Chicago winters are long, and a hot bowl of ramen is one of the best ways to get through them. The city's ramen scene has grown fast. Logan Square now has a cluster of shops that locals call ramen row, and there are standout counters in the West Loop, West Town, North Center and Chinatown too.
Know your broth
Most menus are built around one or two styles. Here's what you're choosing between.
- Tonkotsu: a rich, creamy broth from pork bones boiled for hours. The most popular style in the city.
- Miso: a hearty, savory broth seasoned with fermented soybean paste. Sapporo-style miso is thick, warming and made for cold weather.
- Shoyu: a lighter, clear broth seasoned with soy sauce.
- Tantanmen: a nutty, spicy, sesame-forward bowl, Japan's take on Sichuan dan dan noodles.
- Gyukotsu: a beef-bone broth. It's rare in the US, and Chicago has one of the places doing it.
Logan Square: ramen row
- Akahoshi Ramen: Sapporo-style miso with house-made noodles, widely called the best bowl in the city. Order the Akahoshi Miso, and book ahead.
- Ramen Wasabi: one of the city's most reliable tonkotsu bowls since 2010. Order the tonkotsu.
- Monster Ramen: beef-bone gyukotsu ramen with noodles made in-house. Order The Monster.
Beyond Logan Square
- Rudy's Ramen in West Town: a short menu, done right. Order the pork ramen.
- High Five Ramen in the West Loop: a basement counter with about 15 seats and fiery spicy tonkotsu. The Half Spice is plenty hot for most people.
- Menya Goku in North Center: Ramen Wasabi's sister shop, with a nutty, tingly tantanmen.
- Strings Ramen Shop in Chinatown: noodles made fresh every day. Order the tonkotsu, or take on the ghost-pepper Hell Ramen challenge if you're brave.
How to do it right
- Go early or on a weeknight. Most of these shops are small, and the lines get long on the coldest nights.
- Eat it while it's hot. Ramen noodles keep softening in the broth, so don't let the bowl sit while you take photos.
- Slurping is fine. It cools the noodles and it's how ramen is meant to be eaten.
- Respect the heat scale. At the spicy shops, start a level lower than you think you need. You can't take spice back out.
Make a night of it
Ramen is a quick meal, which leaves time for a drink after.
- Logan Square: walk to Best Intentions for world-class cocktails at dive-bar prices, or Meadowlark behind its unmarked door. Logan Square guide →
- West Loop: after High Five, book Kumiko for a Japanese-inspired cocktail. West Loop guide →
- Chinatown: after Strings, head to Nine Bar, tucked behind a restaurant. Come back another day for dim sum.
Want a lighter noodle soup? See our pho picks, centered on Argyle Street. Ramen on a February night is #13 on our list of 20 foods to eat in your first year. New to the city? ChicagoApartmentBuildings.com is our guide to apartment buildings across Chicago.