Finally got around to trying Soji (Review) - UPDATE (WENT BACK - BAD)

I'm a huge an of Asian and Asian fusion flavors, so I knew Soji was a restaurant made for me. I'd heard dinner reservations were initially hard to come by, so my wife and I opted for lunch on Saturday. From looking up their hours, it appears lunchtime for them is dead. This was spot on, as we arrived around 12:00 on Saturday and were maybe the only people in the restaurant. I don't know how to interpret that.

Was our first time, so of course we ordered more than a typical lunch to try some things. I will say this, the portions to prices is a really good value. I was honestly surprised at the portion sizes of the items ordered. Definitely a place where you could share some things.

Our order:

Chef Dumplings - These were good. Not great, but good. I am a huge dumpling fan, so I was a tad disappointed they were just good. An order came with 5, which to me is so annoying when apps come out as an odd number. Even numbers make sharing easier. At $12, I'll probably pass on these in the future.

Crudo (Hamachi, Ponzu, Chili Oil, Yuzu Shio Salt,
Serrano Pepper, Smoked Trout Caviar) - This was delicious. Yellowtail is always awesome, and the smoked trout caviar was a nice touch. At $14, it was a pretty good value as they gave us a pretty nice serving. Would get again.

Brisket Ramen (Sliced Brisket, Beef Tendon Broth, Enoki Mushrooms,Egg Yolk, Cilantro, Lime) - Wife ordered this and it was delicious. Brisket was great, and the broth was stellar. Smokey and rich from the tendon. A+ and only $14.

Imperial Wagyu Bo Luc Lac (Marinated Sirloin, Basmati Rice, Marinated Cabbage, Spicy Nguyen Sauce, Pickled Onion, Mint, Kewpie Mayo) - My entree. On recommendation from the waitress, I swapped the rice for yakisoba noodles. This was a delicious bowl of food, and was a large portion. The sirloin (whether Wagyu or not) was cooked well and tender. All the components played nicely off one another for an interesting bite of food each time. It was $20, but this could honestly be split between two.

Brussel Sprouts - Because I love brussel sprouts, I ordered a side. At $7, the portion is pretty substantial. That said, they were the weakest part of the meal. The sprouts were tender, and had a good flavor with the chili sauce, but there was so much chili sauce that they became soggy. I ate about half of the serving before getting tired of eating them. Wish they were crispier with a char, and then lightly tossed in sauce.

Overall, Soji is another fine entrant to the Baton Rouge scene. The interior of the restaurant is nice and all the staff were super friendly. I am a little troubled that their lunch crowd on a weekend was non-existent, but the LSU-Tennessee game could have played into that some. I have read reviews that say the interior gets very loud during dinner, so if you want to enjoy their full menu in a quieter atmosphere, I highly recommend lunch.