“Raijin Ramen” to Open January 23 in Former Saga Sushi

After a month of permit-related delays, hotly-anticipated ramen joint Raijin Ramen announced it will open its doors at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, January 23:

Raijin, named after the Shinto god of lightning, thunder, and storms, is the project of Ginza Sushi’s Jun and Diana Arai.

The restaurant at 2955 E. Speedway Blvd. previously housed Saga Restaurant & Sushi Bar, which closed in December 2016.

[01/25/2018 update]

We visited at noon and there was a ten-minute wait — don’t forget to write your name on the sign-in sheet.

The restaurant is mostly filled with four-top tables and booths with a handful of two-tops. The vibe is bright with friendly, attentive service. Guests can see Diana helping with the front of the house and Jun with his headband in the kitchen slinging out piping hot bowls of ramen.

Raijin Ramen Menu Highlights

• Black Roasted Garlic Tonkotsu Ramen ($10) – tokotsu pork broth, thin straight noodles, chashu, menma, seaweed, green and fried onion, tamago, pickled ginger, sesame seeds
• Spicy Miso Ramen ($12) – miso pork broth, medium curly noodles, chashu, menma, seaweed, green onion, corn, tamago
• Veggie Ramen ($10, vegan) – creamy veggie broth, medium curly noodles, zucchini, bok choy, green and yellow onion, seaweed, bean sprout, cabbage, onions, pickled ginger
• Seafood Ramen ($14) – tamari soy sauce flavored shrimp broth, medium curly noodles, shrimp, calamari, scallops, green and yellow onion, seaweed, bean sprout, cabbage, carrot
• Takoyaki ($5) – octopus balls
• Ankake Yakisoba ($15) – fried noodles, seafood, pork, veggies
• Unagi Don ($6) – grilled freshwater eel, green onion, sesame seed, rice

Raijin Ramen is located at 2955 E. Speedway Blvd. Operating hours are 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. for lunch and 5 – 9 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday, 4 – 9 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call (520) 795-3123. Keep up with Raijin Ramen on Facebook.