I think that people's love of ramen is as personal as a favorite pair of jeans. There is a whole side TikTok dedicated to instant ramen (making it fancy by adding an egg and some shriracha), or home made ramen kits and even the whole mukbang craze of filming themselves eating it. I've eaten at many fine ramen bars all over Japan, New York CIty, LA and San Francisco. My husband is a die-hard Ippudo fan (he'll stand in line for hours) in NYC, where I prefer Larmen in Upper Midtown or even Mitsuwa up in Arlington Heights will do. We've been in Champaign for a good 17 years now and for so long, there wasn't a ramen restaurant (only within the last 5 years or so). And we're not counting that campus restaurant that served instant ramen. Sakanaya offers ramen, but I usually go there for the sushi. I wasn't a fan of Ozu ramen when it first opened, because the broth was different than what I was used to.... but I tried a few times and I really started to enjoy it. Then the pandemic hit, and Oozu has taken over. Yes, their broth is a bit different than Ozu but again, it's their spin on it. I wouldn't be able to make something like that at home (or it would take several weeks of research and development) so I'll gladly support a restaurant that only serves that. The restaurant was busy, but the servers were very kind (they were really on the move, but they were doing their best to keep everything rolling out) and attentive when we needed something. My daughter is the slowest eater, but she slurped down her portion of noodles like a champ, and my son really loved the giant spoons, the broth and he even enjoyed the egg (he usually doesn't eat soft boiled eggs). We had the Tonkatsu and Shoyu ramen --- they were both different broths (shoyu obviously saltier), but pretty darn good. The charshu is similar to what Ozu did -- prepped ahead of time, but grilled before going into the bowl. We also ordered the gyoza but they came fried which I was a bit disappointed with but the presentation was really cute. Anyway, I've gone on long enough.... if you are a ramen snob and have super high expectations, then anything in Champaign will disappoint. I learned long ago that sushi is not the thing to order in Champaign especially if there's no ocean around. Oozu does a great job for being a beacon of slurpy noodles in Central Illinois. Don't listen to the nay-sayers..... just enjoy and have fond memories of where you call home. read more

This place has one if the best broth in town which makes this one of the best noodles place when the noodles itself is mid. The meat with the noodles r also pretty good. I love their takoyaki. Its perfectly crusty on the outside but soft and super hot in the inside, make sure to ask for more sauce on it tho. read more

Not the same as the original OZU RAMEN. I hope they didnt try to claim that its the "same recipe" because its not at all. The ramen is still decent compared to others in town but its not the OG OZU ramen. They have new appetizers like calamari which was pretty good so im still giving it 3.5 stars. I used to always boast about ozu ramen because it was the best but I cant say that anymore read more

Apparently this restaurant was renamed (from Ozu to Oozu) and renovated during June 2021, and I am not sure if they changed the business owner. Regardless, I was a big fan of the old Ozu ramen, but I am not a fan of this new one. The broth just tasted quite different; it had less flavor for some reasons. Oh of course, ramens are about $2 more expensive now read more

Placed an online order and the food was ready in a timely manner. Food was delicious, and gave lots of chicken! The decoration of the place was incredible and the staff was helpful and kind. A great place to go for locals and visitors alike. read more

Oozu Ramen Bar - Chicken Katsu - Ramen Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

I wouldn't have left a review, but the entire bowl of ramen that I had was disappointing, to say the least. The noodles were soggy, the broth was cold and flavorless, the pork wasn't good, the ingredients, in general, weren't of good quality. Wish I could've written a better review, but the ramen at the old Ozu was a lot better than the one that I had. It did look aesthetically appealing, but the flavor was simply not there :( read more

Spicy Tonkatsu is SO GOOD!!!!! I'm obsessed. We keep ordering for carry out and it's ready so fast. We've dined in too and really like it!

Quick service. Tasty portions. Delicious broth. Spicy could be spicier. Go for extra noodles.

hi oozu. thanks for such a great meal. i've been to japan on a layover so i can say that the ramen was not realistic AT ALL and neither was the atmosphere but it worked for me and my girlfriend. my waiter was hot which was really cool, but when i mentioned this to my girlfriend, she didn't take it lightly. it's okay though because i'm rich and she's a four. from here, my girlfriend was in a really un-ladylike mood, so i was just ready to drink my soup and leave. the broth tasted like piss but that's okay because i like that so count yourself lucky ooza you had the right customer on the right day. read more

Good ramen and friendly service staff. Excellent ambiance. It reminded me of my times in ramen shops in Tokyo.

Ordered a couple of different kinds of ramen for our group. Overall the quality was below average. Soup very bland and arrived only lukewarm and with way too many fried garlic. Nothing authentic about them. The server was very nice and the declaration fairly decent. This is not the sort of place I will return. read more

Oozu Ramen is the best restaurant in the entire state, if not the world. I am a regular customer and know that every time I enter Oozu, I will be greeted by the kindest staff in Urbana-Champaign! The ramen is always quick, hot, and delicious! My go to order is the spicy kimchi tonkotsu and my partner's is the tonkotsu rich garlic with an extra egg and spicy chili paste on the side (a lot of it!) Everyone at oozu feels like a friend and I look forward to eating there at least once a week because of this. I love Oozu Ramen!!! read more

Very good ramen. Came in on a Saturday night and was seated immediately, it was packed, but luckily I was alone as a consequence of my lack of friends. Got some spicy Tonkatsu, which was decently spicy. Saw the workers in the kitchen really hustling. No complaints, would go again. A little expensive but you pay for what you get. read more

Absolutely fantastic restaurant. My boyfriend and I went here for date night and it did not disappoint. He got the tonkotsu rich garlic ramen which was so perfect for a winter day. I got the spicy creamy vegan ramen, which is now one of my favorite vegan options in C-U! Indulgent and with a great spice, this is going to become a go-to for me! All reasonably priced, we left very full and spent about $15 for each meal. We'll be back! read more

Disappointed. Don't taste good. Tried this place twice! Today was the last one..........thanks anyway

The food looks lovely in the photo but this restaurant does not know how to deliver their food to the sender. I ordered classic chicken ramen and shrimp shumai for $30 dollars only to have very little of what I ordered. Such a disappointment I thought I was going to get quality ramen only to be served a ramen cup in a bowl. Don't Order from here! read more

This is the best ramen I have tried, it literally cured me of covid-19. I ordered it when I was sick in bed with a 102 degree fever through a food delivery service, and the amazing spicy creamy vegan ramen entered my body and cured me. After I ate the ramen, I instantly felt better and haven't had a fever since. read more

In the mood for Ramen and this was a good choice. Our group tried a few of the ramens and all were solid. Service was friendly, quick, efficient! We'd go there again. Also very central UIUC location near campus! read more

Best ramen in town hands down. I love the spicy miso and they are always accommodating in giving me tofu instead of beef. Also love the chicken buns. Yum. read more

The first time I came to this place was with my friends. I ordered the Classic Tonkatsu Ramen dish without corn. I came back to this place three more times within the next week. It is a bit expensive, but it is soooo tasty. The waiters are amazing, too! They are super nice and are very accommodating. read more

This review makes me sad to give because I was such a fan of the original Ozu Ramen. It was a weekly meal for me until it closed. I had heard mixed reviews of the new restaurant from friends and decided to give it a try for myself and I have to say I was very disappointed. The egg was grey and the yolk was hard, I threw it away immediately because it made me gag to look at. There was so much sesame oil in the broth that it was basically inedible. Even after skimming more than a tablespoon of it off the top it still tasted so strongly of sesame oil that I had to stop eating it after a few bites. The noodles were not very high quality and the pork was tasteless. I've honestly had more appetizing instant ramen. That said, the calamari was very good read more