Excellent Japanese comfort food with excellent attention to detail at an excellent price! Clean and cozy dining area, with NO loud music! Even the customers were quiet! 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

It was my first time at this quaint Japanese restaurant and I wasn't disappointed. The service was friendly and we were pleased with the menu options as well. We ordered a couple of different ramen bowls and all 3 of them were delicious. Fresh, flavorful, and well combined ingredients! We were able to control the spice level as they provided the sauce on the side. We'll surely try some other options on the next visit. It's a little tucked away in a small strip center so be sure not to pass it up and stop in for for a delicious meal. read more

Sozai Banzai - Spicy Stamina Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Really cute place. I really like this place and recommend trying it. It's the kind of place you really want to like. It's very small, maybe 9 tables and then they have a small counter by the front window that seats a couple extra people. There seems to only be 1 person working the front of the restaurant. This older Japanese woman who looks like she really enjoys being there and loves her job. Most likely she is the owner or one of the owners. When you order the food you actually go up to the counter in the back by the kitchen. There was a man working that counter and you just order and pay... Then they bring the food out. The kitchen is in the back and you really can't see back there or who is working. Overall everything was good and it was a good experience. We ordered 3 different sushi rolls and a bowl of ramen. They seem to specialize in ramen though...the sushi menu is very small, so there's only a couple rolls to pick from. I would go back, but I have other places I go to for sushi and for ramen, they just aren't under the same roof. read more

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Always a go to spot when I'm in the area:) Their bento sets are great! There aren't many restaurants where I feel full but not super heavy on the stomach, 10/10 would recommend. read more

Small place with lots of options. The place was packed when the fam and I got there. There are only a few tables and a small bar top area by the window. We ordered the chicken karaage, the chashu ramen miso, and gyu don (thin slices of meat over rice). The chicken karaage was crispy but needed seasoning to it. What i did not like was the mayo aioli type sauce was spread on all the pieces. I'm just not a fan of mayo and other places I have been to always serve the sauce on the side. The chashu ramen miso was good. The broth was very rich and flavorful and while the portion was smaller than other places, it was just the right amount for me. I wished the chashu pieces were a little thicker though, so it wouldn't have been so flimsy to eat. I also wish it came with other add on options besides corn and egg. I asked if I could add on vegetables and was told that it was not an available option for the ramen miso. "Um, excuse me? Why can't you just add on whatever into the soup?" is what I was thinking when she told me that. My kid ate the gyu don and enjoyed it, but the rice to meat portion was definitely unproportional. Overall I would come back and enjoy another bowl of ramen. While good, there are still better ramen places out there. read more

Experience: My girlfriend and I were in a mood for Japanese food and a co worker of mind recommended this place. It surely did not disappoint. Displayed menus are in Japanese which I thought was cool. It was a authentic experience. There options of take out but also limited seating due to Covid restrictions. Parking: Convenient parking lot right in front of the business. No difficulty whatsoever! Note: this was during the weekday. Unsure how they parking is during the weekend. Stay tuned for an update because I am pretty sure I'm coming back! Worth: 100% worth visiting and revisiting! Staff was amazing and friendly. Ambience reminds me of being back in japan. Food was reasonably priced and good. After eating, you can also take short drive to Woodfield Mall or Mitsuwa! Great location. Overall, I would definitely come back here! read more

As others have said, this is a hidden gem in the area and a great alternative the usual sushi choices for Japanese. In particular, I liked: - Fried squid legs: Crispy, tasty and simple - Garlic Ramen: Nice strong garlic flavor with nice fatty pork - Chicken karaage: Nicely fried with tender chicken inside - Tonkatsu: A little fatter than most (which I like) and very crispy with a nice sauce - Buta shogayaki: Very nice strong flavor of ginger with the pork, delicious! The bento boxes are an especially nice deal if you like to try a variety of things. If you are in the area, skip the Mitsuwa food court and give this a try, you won't be disappointed. read more

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Inside the last strip mall before entering the Village of Mount Prospect, there was a neon sign "Sushi & Grill." Oops, we missed the entrance! We then turned around, parked our vehicle in the strip-mall lot, and then headed inside...with a suspicious mind and an empty stomach. Obviously, "Sozai Banzai" is the official name for this place. This little eatery serves home-style Japanese dishes, ranging from ramen to many well-known side dishes that one can see on a typical Japanese family's dinner table. I saw many Japanese hanging out there, so it proved that there was a certain degree of authenticity involved. Everyone works there seems to be a "jack of all trades." The young man who took our order was primarily in charge of the dining room and the front-line responsibilities. All orders are taken at the register. All directions are clearly written in both English and Japanese. After we put our orders in: butter corn miso ramen and spicy stamina ramen, we helped ourselves with water. By the way, there's a minimum $10 requirement for using a debit or credit card. One (1) bowl of ramen with a choice of side dish, or a bottle of Premium Black Asahi will do. Yes, they do serve wine and beer. Getting a business liquor license is much more affordable in the suburbs. My spicy stamina ramen was delicious! It could have been a great belly-warmer, except the temperature still remains high 70s in late September here in the Midwest. Hence, it was sweating the entire time slurping my bowl. That really wasn't a complaint though! Hubby enjoyed this sweet corn miso ramen as well. He finished it in a lightening speed, so you knew that he liked it. The other table with three (3) Japanese gentlemen seemed to have a blast with their choices of entrees, because they weren't commenting negatively about the food, but the family of four (4) behind them in Japanese. Hey, that's the power of knowing a second language. I often do that, too, so I'm no saint, people! With Miki Imai's soothing, womanly voice playing in the background, the ramen was steadily transported to our stomachs. I have to say "Sozai Banzai" is truly a hidden gem in Arlington Heights, yet Yelp helps unearth it. read more

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Shut your face. How did I not know about this place??!?!?? A friend suggested we go here after church for lunch one day because we couldn't decide on a place. It's a very authentic Japanese cafe style restaurant that has simple menu items. You go up to the counter to order, and they bring out your food shortly. Such a simple and cute restaurant with delicious Japanese food? You can't go wrong! Just be aware that it is not Americanized, so if you are into westernized Japanese food, this is not the place for you. read more

The food was just alright. I went with my friend who is from Japan & she didn't really like it. The service was slow to bring food & deserts out. read more

First time here and decided to check it out finally! Been wanting to eat here for awhile now. Super casual spot tucked away in a small strip plaza off Golf Rd. It's really inconspicuous, but does really well based on their reviews and the traffic I've seen come in. Their location is definitely not well known which means their food must be great to drive all these customers there. Had the tonkotsu ramen, salmon rice ball, karaage side, seaweed salad and a salmon bento. All was delicious. Bill ran about $30. Small super casual spot, order at the counter and they'll bring the food out. No tip necessary but appreciated. I'll be back to try more. Would be nice if they had sushi on their menu considering their sign says Sushi Grill , but no sushi on their menu. Also I do not know what sozai is, after going there I'm not sure I still do. Maybe they can explain it on their menu better? read more

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If your looking for authentic and affordable japanese resto, this is the perfect place for you. The place is small and the staff are friendly. You guys should try it read more

Ramen & bento box were prepared with wonderful attention to detail. The octopus & miso soup were delicious & my daughter said the Ramen was the best ever! We even tried the Imagawayaki (Japanese pancake with red bean paste) and it was surprisingly sweet...great experience trying something completely different The staff was super friendly and eager to explain our queries; we'll definitely be keeping Sozai Banzai on our list of places to come back to read more

Sozai Banzai - Imagawayaki - Ramen Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Excellent authentic tasting Japanese food. Before checking out the place I read a few reviews. The ones that caught my eye were about Spicy Stamina Ramen. People were debating whether it was too spicy or not. For me, it was just right. My 12 year old also tried a bit and liked it. So not too spicy. We also tried okaka onigiri, fried chicken and octopus as well as takoyaki. Takoyaki was rich and tasty. No frills, authentic Japanese comfort food place. read more

People are going to hate me but to me this place only deserves 3 stars. Average food, average price, average service, average cleanliness. I think it's a convenient place to get Japanese food if Mitsuwa is too packed... but that's about it. read more

Cute little Japanese . Seemingly more.loke simple cafeteria style food. You pick what you want and go order at the counter. The cashier is Japanese too. Sometimes the portions are a little small... But over all very tasty food read more

Delicious, original authentic cuisine. A must stop if i'm the area. Bento Boxes rock!

I waited quite a while to write this review, because I was trying to figure out how to describe this place. It is a very small place and it is located in a strip mall. Don't hate, some of the best restaurants are in strip malls. You order your meal at the counter and then find a place to sit. The menu was a bit confusing, because there was a printed menu and then there were specials (on the wall and on a little sheet on the table). I think I missed a few things I could have ordered because I didn't know where to look. We decided to order an assortment of things. The ramen was good. It wasn't the best ramen I've ever had, but it was still tasty. The pork katsu was tasty too and cooked very nicely. The chicken karaage was a standout. It was absolutely delicious! I love how it is fried. It is like a chicken nugget on savory steroids. I will definitely reorder this (maybe even a double order!). I would come back here if I was in the area, but I don't think I would drive all the way out here just to stop by. But, tasty, decent prices, and no long Mitsuwa line to deal with. read more

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Not a very fancy place and hard to find (look for a sign that says sushi and grill) in a strip mall. However the food is fantastic! The place is self serve but the cashier is very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. There is ranking of their dishes on the wall. Had the tang tang men ramen. Broth was delicious and not too salty. There is a lot of noodles in the bowl and the pork was flavorful. Also tried the tonkatsu. The meat was fried just right and side dishes that came with it complimented the entree. Will add this to my list of ramen places in the suburbs to visit. read more

Sozai Banzai - Tonkatsu - Ramen Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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Great small Japanese restaurant! Casual setting with quick service. A perfect spot for lunch. The food is always great and tastes authentic. Smaller portions, but prices are reasonable. Recommend giving them a try! read more

Despite the non-stop thunderstorms we had on Saturday, Mitsuwa was as overcrowded as ever. My husband and I decided to go somewhere else for our Japanese food fix and landed here at Sozai Banzai. We quickly figured out you have to place your order at the counter and receive a number for your food, so not so different from eating at Mitsuwa. Likewise, you also have to seat yourself, and seating is fairly limited, so if you are able to take your food to go that might be a better choice. We ourselves were lucky enough to get a table right away. I was really hoping for some warm soba, but they didn't have that here, so I got the butter corn ramen instead. It was REALLY good, though I can't imagine the calorie count since it had two whole pats of butter floating right in the broth before I mixed them in. My husband got some kind of don that I think he enjoyed, but to be honest he was under the weather that day, so it's hard to say. The service was okay. Not super friendly, but they were reasonably quick getting the food out. Between the limited staff and the large number of customers, it did take some time for them to bus the very few vacated tables. All in all, I would certainly recommend a stop here if ever you are seeking some authentic Japanese food. If you can come at an off-peak time or take your food to go, you will probably have an even better experience. But good food is always worth some minor inconvenience. read more

I drove 50 minutes to try this place, and it did not disappoint. The girl that helped me was very nice, the food came out quick and fresh. It's a little sad that I live in Chicago, which is almost 30 miles away, and there is always traffic. But I'd be back whenever I get a chance. read more

Sozai Banzai - Ramen Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

This place is a delight for fuss-free Japanese food. Everything we've had on the menu has been delicious and carefully prepared - from the set (entree) items to the noodle dishes and daily specials. The noodle broth is lighter than most other places in the area so I find it to be a welcome change if you're regular ramen eater. Staff is always super friendly and courteous. read more

I love ramen, yes I do. I love ramen, how about you? 3.5 stars. I couldn't believe this place wasn't busy on a Friday night, but I wasn't complaining. Sozai Bonzai is located in a tiny strip mall. It is small, brightly lit, and clean. They have several ramen options as well as tonkatsu (pork cutlet) and some sushi options. The workers all speak fluent Japanese and I noticed most of the customers were speaking Japanese as well. That has to be a good sign, right?... Walk up to the counter, place your order, pay, and have a seat. Someone will bring your order to you on a green tray. I ordered the Butter Corn Ramen and added 3 pieces of chashu for an additional $1.50 (so worth it!) and a White Peach JPop sparkling cocktail. The bottled drink tasted like a wine cooler. Next time I'll order an Asahi beer. The ramen had thinner, curly noodles, a thin slap of butter, lots of corn, two pieces of seaweed, a few bamboo shoots, and lots of thinly sliced green onion. The brother wasn't incredibly complex or savory, but it wasn't bad. It's definitely better than eating the packets of instant ramen at home (...even Shin Ramen Black!) For around $11 (this is including the chashu I added) it was a perfect fix for my ramen craving. Plus, I didn't have to wait an hour like at some of the trendier ramen places. I'll definitely be returning again! Bottom line: t's a great place to come in for a quick ramen fix, but it's not the highest quality ramen. read more

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A real hidden gem in a neighborhood full of Japanese eateries.I can't believe I didn't know about this place until now. Its literally hidden from the street in a tiny strip mall. The sign on the side of the mall doesn't have the place's name on it and even the restaurant itself doesn't have the name Sozai Banzai. The restaurant sign actually says "Sushi and Grill" which is very generic. The best way to describe it is a casual hole-in the wall type eatery with real everyday casual Japanese home cooking. Don't expect a sushi master with a 2000 dollar knife hand cutting and carving fresh fish for your sushi here. Japanese cuisine is more than just raw fish and teriyaki. The menu is pretty extensive and hardly "Americanized" I ordered the Garlic Ramen (8.95): Very very good, I can't really compare it to Santouka because its different and good in its own way. I guess it depends on how you prefer your ramen. I'll note a few differences: (See picture) The soup: A dark rich broth thicker and more earthy than Santouka's. The noodle: slightly more chew than Santouka. I find this to be very pleasant. The pork: really good but not as fatty as I like it. The toppings: bamboo shoots, green onion, and half a perfectly soft boiled egg. I also think the portions are bigger here for the price you pay. I highly recommend you check this place out (if you can find it). It offers a real taste of everyday Japanese home cooking. read more

Sozai Banzai - Awesome rich broth in the ramen! - Ramen Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Yelp reviewers were excellent with the recommendation here, as usual! I drove an hour just to find a great Ramen place since there are none where I live. It's a cozy little restaurant with stellar Ramen and I didn't have to go into the city. They were very accommodating with special requests and the prices were good. I ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen (total traditionalist ) and the broth was perfect! Flavorful but not overpowering, perfect amount of saltiness. The noodles were cooked perfectly and had great flavor and the toppings were great. I ordered the Spicy Stamina Ramen to go, for my boyfriend, and it looks great, I'm sure it will be just as good as mine was! Highly recommend! read more

Sozai Banzai - Tonkotsu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

This is a great little strip-mall place for a no-frills Japanese ramen or bento box meal. They also have a few other offerings as well. The dining space is casual and simple but does the job after you order at the back counter. Wife has their deluxe bento box (with smoked mackerel) for $10.95. I had their charsu ramen bowl for $9.50 and liked that it wasn't over salty, as at so many other places. The portions are decent and value is good. They also offer a limited bottled beer selection. Will be back sometime I'm sure. read more

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Since the Bowl House closed and left a hole in my heart (seriously, it was one of my favorite restaurants for YEARS), I've been looking for someplace that offers Japanese home cooking favorites to replace it. Oddly, I had a bento the first time I went here, rather than any donburimono (bowls of things). Still quite happy with it! The point of this place is, after all the sozai (small side dishes). I was fascinated that you can get a bento with whatever main item(s) you specify, and it comes with rice and a bunch of random sozai. How many sozai you get depends on what size bento you order. And croquettes! I do love Japanese-style croquettes. Mmm. :9 I had a regular bento with mains of chicken karaage (mmmmmmmmmm) and sake shioyaki (salt-grilled salmon). They have a water cooler up front with cups next to it, so you can serve yourself some ice water. They also sell a number of both American and Japanese soft drinks in a case up front. You can purchase tea bags for hot tea at $.50 each, and a carafe of hot water sits near the ice water so you can make yourself a cup of tea. It's a quiet little place, and you go to the register to place your order. When it's ready, the person behind the counter brings it out to you on a little tray. It's a small place, but very neat. The ramen and bowls some other people had looked fantastic. Can't wait to try it next time. Ambiance was relaxed. Lots of different music played at a comfortable level...some L'Arc en Ciel, and some piano inventions on the Totoro theme were just a couple of the things that played. Good place; I'll be back and will bring my SO and friends. :) read more

Sozai Banzai - Chicken karaage and sake shioyaki bento with 6 sozai. - Ramen Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

The food was prepared fresh and taste authentic. Every bite makes me reminisce my trip to Japan. I definitely found a new fave for takeouts.

Sozai Banzai is such a quintessential Japanese restaurant, serving authentic Japanese cuisine. You can tell because both the staff and customers are mainly Japanese. I'd consider this establishment a hole in the wall, hidden within a small strip mall with a banner that reads "Sushi and Grill". Nevertheless, once you step inside, it's a homey, clean, and inviting feeling. First off, I hate to say this, but the ramen at Sozai Banzai is not that good, probably not even average. The noodles, broth, and meat really just miss the mark, and the portions are small. HOWEVER, EVERYTHING ELSE, literally, EVERYTHING ELSE served at Sozai Banzai is legit and delicious. Udon, donburi, appetizers, hamburg steak, katsu... you name it. They're good and as Japanese as it can get. read more

I thought it was closed because there were no cars in the parking lot, but it quickly filled up shortly after we got there. Plus that day, it was raining cats and dogs out. But I definitely would come back to try the rest of the ramen on their menu lol Chashu Ramen: got this because they didn't have the miso chashu that day. The broth is great. I have a fear of ramen broth being too salty from prior bad experiences (misoya and Tokyo pub). The broth is rich and not as oily as the one from Daruma. There's 3 pieces of pork!! (Yasssssss!) The cut is a decent size, not too thin but not heavy thick either. Ramen has a nice bite to it, nice texture to the ramen. Overall 4/5 Spicy stamina Ramen: I thought it would be spicer by the color of it, but it wasn't THAT spicy. It has a nice kick if you're a mild spicy eater. The broth is a little on the oily side. The mince pork makes it seem like there's nothing in there because it's all at the bottom. Overall this one is like a 2.5/5 Karaage don: first bite was a little salty, but once you mix the rice and egg around it alleviated the saltiness a little. The chicken is salty though if you eat it alone. Overall, this dish is too mushy for me. Everything just blended in all weird. Croquette: nice crunch on the outside. Personally, I'd rather have a smaller piece and have more crunch and less potato per bite. They should make mini size croquette! read more

Immediate reaction after eating: i ate all my ramen to the last drop, if that is any indication. I thought it was a solid showing of ramen and it's nice that you can combo with gyoza or chicken karaage and it is still cheaper than most ramen places. Ramen is also a bit smaller than what we see in Chicago but is actually the perfect amount to fill you up and they have so many side dish options that I want to come back and try. If you like ramen and you are in the area (ikea or wood field shopping or Ramen Misoya has a 2 hour wait then come here to enjoy some ramen and even a few alcoholic beverages. We were headed to the suburbs to do some shopping and my wife said she was hungry and to just drive and she would tell me where we were eating when we get there. Exciting right?!?! Inquiring minds want to know. We arrived to this random strip mall to this very unassuming Japanese restaurant. When we got inside, the place had a few diners but not busy and we proceeded to the counter to look over the menu, order and pay first. We settled on the miso chashu ramen and made it a combo with rice and small chicken karaage (about 7 pieces) and a spicy tang tang ramen. There were so many choices for sides and ramen I wanted to try them all but I would just be ramen them all in my mouth. :p We got some water ourselves in little cups and sat down waiting for the food. The food came out at a reasonable normal timing for ramen and we proceeded to begin with the broth. The tang tang was moderately spicy with some slight kick but nothing insane. The miso flavor was very present but not as rich as I usually like it but still very delicious. The ramen itself was smaller than most ramen places but it seemed like the perfect amount and is a bit cheaper than other ramen spots. The chicken karaage was really really good! Almost stealing the show because it was so juicy and crispy. I would definitely go back for more. read more

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I'm definitely not an expert on ramen, but I liked it! Pretty good broth, egg made soft boiled how I like, and the pork was AWESOME. I ordered the Chashu ramen and my hubs got the Spicy Stamina. We also ordered gyoza which were okay- not crazy about them. Got our food really quickly and it was about $9 for most bowls. I'd come back! read more

Sozai Banzai - Spicy Stamina, Chashu ramen, and gyoza - Ramen Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Sozai Banzai is a nice little Japanese restaurant with the name Sushi & Grill on the outside. If you were not looking for it you would drive right by in on the south side of Golf road. They have ramen dishes, bento boxes, and bowls. They also have sushi on their to go menu but we didn't see it on the menu that was handed to us at the checkout counter. There is a popular menu that they display just in front of the kitchen and behind the front checkout counter. The set up is really simple with tables for seating of four. They have a television and music playing in the background. They offer drinks out of an open freezer and even alcoholic beverages. I had the spicy ramen and the gyoza and both were on point. The ramen serving size was large but good for me and the four pieces of gyoza were excellent. The woman working at the time was very kind and helpful. She brought our food out to us on green trays and took them for us when we were finished. read more

Sozai Banzai - Spicy ramen with gyoza and rice - Ramen Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Great small local Japanese restaurant. You will find more unique menu items, more authentic, and is a fast casual place. Not your typical sushi place where u only have teriyaki or Maki rolls. I'd rather go here rather most fancier places. The ramen is more instant noodles that has been fluffed up so maybe avoid that. Everything else is great. read more

A friend recommended this place for amazing Ramen, and they did not disappoint. It's one of Arlington Height's best kept secret, we came on a weekend with a group and had no problem getting seated. Great customer service and value We tried the Chicken Karaage, Gyoza, Miso Soup, Tonkatsu Ramen, everything tasted amazing and we can't wait to go back read more

I love their Aburamen or you can say Abura-soba (oiled ramen noodle without soup). It is not easy to find Japanese food restaurant who serves Abura-soba. I finally found Abura-soba in Sozai Banzai and their Abramen is so so so good ! I recommend you to order "Deluxe Aburamen"!! When you get the bowl, please add chili oil and vinegar a lot into the bowl and mix. The combination of noodle, oil, chili, vinegar, half boiled egg, vegetable and pork is great !! read more

A place we're sure to come back to! Seems authentic, but I'm no Japanese food expert. My husband and I ordered chasu and garlic ramen. Disclaimer, you really have to love garlic to have the garlic ramen. It is pretty overwhelmingly garlicky. The fried chicken was so tender and juicy. This place does seem pretty popular. We came in as soon as they opened on a Sunday, and there was already a line. Definitely come during off hours for a seat since it is a smaller place. read more

4.5 Great hole-in-the-wall place for getting assorted japanese side dishes and ramen read more

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