Banzai Japanese Kitchen

for an americanized Japanese restaurant it’s not too bad. Service is good, price is decent, quality is pretty good. Nothing special and nothing bad to complain about. I always get the poke here, which is more worth than going to zuma poke, so i’m not sure how the rest of the food here is.

Poke bowls here did not taste like regular poke bowls, only came with rice, salmon, and seaweed salad. Not really worth the price. The side salad also was not that great. Other than that it’s a great spot to grab dinner and the environment is nice.

The poke here is very good, that was the only thing I ordered when I came here. The price was $ 11 something for a bowl of poke. Well it’s raw fish. But I had to wait around 20 — 30 minutes for the food to came out, they should somehow make the food faster.
The raw fish was fresh and good with the sauces that they mixed with, they put a lot of rice in the bowl though. I personally like it because I like eating rice.

Haven’t tried the poke yet… but today I had the Shoyu Ramen and it was really tasty! My hubs had a bento, which was typical for a bento.
Clean environment. Nice customer service. I think the prices are very reasonable. Parking was easy at 11:30.
All in all… definitely looking forward to going back.

Food taste: meh. The pictures here look so deceiving. I really thought this was going to be a good thing. But this place is housed in a cafeteria-​style like location (three different restaurants sharing the same space) and the food definitely tastes like it: bland, generalized, unremarkable.
I ordered the Salmon Poke Bowl. The sauce was spicy and the salmon was nice, but didn’t have that sharp, fresh flavor. As another person mentioned, it’s more a bowl of rice with the salmon/​seaweed as an appetizer-​portioned side. I was still hungry after my bowl so I ate what my children got, the Chicken Shio Ramen. That was very bland, tasting salty with no real complex flavor. I would say it is two steps above the ramen you get in the package. My husband got the Chicken Teriyaki Bento box. This was the favorite but the chicken was rubbery and his side, spinach and bonito, was hastily put together and was basically a soggy flavorless spinach drowned in bonito flakes. We also got a Tuna Norimaki roll, and the seaweed was so chewy it was hard to bite through. There was also a smear (and I’m not being poetic here, it was literally a smearing) of wasabi on the corner of the box, so tiny that we missed it.
Given the prices, I probably won’t come back.

The Tan Tan Men Ramen and Karaage Chicken hit the spot on a gloomy and rainy day.
The ramen was flavorful and had the perfect amount of spice to it. The chicken was very tasty, although after a few pieces it started to taste quite salty. Fear not, just dip the chicken in the sauce and it’s amazing again!
Favorite ramen place so far.

The location of this place has a very hipster feel to it, and I think it’s a very nice addition to Davis! Banzai is located in West Village and is integrated into the apartment areas, but it shouldn’t be too hard to find.
I ordered the Salmon Poke bowl, and I think it was just alright. The bowl comes with a lot of rice, and it’s topped with salmon, tobiko, and seaweed salad. I think because I am used to having a lot of additions to my bowl from other various places (such as avocados, a variety of fishes in my bowl, sauce choices, veggies, etc.) that I thought this place was only okay, especially for the price that you pay.
Overall, if I am ever really craving poke bowls but don’t want to make the drive out to Sac, I will definitely stop by this place for my fix.

Turns out, this place is A-​OK. And that’s about it. The poke bowl ordered came out *no way to put it better* «meh.» LOTS of rice. They could have called it a rice bowl with a little poke on top.
Ramen– because I’ve been spoiled by the noodles at Ryujin and Raijin (same people) in Sac, this resembled something closer to packaged reconstituted ramen.
Great to have it right next to the Davis Center of Sacramento City College, but a bit out of the way for most everyone else.
Probably wouldn’t come back without an invitation.

Our family ate here for dinner midweek and it was pretty great. Ramen is okay — not the best I’ve ever had, but I was happy to have it (I got the shoyu ramen). Portion size is generous and it was served quickly. Plenty of seating and lots of students around. No problem parking. I’d definitely come back — next time will try the poke!

So I never go out this way, and I’m sure the majority of the Davis population don’t either. But, fortunately I stumbled upon this area one day when I needed a place to study and kill time. This area has come a long way… And this new Japanese spot is definitely a nice addition.
They had everything from bento boxes, to ramen, sushi, and POKE BOWLS. As of now, there is no where in Davis where you can get poke, so I’m sure you can imagine my excitement when I saw it listed on the menu. I got a salmon poke bowl and it was simply divine. It came with hella rice and SEAWEED SALAD NOODLES which I also love.
They also had happy hour food + beer deals, so I’ll be back between 3 – 6:30 one of these days with some friends. Perfect for quick and yimmy food for dining in or on the go!

My 500^th review!
I had absolutely NO idea this «West Village» area existed — when GPS told us to turn on Hutchison AWAY from campus, we were kinda confused. The only thing out there before (when I was an undergrad) was the little airport!
Seriously, just by the nice looks of the apartment buildings they felt out of place, like they belong in Emeryville or Berkeley… not Davis! Anyway, Banzai Kitchen is one of the commercial buildings in the Village Square/​University Hub.
2-​hour parking was fine, probably because most of the students are on winter break.
Really nice open interior space, shared with Sage Café and the other place that serves Temple Coffee. I kept thinking to myself, since when did Davis become so hipster? I mean, Justin Timberlake music was playing!
I went with the salmon poke bowl as-​is, with the spicy aioli, and all bowls come with furikake sushi rice, wakame, tobiko, green onion and sesame seeds. My dining companions got the ahi tuna poke bowl with ponzu, the black garlic tonkotsu ramen, and an order of gyoza (5pc).
Salmon poke bowl was ready super fast, so fast that I was still filling my water cup and the server waited until I sat down at a table to bring out the bowl. For the price it was a good portion (compared to Fish Face where all you get is the protein, no rice, and each topping costs extra). The aioli was thick and spicy, even after I mixed it in with the rice — what a kicker! I was told the ponzu sauce helped with the spiciness of the ahi tuna as well. The ramen was okay. It could be a combination of us being overly excited/​hyped about the idea of poke and ramen option for Davis, and just us being super hungry for lunch and devouring the meal.
Other than ramen and poke, they also have bento boxes, donburi, and mini sushi rolls.
Now that I’ve tried Fish Face and Banzai, next on my list are Hokee Poke and Made Fish!

Solid poke & decent Japanese food, in an open-​seating style setting so students can eat and study at the same time. Sharing a space with a more American/​European style deli, Banzai serves poke bowls, sushi, bento boxes/​rice dishes, and ramen.
The poke is the highlight here: I had an ahi tuna bowl and it was a good sized portion. Although simple in ingredients, the fish was pretty fresh and the rice was well cooked and a good complement. The regular bowl isn’t very large but is satisfying enough.
The other dishes I’ve tried were average. I tried a curry chicken bowl, which had nice presentation of white rice and japanese curry with chicken, carrots, and potatoes. There wasn’t very much flavor at all and it just seemed like all the ingredients were boiled and tossed in a bowl. The handrolls are about half the size of a rice bowl and not worth the price. The black garlic ramen was simple but also lacking flavor in the broth and meat — the food could overall use a lot more seasoning.
This is a good place to get poke/​a quick meal while studying, just don’t expect stellar Japanese flavors.

After coming here many times, I would say only come here for the poke bowls. I’ve tried the ahi tuna, salmon, and the hamachi. The ahi tuna is definitely the way to go. I usually ask for a side or the spicy mayo and add on to it. I didn’t think their salmon was that fresh tasting and the hamachi didn’t have that punch of flavor I was looking for.
Your poke bowl experience will be a hit or miss. I’ve come on days where the poke bowl is spot on with portion sizes and quality. Then there was one time where the rice was hard as a rock and they were super stingy with the toppings. I went to ask for extra seaweed salad but there was a charge. They charge for everything! A small bowl is $ 1 and a slightly bigger bowl is $ 5. Where is the logic here? If you want to make your ramen spicy with either chili flakes/​oil they charge 50 cents. Again, why?
So the poke bowls are hit or miss, but I think it’s on rare occasions. Definitely come here ONLY for the bowl. Yes, it is pricy but this shouldn’t be a surprise. And it’s the only place in Davis to get poke so you do what you gotta do.
Ramen is just meh, mediocre. I’ve had their tan tan ramen and chicken shio. Tan tan is overly spicy, the broth is greasy, and the noodles are always hard. The chicken shio… Super mediocre. The chicken tastes like the packaged chicken I get from trader joes. I would just stay away. It does the job when you want hot soup tho.
And also the appetizers are nothing special. The fries, gyoza, and takoyaki, all have been meh. I’ve also had their sushi hand rolls. Not sure what the name is on the menu. But again, meh. They put mayo and a lot of rice.
Poke is the way to go.

This is part of a food-​court-​esque space. If you’re coming here during peak meal times, street parking may be difficult to find (unless you live in one of the neighboring apartment complexes).
Came here with a friend for dinner on a Friday night. We each ended up ordering the same thing by accident, so we got an appetizer to shake things up. To start, we had the Takoyaki, which was delicious. If you haven’t had it before, I highly recommend getting that here, because each bite is creamy and heavenly.
My friend and I both ordered the Salmon Poke bowl. I thought they were very generous with the salmon, but my friend was surprised at how small the portion was. There are two sides to every story and at least two opinions on the Salmon Poke bowl. That spicy sauce is no joke (or maybe I’m just weak). No service, because it’s more like a food court anyway, but I still left tip. This was my first time having poke in Davis, so I’m a fan. They also have happy hour all day on Fridays, so if you’re down to drink or have their HH appetizers, that’s an option as well.

Actual rating: 3 ½ stars
Where were the ramen places when I went to UC Davis?!? If this place was here when I was a student, my wallet would have been hurtin’.
This place is located in the Rambles right across from the Sacramento City College Davis campus. There is 2 hour street parking available. Spacious location. Not sure if they have WiFi, but I saw students studying here. Friendly customer service.
They serve ramen, bento boxes, and poke bowls. Ordered the garlic tonkotsu, spicy aioli salmon poke bowl, and salt and pepper karaage chicken. My favorite dish was the black garlic ramen. Not the best ramen I’ve ever had, but the broth was very flavorful. I found the noodles to be a bit bland. The spicy aioli salmon poke bowl was too spicy for me. The karaage chicken texture was unexpected chewy.
Overall, not bad. I’m curious to try their other ramen dishes next time I’m in the area.

Is it weird to crave Ramen on a hot day? Nah.
Came here on a hot Saturday afternoonage. I was totally unaware that Banzai kitchen was located in a small food court area. There’s a dessert place to the left and another restaurant to the right, with a convenience store off to the side. Not only does Banzai offer ramen, but they have poke bowls, salads, fries and other good good.
The only cream-​based ramen they had was the black garlic tonkotsu ramen. So I went with that and ordered a side of takoyaki. Total came out to $ 16+…ouch, it was a bit pricey. My friend also ordered the black garlic ramen with a side of kaarage.
The ramen looked like it would be heavily seasoned. judging by the photos, but it was quite tasty. Noodles were cooked to perfection. Meat, I kinda wanted it to be a little more softer and I think half of it was the fatty part. The ramen did have a lot of oil tho… even my friend who wasn’t eating pointed it out. After slurping up the noodles, my lips were glossed! Dial it down on the oil guys…
The takoyaki was delishness! It was just missing the furikake/​seaweed flakes. And I preferred if the mayo was drizzled on top then pooled on the bottom. My friend was complaining there was actually too much mayo on the bottom, lol. The chicken kaarage was ‘aight’.there was nothing special about it… except for the sriracha aioli sauce they used. It just tasted like popcorn chicken. Wasn’t worth the $ 5…
Overall, the food wasn’t bad, just a bit overpriced. The service was topnotch tho. They were helpful and attentive. I’d come back to try their poke bowl and the other restaurant nearby.

This place probably has the best ramen in town. I love their miso ramen. The broth is very flavorful, noodles is cooked just right, and the toppings are generous. I’ve also tried my friends’ garlic tonkatsu and the tantan mien, they are both as yummy. Service here is definitely 5/​5, everyone is extremely friendly.
Poke bowl is recently introduced here on Fridays and weekends. I wouldn’t recommend it. The salmon tasted a little fishy. The spicy tuna is finely diced, given the fishy salmon, I question the freshness and the origin of the tuna.

This place is one of the better restaurants if you are craving Ramen in Davis!
It’s a relatively new restaurant, has a very modern layout and has two big tables for large groups.
The menu has a variety of ramen, poke bowls, bentos, donburi and more. I got the Miso ramen and the noodles were cooked just right (slightly chewy and not too soft) and the chashu was more like pork belly slices (which I prefer). It was topped with sliced green onions, menma and a perfectly cooked egg. I have to admit that the broth was a tad salty but it was dismissible since the other components of the ramen was really good.
Overall, this is the place to go if you want decent ramen!

The middle restaurant in «the hub», boba/​brick toast place on one side & a baguette/​flatbread place on the other. Banzai serves mainly Japanese bento and ramen… though I heard they will be serving poke bowls soon, yum! I recommend the tan tan men (ramen), ordered it extra spicy. The tonkatsu broth base is killer. Loved it, full of deep, been-​cooking-​all-​day kind of flavor. Dining area was mostly your standard table and chairs, but near the boba place had some comfy sofas… with an outlet. My iphone says, «thank you» :) Great place to hang out and enjoy some yummy food.
The people there were super nice and accommodating. Extra bonus stars for that :)
Got ramen? Think Banzai!

Second time coming back, I’ve seem some improvements in their dishes. Tonkatsu ramen now has black garlic oil which gives it that extra pop in the broth. The noodles are still cooked well and are nice and chewy. I noticed that I got a few more pieces of pork belly and they were a bit thicker in size this time. Egg was cooked better and runny this time.
My girlfriend ordered the salad with salmon. The salad dressing was your simple soy sauce type dressing with a couple thin grilled slices of salmon. I enjoyed the salad! Maybe if it had a few more salad ingredients on it, it would add a WOW factor to the salad. Still good though.
I even tried their burger sandwich, not going to like it was delicious! And, they now serve craft beers as well. +1 for that!
Also, the service was still awesome. I hope this place catches more peoples attention to at least try it out. I want to go back to try the veggie ramen. I’ve heard that the broth is actually really good.