I absolutely loved my ramen! It was on point! They have like 7 options for ramen and you get to choose if you want your ramen to be spicy or not! You can also choose which type of noodles you want, I would recommend the house made noodles since the noodles are fresh! Would come back! One ramen is huge so you’ll be full with the ramen with no need to order appetizers! Less than 20 dollars!
I really liked our appetizers and my ramen bowl here. Had to dock a point because the vegetarian ramen (which is supposedly one of the best veggie ramen options in the city) was a bit too busy (a lot of vegetables and flavors going on). If you’re looking for traditional ramen fare, definitely hit them up. Delicious!
Really enjoyed our warm bowls of ramen on this windy spring day in Chicago. We popped in last minute before visiting some nearby shops and were enormously pleased with the quality of food and service.
RAMEN ? WITH A TWIST . My friend told me this spot was pretty good, so we came here for a try while we were in the areaFyi parking was pretty easy just outside with meters.Everything has a modern twist to it , combining latin american flavors eg jalapeno, cotija, cilantro/tomato/onion etc. Or you can order classics tooGot the #4 spicy garlic shoyumen - really garlicy and subtley sweet and #11 the pozolmen - great cilantro flavors, and you can squeeze the line at the end to change the profile?Biggest highlight was the pork belly omg. Literally MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH. Braised for hours and hours, I could eat this all day longFor apps, we got a pork shoulder bao. Made 6hrs on the stove, came with cotija, crisp onion. Pretty good and would love to try othersOverall a bit more expensive than other ramen spots in Chicago. All three things came up to about $60 including tip. Would love to come back as their menu changes [email protected] for more
Though I like the minimalist design, be forewarned that this is not a good place to go as a group. There are few tables that can accommodate parties of 3 or more. The pork belly bun was solid, but I found the flavors of the duck bao to be unappetizing to the point that I couldn't even finish it. Portion sizes are generous all around, especially for the ramen bowls.
Best Ramen in Chicago and I really meant it.
A must try ramen spot in the heart of Wicker Park Chicago! Minimalist design, with strong wooden accents, and small like other authentic Japanese ramen joints. Definitely different than my other favorite ramen spots, including the noodles. Walked in at a perfect time, 545pm on a cold Saturday. Shortly after, a ton of people came trickling in and had to wait. I do not think this place has reservations. Pictured here are the Sake Caliente aka Hot Sake, Buns: Goki (highly recommend!) and 6hrs Pork Shoulder - all come with more ingredients than the bun! - and had the Umami Ramen which was a Spicy Level 2 and had more room for spicyness. Can't wait for the next visit.
Good ramen. Love supporting OG businesses. Waiter was a bit weird and barely spoke, started off nice but he got weird as time went on. That wasn’t what changed my opinion on the restaurant. Veggie broth was only allowed on one ramen and they charge for hot sauce/chili oil which I think is ridiculous. Every ramen spot I’ve ever been too has that on the table. Good ramen, not the best.
I moved to the neighborhood a few months ago, and even though I love ramen, I was definitely overwhelmed at first at how to pick between all of the options on Milwaukee. I didn’t need to worry too hard though, because it was quickly clear that Oiistar is the best on the block, and one of my favorites in the city, right on par with Wasabi and Strings!Broth is rich and delicious, chashu is smoky, fatty, and melts in your mouth. Portions are huge, including the buns! I like the variety, the fennel slaw that comes on a few is crazy.Service can definitely sometimes get backed up — the place is consistently busy and seems like they usually run with a skeleton crew. The place is packed and loud, but nothing cheap beer and hot, fatty soup can’t make a good vibe!
Great place and atmosphere. The buns and ramen are to die for! The price is amazing for the portion size. Parking can be a little tricky sometimes but worth driving around finding it for the food. The sangria (red's my favorite) paired with fruit is incredible and recommend trying .