Service was great, place is a bit small but it works. Its more of bar seats and only 2 tables of 4. Food was great. I had the White Miso Ramen with all of the extras. I wish i had more soup tho. Chicken Kaarage is juicy and seasoned well. Definitely coming back! Happy Eating!!! read more

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Came to Chicago Ramen craving something warm and comforting and this bowl did NOT disappoint. I ordered the spicy miso ramen and it was packed with toppings sweet corn, bamboo shoots, seaweed, fresh greens, green onions, and a generous scoop of miso paste that melted right into the broth. The crispy fried onions on top added the best crunch and extra flavor. The broth was rich and savory with just the right level of spice, and the noodles had that perfect chewy texture. Portions are huge too I was stuffed but still didn't want to stop eating. Super casual, quick service, and such a cozy spot for ramen, especially on a cold day. Definitely one of my new go-to ramen places in Chicago. Can't wait to come back! read more

Chicago Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

Located in Des Plaines inside a plaza so you'll be sure to find a parking spot. It's really hard to find ramen I'd actually enjoy. This was not the one but there were qualities I liked about it. This is not your average ramen either. The broth is super rich and creamy which is not my prefer preference but what wowed me was the noodles itself. This is the type of noddles I'm into. The perfect amount of bouncy and chewiness to it. Another downfall is how quickly the meat dissolves into the broth. I felt like I didn't get a chance to even eat it. Overall pretty okay ramen bowl, not salty. It'll be the perfect bowl for you if you are more into a richly thick broth. read more

Chicago Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

Great spot to go on days when temps dip below freezing. A bowl of hearty ramen will satisfy your craving for authentic Japanese comfort food. This place offers the classic red or white miso ramen that is so delicious you feel like you are eating on the streets of Tokyo!!! For that true feeling of eating in a Japanese ramen shop eat at the counter and watch the ramen chef masterfully prepare your bowl of heavenly goodness. Order extra toppings like corn, eggs, bamboo shoots & char siu to make your bowl of ramen extra delicious!!! At this restaurant I luv that the service is quick and efficient. They have a few locations in the Chicago area & suburbs. This review was from the Des plains store front. read more

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Let's start with the good stuff. The noodles are PHENOMENAL. So much chew. Everything else? Not so much... The pork was incredibly dry. It was some of the driest pork I've had. The red miso broth was also pretty nasty. It was filled with giant gobs of fat. I understand that's just their style of ramen, but it makes the broth undrinkable. For that reason, I highly recommend the tsukumen over the ramen. To recap, the noodles were probably the best I've had in the US (obviously Japan is #1). Everything else about the ramen/tsukumen was below average to bad. I would still recommend trying this place because the noodles are just that good. We did also have the karaage and that was pretty good! read more

Chicago Ramen - Red miso ramen - Ramen Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

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This is one of my favorite restaurants. Quick friendly service and the ramen is so good. What more could you ask for in a ramen place?

Chicago Ramen now has 12 locations in Chicagoland. Their miso ramen is known for bold flavors and they have extra stock in a thermos on the table that you can use to dilute your broth. The restaurant is small and they have limited seating; it would not be good for large groups. Tsukemen with egg $17 - This is a dipping noodle dish and the noodles are served cold, but you can request for warm noodles if you like. The broth is served in a separate bowl that you can dip the noodles into. White Miso Ramen with egg $17 Beef Rice Bowl $10 - Tasty dish, reminds me of the Filipino dish, Bistek. Extra topping options: Pork char-shu $7.50 Egg $2 Bamboo shoots $4 Vegetables $4.50 Sweet corn $3.50 Seaweed $3 Green onions $3.50 .|\---/| | @_@ | ..\_^_/..2025 read more

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Still the best ramen in Chicago when it comes to flavor. BUT, this is now my second frustrating experience ordering the same dish: Vegetable Ramen Spicy with egg (listed at $15.95). --Last time: I was charged $14.95 for ramen without egg. When I asked, they brought the egg but added another $2, bringing the total to $16.95. On top of that, a tiny scoop of spicy sauce was $2 compared to the $12.95 regular veggie ramen? --This time: I was charged $13.95 for ramen without egg. Fine--$1 more for spice makes sense. But when I asked for the egg, I was told it costs $3. Honestly, $3 for one small egg is unreasonable, especially months after egg prices have already returned to normal. I've brought new friends here for 3 years because the ramen itself is fantastic--easily 5 stars. But the service this time was awful: constant eye-rolling and dismissive attitude. If prices are going up or certain items are no longer included, please update the actual menu--an easy fix would be a small tab or sticker with the correct price. Instead, there's just one sentence on a different page mentioning egg price increases back in March, while the order page itself was never updated. That only leaves customers confused and ends up feeling like being overcharged without warning. read more

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Came in for lunch feeling carby. You know that feeling where your stomach keeps talking to you like "feed me or I'll give you a cramp!" Yeah, that one. First things first there is no Tonkotsu here. So if you're chasing that luscious, porky, lip-gloss-by-broth experience, you might want to slurp elsewhere. Chicago Ramen is working a different game with red and white miso, chicken, and veggie broths. I decided to step outside my comfort zone (Tonkotsu) and ordered the Beef Curry Ramen. It was hearty and savory. Good, but not "I'm gonna drink all the broth!" good. It was heavy and I proceeded with caution and started planning my nap. The noodles? Kitakata-style which are flat, thick, and chewy. The egg was jammy and flavorful. The beef was thinly sliced and kinda clumped together a bit. No complaints it tasted good. I got two lunch specials because I have no self control and I said I was carby. One with chicken karaage, the other with takoyaki. Both hit the spot. Crispy, flavorful, and made by someone who has a connection with their fryer :) Special note: It was nice of the chef coming out to say hi. They were super friendly and proud of the food. Love that. Welp! Onto the next! read more

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This place is very good and I love their ramen broth. It is creamy and salty. I like their bar seating setup. I appreciate their speedy service. I enjoy having a quick in and out meal. The staff is lively and cracked a few jokes with me. When they found out it was my first time, they checked in on me regularly. They do not serve beer in the Des Plaines location. They have the wrong website link on their Google Maps. They have the Chicago Sushi menu instead of the Chicago Ramen menu. read more

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Food is amazing and probably the best ramen I've tried in Chicago- however taking 1 star off for service. They were rude to my friend and tried to up charge us for an egg that they forgot to give her. The ramen - known for their tsukemen, I found the broth to be very rich tonkotsu (but a bit too heavy for me especially too many fat chunks), and chashu was a bit dry however the overall texture and flavour was very well done. I also tried the vegetable ramen - very refreshing and gave ample of different veggies. Would recommend anyone to try at least once. read more

Chicago Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

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Came here on a cold afternoon with a couple of friends and I got the white miso ramen with egg which was packed with flavor. The chasu was a bit fatty for my liking but very tender and the broth was rich and flavorful but slightly too oily for my liking. The white miso comes with thin noodles while the red miso has thicker noodles. The marinated egg was great with a nice jammy center. One of my friends got the tsukemen and the noodles were oddly cold and stuck together which made dipping them in the side of dipping broth difficult. We wished it would come warm as well to make it easier to eat. read more

Chicago Ramen - White Miso Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

I've been coming here for years, since they opened. I have always absolutely loved their chicken ramen. Everything about it was my favorite. They just changed their menu and recipes! They took away all my favorite elements of the dish. (Seaweed and the fish cake)! Overall it had a way lighter taste and did not taste the same at all. The broth was so much lighter and bland. :( I definitely don't agree with putting grape tomatoes in the chicken ramen read more

Very pleased with the experience at Chicago ramen! We came here just before noon on the weekend and were seated right away. Quick, straightforward experience with excellent food and great prices. Garlic edamame is so flavorful and delicious. Chicken rice bowl was huge for $7!! Very good for a non ramen option. Beef curry ramen was delicious, very hearty and dense with great flavor. It's a casual spot that's focused on food above all. Easy parking. Recommend! read more

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Absolute best ramen. I get the tsukamen. The gyoza is good too. As is the karage. The shishto peopers are amazing. Small shop with quick service. read more

Chicago Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

This place is quite far from the city but worth the drive. The ramen noodles and soup were thicc and super flavorful. We got the chicken karaage, spicy red miso ramen, beef curry ramen. The chicken karaage cuts were too big and juicy for my liking - I prefer smaller crispier pieces, but still good. The ramen was absolutely the highlight. The chefs and staff were super friendly too. The bathroom was clean and nice, but the door is sliding and not the most conventional/straightforward lock, though. Hoping they open up a location in the city! read more

Chicago Ramen - Chicken karaage, spicy red miso ramen, beef curry ramen - Ramen Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

Every visit to Chicago Ramen is consistently amazing! Ty is an incredible manager -- always attentive, kind, and professional. The team works together seamlessly to create a great dining experience. My go-to dishes are the Chicken Ramen and Japanese Calamari -- both are bursting with flavor. This is the spot for ramen lovers in Des Plaines! read more

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Love their veggie ramen bowl. Just tried out there Park Ridge location and their very good. Not too happy about them going to a smaller bowl because $16 is high enough already for just soup but they're flavorful and fresh. Wish these restaurants would stop scaling down portions when the prices are high enough as it is. read more

I felt very welcomed when entering Chicago Ramen and appreciate the side condiments at the front bar area. The food was okay, the chashu was more tough than I'd like it to be and broth was more of the salty-side. I'm not sure I'd visit again, but the kind service would be the main reason for me to go back. read more

Chicago Ramen - White Miso Ramen with egg and extra chashu side - Ramen Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

Really great unassuming ramen spot. Glad we were recommended this place because their ramen is very unique and delicious. The service was great and quick. Take the time to read about their story and their recommendations on how to eat the food. Will definitely be recommending this place to others. read more

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Solid ramen, served up pretty quick. Good option when you want a good bowl but don't wanna cook. I got the red miso ramen with pork. I got the mild version, here it is truly mild so if you want some heat you gotta ask for it. read more

Chicago Ramen - Red Miso Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

Wow. What can I say. I happened to stop here because I was on an overnight layover and was put up in the Sparks Hilton hotel. It was a rainy day so I figured a bowl of Ramen would be good. So glad I stopped In here to get one of the BEST bowls of ramen I've ever had. The red miso was smooth, silkly and delicious. The pork had a melt in your mouth quality that most ramen shops don't. Even though I'm an out of towner, Ty and June made me feel like family. And I didn't get the name of the young woman who served me, but she was awesome too. If you're ever in the Des Plaines area, or nearby, you MUST come check out this spot!! read more

Chicago Ramen - Spicy Red Miso Ramen with Egg - Ramen Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

just now New One of the worst shrimp wonton I ever had. There wasn't any shrimp in it, just a big wonton wrapper. 15 dollar for a bowl of ramen with no protein in it. I will be lucky to find a half shrimp in the wonton wrapper. Definitely the biggest scam of food in any restaurant I been to. Yall need to call this the wonton wrapper ramen. read more

Chicago Ramen - Wonton wrapper ramen - Ramen Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

The overall flavor of the Vegetable Ramen was bland, but when spicy miso is added, it tastes much better. There is an umami flavor that the original version is missing. The vegetables consisted mainly of corn and sprouts with a (very) small amount of spinach and bamboo shoots on the side. The noodles were basic ramen egg noodles - not freshly made, but obviously purchased from a vendor. This is overall okay ramen. We ordered out so can't comment on the service or interior unfortunately. read more

Oh my goodness! A gem! Just wanted ramen near the airport and this was by far the best ramen I have ever had. I normally can't finish broths for noodle soups but my bowl was clean. The noodles are thicker than I expected but still tasty. Add this to your list of places to eat when you're in Chicago. It's quick, close to the airport and food is impeccable. Service was excellent as well! read more

My son said it's the best Ramen he has ever had. He ordered the Spicy Shrimp Wonton Ramen with egg and Takoyaki for an appetizer. read more

Chicago Ramen - Shrimp Wonton Ramen with Egg and Takoyaki. - Ramen Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

Came in on a Sunday at noon to celebrate my brother in laws birthday. No wait and we were seated immediately. Located in a strip mall that's very unassuming with a pretty huge parking lot. From all the polar opposite reviews we really didn't know what to expect. Many complaints of weird or bad service but that was not the case on our end. To start, there's maybe 20 seats available at the restaurant and many of them you sit in front of the chef preparing the food. My husband and I ordered the red miso with egg which was INCREDIBLE! First time having red miso and it had wonderful flavoring, heavier than the white miso but absolutely incredible. The table also ordered white miso with vegetables, curry ramen, and the hotdogs. Everyone loved their food. I actually think this place has better ramen than a lot of places in Chicago. We had good service and everyone was very friendly. We will definitely be making the trip back. The only improvement I would request is for this place to upgrade the bathroom. Very poor lighting, strange latch that kinda works, boxes unpacked on the floor, toilet paper holder not properly installed, it looks like a college kid set up this bathroom. It was alarming compared to the rest of the restaurant. read more

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Friend and I stopped in cause it was so close to the airport and we were craving some ramen. Now, we both love ramen and feel as if we are pretty well versed in it. First off, price to portion was crazy. It's pretty rare I don't finish a bowl but man I was stuffed. Couldn't even fully finish my broth. Second, I don't think I've had actual tsukemen outside of Japan cause most places don't seem to do the thick broth. This restaurant did it amazingly! Broth was absolutely delicious and I always appreciate being able to add extra garlic. If I had one complaint I'd say my pork could've been slightly more tender, but that's nitpicking. I love a counter style ramen restaurant and food came out quick. Service was good too. I recommend and am excited to come back! read more

Chicago Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

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Had to pick up some people from the airport at 11:15pm and as I was getting closer to O'Hare I got the notification that they were delayed so I did a quick search to see if I could find somewhere quick to eat/pass the time while waiting for them. I'd had Chicago Ramen bookmarked for a while and noticed that it was one of the only places that was open until 11:30pm. I decided I would drive up past O'Hare just to check it out and if it seemed like they wouldn't mind my ordering I would go ahead and give them a try. I got there and noticed the small place had two full tables and a steady stream of pick up orders going out so I went ahead inside. I like the counter service feel. It reminded me a lot of ramen shops I'd been to in Japan. The restaurant smelled great and was relatively clean and everyone's food looked delicious. I didn't want to chance getting a sudden call that my friends were ready so I ordered a spicy red miso ramen with an added egg to go. I wanted to draw the line there but while perusing the menu I noticed they had a curry bowl for only $6.95 and couldn't help but add one to my order when I noticed a hot one come fresh out of the kitchen and set in front of a lucky patron. Although I wouldn't characterize the staff I interacted with as friendly necessarily I would still say that they were professional and helpful which again reminded me of late night ramen forays in Tokyo. In any case, the full order was ready in less than 5 minutes. The hot noodles and toppings were in one container while the broth was in a separate. I tasted the broth before mixing the noodles in and immediately had high hopes that the hype of Chicago Ramen was real which was confirmed after my first slurp. I might even go so far as to say that Chicago Ramen has unseated High Five as my favorite Chicagoland ramen restaurant. Many things stood out in this bowl but I just really enjoyed how all the toppings mesh so well when they take on the flavor of the tasty broth that has already got a nice portion of stewed ingredients. The spicy red miso is the exact flavor profile that I have been looking for in a broth for so long. Also the big chunk of pork cha-shu and perfectly cooked egg(firm outside but still runny yolk) along with the corn all combined to make this a superb bowl of ramen. The curry bowl also had a nice authentic stewed flavor with added veggies over perfectly cooked rice. If you're a ramen fan you should do yourself a favor and definitely make the trip to Des Plaines to give Chicago Ramen a try. read more

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Had been hearing a lot of good things about Chicago Ramen and finally had a chance to come try about a week ago. We came in around lunch time and was seated pretty quickly at the counter. Its fairly relaxed and it was fun watching the chef cooking as well from the counter. They have a good variety of options and the Beef Curry Ramen w/ Egg called out to me. It came out after a reasonable amount of time. The dish looked just as good as the picture and tasted even better. Will definitely need to return to try some of the other dishes, especially the karaage! read more

Chicago Ramen - Beef Curry Ramen with Egg - Ramen Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

Update: here I am after 2 years. Sooo- this is still my favorite ramen place, BUT... something happened with the service, definitely. I don't know have they changed the staff or what, but this is the 3rd time now in a row that I don't like what I get. First time I got very fatty piece of meat, but I thought- it is ok, it happens, bad luck. Next time they forget to put an egg in my red, spicy, ajitama (egg) ramen. And the 3rd time again very fatty piece of meat . What's wrong? it wasn't like that before! You will find photos attached. I mean... I am still going to order from this place since it is my favorite ramen, but unfortunately the quality of what I used to get went down read more

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Loved the Food and prices were good, it is a small place with limited seating but the food is worth it!

Not sure why some reviews complained about the service. We came in on a Tuesday night 9pm after arriving Ohare. The server doesn't smile a lot but was very attentive. The place eventually filled up (small seating area for about 20 people). She offer the customers to order and sit at the sister Chicago sushi restaurant next door. She checked each order and even caught an error from the kitchen before it was sent out. The ramen was good with strong flavorful broth. The spicy sauce was definitely spicy for Japanese standards. read more

Visit Date: Oct. 20, 2024 Here's another place where I decided to go out of my way to try since it was around the halfway point between a friend and I. Chicago Ramen was around a 30 minute drive from home and when it comes to my assessment of food, especially ramen, travel distance is a factor. But I'll get into that later. Chicago Ramen was easy to locate as it was within the same complex as other establishments. Although my friend did get confused and almost walked into their sister store: Chicago Sushi. Their signs are quite similar at eye level and had to look at their big ones overhead to make sure. But back to Ramen, their interior space was very small. So if you're a party of 4+, it might take a while to be seated. However, for a party of 2, we were able to sit at the bar as soon as we walked in. This was at 7PM on a Sunday evening. Now onto their food! We ordered 2 apps, the Takoyaki, (standard fare - nothing outstanding but it was tasty) and gyoza. However a plate of shumai was given to us instead. (Our server did seem quite busy trying to juggle multiple guests, however, she did not write our orders down. Which was her first mistake.) We didn't say anything about it and still enjoyed the shumai though. Again, it was okay. Nothing to write home about. Next up are the ramen bowls; we got a Red and White miso bowl. But I'm afraid to say, after trying many different places around the Chicagoland area, I don't think I can find myself traveling further west for a bowl when there are many others much closer to me that taste just as good, if not, better. The red miso had a nice rich and spicy umami flavor profile to it. The added sweet corn was okay, the meat was not as tender as I would've liked it to be. Although, the noodles were cooked properly and were pleasant to eat. I could say the same about the white miso ramen as well. Overall, if you're around the area, there's a good chance you'll still enjoy this bowl of ramen. But if you're closer to the lake or within city, there are many other shops that provide that same or better experience. Thanks for reading, John C. read more

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Came here as they opened on a Saturday, would recommend you do the same as it got busy thereafter. After reviewing the menu and debating if I wanted soup based or not, I ended up getting Tsukemen with egg and order of Chicken Karaage. The karaage was ok, they give you what looked like spicy mayo, but maybe it's but the dipping sauce didn't pair well with the chicken. Regular mayo with salt & pepper would been better. I ended up adding siracha and the chili pepper flakes that was on the table. The chicken itself was under seasoned for my taste. Tsukemen sauce was good, had very deep flavor profile and I enjoyed it a lot. However, maybe I'm a "broth" kind of a person. I had Tsukemen at other joints and I wasn't too impressed with ones from Chicago Ramen. It was "ok" to me, wasn't overly impressed by it. I think next time I go, I'll stick to broth based ramen. read more

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Chicago Ramen really lived up to its reputation. The red miso was absolutely incredible and soul-warming. The setup of the restaurant is more Japanese style, which is nice to see in the US, especially for folks dining alone. I will say parts of the menu are a bit confusing. For example, I thought the extra menma ($4) was because it wasn't a part of the initial topppings, so I was left with a menma overload that I was unable the finish. The good news is that extra topping could have been shared between 2-4 people! The tea selection is really lovely and unique! read more

I ordered the shrimp wonton ramen & asked to make it spicy. Literally the BEST shrimp wonton ramen I have ever had!!! The takeout container that has the fixings also had a generous portion of the red spicy paste. You will not need all of it. It definitely packs a punch. The broth that came in a separate container was delicious & garlicky. The fried onions added a nice textural element that just took this dish to a whole other place!!! JUST SO DARNED GOOD!! read more

Service was great and the food came out quick. Lots of flavor packed into the broth which is always nice.

Vegetarian ramen was nice and accurately spicy and flavorful. Portion is really big. Absolutely comforting for a cold night. They have an open concept kitchen. The chef was nice but he looked exhausted. The place has good seating but it's very congested think about a small place in NYC. Will definitely go back and also try the sushi place next door that's own by same management. read more

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I just keep coming back, again and again. I have tried several top rated ramen shops in the Chicago area and surrounding suburbs and I will tell you, this is the best hands down. The noodles have the perfect chew and consistency, the broth is so rich that it tastes like it's been simmering for days, total umami bomb. Ingredients are fresh and tasty, the pork melts in your mouth. My go-to is the spicy red miso with egg, add corn. To understand my commitment, I drove from Foster Beach to Des Plaines for ramen and then all the way to the Midway area for work. Pro tip, you can order extra broth to go for six dollars a portion and they are generous. read more