If you ask co-owner Chase Lyons, he’ll tell you there are two main goals of Soji: to make memories and to educate diners.
As 225 Dine details in its latest feature, first, he and his team—former City Pork chef Ryan André, beverage director Lane Primeaux, executive sous chef Derek Roth and partner Kenny Nguyen—wanted to bring a memorable concept to a growing area of town where people could connect. The 5050 Government St. location where Rotolo’s Pizzeria once stood has provided that.
“I wanted to invest in this neighborhood,” Lyons says. “I live not too far away. I love the sense of neighborhood in the community here. I wanted to open up neighborhood restaurants that people can park their bike outside and people can walk to. … Everything that’s going on on Government Street and in Mid City right now, it’s only going to get better.”
But they also wanted to introduce locals to foods they’ve never tried before, to educate themselves with epicurean excursions around the world and bring that back to Baton Rouge.
Lyons and André ventured to opposite sides of the country—New York and Los Angeles, respectively—for culinary inspiration, and both came home with life-changing ramen experiences. With only a few spots in town serving from-scratch, loaded ramen bowls, they saw a gap they could fill in the market. But they wanted to push for more. Beyond Japanese, beyond Chinese, they wanted to build a broad concept that could dabble in cuisines across East and Southeast Asia.
The menu ranges from a savory shoyu ramen bowl made with soy broth and piled high with ground chicken, roasted corn, bean sprouts, marinated egg and green onion to kicky wagyu beef dumplings doused in chili oil. Hawaiian poké and Chinese Szechuan chicken wings sit alongside Indian butter chicken and Thai boat noodles.
Read the full story behind what of what Lyons and André created, and be sure to sign up for the free 225 Dine e-newsletter to get your fill of local culinary news each week.
