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    Akahoshi Ramen

    4.4 (242 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 2 weeks ago

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    AKAHOSHI RAMEN ATMOSPHERE

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    Alvin T.

    Though there's nothing particularly wrong about this place, I do think it's way too overhyped. Reservations are way too hard to secure for a place like this, the ramen is definitely good, but it's not mind blowingly must try several times to secure a reservation type of good. If you happen to stumble and able to get seated her, absolutely go for it and try the ramen. Otherwise I don't think it's worth going out of your way to try this place when there are plenty of other great ramen spots in the city.

    Veggie-Kotsu
    Semona R.

    One of my favorite ramen spots in Chicago. I love a vegetarian ramen and theirs hit the spot. The Veggie-Kotsu isn't spicy so I got some spices on the side that could be added in to bring up the spice level. It's a light dish, with flavorful tofu and cashew cream base. My tip: Add an egg so some extra protein! The place was full but we were sat almost immediately without a reservation. The staff is very knowledgeable and service was great. There are booths and communal tables, making the whole vibe of the restaurant very cozy and connected. Everyone who loves ramen should come check this spot out!

    Shu O.

    Akahoshi has been on my list for a while, but we basically ran here after hearing that their August special was tsukemen. This review is only for that - 5/5, easily the best ramen I've had in Chicago and comparable to the ones I've had in Japan. The dipping sauce/broth was complex and punchy, and the texture of the noodles paired well with it. The egg is unfortunately extra, but bonus points for the tsukemen for not being overly salty (which is pretty common for ramen). I'll definitely keep an eye out for the specials to come!

    July special: spicy tonkatsu
    Claire L.

    A very popular fancy Ramen place this high energy industrial decor Ramen shop deliver delivers. Make sure to make a reservation, but also weekdays they do seem to have space for walk-ins. The ikura bowl was super good. A salty popping with warm rice below. I think it was actually my favorite over the Ramen. The noodles were really flavorful and had a good bounce and chew to them. The meats were cooked to perfection as they melted in your mouth. Take note that it is extra for the egg, but definitely worth it as it was very soft and jammy in the inside. The July special, which was a spicy tonkatsu with a garlic bomb was good but the broth was maybe not my favorite. It ended up being too garlicly that added some bitterness and also maybe too spicy. The creaminess of the complexity of a pork broth just did not come through as punchy as I would've wanted it. The Shoyu was also delicious with the chicken breast has a stand out. The broth was also fatty goodness and had subtle great flavors.

    Menu
    Greg G.

    Akahoshi keeps it simple, but delicious. This is a true Japanese style ramen shop that knows what they specialize in and it shows. You do have to make reservations, but it is worth a try while in town. We came to celebrant birthday while in town. The moment we walked in we were taken care of. The menu is a QR on the table and the options are pretty straight forward. Traditional Shoyu, Miso, Dipping, and a brothless option. Our table ordered one of each and they all hit the mark. I have been dying to try tsukemen (dipping ramen) which has chewy, cold noodles, served with a thicker very flavorful broth. All ramen was served with chicken and a charshu pork. Our server was very attentive and the food was very try prompt. We all left satisfied and definitely want to return. Is it the best ramen in the world, probably not. However, they know what they are doing. Check it out.

    Kim T.

    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.

    Akahoshi miso
    Gina L.

    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.

    Denyce M.

    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!

    Chili shrimp special
    Michelle G.

    My friends have been to this ramen place and liked it (one friend liked the akahoshi miso, the other didn't like that but liked the yuzu shio special they got). I'd also been curious because I know they'd been busy and there had been a lot of buzz. I ended up getting the Midwestern shoyu and my friend got the spicy chili shrimp special. I liked both but didn't love or feel particularly obsessed/blown away. Good but I personally don't need to go back. I also have to caveat and say I'm a snob (lol) and feel I've been ruined by ramen from when I've gone to Japan, which I know this place is not claiming to do.

    Stephanie S.

    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.

    Soupless tantanmen and akahoshi miso
    Jennifer N.

    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.

    January 2026 special: Akayu Spicy Miso Ramen
    Allegra A.

    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!

    Akahoshi Miso
    Shannon A.

    Ramen was amazing. Can't stop thinking about how perfect the noodles were and how flavorful the broth was. Already planning my next visit. Shop is small, like it ought to be. Service was friendly and fast. Solid 5 stars.

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    Had high hopes but didn't think the ramen was anything special. I prefer ramen wasabi to this place.

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    2 years ago

    Really great tasting ramen. I had the special ramen recently and the intense garlic and tonkatsu flavors ere amazing.

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    4.2 miNear North Side
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    Came to Ramen San on an impromptu date after our original plans fell through, and it ended up being…read morea really good choice. I loved the indoor outdoor feel of the space with the open windows, and they also have a nice outdoor seating area. The atmosphere is casual but cute, with a mix of bar, high top, and bench seating. We tried a few cocktails, which were good, and our server was friendly, patient, and gave great recommendations. But the absolute STAR of the meal was the crab rangoon dumplings. OMG. I already love crab rangoon, but these took it to another level. They were easily my favorite thing we ordered, and I would go back just for those. I'm not usually a big ramen person, but I was pleasantly surprised by how flavorful the ramen was. We ordered a spicy option with fried chicken, and while I wasn't a fan of the fried chicken getting soggy in the broth, the ramen itself was delicious...honestly, the flavors were even better the next day after everything had soaked in. Overall, I really enjoyed it and would definitely come back to try another ramen. But those crab rangoon dumplings? I could go back for those RIGHT NOW.

    Another great visit to Ramen-San. Although the restaurant was busy, I was able to grab a table…read moreimmediately, which was a nice surprise. I ordered the karaage chicken nuggets and chicken and veggie dumplings, while my friend ordered the nuggets and fried chicken bun. Everything came out quickly and hot. The chicken nuggets were meaty and flavorful, and the sauce really elevated the dish. The fried dumplings were packed with vegetables and had a great texture. My friend enjoyed her fried chicken bun the most. She loved how soft the bun was and thought the sauce on the sandwich really brought everything together. We did have a little hiccup at the end of our meal. We waited for the bill for a while before flagging down our server, only to find out that the bill was connected to the QR code in the booth. I actually think that's a really cute and convenient concept, but it would be helpful if guests were told about it when they're seated or when the food is delivered. It would definitely save guests from sitting around wondering when their check is coming. Overall, another enjoyable experience at Ramen-San.

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    Kyuramen - Downtown Chicago - (1) Tonkotsu Shouyu Ramen - IG: @thebaoeats

    Kyuramen - Downtown Chicago

    4.2(643 reviews)
    4.3 miNear North Side
    $$

    Probably one of the best, near authentic ramens in the downtown area. My husband and I LOVED the…read more"Amazing Lemonade." Whatever they put in it, it's truly amazing. The ramen noodles have texture and not soggy. The broth, though a bit oily, was delicious with depth. The omurice is more of a novelty dish here. It's good, but if you've ever had the real thing, you'll know that it's not close to a real omurice. The curry that goes on top was basic and nothing special. Service can be a hit or miss. We've been here a couple of times and it just depended on who you got. Ambiance is nice. You get a pseudo private area/booth like place to sit. But this traps the heat in and we were both sweating by the end of it. Would be nice if they were able to turn down the temperature or not make the light above so hot.

    It's funny how this is my first time eating at Kyuramen, in downtown Chicago. When there's one…read moreabout 15 minutes away from where I live. Yet, Ive never been to that Iocation. The inside is perfect for the space and seating. We sat in the honeycomb and it fits about 2 adults, and probably smaller child. But it was cool to experience that. The service was quick and whenever we needed something, they were quick to respond. Regardless, this was amazing for dinner. Their Okonomiyaki is the best Ive ever eaten. And I've 100s of them from all over. Their ramen is a winner,doesnt matter what kind off the menu.. Their bao bun is also delectable. The Green Matcha puddng is the dessert I needed. I will definitely be back. Thank you!

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    Monster Ramen - The Monster

    Monster Ramen

    4.3(190 reviews)
    0.8 miLogan Square
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    I was skeptical when I first heard the name Monster Ramen. All my previous personal experiences…read morehave always proven to me that restaurants with names that don't represent their culture in distinct ways are generally subpar. For example, I would usually never even think to step into a restaurant named Best China House, Sushi Bistro, or Mom's Korean Restaurant. (Apologies if your shops are named as such. These were meant to be generic examples) Oh, how times have changed. I would have never thought having a bowl of ramen at a Monster Ramen would give me this much pleasure. Part of it will (in fact, most of it) be on me and my general philosophy on fusion cuisine and outdated gemerational gap. There was definitely a time when avoiding agorementioned type of restaurants may have been deemed smart. But I feel the new generation of restaurant owners and chefs have up'd their games in not only at better food making, but also accepting of a bit more irony. Anyone who knows me knows how much I stay away from trying anything "fusion." It's kinda funny to myself how hypocritical it is that I would be totally okay in substituting an ingredient or two when I'm missing some when cooking, but when it comes to paying money to sit and eat that I would judge chefs by thier style of cooking. Yes, a big part of it is based on a large pool of personally gathered data, but I do acknowledge that I need to open myself up a bit more. Case in point. I was recommended MR by a fellow Yelper and I decided to give it a whirl. I happened to have a friend and his son with me, so I was able to do small tastings of 3 different ramen. And boy, was I pleasantly surprised. We collectively had bowls of shio, shoyu and miso specials. Plus, I ended up getting the Summer Special bowl to go for my wife. All of them had their individual charm to them but more importantly, each of them were made to perfection when it came to broth seasoning and noodle texture, which are THE two most important aspect of ramen, in my opionion. Not too salty nor bland soup. Perfectly dense noodles. I just loved all four! It wad when I tasted the yuzu in tgeir shio ramen that my wife would love it. Even though I brought her the spicy Sunmer version home, I still think it'll be worth bringing her and our daughter back when we get a chance to. Our server Dionne (I think) was most pleasant and helpful. The atmosphere of the restaurant was great, too. It helped that I came before the dinner rush, although, I can also see more lively vibe being nice as well. Will be back with the fam definitely!

    Was very excited to try this place since I've heard a lot of good things. We had a reservation so…read morewe were seated pretty quickly but since the restaurant was small, we were placed at a 4-person table where me and my friend had to sit next to 2 random strangers which I wasn't really a fan of. Our server was very nice and attentive though, we knew what we wanted so we placed our order and received our food quickly too. I enjoyed The Monster ramen that I got, the broth was super flavorful and perfectly creamy. I loved the beef jam and Wagyu chashu, Although, I will say the noodles themselves didn't really stand out. I enjoyed my ramen but I'm not sure I would get it again. I would definitely come back to try their other ramen though.

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    Akahoshi Ramen - ramen - Updated September 2026

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