I can see why it's so hard to get a reservation to this restaurant for various reasons. The space is decorated nicely, but it is kind of small. We sat at the bar, which I feel like is the best seat in restaurant. The kitchen is open, so you can see them making your food. There are some tables for individual parties, and they have communal seating in the middle. Service was great and fast. We didn't have to wait long to be serviced or for our food to come. I got the miso ramen with an egg and extra pork belly. This was my first time having miso ramen because I typically get tonkotsu. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this ramen. The broth was thick and silky. It had the perfect amount of salt. The pork belly was not the most tender that I've ever had, but it was still tender and delicious. I enjoyed the char on the meat. There was also a piece of pork shoulder in there which to my surprise was delicious as well. I was skeptical about it at first, because I had only had pork belly in my ramen before. The ajitama egg was a nice addition to the ramen as well. Overall, I was very happy with my ramen, and I enjoyed trying out a new type of ramen. I would definitely recommend going here to try out the food if you are able to get a reservation. read more

I was able to snag 5p reservations. Even without reservations, if you come around 5p, you'll most likely get seated. I ordered the April special: garlic tonkotsu ramen. Flavor overall was very good but I did wish the garlic flavor was stronger. I was ready for the garlic flavor to slap me in the face but it was on the light side. The noodles were cooked PERFECTLY! This is according to my own personal preference bc my friend thought the noodles were still a bit too hard. One complaint I do have is the price. It was $22 for my bowl of ramen and that's quite steep. Overall, worth a try and I do want to come back to try their other ramens, but the price prevents me from coming back very often. read more

Akahoshi Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Akahoshi's menu is simple and consists of just ramen and drinks. We tried the Akahoshi miso, soupless tantanmen, and the Hakodate Shio special. The shio was the standout- light but flavorful with a nice chicken-seafood depth, and the noodles absorbed the broth well. The miso was good but the noodles didn't quite highlight the broth when mixed together. The tantanmen was my least favorite. While I enjoyed the thicker noodles, the mala spice was overpowering and made the dish one-note. We ordered eggs with our ramen, which were perfectly cooked. Overall, a bit pricey at $18-$22 per bowl and portions were on the smaller side, but you can tell they put a lot of care into making their broths. Their Hakodate Shio was good enough to make me want to come back and try new specials. read more

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Service could have been better. We ordered the lobster ravioli special in Dec 2025. We added the egg but they forgot to bring it. We were a little underwhelmed with the ramen. The dry mazesoba was not very flavorful. The lobster ravioli was ok, didn't feel like it had much lobster. There were only 5 small pieces. The broth was good but not the best that I have had. The egg was the highlight of the meal. It was an expensive underwhelming ramen meal. I would rather have sushi for the same price. read more

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This is another one of those places that The Queen frequents on a regular basis for ramen Akahoshi does not offer anything on the menu beyond ramen, but what they do is pretty darn good! Be warned, as of this review, California Ave is under construction and you cannot go north on it, which I did not know. It took me a little bit to find an east-west street to let me get back on California and head to the restaurant. After all of that, I was able to find street parking about two doors away, so that was a win. Akahoshi was bigger than most of the places The Queen has taken me. The vibe was light and airy, with the wood being of a light tan color. There is seating at the kitchen as well as in the window, and there are booths for 3-4 people along the wall. According to The Queen, they do take reservations and I was so glad she had one as she and The Doctor were waiting for me at a booth while I had to deal with road construction. She mentioned that when she dines alone, there are times that there is a line to get into the joint. Akahoshi doesn't serve wine/prosecco, so me and The Queen went with the Hideki Matsuyama, their version of a "boozy Arnold Palmer" with Japanese Oolong, shochu, & house made lemonade. This was very good and I ended up getting a second one. My only complaint on this drink was it needed to be in a way bigger glass than it was served in, it was that good for me. For eats, The Queen and The Doctor got the Soupless Tantanmen (soupless variant of ramen, based loosely on Dandan noodles. Extra thick noodles, topped with pork) and I got the Midwest Shoyu (chicken soup, soy sauce/katsuobushi, sababushi, thin noodles, menma bamboo shoots, pork chashu, shio koji chicken breast). We added extra pork chashu, and an Ajitama Egg (Slagel Farms egg, soft boiled, marinated for days). I really enjoyed mine and the egg was cooked perfectly, so I got a second one as well as extra noodles I knew I was taking the leftovers home. It was interesting that it felt like we had been there for a while, but in reality we had not. I think we were there for about an hour and fifteen minutes, so the turnaround is quick. That said, we were not rushed to get out. Didn't get our server's name, but he was very friendly, attentive and sweet. This was definitely a win for me and I am glad The Queen took us to Akahoshi for dinner. Side note: Akahoshi did a collaboration this month with Honey Butter Chicken, creating a ramen using their chicken and pimento cheese. That will be covered in that review, but news flash, it was sooo good! read more

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We had planned our day trip around this place so you can tell how excited we were! I know their craft is ramen but I really wish they had a small appetizer and/or dessert menu, something to really round out our dinner date. Hoping this is something they consider in the future, but definitely understand if that's out of scope for them. We ordered two bowls - soupless tantanmen and akahoshi miso. I loveee how bouncy the noodles were and the (miso) broth was overall pretty good - very rich. The tantanmen was really nutty and creamy with a slight kick. Both were great but I do think the prices are a bit steep for just soup and noodles. You're looking at a $30 bowl once you add on an egg and extra meat, which I definitely recommend you do. Overall, I do think this place is good, and you're in and out pretty quickly. However, it is definitely not an everyday place for us, cost-wise. read more

Akahoshi Ramen - Soupless tantanmen and akahoshi miso - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Pro tip if you can't get a reservation: go on a weekday close to opening! We went on a Tuesday around 5 and had no problem getting a table. It did fill up by the time we left closer to 6 though. Both ramen bowls we tried were absolutely delicious and different from any other ramen I've had before since they were miso based (and not tonkotsu based). Service was friendly and our bowls came out quick. Perfect meal for a cold winter day! read more

Akahoshi Ramen - January 2026 special: Akayu Spicy Miso Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is top-tier Ramen in Chicago. I ordered the akahoshi miso and my wife ordered the January special. The egg is absolutely a must add. Not sure why it is a $ addition here whereas other places it is included, but yeah definitely worth the extra bucks. The broth of the miso is to die for. Tons of umami & creamy oily goodness. Noodles and other toppings were great, but the true star of the show for me was the broth We will have to return for the soup-less dishes as I've heard from multiple people & reviews that they are delicious. 10/10 would slurp again, thanks Ramen Lord! read more

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We came here right at opening, and there was already a line waiting to get in. The space itself is super modern and clean, definitely a cool vibe for a ramen spot. , I ordered the aburasoba, and it was just delicious. Really well-balanced, flavorful, and just satisfying overall. The food came out pretty quick too, so we weren't waiting long at all, which I appreciated. Service was super quick, and our server was friendly. Overall, it was a great ramen spot and definitely lived up to the hype. read more

Akahoshi Ramen - Aburasoba - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The atmosphere is awesome and clean. Our waitress was nice and attentive. We ordered their signature ramen and added an egg. Also the lychee martini! It was good! The meat was not rubbery or anything! The noodles were good. My favorite part was the broth! Definitely go try it! read more

Akahoshi Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Early Valentine's date at Akahoshi Ramen in Logan Square. We both ordered the February Monthly Special: Hope-Ken Tonkotsu as well as a Chashu Rice Bowl to share (they were out of Ikura - sad!). Everything was excellent - The ramen had a rich, savory broth, springy scratch made noodles, tender pork belly chashu, and a perfectly jammy ajitama egg! Staff was friendly and efficient. A well oiled machine. We were in and out in an hour without feeling rushed. Make reservations if you want a booth, otherwise plenty of counter seating and a long communal table. read more

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After making a reservation for the wrong night, we walked in thinking we had a table and realized my error... The staff said they could get us in anyway in 20 mins, which they did! The food was amazing, and perfect for a cold Chicago night! We got both of the rice bowls to share, the Ikura bowl with salmon roe was a thing I would eat all the time if I could! The Chashu bowl was also delicious, the chashu was tender and perfectly seasoned. We then all got the miso ramen, which was just delightful. The broth was complex and full of umami, and the noodles were perfectly chewy! It's definitely worth adding the egg into your ramen. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for really high quality ingredients and homemade soup and noodles in their ramen! read more

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I've been wanting to try this ramen spot but I don't live close by but I'm glad I made the trek. We had to wait a little even with a reservation for people to finish eating, but it was worth the wait. Our server was very friendly and made sure we enjoyed our food as he knew it was our first time. We loved how cute it was inside with the plants and a snorlax portrait. We ordered the Ikura bowl ($16), Aburasoba ($18), and the Akahoshi Miso ($19). We got two eggs for each noodle which was $2 each egg. When we first saw the Ikura bowl, we loved how much Ikura was in the bowl. We were shocked as most places will skimp. The eggs were delicious! Both of our favorite bowl was the Aburasoba which my friend was surprised about since she's more of a soup girl and was skeptical with dry noodles. I love dry noodles so I was excited. The flavor in the noodles with the sauce was delicious, not an overpowering flavor of garlic and soy sauce. It was more of a thin layer of sauce that was mixed in the noodles. The Akahoshi Miso was very rich and perfect for a cold day like today. The pork chashu was delicious and we liked the crinkly noodles. My friend and I definitely want to come back again very soon. We wished there was an option to order pick up as we loved this spot a lot. A top tier ramen spot for sure. read more

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I wasn't too sure about this place, but I thought my Ramen was very good! I went pretty standard and stayed with the signature Akahoshi Miso Ramen which was excellent and the perfect amount of saltiness. I also got the spice mix on the side which I strangely thought was the highlight of the meal! While this is a little on the expensive side, I liked my portion of ramen. Not too big and not too small. I also greatly enjoy that this place takes reservations which oddly is not common for Ramen places. If there is any downside, I thought the menu was pretty small. Its basically ramen and noodles. Thats it. No apps, no desserts. Maybe this is done on purpose to get people in and out. We were done at this place in 35 minutes which is great if you want an excellent meal hot and fast, but this place seems to be more upscale where you take a little bit of time. I was also not the biggest fan of my boozy Arnold Palmer. The menu really sold it for me, but I was expecting more. I am also a bit concerned about the automatic tip on the bill. Not that I don't believe they should get the tip (service was great), but their website makes it seem like they HAVE to add this tip and cannot take it away. I am pretty sure they are either misunderstanding laws or bending the truth. Again, not a problem with giving the tip, but I thought it was a weird cop out on their website. Oh, and they don't have menus. You HAVE to read the menu from their website. This old millennial wants their paper menus! I will probably be back. The food is actually really good, but I would highly recommend checking out the menu before you go. Pretty Cool Ice Cream is across the street. Dessert anybody? read more

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Overall I thought this place was good. Service was great. Reservations were hard to get so once we got the reservation, we had to try one of everything :) For all the ramen, we ordered it with a boiled egg and no bamboo shoots, beansprouts, or onions. Soupless Tantanmen - Way too salty Aburasoba - So good.. I would get this again and I love the garlic in it Akahoshi Miso - Decent Midwest Shoyu - Good - Daughter ate this up October Monthly Special - Really good Chashu Rice Bowl - Delicious Overall, we would come back but will probably stick with the Aburasoba and try the monthly special. read more

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Ramen nowadays at restaurants will typically always run you about $16-$22, so at a similar price point for Akahoshi, this ramen was definitely worth it. As an adult, I've travelled to Japan at least 6 times. I've had train station ramen that blew my mind and random mom & pop shops in small countryside towns that easily made my top 3 list. I'm not too picky, but melt in your mouth chashu, noodles with a bit of a bite, and a solid broth are what makes a ramen good in my eyes. I don't typically care about the sides/veggies/extra additions tbh. I ordered the Akahoshi Miso and wasn't disappointed. I will say that there was something weirdly bitter in the broth, but it may have been the bean sprouts or green onion. Aside from that, I wish I ordered an extra serving of their tender chashu before I got too full! I enjoyed the broth aside from the bitter taste, and wanted to take the rest home. Our server heard me telling my husband that I would eat it with some rice later, and she made the suggestion of ordering kaedama (extra noodles) to enjoy later. I'm sitting here two days later having just made myself a secondary bowl with my leftover broth and fresh noodles, and I'm thanking her in my head! Service was nice and prompt, and the location is cozy. One random nice touch is that they have these amazing chopsticks where the tips are TEXTURED. If you're someone like me who can't use chopsticks properly, (sorry, ancestors!) these are going to make your life so much easier to grab the noodles. I'm gonna need to find these for my house haha. If they ever bring back the triple garlic tonkatsu special that I saw on other reviews, I will 100% be coming back that month. read more

Akahoshi Ramen - Akahoshi Miso - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A lot of hype about Akahoshi and for the most part - they met those standards. I thankfully was able to walk in around opening and was able to grab a table for 4 after 10 mins. The miso had a classic thick flavorful miso taste. The noodles, chashu, and shio koji chicken were all good! It don't think it's the best bowl of ramen in Chicago but do think it's a tasty one well worth a visit. read more

Akahoshi Ramen - Akahoshi Miso - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Went in for some ramen and was scammed. They hide a service charge and throw a tablet in front of you asking for a tip. I hate deceitful businesses. read more

Akahoshi Ramen - Really don't understand the service charge then they put tablet in front of you asking for another 20% tip. I hate deceitful businesses. - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you've been wondering if Akahoshi Ramen has earned its reputation, I am here to unfortunately tell you that it absolutely has. Akahoshi has some of the most authentic ramen I've had in Chicago. On top of that, my party of 4 was in and about in less than an hour flat. The true ラーメン屋 experience! I had the Akahoshi miso ramen which had a nice salt that I imagine came from a mixture of light and dark miso. My friends got the monthly special, a lamb tsukemen that I tried a bit of. The dipping soup was very unctuous, very deliciously heavy. Highly recommend a visit. If you haven't made a reservation and you haven't shown up shortly before opening, you might be waiting. read more

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First of all, the broth, probably one of the best broths I had here in Chicago. Is delicious. I ordered their Akahoshi miso ramen, serving size was perfect, not too much, definitely enough to fill you up. My friend ordered their monthly special with was a spicy soup based ramen. She enjoyed it as well. Definitely has a kick, so be careful. The place can get busy, I didn't have a reservation, and their seating can be very close to other people, which I don't mind at all. It's a cute place tho! And everyone is really nice. read more

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Nice ramen place! When we went they had dipping noodles which were good (everyone else in my party ordered them but me). My ramen was delicious and filling. Open kitchen concept so you can watch all the action if you want. Quick service - kind employees. read more

Akahoshi Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here for dinner - I love trying the monthly ramen specials offered and I especially liked this January 2026 special. The miso ramen broth is so flavorful and the spicy miso ball on the special was a good balance of spice and not-too-spicy. Pretty rich and salty near the end. Still wish that an egg was already included with the price of the bowl but honestly I just started bringing my own eggs to place that change extra so it's whatever read more

Akahoshi Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you like Ramen this is the place to go. It's a simple menu with a big flavor punch. We both got the Akahoshi Miso with the Ajitama egg. My son also added the extra spice. It was loaded with flavor and the pork melted in our mouths. We added sides of rice to the leftover broth. They take reservations but parking is tough. They encourage no tipping since they add a 20% service charge. Karina checked often to see if we were pleased! read more

Akahoshi Ramen - My son getting all the broth! - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Nice seating area and great service! I recommend getting a reservation if possible but most likely they can do walk-ins. Their triple garlic tonkotsu (5/5) was great and everything I want in a tonkotsu. Creamy, not too garlicky, and the pork is tender. The noodles were great too and the texture was just right. Sad that they don't have this as a regular menu item. My bf for the Midwest shoyu (3.5/5) which was good, just a bit too salty. He was hoping for more spicy options since he enjoys spicy ramen way more. Great ramen place and we saw the owner there working which is always nice to see! read more

Akahoshi Ramen - Midwest Shoyu - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I was treated to this place for my birthday. It's a remen spot I've been meaning to try but it just hasn't worked out. I heard about it when they first opened but getting reservation used to be extremely hard. Seems like some of the hype has gone down as it's easier now. Walking in the place is bright and modern, clean, and aesthetically pleasing. We were promptly greeted and seated at a comfortable booth. The menu is very limited. No appetizers, ans only two ramen to pick from. On one end i like that they specialized in just ramen, on the other I normally love chicken karaage when done right. I got the miso ramen with extra chicken and the spice powder to make it spicy. The ramen was really good, lots of depth, you can taste the miso paste and tonkotsu that perfectly blend together. The spice powder added so much more flavor and made the ramen more exciting. Glad the waitress told me a "little goes a long way" because that Carolina Reaper was bery spicy. If you're getting the spice powder add little by little until you get the flavor you like. The added chicken I got was all breast but somehow was very juicy and texture was real nice. The chashuu was also really good. I would prefer more fatty pieces, and a bit more marinate, but overall it was done very well. Service was on point, Id like for come back and try the chicken tsukemen which is the special for June. This place is definitely worth a try if you're a ramen head like me. read more

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2025 Chicago. Dinner review. Ramenya. (Best) Akahoshi Miso The namesake of the shop. Blend of misos, homemade crinkly Sapporo-style noodles, plenty of lard. Topped with beansprouts, green onions, menma bamboo shoots, pork chashu Soupless Tantanmen Soupless variant of ramen, based loosely on Dandan noodles. Extra thick noodles, ma-la spice, sesame. Topped with pork soboro, green onions, bok choi June Monthly Special: Kotteri Chicken Tsukemen We explore tsukemen (dipping noodles) with this version that highlights chicken and American flavors. Mirepoix, roux, and chicken all play part in this ultra rich, creamy dipping soup. Served with cold, chewy, thick noodles, to dip in the hot soup. Topped with pork chashu, shio Koji chicken breast, chicken thigh, green onions, menma bamboo shoots, fried onion Overall, "A-Ok." read more

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Tasty and affordable ramen that more than holds up against the rest of the ramen places in Chicago! Ever since this place opened up, I've been waiting to come try and hear what the hype is about, and I finally got a chance for my wife and I to visit recently. We stuck with the basics, I got the Akahoshi miso and my wife got the Midwest shoyu. My bowl came loaded with springy noodles, bamboo shoots, a nice portion of pork, and lots of melty yummy pork fat with a rich meaty broth. The flavor was delicious but a bit heavy, I'm usually able to get to the bottom of the bowl before it starts feeling strong but this bowl started feeling heavy mid meal, that said the flavor was great and I did enjoy it. The shoyu was a bit lighter, with juicy chicken breast and a less deep tasting but still savory broth. They always have a monthly special on rotation which sounded good, but it was our first time so we wanted to stick with the classics. I really liked the Akahoshi Biiru, a house made saison that had a slightly fruity but crisp, dry, clean taste; while it wasn't cheap, it did pair very nicely with the ramen. All in all, it's not a perfect bowl of soup but it is very good, no frills and worth a visit! read more

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This place made The Infatuation's list of the hardest reservations to get in Chicago. Even though I was to be a solo diner, there was still a multi-week wait for a spot. If you ask me if it was worth the wait, I regrettably must answer "no." I went for the Akahoshi Ramen, even though the menu stated "plenty of lard" and I already have alarmingly high cholesterol. Let's keep it a secret between us. When asked if I would like to add an egg, I said yes (note: there is a $2 up-charge). The good: The broth was immensely savory and had terrific flavor. The combination of misos is really something! I also enjoyed the noodle - these were cooked to a perfect al dente, and the crinkled texture was lovely. The bad: First, the level of salt was sky high. I appreciate that ramen isn't what one would call a low-sodium food, however, the levels still felt off the charts! Second was the Chashu - in my humble opinion, really great Chashu is one that I happily order more of on the side. It melts in your mouth and bursts with flavor, and this wasn't it. Some parts were, but more so boiled, lightly fire-roasted pork. Worse still, only side of one piece experienced the kiss of fire. The nail in the Chashu coffin: the knife skills were MIA, one piece was of variable thickness, and another was half-sized. I also ordered a Yuzu Highball. This one refreshing, and reminiscent of a gin and tonic - only with notes of citrus (yuzu) instead of juniper. A refreshing drink, but otherwise boring and uninspired. The prices were okay. I feel as though they may have been a little bit on the high side, but within reason. Finally, some points to the service which was fast, polite, and attentive. Thus, we are left with a respectable bowl of Ramen. The flavors are good, but the salt is way up there. I also felt that it lacked the level of excitement that would warrant a weeks, if not months long wait. read more

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I'm no chef so we were completely off but we thought that they changed the recipe for the soupless. Before it was so umami and we were fighting over it but this one left a weird aftertaste in our mouths and was not as tasty, we only got a few bites deep before we had to get something else. They were SUPER accommodating though as a great restaurant is and confirmed no recipe change, so it's just our weird tastebuds I guess! The special however was really something special and was amazing and so flavorful! All comments above aside, I would still rank this the best ramen in chi any day! Great service, great food, great people! The Japanese Arnold Palmer was delicious read more

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Super delicious ramen! I got the October monthly special and it was a great blend of pork broth and dashi. The burnt lard on top was super good. My husband got the tantanmen, which was really decadent and creamy. I would recommend ordering the spice - it comes on the side, and it made a huge difference for our ramens. The restaurant was laid out well- with shared tables in the center and booths on the side. We were a table of 4 and got a booth! I also thought it was super neat that they had THC infused sodas in addition to cocktails. I just wish they had a little dessert offering! read more

Akahoshi Ramen - Monthly special October - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The hype is real! We were very lucky with making a reservation months in advanced that we were seated in a booth. We both ordered the miso ramen + egg which was otherworldly. The miso is made with lard which gives it a super creamy taste. I can't say I've ever had ramen taste like this, a truly delicious and unique experience. A service charge of 20% is added to all bills in lieu of a tip. Great service and cute interior! Pro tip--walk in immediately when they open to put your name in and go across to split milk for a cocktail. Normally a 60-90 minute wait and it's just down the street. read more

Akahoshi Ramen - Miso Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I was not so much an empress with the Akahoshi Miso, even though it is their signature dish; it felt like it needed a bit more flavor to it. But the one my friend had the Midwest Shoyu definitely you can taste the duck flavor maybe next time I will try that one if I do come back again is just my own opinion to this dish price is a bit to high for ramen my opinion as well. read more

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I was lucky enough to make a reservation for 6 people on a Tuesday night for my first time here. Attentive and friendly staff. All checks will include a 20% service charge. I ordered the March special - Tonkotsu Gyokai. The broth was flavorful but not overwhelming - even when I mixed the fish powder in after initial taste. Noodles were a good texture. I added an egg to the ramen and it was a bit salty. It's $2 to add an egg. My friend tried the spice powder and she said it was quite spicy (also $2). This is the first ramen bowl I finished all the broth. On the pricier end but it's an experience to try their ramen. I can understand the hype! read more

Akahoshi Ramen - Tonkotsu Gyokai - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Literally eating as I type this... We got here at about 16:50 and waited In line and got seated immediately when they open at 17:00. The space is modern, simple and cozy with many seats. Service is great and quick. The menu is simple and straightforward and I love that! Food is excellent and the barley tea is so nice and we are already looking forward to coming back to other items. read more

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First and foremost, boy, am I glad I made a reservation for one. I was there right at the top of their opening and there was already a line of 20-or-so folks. I had to wait a good 10 minutes before I was seen by the host. The dude in front of me was by himself, but was quoted 35-40 minutes wait. I, of course, was sat down immediately at the counter. I think I was able to swing the late reservation because it was just me today, but I would definitely recommend making a reservation. They do say that half of their seating are reserved for walk-ins, but unless you're one of the first 10 or 20 people lined up before 5pm, you'll immediately be waiting 30 - 40 minutes. It's too cold this time of the year in Chicago to be waiting around. This is Logan Square, so there are plenty of bars and such you could be hanging out while you're waiting, of course. The place was nice and cozy. Not a "typical" ramen joint that try to emulate Japanese vibe, but definitely young and hip, in my opinion. Nice long ramen counter with the view of the open kitchen plus plenty of shared counter tables and booths. Staff were all very attentive and nice. Again, I was sitting at the counter alone, so I will always get the fastest service directly from the kitchen staff, but from what I could tell, everyone else seemed to be tended very quickly. Their menu is super simple and on-point, in my opinion. Two soup-based ramen and a couple soup-less ones. Miso and shoyu were the soup choices so I went with the shoyu ramen, which is my wife's go-to. I like to test the simplest ones available whenever I'm at a new ramen place and as far as I could tell, they didn't have any shio-base ramen options. I'm always speculative when it comes to trying out a new ramen place. I always say there are plenty of "decent" ramen places all over the place but there aren't too many extraordinary places around, at least as far as all the places I've tried in the State-side. I, of course, cannot speak for any of the ones in the land of its origin. I can now say that the bowl of shoyu ramen I had here is at the top of my list, competing with my previously favorite place back in Toledo. It probably will sound odd to say my favorite was in Toledo, but the menu for that place was mastered by a Japanese native person whom if I'm not mistaken, has mastered his craft from Japan. My previous favorite shoyu ramen was from a place back in L.A., but my wife told me since her latest visit that the flavor there is not what we remembered, especially compared to the said place in Toledo. Noodles were cooked to perfection in al dente, which is to be expected. Clear, brown soup base contained just the right amount of saltiness and had plenty of meat umami with beautiful amount of meat fat floating. Toppings were kept classically with pieces of menma, plenty of negi, three pieces of fresh nori and of course, the added ajitamago. The most surprising and the best part of the toppings were the two meat pieces. One was a usual piece of cha-shu and the other was an unusual addition of a piece of chicken breast. A quick research shows that chicken cha-shu is a regular topping for shio ramen, but I personally have never seen it served on traditional shoyu ramen. I have definitely never seen it served together with another piece of pork cha-shu. The thing is, they were both cooked to perfection. Neither pieces had any unpleasant taint, which meant that they didn't bleed any unwanted flavor into the soup. It's possible that it's due to me being there alone to enjoy and solely concentrate on the flavor of the meal with no distractions. Maybe. But the fact remains that it may be that I finally found one ramen place that I can focus and explore (rest of the menu) many more times. It was definitely a memorable, satisfactory meal and an experience. I already raved about it to my wife and daughter, whom I will definitely be bringing in the short future. It's not often that I rant and rave about a place after just the first try, but I'm excited to go back and try rest of their other offerings and share my thoughts. read more

Definitely on the pricier side, but my experience here was pretty good overall. Invited a friend for dinner. We got here about 10 minutes before opening during the week, and there was already a line outside in the cold. Fortunately, without a reservation in this case, we were still sat once they opened really quickly. Our server was alright. Not super talkative or went out of her way to be friendly, but she did her job and we got exactly what we needed. We both enjoyed our ramen, and I'd definitely come back in the future. read more

Akahoshi Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

TLDR: 3.5 stars. Their Akahoshi Miso is lovely but skip the shoyu. I was SO EXCITED to try this place but I should've known the shoyu wasn't going to be good. As a Tokyoite who grew up eating shoyu ramen, I have really high expectations, and Akahoshi's shoyu broth was just lacking in depth. The server talked about chicken soup with katsuobushi but I didn't get any umami flavors from the katsuobushi coming thru. Great chashu tho! Would've been nice to have an ajitama be a default and not an add-on; That's a little tacky in my opinion... Thr Akahoshi Miso was quite excellent tho! Nice, nutty, rich flavors (a good combo of misos). But our bowl didn't come with the bean sprouts it was supposed to come with, which was a little disappointing for a Sapporo-inspired ramen. All in all, Akahoshi tries but it didn't live up to the hype for me. It has a solid bowl of miso ramen, which the city doesn't have a lot of, but the shoyu is just another mediocre bowl. Ramen Wasabi still has better shoyu, imo. read more

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GO GO GO. Folks are friendly and the ramen is DOPE!!! Personal favorite was the "Soupless Tantanmen", but everything was absolutely delicious. Feb special "February Monthly Special: Hope-Ken Tonkotsu" was my wife's favorite. We will be going back soon to try the March monthly special. As always at Akahoshi, the ajitama egg is a must-order add-on. They offer diners "soup-wari," which is chicken broth that they add to thin out the dipping soup (if that is the style of ramen you order). Also they offer diners "Kaedama" extra noodles, which was great to finish off my "Soupless Tantanmen" No desserts at Akahoshi, but a stop across the street at Pretty Cool Ice Cream is a no brainer. read more

Honestly, I hate to give this place a 3 star because the first time I came here I was very impressed by the shio broth and the chewiness of the noodles. This time around I came here for the clams shio ramen but left with disappointment. Maybe, I was expecting it to blow my mind again like it did the first time around? The noodles were great as usual, but the broth was way too salty in my opinion. The first sip was like wow, tasted just like a clam broth kind of soup, but then throughout the rest of the meal it felt like I was just drinking a bowl of salt water. Every time I took a sip of the soup, I just felt like I was eating a spoonful of salt. I personally thought the slice of pork was a bit on the skimpier side given that the clams were a decent size. Usually I'm more about the broth and I love walking out ramen places with the bowl being empty but unfortunately this time around, I couldn't do it. I was chugging water as I was eating this bowl of ramen. Service is always good here and there wasn't a wait when I came here alone on a Wednesday night around 6pm. **One thing to note is that this place automatically adds 20% gratuity to the bill which is fine because servers make sure you're aware of it before swiping your cc, but I find it weird that the 20% is before the subtotal line which means I'm paying taxes on gratuity so essentially you're paying an extra 2% if you really think about it.** read more

Akahoshi Ramen - April monthly special: Clam shio - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Loved it but didn't think the old fashioned with Okinawa brown sugar tasted very authentic . My favorite has to eb the one from Miru. Although on the sweeter side but you can tell that it's just not a regular old fashioned! it was $17+tax ( no service fee on top thank god) and 20% automatic tip! I had the monthly special ramen which was a crazy$28! I don't mind paying the amount with all the fresh Ingredients but didn't like the idea of paying $8 extra for broth!! Luckily The side veggies like bean sprouts Bokchoy and bamboo shoots are only $1 each! read more

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