Ken Loi designed the manga-adjacent mural inside Sobo Ramen. It features a crane flying over some gigantic cherry blossoms and the stylized underside of an umbrella. “The umbrella symbolizes shelter and protection,” he said in a phone interview. “Rain or shine, this is where you gather.”
In Japan, cherry blossoms bloom once a year. Loi included them in the mural because they represent an ephemeral experience. “People travel all the way across the world to see them,” he said. “They go with family, or people they love, to cherish the moment.” The crane flying above the flowers represents loyalty. “Creating loyal customers, having a nice place for them to hang out together—that’s what I was imagining, to make them feel at home.”
Loi owns and runs the restaurant with his mother, Stella. More than a decade after opening Sobo Ramen in Oakland, the mother-and-son team have only recently achieved their pre-Covid plan to open a second location in Berkeley. “We’ve been wanting to expand to a different market and we love Berkeley, too,” he said. “We love everything about it—the food and the community.”
The interior decor shimmers in a cinematic way, conjuring the idea of a ramen shop in urban Japan. Loi came up with the concept. The seating arrangements comfortably accommodate groups and single diners who, after perching themselves up on the padded teal stools, can entertain themselves with the goings-on of University Avenue pedestrians.
“We’re not Japanese,” Loi said. “I’m not trying to recreate authentic Japanese ramen and vibe. For me, I grew up here in America so I consider myself an American.” Neither of the Lois are trained chefs, but Ken said they arrived at their recipes after 10 years of experimenting. “It was just me and Stella in the kitchen, in the middle of the night making soup,” he said. Previously, they ran Bay Area restaurants that served Chinese and French cuisine, including Rue de Main in Hayward.
“We just love food. Obviously we’re not just whipping it up from thin air,” he said. “There are ways things are made traditionally—how to make soup, how to boil bones.” They use those methods but they also “adjust everything to our unique taste. We sit down and work out each step,” he said.
Sobo Ramen primarily serves two broths, made from pork bones or miso. It also serves a vegan broth made with matcha. Loi described it as “earthy, a little bitter. It’s a rich coconut broth with ginger, yuzu and a hint of matcha.” Loi also tops it with a yuzu foam that doubles as a cocktail foam. “I wanted to incorporate a citrus element, so instead of just squeezing lemon juice I’m trying to do something unique,” he said.
I tried a bowl of Mayu ($15.50), the first entry on the menu. It was a pork-filled pleasure. The pork-bone broth, spiced up by a “smoky, roasted black garlic oil,” takes 17 hours to make and comes with thinly sliced pieces of pork belly. My bowl was filled with stalks of fresh bok choy. Loi told me the noodles are also made in-house.
On the way past the digital menus to the cashier, rows of appetizers sit on display. I grabbed little containers of corn ribs coated in a spice mix; tempura vegetables, expertly fried, including broccoli, onion and pumpkin; and two super crispy, pan-fried chicken dumplings. If I hadn’t been in the mood for soup, I could have made a decent meal out of the appetizers alone.
The Oakland Sobo Ramen is a sit-down dining experience that Loi described as “minimal, warm, inviting, comforting.” But, while coming up with a plan for the expansion, he noticed that many businesses were “moving towards fast-casual service.” He considers the Berkeley location to be a hybrid of both concepts. “You get in line, place your order and sit down. But we bring you your food,” he said. “I want people to spend less time ordering, and [more time] just enjoying food and each other’s company.”
Sobo Ramen, 2000 Milvia St., Berkeley. Open Mon-Thu 11:30am to 2:30pm (3pm Sat–Sun) and 5-8pm (9pm Fri–Sat). 510.944.2095. soboramen.com
