Soji: Modern Asian — Restaurant in Baton Rouge

Edit: I went the third time and was pretty disappointed. We were for sure their ramen was good so that is what we ordered. My husband and I ordered ramen for both if us. First of all, their ramen was nothing like I have tried from the first time. The ramen came out with barely no broth and looked like the noodles were overcooked. It tasted like nothing. No flavor. The server told us that it is because the original people who usually makes it was not there and so the head chef remade it. It was a lot better but still was not the same as the first time. It was not hot at all...and also it had too much bean sprouts....My husband on the other hand was pretty upset and changed his dish to butter chicken. It was not even busy when we were there bc it was during lunch time. The butter chicken portion scaled down from the first time we were there but it was worth the same price. Also, their nan was cold. The quality went from really good to really disappointing. I am not sure when I will go again... (2/5) I've been to this restaurant two times now. Let me tell you.. my first experience was incredible. We had the tonkatsu ramen, okkonomiyaki, butter chicken, wagyu dumplings, chicken wings, and wagyu tataki. I can definitely say my favorite was the chicken wings, butter chicken, and the tonkatsu ramen. The rest of the order was flavorful as well but did not top my favorites. As much as I liked okkonomiyaki, I wish it wasn't cut up into four pieces. I like eating my okkonomiyaki like it's a pancake. I thought that the wagyu dumpling was a good idea but the dough of the dumpling was too thick and also it was soaked into the sauce so it was so different from dumplings I was used to. Maybe if I had a choice to dip it rather than soaked, it can change my view? I wish I could've tasted more of the wagyu. Wagyu tataki was also good but I thought that it was kind of too warm? I wish there was some cold part in the middle of the meat. But the whole experience was great. Our server did a great job. The woman's bathroom looked really nice and I got very excited because it was so pretty.

The second experience wasn't great as the first one because our group had to wait almost close to 40 minutes when we did reserve a week ahead. I was pretty disappointed because what is the point of reserving? But, I understand that they just opened and the servers are now learning. We tried the drunken noodles for the first time. And.. first bite was great but I could not finish it. As you eat it, the taste is too rich to where your stomach can't handle it. I can't say I loved it after that. I wish there was something to balance it. But, main thing.. I wish the food stay consistent. The butter chicken wasn't as great than the first time visit because there were so many people. Other than that, I think the concept and the menu are great. I'm glad they included Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian food to their menu! Baton Rouge is a small city and Soji is the first restaurant to actually include all Asian diversity of food. I'm so happy that it finally opened and now people here in Louisiana finding out that there is more Asian food that are good than just Japanese and just Chinese food. I am happily to say that this is my favorite Asian restaurant yet. I think it'll be awesome though if they have a set dessert menu such as mochi ice cream, matcha waffle, red bean shaved ice dessert and also non alcholic Asian drinks such as Ramune, yogurt drink, soybean drink, and etc.

I'm looking forward to more good changes and now excited to go to an Asian restaurant that I can finally...

I am 30 years old. I worked for a specialty ramen shop in New Orleans for two years. I have ten years experience as a fine dining server.

Upon arriving at to the location, there were hippies selling their clothes in parking lot next to the front door of the restaurant. You might as well let people fly a cardboard sign that says 'homeless anything helps' next to the entrance of the restaurant if your going to allow this.

We enter the restaurant. There is no Air conditioning. It's hot af. There is a sign that says wait to be seated but there is no host or hostess. We waited too long standing in this uncomfortable, little, hot room for someone to come verify our reservation and see seat us. It never happened. After awhile, we decided to walk into the restaurant and seat ourselves.

We get halfway down the hallway and I'm relieved because I start to feel to that there is air conditioning in the dining room of the restaurant. There's just no air conditioning near the front of the restaurant, where you have to wait even if you have a reservation, for someone to come seat you whenever they can find the time because, I guess, the restaurant doesn't want to pay a host or hostess even though it they don't pay their servers anything and I have to tip them 20% or more so they can survive financially. Anyway! I'm walking down the hallway and I'm relieved to find that the rest of the restaurant is air conditionesld when this tall, older, feminine guy with a gray hipster mullet-rat-tail-esque haircut starts scolding us playfully, yet annoyingly, for not waiting to be seated. He then fumbles around with his thoughts and the things in his hands. He brings us into the back and seats us.

Our waiter Noah provided outstanding service. He knew the menu backwards and forwards, made great suggestions, and was charming and friendly. He even laughed at my lame jokes about Poppers.

We ordered the Beef Ramen with the miso butter bomb, chili oil, and black garlic; the katsudon, Calimari, and the brussels.

The ramen was broth was just alright. The noodles were bad. They weren't spongy, springy, or fresh like the hand cut, alkaline, ramen noodles made from local red wheat that I'm used to. They tasted like pre-packaged ramen noodles that are just a step above some of the pre-packaged ramen you can order from Japan. They forgot the black garlic oil. I couldn't tell if they added the oil and miso butter but maybe it was in there. The Black Garlic definitely was not though. The presentation was that good either. The colors didn't see pop. The bowl looked dull and soggy.

The Katsudon was good but not great. The egg in the Katsudon was not a pretty bright yellow color it was dingy looking like they didn't clean the char off of the pan they cooked it in.

The Calamari was alright even though it was too salty and there was only the squid's sac cut into rounds but no tentacles which are the best part and are more expensive. The squid's sac cut into rounds is in just schwag in comparison. I guess they can't afford better ingredients.

Finally, the brussels were a soggy mess. They weren't in prepared correctly. I was very turned of by the texture.

In any event, i mixed the brussels and calamari with the Katsudon and it was pretty good.

The music they were playing was too loud, offensive, and vulger. I just wanted a chill place that serves good food. This us not that place. However, if you do go here. Ask for Noah to be your...

Mediocre Asian restaurant with a lot of nice decor.

This restaurant has been on my spouses list to try out for a free months so I figured let’s give it a try. We are both lovers of Asian inspired foods.

Upon arrival the parking lot is super small. I looped around twice and went down the street to park. Wasn’t a fan to walk to the restaurant in the heat but I had worse experiences with parking at other places.

Entering the place the host seemed like she needed some caffeine. She didn’t smile and spoke low. We were seated quickly. The dining tables are close together. The place is loud with everyone packed in one area talking plus a faded sound of music playing. We really couldn’t hear ourselves talk to one another unless we upped our voices a few yelling notches.

Service was fast. So fast that the food wasn’t piping hot. The food didn’t seem freshly prepared. Our waitress was nice and informative on how to eat whatever food was on the menu.

We started with the chef dumplings. Five small dumplings (good bite size) to share. The texture was there but it wasn’t hot like normal dumplings would have been. The flavor was more sweet with little heat.

Entrées. I had the chicken tsoji which is suppose to be like chicken tso. I got the dish because it always a safe dish for me to try out a new Asian restaurant. The chicken was sweet again little heat no peppers in it and no real Asian vegetables. The fried ride wasn’t mixed well and not rooted into the meal.

My spouse got two rolls, which they said was delicious. The miso soup is a bowl of dark miso lots of sodium, it didn’t seem it was mixed well with a broth or anything.

Overall experience was more of a drinking restaurant then a dining restaurant. The drinking menu is quite lengthy. This place seems more of a casual get together and pre gaming before going out.

I don’t recommend first dating here or celebrating intimate mile stones. But if you don’t care about food to much and prefer to drink your...