. Not a huge fan of One Piece but, place is awesome. Heard that some nights they pull the projector screen down and show One Piece episodes.
As soon as you walk in you are greeting with a cheery «HELLO!!!» … You can sit where you want to!!! Yes!
Waitresses here are Japanese and so great to talk to! :) love it!!!
I ordered the miso ramen and fried gyoza. My cousin ordered the level 5. Which to me the soup tasted like kimchee: p
Table next to us did the HellsFire Ramen Challenge. If you eat it within 10 minutes the meal is free!!! And you get your picture up in the wall!!! Lol
Only one out of the two guys were able to finish it. I don’t envy his ass later ;) no pun intended!!! Hahahahahaha!!!
I recommend this place to anyone wanting great ramen!!!

My wife and I had a rare date (by date it just mean 4 hours of somewhat planned free time without the kids) last Saturday, so we went to go check out Sanji. Since we’re married, we got there like at some senior citizen early bird hour like right before 6pm (or so it seemed). I guess Koreamoku now doesn’t get hopping until 8ish.
When we got in, we wound up being the only customers in the house, as a family had just finished eating. I thought that made it a little depressing, but again, maybe Koreamoku shines when we get back home and yell at the kids to go take their baths.
My wife had the Jigoku dip noodle, and I had the Tonkotsu miso ramen. The dip noodle was decent but the portions were pretty small. The Tonkotsu miso ramen came in a huge bowl reminiscent of Lucky Belly’s, and the ramen, tonkotsu and veggies were flavorful, plentiful and filling.
The menu is small, and I was a bit disappointed with the dip noodle. I would say Kiwami is a better overall choice for ramen or tsukemen on Keeaumoku. Sanji is decent, and is in a hip setting (although not so hipster at 6pm), but not something you may go out of your way to try. However, if you are at Walmart and famished after shopping with the tourists, go across the street and up a little ways to Sanji for some ramen. That is, if Kiwami is too crowded.

this restaurant’s theme is based on the Japanese Best selling comic/​animate ONE PIECE. Sanji is one of the main character inside. and i came here just because Sanji as i m big fan of this comic.
ramen has 3 spicy level, 1 is mild and 3 is the most spiciest.
ramen comes with half egg and 2 pieces of seaweed, feels like authentic japanese ramen. soup base is super good, but the portion is too little to make me feel full.

So I’ve been hearing lots of buzz about a so called new «ramen joint»… but really… what is so special about some noodles in hot, salty broth? Well for one it’s a One Piece themed ramen restaurant. Wait did I hear that correctly?!
So when I heard Sanji Ramen was going to be a One Piece themed restaurant, I just had to go. If you don’t know about One Piece, it’s a Japanese manga series about pirates that has been ongoing since 1997 and Sanji is the pirate’s main cook. I’ve grown up with One Piece and as nerdy as it may sound, I think it’s amazing
Anyways, when Sanji Ramen opened up I was quite excited. It’s located on Keeamoku right where Red house used to be. I arrived early for dinner and it was empty so my friends and I were seated immediately. The restaurant’s décor is nothing like its predecessor Red House. Sanji has wanted posters of the manga’s characters throughout the store and they’ve done away with the entire bright red/​white décor. The menu is straight forward and limited; 5 different ramen dishes or a soba dish, a few sides, and additional ramen toppings. You can also order beers or sake listed on the wall.
I settled for their Jigoku Ramen level 1
for $ 10:50 and added a soft boil egg for $ 1.50. I also ordered their gyoza but they said they were out and the machine wasn’t working (and it was only 6pm)… The Jigoku ramen’s broth was pretty good, very flavorful with a kick of spice from the chili oil and their soft boiled egg was just the way I liked it! But for a level 1 spice, it caught me off guard, man that chili oil packs a punch. The ramen itself was just so-​so and the meat was a bit tough. What threw me off was that the Jigoku ramen has 3 different levels ranging from 1 – 3. Apparently the levels are differentiated in the spice and nothing else, but you must pay $ 0.50 for each level up. So a level 3 would be $ 11.50…not sure if the extra heat is worth it.
As for service, there were only two servers and while one was really good, the other just killed it for us. One server asked if we were ready for the bill and when we said yes, the bill never came… So basically my friends and I were just talking story until the other server asked if we wanted our check, which she brought immediately. The restaurant’s theme is interesting, but it doesn’t really tie into the food. If the restaurant is busy you can read the comics while you wait, but other than that and a few posters on the wall it’s just a ramen store with free Wi-​Fi.

こ、ここはワンピースの漫画家が出したラーメン屋!?
ディスプレイがすべてワンピースワールド。。。店員さんに聞いてみるとオーナーさんが大ファンらしくこうなったそうです(ほんとうでしょうか?)
噂の地獄ラーメン、レベル１とレベル２をトライしました。大きなボールで出てきましたが量はそれほどでもなく、ちょっと足りないかな? と感じました。辛さも地獄というほど辛くなくスパイシーフードが好きな方には物足りないのでは???
餃子は揚げ餃子みたいで、皮が固く具もジューシーでは無かったので、私的には駄目でした。オープンしたばかりなので試行錯誤中なのかもしれません。これからに期待します。

we got lucky, when we saw their grand opening sign for 1 $ ramen special.
couldn’t believe, that they were really going to sell their ramen for 1 $ .
stood in line to get in at 11 am, and got seated right away when they opened.
service was a little chaotic since they just opened. the bowl the noodles were served in were gigantic, but the portion was kind of small.
there was only 1 piece of meat, some green onions and 2 piece of seaweed as garnish.
the taste of the broth and noodles were good, but I wouldn’t want to pay 11 $ for this.

OTAKU SHOCKER!
Randomly drove by here and saw that Red House was closed. I noticed the big blue sign SANJI — RAMEN BAR and just had to check it out.
First when I entered the restaurant I noticed the huge chalk board with Sanji’s drawing on it. My first thought was ’ aww thats cute, it matches the name of the resturant’. Then as I began looking around at the décor I realized, this place is all about ONE PIECE. Whaaaat?! Whyyyy have I not heard of this place before!!!
What a wonderful amazing surprise to find this One Piece OTAKU lovers paradise! To make it even better? Its ramen! Nomz :3
For those who are unfamiliar with One Piece, this is Sanji —
The Grub.
[[ FRIED RICE $ 6.75 ]]
I thought it was good and simple :)
[[ JIGOKU RAMEN $ 11 ]]
I personally found this way to spicy for me, but I have a low tolerance when it comes to spice.
After discovering this place, my otaku mode came out! I totally want to get my cosplay friends and come here for lunch one day :) It would be so much fun!~!

So I went during the opening day for their amazing $ 1 ramen deal. They have 3 levels in which you can select from level 1, level 2, level 3…
So level one was a tad bit on the spicy side. I was not expecting that type of kick at all! The level 1 spicy level is not too bad/​not too strong where you can’t enjoy your meal.
Also this place is modeled after one of the manga books that is displayed when you walk in. I think they did a great job on the decorations and getting the feel of this character.

Missed them the other night, as they closed early due to running out of food! More customers than they anticipated which is good.
THEME: A ONE PIECE themed restaurant for all you otakus out there (they even have a bookshelf of OP manga near entrance). Located in the old «Red House» location on Keeaumoku. Nice space, relaxed atmosphere and plenty of seats including a nice center bar area! Not too over the top on the animé theme (which is good for locals who may not be into it).
SERVICE: Staff is very friendly and attentive as they all cross cover each others’ tables. Dont hesitate to flag them down as this is a Japanese ramen shop after all. Also, if you are a OP fan, dont hesitate to give suggestions for the food or place… it’s new and they are happy to relay your thoughts back to the GM and owner.
FOOD: The ramen is good. I mean that; not the best I’ve had but enjoyable where I’d come back again and again… their signature Jigoku (Hell) Spicy ramen is really no frills with just the noodles (slightly chewier which is good), soup stock, a piece of pork chashu, sliced scallion/​green onion, and two pieces of nori (seaweed) — for that reason the $ 10.50 — $ 11.50 pricetag is on the higher side, but not too unreasonable.

It’s apparently their fourth day of opening, we missed the $ 1 hell ramen tho… But it’s okay I can’t eat spicy anyways.
I got the tonkotsu shoyu. The serving size is quite big and presentation is similar to Lucky Belly. The broth was good but the noodles were not regular ramen and reminded me more of udon since it was chubby and chewy and my bowl had noodles that were all stuck together. I think the waitress noticed that I wasn’t satisfied and she came over to ask for my honest opinion, then explained that they ran out of their very yummy ramen noodles and had to use soba noodles. I wish that had told me before I ordered, but I guess now I have to come back and try the ramen with the noodles it’s suppose to come with! They also ran out of broth three tables after us and had to close early… The One Piece-​ness brought in too many hungry people!
The staff seemed to really care about the guest opinions and explained to each table individually about the noodle situation and encouraged us to come back… Which we will :)

A new ramen place where Red House used to be. The owners must love the animé One Piece (pirate animé) because that is the theme here.
This place is spacious enough with a counter in the center and tables along the walls. There is a chalk board menu on one end of the wall and frosted windows.
I came here for the One Dollar ramen (a play off One Piece?) for their specialty which was a steal (another play off One Piece?). It is only available for the first 100 customers, so if you go now you can probably try it, otherwise it will cost you $ 11. I got the level 2 special with a side order of char siu. I am a fan of spicy, so I enjoyed the broth. The noodle and broth were tasty and they had a generous portion of char siu (5 pieces in total). The only drawback was that one of my char siu was not hot temperature wise when it came out. It took a few minutes sitting in my broth before warmed all the way.
The service overall was okay. The wait staff was attentive, checked on how we were doing, and refilled our waters. However, it was a bit unprofessional. I heard a couple swear words used casually coming from the kitchen, not sure if they know we can hear what they say back there. I even caught a couple more from the music playing overhead. Also, you probably should not fix your hair in front of your guests, that is usually taken care of before you come out to greet people.
Overall I would try this place again. The $ 11 price tag is a bit tough to swallow for what you get, but there are cheaper alternatives available. I guess at $ 11 I’m hoping for an egg and some veggies beyond the char siu. This place has some rough spots, but I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt since it was only their third day.

Usually it takes me weeks, sometimes a few months to try a new place. But being this is walking distance from work and came across their special «$ 1 jigoku ramen»…how does one pass up on such a deal?
Walked in, sat by the counter/​bar seating area and waited to be served. Inquired to see if they still offered the one dollar special and proceeded to order the # 2 spicy level. The bowl itself was huge, however the portions in it are limited ~ noodles, broth, a piece of meat and nori. Add on toppings such as char-​siu, boiled egg, bean sprouts for additional charge of $ 1-​$ 2. At the moment, they are out of gyoza.
Service wise for me… I have no complaints. Although I did notice the servers not taking other patron orders according to whom were seated first & ready to order. Also seem chaotic in the kitchen as I heard dishes/​bowls shattered to the ground twice.
Despite its limitations, the broth was savory and flavorful, the noodles are nice and firm and the spiciness was just right. Overall, decent.

Came here on opening day. Happened to be walking by when we saw the grand opening special «$ 1 jigoku ramen» = no brainer (saved $ 10!!). We weren’t even hungry and each managed to polish off a bowl.
The place seems to specialize in spicy. Their signature ramen is the «jigoku» which is offered at differing levels of spiciness. We tried levels 1 and 2. For me, the level 1 wasn’t spicy enough. Level 2 was just right, but the meat ended up a tad too salty (maybe because it was sitting in the spicier broth?).
Overall, the ramen is really solid. The noodle consistency was excellent. I’m a slow eater and was surprised that the noodles weren’t soft and gooey by the end the meal. The broth was rich with nice levels of spice. The meat was decent, not melt in your mouth but still alright. We also ordered a side of fried rice that was super tasty — it comes topped with bits of spicy pork that gives the rice just the right amount of kick.
Servers were super nice and pleasant (generous with the napkins!). Random aside: the place has an interesting animé pirate theme.
I’ll most likely come back and try the other broths.

Yay! I made it early enough to catch the $ 1 ramen deal, their opening special! So, I got their jigoku (hell) ramen. I was going to get the shoyu, but the waitress was like, you sure you don’t want to try the jigoku ramen? It’s only $ 1. I told her I don’t do spicy, but insisted that level 1 wasn’t too spicy. So I got it.
I thought it was ok. It was spicy, but not too spicy that I couldn’t handle it.
My friend got the abura soba, which is noodles without soup. That was tasty.
They don’t have gyoza yet since they just opened.