Chicago｜A Japanese Fried Food Spot Disguised as a Ramen Shop 🍤

Came across a new 4.9-star spot and saw Reddit raving about it too, so I rushed over to try. After eating, my takeaway is: Order their fried foods! Fried foods! Fried foods! This place shouldn’t even be called "Ramen"—it feels more like a late-night izakaya (the vibe fits, and it’s open until 11:30 PM 🏮). "Fried bites + yakitori" paired with their second-glass-worthy lemonade made the whole day feel brighter. ⭐ Lemonade A hint of yuzu fragrance, perfectly balanced sweet and tart—just at that “I could drink another” level. I thought drinks here would be forgettable, but this lemonade is a must-order. 🍤 Fried Foods – So Good! Oil temperature was on point—crispy, delicate coating that clung perfectly. ✔️ Fried Oysters: Crispy outside, creamy and bursting inside. Highly recommend! ✔️ Cola Shrimp Patty: Recommended by staff. Shrimp weren’t huge, but the crispy batter really shined. ✔️ Tonkatsu Don: A bit dry, but still tasty for a Japanese restaurant in the U.S. 🔥 Yakitori Looked plain in the menu photos, so expectations were low—but surprise! The meat was springy, savory, with restrained sauce and solid technique. Small portions, but forgivable. The zucchini with miso mayo was slightly charred, salty-sweet, with black pepper for a kick. With skills like this, they should add more options—chicken skin, hearts, beef tongue, etc.! 🍜 Ramen I ordered the tonkotsu ramen. Broth wasn’t too salty (unlike many Chicago ramen spots that seem to test your kidneys 😅), but overall it was just okay. I ended up adding shichimi and chili powder for extra flavor. Noodles were on the softer side—wish they offered texture options. Final thought: This new spot feels like an izakaya in ramen shop clothing—excel at fried foods and skewers, drinks are a happy surprise, while the ramen plays it safe. 📍 Takumi Ramen 1239 W 18th St, Chicago, IL 60608 #ChicagoEats #JapaneseFood #FriedFoodHeaven #IzakayaVibes #RamenLover #ChicagoFoodie