Oh ramen, how I adore you. It was a rainy evening in Chicago, which equals a ramen emergency. Luckily, Kohoku-Ku Ramen was conveniently within a short walk of our homebase, so we braved the rain to try it. This was an excellent decision. The shop is small; seating options include both tables and booths, and is whimsically decorated with a variety of Japanese themed items and art. Our server was efficient and kind, and although it was pretty busy we were seated and served within a very reasonable amount of time. I ordered the vegan ramen. This ramen. Hands down one of my top 5 bowls of ramen ever. The broth - complex and substantial, the noodles - perfectly cooked, as are the veggies (bok choy, kikurage musrooms, corn) and tofu. The toppings (kim chee, pickled ginger, scallions, and nori) add extra texture and flavor, creating a dish about which I continue to dream. read more

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How have I not reviewed this place, I LOVED the Ramen here. It's an adorable neighborhood ramen joint, no frills, no booze and quite small. But infinitely appealing! If you want a Sapporo, pop to Castle Food & Liquor, just east of the alley, practically next door. The ramen . . . the broth was savory and smooth. The noodles plump and delicious. The portion size was ample. Everything freshly made. I LOVE Ramen, and this was really nice. Though I've never been to Japan, this gave me the vibe of a humble little ramen joint in a Japanese neighborhood - though this place is likely MUCH larger than most of the little ramen joints there. Until I get there, I will happily come back here again and again!! The woman working on the night we were there was fantastic. Super friendly, and we had an enjoyable conversation about other things on the menu - for the next visit!!! read more

You can tell that the chef at Kohoku-Ku Ramen Chicago cares about the food. I love that Kohoku-Ku Ramen Chicago moved into the neighborhood. I normally am not a fan of ramen because the noodles always taste flavorless but the food here is phenomenal. The employees at Kohoku-Ku Ramen Chicago are so friendly. I don't think I've ever met someone that works here that wasn't overly friendly. The inside of the restaurant is beautiful. The restaurant makes you feel like you're in Japan dining at a street vendor. They have a handful of tables for smaller parties. You can easily have a party of four or less. Kohoku-Ku Ramen Chicago is also a great place for solo dining. I will forewarn you that the prices are a little high. I wasn't sure about the price when I first visited but the portions are large and the food is delicious. The noodles were flavorful even outside of the broth. I normally order the Shoyu Ramen and pair it with a side of gyoza or kara-age. I was easily able to get two meals from my order. If you add the gyoza it could be three smaller meals. I've known people that travel from far neighborhoods for the ramen and it is well worth the trip! read more

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Food was excellent and so was the service. The ambiance is nice, fun and very modest. It's a little bit on the spartan side when it comes to decor but it's festive. We really like this place and definitely will go back. read more

Kohoku-Ku Ramen - Receipt - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I ordered it for delivery and it was delicious. It arrived quickly. The packaging was fantastic. It came with fantastic directions for reheating. I look forward to trying it in the restaurant soon. read more

My fiance picked this spot for lunch when we'd be in Edgewater. In a word, amazing! This tiny restaurant restaurant has quite a selection of ramen offerings, and based on our experience it seems like you can't go wrong no matter what you order, since three of us ate three different dishes (the Kumamoto Ramen, with black garlic tonkotsu broth; the shoyu ramen, with karaage fried chicken and a couple more dumplings; and the chashu Curry ramen, with pork and a curry broth) and they were all awesome, as were the gyoza we had for an appetizer: pan fried bottoms and perfect texture of the filling. Our waiter was so nice and the vibe of the restaurant is fun, with little booths decorated with Japanese toys and Showa-era-looking advertisements. We all left full, satisfied, and wanting to come back! read more

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The entire experience was wonderful! The decor, the staff, the food was phenomenal! Highly recommend! I realized that I used to live 2 blocks from there 30+ years ago! It all brought back so many memories! Can't wait to go back! read more

Reading some of these reviews, this was supposed to be at least a rock-solid ramen place. It's not far from me, and I decided to stop in. Unfortunately the experience was abysmal, and I do not see myself returning. Chicago has no shortage of excellent ramen places, this isn't one of them, not even close. I ordered the Chashu Bun and the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen. Well, the Chashu Bun might as well be called Kewpie Salad. This thing was massive, and difficult to pick up without making a tragic mess. Somehow, using a fork, I was able to make some sense of this. The piece of pork inside was tiny, not larger than a half-dollar coin, maybe two if I am to be generous. Otherwise, it was lettuce and scallion sliced lengthwise that has a tendency to get stuck near the throat if not chewed thoroughly. This was combined with an overload of Kewpie mayo, which was layered on heavy and thus overpowered everything. Then came the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen. Credit where credit is due, the broth was pleasant, savory, and had the right amount of heat. This is the only good thing I can say about this bowl. Pork? The amount was meager, and the quality was inadequate, it felt more boiled than melt-in-your-mouth and savory. Vegetables? The same scallions-sliced-lengthwise, and two large pieces of Bok Choy. Noodles? These felt more like spaghetti than something ramen-esque. The Menma (bamboo shoot) was pleasant, but I wish there was a little more, as it wasn't enough to restore a balance. Then, we come to the atmosphere. The interior was oppressively hot and humid. So much so that the floor was wet and slippery. I am trying to eat some ramen, not go on a tropical vacation! Adding to the discomfort, the seating was severely uncomfortable. The wooden stools are bad enough, but those who sit on the narrow bench with a coat hanging behind... I feel sorry for you. In terms of value, the Pork Bun was $5, and the Ramen was $18. I could be a little lenient, but given the scanty amount of pork and low quality, I felt somewhat ripped-off when the bill came. Where it comes to the service, I will give them some points for politeness and professionalism. However, it felt slower than in other ramen places (ramen is a kind of fast food, after all!) Also, when a server came up to ask how everything is, and I said "so-so", there was no reaction or response other than smiling and walking away. Finally, there is the question of cleanliness... the dining area was clean, and I didn't notice any red flags while walking through the kitchen to the bathroom. However, the door frame in the restroom looks like it hasn't been cleaned in years. A little 409, maybe a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is all it would take. Oh yes... I will spare you the details, but, a little after waking up my body couldn't wait to get rid of whatever was left, with vigor! I can't say for sure it was this place, but it is the most likely suspect! Thus, we are left with a quadruple whammy! Poor Food, atmosphere, value, and [possible] cleanliness. With all of this, a return visit isn't something that'll take place. read more

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I ordered through Doordash a while ago. the portion is very small for the koshin ramen and wakame salad. I paid about $30 for this meal but expected to get bigger portion. The flavor is ok, not that different from other ramen restaurant so I would order from other places instead. read more

went in on a sunday for lunch with my family. some menu items weren't available so that was a bad start. the fried items i did get were soaking in oil. the servers were nice though. the tonkotsu ramen was as expected. my kids loved it. i really wanted the mackerel donburi but was told they were out of mackerel. got the bento instead and was hoping to get the kurobuta sausage as a side but was told they were out of that as well. i ended up getting the fried chicken as my main protein and takoyaki as the included appetizer. both fried items were squishy with oil. i'm talking dripping. when i took a bite, oil dripped down my chin. giving this place an average rating since my kids enjoyed it. the hubs liked his spicy tonkotsu ramen (though he didn't think it was spicy enough). oh, and i do agree with other reviewers regarding the uncomfortable seating. plus, the hooks for bags and coats weren't very useful either. my bag was pretty much in the way. luckily my kids sucked it up and tolerated the annoyance. would i visit again? not likely. i'm glad we tried it but will search for other ramen spots. read more

The ramen is decent. I ordered out though, so maybe there's some difference to an in store experience. Excited to sit down there in the future read more

Ramen itself was very mid but it's still ramen so it was tasty enough. The issue was that it took 40 minutes for our ramen to come out and the bill was quite steep. Expensive, not particularly tasty, and an hour+ commitment for a dish that is by nature supposed to be quick bite? No thank you. read more

I've been jonesing for good ramen ever since returning to the US, so I gave Kohoku-ku, a surprisingly hidden little ramen shop in Edgewater, a try. I ordered the Kohoku-ku Ramen, which is advertised as very spicy. It actually wasn't that spicy at all, and I would actually recommend it if you're trying to train yourself on spicy foods. It has good flavor, the spice neither lingers nor has build-up. The soft-shelled crab is always a yummy bonus. I also got the gyoza which was totally fine. I assumed the melon cream soda was an actual cream soda, but it was just melon cream flavored soda :) The decor is filled with lots of Showa-era vibes. It's very cute and gives it a bit more "authentic" vibes. Otherwise, a very solid ramen shop. read more

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I stopped in like a week ago and I'm still thinking about that ramen!! it was so filling and flavorful. the service was fast but efficient, S/O to Sandy she was soooo sweet and attentive. honorable mentions: the vanilla taiyaki dessert, perfect way to wrap that savory meal. If you're in the Edgewater neighborhood, DEFINITELY check them out!! read more

Kohoku-Ku is the a call back to nastaligia for me. I haven't found anywhere in Chicago that has reminded me as much as noodle shops in Japan until I stopped here. The service was perfect and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. Tonkotsu and Chashu Curry ramen were both amazingly balanced with the broth. Highly, highly recommend stopping here. read more

Kohoku-Ku Ramen - Chashu Ramen (close) and Tonkotsu Ramen (far). - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Solid ramen in a small kind of mom and pop feel space. I got the kurobuta sausage, Kumamoto ramen, and red bean paste taiyaki. All super tasty and would order again! read more

Kohoku-Ku Ramen - KUMAMOTO RAMEN - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

delicious food and nice people, highly recommend to any ramen lovers, hits the spot on a chilly day!

This place is great! It is a shame that the store is so small because the ambiance is where place shines the most. There are cute Japanese details all over. The dishes, the art, the utensils, the seating, the menu: All Fantastic. Our server was also very kind. Outside of this, the Ramen was great! We got the tonkotsu ramen and were big fans. Great but simple broth and maybe some of the best ramen pork I've ever had. I think some of there other options would've been even better and can't wait to return. read more

Kohoku-Ku Ramen - TONKOTSU RAMEN - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I liked this place. The tonkotsu ramen was excellent and flavorful. Soft shell crab was also tasty. Parking is convenient with a lot across the street. read more

We come to this restaurant at least once a month. We always order the Kohoku ramen dish. It has a fried soft shell crab, 2-3 fried shrimp, two portions of shemeji mushrooms, boiled egg halves, ramen noodles, nori, and a delish sauce. At $25 it's a real deal. We also order the green tea ice cream that comes with 3 scoops of green tea ice cream. The restaurant is also BYO. read more

This is my favorite local ramen place!!! The restaurant itself is really special and each private booth has its own unique decor, and those little details make the place feel very intentional, cozy, and charming. The ramen is really spectacular, fresh ingredients, and all the flavors & different ramen broths are very balanced and umami!! Go-to favorites are the kurobuta sausage, corn korokke, veggie tempura ramen, tonkotsu ramen, & grilled mackerel ramen, but everything on the menu is a winner and definitely try the melon cream soda :) read more

I love that this spot is so convenient. Right off the redline at Thorndale and it's super close if you reside on Sheridan. My boyfriend and I have been scouting this spot in the neighborhood for a while now so we finally took the chance to try it out and it did not disappoint. We came on a Sunday evening. This place is still kind of new from my understanding so the place wasn't full which I loved. Once Chicagoans get ahold of a new ramen spot they flood in. My boyfriend and I got to enjoy a nice evening here without all the raucous from other customers. We started off with chicken karage. You can never go wrong, but I would've definitely liked a lemon to squeeze on them just for added flavor. When it came to ramen I got the miso while my boyfriend got the shio. Both were soooo good. *inserts mouth watering emoji*. It's that season for ramen so it all just felt right. The broth on its own is amazing. And I really liked that the shio ramen contained chicken potstickers (at restaurants I've tried they're usually pork by default). It really made for a very nice meal. We were good and full so we opted to take our leftovers to go. We were kind of sad because we wish we had more room in our tummies to finish it right then and there. Lol even after getting home and settling in it was still good to eat. I really like the atmosphere of this ramen spot. The Japanese candy and toys on the wall make very nice for decoration and gives the eyes something cool to look at. Thumbs up for service too. read more

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Cute little spot with nice decor for really good ramen...The tempura ramen is fantastic and my go to...Yum!

Seeing the reviews online I was excited to try out a new ramen spot in the city. Me and my girlfriend had the spicy tonkatasu and miso ramen. The miso ramen was good 8.5/10. The spicy tonkatasu was bland with no flavor. When we asked our server if we could add some flavor to our ramen she misheard us and added plain hot water to our dish. This diluted the flavor even more to something even tasteless and we told her again we wanted to add some more flavor. She took back our dish a second time with little to no change. When we asked again she just brought us salt. The meal was honestly laughable at how terrible it was and we (mostly my girlfriend) felt bad on returning the dish as we have already ate a good portion of it. It was not only the worst ramen I've ever personally had but probably the worst food I ever had at a restaurant ever. Would not touch the spicy tonkatasu ramen here with a ten foot pole. Food: 1/5 | Service: 2/5 | Atmosphere: 4/5 read more

Kohoku-Ku Ramen - Spicy Tonkatasu Ramen extremely bland, tastes like salt spicy water - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Gave me food poisoning from the tempura veggie ramen a few weeks ago. Was pretty sure it smelled kind of off but still tried to eat it anyways and something tasted funny. Later the same night I was having severe food poisoning symptoms for a couple days. Only started feeling sick after I ate here. read more

We visited Kohima-Ku Ramen, and have a little bit of mixed reviews. Nothing was bad, but there is a difference between the clear broth ramens and the thick creamy ones. The creamy ones are super flavorful and taste amazing. The clear broth ramens are very mild. read more

You can get a good bowl ramen in many places in Chicago, but it's hard to find a ramen shop that is more fun than Kohoku-Ku Ramen Chicago. The thing that immediately struck me is the how different the interior of this ramen shop was from others I've been to in Chicago or all over the world. Walking in here felt like stepping into 1960s Showa Era Japan. They have a lot of retro decorations like signs and posters, a wall of sake barrels and even dagashi hanging from one of the walls. It's a small restaurant, with not to many seats, but they definitely have made the interior fun. Also, the food was excellent. I ordered Gyoza, the Kohoku-Ku ramen, their house made pandan leaf custard taiyaki and a melon cream soda. The Kohoku-Ku ramen was delicious. One word of warning, it's spicy. If you don't like spicy ramen, then this is not for you. It's a bit expensive, $25.00, but worth it. You get a ton of tempura seafood, including soft shell crab and shrimp. You get a big bowl worth a lot good making it a decent value, despite the high price. I also enjoyed the pandan leaf custard taiyaki. All of their taiyaki is made in house, so it came out piping hot a fresh. It also had a very good pandan taste. The service was amazing too. My food came out super fast and hot. Also, the staff were was friendly and responsive. I also like that it's right off the redline, the 36 bus and there is plenty of parking in the neighborhood. So, getting to and from there isn't an issue. In sum, this is must visit ramen shop in Chicgao. read more

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We came here for vegan food, and they have delicious and impressive vegan options. Started off with the blistered shishito peppers, they were delicious - excellent texture, perfectly seasoned, salty and sour from the yuzu. We got the vegetable tempura ramen, which includes tofu, enoki mushrooms, zucchini, corn fritter, sweet potato, and onion, rested on a dish situated atop a simple bowl of ramen with a flavorful soy sauce broth and topped with green onion and lots of pickled ginger. The atmosphere is nice, the little booths are sweet and great for a more intimate experience among a group. We'll definitely be coming here regularly. read more

Kohoku-Ku Ramen - VEGETABLE TEMPURA RAMEN - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Delicious food, good atmosphere and its BYOB had the spicy ramen it had the right amount of heat read more

Kohoku-Ku Ramen - Spicy and delicious. Right amount of heat. FYI it's BYOB - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cute, quiet, and intimate shop with japanese comfort food like ramen and curry. Got the curry with rice and chicken. Chicken was tender and lightly fried. Curry was decent. The sushi rice was perfect. The service here was very polite and friendly. Will try the ramen next time. read more

Kohoku-Ku Ramen - Curry rice chicken - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I can't say enough good things about this place! From the moment I walked in, the cozy atmosphere and warm service made me feel right at home. The broth was incredibly rich and flavorful -- you can tell it's been simmered for hours. I had the tonkotsu ramen and it was absolute perfection: tender chashu, perfectly cooked noodles, and a soft-boiled egg with that just-right jammy center. They also have great vegetarian options and delicious appetizers -- the gyoza and karaage are must-tries. Portion sizes are generous and prices are super reasonable for the quality. Whether you're a ramen connoisseur or just craving a comforting bowl, this spot is a gem. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

Massive portions, well cooked noodles, and fluffy, light tempura makes this my favorite ramen joint in Edgewater. I've had the vegetable tempura and the house special ramen, and both were absolutely phenomenal. Noodles were cooked well, and the personalized details of screen printing / food safe labeling on the seaweed was a cute touch. Service was quick and out of your face. Come in, sit down, order, and eat. They won't bother you (which I love). And they have a great Japanese melon cream soda that you have to try. Grab it to go and enjoy a chilled melon soda as you walk to the beach. Great date place and for solo eaters. Seats are pretty tight and small, but I doubt it'll detract from the experience. read more

Kohoku-Ku Ramen - VEGETABLE TEMPURA RAMEN - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ramen is the macaroni and cheese of Japan. In Edgewater, there are several options. A new entrant is Kohoku, a hole in the wall conveniently located next to the red line. The place is clean and tidy with nice little stalls for four people. One person took our order and did the cooking. The menu is what you would expect and slightly pricier than other ramen places. The ramen was good and well executed. Give this place a try. read more

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Just off the Thorndale stop, you'll find this kitschy little slice of Japan. Super cute aesthetics and a great menu. The ramen is the real deal and it actually spicy. Excellent chashu with a light sweetnees. Noodles are a thinner style but of a solid quality My only beef: they have very poor ventilation and fans. On a hot day the restaurant is unbearable; I came once before and left before ordering. Ultimately, glad I came back but please fix your AC or something! read more

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I love ramen. One could say I'm borderline obsessed. I want nothing more than an irresistible ramen joint on the Northside. When I saw this place pop up as a new restaurant with strong ratings, I was excited and hopeful. I ordered delivery, so I know to take some things into consideration as a result. I ordered gyoza, karage chicken, and the spicy tonkatsu ramen. The gyoza was solid and a recommended appetizer. I am not going to judge the lack of crispness of the chicken due to delivery, but I will comment on the flavor. The chicken was well-seasoned and juicy. The mayo sauce was a little too thick, and I did not enjoy dipping the chicken. I think where I felt the disappointment was the ramen. While sufficiently spicy, the broth lacked depth. It didn't have the rich pork broth flavor that makes a good ramen. It felt like watery, spicy, soup. I will, however, commend the quality of the noodles and the char siu. Those were both great. Hopefully, they will work to perfect the broth soon. read more

Ambience 5 Service 3 Price 2 Food - presentation 4 Food - taste 2 So cute! The decoration and the ambience are so nice! It's retro Japan. I love the theme. I had a miso ramen $18 and my friend had a Tonkotsu ramen $17. I think ramen quality needs to be improved. Those are not like kohoku-Ku ramen in Yokohama at all. The price is set too high for the ramen quality. read more

We came here on a Sat night, the restaurant was quite empty maybe due to the hot weather outside but still perfect weather for us to enjoy ramens. Restaurant is well decorated and as cute as a small ramen shop in Japan. Staff was friendly and attentive, they made us feel comfy. We ordered fried squids, two ramens, and two drinks. Fried squids were crunchy and cut into small pieces, eat with mayo mixed sweet chilli sauce. With traditional Tonkotsu, the broth is silky and tasty like it was made from bone and nothing too complicated, it could be a little different from other places but Im a fan of simple delicious broth so I really enjoyed it. For spicy ebi ramen, the broth tasted kinda like tom yum but non sweet and less sour, shrimps were fresh and juicy. Fyi, this ramen was spicier than I thought so be careful when you order. Overall, great experience, will come back! read more

Kohoku-Ku Ramen - Spicy EBI RAMEN and TONKOTSU RAMEN - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This little ramen place really exceeded my expectations with the quality and taste of food and the service. We ordered spicy tonkatsu ramen, veggie tempura ramen, and katsu w/curry, chicken kaarage and tako yaki for four people. The portions were very generous especially the veggie tempura and everything tasted fresh and made to order. The space is a bit on the small side so may be more challenging to accommodate a bigger group but party sizes of 2-4 is probably ideal. Really enjoyed our dinner here and definitely coming back to try the $25 shrimp and soft shell crab ramen. read more

Kohoku-Ku Ramen - a variety of japanese paper lanterns - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a small, cozy, cute Ramen spot in Edgewater that seems to have opened recently and I'm so glad we found and tried it. The vegetarian Ramen broths were delicious and the ingredients were fresh. Prices were reasonable and the hostess was gracious in changing our online order to a dine in one due to a snafu with their online ordering system (which seems to be a work in progress by the way). The lone person waiting tables was kind and attentive. The interior is clean and nicely decorated with Japanese style paper (?) lamp shades. They don't yet seem to have an alcohol license. We'll definitely be returning here for takeout or dine in. read more

Food Service Ambiance! I would recommend you try it out. It felt like being in Japan.