Susukino Ramen Bar opens to satisfy Arcata’s noodle niche

On Sept. 18 the owners of Susukino Ramen Bar announced their grand opening to the public with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Susukino, located at 1504 G Street in downtown Arcata, is now fully open and does not require reservations. 

The ramen bar had a reservation only, soft opening a week before the ceremony to work out the kinks that are bound to happen when starting a brand new restaurant. 

“The best part was seeing the smiles on peoples faces- saying you guys have really transformed this place,” Ronuk Patel said. 

For owners Ronuk Patel, Roshan Patel, and G Mehta, Susukino is a passion project. Ronuk and Roshan are cousins. Mehta is a longtime Humboldt resident and their friend with many years of restaurant industry experience. Coincidentally, Ronuk Patel and Mehta are from the same area of Chicago, but did not become friends until they met in Humboldt a year ago. What attracted them to ramen was its simplicity and addictiveness.

“Ramen is one of those comfort foods that you can eat everyday, you can’t really eat a filet mignon everyday, but I could see myself eating a bowl of soup everyday…I can never get sick of it,”Mehta said.

For his prowess in the kitchen, they hired Chef Gori from Sapporo. According to the owners, he is a main pillar in Susukino’s creation. Their spark for Japanese food and a comforting bowl of ramen stems from a decade of annual trips to Japan, and the numerous friends and flavors they have met along the way. 

Their vision for Susukino was to satisfy the need in Arcata for a good bowl of ramen on those rainy Humboldt nights. According to the owners the most popular must-have menu item is the zangi fried chicken appetizer. The owners saw an opportunity to not just create a place with great food, but also a late-night spot with top notch cocktails and eventually live music. With a bowl of ramen costing about $16, Susukino’s owners wanted it to be both relaxed casual dining and somewhere you can take a date. 

“It’s a bar, it’s a lunch spot, it’s a dinner spot…you can come in with your sweatshirt or with a tuxedo,”  Mehta said.

Susukino is not just distinctive for their Japanese dishes, but also a selection of cannolis made by Eureka Natural Foods with flavors designed exclusively for their restaurant.They also have their own “Susukino” house Pinot Grigio created by local winery Flor D’Luna. They wanted every aspect of Susukino to be unique from the ramen to the desserts and wine.

“After a steaming spicy bowl of ramen it’s nice to cool your mouth off with a beautifully made cannoli,” said Roshan Patel.

Susukino is still progressing and customers can expect new menu items dropping within the next couple weeks, including a full bar and cocktail menu.