Decent ramen spot, the pork belly is the star of the show. The place is pretty cramped so it's definitely not ideal for a group larger than 4 people. Service is fair, the busboy staff tend to try to hurry you along to make room for the waiting customers, so that can be off putting. read more

Of all the ramen options on Milwaukee, Oiistar is my favorite. For as costly as ramen is these days, they make it the best deal and their service is always fast and friendly. My go-to is the Umami. It has the perfect kick of spice to it and they give you a generous amount of noodles, meat, & toppings AND you do not have to pay extra for the soft boiled egg that has been perfect every time. My favorite part is they give you the whole egg- unlike other places that cut it in half for you. I'm weird and love to see the yolk ooze into my broth and cook a teeny bit. Yum. I used to also love the Oiimen with a side of suicide paste and add enough for a kick. The Umami is just easier and always consistent. Also, their chicken wings are OUT OF THIS WORLD. Drenched in sauce and garlic and fried to absolute crispy perfection. I've never had wings like theirs before and now it's a must every time we go. read more

The perfect meal for a chilly afternoon. I had the garlic ramen (3), next time I want to get the spicy garlic ramen (#4) read more

Oiistar - #3 Garlic ramen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Oiistar is not the best place but it is a good to grab some quality food with fast service. The buns were pretty yummy- especially the pork belly. The ramen was nothing special but delicious. The service was very speedy and everyone was nice. Seems like a consistent spot that has a fast turn around. We called ahead to see if we needed a reservation but with just two there was no wait. read more

See all

The guy says; get ready to have the best ramen you have ever had in your life! Well, he wasn't lying! It's good, real good! The place was packed but luckily we were able to grab two seats at the bar. Started with the bao buns and they were awesome, can't beat pork belly! Next, my girlfriend got the vegetarian Ramen and she loved it. I opted for the tonkatsu standard Ramen and it was awesome. Next time I will go a little spicier but everything was excellent and the vibe was great! Can't wait to go back. I love Silverlake Ramen in LA but at home this place is my jam! Probably the best pork belly you will find anywhere in Chicago. Glad I can literally walk here. Enjoy! read more

Oiistar - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's a great spot. We ordered the veggie man and chicmen. Miss the Tikkamen since Chicmen was okay but great service and beautiful ambience. If you are okay with umami flavors then this is your spot. read more

i literally cannot stress this enough, GO TO THIS RAMEN PLACE !!!!! the absolute best ramen i've ever had. this place is slightly expensive but worth every penny and portions are huge. i cannot wait to go back here !!!! the buns are also to die for. read more

Oiistar - garlic oil ramen and pork belly bun - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Fantastic ramen. I got the umami and my buddy got the Oiimen classic and both were great. Also had a few buns that were exceptional. read more

Oiistar - Umami ramen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Huge portions that you'll actually finish because of good it is! I went here with a group of friends and really enjoyed the food!

great ramen place!! -spicy garlic shoyumen: 9/10 great flavor -pork belly bun: 10/10 absolutist delicious, fatty pork belly with a savory sauce -duck breast bun: 6/10 personally not my favorite, the flavor of the chilis/raisins were slightly off putting excited to come back and try more! read more

See all

HOLY BOWLS! I waited until I came here twice because I almost didn't believe this place is a five star restaurant (in my mind). FIRST off, its hard to find. We walked past this place multiple times trying to find it. Our second visit, we nearly missed it walking past again. No clear signage. You just kind of have to trust in google maps and keep an eye out. Both visits, I ordered bao buns. My favorite was pork belly and mashed potatoes. The foam at mouth kind of good. For ramen, I ordered the Oiimen (pork belly, egg, scallion, tree-ear mushroom, spicy oil and garlic) Warmed the soul right up with a HUGE PORTION!! My only complaint about it was their was too much fat on the pork belly. I know, gasp! How could I say that? There is suppose to be fat on pork bellly... I know, I know. Just warning you. I also ordered a ramen that had ground beef in it, but I think they took it off the menu? It was good! I'm almost tempted to call this my favorite Chicago ramen joint. BUT WASABI and RAMEN-SAN still hold strong. RAMEN love with ya, oiistar read more

Now that I'm trying more Ramen places in Chicago, I have come to learn what I like and look for in ramen dishes- spiciness, variety of veggies/toppings, and chashu. The spicy garlic ramen at Oiistar (recommended by the waiter) was not spicy enough but was flavorful and satisfying. The chashu was super tasty, though the veggie and topping variety was minimal. I hate to say it but I had to rate this bowl my least favorite of the ones I've tried thus far. Huuuge portions though. For this price point- I'd go with High Five Ramen any day. read more

Selection on menu was pretty large for a ramen shop and the portions matched that energy perfectly. Food was very good and service, while nothing special, was good especially given how busy the restaurant was. The made in house noodles were excellent. Ambiance was nice with a slightly dimmer lit dining room and windows out to the street. Would recommend even if the price can be a bit much for some. read more

Absolutely delicious! Best Ramen I've had! And they had gluten free beer and other gluten friendly options! read more

Oiistar - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wow I don't know what happened here but I think they forgot the salt when they made my broth?? It was the blandest thing and virtually inedible! I have been eating ramen for decades (in Japan and the US) so I know what it should taste like and this was NOT it. My dining companion who said Oiistar was his fav place in the city admitted that something was severely off; he's never had broth that tasted so weak in the many times he's been over the years. When we told the staff they were indignant and said they've never heard anyone say that before and just walked away. No apologies, inquiries, or offers to replace or comp. Unbelievably rude and neither my friend nor I will return. I'll happily stick with Wasabi down the street or drive out to Hokkaido Ramen Santouka. Two stars for the noodles and the pork being edible and my friend enjoyed his jjajanmyun. read more

Any ramen enthusiast in the area needs to check out Oiistar. It has quite a trendy vibe, great for a small group or date. I came on a weekend evening with a small group and was seated right away at the bar. I tried one of their chicken bao appetizers but thought it was a bit on the greasier and saltier side. Our ramens came out fast soon after we placed our orders. I choose their classic one, the Oiimen, and thought it was delicious. The bowl is ginormous and packed with perfectly cooked ramen noodles. The pork belly slices were very thick and flavorful. One of the downsides was that our overall service was quite slow. We had to remind our server at least twice to bring our checks and it felt like a very long time before anything was done. read more

Oiistar - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This has been one of my top 5 ramen spots for quite some time now, favorite being the musclemen ramen! I've also tried their varieties of buns/baos. The tempura cod and shrimp were good but I think the duck breast really stood out for me. The delicious tender duck slices with micro wasabi, golden raisin, jalapeño chutney had a sweeter but definitely lighter, fresher take in comparison to the more savory options like pork belly and tonkotsu buns. I think the only item on the menu that I'd skip at this point is the portobello and avocado tempura. Not a bad appetizer but was just missing some wow factor. read more

See all

Just when I thought I have found the best ramen place in Chicago for vegetarians, I found Oiistar. I cannot recommend this place enough because they are amazing. Definitely try their vegetarian broth and if you would like a twist if indian taste, ask the chef to mix their tandoori mix to the broth and you would love it. Their drinks are amazing as well. I tried the sangria which was really fresh and they also a vodka based mojito which looked amazing. read more

Oiistar - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Racist staff. I met up with a friend here on February 3rd. we didn't get her entree for a while even though we asked for it all together. I do not care about that but less than 10 minutes later multiple staff approached us asking if we need boxes. She had a nearly full bowl of ramen that she is actively working on. We are two Black women and there are empty tables all around the restaurant and white patrons who were there before us. I was a waiter for 5 years and none of this made sense. As we are gathering our things to leave, a man who we hadn't talked to yet comes to our table to tell us to leave to free the table, an hour after we sat. We sat at 7 and left at 8. He visibly saw us picking up our things and still felt the need to let us know with his actions that Black women do not belong there. It was a deeply confusing and painful experience for both of us. This is a common experience for Black patrons especially Black women and I believe personal bias heavily influenced this interaction. Please educate your staff on tableside racism read more

This place is a hidden gem. Great food, great service, definitely going back. Our waiter was very friendly and helpful.

We were waking along Milwaukee and heard good things about this place so decided to give jt a try. It did not disappoint! The portions were HUGE. And for very decent prices. We tried 3 different buns, all really really good. The pork belly in particular was a huge slab and well cooked so the fatty goodness just melted perfectly as we were eating it. The Oiimen was also really good- flavorful broth with lots of great, generous toppings and two huge pieces of pork belly. I had enough to take home and make additional noodles for a whole other bowl of ramen. Not spicy on its own so the waitress was nice and brought me a side of chili oil. One thing was that it was a little toasty that day and the doors/windows were all open in lieu of AC so it was a little challenging to eat hot ramen in a hot room. Just a heads up if it's a super hot day! read more

Oiistar - Oiimen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Best bang for your buck ramen in Chicago! This is definitely the place to go to if you're a dude or a very hungry girl. I've visited oiistar plenty of times for their umami ramen and decided to try their spicy garlic shoyumen. You could definitely appreciate the garlic flavor of the broth but overall, I still think that the umami is the best ramen on their menu. It's savory, rich, and loaded! Their ramens come with a whole soft boiled egg (two halves! That's more than wasabi's), bamboo shoots, and two hefty pieces of chashu. Their noodles are pretty standard and this is where wasabi wins; wasabi's noodles are thicker and chewier in my opinion. Portions are huge so for me, I usually can't eat any dessert if I come here (which makes me sad because Jeni's ice cream is close by). Wait time: very popular on the weekends! Expect to wait but it's well worth it. Wicker park has a lot to offer so there's plenty of ways to pass the time. Parking: Street parking is free on sundays! Overall: This is one of my staples in Chicago. Come hungry, leave satisfied. read more

Oiistar - Spicy garlic shoyumen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's very good if you like ramen, I'm kind of 50/50 on ramen but my wife loves it. It's warm and quiet enough but they do get very busy so make sure to book a reservation if you have the spare 30 seconds it takes before just walking in read more

My favorite ramen spot in Chicago and I have been to many. The pork belly is so different from other ramen spots. And it's by far the best. My go to order is the veggimen with a side of pork belly. It's so light and refreshing with all the veggies, tofu and avocado. read more

Oiistar - Spicy Veggimen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Let me get the ONLY NEGATIVE out first that is barely a negative- I drove past the place a couple times because their sign and name is small The inside is not too big, so our party of 4 shared the big table with others strangers. It's cool to meet new friends Anyways the menu is simple! The bowl you get are HUGE! The prices are average but you get so much. You drink the broth for ramen, you'll find it hard to finish and have a "happy" bowl at the end! I got the ramen with mussels and I added some brisket and egg to it. I had no problem paying more because everything WAS SO DELICIOUS. Each bowl was rated in spice level and my ramen bowl was a level 3. It 100% brought the heat BUT NO REGRETS!!! I had a plenty amount of mussels that filled me up alone. I just had to add the egg for the iconic ramen look! The second ramen is their more traditional/popular broth. The spice level was a 1 so it only had great flavor without the heat! The heard that ramen was also quite..AMAZING. 10/10 Must go again. Ps there is a 100 gallon (five or take a gallon) bowl of sangria that welcomes you in. read more

See all

Get ready for the closest thing to authentic ramen in Chicago without having to travel to around O'Hare and Mitsuwa. And surprise - it's fusion. For starters, there's a lot about the ramen that Oiistar gets right. The broth is piping hot (if you look at my prior reviews, this is an absolute MUST), the soup is fatty, the noodles are al dente, and the accompaniments (pork belly, bamboo shoots, seaweed, etc) were all done well. I've only sampled a few of their ramen selection, but everything looks fantastic. The only negative I have to say is that their ramen ends up being a bit two-dimensional: better than the city-wide standard, but still missing the final "pop" that makes you beam as you slurp the noodles down. If you're curious, you can also sample their buns (a more Chinese dish than Japanese). They were steamed to perfection and topped with some really flavorful and interesting ingredients. My personal favorite has to be the pork belly and duck. Best part of Oiistar is that the line for this place is much shorter than some of the more exclusive ramen shops around Chicago (looking at you High Five Ramen). Prices are what you would expect around the Wicker Park area. read more

See all

Walked in and was seated immediately. The service was quick. Environment gave cozy vibes. Menu offered a variety of options. Got the #6, this ramen had great flavor and tasted fresh. Portion sizes are abundant!! Next time I'll leave room for dessert. read more

Oiistar - #6 ramen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Pretty darn delicious if you're looking for a hearty bowl of noodles and more! I haven't had one of these big bowls of noodles before and it really hit the spot. I loved that there was a nice mix of proteins and veggies in the bowl and the savory broth was wonderful. You can't beat this nice warm bowl of comfort food along with a good, cold drink. I had the mushroom bao but wasn't terribly impressed with it and found it to be overkill after the hefty entree arrived. I'll skip out on on the bao next time and stick to the main course. Highly recommended--especially if you're planning to catch a show next door at Davenport's. read more

Oiistar - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Gluten free ramens and fried chicken are so good. Staff is always very friendly, ambience is amazing, take all my money

Honest review: its not as good as it used to be honestly. Ambiance its still supper tiny n hard to find a seat. Service is slow like typical bar service. Food: the menu is mostly all the same since lt opened no improvements have been made. Drinks the only drinks that they have are really basic nothing special. In all honesty i had better ramen in my life i think the baos are better then the actual ramen wasabi is a lot better i would just come back for baos n apps next time honestly n plz improve the baos not all of them are good some of them are gross like the pollo bun. Best things togarashi mussels/ shrimp bun/ mashed potato bun/ pork belly bao/ musscleman/ creme brule Mashed potato bun: ive had a lot of buns in my life this is probably my favorite its so rich and flavorful. The mashed potatoes are supper decadent. The meat was supper tender just only thing it needs texture. Pollo bun: this was gross was cold was really sweet n the meat was really dry Tuna carpaccio: this was alright it was lacking flavor. Not a lot of tuna wouldnt order again togarashi mussels: this was the best thing here was more flavorful then all the ramens here. The broth has depth and is spicy. The sausage adds this smokey salty flavor. The mussels were cooked perfectly. The bread was amazing put more they really need to turn this into a ramen. Chicken ramen: wasnt alot of meat n the broth wasnt that flavorful Spicy garlic shoy: i didnt like this at all it was so sweet idk why was gross honestly read more

See all

Our group of 6 came here for dinner on a Wednesday and although the place is small, we were seated immediately. I was looking forward to trying their baos but since we were a group & one order of bao came as a single serving, we went for the fried chicken appetizer instead.....it was good, keep you company till the entree arrives kinda good. For my ramen I had the Umami bowl - miso paste broth with pork belly and mushrooms. Now this was my second ramen I had ever eaten (the first one being at High Five) and that to me was the problem. I don't want to be disrespectful and start talking about another business here but I feel my expectations after High Five skyrocketed..so this bowl was a step down. It was still very tasty tho and I can see myself looking forward to this on a chilly night. They have a decent selection of beverages from sake to beer. Servers were alright...not extremely friendly but not rude either. Parking in this neighborhood on a weekend night can be difficult. If you're craving for some good ramen and cannot spare half of your day waiting in line for High five, I do recommend checking this place out. read more

Oiistar - Umami ramen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is pretty good. The wait time can be a bit long because there aren't that many other ramen places around here and there isn't that much seating. Tried the Oiistar ramen, cucumber salad, and mussels appetizer. The cucumber salad was refreshingly good and the mussels were delicious. Only wish they gave more bread to soak up all that yummy sauce. The broth for the ramen was flavorful and the portions were decent. The pork belly was a bit burnt but overall good ramen and I would come back here again. read more

Oiistar - Salad - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

AMAZING first time trying ramen in general and it was top tier. Did not disappoint!! Highly recommend, I will be back! read more

Oiistar - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Oiistar is my go to when it comes to Ramen, so why give it a 4 star, the only downside is that it has become a bit salty besides that everything is good. My favorite ramen is pozolmen, a bit spicy but other than that love the flavors, the pork belly is my favorite so I always try to add a bit extra when I order. We also have the Berkshire pork belly bun and the flavors are so yummy. There is street parking and is a busy street so at times is hard to find, when it comes to the wait, here and there is rare when I have to wait a long time, you can always call ahead to see if there's a waiting period before you head there. No reservations from my understanding. Enjoy read more

Oiistar - Berkshire Pork Belly Bun - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

My fiancé and I were craving a new ramen place since we have a ramen bucket list going. We went here on Friday night and got in right away even though it looked busy. We sat right by the kitchen and got to watch the magic happen, which was so fun to see. The kitchen was a well oiled machine, just the fastest staff working so efficiently. Our waiter was fast, attentive and informative. We ended up sharing a pulled pork belly and both had the Oiimen ramen, which is their most popular. It's your typical ramen bowl. We also ordered a bunch of drinks, which were very well priced! I must say, the serving of ramen was huge and came in a giant bowl (yes, please). I got to take some home to reheat for later. The pulled pork bun was good and worth the price (under $4). The ramen wasn't the best I've ever had but it was definitely good and worth it. I'm a huge fan of a good, hearty broth and the broth just didn't quite do it for me. I wish it was a little more flavorful and more rich. The experience, service and tasting of different food was well worth it for us! We had such a great time sipping our drinks and watching the amazing kitchen staff working their magic. read more

Oiistar - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

10/10/10. Hands down some of the best veggie broth I've ever had. I don't eat pork, which most ramen is made with, so we ordered the Tikkamen with veggie broth. So fire. The ambiance is amazing too. Dimly lit and the seats are pretty close together. Perfect for date night. My boyfriend has already decided that this will be our go to ramen spot. Highly recommend. read more

Oiistar - Menu - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I'm always hesitant to try new Ramen places as i have a favorite and usually nothing else beats my favorite. It Oiistar did not disappoint. If I had to make a top ten list of places based just on Ramen, Oiistar would probably be number 2 on my list. The ramen broth was just a little too garlicky and the pork a bit under seasoned but still quite enjoyable. The Zzajangmen, however, really stole the show. Imagine lo mein that tastes better than any lo mein you ever ate. The fried garlic sambal chicken was also excellent and the bao donut dessert was really really great. I would definitely come back here. Just a heads up, if you don't like really really runny egg ask them to hard boil it. The bao are great too! If I was rating just in Ramen I might give it 4 1/2 stars but everything else elevated this too the next level! read more

See all

The greatest ramen I've ever had, no hyperbole. I love ramen and have gotten it in many cities around the US, and nothing has come close to this. Just incredible. read more

The Bao Buns here were incredible. Would definitely recommend this place and excited to come back.

Came here before the kitchen closed on a Friday and it wasn't too busy! It's a cute spot in Wicker Park, the chairs are a bit uncomfortable. Even though we ordered take out we waited about 15 minutes on the bar stools and my friend said they were uncomfortable. I ordered the Oiimen, I love a white broth. It was a bit salty for my liking but the meat was the star of the dish. It was a big thick piece of pork belly. I also ordered the tonkatsu bun, the meat and slaw were good but I was not a fan of the creme fraiche. It seemed out of place for my liking. read more