Love the look of the newly opened Ramen-San in Fulton Market. The bar built into the wooden walls is aesthetically pleasing as is the whole design. The Crispy Berkshire dumplings are some of the best dumplings I've ever had, the crispy-ness is perfection! I enjoyed my ramen, the flavor of the Spicy Yuzu was delicious and I can't wait to try more ramen dishes here! read more

RAMEN-SAN - Spicy Yuzu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have wanted to try this place and am so happy they finally opened in the Fulton Market District. There was sooo much more seating available compared to other Ramen Places in the area. I love that they have outside seating too! Now to the food......... I think this place is now # 1 on my list. I had the Tonkatsu Broth and I took the first sip and my mouth was watering. I like the amount of appetizer options. We had the Tuna and Pork Belly Pot Stickers, ummmmmm, Yummmmm............ Their service was top notch, we had Marie and she was fabulous, knowledgeable, made great recommendations. Plus I loved her hair and tattoos. I'm definitely going back again!! read more

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Love this place. Loved the ramen. So delicious. Service is nice and quick. Place can be pricey though. Reservations are easy. Just call and book it. Although parking can be tough especially on green st. read more

It was brunch time on a Saturday. We had reservations at the Little Goat Diner, but was craving for a warm bowl noodles instead. Came here on a whim and this place definitely hit the spot. I ordered the Express Lunch, bowl of chicken thigh ramen and rice and chicken. It was fulfilling but not too heavy. It was the perfect amount of food considering we planned to walk to millennium park from here. It was like the previous reviewer said, the wait staff was attentive, not overbearing and laid back. The waiter had mentioned a new dish they were making, some miso curry shrimp ramen I think? It sounded really good but my eyes were set on the express lunch Bc I wanted both ramen and rice. Would def be back! read more

RAMEN-SAN - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

In summary, while the service is good and the ambience is really nice, the food leaves much to be desired. I came to Ramen-San on a Friday evening. The restaurant was just starting to fill up with the weekend dining crowd which saw about half the tables occupied at that time. The bar was relatively empty with only one patron sitting there, and because I enjoy dining at the bar, I scooted up to one of the countertop stools. The back shelf was lined with multiple bottles of various spirits but Japanese whiskey was definitely at the forefront. They serve ice-cold Asahi on draft which was perfect for a summer evening. The restaurant has a modern, trendy casual feel to it, attracting a mix of eclectic diners. I tried their gyoza. The taste was pretty good but the design of the dumpling is flawed. The fold of the dumpling skin extends too far out past the end of the dumpling, which blocks most of the dumpling from making contact with the sauce when you dipped into the little vat of sauce. On to the ramen, which is why we all come here. Now I've been to Ramen-San in River North and was not really impressed, but I hoped that this visit would change my impression. Boy, was I wrong. I ordered a bowl of Shio Ramen and the broth was so bland that I might as well have been drinking hot water and salt. To make things worse, the toppings were cold. The tofu was cold and the egg was cold. And I just can't get past how bland the broth was. There are some universal standards when it comes to making Ramen, and an organization like LEYE should know better. It's unfortunate, I know but I will not be coming back here to eat any Ramen. read more

Thoroughly enjoyed my first trip to Ramen San! This location offers easy access and the manager was super nice and accomodating. We had the raw tuna appetizer and each ordered a different ramen bowl. The photos they provide on the ordering app is very helpful to visualize what you are considering. AND Taylor G was absolutely delightful, professional and helpful. I would go back for many reasons, but Taylor and the manager made the experience a must return. Thank you! read more

We got home after hanging out with some friends and were walking around looking for a place to eat. The only problem is all places had at least an hour wait, then we stumbled upon Ramen-san, finally a place with no wait at all! By this time is was a little after 10pm. We were seated very quickly and ordered drinks. To drink I chose the cilantro-lime margarita. It was very light and refreshing. The only good thing about eating dinner at 10pm was that the late night fried rice is only available after 10pm, and fried rice happens to be one of the foods that I crave quite often. This wasn't your ordinary fried rice though! If you are adventurous and willing to take risks, this is the fried rice for you. It is hard to describe, but delicious! Can't wait to come back (hopefully at an earlier time) and try the ramen or wings! read more

To be honest, I wanted to like this place more than I did -- I ordered a vegan style ramen. The flavor was pretty good. However, at another ramen spot I recently went to, their ramen was much more filling, served in a deep bowl filled to the top with toppings, and it was piping hot. The ramen served here at Ramen-San was lukewarm and wasn't nearly as filling. The table wasn't necessarily clean when I was seated either and and there was a pesky fly that just wouldn't stop swarming the table. There were a few other things that topped of my experience here, but I'll end my review here. Unfortunately, I'd recommend other ramen restaurants over this one :( The staff was kind though. read more

Hubby and I came here for lunch on a Friday afternoon. We sat outside and ordered at the front. There is an extra covid-charge added to every bill, fyi. They did temperature check and asked if we've traveled within the past 14 days before we sat. The tables are first come first serve and you order the food at the front. I had the tonkatsu ramen which I thought was decent. We also ordered roasted brussel sprouts which my hubby and I enjoyed. Spicy kimchi was decent. Their karage was small but tasty. Hubby ordered their express lunch set. It's a decent deal where you get to have couple smaller entrees (so then you can try out different part of the menu). He had the tonkatsu ramen with fried rice. He enjoyed it as well. Overall we had a decent time and will go back! read more

Back in 2014, I visited Ramen-san in the River North location and was left unimpressed. Today I decided to give the new location a try since they recently opened up in my 'hood. I thought, hey, a new place might bring on a refreshed execution to the ramen. I was left underwhelmed (again). First things first. When it comes to ramen, the broth makes or break it. This is the art of ramen and why perfecting ramen is like achieving cult status in Japan. I know, we're in America, not Japan. But a place with the word "ramen" as its namesake should be able to nail down the basics. When my tonkotsu ramen arrived, I instinctively grabbed my spoon and had sips of my the broth (I was starving). Boy, was I disappointed. The tonkotsu broth appeared tasty and cloudy, as it's supposed to be except that it tasted floury. True tonkotsu broth is cloudy as a result of having been boiled hours and hours with pork bones. Think of it as "bone broth". The tonkotsu broth at Ramen-san tasted odd and well, floury. It tasted like either a result of 1) flour added to the water to make it look cloudy, or 2) the noodles were blanched separately and failed to be properly drained so the floury water got mixed into the broth. Either way, it just tasted wrong. The chashu pork belly was not as tender as its ramen competitor on the same street just 2 blocks down. The silver lining was the noodle itself was a perfect al dente. My husband ordered the shio ramen and the broth was weak. I'm aware that shio broth is supposed to be light and clear, but flavorful. The shio broth at Ramen-san lacked depth and flavor. After today, my impression from 4 years ago at the River North location hasn't changed after today's visit in their second location in Fulton Market. I'll still be waiting for 1.5 hours for ramen 2 blocks away... Service was friendly which I really appreciate but food wise, there's just too much competition going on in the West Loop for me to clamor to return. read more

I used to be a regular at ramen San. Good ramen and large portions but continuously let down as of decent by bowls only half filled. Along with the smaller portions are always luke warm broth temperature. Would much prefer wasabi or oiistar over ramen San for better ramen and larger portions read more

My family and I came here and ordered the express lunch for $15. There was no wait when we arrived on a Friday afternoon. It's pretty worth it for the variety of items you get. I personally ordered the tonkotsu ramen with vegetable fried rice. It also comes with a small greeny salad and a cucumber salad. I thought the tonkotsu was just a little too salty for my liking. It was just the right amount of food. read more

RAMEN-SAN - Express Lunch Bento - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

GreatRamen place in Chicago! I just wish the place was bigger and add more vegetarian options. Dessert is great too! read more

I ordered take out and the host and bar staff could not have been sweeter. Nia provided excellent customer service and was a delight to chat with. She deserves a promotion. read more

Came in the other day and got the express lunch. Best decision I've made in a while. The tonkotsu broth was delicious and the pork was so tender. Easily my favorite spot for lunch now. read more

The location of this Ramen- San Whisky Bar is pretty near to my friend's house. So, I ask her out to eat here. He is not into ramen but since I will be the one to pay, she still come and eat ramen with me. I thought she will not like it but surprisingly, she finished all the ramen in her bowl. So, I think she likes the taste just like how much I like it. We ordered Tonkatsu Ramen and it is so good, the service is fast and the waiter is so friendly. We tried also the Cinnamon Toast Crunch for dessert and it is so delicious, perfect to eat after a spicy ramen. So, I recommend this one if you wanted to try their dessert. I like the atmosphere here too, so I will add plus point for that. All in all, everything was good so I'll give 5 star. read more

I ordered the $15 lunch special! So delicious and a perfect amount of food! A total bargain if you ask me! The food was so flavorful and held me over till dinner! The atmosphere seemed perfect for almost any occasion from a work lunch to a funky date. read more

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

Only been here for lunch a couple times, and I honestly don't have anything bad to say! Not a super busy time of day so no waiting in line, metered parking everywhere or if you're lucky, free parking right out front, and their set lunch is a very decent deal! It comes with a spring salad, cucumber side dish (refreshing!), choose one small side and a ramen bowl. I've tried the tuna rice bowl and the panko crushed chicken rice bowl, both were delicious! Their tonkatsu ramen boasts flavorful broth, despite modest portion because well..it's lunch! That said, for $15, I think I'm a fan. Toppings are available at an extra cost. Will come back! read more

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Ramen-san is one of a number of ramen spots in Fulton Market, and each has been great. However, I gave this spot a try via a quick Uber Eats order today, and this was an absolute disappointment, bordering on a genuine food safety concern. Ordered the Sumo Bowl with extra noodles ($20 + $4 extra noodles) and their Karaage ($14). Pros: Karaage came in a small portion, but it was definitely tasty and the sauce was great. CONS: On the other hand, the bamboo shoots in the Sumo Bowl were so acrid and sour that they ruined the entire dish. After pouring in the broth, I was hit with the smell of rancid preserving juices from the inside of a can, and I soon found that it was emanating from some yellow-brown bamboo shoots. The shoots smelled so pungent and sour to the point of gagging, and this is coming from someone who has had bamboo shoots from other restaurants, and even ones that come in cans and from the open bins from local East Asian grocery stores. I recognize the smell as the preserving fluid from cans/open bins, but magnified to the point of acrid pungency, far from any kind of rationalization into the 'funky yet tasty' category. I really wanted to like this place because it's the ramen bar closest to me, but the entire Sumo Bowl experience ($20+ $4 extra noodles) was inedible and hazardous, ruined by spoiled canned bamboo shoots. read more

The ambiance, decor, food, drinks and servers were all on point. I had the kimchi and fried chicken ramen. It's a must get if you can handle kimchi, love fried chicken, and enjoy a flavorful spicy broth! Let's not forget the corn that is a complimentary addition adding more texture. Lastly the ramen noodle is perfect that is chewy, not overcooked! Highly recommend to any ramen lovers or addicts! read more

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

We had some great ramen here and some really good buns stuffed with goodness. The decor and ambiance was flat but the food made up for it. Definitely will be back great food here. read more

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Worst ramen in my life. You may not able to finish because it is too greasy. If you want to heavy and greasy ramen, this could be what you want. However, if you are looking for real ramen with an Asian flavor, this is not the place. Kimchi-fried chicken ramen has nugget-like chicken, not real fried chicken, and kimchi flavor did not exist that I expected as a Korean but only there is a just hot tasty from some spicy. Special brisket ramen has a well-cooked brisket, but it was very heavy and greasy. If you notice from the picture, there was a thick layer (~3 mm) of oil on the surface. We were not easy to stand and could not finish both ramens. read more

RAMEN-SAN - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had some issues with wait times, because of how busy the restaurant was but the staff/management made everything right and treated us kindly. Food was very good! Sechuan wings were delicious. Probably the best ramen in the west loop area. read more

Cool new ramen spot in Fulton market. We started with the fried chicken bun and it was incredible! The bread is super soft and the chicken wasn't "too fried". The sauce on it was really really good. I got the fried chicken and kimchi bowl and added a molten egg. Really tasty and the fried garlic was a nice crunch on top. It was really spicy but not too spicy I couldn't eat it, and I'm not usually a spice person. I'd order again. He got the tonkotsu bowl and it was also really good- can see why these are the #1 and #2 bowls ordered. It was so much food and a really good price. I'll be back!! read more

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After going to Tokyo I started to get super picky with ramen spots. This place is Def a 4 star ramen place. It isn't the best. But it's definitely a spot everyone should try at least once. Given everyone's personal preferences. I got the tonkatsu ramen $15 and I added fried chicken for $4 more. My gf got tonkatsu ramen with extra egg ($1 additional). I actually enjoyed the broth. It was flavorful and just the right amount of garlic. The pork was very thick, But it was fatty pork. The added chicken was a nice addition if you like fried chicken. When we went it was empty and surprisingly the service was OK. I can't imagine if the restaurant was full. Our server changed mid meal without anyone saying anything so we were looking for our waiter, but apparently she either left or went on break? Since there isn't many choices for ramen spots in the city. I'd say this place is a good try read more

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The ramen was excellent, I was glad it was so customizable, the corn was an excellent addition to the vegetarian option. The drinks were deceptively alcoholic. I was very, very full at the end and the wait staff was incredibly good, but something about the atmosphere was off, felt rather pizza-place-like. Yummy, could use an update to it's style. read more

Came here for lunch on a Saturday and it was delicious. I got the ramen and my friend for the wings. Both were flavored so well. Our server was awesome and made really good suggestions. I've been to the river north location also and this one is comparable. They have a cute outside seating area for those good weather days. Can't wait to go back. read more

RAMEN-SAN - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you're thirstin' for Ramen, look no further. I love Ramen-san! We started out with the sticky that wings and both of the mantou bun varieties. Highly recommended, I couldn't get enough! For the ramen, I chose the kimchi and fried chicken. It's denoted as spicy, and it was, but if you like spice you'll love it. This place is great and I look forward to coming back soon! read more

I ordered the fried chicken which was ok. I'm really disappointed because they have these red cups they give you for water. No straw unless you ask. I'm sitting here to turn around and watch this man hold a cup of water to his dogs mouth to drink out of. They continued to serve them waters etc so to me it's acknowledging this goes on. NASTYYYYY . I guess me voicing my concerns to our waitress wasn't in her plans because by the tone of her voice she didn't care and went to get the manager. Never returning read more

Here on a Sunday night. 30-40 minutes behind on orders. I gave it a second chance. This place is awful. The people that run the carry out are rude. They keep taking Uber and door dash orders and they clearly can't handle it read more

First time here, we made our way here on a really rainy and foggy Chicago afternoon . The wait was minimal since it was New year's Eve. We had the fried chicken Mantou buns which were flavor packed but could have used a little more of the spicy mayo. For the mains we had ordered the spicy yuzu chicken ramen which had a very light and tasty broth and the noodles were on point . Must try ramen in Chicago. read more

RAMEN-SAN - Perfect spot to hot when it's raining outside - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place was soooo good! I got the yuzu ramen and subbed in fried chicken. I also added fried garlic which was a great choice! Overall, it was very flavorful, great service, and I would come again. read more

RAMEN-SAN - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great ramen place in the West Loop! Service was spot on. Restaurant had a nice hum without being too loud or busy.we have gone twice, both on weeknights, without a reservation and no waiting to be seated.Waitstaff was attentive and food came out quickly. Matt was the manager both nights... our first visit, the was an error with our order... He comped us the food brought in error and quickly had the correct order brought to us. He even gave us free dessert as an apology. Super friendly guy who obviously knows how to work a room and keep his guests happy! One "drawback"- those projection TVs showing sporting events on the wall make this place feel like a sports bar instead of the intimate ramen place it should be. Get rid of them or play something that would add to the ambiance instead of detracting from it. read more

Great meal Saturday day. My cousins and myself stopped in to check it out. Manager came over multiple times to check on us. Server was very attentive. Food was amazing. Will go back again for sure! read more

Love this place and I love ramen. Specially in days like today: sunny cold winter Sunday after a Pilates workout. I am definitely a first timer here but not to Ramen. I can tell you that their lunch special is worth $15! Look at the image I post please. Wish you could taste it as I am now. The special was perfect portion. I didn't leave anything on my plate and I feel great. This area of town is flourishing with brewpubs, high end restaurants living sky risers, and public transportation is accessible via L and buses. Anyway let me get back to savoring my meal experience and hope you make it here like I did! By the way this is credit card place only. Your cash as green as it may be is not acceptable. read more

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Ordered the express lunch with Panko-crusted chicken and tonkotsu ramen. It was pretty good and very filling. The ramen was a bit salty but the portion was good because the bowl of panko-crusted chicken and rice was filling. Considering how expensive other ramen places are, the price of $15 was decent but still expensive. The ramen used is more of the thicker wavy noodles (type you'd see in packaged ramen but better) rather than the thin straight noodles. The broth was really flavorful but salty and the pork belly was thick (got 2 pieces). Would get this again if i come back. The panko-crusted chicken was good but it could've been crispier and could have used more sauce but the rice was great (had sesame seeds in the rice). The salad was average . My friend ordered the imperial shio ramen and she was also able to finish it but was really full afterwards. She said it was a bit bland and could've used more flavor. The servers were really nice and the interior is really cute, but because of the price and comparison to other ramen places, I decided that it's not quite 5 stars. read more

RAMEN-SAN - Express lunch: Panko-crusted chicken and tonkotsu ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Excellent meal spot for a post-night out of bar hopping in Fulton Market. Quick and courteous service, full bar with a great selection of beverages, and, of course, superb ramen! The inside environment looks clean and upscale, with an inviting atmosphere that warmed us from the ferocious winds and cold of the outside. I enjoyed the brussel sprouts appetizer with an amazing tonkotsu ramen. The broth was well-balanced and the noodles were also balanced with being saturated with the broth but not overly so. Yum, I can't wait to go back! read more

Food was great! Service was awesome. The bartender really knows his stuff about the whiskeys which made a tasting a great experience. Cocktails were above expectations read more

Lucy was amazing! She was able to get us a table on a busy night -- we drove out of town to get ramen (I love love LOVE the kimchi fried chicken ramen -- remember to add the egg!). The server didn't really check on us but the food was spot on per usual and Lucy being so nice about fitting us in made me bring the review to 5 stars. I'll be back soon :) read more

Tonkatsu ramen with fried chicken on the side! Sumo bowl was my old favorite, but it's a very LARGE bowl. Yum. This place never disappoints. Mostly pork broth but it's very delicious and flavorful. Great for small and large groups. read more

RAMEN-SAN - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois