So Oishi

The name of the restaurant does not do the food justice. They have an amazingly creative take on burgers and ramen. The ramen burgers as they call it comes out with your choice of pattie and buns made from fried ramen! I ventured it not knowing they offered such a unique dish.
Other pro’s:
1. Very savory, juicy patties. Cooked just like one would for a main course. That made me feel like it I was eating healthy, non junk food. And I was.
2. Lovely service
3. The ramen is fried well on the surface making the «bundle crunchy
Cons:
1. Slightly on the saltier side but I like salty so it was not an issue
2. Pretty dark in the restaurant compared to other places. This sort of contributed to the reason why I don’t usually notice this restaurant
3. French fries are pretty unique as well but it had an odd after taste and I am not sure what to make of it
4. Messy to eat, and if you do a take out, the «buns» can get soggy and lose their crunchy nature

4 stars only because the service was great.
I was so happy to finally try the ramen burger and I’m just glad I added spam to it. I think EVERYONE should ADD SPAM. Two reasons: 1) you can’t go wrong with spam
2) without the spam there wouldn’t be much of a flavor. other than that the fries were great too =]

There is no service when you come later at night. You have to make sure to go in the back kitchen to get the workers attention if you need something. Also, the wait is pretty long for food. There were 3 of us and we waited over 40 minutes for our food to be ready.
I ordered the porky sushi burrito and tonkotsu ramen just to try a bit of everything. The ramen is perfect size for someone who can’t eat that much. I wished there was more variety in the bowl though; cabbages, corn, etc. (but of course you can always add that for $ 1 more…)
The taste of the sushi burrito is good but it’s very mushy after the 2^nd bite. The nori (seaweed) falls apart super fast.

Food:
Oishi ramen: kakuni has lots of good fat: meat ratio. I used free topping for kakuni so this is a double. Broth is flavorful and not too overpowering or salty. Egg is precooked and added on. Not marinated or anything special just soft boiled. Disappointed.
Service:
Understaffed. Food came out one at a time. Why not use a tray? Had to ask what else we ordered. Most problematic was a dirty water cup and how food is prepared with no gloves. I want to come here more often but don’t want to get sick from dirty dishes…

Came here to get my first taste of one of the many incarnations of the infamous «ramen burger.» The ramen noodle «bun» took a little getting used to — weird texture of eating hamburger meat and ramen noodles together. I felt the noodle patty was a little too thick and heavy. Can’t say it was my best experience, but will try other versions.
Also had the ramen, which was just ok, not mind-​blowing. For the price, it was a decent meal.

This was my first time ordering a sushi burrito so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but considering there was no raw fish in it, it went great!
There was no one in the restaurant when I walked in, so it didn’t look too promising.
I ordered the pork belly and it was very tasty and there were bountiful amounts of pork in my burrito. My only complaint is that since the nori is so delicate, the burrito falls apart and makes a huge mess. I would have liked my burrito to be served in a bigger plate to catch all the falling food (as well as utensils to eat them with).
I’m interested to try their ramen burgers next time.

I am sorry but this one is going to hurt.
Oishi ain’t that oishi.
Prices might look attractive at first, but I wish I knew I’d be spending another $ 2.50 at the ice cream place across the street to wash down any So Oishi aftertaste. I don’t expect any pulled pork to surpass or even match the level of Phat Matts, but this pulled pork was a bit dry and I’m not sure what that taste was.
It’s no wonder the one customer in the restaurant sitting next to me left her frequent buyer’s stamp card on the table. Like me, she was probably a first timer and last timer.
Prices are good, décor looks decent, food presented well, customer service is better than most. I hope people don’t take tip away from the girl that works there based on the food quality. Even the music was rockin’ but none of that is enough to offset the subpar taste of my lunch.

The area directly around the Berkeley campus is lacking a decent ramen place, so I was extra disappointed that So Oishi didn’t give me that. After hearing horrible reviews about the ramen burger, I opted for the chicken ramen instead. I honestly remember nothing about the broth or the toppings because it was so mediocre. The chicken itself just tasted like teriyaki chicken that would’ve been better over rice. The worst part was that some of the ramen was sticking together like it should’ve been for a ramen burger bun. Although ramen options are slim if you want to stay close to campus, I suggest you make the trek a little further for a better meal.

Every time I come here, the food is always a hit or miss. Sometimes it’s spot on, but other times it fails. I’ve realized that the pork belly ramen burger is my go-​to item.
It’s also worth noting that I’m only giving this 2 stars because the service is pretty terrible. Often, there is no waiter in sight to seat guests, the tables are super cramped, the waiters will neglect taking orders or bringing water, and sometimes the food and tab take a while to come.

Ramen bun burger: gimmick or genius?
I was a bit worried at the start of my meal as the restaurant was empty at noon and there was no one to great me. Having the restaurant all to myself though at least guaranteed I got very friendly and attentive service. The entire staff consisted of a young lady as the waitress and a young man as the chef.
I ordered the Oishi Ramen Bun burger with the Japanese fries and my Unilocal-​enabled free topping of shiitake mushrooms. My meal arrived in a timely manner and in the end I was happy with it. The food was hot and freshly cooked. The ramen bun was tasty although definitely a little bit oily which made the burger a bit challenging to eat. I was able to eat it with my hands till the last quarter when it fell apart. The patty was nothing to write home about, but it was ok and seemed homemade. I also enjoyed the Japanese fries with the wasabi mayo and bonito flakes.
So is the verdict gimmick or genius? I’d say somewhere in between. It won’t blow your mind, but I think it is worth checking out for the novelty alone.

I’ve been to So Oishi twice and have had very different experiences.
The first time here I ordered the So Oishi ramen. It came out in five minutes steamin’ hot and smelling delicious. It was loaded with corn, charbroiled pork, a semi-​boiled egg, and seaweed. The broth was the house special broth and was both flavorful and satisfying. The noodles were soft and cooked to perfection. I was very impressed, having seen the not-​so-​stellar rating on Unilocal and the other reviews.
Ahhhhh, but the second time. I was craving ramen and decided to come back and get another So Oishi ramen. They had no corn, the broth was flavorless and mildly warm, the pork tasted purely burnt, the ramen was overcooked, and the tofu I added to the ramen was ice cold. I ate three bites and couldn’t eat anymore due to the lack of flavor. My friend who ordered the Miso ramen also had the same problem. I’m not sure if they just were having an off night but it was definitely one of the worst experiences I’ve had at a restaurant.
But they get 3.5 ~ stars for the waitress who didn’t charge us for the ramen, it was a very kind gesture that my friend and I appreciated seeing as a bowl of ramen is around $ 10.
I will come back to try So Oishi again. Hopefully whoever was cooking the first day will be back!

I’m not sure I’m completely qualified to write a review considering I only came to do the Ramen Challenge, but here are my thoughts for any other brave souls out there.
My friend and I came in ready to shell out $ 35 to attempt the challenge — 5 pounds of noodles, meat (vegetarian option available), bamboo, seaweed, and an egg, plus broth in 35 minutes. You don’t need to finish the broth to win. Including tax and tip, it’s about $ 40. Also be warned — the dish takes a LONG time to make, so clear your schedule beforehand. What do you get for winning? Your money back, a shirt, your picture on the wall and on their Facebook page, and of course — BRAGGING RIGHTS.
As we walked in, two people had just failed the challenge and were sitting lethargically in front of their MASSIVE bowls. And I mean massive — you could easily fit three of their normal orders in one of these. We were slightly fazed, but stupid and prideful enough to go ahead with the plan anyways.
Needless to say, there’s a reason why there’s only one picture up on the wall of fame. I’ve got a pretty big appetite but 20 minutes and 3 pounds of noodles later, I felt sick to my stomach (and yes, I did throw up pretty soon after). My friend had only about a pound of food left, but by that point even watching him was painful. If you see the challenge, you might wonder as I did if that much food can physically fit in your stomach.
Either way, at the end we were both so disenchanted with ramen that we couldn’t even stomach the thought of taking our leftovers home. If your friends aren’t too grossed out by this point and are looking to save a penny or two, this could actually become their meal.
The rest of our friends actually did get normal food and the overall consensus was that it was pretty good, so if you are going to watch you won’t be miserable. They have some pretty nice DeviantArt-​ish drawings on the wall as well.
Anyway, tips for the foolish and hungry: get chicken and the miso broth — they were out of miso so we had to go with pork at the time, but this only contributed to the gross, greasy, nausea we felt later on. Also, use their pepper bottles to tilt the bowl back and scoop the noodles away from the soup! I’ve been told that the Phở Garden challenge pales in comparison (4 pounds of noodles + broth in 1 hour), so maybe train with that beforehand. Good luck!

I dont Unilocal quite often, but this was my second time here so I figured Id leave some love.
The first time I came, I had the Pulled pork Wasabi Ramen Burger, and this time I had the Regular Ramen burger. This has been my only experience eating a ramen burger and I would like to say that it was a very tasty. From the first bite i knew i was in heaven… or what i assume heaven would be like.
The first time my ramen «buns» were a little oily, not as bad as I feel others expressed, and it still held together perfectly fine. This time the burger patties came out perfect, not oily at all. Maybe it depends on whose cooking, or the type of burger youre ordering. The burger over all was very juicy, not dry like Mcdonalds patties are, I could tell that the patties were home made. I would definitely suggest, the wasabi ramen burger just because its more unique and special to the store itself.
The burger itself wasnt too big, which quite honestly worried me at first. I’m a big eater and would like to leave full, without having to order any extras. But after finishing the Japanese fries that It came with I was at a good state, probably couldve eaten more but not too much.
The Japanese fries were delicious. Glazed in a sweet sauce, with sriracha mayo. I love french fries, and there twist on these fries was on the money. My only critique would be to make the fries crispy, but I really dont know if it is possible, since they are coated in a sauce, but if they could do it, these would be the best fries ever.
My service on both occasions were great. Andrea was my waiter and she was very friendly, and cute i might add ;), always making sure everything was going well with my meal and checking on my water cup. I was in the restaurant for about an hour on both occasions, and I feel like the crowds come randomly. One second it was just my group and then 30 mins later the stores almost filled. Although there was only one waiter, she managed fairly well, it probably wouldve been best if there was another though, but I was still happy with the service I was given. Since the shop is fairly new I feel like its hard to predict the amount of people that will come in. I assume thats why they only have one waiter, since the store itself isnt too big, and they cant predict the amount of people that will be eating.
If you’re trying to find this place, you might have some trouble since there is no sign on the wall with the name of the store, Just a banner that says grand opening and an A board out front. Easiest way is to look for the empty field thats to the right of the shop, guess there was a building that was there but got burnt down or something.
Parking sucked, but i guess it depends on what time you go. I went on the weekend both times and each time happened to have a football game going on, soo it couldve been just bad timing. Nothing the restaurant itself could really do about it, except maybe relocate.
The only downside about this place is what some others have been saying. From where I was sitting, I could see directly into the kitchen where my food was being made. And it doesnt look sanitary at all. Im sure they are but just the view itself could be a turn off. It may just be that im used to seeing kitchens on foodnetwork, or bigger restaurants and everything looks new, with stainless steel finishings, but this place is a new and I assume they dont have the financial backing to go out and buy new shiny equipment. So maybe they should put a curtain up or something.
Pros
+Great tasting food
+great service
+fair price
Cons
–View of kitchen
–parking
–being able to locate the store itself
Overall I would definitely recommend giving this place a try.

I really like the idea of this restaurant, and I’m mad that all the cool restaurants opened in Berkeley after I graduated. The ramen burgers and sushi burritos is an interesting idea. But I think this restaurant is new, and still needs some work. The inside is kinda dingy and the menus are really worn out paper. get it laminated at least!
I tried my friend’s pork sushi burrito, and it was pretty good! The portions are pretty small though, but it is only $ 6. I had the chicken ramen burger, because I thought chicken would go better with ramen than a beef patty. But I think my friend’s beef ramen burger (the oishi burger) was a lot better. Both weren’t too great though. They should put some sort of seasoning on the ramen, because it just tastes really bland. The ramen burger also came with a side of japanese fries, and they were really interesting/​good! The wait time for the food was pretty long.
Overall, the burger I had wasn’t great, but I would maybe come back again for the sushi burrito.

I came here for dinner with a friend because I wanted to get my hands on a ramen burger. Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed.
Wasabi Pulled Pork Ramen Burger (9): Right when I got my food I knew that the ramen buns would not hold. They started falling apart after one bite and i just ended up eating the «burger» with a fork. The ramen «buns» were flavorless and drenched in oil. The fries were bland and needed a lot more of the wasabi sauce to make them remotely appealing. While the pulled pork was flavorful, it was not good enough to make me want to order another one of these.
I will probably return to try the ramen since there are virtually no ramen joints in Berks. I’m all for supporting local businesses, but there are definitely better ones in the area.

First of all, why hasn’t Berkeley had a ramen place before? So Oishi’s ramen is aight. I’ve had better at other places in So Cal. I do like the pork belly meat they add though, big giant slices that are so juicy and flavorful. I’d probably just eat that by itself if I could. I also like adding the corn into it.
It might be because they’re still new, but they only had 1 person working so service was super slow. Although she was super nice about everything.
Lastly, I don’t know if it was the broth of the ramen, or the water in my cup. However there was an oily taste in my mouth. I’m assuming it was from the water, and was kinda freaked out that maybe they did not do a good job of cleaning everything. As what other people said, I wish they put a curtain or something to block the door because the back does not look sanitary at all.
Overall I might come back to try the sushi burritos, but So OIshi isn’t at the top of my list of favorite Berkeley eateries.

They seriously has the BEST RAMEN in Berkeley! I have been waiting this for a longtime. Too many restaurants taste like instant noodles.
Love how their eggs with ramen… SO delicious!
Recommend their miso ramen, Tonkatsu Ramen and Japanese fries
Haha I come here three times in one week already. great for lunch and dinner :)

Finally, a new restaurant in Berkeley that ISN’T a boba shop. Not to mention, So Oishi offers interesting foods — including a ramen burger, where your choice of beef, pulled pork, or ginger chicken is sandwiched in between two ramen patties. However, the logistics for this simply isn’t panning out. The ramen buns fall apart in a matter of seconds, forcing you to eat it with a fork. Not to mention, they’re served piping hot, so you can’t even hold the burger like you would normally hold… well, a burger. The beef ramen burger was on the bland side, but the ginger chicken burger was A-​OK!
The service was much more remarkable than the food. I’ve never been to a place where the server had to return to a table four times to clarify the order. How beef should be cooked, what kind of dumplings to serve in ramen, whether ramen burgers were still in stock… these things should be addressed in the first go. And please, for the almighty ramen god’s sake, provide more than two napkins to a party of four! I’ll have to return here again once they’ve got these bugs fixed. Let’s hope that it’s sooner rather than later.

So Oishi’s décor is barebones, just some animé graphics on the left wall and 4 penants/​banners at the entrance to the kitchen. seating is tighty concentrated in the front left corner of the eatery.
menu: ramen, udon, ramen burger, sushi burrito, bento,…
eats: tonkotsu ramen (9)
–toppings of chashu (3), ½ boiled egg, nori, bamboo slices, green onion
–ramen slightly undercooked
–tonkotsu broth very sweet, msg tasted, darkish brown
–chashu big pieces, fatty topping
–slight disappointing
temaki:
–grand opening-​new date ⁹⁄₂₁^th.
–waitresses seem overwhelmed by a few tables, no checkins.
–only coke, sprite, diet drinks available.

I was pretty excited to try this place, since the only other places that sell sushi burritos and ramen burgers are in SF (sushirrito and izakaya). Sadly, this place was disappointing.
I ordered the crabby burrito, which was said to contain crabmeat. I guess they didn’t exactly lie, but it was imitation crab, not real crab. It was like a big California roll. Nothing that special for $ 7. Guess I shouldn’t have expected real crab for $ 7 in the first place.
My friends ordered the «pulled pork» ramen burger. It was not pulled pork. It’s just pork, and it was alright. The ramen buns were disappointing… They had absolutely no flavor, it’s like eating pasta with no sauce. Also it was superrr greasy. So I guess it’s like eating pasta drenched with oil. The japanese fries it came with were good though. (they’re regular american fries with bonito flakes and some sauce on top).
Aside from the okay-​food, the waitresses don’t seem to know much about the restaurant. such as the restaurant’s hours. On the plus side, they will happily split the bill for your group and everyone can pay with their own card with no minimum.