The upcoming business venture in Rexburg will provide people with a taste of Japan. Banzai Ramen is located at 248 South 2nd West in the former location of Kebab Hut. Owners Asa Hatch, Kjell Jones and Darren Gealta are looking forward to introducing different flavors to the market.
Darren Gealta came up with the idea of Banzai Ramen after discovering his family’s love for ramen and international cuisine. “I want to expand the international food offerings in Rexburg. My kids and my family, all of us love ramen,” Gealta said.
Kjell Jones and Asa Hatch were chosen by Gealt based on their passion for business efficiency and cultural cuisine. After two years of a church mission in Tokyo, Japan, Hatch is now an expert in Japanese culture and can boast about using authentic recipes.
Gealta reported that, “I was looking for people who both had a passion about running a business and wanted to help with efficiency. Then, I wanted to have someone who was just extremely passionate about the food, the culture, and the culinary experience.”
The team’s shared vision is to bring a taste of Japan to Rexburg, emphasizing traditional flavors over fast food. Hatch said that, “I am super stoked! I think Rexburg is a great place for a lot of culture. I love the thought and the idea of bringing in something that I truly love. Each ramen bowl has one of two broths. There is a pork broth, which we call tonkotsu and then there’s the chicken broth and within those, there’s these sauces called tare. So with the broth and the tare, you can probably have eight plus different combinations of different flavors.”
The menu features stickers and Japanese-style fried chicken, as well as other side dishes. “People loved it. Our recipes are nailed down to the point that we’re confident that they’ll do well in this community,” Jones said.
Gealta shares that, “The red is supposed to be very symbolic of the roots and the heritage of the food and the experience people are supposed to have. There will be a TV mounted on the wall. We’ll run video game tournaments here and kind of match the video game culture and the international culture”.
Rexburg will benefit from Banzai Ramen’s new restaurant opening, as it is a positive development for the city’ culture.It will be a go-to spot for foodies and Japanese cuisine lovers, thanks to its unwavering atmosphere, authentic flavors, and attentive service. Additionally, the restaurant has become synonymous with fine dining. The project is a significant step towards connecting cultures and creating a vibrant and inclusive community that loves good food.
“There were pretty old tiles in the ceiling that we ripped out, and we painted the walls. We put a new drywall on the ceiling. We’ve really upgraded everything in the restaurant itself”, added Jones.
Gealta added that, “My message for people who are considering coming is: it’s just really simple. Rexburg is cold, it’s windy, and ramen is warm and it’s comfortable in here,”
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