CHICAGO RAMEN — Restaurant in Maine Township

Had to pick up some people from the airport at 11:15pm and as I was getting closer to O’Hare I got the notification that they were delayed so I did a quick search to see if I could find somewhere quick to eat/pass the time while waiting for them.

I’d had Chicago Ramen bookmarked for a while and noticed that it was one of the only places that was open until 11:30pm. I decided I would drive up past O’Hare just to check it out and if it seemed like they wouldn’t mind my ordering I would go ahead and give them a try.

I got there and noticed the small place had two full tables and a steady stream of pick up orders going out so I went ahead inside. I like the counter service feel. It reminded me a lot of ramen shops I’d been to in Japan. The restaurant smelled great and was relatively clean and everyone’s food looked delicious.

I didn’t want to chance getting a sudden call that my friends were ready so I ordered a spicy red miso ramen with an added egg to go. I wanted to draw the line there but while perusing the menu I noticed they had a curry bowl for only $6.95 and couldn’t help but add one to my order when I noticed a hot one come fresh out of the kitchen and set in front of a lucky patron.

Although I wouldn’t characterize the staff I interacted with as friendly necessarily I would still say that they were professional and helpful which again reminded me of late night ramen forays in Tokyo. In any case, the full order was ready in less than 5 minutes. The hot noodles and toppings were in one container while the broth was in a separate. I tasted the broth before mixing the noodles in and immediately had high hopes that the hype of Chicago Ramen was real which was confirmed after my first slurp. I might even go so far as to say that Chicago Ramen has unseated High Five as my favorite Chicagoland ramen restaurant.

Many things stood out in this bowl but I just really enjoyed how all the toppings mesh so well when they take on the flavor of the tasty broth that has already got a nice portion of stewed ingredients. The spicy red miso is the exact flavor profile that I have been looking for in a broth for so long. Also the big chunk of pork cha-shu and perfectly cooked egg(firm outside but still runny yolk) along with the corn all combined to make this a superb bowl of ramen. The curry bowl also had a nice authentic stewed flavor with added veggies over perfectly cooked rice.

If you’re a ramen fan you should do yourself a favor and definitely make the trip to Des Plaines to give Chicago...

My wife and I stopped by during a chilly February day. We were craving some ramen to defrost a bit, and read about Chicago Ramen as one of the best places to eat at. Normally, I like to stick within the city, but Chicago Ramen is worth the trip to the suburbs.

The place is located in a strip mall, and is rather small, seating in total about 20-30. This is not give off the swanky, hip vibe that a Wasabi or Ramen-san does, and expect more of a homey, down-to-earth, diner-esque environment. After browsing the menu, we chose the three different buns as appetizers (pork, chicken, and shrimp), and I had the spicy white miso as my main dish. All of the food was brought out at a decent speed, and we started to dig in.

First were the buns, and while all 3 were delicious, the chicken bun in particular stood out. When I took my first bite, you could see how moist the chicken was inside, with it glistening against the sunlight. The sauce on it provided a nice, light sweetness to the bite, and the crunch on the chicken combined with the softness of the bun sealed the deal. The shrimp bun also had similar qualities in the crunchy tempura shrimp and soft bun, and had a sweet and sour sauce on it that gave a classic Asian flavor. As for the pork bun, while good, the BBQ sauce it was smothered in overwhelmed my palette and was very one-note; after a couple of bites, it became too much. Though, the cook on the pork was as good as the cook on the other proteins, and was not dry at all.

Next came my ramen. It is without a doubt one of my top 3 ramen bowls. The broth was spicy, warm, and full of balanced flavors, like sweetness and saltiness on top of the spice. The noodles were unctuous and rich, with the broth almost clinging to every noodle. The textures continued to provide excitement to each bite, with the tenderness of the pork contrasting the snap of the onions. There are condiments on the side of the table, tempting you to play with the formula, but personally, the ramen was perfect just the way it was. I finished the whole bowl and the broth, and the only disappointing part of the meal was when I saw the bottom of the bowl.

This is easily one of my top 3 Ramen restaurants in the Chicagoland area, rivaling the best of the best Chicago proper has to offer. I am even glad to report that after recently recommending this place to a friend, he also loved it. I will happily continue recommending this place to other, and will be back to try some of the other ramen options available....

TL:DR order Tsukemen. Order takeout unless you’re ok eating in a tight space near other diners. Calamari is salty but good, skip the white mabo tofu ramen.

It’s my favorite place to get Tsukemen since I’m not familiar with other ramen place that offers Tsukemen. Love the onion flavor in the broth and the noodle texture in Tsukemen— it’s thick & chewy. I haven’t been dining in at Chicago Ramen for about 6 months and I am a bit surprised, to be honest. We have been frequently doing take out and I think we will continue doing that. I don’t think I’ll be coming back in person until Covid-19 situation gets better. This review is when Omicron variant is present in Covid-19.

The restaurant is quite small, after all it’s a noodle house. I went on a Friday night and it was a full house. I saw new workers working in the kitchen. I’m used to Chef Kenta and his associate, but this time, his associate was in the front with 2 other workers (who seem to be doing a very good job), and Chef Kenta was working in the back with another person.

There were 2 servers for the small ramen shop, but they were still struggling and service was very slow. Ramen obviously came out fast but it took us a long time to get our order placed and get the check. I felt very uncomfortable sitting very close to others at the ramen house. I’m used to sitting at the table or when restaurant was empty, sitting at the ramen bar. I even debated leaving due to the tight space & how contagious Omicron is, but I ended up sitting towards the corner and decided to dine in. After all, eating ramen from a bowl is much better than a takeout bowl.

Calamari- I ordered calamari for the first time. It’s nothing like your typical “American/Italian” calamari. It was only arm portion. It was quite salty but it added a nice flavor to it. The white Mayo that came with it also accompanied really well. I would definitely order again for dining in. It was extra crispy.

White Mabo Tofu- ordered it for the first time. As stated earlier, my go to order is Tsukemen. I decided to try something new this time since I have been seeing White Mabo Tofu ramen trending on Instagram. S K I P it! I have no idea why I fell for it because it’s not your typical ramen!!!!!! I felt like I was eating a tofu dish with some noodles. I regretted so much and ended up taking a Tsukemen home to satisfy myself...