Tatsu Ramen House Elgin
Tatsu Ramen House Elgin things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
Plan your stay
Posts
My partner and I have been to Tatsu Ramen twice now, once on opening day for dinner around 7 and again for lunch on Tuesday around 12 pm. Thus far, this is what we've tried (at this point, basically 2/3rds of the menu). APPETIZERS Karaage - Crunchy and flaky, these are on the larger size for Karaage and very worth it because they'll do a pretty good job of filling you up before the real entree even hits. The chicken is juicy and tender and they do an amazing job of avoiding dry-chicken syndrome. The best part: it tastes so fresh. But that's definitely a common theme here. The sauce they give with it is also delicious. Gyoza - Yummy and closer to the top of the gyoza tier-list than many places between the suburbs and Chicago. The actual dumpling itself is light, thin, and - again- fresh. Takoyaki - I have yet to find any good takoyaki in the suburbs, until now. This is good takoyaki. The octopus is well done and though they could definitely add more, it's fairly priced for how much they put in, so it's actually a win-win for people who don't know how they feel about octopus and for people who love it. Because this is the perfect in-between, I'd say it's a positive. Unlike other takoyaki in the Northwest suburbs, they have a beautiful balance of flavors going on while staying true to the octopus. Nothing is overwhelming and everything works well together. RAMEN Shoyu - The broth Shio - The Broth. Taiwan - THE BROTH Tonkatsu - OH MY GOD, THE BROTH. On opening day they ran out of pork belly, so we had the Taiwan and Tonkatsu with Taiwan meat, which is a flavorful ground pork that packs a punch (they don't skimp you on this, it actually ends up making up like a third of your bowl). We then had the Shoyu and Shio a few days later when the pork belly was available. The broths are -obviously- the biggest highlight here, and they each manage to hold their own in their respective categories. Shoyu and Taiwan have darker broths, Shio has a light and refreshing broth, and Tonkatsu has an extremely rich broth. The flavors are huge without being overbearing, and your tastebuds will be extremely pleased, if not pleasantly surprised (if you haven't had real ramen with genuine broth before). The pork belly absorbs the flavor while remaining juicy and the fat is almost at the point where it melts in your mouth. Nothing is hard or difficult to chew, and every ramen delivers a harmonic experience with their respective broths hitting the different -- but necessary -- notes to accompany a very simple but effective formula. You're not going to get something elaborate because it's so straightforward and to the point; Tatsu Ramen has a job to do and it does it well. No need for frills or flair: it's true to the traditional ramen standard and, in turn, proves its authenticity. DESSERT Matcha Green Tea Tiramisu - This combination is a beauty in and of itself. If you like tiramisu, matcha, green tea, or chocolate, there's a pretty good chance this will make you happy. DRINKS Ramune - It's ramune lol For those of you who have never tried it, I think the best way to describe it is like a lighter Sprite plus whatever flavor you end up getting. Overall, this is such a fantastic addition to the selection in the area, and even in the slightly further west Northwest suburbs. The service is quite quick -- even for opening day it was surprisingly fast. I almost feel like we don't deserve it. By the time you're done, the ramen has left you with that feeling of comfort that you only find in a perfect, homemade meal. Tl;dr: It's Solid.
Pauline ChitamboPauline Chitambo
00
As a benchmark to preface this review, we eat ramen often. I typically reference Misoya ramen in mount prospect as the best overall taste and variety of ramen selection in chicagoland, Torizen in Schaumburg may well have the best spicy ramen, the food court in Mitsuwa in Arlington heights has a good bowl, shinchan in palatine has a great curry ramen, and the list goes on. As ramen choices go, Tatsu Ramen has one of the largest selections of ramen bowl options. Different styles, like Nagoya, Tonkotsu, Shoyu, Taiwan, and several more. The broths were not too overly savory or salty, nor the converse in lightness like some places, and the styles of broth and noodles were appropriate for each ramen type. These were all very good bowls of ramen. Chuck full of bean sprouts, chasu (braised pork cutlets), half boiled eggs, and other ingredients significant to each type. The only appetizer we had was the bun. They were honestly my favorite part of the meal. The place was very busy for a Friday afternoon, but the two employees did very well to keep up with the amount of patrons and had a smile on always. This is a legit good Japanese ramen restaurant in the unlikely edge of Elgin. If you like this type of food, you won't be disappointed. I will refrain from ranking this one until I've eaten here several times, but i definitely plan to. It's certainly a contender in top ramen places for chicagoland.
Kyle WilsonKyle Wilson
00
I won't call myself a ramen expert by any means, but let me start with I have only found 2 ramen places in all of the Chicago land area that are good (Strings in China town and Santouka in Mitsuwa). So when a new place opened near my home in Elgin, I'll be honest I had super low hopes. And I am super happy to let anyone reading this know that I was completely wrong!!!! Tatsu has quickly not only become my favorite ramen place due to the amazing food and even more attentive and awesome staff, it's also become my #1 place to take clients for meetings. The ramen is out of the world good, but don't skimp on the appetizers! We've tried them all and while we always go back to the Gyoza and Bao Buns, everything is freaking amazing and worth it! While we haven't tried every ramen (I tend to get stuck going back to the tonkatsu as it's hands down my favorite), I haven't been disappointed in any of them. Please do yourself the favor and go enjoy one of the best ramen meals I've had outside of Japan.
Jaysin // Eo7 MediaJaysin // Eo7 Media
00
This place is Awesome Year around every day ! We have been going here sense it first opened. The food is always amazing and always hot and fresh. The service is the best around! You’re welcomed in like family. The owner remembers who you are and your order. Never ever a bad experience my wife and I are eating dinner here after work 2 nights a week.! Cause it’s fresh and healthy and the portions are huge. This is a must stop for anyone who wants traditional Fresh Raman.. the chicken wings are the best we have ever had ! We will be here this evening after work .Top it off this place is spotless. The owner is always hands on and everything is clean. The chicken teriyaki is on the left and the Nagoya Ramen not spicy on the right becomes spicy but for my wife, he makes it not spicy and for the chicken teriyaki he had special vegetables for me at my request and half the rice. I could eat here daily .
Anthony IannoneAnthony Iannone
00
Went here while visiting relatives. Phenomenally good Raman, and well priced, especially for just outside Chicago. Everyone working there was SUPER nice. I give service 4 stars not because the workers were anything less than wonderful, but because it is a small busy place that feels like it should probably have a self serve fountain soda station, because they couldn't keep up with our waters and sodas. The food wasn't only good, but surprised all of us. my brother and I LOVE spicy food and their spicy dishes felt well spiced and tasty. we overheard someone else saying "they should warn you (btw, they do warn you on their menu) about how spicy this is! Meanwhile my brother and I were diving in and loving it. If you are out of town and think this place may not be worth your time for lunch, you're wrong, come here. if you are a local that hasn't tried yet, go here. Truly great food.
Sean StanfordSean Stanford
00
This is not Ramen. This is flavorless sploosh. The seasoned eggs taste like they were soaked in vinegar. The noodles are overcooked and stuck together. Chashu.. how do you ruin the chashu.. Pork has a natural salt content.. this place found a way to remove every bit of flavor from Pork... how!?! The broth is disgusting. I could have made better TopRamen at home. How this place has 4.6 stars is beyond me! It was an absolute waste of money. I typically go to KitaKata Ramen in Hoffman Estates and I thought I would try this place because of proximity and reviews...good lord was I wrong. Never again! Go to KitaKata for good Ramen and fresh noodles and the most delicious broth and just melt in your mouth chashu you will ever taste. The management and chef need to visit as well to learn what Ramen should taste like.
Ms DMs D
00
Nearby Attractions Of Tatsu Ramen House Elgin
Encore Repair Services

Encore Repair Services
4.2
(9)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Tatsu Ramen House Elgin
Burnt Toast Restaurant Elgin
Village Pizza and Pub Elgin
Sushi Station
Rookies Sports Bar & Grill (Elgin)
Moretti's Elgin
Big Sammy's Hot Dogs II
Triple Berry Café
Beef Shack
Panera Bread
Starbucks

Burnt Toast Restaurant Elgin
4.4
(1.1K)Click for details

Village Pizza and Pub Elgin
4.3
(718)Click for details

Sushi Station
4.4
(1.1K)Click for details

Rookies Sports Bar & Grill (Elgin)
4.2
(589)Click for details
Basic Info
Address
2490 Bushwood Dr, Elgin, IL 60124
Map
Phone
(847) 844-0933
Call
Website
clover.com
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.6
(221 reviews)
Ratings & Description
attractions: Encore Repair Services, restaurants: Burnt Toast Restaurant Elgin, Village Pizza and Pub Elgin, Sushi Station, Rookies Sports Bar & Grill (Elgin), Moretti's Elgin, Big Sammy's Hot Dogs II, Triple Berry Café, Beef Shack, Panera Bread, Starbucks
