So the music here is great!! This place has a great vibe. The service is great and the drinks are as well. The apps were very good. I had a pork bun and some pork dumplings. Highly recommend. So there are the positives. The massive negative is the ramen itself. It lacked flavor and tasted like nothing. I wish it was better. I'm disappointed. The ramen didn't leave me wanting more. It actually made me want less. I had the beef tonkotsu and maybe the pork one is better. I just don't even know where to begin on how the ramen could be better. Hopefully whoever makes it ups his or her game because I was left not wanting anything more to do with Ramen-San. Come for the vibes and drinks and service. Not for the ramen. Ever. read more

RAMEN-SAN - Drink menu - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

YUP. Please get the fried chicken bao and the shrimp and pork dumplings- you will not be disappointed. Sake bombs are available for some fun as well, and of course and wide array of ramen! We went here again recently and they treated us to a matcha birthday cake that was absolutely delightful- matcha creamy filling that flowed out of a crispy outer pastry. Outdoor seating available but limited. TVs inside. read more

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Ramen-San was a great choice for my first meal with my friends on our weekend trip to Chicago for a number of reasons: the hip vibe, the unique ramen, and the Japanese whiskey cocktails. It's not anywhere near the best ramen I've ever had, but I enjoyed my dinner at Ramen San and would totally come back again. Something I really appreciated immediately about Ramen San was that they seated us 40 minutes before our reservation time on a Friday night (on Valentine's Day no less) when our party all showed up early. For apps, we shared XO Shrimp/Pork dumplings which was a nice twist on traditional spicy chili dumplings. It's been a while since I had anything with XO sauce, so I enjoyed the dumplings. For my ramen I got the Kimchi/fried chicken ramen with a molten egg added (please just call it a soft boiled egg Ramen san). I really enjoyed the combination of the fried chicken, the spicy Tonkotsu broth, and the ramen noodles even though each of individual components could have been slightly better (more Kaarage seasoning on the fried chicken would have bee nice). The most disappointing aspect was definitely the molten egg. It's clear the egg wasn't marinated at all which makes it definitely not worth the extra dollar in my book. Other than the food, we all got their yuzu high ball and penicillin cocktails. The high ball was kind of weak and bland while the penicillin was great. I would totally recommend the penicillin if you like Yuzu and want something light on whiskey flavor. My friend also got the Cinnamon Toast Crunch soft serve which I took a bite of. It tasted really legit and was milky and creamy kind of like the cereal soft serve from milk bar. I would totally get it next time. read more

I was surprised to find out they have a location in west loop. Things I like: - They are part of Lettuce Eats!! Wohoo. Get those points :) Though I totally forgot to mention.. so bummer! - special lunch menus. - Ramen!! What else is there to say? Though I would really appreciate if they had non-pork options such as beef. Then I'd definitely become a more frequent guest here. read more

This spot is the best. All the waiters and waitresses like scream orders at each other and it's such a fun vibe. Service is super fast and friendly and food is bomb. They have really good happy hour specials (I think like $2 saporros) so definitely will be back for that! read more

Foods okay, service is very slow since they're so busy. The servers are friendly though. Margaritas are good.

I've come here four times in the past few months and they have yet to disappoint me. I recently transitioned to a fish-only diet and they were more than accommodating with my dietary needs. Such a hospitable location and sweet staff!! read more

I always try to eat somewhere new when I come to Chicago. Most of the time, whatever I try tends to be good. Unfortunately, not today. Noodles were undercooked, broth was too salty as well as too oily. Oh, and the pork pieces were pretty much just hunks if fat! I was pretty disappointed. I wish more ramen place owners and cooks would actually go to Japan for truly tasty ramen. The service was fairly quick and the employees were nice. read more

I want to start by saying that the customer service here is awesome. That alone deserves a 5/5 The menu isn't horribly long, which is usually a good sign for a restaurant. The inside is kind of dark with cool neon signs, and the old school hip-hop music makes the vibe of the entire place awesome. The issue is that the food isn't consistently good. I've tried the green curry shrimp ramen, kimchi and fried chicken ramen, the imperial shio ramen and tonkotsu ramen and was not really impressed with any of them. The noodles themselves are good, they weren't mushy or crunchy. I'm pretty certain that they are made in house. However the broths are not the best. Most recently I tried the green curry shrimp ramen and disliked it so much I requested the tonkotsu ramen instead. The noodles were still great, but the broth was not what I anticipated. The green curry had an odd after taste and the tonkotsu was bland. The imperial shio ramen has a broth that tastes solely of garlic, which is not ideal for a broth. I did enjoy the fried chicken bao bun. Honestly I could eat an entire plate of those. I don't think $5 is a fair price for a single bun (especially since other restaurants give you at least 2 for that price) but the bun was the best part of the entire experience. All in all, the vibe is awesome. The customer service is awesome. The appetizers are awesome, but the ramen is subpar. read more

This was my 2nd time here. The pork bun was delicious but $5 only gets you 1 small bun. Wish it was a bit bigger portion. The sticky thai wings are BOMB. And of course the Ramen... I'm not a huge fan or the double pork broth in some of them BUT I do LOVE the Kimchi Fried Chicken Ramen with fried garlis added in. It was DELICIOUS and I'm craving it again as I type this. Always great service here as well. read more

RAMEN-SAN - Kimchi Fried Chicken Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I got pick-up from here and was mostly looking forward to the ramen but last minute decided to also get some side dishes, and I'm so glad I did! I actually found the tonkotsu ramen to be my least favorite item. It wasn't as spicy as I would have liked and was overwhelming salty so it didn't have the classic rich flavor profile you expect from a tonkotsu. The pork was very well made though and so incredibly soft it practically melted in your mouth. The other items I got were the kaarage chicken nuggets and XOXO shrimp/pork wontons. Both were very unique and tasty! The aioli sauce with the kaarage chicken nuggets elevated the dish to another level. I loved the crunchy texture of the chicken with the tangy flavor of the aioli. The wontons were my favorite item because of the incredible flavor profile and tasty seasoning on top of the wontons. I also loved the soft texture of the wontons with its moistness. read more

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It's just not there for me.. Ambiance great, staff great, menu variety great but for someone who loves a comforting bowl of ramen, I won't be going back. My tonkotsu bowl was average and I sort of felt like if I tried hard enough I could have made it at home. Feel bad writing a 3 star review but it didn't hit my spot Paid more too for extra noodle and egg and didn't see the value in my $22 bowl. read more

We arrived 40 minutes early but the staffs were able to accommodate us. Considering it was Valentine's Day night, I would say the service was superb. I ordered a yuzu highball, a penicillin, and the tonkatsu ramen. Overall the drinks were decent and the ramen was great. My only real disappointment was with the molten egg which was clearly just a soft boiled egg and not marinated as one would expect. Other than that, my experience at Ramen-San was pleasant! read more

Shame to the ramen name. In the company of High-Five and Ramen Takeya in the West Loop/Fulton Market neighborhoods, I was expecting more, but realizing this is a sister company of Sushi-San, it all makes sense...here's the quick and dirty: Karaage? Meh. Have had better even in suburban ramen shops. Save your $11 and go elsewhere for karaage. Imperial Shio? Garbage. The broth is unimaginative and basic. The worst part? It came lukewarm. That's just a cardinal ramen sin. Spicy Yuzu? Better broth and flavor, but the chicken is confusing. It's hard....not tender and juicy as one expects chicken to be.. And just to top it off, the "molten egg" is not marinated and came medium-hard. A plain...medium-hard egg. Don't get me started by the raw enoki sitting on top of the ramen either. Will not be going back. read more

Add RAMEN-SAN to your list of regular lunch spots. Their $15 lunch special includes a (half) bowl of ramen of your choice, fried rice of your choice, salad, and marinated cucumbers. All were delicious. My only complaint is the hefty amount of garlic put in the broth. read more

RAMEN-SAN - Lunch special - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I went here with two others over the weekend. This was my first sit down in restaurant experience since March and I enjoyed it. Our temperatures were taken and we were quickly seated. The waitress was great and the food was even better. I had the fried chicken kimchi and my friends had the fried rice. The fried rice seems to be new on the menu and it was pretty good. read more

RAMEN-SAN - chicken fried rice - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Easily the best vegetarian ramen I have ever had!!! Every single person in our group of 11 was blown away by their food.

Hm.....to a Chinese, it's really just so so...吃完感觉有一层油飘在胃里 But I can feel they are doing their best and very care of customer 's feeling. There stars are for their attitude, I believe they will doing this better and better. Good luck. read more

I went here for lunch and was happy with the lunch special! There was so much food- I couldn't finish. The ramen was good and spicy! The veggies in the salad were so fresh. I love the vegetable fried rice. It's not typical- it has roasted vegetables- it was amazing. read more

They had the best music playlist of 90s hip hop. The food was good. It took a long time to come out but there was a lot of people so didn't mind waiting. The salmon was cooked well and the ramen broth had flavour. Egg was a little overcooked and not a bit runny like it is meant to be. It to forever to get the bill and pay. We had to ask multiple times and finally stand up by the door. Many others had to do the same. Would give it a second shot. read more

RAMEN-SAN - Lunch express set with salmon and Tonkotsu ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's absolute perfection. The ramen is top notch, the pork belly is succulent. The bao buns are light as a cloud.

A fantastic ramen joint with great service and chill vibe. Will say that while this place is worth your time and money I have some bones to pick... you have to order eggs for some bowls that don't come with it and they don't have a ramen with pork belly. I am not saying the pork they do offer is bad or the eggs they serve up are bad.... Or the flavor is lacking I just wish I could get the ramen bowl I want when I come here. The dumplings, pork belly buns, and tuna tartar are amazing and worth the visit on their own. Love the flavor of the broth and the portion size just disappointed in the actual ramen bowl combinations offered. Since finding this place this winter we have come in about four times in the past two months and have ordered it in twice. read more

This was my second time here and i've had amazing service today, was sat down at the bar and even though it was busy the bartender (Blue) quickly took in my orders and made me feel very welcome. As well as answering all my questions about the cocktails on the menu. I definitely will be recommending this cute spot to others read more

food was okay ($17). drink was too sweet and certainly not the appropriate amount served for the price ($16). server literally didn't even check on us once. not even once. read more

Walk-in dinner on a Saturday night, bar seats. The ramen was....fine. Really, that's all I can say about it. We split the sumo ramen, which came with chashu, spicy smashed egg, corn, bamboo, and shrimp wontons. Everything was good, but nothing stood out to me as being amazing. The broth was especially disappointing, with none of the richness I'd come to expect from pork bone soup. Perhaps one of their more quirky ramens would've been the way to go - e.g. the kimchi fried chicken or the curry duck special of the evening. read more

Full disclosure, my friends and I are novices when it comes to ramen. Our server Daniel was very informative and helpful when we had questions about what to order. I ordered the Katsu tonkotsu but subbed the pork for chicken. The broth was rich and flavorful. The ramen was much more filling than I thought it would be, and the ingredients that made up the dish all complimented each other. I also had the chicken mantou bun and chicken & vegetable gyoza which were excellent appetizers for the main dish. My friends also had the kimchi and fried chicken and imperial shio (with chicken). Everyone enjoyed their food just as much as I did. I had the old-fashioned and penicillin for drinks, which were some of the best whiskey cocktails I had since moving to Chicago. My friends had the yuzu margarita, which they also enjoyed. Lastly, the atmosphere here is so dope! The restaurant keeps classic hip hop and r&b on rotation that's nostalgic and comforting. I highly recommend this location if you're in the mood for Ramen! read more

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Manager sahana was amazing ! She went on and beyond to make us comfortable and she lead by example. As working in this industry it's really important to be in the other side of being a customer. I appreciate her service ! Thank you!! Again sahana and if anyone comes here please make sure to leave a good review for her I'm out of state and she made it a remarkable experience ! read more

RAMEN-SAN - Old fashion cocktail - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Hey y'all it's ya boi, this is probly the best ramen spot I've EVER Eaten at! Not only was the food heavenly and the drinks were luscious and tasty, the server were beyond amazing. Frankie who was my sever was a joy to to talk too and just all around a pure human with conversation and very knowledgeable of all drinks and food like it was in graved in his head! And i can't forget Alex, the man served me my dessert and just read off the flavors to me like it was a poem. I never enjoyed my dessert so much. They made me feel like i was the only person in the restaurant. Highly recommend every to eat here ! And show love ! Ps. The music here is phenomenal if you're into the R&b and hip hop wave read more

I really disliked the flavor of the chicken in the ramen it tasted and looked weird,it did not match the flavor profile of the dish whatsoever. I didn't eat it. The dish was lack luster completely missed the mark of what I thought it was going to be. read more

The tonkatsu ramen was tasty. I especially like the pork chashu which was nice and juicy. My friend ordered the express lunch with kimchi fried chicken and vegetable fried rice. read more

RAMEN-SAN - Express lunch - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I got takeout. I ordered Tan Tan San with an egg and extra noodles. It was delicious! Whatever you do, make sure you get the egg!

I just want to say the service was great. Our server was super nice and helpful and that we appreciate. However, the food was not it. I have had ramen many times in my life because it is my favorite food and the ramen I had at Ramen-San was quite disappointing. I opted to order the lunch special which came with don-buri (rice bowl), ramen, cucumbers, and a salad. First, I was disappointed when I got my ramen because it was a mini-size, I did not read anywhere that the ramen would be of a smaller portion so either I read wrong or they should definitely include this on the lunch menu. I added wontons to my order which was $5, for only a smaller sized bowl of ramen the side options should also be less in my opinion. It was a little much to add for a side of wontons in my bowl of ramen but I wanted to give them a try. They were nothing special. The ramen itself really did not have much flavor. The broth was not as creamy and thick as other tonkotsu ramen's I have had in the past, and the noodles were also just very average. The meat in the ramen was a bit tough and not the most tender like most cha-shu pork should be. My friend said she tried the matcha cream puff at a different location and that it was super tasty. BUT, I am not sure if it is this location or what, but the matcha cream puff was not good at all. It tasted like old milk or cheese. The cream puff which is supposed to be a matcha custard cream did not taste like custard or matcha at all. Also, what was weird is it seemed like some parts were frozen then other parts were melting. which is really not normal for a custard cream to be melting. It looked weird and tasted weird as well. The restaurant was nice and compensated the cream puff since my friend and I literally took one bite and could not eat any more of it because of how bad it tasted. We were not sure if it was old or if that was just a bad batch but it was not a pleasant experience. The staff was nice and understanding. However, I would not be back for the food because nothing I had was good or worth coming back for. read more

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Whoever was working as the hostess around 8:00pm tonight, thank you for the amazing customer service. She offered to drop us off our food personally because our Door Dash order got sent to the wrong location. And the food was great as always! read more

My roommate has been ordering in Ramen San forever and today I finally had the chance to go and WOW. You need to go. I had the Kimchi Fried Chicken ramen and it was delicious and just the right amount of spice! My roommate got the Tonkatsu Ramen which was delicious as well! The service was quick and very kind! Also you need to get dessert here! The cones are filled with a bit of chocolate and some sort of cream wrap and it's delectable!!!!!! The cream puff ended up being huge but was very tasty we just hadn't expected the size. Definitely a highly recommend. read more

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We went here on a Saturday for lunch. We had the Fried Chicken Ramen and miso ramen, both were fantastic. We also Had warm sake and a Sapporo beer. Service was great and ambience was perfect for a lunch. Music was awesome too, 90's hip hop/rap. read more

Came here for the first time to check out their lobster vs crab omakase event. I normally frequent the River North but was willing to check out this location bc... I love lobster! The variety of dishes were all delicious and very different each time. The 90s music was bumpin' and the food came out quickly. The staff was attentive, refilling my drink frequently and clearing our dishes promptly. I appreciated how interactive all the servers were and it made for an excellent experience. read more

RAMEN-SAN - Most magical soft serve w miso caramel inside the cone ! - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

How come I just found this great ramen place! I had been seeking for a good ramen place in Chicago. But I gave up after a few terrible experiences. I randomly walked into this place last afternoon, and it turn out to be super good. I ordered the lunch special for small portion of rice bowl and ramen. The ramen both was rich but not oily ". The chashu was slightly a little bit dry, but as I didn't really like fat, it suited me well. The rice bowl is okay. Just the rice itself needs some improvements. Overall good experience. read more

RAMEN-SAN - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a new location in the fulton market district so I decided to give it a try. I liked the ramen at the original location. I had the original tonkatsu ramen. It was decent but nothing spectacular. I did like the pork belly which I think was seared prior to serving. The shrimp and pork dumplings were pretty good actually. I also tried the spicy yuzu ramen, which is largely inedible. Possibly the worse ramen I have ever had. It did have some pieces of chicken thigh but when infused with the flavor of the broth, it was largely inedible. I don't think I would come back here since Ramen Takeya is pretty much right next door and offers a far better experience. read more

Honestly, not my go-to for ramen. The ramen is GOOD, but that's it - nothing out of the ordinary. I ordered the tonkatsu ramen, and like other reviewers mentioned, it's not as rich as it should be. The chasu was also just okay, it wasn't "melt in your mouth" good. The ambiance of the establishment is fun though! Great music, chill vibe and interior. The service was great as well, our server was very attentive and went over the toppings available on the table. We came here on a Monday evening without a reservation and got seated immediately. read more

Ramen-San does ramen very well; you won't be disappointed. Beyond that, the atmosphere is laid back, the staff is attentive, and the music is fun... Great soft serve ice cream. read more