After hearing lots of positive feedback from friends who went to Sanjo, my wife and I made it a point to make a trip out to try out the place. I love my ramen but have been hard pressed to find a true go-to place in the nearby suburbs. The first thing that stuck my eye on the menu was that they had Hokkaido ramen! Having just been to Hokkaido last summer, we knew we had to order it. While it's hard to compare it to the real deal in Japan, it was a very solid bowl of ramen and was truly reminiscent of the region's ramen scene. We also ordered their spicy tonkatsu ramen, a side of tempura, and a matcha latte. The tempura was solid and had the light airiness you'd expect. The spicy ramen was delicious and had the legit springy ramen noodles. The matcha latte tasted of real matcha and was perfectly sweetened! It was overall a great experience and we will definitely be back! read more

Sanjo Ramen - Tempura - Ramen Near Me - Buffalo Grove, Illinois

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I guess ramen is all the rage right now, but salt is not and this is another place in Buffalo Grove that is quite liberal with their salty dishes. And we had heard that Sanjo was very good, so we were eager to try. My wife ordered a California roll and asked for spicy mayo. No problem. They made the roll and brought a small ramekin with spicy mayo in it. Was it hard to understand that she wanted the spicy mayo in the California roll? It's a good thing that it was on the side as she said it was very salty. Our server came by and asked how the roll was, my wife told her the mayo was salty. Our server then started studying the mayo and then said she'd try it herself. To her credit she did try it and did return to tell us that it was, indeed, salty. Yeah, we know. I ordered the edamame and they were nicely salted and a bit crunchy, which was good. Next, we both ordered ramen. She had vegetable miso and I had the Chicken Taipan. They were both boiling hot and very salty. I removed the vegetables from mine and just had broth, chicken, and noodles. The noodles were plentiful and al dente (as they should be), but the broth was very salty. Overly so. The vegetable miso wasn't much different. She only removed the bean sprouts from that dish, but the salt overwhelmed everything. The flavor was salt. There are just better ramen places around that aren't salt forward, so we'll have to try those places. And it was about $65 with tip for the both of us and what we ordered. Pricey and salty. Nah, no thanks. I'll skip this next time. read more

In an area that is getting increasingly saturated with Asian food options, Sanjo Ramen surprised me with how fast they've built a clientele. During my Wednesday night dinner, there was a steady stream of takeout orders and a surprising number of patrons dining inside the restaurant. This is in comparison to lots of other restaurants I've seen with slow weekday business. The generous portion sizes, comprehensive menu, reasonable prices, and delicious food all help to contribute to this. When you check out this spot from the outside, this looks like any other restaurant in the area - the inside looks simply decorated with pictures of the dishes on the wall and tables setup in a simple manner. The food really speaks for itself in many different ways -- as it's impressive how a smaller restaurant carries such a complete menu. The presentation of the food is nice, with a good portion of meat included in every dish. On my visit here I tried 3 different items and was happy with all of them. The zuke don came with a generous amount of fish, served in fairly large and thick slices. Compared to the amount of fish I'm used to getting in a roll or poke bowl, I was quite happy with what I got. The fish wasn't the fattiest, but it was still delicious. The katsu curry came with pork cutlets that are the thickest I've seen in the area. This came with plenty of rice and curry, making for a delicious comfort food dish. I would have liked if the pork had a bit more marination itself, but still enjoyed the dish quite a bit. The tonkotsu shoyu had tender chashu, with a nice light char. The pork broth was flavorful without feeling overly thick or salty, with lots of bean sprouds, wood ear mushrooms, and green onion to give it extra flavor. The temomi noodle is nice and slightly chewy with a good thickness and firmness. I wouldn't mind eating a whole bowl of these noodles with just broth and nothing else. Overall, this spot is already popular and will popular for years to come. The offer of a comprehensive Japanese menu with good flavors, good prices, and good presentation creates a great value for customers. The healthier preparation of the food also means this is a spot I can eat at more often without feeling like I'm eating too much fat or oil. read more

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I was surprised by the quality of their ramen noodles. Given recent ramen shops opening in the area, this is my #1 so far. Would def. come back. The noodles have good texture, cooked al-dente. The chasiu thickness nicely highlighted the char, the flavor, and brought a well balanced texture of the meat. The Shoyu broth was warm and comforting on a chi-beria weather day. A bit "greasy" for shoyu broth but I wonder if it was because of the pork chasiu. Nevertheless, I think this is still the best in the area. read more

Sanjo Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Buffalo Grove, Illinois

Horrible take out experience. I ONLY ordered 3 items and they made 2 mistakes! I ordered a sushi roll, a ramen, and karaage. The ONLY thing they did right was the karaage. They did not even placed the order for sushi roll, so when I got there, I had to wait. Then when I got home and opened the bag, I realized they gave me the wrong ramen, so I had to go back and had to wait additional 15 minutes for the right order. There were ONLY 3 tables when I got there, don't tell me they got confused because they were so busy. Big mistake ordering take out from this place. Will never order from this place or come here in person. Fail! read more

Happy to have a new ramen place in the area! They have a wide range of ramen, sushi, rice bowls, and curry. I had the Hokkaido ramen and I thought it was delicious! Good noodle texture and broth flavor, and the Cha siu was delicious too. We can near the end of service during the weekday and it wasn't busy at all. Service was quick and attentive. Overall I think this is my number one choice for ramen in the area! read more

Sanjo Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Buffalo Grove, Illinois

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Stopped in on Saturday at opening and the place was half full by noon. Ordered the karaage, tonkatsu ramen and chicken curry. The karaage had the nice crisp of breading with the subtle chew of potato starch and the chicken was nice and moist. The chicken katsu was quite thick so I wish there was more breading for a bigger crunch but it was still great. The curry was nice and thick, though it could used a little stronger curry flavor for my tastes. The star here is the ramen. The noodles have a really nice chew to them and the broth has a great depth of flavor. The noodles were ever slightly thicker than most ramen places which gave you more of the chew you crave with noodles. Sanjo really hits the spot for great ramen. Service was also great as the servers were friendly and attentive. read more

Sanjo Ramen - Exterior - Ramen Near Me - Buffalo Grove, Illinois

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In a quiet unassuming store front in a strip mall sits this fantastic new restaurant. Apparently everyone has heard of this place since there was a steady stream of customers picking up their orders and dining in the restaurant. I ordered the tonkatsu shoyu ramen and it was delicious. The pork broth was very flavorful. The pork itself was tender with a little char on it. The noodles and veggies were amazing. My husband got the zuke don. The pieces of salmon and tuna were huge and had been marinated to add to the great flavor. Our server was very nice, even offering paper towels after there were none available in the washroom. Sanjo Ramen is a great addition to the area. read more

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We came here for some ramen and boy I was so surprised that it's pretty authentic! The broth is amazing, just like when I was Japan! I definitely would recommend Sanjo Ramen and would come back and try other dishes! read more

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Quality, price, value comparable to other ramen places. Sanjo Ramen would be a place to frequent solely based on proximity. The service was good. Staff were friendly. The table lost a foot and was very wobbly and dangerously unstable. The waitress immediately got cardboard and propped the leg. Space and seating is limited-- it seemed to get busy quick around peak hours. We had arrived just before the dinner rush which reduced the amount of wait time. Ramen hit the spot for a cold Chicago wintery day! read more

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I arrived at 1:45pm, not realizing they closed at 2pm for a break until dinner but they let us come and order anyway. Their ramen was delicious! The noodles were just right and I will definitely eat there again. read more

Legit Japanese restaurant just opened in Buffalo Grove Simple and clean atmosphere Tonkatsu with curry over the rice Tonkatsu ramen with all the toppings Sashimi over rice was very good as well I will definitely come back read more

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Awesome addition to the neighborhood. Went with my 7 yr old today. While we may need to find a more child friendly ramen than the Tonkatsu for her, I was in heaven. The noodles, not to mention the broth, are outstanding. I am looking forward to trying pretty much every thing on the menu. Staff were very friendly and service was great. read more

Best ramen I've had in a long time! Very traditional and flavorful. The sushi is small but equally as good! Everything was awesome, a little too bright for me, but that's my preference. Owner was also the server, he was great, talked to every table that walked in. 100% will be back. read more

Excellent! Staff was incredibly attentive. Tonkatsu was rich but not fatty. Had the spice on the side because I like to dial it in myself. The pork? Just the right amount of fat and a touch of smoke. So rich. So satisfying. My only mistake was not ordering an egg. Next time! read more

I am always searching for good Ramen and happy to say this place was great great! I will definitely be back read more

Some of the best ramen I've had. Most delicious broth in my life. Our waitress was so nice and attentive thanks ! read more

Sanjo Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Buffalo Grove, Illinois

YUM! We had some sushi rolls to start, which were good but the star was the ramen. Chicken Paitan Tsukemen was rich in flavor and enough to share with my kid, who loved the noodles. The thicker broth was appreciated in this cold weather! We also had the Spicy Tonkatsu Shoyu, which was also super good with the distinct sesame oil flavor. I added some of the uma Kara spicy sauce to the Tsukemen, so good! The staff is welcoming and you can see that they're dedicated to creating delicious ramen. This will definitely be our stop whenever we're in this area. read more

The restaurant was very clean and modern. The broth for both ramen was flavorful and tasty. I will say tho that added all my spice to my spicy miso, and then I thought it was great! Our waiter did a great job to make sure to check on us to see if we needed anything. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. The gyoza was gone before I remembered to snap a pic! Best gyoza I have had. I was also very hungry definitely will be coming back! read more

Sanjo Ramen - Spicy Miso Ramen Tantan Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Buffalo Grove, Illinois

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I just recently came back from Tokyo and the food we had at Sanjo was as good as what we had in Tokyo. The place was PACKED and service was great and fast! Ambiance was chill and I was initially sad that the old restaurant they replaced went out of business but with this food, I'm ok they left and Sanjo came through! read more

Sanjo Ramen - Pork Fried Rice - Ramen Near Me - Buffalo Grove, Illinois

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oishii restaurant in Buffalo Grove !! 100 percent oishii !! Fresh ingredients and authentic flavors like Tokyo food. I guarantee you will be happy and satisfied. read more

We stopped in after my son's swim class and were very happy with the food and service. He tried the miso ramen (his first time eating ramen at a restaurant) which was out of bounds delicious! We also shared some of the Sushi rolls and gyoza, all very tasty. The service was exceptional and we felt very taken care of during our dining experience. Will definitely be back!! read more

Best ramen in the area compared to several places in VH or Mundelein. The spicy miso has a great rich flavor. Their pork was so tender and flavorful not too fatty. Husband and teen son loved the tonkatsu and katsu curry. Will be back often so glad it's nearby! read more

Visited with coworkers as a pre Christmas eve lunch. 8/10 , wish I could add more hot and garlic, but overall, pretty good read more

My husband and I ordered take out ramen from here tonight and were very impressed! Everything came super hot and tasted delicious. The staff was incredibly friendly, and the restaurant was very clean. We ordered the tan tan and spicy tonkotsu ramen, along with the gyoza. Would definitely order again! We are excited to have this place so close. read more

Love having this so close to our house. Service was very welcoming and they expanded their menu since the soft open. Good value. The dining room was a bit cold both times we went. We will be back. Had the tonkotsu and takoyaki. read more

Food is amazing! Service is fantastic! Can't go wrong with this place! We had 2 different types of soups and they were delicious! Definitely going back. read more

Having been to Kyoto and trying the various Japanese restaraunts in the are, this is hands down the closest to the taste and quality that I experienced during my trip to Japan. Everything about it is perfect, bringing back great memories of my time there. Absolutely my favorite Japanese food within the area, and will be continuing to visit often. Their to-go is great as well, should you not be able to dine-in! read more

Delicious Ramen. Noodles Pork and Broth all were excellent. Service was fantastic as well. Highly recommend!

Miso ramen was delicious, and the chashu pork was some of the best I've had! Will definitely be back soon.

Great food and service! We will definitely go back. If you like ramen, try this place.

This place was amazing! When I walked in I knew it was gonna have great food. The restaurant is simple but thats just a great sign that they focus on their food! Our server was amazing and she was so nice and responsive to us. We would ask her for something and she would run to the kitchen to get it for us! So kind! I got the Spicy Tonkotsu Shoyu ramen and it was the best bowl of ramen I have had in a long time. Highly recommend! They told us they opened two months ago so everyone go support! read more

I recently had the pleasure of trying Tantanmen here, and it was an absolutely outstanding experience! Every element of the dish was executed to perfection. read more

so yummy! went there today and got the beef udon and my husband got a spicy ramen. delicious and the staff was so friendly. we picked it up to go and it was super quick! read more