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Banzai Japanese Bar & Kitchen Brings Sushi Back to the Tower District

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Natali Carrera
Natali Carrera is a devoted coffee addict who also loves her teenage son, her husband of 19 years and shopping small & local. She is the founder & CEO of parent support non-profit Success Together, Inc. and has been a freelance content creator for FresYes.com for 7 years. Natali is an unrelenting cheerleader for and lifelong resident of Fresno, as well as a Fresno State grad.
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Banzai Japanese Bar & Kitchen brings sushi back to the tower district
A variety of mouthwatering rolls and appetizers available at Banzai (image credit: Banzai)

This weekend, I was excited to enjoy my first indoor dining experience since Covid at a brand-new, locally-owned restaurant in the Tower District. Banzai Japanese Bar & Kitchen opened in the former Casa de Tamales location on N. Olive between Palm & Fulton just a couple doors down from the Lincoln Pub & Grub. The Lincoln Pub made a name for itself by offering craft cocktails and tasty appetizers, like their signature Tempura Green Beans with Spicy Aioli dipping sauce for just $5. Banzai Japanese Bar & Kitchen Brings Sushi Back to the Tower District

You may be wondering why the Lincoln Pub is so relevant to the opening of a new sushi and Japanese restaurant. The exciting thing about both businesses is that they share common co-owners in David Rasavong and his wife, Anna Nguyen. I can’t help but proudly cheer for local business owners who have found a way to make it through the extreme challenges of owning an eatery through a pandemic including shifting their business model to include offering affordable and tasty family-style dinners by co-owner Chef Andy, and cocktails to-go. I also proudly cheer for the fact that they kept going, kept prices affordable and then went on the bring even more options to Fresno restaurant-goers by opening a second business and a totally different cuisine.

Banzai Japanese Bar & Kitchen is a table service restaurant that offers a wide variety of sushi rolls and other Japanese specialties like a fresh seafood salad, spicy garlic edamame, teriyaki beef, katsu pork, and crispy tofu bento box meals for those who aren’t big sushi fans. Their menu also includes fusion dishes like their new Sumo Fries (which are fries topped with steak, spicy masago, and avocado), their crispy, giant breaded and stuffed Mushroom Bombs, and fan-favorite Poke Nachos.

Sumo Fries at Banzai Japanese Bar & Kitchen
Banzai’s new Sumo Fries (image credit: Banzai)

Banzai’s interior has undergone a complete makeover since Rasavong took over and the interior of the restaurant now features an open floor plan with a u-shaped, blue-light lit bar centered in the dining area. Murals by local artists make for great dining and Instagram backdrops. The full bar offers a wide variety of cocktails including specialty drinks featuring Japanese whiskies, and if you like pineapple I highly recommend the Tokyo-lada.

Banzai Japanese Bar & Kitchen brings sushi back to the tower district
Banzai Japanese Bar & Kitchen Interior

My friends and I visited for a birthday on a busy Saturday evening and were able to be seated quickly, the service was friendly, efficient, and attentive despite the restaurant being busy. Tables are spaced for distancing between parties and condiments, menus, and other items were thoughtfully prepared to be single-use to reduce risk as we wane out the later end of the pandemic.

If you’re ready to head to the restaurants whether you eat indoors or out, I would definitely recommend adding Banzai Japanese Bar & Kitchen to your list of places to visit very soon. I think you’ll really enjoy it!

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Banzai Japanese Bar & Kitchen Brings Sushi Back to the Tower District

Get your noodle on at Ramen Ichiban Kan

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JoAnn Hallum
Houseplant killing optimist- freelance writer -kid herder
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“Noodles are not only amusing but delicious.” —Julia Child

It’s officially ramen weather! Yes, we’ve all experienced the ramen in the styrofoam cups—the stuff that was invented by inventor and businessman Momofuku Ando in 1971. Authentic ramen, however, has been popular in Japan since the 19th century, and is a completely different, and delicious, bowl of soup.

My first experience with ramen was on a rainy day in Portland, Oregon. I stumbled into Boxer Ramen with a head cold and ordered the spicy red miso pork ramen. It was life changing. Not only did it clear my sinuses (so spicy), it cleared all my college memories of microwavable noodle bricks. Once you have real ramen, it becomes something to crave. Luckily for me, Fresno has a hand to play in the ramen game.

Ramen Ichiban Kan

If you’re looking for Ramen Ichiban Kan, here’s your sign.

Ramen Ichiban Kan is a great local spot if you’re looking to get a warm bowl of authentic ramen noodles. Located at First and Bullard, it’s nestled in a shopping center, but you can find it easily by the bright red “Ramen” sign. The restaurant is small and cozy; you can also order take out if you need your noodles to go.

Owned by Masa Ito, a sushi chef who decided to open a ramen restaurant in retirement, Ramen Ichiban Kan has a wide variety of ramen to choose from. Did you know there are different kinds of ramen broth? Not only is there rich miso broth, there’s the soy sauce-based shoyu broth. The restaurant also prides itself on a great tonkotsu ramen. Tonkotsu means “pork bone” in Japanese, and it has a milky white texture. You can also try shio, which is a salty broth seasoned with salt, or a curry ramen. If you’re not a broth expert, don’t worry: there are little notes on the menu to remind you which ramen has the soy sauce flavor and which are more milk-, salt-, or miso-based.

ramen ichiban kan

Beef ramen at Ramen Ichiban Kan is warm and delicious.

As for toppings, forget about dehydrated peas and carrots. You can get anything from wontons to clams for your protein, and plan on bean sprouts and bamboo shoots. No matter what you order, you can add spice with chili oil or chili flakes, or texture with crushed sesame seeds. I personally always add chili because I like a kick to my noodles.

True ramen noodles are a little bit chewy. They’re also long and curly, which can make eating them a little bit messy. Just don’t wear your nicest shirt to eat ramen, and remember slurping noodles is considered a compliment.

Recently, I ordered the shoyu ramen, which comes with pork, a hardboiled egg, green onions, bamboo shoots, and bean sprouts. The little pink and white disk scene in the photo below is kamaboko, aka fish cake. Don’t fear the fish cake! I promise, all of it combines with the chewy noodles to create a comforting bowl of soup, perfect for a cold winter’s day.

Ramen Ichiban Kan

Shoyu ramen at Ramen Ichiban Kan

Do you have a favorite ramen spot? What’s your favorite type of ramen? Are you pro-fish cake? Drop your ramen tips in the comments!

Restaurant details

Ramen Ichiban Kan
Location: 5730 N. First Street (in the corner next to Save Mart)
Hours: Mon-Sun 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Closed Tuesdays.
Phone: (559) 999-3580 or (559) 440-1010

Riley’s Brew Pub has Good Beer, Good Food, and Good Word of Mouth

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Kendra Gilbert
Writer at FresYes.com
Kendra Gilbert is a writer born and raised in Clovis. She has written for publications from Boston to Los Angeles and loves writing about fashion and people most of all. The abbreviated list of things she enjoys outside of writing includes: thrifting, photography, harmonica, beer, movies, hiking and skee ball.
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Riley’s Brew Pub

What do you get when a third-generation brewmaster teams up with a second-generation restaurateur? A first-class brew pub in Clovis called Riley’s. Open for about a month, Riley’s has been getting good word of mouth. Great beer…good food…friendly service. Some even calling it a family-friendly bar. It was about time FresYes checked it out first-hand.

Riley's Brew Pub

Riley’s Brew Pub

Many people were already familiar with Madera-based Riley’s Brewing‘s craft beers and hard root beer — which they’ve been bottling and selling for a few years now — before the brew pub opened on October 10. With the new location, existing Riley’s fans now have a place to enjoy their favorite beverages on tap and sample new brews all in one place…with food! And Riley’s newbies like myself can come in and check out what this local brewery is all about…also with food! Here’s how it went when I did just that on Wednesday.

I went in around 11 a.m., right as the place was opening, with a friend and her four-year-old daughter (the relaxed, late morning atmosphere definitely lived up to the “family-friendly bar” reputation I’d heard about). My friend’s friend met us a few minutes later and, after getting drinks from the bar and ordering food at the counter up front (a two-step process which will hopefully be ironed out as time goes on) we settled in at a table on the back patio. The hard vanilla cream soda I ordered was dangerously delicious. Dangerous because I could easily drink about six of them. The Riley’s burger with cheese and side of fries that came out to the table a few minutes later, was simple, fresh, and exactly as I had ordered it. And, while I like deep-fried anything as much as the next person, the fact that Riley’s serves bar food without a side of grease is, well, refreshing!

But halfway through my burger, our “girl party,” as my friend’s daughter called it, was interrupted, by none other than Mike Shirinian, co-owner of Riley’s and the aforementioned second-generation restaurateur. Except he wasn’t there to see me because he knew I was writing a review. No, he came around the back corner of the restaurant, strode through the open patio gate and walked directly up to Violet, my friend’s daughter…completely out of the blue. Pulling out a business card, he handed it to her and asked how she liked the place. And then he offered her a free dessert. Anything she wanted from the two-item dessert menu, he joked. And she lost it! Check out the cute-overload video of the cake being delivered, and promptly eaten, below.

Only after the cake incident had mellowed, was I able to introduce myself to Shirinian and tell him why I was there. And he was as friendly to me as his staff had been throughout the whole visit. Other things to love about Riley’s are its hours (finally there’s a restaurant in Clovis open past 9 p.m.!), great music, sleek wood-and-metal interior, and ever-expanding drink list. The brew pub already has a full bar, but Riley’s recently added its own brand of vodka into the mix, and I hear whiskey, gin and tequila are in the works.

So, you can add this review to the rest of the good word-of-mouth. And you should definitely check out Riley’s and give it your own review. All the information you need to get you there is listed below.

Riley’s Brew Pub, 2674 Owens Mountain Parkway, Suite #104, Clovis; 559-862-2925. Open from 11 a.m. to midnight seven days a week. For awesome pictures of food and drinks, check out @rileysbrewpub on Instagram.

S21 Sushi and Sake Bar: He Said, She Said – Two first-timers review ramen

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Kendra Gilbert
Writer at FresYes.com
Kendra Gilbert is a writer born and raised in Clovis. She has written for publications from Boston to Los Angeles and loves writing about fashion and people most of all. The abbreviated list of things she enjoys outside of writing includes: thrifting, photography, harmonica, beer, movies, hiking and skee ball.
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S21 Sushi and Sake Bar

Full disclosure: I’m a picky eater. Chronologically, I’m 33. My appetite stalled somewhere around the age of 12. Chicken fingers? Yes, please. Grilled cheese? I’ll have seconds. Traditional Japanese ramen? I’d like to be excused from the table. Yeah, that’s how limited my culinary interests are. My adult mind knows that my kid appetite needs to mature, but it’s a slow process. When my friend Josh mentioned that he wanted to try ramen (and not the “Top” variety) a couple of weeks ago, I figured it was as good a time as any to encourage my appetite to grow up.

ramen

On a Thursday night, we embarked on our ramen quest: one of us excited (he), the other anxious (she). With only a couple of Yelp reviews and an address to go on, we arrived at a ramen restaurant at First and Bullard only to find it closed, despite what the Internet told us. A second ramen spot in the same shopping center saved the night, and a few minutes later we sat down inside S21 Sushi and Sake Bar prepared to try something new. Here’s how the experience went from both sides of the table.

He:

Ramen – Tonkotsu (Pork bone broth, chashu pork, broiled egg, bamboo, bean sprouts, green onions and fishcake)

Review – What is this? What is this huge bowl of milky broth, with toppings and garnishes floating in designated neighborhoods? Where is the packet of ninety-percent pure sodium and the brick of dried curly noodles? And what the hell is that disc with the pink swirl?

This, I’ve been told, is ramen. Real ramen. Noodles not served in “just-add-water” packets but swimming beneath a fatty, almost creamy pork stock.

Gripping the chopsticks like a novice, I dig in and find the hidden noodles, grab as big a stick-full as I can manage and take a bite. I taste the distinct lack of salt; instead, a full meaty flavor, hearty, and layered. A far cry from the thin, sharp character of Maruchan. The accompaniments mix in, continually imparting their flavor on the broth and sneaking in small bites onto the noodles: carmelized green onions, bean sprouts, seaweed, other Unidentified Floating Objects. I don’t care what it is, it’s all good. But there’s a downside to this discovery: I may never be able to return to the five minute stove-top variety now that I have tasted what is, indeed, Real Ramen.

[P.S. Don’t Fear The Fishcake]

Rating – 5 out of 5 fishcakes

She:

Ramen – Yakiniku (Soy sauce broth, Korean bulgogi beef, bamboo, bean sprouts, green onions, fishcake)

Review – Although I tried to accept the dish without modification, I asked the waitress to hold the egg. The fishcake I kept, because omitting it would’ve taken something away from the experience. With that said, after Josh ate his I asked him to take the pink-swirled fish patty out of my bowl as well. I never had any intention of actually eating it. After carefully considering all the elements in my bowl, each neatly compartmentalized, which I loved, I took my first timid bite…using chopsticks, no less.

The slurping and splashing aside, it was delicious. I took another bite to be sure, and didn’t stop from there, sticking mostly to the vegetables, noodles and broth. I tried a few pieces of beef and it was pretty harmless to my childlike sensibilities (read: flavorless and well-cooked), but I ended up leaving most of it in the bowl when I was done. I left a fair amount of broth in the bowl, too. But only because I was full. The noodles, however, were gone, baby, gone. And, while I wasn’t quite sure I could see myself sitting down to a bowl of ramen on a regular basis when I left the restaurant that night, I found myself craving it the next day.

Rating – 4 out of 5 fishcakes

If you want to have your own ramen experience, check out S21 Sushi and Sake Bar (5754 N First St, Fresno; Hours: Mon-Sat 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 4:30-9 p.m. and Sunday 12-9 p.m.)

FresYes People – Downtown cafe Tree of Life to serve up fresh food and a fresh start

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Kendra Gilbert
Writer at FresYes.com
Kendra Gilbert is a writer born and raised in Clovis. She has written for publications from Boston to Los Angeles and loves writing about fashion and people most of all. The abbreviated list of things she enjoys outside of writing includes: thrifting, photography, harmonica, beer, movies, hiking and skee ball.
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New year, new hope. The promise of a fresh start is what makes January 1st something to celebrate. There is no better time, then, to talk about a downtown Fresno cafe coming in early 2016 that encompasses the hope of a new year. Steve and Carolyn Ocheltree will soon open the doors to Tree of Life, bringing farm-fresh dishes to diners and employment to men and women looking to restart their lives after completing drug and alcohol treatment programs. A fresh start for customers and employees alike.

Although the Ocheltree’s have long thought about starting a business that would help people leaving treatment programs, their plan became personal a few years ago when their son entered the Fresno Rescue Mission’s recovery program to treat an addiction to meth. Now clean and attending school locally, he’s helping his parents plan (and taste test) the menu for Tree of Life.

caramelized butternut squash and farfalle salad
Turkey vegetable barley soup
sweet potato pie
sweet potato walnut cinnamon swirl bread

Speaking of the menu, Carolyn is currently hard at work creating homemade soups, salads, breads and other hearty dishes using locally sourced ingredients, a nod to a childhood of “gleaning” fruits from local orchards. She hopes to include many vegetarian options and eventually branch out into wholesale jams and jellies.

And while the couple has no previous experience operating a restaurant, Carolyn says that raising four sons “I’ve always run a bed and breakfast.”

Here, the Ocheltree’s talk about their family’s long history with the Fresno Rescue Mission, their vision for Tree of Life and how helping people and serving Valley-grown food can be the perfect combination.

 

Community: The Family Behind Local Favorite Mike’s Pizzeria

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Kendra Gilbert
Writer at FresYes.com
Kendra Gilbert is a writer born and raised in Clovis. She has written for publications from Boston to Los Angeles and loves writing about fashion and people most of all. The abbreviated list of things she enjoys outside of writing includes: thrifting, photography, harmonica, beer, movies, hiking and skee ball.
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The DiNuzzos know a thing or two about family dinners. For more than 50 years, they’ve been cooking up classic Italian dishes to be shared by you and yours at their northwest Fresno restaurant, Mike’s Pizzeria.

The restaurant was started by Mike and Angelina DiNuzzo in 1962 as a pizza shop. Now operated by their son, Peter, with the help of third-generation family members like Peter’s son, Andrew, it has grown into a sit-down restaurant and lounge. But aside from a larger location, and a fancy new ravioli machine purchased to keep up with demand, not much else has changed. Recipes brought over from Italy are still being used to create dishes like Mike’s popular calzones and signature chicken fettuccine Alfredo. And family is still the main ingredient.

Mike's Pizza

 

Andrew DiNuzzo says the kitchen at Mike’s is home away from home for him, and for most of the family. And that a typical work day is often 12 hours. But that’s what it takes to keep a family business like this running. Especially because many customers have come to consider the DiNuzzos family, and look forward to rubbing elbows with them over a plate of spaghetti with homemade meat sauce when they stop by for dinner.

But, if Mike’s is where other families gather for dinner, do the DiNuzzo’s ever get a chance to have a family dinner of their own? Yes, occasionally. The family tries to get in a Sunday dinner when they can and then there are always the holidays. But even when the doors to Mike’s are closed and the kitchen is dark, the restaurant is far from forgotten. Check out what Andrew has to say about the DiNuzzo family’s dinner conversation in the video below.

Mike’s Pizzeria Lounge | 3228 N. West Ave., Fresno, CA 93750 | 559-229-2635

 

FresYes People – Restaurant Makeover Winner Silvia Wahyudi talks Kikku’s New Look

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Kendra Gilbert
Writer at FresYes.com
Kendra Gilbert is a writer born and raised in Clovis. She has written for publications from Boston to Los Angeles and loves writing about fashion and people most of all. The abbreviated list of things she enjoys outside of writing includes: thrifting, photography, harmonica, beer, movies, hiking and skee ball.
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Maybe you were a fan of Kikku Japanese Food before the restaurant won a $25,000 makeover from the Downtown Fresno Partnership. But the family-run business is sure to have many more fans now that the revamp is complete and word of their great food has spread beyond downtown.

Kikku was opened by husband and wife Andri and Silvia Wahyudi 14 years ago at 2336 Tulare St. in downtown Fresno. An entrepreneurial drive and love of cooking got the couple into the restaurant business and they’ve found a way to keep their restaurant going through the economic ups and downs of late. But after so many years, they wanted to make improvements to signage, the menu board and the restaurant’s interior.

Enter the Downtown Fresno Partnership’s restaurant makeover competition. After being selected as one of five finalists, Kikku was named the winner in July. From there kicked off two months of planning that culminated last weekend with 48-hours of building, installing, painting, and decorating.

Click to see homes in this area!

Silvia says the new community table is one of her favorite things to come out of the makeover, but that the custom artwork, new menus, outdoor signs, fresh paint and redesigned logo have all made a huge difference. Post-makeover Kikku is only a week old, but Silvia says the customer response so far as been 100 percent positive.

The makeover is especially sweet for the Silvia and her husband because she says they believe in downtown revitalization and are excited to be a part of it.

Here, she talks about the restaurant’s signature dish (if the makeover wasn’t enough to get you down to Kikku, maybe this will), the details of the makeover and what she is looking forward to now that the restaurant has a brand new look.