Jenny P.
Yelp
How can both Shoki locations currently have a 3.5 star average on Yelp? I've never had a bad experience at either one, and all the servers are lovely humans. Aghast. True, the R street location is the one I currently favor, and true, I don't like the new menu layout at this location because it is hard to decipher even for someone like me that slurps up some ramen on the regular. The low down is this: Shoki is still my favorite place to grab noods in Sacramento hands down, and I will stick to that.
Winter is here to stay, so I've been visiting all my ramen favorites lately, including this location of my favorite favorite of favorites. Did I mention favorite? I told you all about my obsession with the mushroom add in when I reviewed the R street location, and now I shall tell you my newest recent (OBSESSIVE) discovery here at Shoki 21st street: Godzilla ramen! $1 upcharge for garlic chips and crunchy onions, and you can add this firecracker to any ramen dish. Not only does it make the nostrils perk up, but it's the perfect addition to my favorite ramen dish here, the yasai tan tan men. I also enjoy their shoyu ramen, curry ramen, and takoyaki appetizer.
It's all about the broth at Shoki. Creamy, rich, filling, flavorful, not too salty....per-FECTION I SAY. They call it a Bowl of Dreams, and I can see why as it frequently flits through my food dreams. This location is in my man's neck of the woods, so we go here more than we do the R street location or other ramen joints in town. Local beers are on tap, and they have tv screens on the wall that show various news segments that Shoki has been on over the years. I've been nomming at Shoki for at least 7 years now, so it's been interesting to see how far they've come. This location is bigger than R street, but has no outdoor seating. The wait for 2 is never longer than 10 minutes, but if it's raining beware, as there is really nowhere to stand inside while you wait and they don't have much of an awning outside. It gets packed quickly, but staff have always attended to us timely.
Parking: Better than R street by far, since it is juuuuust off grid. There's a small lot on either side you can usually find a spot in, and street parking (unmetered, what what!) on Burnett Way in front of the Littlest Pet Shop if you have issues with the lots.
Veg Friendly and GF: menu items available here, and they're super hearty, too. Order those mushrooms, I am telling you. NOMNOM.