Chicago | Monster Ramen — A Real-Life Experience! 🍜

Recently, I visited Monster Ramen, which I came across online. It’s located on the northwest side of Chicago, on the way to ORD airport. We were heading to the airport to pick up a friend and decided to stop by. The place has a 4.5/5 rating on Maps, and I was intrigued by the photos I saw online. Time to check it out in person! 🚗 First off, there’s parking right in front of the shop—don’t make the same mistake we did by searching for a spot far away only to find that we could’ve parked right next to the door. The shop is super tiny, with just a few tables and a small counter. If you’re two people, you can sit at the counter, but it’s really cramped. There’s barely any space to hang your coat; we had to hold our jackets the whole time. Of course, this won’t be an issue when the weather gets warmer. The atmosphere is just okay—cozy but a bit crowded, and it was still pretty busy on a weekend. 😕 Here’s what we ordered: Drinks : We got a bottle of Musashino beer and a can of yuzu soda. The beer was good—a refreshing Japanese Pilsner, but $10 for a bottle is a bit steep. The yuzu soda was nice for $5, with a natural flavor that wasn’t too artificial. 🍻 Appetizer : We tried the bamboo shoots salad for $6. It was just okay—basically the bamboo shoots from the ramen, tossed in a simple dressing. Nothing special, not worth ordering. 🥒 Ramen : The main event! We got their signature The Monster ($32) and the Miso Yasai ($22). Let’s start with The Monster: The portion is huge, served in a big metal bowl. The standout ingredients are two slices of wagyu beef and a few slices of char siu. The beef was a bit overcooked, but the quality was decent. The char siu wasn’t great—kind of chewy and sinewy. The noodles are regular thin ramen noodles. The broth is super thick and salty, the kind that makes you thirsty for the rest of the day. It’s a heavy, rich tonkotsu broth that purine lovers will enjoy. There’s also a soft-boiled egg and some garnishes. Overall, it’s a decent bowl of ramen, but not worth $32. 🍜 The Miso Yasai: This one is much lighter compared to The Monster. The miso broth has a balanced saltiness, and the toppings are mostly vegetables. The noodles are the same as in The Monster. It’s a bit ordinary and, in my opinion, not worth $22. I think it should be priced around $15-$20. 🍲 Overall, the place seems a bit overrated based on what I’ve seen online. The photos look great, but the food is pretty average, the atmosphere is nothing special, and the value for money is low. We spent $90 in total for two people, including tips. It’s not bad, but it’s not great either. For $90, we got two bowls of ramen that just didn’t justify the price. No second visit for us. The best part of the night was that bottle of beer, haha. Next time, I’ll try Ramen Wasabi next door. 🍻 #Chicago #ChicagoRamen #JapaneseRamen #RealReview #MonsterRamen