Server was super duper nice :) The ramen itself was 4/5. The broth was a little too salty for my tastes and not quite rich enough. However, the the chicken karrage was simply excellent. Next time I'll get the karrage bowl. Price was a little steep, nearly $20 with tax just for the ramen. However, I really had a hankering for authentic ramen and this hit the spot. I'll definitely be back. read more

Aodake Ramen - Tonkatsu SIGNATURE Tonkotsu Black Ramen - Ramen Near Me - La Grange, Illinois

I had some high hopes for this place given the good reviews. I didn't think it was bad, but there is definitely nothing special about it. Having been to a lot of ramen spots and also making my own ramen at home, this was just average to me. In doing any research on a spot, firstly you likely go to their website. Theirs is not updated. They actually do have some beverages (pix posted) but do not post any of the producers. That is a huge issue, obviously. I think they at least need to get a few beers and wines that they like from their distributor and post a list to their site and perhaps swap out their 'premium' or something of that nature. From going to their site you would not know if it was a fast food place or more of a casual sit down; it is the latter. While it is small, the lighting and decor is conducive to having a relaxing meal, although you wouldn't know it from the speed at which they attempt to get you in and out. When I first sat down, the person immediately wanted to take my order. I hadn't even looked at the menu or ordered a drink yet. So the service, while attentive, was not great. I went at lunch on a Thursday and the place was about 1/3 full so it has some good foot traffic and/or regulars. They do have wifi but don't post the password so again, just more feeling like a fast food spot than a 'relax, eat and have a drink spot.' Whenever I go to a ramen spot for the first time, I always order the tonkotsu because it is the best gauge to me. I have made it at home with pig trotters and even a pig head so I know what goes into this. But let's be honest, that broth has been done for a while considering it takes at least two days so there is no reason to rush the ordering. Overall I felt the dish needed more flavor. The toppings themselves seemed to be the actual stars as I thought all were prepared perfectly and had the right amount. The best thing was the egg, which was perfectly cooked and tasted great. The pork belly, while tender, didn't have a ton of flavor and I thought could actually use some more texture. I loved that it was tender but that is one of the few things in ramen that should have a bit of chew. The noodles were also a bit a smaller side but not bad. That makes me wonder if they make them in house (which nearly no one does so kudos to them if they do), only because the size was a bit different from what I'm used to seeing. Overall okay ramen but definitely nothing to write home about. But if you're in the area and craving ramen, still a good option. read more

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one of the best ramen i had in a while. all ingredients are fresh and tasty. Gotta be careful with spicy entries. All i can say: They are really spicy !! read more

I've lived in downtown Chicago for the past 20 years but last year we relocated to the 'burbs into one of our rentals temporarily. What I miss most about the city is the food and the ease at getting anywhere fast to get a great meal. In the city we eat Ramen at least once a week. Now that I'm in the 'burbs I haven't found any good Ramen places until I found this gem while driving through LaGrange. Visited with my kids who were home for Christmas. It was late and cold and maybe Christmas Eve (?) the night we visited and for a while we were the only ones there. The service was super friendly and I ended up ordering a Sake that was recommended by the server. It was a light Sake and I enjoyed it. We ordered Gyoza and Fried Chicken Buns. Both were tasty and bite size. I ordered the Chicken Paitan, and the kids had the Spicy Tantan and Tokyo. The spicy was apparently very spicy but not so overpowering that you lose the flavors of the ramen. It was tasty and well prepared and not too much of one thing over powering the other. Glad we found this place and we will be back! read more

It's refreshing to see more variety coming into downtown Lagrange! With that said I went to Aodake Ramen last Thursday and it exceeded my expectations. I ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen and Spicy Brussel Sprouts. The ramen was not overly salty and the broth was rich and robust. The noodles were that perfect combination of soft and firm. Overall it was a good bowl of ramen. The spicy brussel sprouts really knocked things out of the park though. They were lightly battered similar to tempura and have this amazing chile sauce on them. I will be coming back for these alone! I love ramen and frequent Misoya, Strings, Furious Spoon, and Santouka. With Aodake being local it will save me a drive! Lastly, this place has only been in business a couple weeks and I can appreciate how difficult it is to open a restaurant. There are some growing pains such as slow service but I attribute that to it being newly opened. I believe it was the owner or manager that came up to our table at the end of the meal and asked about our experience and was genuinely asking for feedback. I thoroughly appreciated this. I hope this restaurant does well because they bring variety to the area and variety is the spice of life! read more

Aodake Ramen - Ramen Near Me - La Grange, Illinois

This place is great! We got the takoyaki, gyoza, and the tonkatsu ramen (his spicy, mine regular). The flavour of the takoyaki was just how I remember them from when I studied in Japan, and the gyoza were tasty! We both loved our tonkatsu ramens, and I think the black garlic oil was the best touch! The broth wasn't too creamy, and I did add a little extra salt on mine! All-in-all, we'd return and recommend! read more

Aodake Ramen - Tonkatsu Ramen with chili oil - Ramen Near Me - La Grange, Illinois

So excited to find a ramen place in the west burbs! Definitely worth a try. I had the spicy brussel sprouts and the spicy tantan ramen. The brussel sprouts were amazing while the ramen was good as well. I plan on coming here and trying more things on their menu once the weather gets colder. Nothing says comfort food like a large hot bowl of ramen! The staff was very friendly and the service was fast. Also please note when they say spice they mean spicy not like the some places where it is barely noticeable. I'm a lover of spicy foods but someone who has a low tolerance for spicy should avoid their spicy dishes. read more

Aodake Ramen - Ramen Near Me - La Grange, Illinois

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Very tasty ramen. I recommend a little heat, as it does add a nice flavor. I didn't get it in mine, but my husband got it in his and his was even better than mine. You can add all kinds of toppings if you want, but as a base the various ramens come with the works. Cocktails were nothing to write home about, we got the Halloween ones though so it may be different for the others. Ambiance was comfy, and service was good! read more

Second time here and brought my husband this time. He had the number 1 noodle dish and I had 6 and it was beyond good. The broth is on fire! My husband said he's going to bring his work buddies here for lunch. We will be back. My favorite new place! Yum!! Sorry about the noodle pic! I was so hungry I started eating it as soon as it arrived and took picture a little after I had eaten some. read more

Aodake Ramen - Ramen Near Me - La Grange, Illinois

Talking about ramen in Chicago everything comes back to how it compares to Santouka at Mitsuwa. This place is no comparison what so ever. We both got tonkotsu and the broth was super bland and lacked depth. I've had better instant ramen. They use thin straight noodles which can be good if done right, they were not, texture was not there (Strings Ramen). Pork was grilled, chewy, and bland. Egg for forgettable. We also had gyoza and shumai which was good and server was nice/attentive. I didn't even finish my ramen and to quote my husband "it gets worse as I keep eating it". At $14 a bowl we expected much more. read more

If you haven't checked this place out yet - now is the time! This is our favorite go-to place! The owner is incredibly friendly and every server that works here is courteous and attentive. I have tried almost every meal on the menu since it has been open and I can't say anything cynical about any dish. The kid's lovely box is a hit with our son! He devours every bit of his plate. When asked where he wanted to go for his birthday dinner, he chose Aodake! The Spicy Garlic Tonkotsu Ramen is my fav; however, when wanting something a little less spicy I like to order the Tonkotsu Ramen or Miso Ramen. Spicy Brussels Sprouts are my favorite appetizer and any of their mochi is delicious (but black sesame is my favorite). We have dined in and carried out. Both have been fantastic experiences. We are so happy Aodake is here! read more

Loved the Takoyaki. I am by no means a Japanese expert, but I did visit Tokyo recently and that is when I got addicted to takoyaki. Also had the chicken karaage, which I order at every ramen noodle place I go to. Loved the fact that it was all dark meat (at least the plate I ordered). Consider me ol skool, but I even like dark meat win pieces of bone in it, but I'll be candid in that most folks prefer eating without the bones/hassle-free. Not sure if it was because we came late on a Sunday (and so not many folks around), but the customer service was great. The server was attentive and friendly. Will definitely be coming back! read more

We ordered from the gluten free menu and it was more like flavor free. It was bland, uninspiring and boring. I didn't like the noodle texture and I couldn't even finish the ramen I ordered. My husband ended up making stir fry at home to salvage the meal. I am so disappointed by my experience. read more

The food was excellent. The noodles taste homemade, and the broth has amazing flavors!! I ordered the spicy tantán and really enjoyed my dish. My husband ordered the spicy miso and he liked it but was not able to eat it because it was too spicy. It was so spicy it made him vomit. It was his fault however because he has GERD, the waiters was nice enough to accommodate and change the broth for him to take home. The pork buns were okay, i have had better. The bun was good, didn't really enjoy the filling. I would recommend this place! read more

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NEVER order delivery from this restaurant. I put in an order at 4:30pm for a 5:15pm delivery time. It's a rainy Sunday so when I get an email saying the delivery won't be till around 5:25pm, I'm not worried. At 6pm I call the restaurant because I've now been waiting for 30 minutes. I spoke with a manager who was incredibly nonchalant and acted like she was doing me a favor. So rude!! She told me maybe it could arrive around 6:30pm but she didn't know because it was raining and I have a big order (4 items, 1 being just broth and noodles). It finally came at 7pm. If your website parameters state you can deliver by a certain time, you should absolutely stick to it. If you can't, change it. Customer service is abysmal here and the food we received was cold and lackluster with no broth. Find ANYWHERE else to go if you're looking for ramen. read more

Very expensive for the small amount of food you get. Also the teriyaki chicken was sooo dry was a dap of sauce splashed on the top. Not worth the quality for the price. Panda Express for Benihana prices. read more

I love the takoyaki and the service was really good. This was my third time coming and it was a really great experience read more

Aodake Ramen - Ramen Near Me - La Grange, Illinois

wow. one of my fav places for good ramen! the best coconut shrimp ive ever had. 10/10 recommend read more

Aodake Ramen - Coconut Shrimp - Ramen Near Me - La Grange, Illinois

Waited an hour for a flavorless over salted broth My wife and I love ramen and this is by far the worst place we've ever visited. Forbidden noodles is about one block down and even tho it is more Americanized it's still much better read more

This was our first time visiting a ramen restaurant so we weren't sure what to expect. The restaurant is very clean and nice. Service was prompt. The appetizers were delicious. We got the pork buns and spring rolls. We both ordered the black tankatsu ramen bowls. They were just okay. The chicken in it was very tasty but the broth itself really didn't a a lot of flavor. While everything was good as a whole it isn't somewhere I plan to revisit. The main dish just wasn't as flavorful and we hoped it would be. read more

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Literally every time i come here the food is freshly delicious and I always leave satisfied, the service is great I don't feel pressured or rush and the staff is always close by to help, my food choice is always both the spicy chicken miso and the chicken karaage for appetizer, this Ramen has definitely set the bar and expectations of how I would love to enjoy my ramen. read more

We decided on Aodake because of the reviews. My husband and I both had the ramen- Different versions of it. The broth is as tasteless. It was evident it was not homemade or bone broth. The noodles were also tasteless. read more

I looked forward to this as an alternative to the Noodles and Company. It's not. I love Ramen. But I didn't love this. Went for a light lunch. The ramen we're good, not great. They threw into it what appeared to be cheap deli sliced chicken (Buttig?) and slivered veggies that we're still more raw than I prefer. If food is great, it's worth paying for it. This was not great. But this has one star because the service was absent. She took my order, delivered it 20 minutes later, and never checked back. Over 35 minutes passed and still no check back. No water refills. No "How was everything?" I won't be back. read more

Had the vegetable ramen. Very good stuff. Huge bowl. Quite a deal I think for only $11.00 And the staff was extremely friendly and welcoming too. Great experience. read more

Have been looking for a ramen spot to try close to work and thankfully came across this one. I enjoyed the lunch time special that included an appetizer and ramen entrée. I really enjoyed the level 2 spicy Miso Ramen dish, will definitely be back for that level 3 spicy Miso Ramen. Also, the Gyoza was a little crispy on the bottom but had a good taste. Will be back for sure to try other broth flavors. read more

I think they got new owners?? Or a new chef? It used to be not bad for not having Japanese owners, but the last 2 times it has been almost comically horrible especially for the price. Their "seasoned eggs" are quite literally hard boiled eggs without any seasoning what so ever, they're just plain white. Typically Japanese eggs in ramen have a jelly like consistency for the yolk and are deeply flavored with soy sauce and other ingredients. The paitain broth was almost clear, and again flavorless, additionally it had ZERO toppings aside from the ones I paid extra to add on...usually there's the standard toppings that come with. For $18 for one bowl that was truly a joke of a ramen. I have no clue what happened to this place :( read more

Visited 11/3/2018 - approx. 2:00PM We've traveled extensively though Japan & Asia. I really wanted to like this place, primarily because of my love of really good ramen and it's relatively nearby location. However, it pains me to have to say I was sorely disappointed on Aodake. We had the special tonkotsu. It was one they were offering that was not on the menu, trying to get customer feedback before possibly making it a permanent offering. It had more peppers and was spicier than their usual. The spice was good and actually not all that hot. However, the broth was not very full-flavored. I will say the pork slices were very tender and moist. Were it not for the spiciness, I think it would have been a bit bland. And the noodles were a bit too aldente for my taste. Our waiter was really sweet. But he brought out our tonkotsu, forgetting we had also ordered Gyoza. Not a big deal, really. But we were 2 of the other 3 people that were there, so it's not like he was swamped. My biggest complaint was the price. Having eaten at other Japanese ramen restaurants in Chicgao area, $47.00 for 2 bowls of tonkotsu and 1 order of Gyoza (just water to drink) was about $8.00 too expensive, IMO. I write it off to high rent in La Grange. (??) (Just an FYI, in Japan, this meal would have cost us a total of about $17.00) The restaurant decor is very nice and inviting. The house music was a bit of a downer - VERY slow and not in any sense Asian...almost depressing, actually, especially since the place was empty and quiet. Again, sorry I have to give you a thumbs down, but I gotta be honest. My suggestion: lower your prices at least $2.00 for the ramen, a $1.00 for Gyozas, boost the broth flavor and spice up the music. And maybe think about getting an actual native Japanese cook. read more

Much better than the other ramen shop in the same neighborhood. Had the spicy tantan and the broth had a lot depth in flavor, so good that at the end, you still wanted more and weren't disgusted at your life choices. Noodles had a great chew. Not quite Slurping Turtle or Strings in the city, but also not expecting it to be. Definitely better than Furious Spoon. Totally solid and satisfying. Will recommend and come back read more

Aodake Ramen - 6. Spicy Tantan Ramen - Ramen Near Me - La Grange, Illinois

Decided to try this place out since it is close to my job. Both waitresses were very friendly and welcoming, made sure to check in with my table every now and then. The food was also great, tried two dishes from the appetizers and was shocked at how much I enjoyed them. Will definitely recommend to friends and go back! read more

This place hit the spot today! I was in the mood for ramen noodle soup and this experience pwas absolutely better than Furious Spoon on the north side of Chicago. Teresa was an amazing waitress who even gave us some history on Japanese ramen noodles. Thank you Teresa and thank you Aodake Ramen. I was feeling under the weather but your Spicy Veggie was just what the doctor ordered. Definitely two thumbs up! read more

Finally, a ramen restaurant close to home! Came here for the first time over the weekend and was impressed. For starters, the place is spotlessly clean and has a simple but stylish decor. We were greeted immediately and our server checked in with us right away. I happened to check Yelp and saw an offer for a free appetizer with check in, so that was a nice bonus! We chose the fried boneless chicken with spicy mayo sauce. The chicken was surprisingly not greasy and was moist and flavorful. For our main course I had the Tokyo ramen and my husband ordered spicy tartan ramen. I really liked the seasoned egg and large pieces of pork in my dish. My husband was happy with the spice level and broth in his ramen but thought the noodles could have been cooked more. We'd also both order extra noodles next time....but then again we're carbaholics. ; ) I thought the portions were smaller than those I've experienced at other ramen shops but I did not leave hungry. Overall, we had an excellent first visit and we're looking forward to working our way through the menu! read more

Aodake Ramen - Ramen Near Me - La Grange, Illinois

Love this place so much!! Not only is the service great, but the food is absolutely fantastic. The place is a quaint little shop and I would highly recommend. read more

Delicious ramen! Their whole menu is awesome-can't go wrong! We got the buns, ramen and mochi-all amazing.

Very cute and modern place. Service was fast and friendly. She explained everything really well.if you check in on Yelp you get a free very tasty appetizer. I wouldn't have ordered the octopus otherwise. Actually for me it was the best thing I had. I ordered the simple ramen which you have to ask for. My friend ordered a spicy dish and said it was "ok." He said it wasn't that flavorful. Overall it's a good place but we prefer the ramen place down the street- Forbidden Noodles. This place is more expensive. read more

My SO and I went here last week and really enjoyed it. The atmosphere was chill, the decorations were pretty cool (Pink, Gold, and Black Tile for the hostess station was awesome), and the servers were all really nice and social people. Being vegan, we ordered the shishito peppers, which were probably the best I'd had in a while. They were fully cooked, yet still crunchy, which I loved. They also served it with lime, which is different from the random aiolis restaurants typically served (that we couldn't ever eat). I liked the lime addition for sure, it really helped bring out the flavors. We also ordered the fried Brussels sprouts, which were also very good. We both got the Veggie Ramen (my SO got the spicy version) and it was really good! I added corn and fried tofu on top. The fried tofu is very very gently fried. Next time, I'd probably just go with getting plain tofu added because the difference wasn't huge at all (also see disclaimer below). Additionally, for veggie ramen, I wanted more vegetables. Now, don't get me wrong... we were stuffed and it was absolutely delicious, but getting only 2 pieces of broccoli was such a tease. That being said - order more toppings!! Also.. the spicy is legit spicy. Now my disclaimer is this: I can't confirm that the fried tofu or the Brussels sprouts were vegan. I went in thinking the sprouts were more like... pan fried, but they have a full breading and everything. After we ate, it occurred to me that the breading for both the tofu and sprouts might contain egg. I'll leave it to the owners to respond/clarify. All in all - We will be back! This place is 4TheVeganz #Vegan #Veganz read more

Went here during their soft opening and was greeted with warm smiles by the hostess. We were seated promptly and handed a menu. The waitress stopped by no more than a couple minutes after we were seated to offer us refreshments and take our order. We ordered the tonkotsu and the miso ramen. It did take a while for the food to come out. Understandable considering it was their soft opening but I hope they will take that into consideration as time passes. The ramen was worth the wait as the noodles weren't too soggy nor over cooked. Broth was very flavourful and the toppings were plentiful. Maybe not the best place to go to in a rush but if you're looking for a quality spot to spend some time with someone, this is a prime spot. read more

Horrible ramen and service took 30 minutes to get tea and we never received our appetizers. The ramen we ordered was suppose to be spicy and it had absolutely no spice. Slow service seems very unorganized and many teens working there with no service skills. Do not recommend. read more

This place was delicious! The staff was extremely helpful and accommodating. I love the fact that it's not in the city but outside in the suburbs, definitely adds something to downtown Lagrange. I will definitely be back because I loved everything I ordered. The food was great, quick, and the service was amazing. I plan on bringing my family and trying different types of ramen on the menu. Highly recommend! read more

Aodake Ramen - Ramen Near Me - La Grange, Illinois

This place is so delicious!! We ordered takeout during covid and the service and quality was still the same-- great as always. We ordered three kinds of ramen, one being gluten free and they were all so amazing. I loved the takoyaki ramen. So flavorful!! read more

This place is an actual joke. The quality and freshness leaves a lot to be desired. Instead of offering the best quality ramen noodles, they must have opted for the cheapest. The flavors and textures left my family in search of literally anything else. read more