45 Degree Tea, Ramen, Rice — Restaurant in Naperville

I've heard mixed reviews about this place but wanted to give it a fair shot. This is my brutally honest review, take it with a grain of salt.

The service here leaves a lot to be desired. The kid at the register is not knowledgeable about the menu and wasn't able to answer any questions regarding menu items. Whether that's him not caring or the owners not providing training on the menu is up to debate but that is not the problem of the customer. If I don't know what something is on the menu, someone working there should have that knowledge. That being said, the ladies working the kitchen are very kind and make well-cooked food.

The menu in the restaurant doesn't have everything that the online website has, which made ordering a little confusing, but can be fixed with a menu update 🤔

The ramen menu is also not Halal/Kosher-friendly. Every ramen bowl has pork broth. They offer chicken or vegetable broth if you build your own bowl, but configuring the same bowl from the menu with a different broth ends up costing more in the end, unfortunately...

Portion sizes are great, especially on the Japanese Curry. The taste was good, the chicken was cooked well but it was only sweet and mildly savory. There are no spice level options so it was definitely no Coco Curry. Unfortunately, there aren't many Japanese restaurants with Curry close by so it's either this or making it at home. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I probably wouldn't come back for the bubble tea, the competition is huge in the area with more options and flavors (Vannie's, Ma Tea House, Pisces). The boba (kudos for having it in the first place considering the shortage lately) was on the soft side and not sweet enough, I think. The milk tea tasted good but the flavor was very mild.

Overall, I wasn't very impressed and I don't think...

A favorite Ramen place. The food is satisfying and the ingredients taste fresh. I get the same items- Shoyu Ramen with chicken & Deep Fried Shuman. They fill the bowl. The chicken goes deep.

The service is okay. I have not catch any of the workers smile :) lol. Nonetheless, I do not mind. They are quick as there seems to be plenty of cooks.

I’ve only seen the register operated by 1 person, but the lines have not been too long. I call in my order and pick up.

The atmosphere is casual. I ate there once, but never again. Preference, as the oil scent sticks on the clothes and hair. You only need to be in there for 2 mins and the odor sticks on you. But If you don’t mind that. The tables and chairs aren’t kept as the flow of traffic seems quick. I mostly see teenagers in there or family. I did not use the restroom. I couldn’t imagine it being spotless.

Parking is plenty. Easy to find the spot by Panera Bread and AMC Showplace.

Overall, definitely a go to for...

9/6/25 Second time we came here. This time we got spicy beef bowl, spicy chicken bowl and Japanese curry rice bowl. Good decent food but the options that we got before was better.

They have mild, medium and spicy levels. Medium is pretty spicy for what it’s worth.

—- We grabbed a hibachi beef bento and a chicken teriyaki rice bowl - both solid choices! The portions were generous and satisfying, and everything came out hot and fresh.

This spot’s got a big Japanese-style menu with a little bit of everything - ramen, rice bowls, boba teas, and tons of fruit and specialty tea options. If you’re picky, no worries, there’s plenty of variety so you’ll definitely find something you like.

It’s got that laid-back, family-run feel. One of the older kids was taking orders while others were hanging out at a table - it’s clearly a family operation, which adds to the charm.

Definitely...